8 Questions Skeptics Ask and Answers Christians Should Know

 1. Why Should I Believe the Bible? It’s Just an Ancient Book.

There are approximately 25,000 manuscript copies of the New Testament, although some are fragments. Only ten manuscripts of Caesar’s Gallic Wars and only five of Aristotle’s Poetic exist, yet these writings are quoted from as valid historical documents.

Most scholars agree that the Authorized King James version of the Bible is the most pure and accurate as translated from the original languages of Hebrew and Greek.

At the time of the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Bible we use today had already been in print for hundreds of years. The Scrolls revealed copies of every book in the Old Testament except for the book of Esther.

The age of the Dead Sea Scrolls was confirmed by carbon dating, coins, and pottery found near where the Essenes lives, (the authors of the scrolls), and through the study of the ancient language. These documents were determined to have been written between 300 BC and 100 AD.

The question arises, if we don’t have the original manuscripts but only copies, how do we know they are accurate? The writings in the Dead Sea Scrolls were almost identical to the Masoretic texts used to translate the Bible we have today which proved the accuracy of the copied manuscripts that had been handed down. The only discrepancies were minor spelling differences.

Some opposition to the Bible’s authenticity is the belief that the authors inscribed their words years after the exploits they wrote about took place. The theory circulated that people weren’t literate enough to write thousands of years ago. Claims that the Hebrew language didn’t exist, and that the authorship of the books was assigned years later by another writer were dispelled in 2008. Pottery was unearthed in Israel which is 3,000 years old and contains inscriptions in Hebrew. This gives credence to the fact that people from that long ago were educated enough to read and write.

Daniel prophesied the exact time period Jesus would appear. He also foresaw the military campaigns of Alexander the Great and the fall of the Babylonian Empire hundreds of years before any events took place. No one could know about these historical occurrences without supernatural insight.

Jesus and the writers of the epistles also validated the Old Testament as they quoted from all the Old Testament books except Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Song of Solomon, and Ecclesiastes.

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2. How Do I Know Jesus Is Really God’s Son?

Mathematician Peter Stoner calculated the impossibility of one person accomplishing only 48 of the predictions about Jesus as one in 10 followed by 157 zeroes. Yet Jesus fulfilled more than 300 prophecies regarding His birth, life, teachings, death, and resurrection. The only predictions left about Christ are those that refer to His second appearance.

And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. (1 Corinthians 15:14-15)

The resurrection of Christ was witnessed by over 500 people (1 Corinthians 15:6).

3. If God is So Good, Why Does He Allow Evil?

The Creator commanded Adam to take dominion over the earth. When the man transgressed and brought sin into the world, Satan became the ruler of this planet. Adam’s authority reverted to the devil who is the author of evil.

Chaos and tragedy are the effects of the fall and the rulership of Satan. The Lord isn’t the one allowing these situations to happen. Sometimes tragedy occurs because people disobey God’s Word. Other times we are attacked by the devil. When this transpires, we are commanded to recognize where the attack comes from, resist evil, and overcome. There are also circumstances we don’t understand. We live in a fallen world and bad things do transpire,  but when evil takes place, the incidents are not from God.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (John 10:10)

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4. Why Did God Command the Killing of Populations but Told Us Not to Kill?

The commandment that tells us not to kill (Exodus 20:13) was originally written in Hebrew using the word murder. The instructions were not to take life through vengeance. But there are certain exceptions. The Bible gives allowances for self-defense (Exodus 22:2-3, Esther 8:11), capital punishment (Genesis 9:5-6), and war (Joel 3:9). Other than these exceptions, the Lord Almighty forbids the taking of human life through anger and selfish actions.

Until the Savior appeared and died for the sins of man, people couldn’t be born again the way we can today. When nations who worshipped idols became inhabited by demons, they had no way to be set free. When the Almighty wiped out populations of idol worshippers, he was showing mercy to the human race by restricting the spread of exposure to these demons. After Jesus came, evil spirits fled at His command. His resurrection gave the authority to believers to use His name to cast out demons and release people from bondage.

Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give. (Matthew 10:8)

5. Why Did God Command Animal Sacrifices? That Is Abuse of Animals.

Animal sacrifices were a substitute for a person’s punishment. Sacrificial processes were carried out quickly and humanely.

The Lord, Himself, produced the first sacrifice because He had to clothe Adam and Eve in animal skins. He killed an animal instead of killing them.

The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. (Genesis 3:21)

We should care for animals and treat them kindly. But they should never be elevated as more important than a human being. Some of the same ones who advocate for animal rights will fight for the right to kill an unborn child. This demonstrates misplaced priorities. People are the Trinity’s highest creation made in His image. That’s why human sacrifice by the heathen nations was such an offense to Him.

The death of Jesus Christ was the only human sacrifice the Father didn’t condemn because the Son’s offering of His body satisfied the requirement for the wages of sin. No more animal blood is needed because bulls and goats couldn’t remove the sin stain in a person’s spirit (Hebrews 10:4). 

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6. How Do You Know the Miracles the Bible Talks about Really Happened?

Miracles are just that—miracles. They don’t depend upon natural phenomena to occur. But for those who demand physical proof, there are multitudes of archeological demonstrations of biblical truth.

One example is proof of the Red Sea Crossing. Excavation and diving excursions have discovered chariot wheels along with human and horse bones at the bottom of the sea. The preservation of the bones was due to mineralization in salt water.

A pillar of granite 25 feet high was discovered on the Egyptian side of Nuweiba Beach with writings in Hebrew depicting the story of the Hebrew crossing. This was placed in the location by King Solomon. A similar pillar was constructed on the Saudi Arabian side of the sea, but the Saudi government has removed it and only a marker remains.

The Red Sea is 5,000–6,000 feet deep in this area. Only a miraculous hand could push back that volume of water for the Hebrews to walk through on dry ground (Exodus 14:21).

Another supernatural event mankind could not fabricate was when the sun stood still during a battle the Israelites fought. The day did not progress further or end until the victory was won.

So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies. (Joshua 10:13)

Also when King Hezekiah asked for proof a message from Isaiah the prophet was true, the Lord allowed him to choose if he wanted the sun to go backward or forward 10 degrees. The king chose backward and the shadow cast by the sun moved back exactly 10 degrees (2 Kings 20:11).

Both of these cosmic events have been verified by NASA computations.

7. Where Did God Come From?

The same ones who ask this question will have faith in a piece of slime floating in space.  We, as mortal humans, can’t figure out everything in the spirit world. We need to accept what the Bible says by faith.

By showing the Bible’s validity we can also know that what the Word of God says about the Lord’s eternal existence is true. Jesus fulfilled all the prophecies about Himself. Miraculous displays have been confirmed by archeological and scientific methods. With all this proof, there is no excuse for not accepting everything the Bible says.

Believing in God requires humility. Unfortunately, for some, self is their god.

By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. (Hebrews 11:3)

Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying: “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,’ who was, and is, and is to come.” (Revelation 4:8)

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8. How Can God Live Inside a Person? People Have Been Cut Open, and No One Saw Him.

Because God is a spirit, we can’t see Him with our physical eyes. Surgery can’t reveal personalities or thoughts either. Machines can measure brain waves but can’t read a person’s mind. Because the Spirit created humans so unique and intricate, only He knows what goes on inside a person’s soul. Not even Satan can read our minds.  

God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship him in Spirit and in truth. (John 4:24)

For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. (1 Corinthians 2:11)

Skeptics Will Always Exist

Archeologists continue to unearth remains of cities, buildings, ossuaries, plaques, and coins that verify places and people who are mentioned in the Bible.

The heavenly Father spoke audibly on different occasions when Jesus walked the earth. However, some of those who heard what was said still refused to believe. They thought it thundered or that an angel spoke. (John 12:9) If hearts are so hard they won’t accept an audible voice from heaven, they won’t believe us either.

Doubters demand proof even though the Lord says the evidence is before them.

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. (Romans 1:18-20)

Our job is not to argue but to defend our beliefs. Only the Holy Spirit can open a person’s eyes.

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