June 27, 2024 • 31 mins
What do you do when you don’t know the answer to a question? “Research and return” is Hank’s policy when asked a question on the Bible Answer Man that he is unsure of—something we should all practice when we are unsure of an answer.Likewise, Hank Hanegraaff understands that sometimes answers that he did provide may have been incorrect or insufficient.
While you may have seen some of the same questions in past editions of The Complete Bible Answer Book—this Collectors Edition pays testament to the policy of research and return—as each answer was returned to and painstakingly researched to ensure the utmost of accuracy. The Complete Bible Answer Book—Collectors Edition—is the comprehensive collection of the most often-asked questions Hank Hanegraaff has received throughout his four decades as host of the Bible Answer Man. With more than half a million copies already in print, this revised and expanded collector’s edition contains over 210 questions and answers, including more than twenty memorable “Hankronyms.” Answers help seekers and skeptics alike sort through the truth on topics such as reliability of the Bible, basic apologetics, creation, spiritual growth, ethics, religions and cults, the resurrection and afterlife, and many more issues vital to a better understanding of God in Christ and our relationship to Him.
Click here to receive your copy of The Complete Bible Answer Book—Collectors Edition. https://www.equip.org/product/cri-resources-the-complete-bible-answer-book-collectors-edition-revised-and-expanded-2024-hup/
While you may have seen some of the same questions in past editions of The Complete Bible Answer Book—this Collectors Edition pays testament to the policy of research and return—as each answer was returned to and painstakingly researched to ensure the utmost of accuracy. The Complete Bible Answer Book—Collectors Edition—is the comprehensive collection of the most often-asked questions Hank Hanegraaff has received throughout his four decades as host of the Bible Answer Man. With more than half a million copies already in print, this revised and expanded collector’s edition contains over 210 questions and answers, including more than twenty memorable “Hankronyms.” Answers help seekers and skeptics alike sort through the truth on topics such as reliability of the Bible, basic apologetics, creation, spiritual growth, ethics, religions and cults, the resurrection and afterlife, and many more issues vital to a better understanding of God in Christ and our relationship to Him.
Click here to receive your copy of The Complete Bible Answer Book—Collectors Edition. https://www.equip.org/product/cri-resources-the-complete-bible-answer-book-collectors-edition-revised-and-expanded-2024-hup/
- Listen to Hank’s podcast and follow Hank off the grid where he is joined by some of the brightest minds discussing topics you care about. Get equipped to be a cultural change agent.
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Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:23):
And welcome to another edition of thehandcum plug podcast. This is a special
teaching edition of the podcast. Typically, we specialize in interviewing the most interesting,
informative and inspirational people on the planet, but we also feature a teaching
edition in which I answer questions Ideal with current events or pressing issues that
(00:47):
need to be dealt with in thisforum. I oftentimes deal with issues that
I've dealt with in some of mybooks as well, and that leads me
to say that that is precisely whatI am going to do on this particular
teaching edition of Hank Unplugged. Now, before I get to the surprise,
(01:10):
let me say that if you enjoyedthe podcast, please subscribe, please rate,
please review. It helps a lot. Well. The surprise is I
finally have in my hand today forthe very first time, the Complete Bible
answer Book Collector's Edition, revised andexpanded. This is a publication of Thomas
(01:33):
Nelson, and they did an absolutelyincredible job of presentation, and at the
Christian Research Institute, we've always beencommitted to that very thing, to marry
content with presentation. In other words, we not only want to produce the
(01:59):
very best, but marry it witha presentation that's beautiful. That helps in
terms of the content. The twobeing married together is a beautiful thing,
and this book is just that.It is absolutely beautiful. I am so
(02:23):
so pleased and proud to be ableto present it to you. It is
a course available through the Ministry ofthe Christian Research Institute. You can check
it out on the web at equippeddot org. You can write me at
Post Office Box eighty five hundred,Charlotte, North Carolina, zip code two
eight two seven to one. Now, some of the answers to questions in
(02:44):
this book are short, some ofthem are a little longer, some are
right in between, and I dealwith a host of issues in this book.
Literally hundreds of questions are answered.These are questions I've been asked over
for almost forty years of doing theBible answer Man broadcast. For example,
(03:05):
in a category that's titled basic ChristianThought and Spiritual Growth, I answered the
question what are the secrets to spiritualgrowth? Under a category that's titled Spiritual
Gifts, I answer this important question, what does Jesus mean in saying that
(03:28):
one must be born of water andthe spirit. Now, when Jesus makes
that statement, he's making a verysignificant statement, and we need to understand
what he means by making that statement, because it has an impact on your
(03:49):
life, not only in time,but also for eternity. Under the category
basic apologetics, of course, apologeticsis not alogy for the faith. It's
a defense of the faith. It'sbeing always ready to give an answer,
a reason for the hope that lieswithin you, and of course to be
(04:10):
able to do that with gentleness andwith respect Christianity and science. Another category
in this book is the big BangBiblical I'd be interested in my take on
that particular question. I'll give youa hint, yes, and if you
read the entry you'll find out exactlywhy I say that. Biblical interpretation,
(04:33):
What does it mean to interpret theBible literally? I'm going to get back
to that in just a moment.Old Testament issues. A lot of people
ask the question who was Cain's wife? Does the Bible promote slavery? And
many other questions like that. I'mnot going to go through all of the
(04:53):
categories, but I'll mention a fewmore New Testament issues. Is baptism necessary
for salvation? Under apparent contradictions?Does the Bible begin with two contradictory creation
accounts under religion, cults and theoccult. What distinguishes Christianity from other religions?
(05:16):
What happens to a person who dieswithout ever hearing of Jesus Christ?
What happens to that person for alleternity under discernment and aberrent teachings? What
are the flaws of the health andwealth Gospel the Holidays? Believe it or
not? This is a question thatI have been asked many times. Should
(05:38):
Christians celebrate Christmas? Ethics? Isit ever morally permissible to lie? Or
is suicide and unforgivable sin? Questionslike that under money? What's the biblical
view of wealth? Under eschatology orrevelation? Is the pre tribulational rapture theory
(06:02):
biblical? What about the millennium?Questions like those are answered in that section
under resurrection? In Afterlife? Whatabout purgatory? Many other questions like that,
And then final thoughts, how canI develop an eternal perspective eyes that
can look beyond time and space intoeternity. So again, hundreds of questions
(06:25):
answered in the Complete Bible answer BookCollector's edition. It's revised and expanded.
It's beautiful and it's available to you. Just check it out on the web
at equipped dot org. I wantto give again a sampling of answers that
I give in the Complete Bible answerBook. Here's what I'm going to do.
(06:46):
I'm going to give one that's reallyshort, one that's a little longer,
and one that's in between. SoI'll start with one that's really short,
and that question is this, canGod create a rock that is so
(07:08):
heavy that he cannot move it?Now? The reason I bring this question
up is it's a classic straw manBut it's a classic straw man question that
can have many Christians looking like theproverbial deer in the headlights. At best,
(07:30):
this question challenges God's omnipotence. Atworst, it undermines his existence.
So we need to be able toanswer this question. And I try to
answer these questions in three parts,and for two reasons. First, it
forces me to distill the essence ofthe issue into a very readable and memorable
(08:00):
format. The second reason is justthat it makes it memorable for you.
So I give three part answers toevery question, A first, a furthermore
in a final. So the firstanswer to this particular question is that there's
a problem with the premise of thequestion, because while it is true that
(08:26):
God can do anything anything that isconsistent with his nature, it is absurd
to suggest that he can do everything. For example, God cannot lie,
God cannot be tempted, and ofcourse God cannot cease to exist. Furthermore,
(08:54):
or the second part in answering thatquestion is that just as it is
impossible to make a one sided triangle, so two it's impossible to make a
rock too heavy to be moved.What an all powerful God can create,
he can obviously move. Let meput that another way. God can do
(09:18):
everything that is logically possible. Andthe third part in answering that question,
or the finally, is that weshould note that a wide variety of similar
questions are raised why it's an attemptto undermine the Christian view of God,
(09:41):
and therefore it's crucial that we learnto question the question rather than simply assuming
that the question is valid. Nowhere's one that's a little longer, but
once again a very import and thatquestion is what does it mean to interpret
(10:07):
the Bible literally? Now, thisagain is a very relevant question because for
more than a decade, popular TVpersonality Bill Maher, he's made a virtual
cottage industry out of ridiculing Christianity.In fact, one time he went so
far as to dogmatically pontificate that theBible was written in parables, and he
(10:31):
went on to say that it's theidiots who take the Bible literally, But
even a cursory reading reveals that scriptureis a treasury. It's a treasury replete
with a wide variety of literary styles, and those styles range from poetry to
(10:54):
proverbs, to psalms, to historicalnarratives, to didactic or teaching epistles,
to apocalyptic revelations, and so todogmatically assert that the Bible was written in
parables, as Bill Maher does,and that those who read it literally must
be idiots, as he put it, is at best an idiosyncratic form of
(11:18):
fundamentalism from the left, and atworse, a serious misunderstanding of the literal
principle biblical interpretation. In order toread the Bible for all its substantial worth,
it is so crucial that we interpretit just as we would interpret other
(11:41):
forms of communication, and that isin the most obvious and natural sense.
As such, we have to readit as literature. And when we do.
We have to pay close attention toform, figurative language and fantasy imagery
first. In order to interpret theBible literally, we have to pay attention,
(12:07):
very special attention to what is knownas form or genre. In other
words, to interpret the Bible's literature, we have to consider the kind of
literature that we are interpreting. Andjust as a legal brief differs in form
from a prophetic oracle, so too. There's a difference in genre between Leviticus
(12:33):
and Revelation, and this is particularlyimportant when considering writings that are difficult to
categorize, writings such as Genesis,which is largely a historical narrative interlaced with
symbolism and repetitive poetic structure. Becauseif Genesis were reduced to an allegory conveying
(12:56):
merely abstract ideas about temptations, sin, and redemption that was devoid of any
correlation with actual events in history,the very foundation of Christianity would be destroyed.
If the historical Adam and Eve didnot eat the forbidden fruit and descend
into a life of habitual sin resultingin death, well there's no need for
(13:20):
redemption. On the other hand,if we consider Satan to be a slithering
snake. We would not only misunderstandthe nature of fallen angels, but we
might well suppose that Jesus triumphed overthe work of the devil by stepping on
(13:41):
the head of a serpent, ratherthan, of course, through his passion
on the cross. A literalistic method. Note that word literalistic. A literalistic
method of interpretation often does as muchof violence to the text as there's a
(14:01):
spiritualized interpretation that empties the text ofobjective meaning. A literal at all cost
method of interpretation is particularly troublesome whenit comes to books of the Bible in
which visionary imagery is the governing genre. And let me give you an example.
(14:22):
In Revelation, the apostle, Johnsees an apocalyptic vision in which an
angel swinging a sharp sickle gathers grapesinto the great wine press of the wrath
of God. The blood flowing fromthe wine press rises as high as the
(14:46):
horse's bridles for one thousand, sixhundred furlongs. Now, interpreting that apocalyptic
energy in a woodenly literal sense ineffvity leads to absurdity. Furthermore, this
is the second point it's crucial torecognize that scripture, particularly apocalyptic portions of
(15:13):
scripture, is replete with figurative language, and that language differs from literal language,
in which words mean exactly what theysay. Figurative language requires readers to
use their imagination in order to comprehendwhat the author is driving at, and
(15:37):
such imaginative leaps are actually the rulerather than the exception, because virtually every
genre of literature contains metaphorical language.In fact, we might well say that
figurative language is the principle means bywhich God communicates spiritual realities to his children.
In other words, God communicates spiritualrealities through earthly, empirically perceptible events,
(16:04):
persons, and objects, which mightbest be described as living metaphors.
A metaphor, and I'm sure youprobably already know this, an implied comparison
that identifies a word or a phraseor something that it doesn't literally represent.
(16:26):
Far from minimizing biblical truth, metaphorsthus serve as magnifying glasses that identify truth
we might otherwise miss. This identificationcreates a meaning that lies beyond a woodenly
literal interpretation, and thus requires animaginative leap in order to grasp what is
meant. For example, when Jesussaid I am the Bread of life,
(16:55):
obviously it was not saying they wasliterally physical bread. Rather, he was
metaphorically communicating that he is the essenceof true life. So biblical metaphors are
never to be regarded as occasions forsubjective flights of fantasy. On the contrary,
(17:17):
biblical metaphors are always objectively meaningful,authoritative, and true. Now let
me give you another example, andthat is hyperbole. Hyperbole is another figure
of speech that's particularly prevalent in propheticpassages. In essence, hyperbolely employs exaggeration
(17:45):
for effect or for emphasis. Now, if you step onto a scale and
you say, oh, my goodness, I weigh a ton, you're obviously
not intending to say that you literallyweigh two thousand pounds. Similarly, when
an NBA commentator and I was justwatching the Dallas Mavericks and the winners of
(18:06):
the Boston Celtics, hardly could getthat out of my mouth. I couldn't
believe. Well, I'm not aBostic Celtics fan, that's why. But
I know a lot of you are, so congratulations. But when an NBA
commentator looks at the clock and seesa minute left, and then he says
something like there's a world of timeleft in the game. He is using
(18:27):
hyperpole to communicate that in an NBAgame, a lot can happen in sixty
seconds. So while hyperbole is commonlyused in our culture, it is ubiquitous
in the Bible. This is particularlytrue of prophetic passages. Again, the
prophet Isaiah is a classic case inpoint. He used hyperbolic language when he
(18:49):
predicted judgment on Babylon. He said, see, the day of the Lord
is coming, a cruel day withwrath and fierce anger, to make the
land desolate and destroy the sinners withinit. The stars of heaven and their
(19:11):
constellations will not show their light,the rising sun will be darkened, and
the moon will not give its light. Well to those unfamiliar with Biblical language,
these words might well have been takento mean that the end of the
world was at hand, but inreality, in reality, Isaiah was prophesying
(19:37):
that the Meds were about to putan end to the glories of the Babylonian
Empire. As evidence. In otherwords, to prove it, all you
have to do is read the precedingverses that are packed with prophetic hyperbole,
(20:02):
wail for the day of the Lordis near. It will come like destruction
from the Almighty. Because of this, all hands will go limp. Every
man's heart will melt. Terror willseize them, Pain and anguish will grip
(20:23):
them. They will writhe like awoman in labor. They will look aghast
at each other, their faces aflame. Even the most pedantic literalist intuitively
recognizes that Isaiah was not intending toinfer that all hands will literally go limp
(20:45):
and that every heart will will literallymelt, And nor is he literalistically predicting
that every Babylonian face will be onfire anymore than John was using wooden literalism
to profit that the two witnesses inthe Book of Revelation will literally emit flames
(21:06):
of fire from their mouths. Andnow the third and final point, and
this is a point again regarding thequestion what does it mean to interpret the
Bible literally? So the final pointis this the fact that it's crucial to
correctly interpret fantasy imagery in apocalyptic passages. Images like, for example, an
(21:37):
enormous red dragon with seven heads andten horns, or locusts with human faces,
with women's hair, and with lion'steeth, just seeing what hal Lindsay
did with that, and a beastthat resembled a leopard, but with feet
(21:57):
like a bear and a mouth likea lion. Now, what's distinct about
these fantasy images is that they donot correspond to anything in the real world.
But while fantasy images are unreal,they do provide a realistic viewpoint from
(22:18):
which to ponder reality. Fantasy imagery, of course, is fraught with danger,
and that danger, however, liesnot in its use but in its
abuse. In Revelation twelve, forexample, the apostle John described an enormous
red dragon with seven heads and tenhorns, and seven crowns on the heads,
(22:41):
and then he says his tail swepta third of the stars out of
the sky and flung them to theearth. While many Christians abuse this imagery
by interpreting it in a woodenly literalisticfashion, and therefore they miss the point
of the passage. Not only woulda single star think about logically, not
(23:07):
only would a single star let alonea third of the star's obliterator earth.
But dragons are the stuff of mythology, not theology, unless the danger does
not lie in the use of fantasyimagery, but in the uncritically impregnating abuse
(23:30):
of these images with unbiblical notions.While the scriptures must indeed be read as
literature, you and I must everbe mindful that the Bible is also far
more than literature. The scriptures areuniquely inspired by the Spirit. Peter put
(23:52):
it memorably. He said, noprophecy of scripture comes by the prophet's own
interpretation. For prophecy never had itsorigin in the will of men, but
men spoke from God as they werecarried along with the Holy Spirit. So
we must therefore prefervently that the spiritwho inspired the scriptures illumines our minds to
(24:15):
what is in the text. Now, let me give you one more example
from the Complete Bible answer Book Collector'sEdition Revised and Expanded, and that's an
entry on slavery. We hear alot about that in contemporary culture. So
I answer or address the question,does the Bible actually promote slavery? Many
(24:36):
people say that it does. It'sa myth that's been propped up by secular
skeptics in that scripture is said tosanction the very practice of slavery. But
in reality, nothing could be fartherfrom the truth. So again three points.
First, further more, finally,First, far from extolling slavery,
(25:00):
the Bible denounces slavery as sin.In fact, and I've said this often,
the New Testament goes so far asto put slave traders in the same
category. Think about this, inthe very same category as murderers, adulters,
(25:21):
perverts, and liars. Furthermore,within the Old Testament context, slavery
was sanctioned due to economic realities,not to racial or sexual prejudices. And
this makes common sense because bankruptcy lawsdidn't exist, and so people would voluntarily
(25:45):
sell themselves into slavery. A craftsmen, for example, could use his skills
in servitude to discharge a debt,and even a convicted thief could make restitution
by serving as a slave. Onefinal point, and it's an important point.
(26:07):
While the Bible as a whole recognizesthe reality of slavery, it never
promotes the practice of slavery. Infact, it was the application of Biblical
principles that ultimately led to the overthroatof slavery, to overthrowing this horrible scourge
(26:32):
on culture. And society, bothin ancient Israel and of course in the
United States of America. Israel's liberationfrom slavery in Egypt became the very model
for the liberation of slaves in general, and in America. Many have woken
(26:53):
up to the liberating biblical truth thatall people are created by God with innate
equality. We see that in Genesis, we see that in Acts, we
see that in Galations. We knowthat the law is good if one uses
(27:15):
it properly. We also know thatthe law is made not for the righteous,
but for the law breakers, forrebels, for the ungodly, and
for the sinful, the unholy,and the irreligious, for those who kill
(27:37):
their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for adulters, for perverts, for
slave traitors, for liars, forperjurers, and for whatever else is contrary
to sound doctrine that conforms to theglorious Gospel of the blessed God which he
(28:03):
entrusted to me. That's precisely whatSaint Paul says and one Timothy Chapter one.
So does the Bible promote slavery,No, absolutely not. The Bible
promotes that which is good and honorableand just and slavery is anything but that.
(28:26):
Again, in answering these questions onthis special teaching edition of the handcu
Plug Podcast, what I'm trying todo is what your appetite to get into
this book and learn to always beready to give an answer a reason for
the hope that lies within you,with gentleness and with respect. Is it
(28:48):
important to be able to answer aquestion like in God create a rock so
heavy that he can't move it?Well? Yeah, because we have to
understand why this is a class sixsmokescreen question. Is it important to be
able to answer a Bill Maher whenhe says that the Bible's just parabolic it's
(29:11):
the idiots to take it literally.Yes, we should be ready to give
an answer. The Bible is atreasury of all kinds of genres. Is
it good to be able to answera question regarding slavery? Absolutely? Because
think about it this way. Ifthe Bible promoted slavery, how could we
promote the God of the Bible.So, the Bible oftentimes deals with issues
(29:38):
in their historical context, but farbe it from God to promote the very
thing that he disdains and teaches usto disdain. Again, the complete Bible
answer book. I mean, thisis a treasury, a treasure just for
me. In many ways, Igo back and refer to it. Oftentimes
(30:00):
I don't have an infallible memory,and so many times I have to go
back and refresh my memory when I'mlooking for an answer to a question.
And maybe you're going to get aquestion from a family member or a friend,
someone within your sphere of influence,and you just don't know how to
answer that question. Well, perhapsyou will find the answer in this treasure
chest. Again, it's available throughthe Ministry of the Christian Research Institute.
(30:22):
You can find on the webitequipped dotorg. You can write me at Post
Office box eighty five hundred, Charlotte, North Carolinas if go two eight two
seven one. And I want tothank you for all the very generous comments
that people are making on the HandUnplugged podcast. I don't think it's because
of me. I think it's becauseof the great guests that I have on
(30:42):
the podcast. But also I hopeyou enjoy the teaching part of Hank Unplugged.
It's so important to have proper spiritualinput. You know, if you
have well balanced meals, you'll developwell physically. And what we need physically,
we also need spiritually. So pleasepick up a copy and get into
(31:06):
the Word of God, and getthe Word of God into you. Make
sure that you're involved in a healthy, well balanced church where you can receive
the sacraments that transform you from onegrace to another. The liturgical sacramental nature
of the church is so important andoften is neglected in this time space continuum.
(31:26):
Thanks for tuning in once again toHank on Plug. Look forward to
seeing you next time on another podcast. So long for now.
And welcome to another edition of thehandcum plug podcast. This is a special
teaching edition of the podcast. Typically, we specialize in interviewing the most interesting,
informative and inspirational people on the planet, but we also feature a teaching
edition in which I answer questions Ideal with current events or pressing issues that
(00:47):
need to be dealt with in thisforum. I oftentimes deal with issues that
I've dealt with in some of mybooks as well, and that leads me
to say that that is precisely whatI am going to do on this particular
teaching edition of Hank Unplugged. Now, before I get to the surprise,
(01:10):
let me say that if you enjoyedthe podcast, please subscribe, please rate,
please review. It helps a lot. Well. The surprise is I
finally have in my hand today forthe very first time, the Complete Bible
answer Book Collector's Edition, revised andexpanded. This is a publication of Thomas
(01:33):
Nelson, and they did an absolutelyincredible job of presentation, and at the
Christian Research Institute, we've always beencommitted to that very thing, to marry
content with presentation. In other words, we not only want to produce the
(01:59):
very best, but marry it witha presentation that's beautiful. That helps in
terms of the content. The twobeing married together is a beautiful thing,
and this book is just that.It is absolutely beautiful. I am so
(02:23):
so pleased and proud to be ableto present it to you. It is
a course available through the Ministry ofthe Christian Research Institute. You can check
it out on the web at equippeddot org. You can write me at
Post Office Box eighty five hundred,Charlotte, North Carolina, zip code two
eight two seven to one. Now, some of the answers to questions in
(02:44):
this book are short, some ofthem are a little longer, some are
right in between, and I dealwith a host of issues in this book.
Literally hundreds of questions are answered.These are questions I've been asked over
for almost forty years of doing theBible answer Man broadcast. For example,
(03:05):
in a category that's titled basic ChristianThought and Spiritual Growth, I answered the
question what are the secrets to spiritualgrowth? Under a category that's titled Spiritual
Gifts, I answer this important question, what does Jesus mean in saying that
(03:28):
one must be born of water andthe spirit. Now, when Jesus makes
that statement, he's making a verysignificant statement, and we need to understand
what he means by making that statement, because it has an impact on your
(03:49):
life, not only in time,but also for eternity. Under the category
basic apologetics, of course, apologeticsis not alogy for the faith. It's
a defense of the faith. It'sbeing always ready to give an answer,
a reason for the hope that lieswithin you, and of course to be
(04:10):
able to do that with gentleness andwith respect Christianity and science. Another category
in this book is the big BangBiblical I'd be interested in my take on
that particular question. I'll give youa hint, yes, and if you
read the entry you'll find out exactlywhy I say that. Biblical interpretation,
(04:33):
What does it mean to interpret theBible literally? I'm going to get back
to that in just a moment.Old Testament issues. A lot of people
ask the question who was Cain's wife? Does the Bible promote slavery? And
many other questions like that. I'mnot going to go through all of the
(04:53):
categories, but I'll mention a fewmore New Testament issues. Is baptism necessary
for salvation? Under apparent contradictions?Does the Bible begin with two contradictory creation
accounts under religion, cults and theoccult. What distinguishes Christianity from other religions?
(05:16):
What happens to a person who dieswithout ever hearing of Jesus Christ?
What happens to that person for alleternity under discernment and aberrent teachings? What
are the flaws of the health andwealth Gospel the Holidays? Believe it or
not? This is a question thatI have been asked many times. Should
(05:38):
Christians celebrate Christmas? Ethics? Isit ever morally permissible to lie? Or
is suicide and unforgivable sin? Questionslike that under money? What's the biblical
view of wealth? Under eschatology orrevelation? Is the pre tribulational rapture theory
(06:02):
biblical? What about the millennium?Questions like those are answered in that section
under resurrection? In Afterlife? Whatabout purgatory? Many other questions like that,
And then final thoughts, how canI develop an eternal perspective eyes that
can look beyond time and space intoeternity. So again, hundreds of questions
(06:25):
answered in the Complete Bible answer BookCollector's edition. It's revised and expanded.
It's beautiful and it's available to you. Just check it out on the web
at equipped dot org. I wantto give again a sampling of answers that
I give in the Complete Bible answerBook. Here's what I'm going to do.
(06:46):
I'm going to give one that's reallyshort, one that's a little longer,
and one that's in between. SoI'll start with one that's really short,
and that question is this, canGod create a rock that is so
(07:08):
heavy that he cannot move it?Now? The reason I bring this question
up is it's a classic straw manBut it's a classic straw man question that
can have many Christians looking like theproverbial deer in the headlights. At best,
(07:30):
this question challenges God's omnipotence. Atworst, it undermines his existence.
So we need to be able toanswer this question. And I try to
answer these questions in three parts,and for two reasons. First, it
forces me to distill the essence ofthe issue into a very readable and memorable
(08:00):
format. The second reason is justthat it makes it memorable for you.
So I give three part answers toevery question, A first, a furthermore
in a final. So the firstanswer to this particular question is that there's
a problem with the premise of thequestion, because while it is true that
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God can do anything anything that isconsistent with his nature, it is absurd
to suggest that he can do everything. For example, God cannot lie,
God cannot be tempted, and ofcourse God cannot cease to exist. Furthermore,
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or the second part in answering thatquestion is that just as it is
impossible to make a one sided triangle, so two it's impossible to make a
rock too heavy to be moved.What an all powerful God can create,
he can obviously move. Let meput that another way. God can do
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everything that is logically possible. Andthe third part in answering that question,
or the finally, is that weshould note that a wide variety of similar
questions are raised why it's an attemptto undermine the Christian view of God,
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and therefore it's crucial that we learnto question the question rather than simply assuming
that the question is valid. Nowhere's one that's a little longer, but
once again a very import and thatquestion is what does it mean to interpret
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the Bible literally? Now, thisagain is a very relevant question because for
more than a decade, popular TVpersonality Bill Maher, he's made a virtual
cottage industry out of ridiculing Christianity.In fact, one time he went so
far as to dogmatically pontificate that theBible was written in parables, and he
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went on to say that it's theidiots who take the Bible literally, But
even a cursory reading reveals that scriptureis a treasury. It's a treasury replete
with a wide variety of literary styles, and those styles range from poetry to
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proverbs, to psalms, to historicalnarratives, to didactic or teaching epistles,
to apocalyptic revelations, and so todogmatically assert that the Bible was written in
parables, as Bill Maher does,and that those who read it literally must
be idiots, as he put it, is at best an idiosyncratic form of
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fundamentalism from the left, and atworse, a serious misunderstanding of the literal
principle biblical interpretation. In order toread the Bible for all its substantial worth,
it is so crucial that we interpretit just as we would interpret other
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forms of communication, and that isin the most obvious and natural sense.
As such, we have to readit as literature. And when we do.
We have to pay close attention toform, figurative language and fantasy imagery
first. In order to interpret theBible literally, we have to pay attention,
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very special attention to what is knownas form or genre. In other
words, to interpret the Bible's literature, we have to consider the kind of
literature that we are interpreting. Andjust as a legal brief differs in form
from a prophetic oracle, so too. There's a difference in genre between Leviticus
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and Revelation, and this is particularlyimportant when considering writings that are difficult to
categorize, writings such as Genesis,which is largely a historical narrative interlaced with
symbolism and repetitive poetic structure. Becauseif Genesis were reduced to an allegory conveying
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merely abstract ideas about temptations, sin, and redemption that was devoid of any
correlation with actual events in history,the very foundation of Christianity would be destroyed.
If the historical Adam and Eve didnot eat the forbidden fruit and descend
into a life of habitual sin resultingin death, well there's no need for
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redemption. On the other hand,if we consider Satan to be a slithering
snake. We would not only misunderstandthe nature of fallen angels, but we
might well suppose that Jesus triumphed overthe work of the devil by stepping on
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the head of a serpent, ratherthan, of course, through his passion
on the cross. A literalistic method. Note that word literalistic. A literalistic
method of interpretation often does as muchof violence to the text as there's a
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spiritualized interpretation that empties the text ofobjective meaning. A literal at all cost
method of interpretation is particularly troublesome whenit comes to books of the Bible in
which visionary imagery is the governing genre. And let me give you an example.
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In Revelation, the apostle, Johnsees an apocalyptic vision in which an
angel swinging a sharp sickle gathers grapesinto the great wine press of the wrath
of God. The blood flowing fromthe wine press rises as high as the
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horse's bridles for one thousand, sixhundred furlongs. Now, interpreting that apocalyptic
energy in a woodenly literal sense ineffvity leads to absurdity. Furthermore, this
is the second point it's crucial torecognize that scripture, particularly apocalyptic portions of
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scripture, is replete with figurative language, and that language differs from literal language,
in which words mean exactly what theysay. Figurative language requires readers to
use their imagination in order to comprehendwhat the author is driving at, and
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such imaginative leaps are actually the rulerather than the exception, because virtually every
genre of literature contains metaphorical language.In fact, we might well say that
figurative language is the principle means bywhich God communicates spiritual realities to his children.
In other words, God communicates spiritualrealities through earthly, empirically perceptible events,
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persons, and objects, which mightbest be described as living metaphors.
A metaphor, and I'm sure youprobably already know this, an implied comparison
that identifies a word or a phraseor something that it doesn't literally represent.
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Far from minimizing biblical truth, metaphorsthus serve as magnifying glasses that identify truth
we might otherwise miss. This identificationcreates a meaning that lies beyond a woodenly
literal interpretation, and thus requires animaginative leap in order to grasp what is
meant. For example, when Jesussaid I am the Bread of life,
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obviously it was not saying they wasliterally physical bread. Rather, he was
metaphorically communicating that he is the essenceof true life. So biblical metaphors are
never to be regarded as occasions forsubjective flights of fantasy. On the contrary,
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biblical metaphors are always objectively meaningful,authoritative, and true. Now let
me give you another example, andthat is hyperbole. Hyperbole is another figure
of speech that's particularly prevalent in propheticpassages. In essence, hyperbolely employs exaggeration
(17:45):
for effect or for emphasis. Now, if you step onto a scale and
you say, oh, my goodness, I weigh a ton, you're obviously
not intending to say that you literallyweigh two thousand pounds. Similarly, when
an NBA commentator and I was justwatching the Dallas Mavericks and the winners of
(18:06):
the Boston Celtics, hardly could getthat out of my mouth. I couldn't
believe. Well, I'm not aBostic Celtics fan, that's why. But
I know a lot of you are, so congratulations. But when an NBA
commentator looks at the clock and seesa minute left, and then he says
something like there's a world of timeleft in the game. He is using
(18:27):
hyperpole to communicate that in an NBAgame, a lot can happen in sixty
seconds. So while hyperbole is commonlyused in our culture, it is ubiquitous
in the Bible. This is particularlytrue of prophetic passages. Again, the
prophet Isaiah is a classic case inpoint. He used hyperbolic language when he
(18:49):
predicted judgment on Babylon. He said, see, the day of the Lord
is coming, a cruel day withwrath and fierce anger, to make the
land desolate and destroy the sinners withinit. The stars of heaven and their
(19:11):
constellations will not show their light,the rising sun will be darkened, and
the moon will not give its light. Well to those unfamiliar with Biblical language,
these words might well have been takento mean that the end of the
world was at hand, but inreality, in reality, Isaiah was prophesying
(19:37):
that the Meds were about to putan end to the glories of the Babylonian
Empire. As evidence. In otherwords, to prove it, all you
have to do is read the precedingverses that are packed with prophetic hyperbole,
(20:02):
wail for the day of the Lordis near. It will come like destruction
from the Almighty. Because of this, all hands will go limp. Every
man's heart will melt. Terror willseize them, Pain and anguish will grip
(20:23):
them. They will writhe like awoman in labor. They will look aghast
at each other, their faces aflame. Even the most pedantic literalist intuitively
recognizes that Isaiah was not intending toinfer that all hands will literally go limp
(20:45):
and that every heart will will literallymelt, And nor is he literalistically predicting
that every Babylonian face will be onfire anymore than John was using wooden literalism
to profit that the two witnesses inthe Book of Revelation will literally emit flames
(21:06):
of fire from their mouths. Andnow the third and final point, and
this is a point again regarding thequestion what does it mean to interpret the
Bible literally? So the final pointis this the fact that it's crucial to
correctly interpret fantasy imagery in apocalyptic passages. Images like, for example, an
(21:37):
enormous red dragon with seven heads andten horns, or locusts with human faces,
with women's hair, and with lion'steeth, just seeing what hal Lindsay
did with that, and a beastthat resembled a leopard, but with feet
(21:57):
like a bear and a mouth likea lion. Now, what's distinct about
these fantasy images is that they donot correspond to anything in the real world.
But while fantasy images are unreal,they do provide a realistic viewpoint from
(22:18):
which to ponder reality. Fantasy imagery, of course, is fraught with danger,
and that danger, however, liesnot in its use but in its
abuse. In Revelation twelve, forexample, the apostle John described an enormous
red dragon with seven heads and tenhorns, and seven crowns on the heads,
(22:41):
and then he says his tail swepta third of the stars out of
the sky and flung them to theearth. While many Christians abuse this imagery
by interpreting it in a woodenly literalisticfashion, and therefore they miss the point
of the passage. Not only woulda single star think about logically, not
(23:07):
only would a single star let alonea third of the star's obliterator earth.
But dragons are the stuff of mythology, not theology, unless the danger does
not lie in the use of fantasyimagery, but in the uncritically impregnating abuse
(23:30):
of these images with unbiblical notions.While the scriptures must indeed be read as
literature, you and I must everbe mindful that the Bible is also far
more than literature. The scriptures areuniquely inspired by the Spirit. Peter put
(23:52):
it memorably. He said, noprophecy of scripture comes by the prophet's own
interpretation. For prophecy never had itsorigin in the will of men, but
men spoke from God as they werecarried along with the Holy Spirit. So
we must therefore prefervently that the spiritwho inspired the scriptures illumines our minds to
(24:15):
what is in the text. Now, let me give you one more example
from the Complete Bible answer Book Collector'sEdition Revised and Expanded, and that's an
entry on slavery. We hear alot about that in contemporary culture. So
I answer or address the question,does the Bible actually promote slavery? Many
(24:36):
people say that it does. It'sa myth that's been propped up by secular
skeptics in that scripture is said tosanction the very practice of slavery. But
in reality, nothing could be fartherfrom the truth. So again three points.
First, further more, finally,First, far from extolling slavery,
(25:00):
the Bible denounces slavery as sin.In fact, and I've said this often,
the New Testament goes so far asto put slave traders in the same
category. Think about this, inthe very same category as murderers, adulters,
(25:21):
perverts, and liars. Furthermore,within the Old Testament context, slavery
was sanctioned due to economic realities,not to racial or sexual prejudices. And
this makes common sense because bankruptcy lawsdidn't exist, and so people would voluntarily
(25:45):
sell themselves into slavery. A craftsmen, for example, could use his skills
in servitude to discharge a debt,and even a convicted thief could make restitution
by serving as a slave. Onefinal point, and it's an important point.
(26:07):
While the Bible as a whole recognizesthe reality of slavery, it never
promotes the practice of slavery. Infact, it was the application of Biblical
principles that ultimately led to the overthroatof slavery, to overthrowing this horrible scourge
(26:32):
on culture. And society, bothin ancient Israel and of course in the
United States of America. Israel's liberationfrom slavery in Egypt became the very model
for the liberation of slaves in general, and in America. Many have woken
(26:53):
up to the liberating biblical truth thatall people are created by God with innate
equality. We see that in Genesis, we see that in Acts, we
see that in Galations. We knowthat the law is good if one uses
(27:15):
it properly. We also know thatthe law is made not for the righteous,
but for the law breakers, forrebels, for the ungodly, and
for the sinful, the unholy,and the irreligious, for those who kill
(27:37):
their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for adulters, for perverts, for
slave traitors, for liars, forperjurers, and for whatever else is contrary
to sound doctrine that conforms to theglorious Gospel of the blessed God which he
(28:03):
entrusted to me. That's precisely whatSaint Paul says and one Timothy Chapter one.
So does the Bible promote slavery,No, absolutely not. The Bible
promotes that which is good and honorableand just and slavery is anything but that.
(28:26):
Again, in answering these questions onthis special teaching edition of the handcu
Plug Podcast, what I'm trying todo is what your appetite to get into
this book and learn to always beready to give an answer a reason for
the hope that lies within you,with gentleness and with respect. Is it
(28:48):
important to be able to answer aquestion like in God create a rock so
heavy that he can't move it?Well? Yeah, because we have to
understand why this is a class sixsmokescreen question. Is it important to be
able to answer a Bill Maher whenhe says that the Bible's just parabolic it's
(29:11):
the idiots to take it literally.Yes, we should be ready to give
an answer. The Bible is atreasury of all kinds of genres. Is
it good to be able to answera question regarding slavery? Absolutely? Because
think about it this way. Ifthe Bible promoted slavery, how could we
promote the God of the Bible.So, the Bible oftentimes deals with issues
(29:38):
in their historical context, but farbe it from God to promote the very
thing that he disdains and teaches usto disdain. Again, the complete Bible
answer book. I mean, thisis a treasury, a treasure just for
me. In many ways, Igo back and refer to it. Oftentimes
(30:00):
I don't have an infallible memory,and so many times I have to go
back and refresh my memory when I'mlooking for an answer to a question.
And maybe you're going to get aquestion from a family member or a friend,
someone within your sphere of influence,and you just don't know how to
answer that question. Well, perhapsyou will find the answer in this treasure
chest. Again, it's available throughthe Ministry of the Christian Research Institute.
(30:22):
You can find on the webitequipped dotorg. You can write me at Post
Office box eighty five hundred, Charlotte, North Carolinas if go two eight two
seven one. And I want tothank you for all the very generous comments
that people are making on the HandUnplugged podcast. I don't think it's because
of me. I think it's becauseof the great guests that I have on
(30:42):
the podcast. But also I hopeyou enjoy the teaching part of Hank Unplugged.
It's so important to have proper spiritualinput. You know, if you
have well balanced meals, you'll developwell physically. And what we need physically,
we also need spiritually. So pleasepick up a copy and get into
(31:06):
the Word of God, and getthe Word of God into you. Make
sure that you're involved in a healthy, well balanced church where you can receive
the sacraments that transform you from onegrace to another. The liturgical sacramental nature
of the church is so important andoften is neglected in this time space continuum.
(31:26):
Thanks for tuning in once again toHank on Plug. Look forward to
seeing you next time on another podcast. So long for now.
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