January 3, 2026 • 28 mins
On today’s Bible Answer Man broadcast, Hank discusses whether Christians are guilty of having blind faith and the response to skeptics who say the Bible is full of errors.
Hank also answers the following questions: Could you expound your view of the doctrine of hell? Samuel - Nashville, TN (2:49)
What caused the devil to sin if there was no sin in heaven? Brandon - St. Louis, MO (8:26)
What is the biblical teaching on those who died before Christ’s sacrifice on the cross? Archie - Atlanta, GA (15:59)
Could you give me some historical background on the Amish and the Mennonites? Are they considered Christian? Jo - Overland Park, KS (19:58)
Did the Apostle Paul perform a resurrection? If so, in what passage of Scripture was it recorded? Josh - Dublin, GA (23:55)
Hank also answers the following questions: Could you expound your view of the doctrine of hell? Samuel - Nashville, TN (2:49)
What caused the devil to sin if there was no sin in heaven? Brandon - St. Louis, MO (8:26)
What is the biblical teaching on those who died before Christ’s sacrifice on the cross? Archie - Atlanta, GA (15:59)
Could you give me some historical background on the Amish and the Mennonites? Are they considered Christian? Jo - Overland Park, KS (19:58)
Did the Apostle Paul perform a resurrection? If so, in what passage of Scripture was it recorded? Josh - Dublin, GA (23:55)
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Welcome to the best of the Bible answer Man broadcast
with your host, Hank Antigraph. The Bible answer Man is
the radio ministry of the Christian Research Institute, designed to
equip believers to defend their faith and become true disciples
of the Lord Jesus Christ, because life and truth matter.
Our phone number is eight eight eight seven thousand CRII.
(00:31):
That's one eight eight eight seven thousand, two seven four.
You can find us on the Internet at equip dot org.
That's equip dot org. The following program was pre recorded,
and now to begin today's broadcast, here's Hank Canagraph.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Thank you Randy. Are Christians guilty of blind faith? Or
is the Bible really God's inspired word? Can you ever
know for sure? Join me for a stirring defense of
the Bible as the Word of God in your only
reliable foundation for life. In answering the question has God spoken?
(01:15):
I use manuscript evidence, archaeology, predictive prophecy, and much more
to memorably demonstrate that the Bible is divine rather than
merely human in origin, and in the process demolish modern
objections to the Bible, such as there are more mistakes
in manuscript copies of the Bible than there are words
(01:37):
in the New Testament. Or the objection that the Biblical
account of David is no more factual than tales of
King Arthur. There simply is no evidence in archaeology or
history for Israel's quintessential king. Or the objection that contemporary
prophets are one hundred percent wrong one hundred percent of
(01:58):
the time and biblical profits were just as unreliable. In
my book, has God spoken, I answer those objections? Has
God spoken? Will empower equip encourage you to always be
ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you
(02:18):
to give the reason for the hope that you have,
with gentleness, of course, and with respect. And the book
is available for your donation to the ministry of the
Christian Research Institute. You can check it out on the
webit equipped dot org. Write me at Post Office box
eighty five hundred, Charlotte, North Carolina, zip code two eight
(02:38):
two seven one, or as always, just pick up the
phone and talk to our resource consultants triple eight seven
thousand and the letters CRI. Let's go right to the
phone calls first up Samuel, He's listening in Nashville, Tennessee.
Hi Samuel, Hi.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
Thank you. Listen your show all the time and straight
you and I on pretty much everything but a few
minor things. One of those things was you had a
caller who asked about hell, and I've always heard you
say that hell is an eternal torment, which I believe.
But then you said that it wasn't an actual literal
(03:17):
burning flame, but that's more like a yearning for God's
love would never be quenched. I was wondering if you
could expound on that.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Well, that's not exactly what I said, But I don't
think that it is literal flames, that's true. I think
that the flames are a metaphor for the torment of
being separated from the goodness and grace of God for
all eternity. But there are many other metaphors that the
Bible uses. Consider the metaphor that's used in the Book
of Jude, Blackest Darkness Forever. Now. Both of them point
(03:51):
as metaphors with sharp teeth to the graphic reality that
I just expressed, how horrible it will be to be
separated from the goodness and grace of God. But if
you try to take the metaphors and make them walk
on all fours, you're going to have all kinds of trouble.
How can you have blackest darkness forever? In flames, flames
emit light. So if you take this in a wooden
(04:13):
literal sense, you end up with nonsense. What is literal
is that will be real resurrected people in eternity, some
separated from God's grace and some partaking in the grace
and goodness of God for all eternity. And so Jesus
as well as the Biblical writers, are using metaphors to
communicate the ghastly reality of hell. And those metaphors are
(04:38):
not only used to communicate that in terms of the
language of the Bible, but also the language of the
Bible employs other forms of speech that underscore this graphic reality.
For example, Jesus said, if your right eye offends you,
gouge it out, throw it away. It's better for you
(04:59):
to lose one part part of your body then for
your whole body to be thrown into hell. If your
right hand cause Jesus and cut it off throat away.
But he's using hyperbole to make the point of just
how horrible an eternity apart from the grace.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
Of God is Okay, one real more quick thing. I
know you've got a lot of callers. Jesus said that
hell was prepared for the devil and his angels. Satan,
for all intents and purposes, walked away from God purposefully.
And so I mean, I don't see how being separated
from the love of God for eternity for Satan would
(05:36):
be torment for him when he left him of his
own accord.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
I don't follow you there at all. I mean, Satan
will be cast into Hell. Satan is already experiencing torment.
Satan will forever experience that torment, and that torment of
being separated from the love and grace of God is ghastly,
and that's why the language is used. Usually a breath
(06:04):
of relief is heard if someone says that hell is
a symbol for separation from God.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
But believe me, I would love to actually believe that
when certain people, like even loved ones that I know,
don't know Christ, when they die, they're not going to
go through eternal flames. But I'm just having a hard time.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
No, you're misunderstanding me. No, you're misunderstanding me. I'm saying
that the graphic horror of real hell is worse than flames. Okay,
I'm not saying that flames is somehow or other worse.
(06:43):
I'm saying that being separated from the love and grace
of God is the worst thing that we can imagine,
and flames doesn't even touch the horror of that separation
for all eternity. It is a metaphor that points to
that reality, but the reality is more graphic and gruesome
(07:05):
than flames. Think about this.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
Basically, upon someone on Resurrection Day when they see the
splendor of the Lord and come to the realization that
he is indeed real and that they could have been
a part of that, and then being shut out from
it would outweigh any other type of punishment.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
Well, yeah, and the most excruciating pain can be endured
if we know that it will end in hell. No
such hope exists, and that's why this metaphor has sharp teeth.
And again, if you take the metaphor and make it
walk it off four us, then you've got all kinds
of conflicts because blackest darkness Forever is a metaphor that
the Bible uses for Hell as well.
Speaker 3 (07:45):
Right, Okay, all right, that helps out a lot. I
was just trying to get your take on it, and
I really appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
Hey, thanks for sticking in there and duking it out
with me. I appreciate that. You know, ultimately, it's not
my word, it's the world, and I'm glad you're testing
it in light a scripture, holding faster that which is good.
That's exactly what you should be doing.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
I desire God, Bless you, God.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
Bless you. Appreciate your call. And hell is not mere
separation from God, as though sinners are on vacation and
free to do anything that they want. No separation is
a horrific kind of a condition, not separated from His
judgmental presence. I want to go back to the phone lines,
talk to Brandon Saint Louis, Missouri. Hi, Brandon, how you
(08:31):
doing good? How are you? I'm good.
Speaker 4 (08:34):
I'm just on my wa own from work, actually trying
to be rush hour traffic.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
Oh great.
Speaker 4 (08:38):
My question has to do is the devil and him
being created. And I don't know if the devil was
the first created being or not, but my question was,
if he was created heaven with God and there's no sin,
how did he I mean, I know he had free will,
but how did he come up? With sin in his mind,
if there was no such thing.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
Well, the first thing I should tell you about sin
is that sin is not an ontological entity in itself.
It's a deprivation of something, as a deprivation of good.
Satan was created as a being that had volition. He
had the choice to love God, to worship him, or
(09:19):
to demand that worship for himself. As a result of
having choice, there is the potential for evil to come
into the world. So God created a being, and with
that creation creates the potential for evil. He doesn't create evil,
(09:40):
but he does create the potential for evil, and that
evil ends up being actualized by the devil, not only actualized,
but experienced by the devil. And then, of course, in
the Genesis account, we see how the devil tempts Adam
and Eve, and they too fall into lies of perpetual sin,
terminated by death. But again, Adam and Eve, like Satan,
(10:02):
had the opportunity to choose to worship and follow God
or to do it their own way. Their choice actualized sin,
and with sin we have destruction and chaos which comes
in the created universe that God has provided for Adam
and Eve as well and for humanity.
Speaker 5 (10:21):
That follows so correctly if I'm wrong, But would you
say that that not had to create people with free will,
because if you don't have free will, you don't have choice,
and you can't love somebody if you can't truly love
somebody if you don't have choice, So you have to
have it that way.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
Yeah, perfectly said. That's exactly the point. The point is
that love is rendered meaningless if there's no choice for
love to be meaningful. There has to be choice. If
the only way you can get your wife to love
you is to hold a gun to her temple and
say love me or else, love is meaningless. Love is
only meaningful when it is volitional, if it is the
(10:57):
choice of a human being to love another human being,
or the choice of a human being to love their God.
Speaker 5 (11:03):
Okay, all right, that makes sense. And actually I've been
wonnering about that all day long. So I appreciate your help.
Speaker 6 (11:08):
Thank you, you got it.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
Thank you so much for your call right back right
after the break.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
To find out more about the materials mentioned on the show,
call a CRII Resource Consultant toll free at eight eight
eight seven thousand CRI that's eight eight eight seven thousand, CRII.
Our website is also an excellent reference destination to help you.
Just go to equip dot org and find articles by Hank, books,
(11:37):
CDs and DVDs. Again, that's equip dot org or write
cri PO Box eighty five hundred, Charlotte, North Carolina, ZIP
two eight two seven one. The Bible answer Man will
continue in just a moment. Has God Spoken? Are the
(12:08):
words of Scripture merely human in origin? Or are they,
in fact the very words of God himself. Three years
in the making and based on two decades of research
and reflection, Hank Henagraph's monumental book Has God Spoken answers
what is surely the most important question facing our world.
In Has God Spoken? Memorable proofs of the Bible's divine inspiration,
(12:32):
Hank counters the contentions of the Bible attackers and clearly
shows that belief in the Holy Scriptures is not a
guess or wishful thinking. It is the only logical conclusion
after an honest examination of overwhelming evidence. Order Has God
Spoken from the Christian Research Institute by calling eighty eight
seven thousand CRII, or go online to equip dot org,
(12:56):
equip dot org, bertrand Russell famously said most people would
rather die than think, and many of them do not
so with CRI Support Team members. Support Team members are
not only serious thinkers, but their membership and CRI's Support
(13:17):
Team helps to equip hundreds of thousands of fellow believers
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Team members form the backbone of Christian Research Institute's outreaches,
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(13:40):
twenty four to seven and equipping believers at home and
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benefits of membership at equip dot org. Once again, that's
equip dot org. Doctor. Even Alexandra's wildly popular near death
(14:06):
experience book Proof of Heaven assures us that no matter
what we do in this life, only unconditional love and
joy await us in the world to come. But our
Lord warned that while the gate to Hell is wide,
the road to it broad, and those who enter through
it are many. The gate is narrow and the way
is hard that leads to life, and those who find
(14:27):
it are few your generous support. Let's Hank hanograph and
see Uri speak out against the lies that lead to hell.
In appreciation for your gift, today, we'll rush you Hank's
book After Life, What you need to know about Heaven,
the Hereafter and Near death experiences filled with answers to
your questions about life after death. Call eight eight eight
(14:49):
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that's equip dot org. The famous British apologist G. K.
(15:09):
Chesterton once noted, the true soldier fights not because he
hates what is in front of him, but because he
loves what is behind him. Because at CRII we love
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We will never retreat quietly from the growing assaults on
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(15:29):
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visit our website at equip dot Org Here again is
(15:54):
CRI President Hank canograph.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
Thank you're not shinned. Back to the phone lines. We'll
talk next to Archie listening in Atlanta, Georgia.
Speaker 6 (16:03):
Hi, Archie, Hey, Hey, how you doing. Thanks a lot.
I really appreciate everything you do. My question has to
do with the resurrection. I recently came to Christ. I
grew up with a Jovah witness, So I'm having difficulty
untying when of their teachings. Those who died before Christ sacrificed.
Are they going to be resurrected at some point given
(16:24):
a chance to hear the message? What's the biblical teaching
on them?
Speaker 2 (16:28):
Now? The biblical teaching is that throughout all of history
people are saved in exactly the same way, which is
to say that Abraham was saved not after he was circumcised,
but before he was circumcised. Why circumcision pointed forward in
faith to a truth, and that truth ultimately came in
(16:50):
the person and work of Jesus Christ. So prior to
Jesus Christ, people look forward to Jesus Christ through types
and shadows. After Jesus Christ, those types and shadows have
been fulfilled. So we already see the substance. So the
Cross stands on the falkrm of history. Before the cross,
people looked forward to the Cross again through types and shadows.
(17:12):
After the cross, we look back at the cross and
we see that the one who was prefigured in those
types and shadows has come.
Speaker 6 (17:23):
Thanks. But I guess my question I to do it
Those that before the cross had no knowledge or understanding
of the types of shadows.
Speaker 2 (17:32):
Well, no they did. They didn't have full knowledge. They
didn't have the kind of clarity that we have, but
they had knowledge. So Abraham was considered a friend of God,
and he looked forward to a new home. He wasn't
addicted to this earth, a new home whose architect and
(17:53):
builder was God. So he looked forward to Paradise restored,
just as Adam and Eve did. The proto evangel comes
already in Genesis chapter three. So certainly they didn't have
the clarity. And oftentimes you can look at this, maybe
as walking into a room, you can kind of make
(18:14):
the outline of the furniture out in the darkness. You
can kind of see this furniture there. You can't really
see what color it is, but you know it's there,
So you see dimly. But when the light is turned on,
when Christ comes, then you see everything clearly. But certainly,
no matter where you are, you're saved in the same way.
(18:35):
And Paul makes this explicit. You can go to Acts
chapter seventeen where he's in the Areopagus and he says
from one man, God made every nation of men that
they should inhabit the whole earth. And then Paul says this,
he determined the exact times and places that they should live,
and did that so that men might reach out for
him and find him, though he is not far from
(18:58):
each one of us. Now Paul can say that because
no matter where you are or what epic of time
you lived in, you have the light of creation. Not
only that, but God has provided a light internally, which
is the knowledge of Himself written upon the canvas of
our consciousness. He talks about that in Romans chapter two.
So if we respond to that light, we will have
(19:22):
the light of Christ, either through types and shadows or
today the actual light of Christ. And I've often said this,
it's not the absence of truth that damns, it's the
despising of truth that damns. So the idea was not
that Abram had to have encyclopedic knowledge of what was
to come, but he had to believe in faith that
(19:45):
God was going to provide a sacrifice, just as He
provided a sacrifice in place of Isaac.
Speaker 6 (19:52):
Great. Great, Thank you so much. I appreciate all you do.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
Thanks lot, you got it. Thank you for your call.
Back to the phone lines. We'll talk next to Joe
Overland Park, Kansas. Hi, Joe, Hi, Hank.
Speaker 5 (20:04):
My question is.
Speaker 7 (20:07):
About the Amish and the Mennonites. If you could give
me a little background on what they stand for. Are
they considered Christian? Is it a sect or a cult?
And I've been reading in a book and it says
that missionary work was not part of the Amish way,
(20:29):
and I was wondering how do they lend people to Christ?
And the second part of my question is I have
a friend who has been going to a Quaker church
for a couple of years and I wanted to know
is there any reslax that should go off that I
should explain to her? And how do they compare to
(20:50):
the Amish and the Mennonite.
Speaker 2 (20:53):
Well, you know, there are certainly Amish and Mennonite and
Quakers who are not believers, but you can say that
about Presbyterians and Baptists as well. In terms of the history,
the Amish were named after Jakob Ahman, who was a
seventeenth century Swiss Mennonite, and the Mennonites themselves were named
(21:16):
after Meno Simmons, who was a Dutchman like I am
a sixteenth century Dutchman. However, and the Amish were actually
a reactionary function within the Mennonite movement, with essentially an
attempt to freeze history around the seventeenth century if you
think about it, because they had a real problem with
(21:38):
things like electricity and cars and buttons and all of
these kinds of things. So they were a radical Reformation movement.
They didn't think the Reformation had gone far enough in
terms of reforming, and they wanted to really withdraw from
the culture. And so some of their ways and some
of their teachings are certainly peculiar, And certainly when it
(22:00):
comes to Quakerism, I have some distinct problems with the
teachings of George Fox, and I lay those out in
my book Counterfeit Revival. But there certainly are many Amish
Mennonite Quakers who are completely orthodox when it comes to
the essentials of the historic Christian Faith. However misguided I
(22:21):
might think they are in secondary matters.
Speaker 7 (22:24):
I know that they say one district may not be
like another district. Yeah, central, Now.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
I think there's a truth to that. I mean, I
don't think that they're monolithic, and you can say that
about a lot of denominations. Baptists are not monolithic, Presbyterians
are not monolithic. They're multifaceted, and I think that in
some part applies to these three closely related movements.
Speaker 7 (22:49):
So as far as my girlfriend attending a Quaker church,
would you discourage that?
Speaker 2 (22:55):
Well, I certainly have strong differences with some of Quakerism
or some of the teachings of George Fox. But the
real issue ultimately for me is essential Christian doctrine. What
are the essentials of the historic Christian Faith? In essentials, unity,
(23:15):
non essentials, liberty, and all things charity. Secondly, and not
in terms of second in position, but just second point
that I'm making is that they are experiencing life. There
are dead churches that have right orthodoxy. And this is
certainly true within radical Reformation movements. It's true within Reformation churches,
(23:39):
it's true within non Reformation churches. So I think the
real issue is life and truth. This is what Paul
told Timothy. What your life and doctrine? Closely persevere in them,
because if you do, you'll save with yourself and your hearers.
Back to the phone lines, we'll talk next to Josh.
He's listening in Dublin. George, Ni Josh, Hey, miss Hank,
(24:03):
how are you.
Speaker 8 (24:05):
I'm all right? How you doing good?
Speaker 2 (24:06):
Thank you.
Speaker 8 (24:08):
I have a question about resurrection. We've been studying on
Wednesday nights in our church about the i Ams of Jesus,
and we were in chapter eleven, where he was going
to resurrect Lazarus and says, I am the resurrection. Well,
our preacher asked us if we knew of anyone else
(24:32):
in the New Testament that performed the resurrection, And I said, Paul,
And he said, all right, we can't and I can't
figure out where it was that. He said it with
an act off top of his head. He didn't know
exactly where. Do you know where it's at?
Speaker 2 (24:45):
Yeah, it's Acts Chapter twenty, where I think Paul gets
very long winded. As a result of that, a guy
falls asleep in the middle of his dissertation and dies
in Paul racis him from the dead.
Speaker 8 (25:02):
Right, That's what our preacher was telling us. But you know,
we were still in the middle of our I mean,
we could have found it, but I hadn't had time
to stop and read enough to look forward.
Speaker 2 (25:15):
But ah, it's a great story and it's absolutely true.
It's a historical narrative. And again you find it in
Acts chapter twenty.
Speaker 8 (25:24):
Acts Chapter twenty.
Speaker 6 (25:25):
Lets K.
Speaker 8 (25:25):
I surely appreciate it. I love what you do.
Speaker 2 (25:28):
Thank you, Josh, appreciate your call. Unfortunately out of time
for this edition of the Bible Instrument broadcast. Again, your
prayers and your support are deeply appreciated. So long for now.
Speaker 1 (25:40):
Thank you for joining us for the Bible answer Man broadcast.
In today's post truth culture of confusion, the Christian Research
Institute exists to equip listeners like you with answers to
communicate the Gospel of Hope to a world in desperate
need of life and truth. Because life and truth matter
(26:01):
in addition to truth, we want to equip you with life,
not simply to know about God, but truly to know Him.
Experiencing union with Christ enables us to live life not
merely by our own energy, but with the energy of
the Lord Jesus working powerfully through us. For more information,
(26:22):
call eight eight eight seven thousand CRII. That's eight eight
eight seven thousand CRII. You can also write CRII at
Post Office Box eighty five hundred, Charlotte, North Carolina two
eight two seven one, or just visit us online at
equip dot org. That's equip dot org. The Bible answer
(26:47):
Man Broadcast is funded by listeners like you. We're on
the air because life and truth matter. Has God Spoken?
(27:07):
Are the words of Scripture merely human in origin? Or
are they, in fact the very words of God himself.
Three years in the making and based on two decades
of research and reflection, Hank Henagraph's monumental book Has God
Spoken answers what is surely the most important question facing
our world. In Has God Spoken? Memorable Proofs of the
(27:31):
Bible's Divine inspiration, Hank counters the contentions of the Bible
attackers and clearly shows that belief in the Holy Scriptures
is not a guess or wishful thinking. It is the
only logical conclusion after an honest examination of overwhelming evidence.
Ordered Has God Spoken? From the Christian Research Institute by
calling eighty eight seven thousand CRII, or go online to
(27:54):
equip dot org. Equip dot org
Welcome to the best of the Bible answer Man broadcast
with your host, Hank Antigraph. The Bible answer Man is
the radio ministry of the Christian Research Institute, designed to
equip believers to defend their faith and become true disciples
of the Lord Jesus Christ, because life and truth matter.
Our phone number is eight eight eight seven thousand CRII.
(00:31):
That's one eight eight eight seven thousand, two seven four.
You can find us on the Internet at equip dot org.
That's equip dot org. The following program was pre recorded,
and now to begin today's broadcast, here's Hank Canagraph.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Thank you Randy. Are Christians guilty of blind faith? Or
is the Bible really God's inspired word? Can you ever
know for sure? Join me for a stirring defense of
the Bible as the Word of God in your only
reliable foundation for life. In answering the question has God spoken?
(01:15):
I use manuscript evidence, archaeology, predictive prophecy, and much more
to memorably demonstrate that the Bible is divine rather than
merely human in origin, and in the process demolish modern
objections to the Bible, such as there are more mistakes
in manuscript copies of the Bible than there are words
(01:37):
in the New Testament. Or the objection that the Biblical
account of David is no more factual than tales of
King Arthur. There simply is no evidence in archaeology or
history for Israel's quintessential king. Or the objection that contemporary
prophets are one hundred percent wrong one hundred percent of
(01:58):
the time and biblical profits were just as unreliable. In
my book, has God spoken, I answer those objections? Has
God spoken? Will empower equip encourage you to always be
ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you
(02:18):
to give the reason for the hope that you have,
with gentleness, of course, and with respect. And the book
is available for your donation to the ministry of the
Christian Research Institute. You can check it out on the
webit equipped dot org. Write me at Post Office box
eighty five hundred, Charlotte, North Carolina, zip code two eight
(02:38):
two seven one, or as always, just pick up the
phone and talk to our resource consultants triple eight seven
thousand and the letters CRI. Let's go right to the
phone calls first up Samuel, He's listening in Nashville, Tennessee.
Hi Samuel, Hi.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
Thank you. Listen your show all the time and straight
you and I on pretty much everything but a few
minor things. One of those things was you had a
caller who asked about hell, and I've always heard you
say that hell is an eternal torment, which I believe.
But then you said that it wasn't an actual literal
(03:17):
burning flame, but that's more like a yearning for God's
love would never be quenched. I was wondering if you
could expound on that.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Well, that's not exactly what I said, But I don't
think that it is literal flames, that's true. I think
that the flames are a metaphor for the torment of
being separated from the goodness and grace of God for
all eternity. But there are many other metaphors that the
Bible uses. Consider the metaphor that's used in the Book
of Jude, Blackest Darkness Forever. Now. Both of them point
(03:51):
as metaphors with sharp teeth to the graphic reality that
I just expressed, how horrible it will be to be
separated from the goodness and grace of God. But if
you try to take the metaphors and make them walk
on all fours, you're going to have all kinds of trouble.
How can you have blackest darkness forever? In flames, flames
emit light. So if you take this in a wooden
(04:13):
literal sense, you end up with nonsense. What is literal
is that will be real resurrected people in eternity, some
separated from God's grace and some partaking in the grace
and goodness of God for all eternity. And so Jesus
as well as the Biblical writers, are using metaphors to
communicate the ghastly reality of hell. And those metaphors are
(04:38):
not only used to communicate that in terms of the
language of the Bible, but also the language of the
Bible employs other forms of speech that underscore this graphic reality.
For example, Jesus said, if your right eye offends you,
gouge it out, throw it away. It's better for you
(04:59):
to lose one part part of your body then for
your whole body to be thrown into hell. If your
right hand cause Jesus and cut it off throat away.
But he's using hyperbole to make the point of just
how horrible an eternity apart from the grace.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
Of God is Okay, one real more quick thing. I
know you've got a lot of callers. Jesus said that
hell was prepared for the devil and his angels. Satan,
for all intents and purposes, walked away from God purposefully.
And so I mean, I don't see how being separated
from the love of God for eternity for Satan would
(05:36):
be torment for him when he left him of his
own accord.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
I don't follow you there at all. I mean, Satan
will be cast into Hell. Satan is already experiencing torment.
Satan will forever experience that torment, and that torment of
being separated from the love and grace of God is ghastly,
and that's why the language is used. Usually a breath
(06:04):
of relief is heard if someone says that hell is
a symbol for separation from God.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
But believe me, I would love to actually believe that
when certain people, like even loved ones that I know,
don't know Christ, when they die, they're not going to
go through eternal flames. But I'm just having a hard time.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
No, you're misunderstanding me. No, you're misunderstanding me. I'm saying
that the graphic horror of real hell is worse than flames. Okay,
I'm not saying that flames is somehow or other worse.
(06:43):
I'm saying that being separated from the love and grace
of God is the worst thing that we can imagine,
and flames doesn't even touch the horror of that separation
for all eternity. It is a metaphor that points to
that reality, but the reality is more graphic and gruesome
(07:05):
than flames. Think about this.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
Basically, upon someone on Resurrection Day when they see the
splendor of the Lord and come to the realization that
he is indeed real and that they could have been
a part of that, and then being shut out from
it would outweigh any other type of punishment.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
Well, yeah, and the most excruciating pain can be endured
if we know that it will end in hell. No
such hope exists, and that's why this metaphor has sharp teeth.
And again, if you take the metaphor and make it
walk it off four us, then you've got all kinds
of conflicts because blackest darkness Forever is a metaphor that
the Bible uses for Hell as well.
Speaker 3 (07:45):
Right, Okay, all right, that helps out a lot. I
was just trying to get your take on it, and
I really appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
Hey, thanks for sticking in there and duking it out
with me. I appreciate that. You know, ultimately, it's not
my word, it's the world, and I'm glad you're testing
it in light a scripture, holding faster that which is good.
That's exactly what you should be doing.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
I desire God, Bless you, God.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
Bless you. Appreciate your call. And hell is not mere
separation from God, as though sinners are on vacation and
free to do anything that they want. No separation is
a horrific kind of a condition, not separated from His
judgmental presence. I want to go back to the phone lines,
talk to Brandon Saint Louis, Missouri. Hi, Brandon, how you
(08:31):
doing good? How are you? I'm good.
Speaker 4 (08:34):
I'm just on my wa own from work, actually trying
to be rush hour traffic.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
Oh great.
Speaker 4 (08:38):
My question has to do is the devil and him
being created. And I don't know if the devil was
the first created being or not, but my question was,
if he was created heaven with God and there's no sin,
how did he I mean, I know he had free will,
but how did he come up? With sin in his mind,
if there was no such thing.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
Well, the first thing I should tell you about sin
is that sin is not an ontological entity in itself.
It's a deprivation of something, as a deprivation of good.
Satan was created as a being that had volition. He
had the choice to love God, to worship him, or
(09:19):
to demand that worship for himself. As a result of
having choice, there is the potential for evil to come
into the world. So God created a being, and with
that creation creates the potential for evil. He doesn't create evil,
(09:40):
but he does create the potential for evil, and that
evil ends up being actualized by the devil, not only actualized,
but experienced by the devil. And then, of course, in
the Genesis account, we see how the devil tempts Adam
and Eve, and they too fall into lies of perpetual sin,
terminated by death. But again, Adam and Eve, like Satan,
(10:02):
had the opportunity to choose to worship and follow God
or to do it their own way. Their choice actualized sin,
and with sin we have destruction and chaos which comes
in the created universe that God has provided for Adam
and Eve as well and for humanity.
Speaker 5 (10:21):
That follows so correctly if I'm wrong, But would you
say that that not had to create people with free will,
because if you don't have free will, you don't have choice,
and you can't love somebody if you can't truly love
somebody if you don't have choice, So you have to
have it that way.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
Yeah, perfectly said. That's exactly the point. The point is
that love is rendered meaningless if there's no choice for
love to be meaningful. There has to be choice. If
the only way you can get your wife to love
you is to hold a gun to her temple and
say love me or else, love is meaningless. Love is
only meaningful when it is volitional, if it is the
(10:57):
choice of a human being to love another human being,
or the choice of a human being to love their God.
Speaker 5 (11:03):
Okay, all right, that makes sense. And actually I've been
wonnering about that all day long. So I appreciate your help.
Speaker 6 (11:08):
Thank you, you got it.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
Thank you so much for your call right back right
after the break.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
To find out more about the materials mentioned on the show,
call a CRII Resource Consultant toll free at eight eight
eight seven thousand CRI that's eight eight eight seven thousand, CRII.
Our website is also an excellent reference destination to help you.
Just go to equip dot org and find articles by Hank, books,
(11:37):
CDs and DVDs. Again, that's equip dot org or write
cri PO Box eighty five hundred, Charlotte, North Carolina, ZIP
two eight two seven one. The Bible answer Man will
continue in just a moment. Has God Spoken? Are the
(12:08):
words of Scripture merely human in origin? Or are they,
in fact the very words of God himself. Three years
in the making and based on two decades of research
and reflection, Hank Henagraph's monumental book Has God Spoken answers
what is surely the most important question facing our world.
In Has God Spoken? Memorable proofs of the Bible's divine inspiration,
(12:32):
Hank counters the contentions of the Bible attackers and clearly
shows that belief in the Holy Scriptures is not a
guess or wishful thinking. It is the only logical conclusion
after an honest examination of overwhelming evidence. Order Has God
Spoken from the Christian Research Institute by calling eighty eight
seven thousand CRII, or go online to equip dot org,
(12:56):
equip dot org, bertrand Russell famously said most people would
rather die than think, and many of them do not
so with CRI Support Team members. Support Team members are
not only serious thinkers, but their membership and CRI's Support
(13:17):
Team helps to equip hundreds of thousands of fellow believers
around the globe each and every month. Are you not
a member, then you're missing out. Not only do Support
Team members form the backbone of Christian Research Institute's outreaches,
but they enjoy their selection of resources from our Equipping
Essentials library to discover how you can make a difference
(13:40):
twenty four to seven and equipping believers at home and
abroad to stand for life and truth. Check out the
benefits of membership at equip dot org. Once again, that's
equip dot org. Doctor. Even Alexandra's wildly popular near death
(14:06):
experience book Proof of Heaven assures us that no matter
what we do in this life, only unconditional love and
joy await us in the world to come. But our
Lord warned that while the gate to Hell is wide,
the road to it broad, and those who enter through
it are many. The gate is narrow and the way
is hard that leads to life, and those who find
(14:27):
it are few your generous support. Let's Hank hanograph and
see Uri speak out against the lies that lead to hell.
In appreciation for your gift, today, we'll rush you Hank's
book After Life, What you need to know about Heaven,
the Hereafter and Near death experiences filled with answers to
your questions about life after death. Call eight eight eight
(14:49):
seven thousand CROI or visit equip dot org. Now again,
that's equip dot org. The famous British apologist G. K.
(15:09):
Chesterton once noted, the true soldier fights not because he
hates what is in front of him, but because he
loves what is behind him. Because at CRII we love
what is behind us, our faith, our families, and our freedoms.
We will never retreat quietly from the growing assaults on
life and truth, even when the costs are great. We
(15:29):
will stand to join like minded friends in making a
difference at home and around the globe, and to equip
fellow believers to stand their ground courageously. Become a member
of CRI's support team. Simply call eight eight eight seven
thousand CRII. That's eight eight eight seven thousand CRI, or
visit our website at equip dot Org Here again is
(15:54):
CRI President Hank canograph.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
Thank you're not shinned. Back to the phone lines. We'll
talk next to Archie listening in Atlanta, Georgia.
Speaker 6 (16:03):
Hi, Archie, Hey, Hey, how you doing. Thanks a lot.
I really appreciate everything you do. My question has to
do with the resurrection. I recently came to Christ. I
grew up with a Jovah witness, So I'm having difficulty
untying when of their teachings. Those who died before Christ sacrificed.
Are they going to be resurrected at some point given
(16:24):
a chance to hear the message? What's the biblical teaching
on them?
Speaker 2 (16:28):
Now? The biblical teaching is that throughout all of history
people are saved in exactly the same way, which is
to say that Abraham was saved not after he was circumcised,
but before he was circumcised. Why circumcision pointed forward in
faith to a truth, and that truth ultimately came in
(16:50):
the person and work of Jesus Christ. So prior to
Jesus Christ, people look forward to Jesus Christ through types
and shadows. After Jesus Christ, those types and shadows have
been fulfilled. So we already see the substance. So the
Cross stands on the falkrm of history. Before the cross,
people looked forward to the Cross again through types and shadows.
(17:12):
After the cross, we look back at the cross and
we see that the one who was prefigured in those
types and shadows has come.
Speaker 6 (17:23):
Thanks. But I guess my question I to do it
Those that before the cross had no knowledge or understanding
of the types of shadows.
Speaker 2 (17:32):
Well, no they did. They didn't have full knowledge. They
didn't have the kind of clarity that we have, but
they had knowledge. So Abraham was considered a friend of God,
and he looked forward to a new home. He wasn't
addicted to this earth, a new home whose architect and
(17:53):
builder was God. So he looked forward to Paradise restored,
just as Adam and Eve did. The proto evangel comes
already in Genesis chapter three. So certainly they didn't have
the clarity. And oftentimes you can look at this, maybe
as walking into a room, you can kind of make
(18:14):
the outline of the furniture out in the darkness. You
can kind of see this furniture there. You can't really
see what color it is, but you know it's there,
So you see dimly. But when the light is turned on,
when Christ comes, then you see everything clearly. But certainly,
no matter where you are, you're saved in the same way.
(18:35):
And Paul makes this explicit. You can go to Acts
chapter seventeen where he's in the Areopagus and he says
from one man, God made every nation of men that
they should inhabit the whole earth. And then Paul says this,
he determined the exact times and places that they should live,
and did that so that men might reach out for
him and find him, though he is not far from
(18:58):
each one of us. Now Paul can say that because
no matter where you are or what epic of time
you lived in, you have the light of creation. Not
only that, but God has provided a light internally, which
is the knowledge of Himself written upon the canvas of
our consciousness. He talks about that in Romans chapter two.
So if we respond to that light, we will have
(19:22):
the light of Christ, either through types and shadows or
today the actual light of Christ. And I've often said this,
it's not the absence of truth that damns, it's the
despising of truth that damns. So the idea was not
that Abram had to have encyclopedic knowledge of what was
to come, but he had to believe in faith that
(19:45):
God was going to provide a sacrifice, just as He
provided a sacrifice in place of Isaac.
Speaker 6 (19:52):
Great. Great, Thank you so much. I appreciate all you do.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
Thanks lot, you got it. Thank you for your call.
Back to the phone lines. We'll talk next to Joe
Overland Park, Kansas. Hi, Joe, Hi, Hank.
Speaker 5 (20:04):
My question is.
Speaker 7 (20:07):
About the Amish and the Mennonites. If you could give
me a little background on what they stand for. Are
they considered Christian? Is it a sect or a cult?
And I've been reading in a book and it says
that missionary work was not part of the Amish way,
(20:29):
and I was wondering how do they lend people to Christ?
And the second part of my question is I have
a friend who has been going to a Quaker church
for a couple of years and I wanted to know
is there any reslax that should go off that I
should explain to her? And how do they compare to
(20:50):
the Amish and the Mennonite.
Speaker 2 (20:53):
Well, you know, there are certainly Amish and Mennonite and
Quakers who are not believers, but you can say that
about Presbyterians and Baptists as well. In terms of the history,
the Amish were named after Jakob Ahman, who was a
seventeenth century Swiss Mennonite, and the Mennonites themselves were named
(21:16):
after Meno Simmons, who was a Dutchman like I am
a sixteenth century Dutchman. However, and the Amish were actually
a reactionary function within the Mennonite movement, with essentially an
attempt to freeze history around the seventeenth century if you
think about it, because they had a real problem with
(21:38):
things like electricity and cars and buttons and all of
these kinds of things. So they were a radical Reformation movement.
They didn't think the Reformation had gone far enough in
terms of reforming, and they wanted to really withdraw from
the culture. And so some of their ways and some
of their teachings are certainly peculiar, And certainly when it
(22:00):
comes to Quakerism, I have some distinct problems with the
teachings of George Fox, and I lay those out in
my book Counterfeit Revival. But there certainly are many Amish
Mennonite Quakers who are completely orthodox when it comes to
the essentials of the historic Christian Faith. However misguided I
(22:21):
might think they are in secondary matters.
Speaker 7 (22:24):
I know that they say one district may not be
like another district. Yeah, central, Now.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
I think there's a truth to that. I mean, I
don't think that they're monolithic, and you can say that
about a lot of denominations. Baptists are not monolithic, Presbyterians
are not monolithic. They're multifaceted, and I think that in
some part applies to these three closely related movements.
Speaker 7 (22:49):
So as far as my girlfriend attending a Quaker church,
would you discourage that?
Speaker 2 (22:55):
Well, I certainly have strong differences with some of Quakerism
or some of the teachings of George Fox. But the
real issue ultimately for me is essential Christian doctrine. What
are the essentials of the historic Christian Faith? In essentials, unity,
(23:15):
non essentials, liberty, and all things charity. Secondly, and not
in terms of second in position, but just second point
that I'm making is that they are experiencing life. There
are dead churches that have right orthodoxy. And this is
certainly true within radical Reformation movements. It's true within Reformation churches,
(23:39):
it's true within non Reformation churches. So I think the
real issue is life and truth. This is what Paul
told Timothy. What your life and doctrine? Closely persevere in them,
because if you do, you'll save with yourself and your hearers.
Back to the phone lines, we'll talk next to Josh.
He's listening in Dublin. George, Ni Josh, Hey, miss Hank,
(24:03):
how are you.
Speaker 8 (24:05):
I'm all right? How you doing good?
Speaker 2 (24:06):
Thank you.
Speaker 8 (24:08):
I have a question about resurrection. We've been studying on
Wednesday nights in our church about the i Ams of Jesus,
and we were in chapter eleven, where he was going
to resurrect Lazarus and says, I am the resurrection. Well,
our preacher asked us if we knew of anyone else
(24:32):
in the New Testament that performed the resurrection, And I said, Paul,
And he said, all right, we can't and I can't
figure out where it was that. He said it with
an act off top of his head. He didn't know
exactly where. Do you know where it's at?
Speaker 2 (24:45):
Yeah, it's Acts Chapter twenty, where I think Paul gets
very long winded. As a result of that, a guy
falls asleep in the middle of his dissertation and dies
in Paul racis him from the dead.
Speaker 8 (25:02):
Right, That's what our preacher was telling us. But you know,
we were still in the middle of our I mean,
we could have found it, but I hadn't had time
to stop and read enough to look forward.
Speaker 2 (25:15):
But ah, it's a great story and it's absolutely true.
It's a historical narrative. And again you find it in
Acts chapter twenty.
Speaker 8 (25:24):
Acts Chapter twenty.
Speaker 6 (25:25):
Lets K.
Speaker 8 (25:25):
I surely appreciate it. I love what you do.
Speaker 2 (25:28):
Thank you, Josh, appreciate your call. Unfortunately out of time
for this edition of the Bible Instrument broadcast. Again, your
prayers and your support are deeply appreciated. So long for now.
Speaker 1 (25:40):
Thank you for joining us for the Bible answer Man broadcast.
In today's post truth culture of confusion, the Christian Research
Institute exists to equip listeners like you with answers to
communicate the Gospel of Hope to a world in desperate
need of life and truth. Because life and truth matter
(26:01):
in addition to truth, we want to equip you with life,
not simply to know about God, but truly to know Him.
Experiencing union with Christ enables us to live life not
merely by our own energy, but with the energy of
the Lord Jesus working powerfully through us. For more information,
(26:22):
call eight eight eight seven thousand CRII. That's eight eight
eight seven thousand CRII. You can also write CRII at
Post Office Box eighty five hundred, Charlotte, North Carolina two
eight two seven one, or just visit us online at
equip dot org. That's equip dot org. The Bible answer
(26:47):
Man Broadcast is funded by listeners like you. We're on
the air because life and truth matter. Has God Spoken?
(27:07):
Are the words of Scripture merely human in origin? Or
are they, in fact the very words of God himself.
Three years in the making and based on two decades
of research and reflection, Hank Henagraph's monumental book Has God
Spoken answers what is surely the most important question facing
our world. In Has God Spoken? Memorable Proofs of the
(27:31):
Bible's Divine inspiration, Hank counters the contentions of the Bible
attackers and clearly shows that belief in the Holy Scriptures
is not a guess or wishful thinking. It is the
only logical conclusion after an honest examination of overwhelming evidence.
Ordered Has God Spoken? From the Christian Research Institute by
calling eighty eight seven thousand CRII, or go online to
(27:54):
equip dot org. Equip dot org
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