What do you think are the most important questions asked in the Bible?

-- Anonymous, June 06, 2000

Answers

In Matthew 16:15, Jesus asks Simon Peter: "But what about you, who do you say I am?"

In our lives, how we answer that question ourselves has eternal ramifications. Josh McDowell says we have three options in answering that question once we weigh the evidence: a liar, a lunatic, or Lord of our lives.

-- Anonymous, June 07, 2000

Just a comment: This is from my commentary that I have written on the book of Matthew.

Jim

Matthew 16:14-16 A pointed question receives a pointed answer.

a. The general tendency of people was to underestimate Jesus. They gave Him a measure of respect and honor, but they fell short of honoring Him for who He really is.

b. Who do you say that I am? This is the question placed before all who hear of Jesus. And please remember this, we are judged by our answer.

i. In fact, we answer this question every day by what we say and what we do. If we really believe Jesus is who He says He is, it will affect the way that we live our lives on a daily basis!

c. Peter boldly exclaims that Jesus is not only the Messiah, but God as well.

-- Anonymous, June 07, 2000

Perhaps one question which is very relevant to our times is Pontius Pilate's question to Jesus, "What is truth?"

I have seen a lot of takes on this question that assume that Pilate was asking about the nature of truth, wanting to know or seek the truth, puzzled, or whatever. But I have always read this question a different way. I see Pilate as a jaded and somewhat ruthless career soldier, who had seen in his travels a lot of religions, sects and cults, gods and goddesses, philosophers, shamans, and charlaitans, each saying different things and claiming that they had a corner on truth. I think that Pilate's question was a rhetorical, frustrated and heavily sarcastic one, said in a low tone, almost under his breath, derisively. Meaning, "Ha! There's no such thing, you moron!"

What a terrific question for today's post-modern, relativistic world. What is "truth"?

-- Anonymous, June 08, 2000

I expanded our little thread here into a full commentary which I am going to post on my church's website. Hope you all like it. =) _________

WHAT IS TRUTH?

In a discussion forum I participate in, the question was recently asked, "What do you think are the most important questions asked in the Bible?"

The most often mentioned question was Jesus' question to Peter, "Who do you say that I am?" And indeed, that is probably the most important question in Scripture. Peter called Him the Messiah, the Son of God. Thomas fell at His feet and proclaimed Him, "my Lord and my God." As C.S. Lewis wrote, "I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: 'I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God.' ... You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to." Jesus made it clear that our very eternal destiny hinged on who we accepted Him to be.

But perhaps one question which is just as relevant to our times was asked by Pontius Pilate. When Jesus told him "I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me." Pilate retorted with the famous question, "What is truth?"

I have seen a lot of takes on this question in movies and plays that assume Pilate was asking about the nature of truth, wanting to know or seek the truth, puzzled, or whatever. But I have always read this question a different way. I see Pilate as a jaded and somewhat ruthless career soldier, who had seen in his travels a lot of religions, sects and cults, gods and goddesses, philosophers, shamans, and charlaitans, each saying different things and claiming that they had a corner on truth. I think that Pilate's question was a rhetorical, frustrated and heavily sarcastic one, a retort, said in a low tone, almost under his breath, derisively. Meaning, "Ha! There's no such thing as truth, you moron!"

What a terrific question for today's post-modern world. What is "truth"? The dawn of the 21st century finds us in a world eerily similar to Pilate's. Cults and religions abound. Gurus and faith healers flood the airwaves. And most people view truth as entirely relative. "Well, that may be true for you, but it's not true for me." "There is no such thing as absolute Truth," the professors in our colleges say. Unfortunately, along with this relativistic reasoning comes a lack of critical thought. The statement, "There is no such thing as absolute Truth," is self-refuting. Ask anyone who spouts that off to you, "is that absolutely true?" and you have just opened them up to the stunning thought that there may, indeed, be such a thing as an absolute Truth. Which leaves the question, where to find it?

Now obviously, if we are seeking after Absolute Truth, we need to know what we are looking for. What would Absolute Truth look like if we found it? Well, one thing we would obviously expect would be that it would be trust-WORTHY. Is the Bible trustworthy? We can answer that in the affirmative. The science of textual criticism has shown the transmission Bible to be far more accurate than all of the other works of the ancient world PUT TOGETHER, on the order of about 100 to one! Archaeology has shown the Bible to be historically accurate, in incredible detail. Luke (who wrote the books of Luke and Acts) is now considered by many scholars to be one of the finest historians of his time.

We would expect that if there was such a thing as Absolute Truth, it would certainly be unique. C.S. Lewis once wrote that there were really only two religions in the world, Christianity and Hinduism. One thing he meant by that was that virtually all of the other religions in the world looked at truth in a relativistic sense. "There are many paths to god." But Christianity is unique in that it claims that there is one Absolute Truth, and furthermore it is found only in Christ and the Bible.

The Bible is also unique in that it contains predictive prophecy. Not the vague ramblings of mystics (such as Nostradamus), but incredibly detailed predictions which were fulfilled in amazing ways, 100% of the time. No other book, ancient or modern, comes even close.

Finally, though, Christianity is unique in that not only does it lay claim to Absolute Truth, but it's founder claims He IS the Truth. That He not only speaks the Truth but He is the very embodiment of Truth itself, the source of Truth, and that to know Him is to know the Truth. There can be nothing more unique than that: no other religious leader ever made such an audacious claim. Yet His very character compels us to believe Him: here are not the ravings of a madman but clear crisp wisdom unparalleled in history.

Jesus said that knowing the Truth was key to being set free. Which brings us back to our first question: "Who do you say that I am?" Come to think of it, in light of all of this, perhaps another question of Pilate's is far more important for each of us to ask ourselves:

"What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ?"

-- Anonymous, June 22, 2000

I have a suggestion to add. From an existential standpoint I would suggest the most important question is, "What must I do to be saved?" Comments?

-- Anonymous, July 21, 2000