Quest for Truth: Volume I: Bible Difficulties

By Trenton Gill and Jason White

I was once an angry atheist who dwelled in darkness. I'm now a Christian pastor who lives in the light. After the Lord saved me from myself, He sent me on a Quest for Truth and called me to expose the enemy's lies...

In this Quest for Truth, you're a detective. Investigating Bible difficulties is not a conv

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trilogy Christian Publishing
• Release date: Mar 3, 2023
• ISBN: 9798887382586

Trenton Gill

Trenton Gill had once considered himself to be an atheist, but now he is a follower of Christ Jesus, a pastor, and founder of Pointless Thorns Ministries. With a bachelor of ministry in church ministries from West Coast Bible College & Seminary, Trenton is also an apologist and teacher of biblical studies.

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Contents

Foreword

Introduction

The Case of the God-Breathed Book

The Case of the Unforgivable Sin

The Case of an Unjustifiable Hell

The Case of the Missing God in Hell

The Case of the Lukewarm Christian

The Case of a Jealous God

The Case of a Repentant God

The Case of an Unfair God

The Case of a God’s Invitation to Deny and Die

The Case of Judgmental Christians

The Case of the Pearl-Trampling Pig

The Case of the Crushed Servant

The Case of the Forsaken Savior

The Case of a God Who Needed a God

The Case of Jesus Christ’s True Identity

Afterword

Endnotes

Foreword

In the current religious culture and a world attempting to water down the Gospel and pervert the Truth of God, the Lord is raising mature sons and daughters to combat the enemy. Through my experiences in ministry, many have asked how they can mature and grow in Christ. Every follower of Christ should desire to walk in maturity. The apostle Paul would state that we should be mature and not immature in our faith ( Colossians 1:28–29 ). Today, many have questions, and the religious culture has either told them not to ask these questions or given them wrong interpretations that led to immaturity.

Most people run into three main issues that keep them from growing as disciples of the Lord:

Some were taught incorrectly. Some teachers lack knowledge and understanding and lead from a limited capacity, hindering the growth and development of the people they teach. Some teachers mislead by evil intentions, motives, and agendas. In some situations, people desire to be incorrectly taught (2 Timothy 4:1–5).

Some desire to pursue the flesh. A person can have a great teacher and still desire to follow the flesh. The apostle Paul states that Demas forsook him to choose the world rather than follow Paul as he followed Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1; 2 Timothy 4:10).

Some lack the desire to see deeper into Scripture. Not every passage of Scripture is clearly understood, and the application of Scripture can only be given to those with ears to hear and eyes to see (Matthew 13:16). That means that it is imperative that the Holy Spirit would speak to the individual as they read Scripture. Every true disciple of Jesus must desire to go beyond the face value of the Scriptures and ask the teacher of truth (Holy Spirit) to guide them (John 14:26).

This book is for you if you desire to grow and become spiritually mature. Trenton and Jason do a fantastic job of tackling some of the more difficult questions that many followers of Christ have. If you desire to grow deeper in your walk with the Lord and have resources to take you to the next level, look no further. Many cases in this book have been areas of great misunderstanding in the body of Christ. Trenton and Jason take a systematic approach to identify the argument, state the portion of Scripture that was misinterpreted or used, then provide context and scriptural references compared to the entire Bible.

I commend you for having the courage to pick this book up and advance your development. It is a great adventure to be led by the Holy Spirit and follow Christ in this crazy thing called life. It is critical to maintaining your devotion and passion for Jesus. Life is but a vapor compared to eternity, so make the most of it by being well-pleasing to Him who has enlisted you.

—Caleb Perkins

Founder of Caleb Perkins Ministries. Caleb has established churches and orphanages, rescued children from sex trafficking, created disaster relief programs, and built Christians and leaders across the globe. CPM operations are primarily in Southeast Asia and the Middle East while conducting evangelistic outreach worldwide.

Regent University, (DSL), Doctor of Strategic Leadership, Ecclesial Leadership, (Pending 2024).

Oral Roberts University, (MCm.), Master of Christian Ministry, May 2020.

Glenville State College, (BS), Behavioral Science, May 2005.

Introduction

In this Quest for Truth , you’re a detective. This book investigates the depth beyond the surface of some challenging biblical passages by examining the original Hebrew and Greek languages in their proper contexts while simultaneously weaving in cross-reference clues in order to reveal the bigger picture. The investigative studies within this book are designed to help Christians become warriors of the faith who diligently present themselves approved to God as workers who do not need to be ashamed of the Gospel because they are able to accurately handle the Word of Truth. This arduous adventure of investigating Bible difficulties is not a convenient leisure for lukewarm couch-potato-consumer-Christians; rather, it’s a task for completely committed followers of Christ who, as dedicated disciples, desire to deepen their understanding of God’s Word and grow closer in their relationship with the Lord. If you’re only interested in feel-good messages that keep you confined within the coffin of comfort, then this assignment might not be for you; however, if you’re up for a challenge and you’re willing to do your due diligence as a dedicated detective, then these investigative studies are for you. Do you accept the assignment?

To aid you in your Quest for Truth, the studies include concordance numbers from Strong’s Expanded Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible.¹ The letters that precede the numbers identify whether the word will be located in the Hebrew (H) or Greek (G) section of Strong’s dictionary.

Examples:

[H8549] tāmîm (taw-meem’)

γραφή [G1124] graphē (graf-ay’)

Before you begin each investigative study, I urge you to pray to God for wisdom and understanding. May the God of Truth open your eyes to see the spiritual depths beyond the physical surface of mere words on pages. May the grace of our Lord Christ Jesus, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you. Amen.

The Case of the God-Breathed Book

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 3:16–17 (NASB)

A progressive Christian and self-proclaimed Reverend and theologian posed an argument to me, asserting that the Bible is not the Word of God. The overall argument presented by this wolf in sheep’s clothing is as follows:

Only Christ Jesus is the Word of God.

Much of what is written in the Bible is not the words of Jesus but the words of other people.

Therefore, the Bible cannot be the Word of God because much of what is written are words from fallible humans who were not Jesus.

But is this true? As dedicated disciples who are also detectives, it is our duty to investigate with integrity while honestly examining all available evidence. Unfortunately for this worker of Satan, it doesn’t take long for his argument to collapse in on itself. The Bible most certainly is the Word of God for several reasons. Consider all that follows. Even if you accept premise one as being true that only Jesus is the Word of God, you would be forced to reject premise two because even the words of Jesus were not written by Jesus Himself—His words were recorded by His disciples. Further, both Christ and Scripture have dual aspects of divinity and humanity, indivisibly united in one expression. Both involve the use of fallible human agents.

The argument that the Bible cannot be God’s Word because it was written by humans who are capable of erring does not follow logically for several reasons. First of all, humans do not always err. Even without any special divine aid, humans can and do write books without errors—usually short ones. There are, for example, inerrant math books where every formula is worked out correctly.

Second, there is no contradiction for a perfect God to use imperfect writers as the means to produce a perfect book. Why not? Because even imperfect humans can draw a straight line with a crooked stick. How much more can God? But for some reason, critics attempt to limit a limitless God. And they fail.

Third, according to the biblical doctrine of inspiration, God was the primary cause of the Bible, and human writers were only secondary causes. It is written in 2 Peter 1:21 (NASB), For no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God (cf. 2 Samuel 23:2). So, in the overall process of inspiration, God superintends the process of revelation so as to preserve it from all error (cf. John 14:26; 16:13).

In fact, both Christ (John 1:1; Revelation 19:13) and the Bible (John 10:35; Matthew 15:6) are called the Word of God. Both Christ and the Bible are called perfect (Psalm 19:7; Hebrews 4:15). The Bible is God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16); it comes from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4), cannot be broken (John 10:35), and is [H8549] tāmîm (taw-meem’), meaning it is without flaw (Psalm 19:7).

Perceived Problem

In 2 Timothy 3:16, Apostle Paul wrote that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God. However, some people think that the word all should be replaced by the word every. Plus, some believe that the copula is should be placed after the remark concerning the inspiration of the Scriptures, not before. In doing so, this can lead to the conclusion that some Scripture is not inspired.

Scriptural Solutions

First, most versions translate this verse from Greek to read All Scripture is God-breathed, except those that translate this verse with the copula is after the word God. This makes it sound like there are some Scriptures that are not inspired by God (e.g., RSV, ASV), although the marginal notes in these translations give a more accurate rendering. But, most Bibles see the verse as reading, All Scripture is inspired of God.

Second, concerning whether the word all should be translated as every, some argue that it should be on the grounds that, if the definite article is missing in reference to this word, the verse should be translated as every. However, whenever the word Scripture [G1124] graphē (graf-ay’) is used in the New Testament, it always refers to authoritative and inspired writings—never the opposite—with or without the definite article in Greek. This word is used in the Hebrew Scriptures (as in our present verse) or New Testament writings (2 Peter 3:16).

Third, the Greek word for inspired by God suggests that God so guided the New Testament authors to write the very Word of God. As we notice in 2 Peter 1:20–21, no prophecy of Scripture came about by the will of man but by the Holy Spirit moving (carrying along) the writers of Scripture to speak from God. The word for moved φέρω [G5342] pherō (fer’-o) in 2 Peter 1:21 is the same word used in Acts 27:15, where the ship which carried Paul was so caught up in a storm that they could not face the wind. They gave way to it, and they let themselves be driven along by the storm. This is true of the Holy Spirit, inspiring the authors of the Holy Scripture to write the Word of God. But if all the authors of Scripture were moved along by God, then the words of Scripture were breathed out by God and without error since God cannot err (Numbers 23:19; 1 Samuel 15:29; Isaiah 40:8; 55:11; Hebrews 6:18; Titus 1:2; John 17:17).

Finally, even if it could be argued from the New Testament that not every use of the Scriptures refers to inspired writing, nonetheless, it would not undermine Paul’s teaching (in this specific verse under examination) that the entire Old Testament is inspired by God. For the context makes it clear that the Scripture to which he refers is the Holy Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:15) which Timothy’s Jewish mother and grandmother had taught him (2 Timothy 1:5), and this could be none other than the whole Jewish Tanakh (Old Testament).

Inspiration

The word inspired is the English translation of the Greek word θεόπνευστος [G2315] theopneustos (theh-op’-nyoo-stos), which is a compound of the words θεός [G2316] theos (theh’-os) and πνεῦμα [G4151] pneuma (pnyoo’-mah). The word theos is the word for God, and the word pneuma comes from its root word πνέω [G4154] pneō (pneh’-o), which communicates the idea of the dynamic movement of air as to breathe hard or blow, like a gust of wind. Therefore, the word theopneustos means God-breathed.

For instance, the concept of this movement of breath can mean blowing air through an instrument in order to produce a distinct musical sound. But there are also places in Scripture where it is translated to breathe or to emit a fragrance. And finally, this root word can be used to denote the projection of emotions, such as anger, courage, or goodwill. But when the root word becomes pneuma (as in this specific verse under examination), it carries a more profound range of meanings, including life, force, life force, energy, dynamism, and power. The Jews considered the pneuma to be the powerful force of God that created the universe and all living things and the force that continues to sustain creation. In the Old Testament, the pneuma of God would sometimes move mightily upon a person, enabling him to do supernatural feats.

And so this inspiration is the image of God breathing or emitting His own substance into something/someone. Just as a musician would blow in an instrument to produce a distinct sound, the breath of God moved through willing human participants who penned the Scriptures; consequently, they became the unique instruments through whom God expressed His heart and will. They were the physical writers of Scripture, but God—who is Spirit (John 4:24)—was the Master Composer and Great Musician who breathed through them. And each one of them produced their own distinct sound according to their distinct personalities. Thus, the Bible is God’s message delivered through human writers to the human race. As human beings, we are copper wire, conduits, vessels whom the Spirit speaks to and works through.

Just as the word pneuma can carry the idea of a fragrance, the Word was breathed out from God and thus carries His very essence and fragrance within it. And since this word can also portray the projection of emotions, this tells us that God projected the totality of His emotion into the written Word when He inspired its writing. Therefore, the Word not only conveys an intellectual message but God’s heart is revealed within that message.

It’s important to understand that the pneuma of God didn’t merely create the Scripture and then depart from it. This power—the same power that originally created and continues to sustain the universe—is still working inside the Word, upholding and empowering it to be just as strong as it was the day it was penned by God-breathed writers.

An example of this theopneustos (God-breathed) can be illustrated with a balloon. If I blow into a deflated balloon, the balloon will inflate. The blowing of my breath causes the balloon to fill up so that its true form becomes visible. After the balloon is fully inflated, I tie a knot at its base in order to trap the air within. And now, the air that filled the balloon and caused it to take form becomes the substance that empowers it to sustain its form. And if the molecules inside the balloon were to be analyzed, my DNA would be discovered within. Likewise, God’s breath produced life-giving words until the end result was the finished work of the Bible. And if each human writer was a unique instrument, then the Bible is an entire orchestra that’s playing a heavenly symphony, which conveys a message of love from God to all humanity. Thus, God is the Master Composer, and the Bible is His heavenly symphony.

Summary of Inspiration

Since the God of the Bible is all-knowing (Psalm 139:1–6; 147:5), all-good (Psalm 136; 1 Peter 2:3), and all-powerful (Genesis 1:1; Matthew 19:26), it follows that He would not inspire books for the faith and practice of believers down through the centuries and then fail to preserve them. Lost inspired books would be a lapse in God’s providence. The God who knows and numbers the stars by name (Psalm 147:4; Isaiah 40:26) and cares for the sparrows and numbers the hairs on your head (Luke 12:6–7) will certainly care for His Scriptures so that His Word will not be lost nor return void (Isaiah 55:11). In short, if God inspired the Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:16), God will preserve them. God completes what God begins (Numbers 23:19; Isaiah 40:8; 59:21; Matthew 5:18; 24:35; Philippians 1:6; Revelation 22:13). To say that the Bible is not inspired because God produced and preserved His Word through finite and fallible humans is to try to change the definition of God to fit the finite and fallible flaw of the humans themselves. And just because your three-pound, finite and fallible brain forgets where you put your car key doesn’t mean God would do the same. In fact, God says, For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:9, NASB). That’s why it is written in Luke 18:27 (NASB), The things that are impossible with people are possible with God. The Bible is God’s Word because the very people God used to produce the Bible were inspired and guided by the infallible God. And if all the authors of Scripture were carried along by God, then the words of Scripture were breathed out by God and without error since God cannot err (Numbers 23:19; 1 Samuel 15:29; Isaiah 40:8; 55:11; Hebrews 6:18; Titus 1:2; John 17:17). The Bible is irrefutably God’s Word. And if any books were written that were not inspired and contained heresies, wouldn’t God be able to communicate the heresies to His children via the Holy Spirit? In fact, that is what God did, and that’s why there were apocryphal books that were rejected and never included as being inspired. God is Truth (Psalm 119:160; John 17:17); God is Light (Genesis 1:3; John 1:4; 8:12; 1 John 1:5). When God shines the light of Truth into the darkness, the darkness cannot remain (John 1:5), and lies are exposed, and the Truth is revealed (Daniel 2:22; Mark 4:22; John 3:19–21).

The sixty-six books of the Bible were written over 1,600 years (from approximately 1500 BC–AD 100) by more than forty people (kings, prophets, leaders, and common folk). The Old Testament has thirty-nine books (written approximately 1500–400 BC). The New Testament has twenty-seven books (written approximately AD 45–100). The text of the Bible is better preserved than the writings of Caesar, Plato, and Aristotle. A thorough examination of the Bible reveals that the sixty-six books within were/are inspired by God.

Equipped

Second Timothy 3:16 continues by saying that the inspired Word of God is profitable for teaching. The word profitable is the English translation of the Greek word ὠφέλιμος [G5624] ōphelimos (o-fel’-ee-mos), which means helpful, useful, advantageous, and profitable in the sense that it brings forth increase and is of benefit. The word teaching is the English translation of the Greek word διδασκαλία [G1319] didaskalia (did-as-kal-ee’-ah), which means doctrine or that which is taught by the teacher. This, of course, denotes the teachings we affirm and believe to be true. The Lord is the Teacher (Matthew 23:8; 26:18; John 13:13–14). Doctrine is the foundation of what we believe, and it affects our worldview, impacts what we think, and determines what we believe is right and wrong. It guides us in life, determines our convictions and standards, and affects all of our actions and activities in life. Thus, the inspired Word of God will teach us what is true, and it will be of great benefit to us, causing us to grow. It is for this reason that Jesus told us that if we establish our lives on His Word and act in obedience to His Word, then we will have established our lives on the firm foundation of Him who is the Rock, and we will not fall apart in the storm that we will certainly experience in life (Matthew 7:24–27; Luke 6:46–49). And Paul says that if Christ is our Teacher and head of the body, then we won’t be carried about by every wind of false doctrine (Ephesians 4:14–15) because we will be secure in the true teachings of the Lord.

The inspired Word is profitable for reproof. The word reproof is the English translation of the Greek word ἔλεγχος [G1650] elegchos (el’-eng-khos), from ἐλέγχω [G1651] elegchō (el-eng’-kho), which means proof or evidence by rebuking another with the truth so that the person is convicted. We see an example of this same word in Matthew 18:15 (NASB) when Jesus said, If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private. Thus, the inspired Word benefits not only the one who reads the Word but also those who listen to the spoken Word.

The inspired Word is profitable for correction. The word correction is the English translation of the Greek word ἐπανόρθωσις [G1882] epanorthōsis (ep-an-or’-tho-sis), which means to be reformed and straightened up again. The word literally means restoration to an upright state. In Luke 13:11–13, we see a physical example of this when Jesus healed a woman who had been bent over for eighteen years, and then she was made straight, able to stand erect. But the deeper meaning of epanorthosis is one of a spiritual reformation. In all senses of the word, it is a correction that adjusts someone who is spiritually bent or slumped over so that the person will come back into alignment with God’s will in an upright state.

The inspired Word is profitable for training in righteousness. The word training is the English translation of the Greek word παιδεία [G3809] paideia (pahee-di’-ah), which means educational or training instruction that a child would receive through disciplinary correction. In Hebrews 12:5–11, using the same word paideia, it is written that God the Father deals with us as children and disciplines us for our good so that we may share His holiness. And this, of course, is why it is training in righteousness. The word righteousness is the English translation of the Greek word δικαιοσύνη [G1343] dikaiosynē (dik-ah-yos-oo’-nay), which is the character or quality of being right or just. It’s an attribute of God. As children of God, we are being trained to live holy lives, reflecting the Lord just as the Son reflects the Father (John 14:15; 15:10).

Second Timothy 3:17 (NASB) concludes by saying, So that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. The word adequate is the English translation of the Greek word ἄρτιος [G739] artios (ar’-tee-os), which means complete or perfect. This word stresses that in which nothing is maimed. It refers not only to the presence of all the parts that are necessary for completeness but also to the further adaptation and aptitude of these parts for their designed purposes. The word equipped is the English translation of the Greek word ἐξαρτίζω [G1822] exartizō (ex-ar-tid’-zo), which is a compound of the words ἐκ, ἐξ [G1537] ek (or ex) and artios (ar’-tee-os). The word ek denotes origin, meaning from or out of. But the subtle changes in this compounded word produce an entirely new meaning: to equip fully, to thoroughly furnish. So, not only are the necessary parts present for completeness, but now, as if coming out from perfection to finalization, it is thoroughly equipped, as if an advanced model, lacking nothing and equipped for everything. This ancient word was used to describe a ship that had been completely and thoroughly equipped with all the necessary equipment and gear so that it was able to sail anywhere in the world, complete and ready for any weather conditions it may encounter. Paul used this word to tell us that we are not prepared to set sail in life until the inspired Word of God has thoroughly equipped us for the journey.

In fact, the only other occurrence of this specific word in the New Testament is found in Acts 21:5 (NASB), When our days there were ended, we left and started on our journey. In context, Paul had been sailing the Mediterranean Sea from Miletus toward Jerusalem with a group of fellow believers. The phrase were ended is the same Greek word and thus means their time at that location had been accomplished, completed, and brought to a state of finalization. Only then did Paul and Luke leave that location to set sail for their new destination. To illustrate this point further, in Acts 20:20–24, Paul declared that he taught the disciples the profitable Word and that he was bound by the Spirit to travel to Jerusalem, being informed by the Holy Spirit that bonds and afflictions await him. But Paul said he was ready to finish his course. And then,