Is salvation by faith alone? - Yes.

Should we fear God? - Yes.

Is Jesus God? - Yes, He is God the Son and part of the trinity.

Who raised Jesus from the dead? - God and Jesus.

Does God help in time of need? - Yes, He can.

To whom did Peter deny knowing Jesus?  See below.

Must everyone die?  Yes, but see below.

Are there "gods" other than the one, uncreated God? - Yes.

How should we treat our enemies? - With love.

Was Jesus the first to rise from the dead? - See below.

Will anyone else rise from the dead? - See below.

Will the earth last forever? - No.

Does God approve of human sacrifices? - No.

Can God know and see everything? - Yes.

Has anyone ever seen God?

Answer:

* John 1:18 reads, "No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him."

* John 4:24 reads, "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."

* 1 John 4:12 reads, "No one has seen God at any time.  If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us."

Explanations of apparent difficulties:

* Genesis 12:7 reads, "And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him."  There are few details about this "appearance."  It was likely Jesus Christ appearing to Him, though.

* Genesis 18:1 reads, "And the Lord appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre."  God is seen in the person of Jesus Christ.  God the Father was in Heaven.  However, Jesus spoke to Abraham in the form of an angel.  This is consistent with several other passages that contain a pre-Christ appearance of Jesus Christ.  In the Old Testament, He is often called "the angel of the Lord."  See Genesis 16:7.

* Genesis 26:2 reads, "And the LORD appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of."  This passage simply says that God appeared to Isaac.  It doesn't specify how or say that He had a body that Isaac saw.

* In Genesis 32:30, Jacob wrestles with Jesus.  This is a theophany - a pre-Christ appearance of Jesus Christ.

* In Exodus 24:9-11, the word "saw" is used figuratively.  God was only seen through a cloud and this is verified by the rest of the chapter (see verse 16).  The word "saw" in verse 11 is explicitly used like this: "to mentally perceive, to have a vision."  They did not literally see God.

* Exodus 33:11 reads, "And the Lord spake to Moses face to face, as a man speaketh to his friend."  This passage simply describes the relationship Moses had with God.  It has been shown that God revealed Himself to Moses by articulate sounds in his own language.  This verse is similar to Deuteronomy 34:10.

* Exodus 33:23 reads, "And I will take away my hand, and thou shalt see my backparts."  God let Moses see the back of His glory (see verse 22).

* Part of Numbers 14:14 reads, "For they have heard that thou Lord art among this people, that thou Lord art seen face to face."  This very verse says how God met the people.  However, you have to read the whole verse.  "and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that You, Lord, are among these people; that You, Lord, are seen face to face and Your cloud stands above them, and You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night."

* Deuteronomy 5:4 reads, "The Lord talked with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the fire."  This passage also indicates how God spoke.  He spoke from the "midst of the fire."

* Judges 13:22 reads, "And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God."  According to the previous verses, Manoah saw the "angel of the Lord."

* 1 Kings 22:19 reads, "I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left."  This is simply a parable - an earthly story with a heavenly meaning and content.  Some think he had a vision of God.  Either way, his human body never saw God's spirit-being while he was on the Earth.

* Job 42:5 reads, "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee."  Job is referring to his enlightenment, not his actual sight.  The previous chapters record God telling him about His awesome glory.  Job finally gets it.

* Psalm 63:2 reads, "To see thy power and they glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary."  David clearly states that He has seen God's power and glory in the sanctuary.

* Isaiah 6:1 and 5 record Isaiah's encounter with God.  He was purified and taken to Heaven, in a vision, so this wasn't an account of him seeing God's spirit-body on the Earth.

* Ezekiel 20:35 reads, "And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face."  This passage simply indicates the type of relationship that God wanted to have with the Israelites.

* Amos 7:7 reads, "The LORD stood upon a wall made by a plumbline, with a plumbline in his hand."  This passage is a metaphor about God's judgment.  It is better understood by reading verse 8, too.

* Amos 9:1 reads, "I saw the Lord standing upon the altar: and he said, smite the lintel of the door, that the posts may shake."  This is part of a prophecy from the preceding chapter.  This isn't a literal statement.

* In Habakkuk 3:4 and 5, this Hebrew word for "horns" is better translated "light."  This is a metaphor describing God's power and majesty.

Is salvation by faith alone?

Answer:

* Ephesians 2:8 and 9 reads, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast."

Explanations of apparent difficulties:

* Psalm 62:12, Jeremiah 17:10, Matthew 16:27, Romans 2:6, 2 Corinthians 5:10 and 1 Peter 1:17 are all referring to eternal rewards that are given to believers for their works.

* Matthew 12:37 is stating that a person is justified by their words - trusting, accepting and believing Jesus Christ is their Lord and Savior.

* In Matthew 19:17, Jesus is making a point about the Old Covenant versus the new one.  He is telling this man that he must obey the entire law to be righteous.  When it is clear that he has merely kept a few of the commandments, Jesus tells him to follow Him (because He was the only way to Heaven).

* In Luke 10:26-28, the two, greatest commandments were mentioned.  Obeying these, two commandments involves trusting, believing and accepting Jesus Christ as one's Lord and Savior.

* 2 Corinthians 11:15 is referring to fallen angels that will be judged according to their works.  They were created by God and lived in Heaven.  When they sinned, they were cast out of Heaven.  They will be judged for this sin.

* In James 2:14, only some rhetorical questions are being asked.  Verse 17 explains "dead faith." 

* In James 2:21-25, the importance of works is stressed.  However, this passage is founded by verse 18.  James 2:18 reads, ". . . you show me . . . I'll show you . . ."  This is clearly a passage about people proving they are saved by their works.  This is clearly not about God's requirement of faith for salvation.

Are there "gods" other than the one, uncreated God?

Answer:

* 1 Corinthians 8:5 and 6 reads, "For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live."

Explanations of apparent difficulties:

* There is only one, uncreated God - the triune God (also called the trinity).  When the scriptures say there is only one God, they are saying that there is only one, uncreated God.

* The passages of scriptures that refer to "gods" are referring to idols and other things besides the one, uncreated God.  It is correct to say there is one God because the one, uncreated God is more powerful than all of these others combined.  He is the only real God.

* This Hebrew word for "gods" can also be translated "magistrates" or "angels."  David uses this word to describe angels in the Psalms.

How should we treat our enemies?

Answer:

* Matthew 5:44 reads, "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you."

Explanations of apparent difficulties:

* This passage of scripture, written by Jeremiah (the author of Lamentations), is simply stating his feelings about his enemies and such.  It is entirely possible for a human to make a statement (and even have it recorded in the Bible) that doesn't line up with God's will.  The same thing is true for David's words in the Psalms.

* In 2 Corinthians 16:22, Paul is referring to people who hated Jesus.  He said they should be "Anathema" or "accursed."  This isn't saying that people should hate them or do evil to them.  This is an issue of fellowship and truth.

Can God change His mind (repent)?

Answer:

* James 1:13 reads, "Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am tempted by God'; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone."

* Jonah 3:10 reads, "Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it."

Explanations of apparent difficulties:

* God can appear to change His mind.  However, since He is all-knowing and sovereign, we simply perceive that He changed His mind.

* God cannot be tempted and cannot sin.  Therefore, He cannot repent from sin.

* In the scriptures, God occasionally "relents" (some translations say "repents").  This simply means that He elected to stop judging a person or group.  It doesn't mean that He repented from sin.

Who raised Jesus from the dead?

Answer:

* John 2:19-21 reads, "Jesus answered and said to them, 'Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.'  Then the Jews said, 'It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?'  But He was speaking of the temple of His body."

* Galatians 1:1 reads, "Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead)."

Explanations of apparent difficulties:

* Since Jesus is also God - the second person in the triune Godhead - both Jesus and God raised Jesus Christ from the dead.

Does God help in time of need?

Answer:

* Hosea 5:6 and 7 read, "With their flocks and herds they shall go to seek the LORD, but they will not find Him; He has withdrawn Himself from them.  They have dealt treacherously with the LORD, for they have begotten pagan children.  Now a New Moon shall devour them and their heritage."

* Psalm 46:1 reads, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."

Explanations of apparent difficulties:

* God helps people in need.  However, when people sin and don't repent, they test God's patience.  Eventually, they pass the point of being shown mercy and God judges them.  At this point, when God has decided to punish a sinner, He has the right to ignore their selfish pleas that are merely aiming to save them the punishment they deserve.

To whom did Peter deny knowing Jesus?

Answer:

* According to these scriptures, Peter denied knowing Jesus before a female servant, another female servant and one of the high priest's servants.  This was all done in a crowd of people.

Explanations of apparent difficulties:

* Matthew 26 states that Peter denies Jesus before a maid, another maid and a crowd of people.

* Mark 14 states that Peter denies Jesus before a maid, another maid and a crowd of people.  Mark 14:69 does not clearly say that it was the same maid.  In fact, a better translation of this verse is: "And another maid saw him and once again it was related to them that stood nearby, 'This is one of them.'"  Incidentally, why would the same maid say the same thing twice, anyhow?

* Luke 22 states that Peter denies Jesus before a maid, another person and another person.  The Greek word "anthropos" that has been translated into the English word "Man," is a word that refers to both men and women all throughout the New Testament.  This does not indicate that this person must be a man.

* The fact that John indicates the third denial was to a person only shows specificity.  Matthew and Mark simply indicate that the third denial was made to the crowd.

* John 18 indicates that Peter denies Jesus before a maid (near a door), an unnamed person and a servant of the high priest.  This doesn't contradict any of the other accounts.  John simply omits the title of the second person and gives a specific title for the third one.  In John 18:25, the word "they" is implied and not present in the Greek.  The servant girl could easily have made this statement to Peter on behalf of the group that was there.

Must everyone die?

Answer:

* Yes, everyone must die.  However, there were two (likely only temporary) exceptions.  Enoch and Elijah were assumed into Heaven.

* Hebrews 9:27 reads, "And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment."

Explanations of apparent difficulties:

* Genesis 5:24 and Hebrews 11:5 mention Enoch.  Enoch was assumed into Heaven.  Therefore, he didn't die.  However, there are two witnesses in Revelation that do many miracles, die, then come back to life.  Many people believe these two people are Enoch and Elijah - the only two Bible characters that did not die.

* In John 8:51 and John 11:26, Jesus is explaining how Christians will never die.  He is referring to the second death.  See Revelation 2:11, 20:6, 20:14, and 21:8.

Does God approve of human sacrifices?

Answer:

* No, God doesn't approve of human sacrifice.  There are absolutely no places in the Bible where God wanted a person to literally sacrifice another human being to Him as an offering.  The situation with Abraham and Isaac was merely a test of Abraham's faith.  God's intent was never for Isaac to die.

* There is ample, scriptural information that shows God is the rightful giver and taker of life.  You can click here for more.

* Deuteronomy 18:10 reads, "There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer."

Explanations of apparent difficulties:

* In Exodus 22:29, this Hebrew word for "sons" has a wide variety of meanings.  If we take it literally, this verse is obviously referring to dedicating the firstborn son to God; not killing him.

* Leviticus 27:28, 29 - These verses simply tell us that any person devoted to the Lord cannot be sold or redeemed.

* Numbers 31:25-29 - In these verses, there are no indications that any humans were harmed.

* 2 Samuel 21:1, 8-9, 14 - There is no indication that God approves human sacrifice.  David heeded the Gibeonites' wishes.  Unfortunately, he did not try and bargain with them or offer them other things.  Furthermore, the scriptures never indicate that God wanted or appreciated David's decision.

* Judges 11:29-40 - This is the tragic account of the foolishness of making a rash promise to God.

* 1 Kings 13:2 and 2 Kings 23:20 - These verses do not indicate that God requested a human sacrifice.  Furthermore, in 1 Kings 13:2, this word for "offer" simply means "kill" or "slay."  If there was an implication of a "sacrifice," it was ironic because these, evil priests were sacrificing to false gods and they were going to be killed on their own altars.  This was their judgment for rejecting God and worshiping false gods.

Should we fear God?

Answer:

* Yes, we should fear and respect God.

* Exodus 18:21 reads, "Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens."

* Acts 13:26 reads, "Men and brethren, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to you the word of this salvation has been sent."

Explanations of apparent difficulties:

* God has not given us the spirit of fear (timidity) toward other humans.  This spirit is from the Devil.  God has given us the spirit of courage and of a sound mind.

* 1 John 4:18 is also referring to fearing humans.  We should only fear God.

Was Jesus the first to rise from the dead?

Answer:

* The scriptures state that Jesus was the foremost in importance to rise from the dead.  This Greek word that is translated "first," in some translations, is also translated "foremost in importance."

* 1 Kings 17:22 reads, "Then the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came back to him, and he revived."

Explanations of apparent difficulties:

* In Acts 26:23, this Greek word that is translated "first" is also translated "foremost in importance."

Will anyone else rise from the dead?

Answer:

* After people die, there will be a resurrection to judgment.  Christians will go to Heaven and unbelievers will be cast into the Lake of Fire.

* Revelation 20:11-15 reads, "Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away.  And there was found no place for them.  And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened.  And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life.  And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.  The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.  Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire.  This is the second death.  And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire."

Explanations of apparent difficulties:

* In Job 7:7-9, Job is simply referring to his earthly life.  In verse 9, he admits that after he dies, he will not live again on Earth.

* In Psalm 6:5, David is simply saying that people on Earth tend to forget the people who die.

* Ecclesiastes 3:19 simply indicates that there is death.  It makes no statement about resurrection or the afterlife.

* In Ecclesiastes 7:5 and 9:5, the writer is demonstrating a worldly viewpoint of death that is inconsistent with the scriptures.  Don't forget that this is a journey of sorts and the writer currently isn't trusting God for inspiration, revelation, blessings, etc.

* Isaiah 26:14 is referring to some particular unbelievers that God has judged.  They would not rise in human form.

* Isaiah 38:18 simply indicates that dead people cannot choose salvation.  They cannot choose to begin loving God and praising Him.  This verse does not say that people will not be resurrected to judgment.

* In Matthew 9:24, we see Jesus raising a girl from the dead.  He had miraculous power and used it for the good of others.

Is Jesus God?

Answer:

* Jesus is God the Son.  He is not God the Father.  He is the second person in the trinity (also called the triune Godhead).

* Matthew 28:19 reads, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."

* John 1:1-5 reads, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.  In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it."

Explanations of apparent difficulties:

* John 8:40, Acts 17:31 and 1 Timothy 2:5 indicate that Jesus was human.  These verses simply indicate that He became a human and walked the Earth.  Many other passages, in these same books, indicate that Jesus was also God and surely more than a man.

* John 14:28, 1 Corinthians 11:3 and Colossians 3:1 indicate that Jesus is a different person than God the Father.  This is true, too.  Jesus is God the Son.  God is the first person in the trinity and Jesus Christ is the second.

Will the earth last forever?

Answer:

* No, the Earth won't last forever.

* Luke 21:33 reads, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away."

* 2 Peter 3:10 reads, "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up."

Explanations of apparent difficulties:

* Deuteronomy 4:40 reads, "You shall therefore keep His statutes and His commandments which I command you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which the LORD your God is giving you for all time."  God is clearly reiterating His promise with His chosen people.  He never indicates that the world would last forever, though.

* Psalm 37:29 tells us that the righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever.  This verse is obviously referring to the duration of their lives and not eternity.

* In Psalm 78:69, Psalm 104:5 and Ecclesiastes 1:4, this Hebrew word for "forever" is also translated "concealed the vanishing point."  The earth will pass away, but its vanishing point is concealed.

Can God see and know everything?

Answers and explanations of apparent difficulties:

* Yes, God can see everything.  There are no definitive, biblical statements about God's lack of knowledge (or sight).  Simply because we read God asking someone a question about their whereabouts, this doesn't mean He didn't know where they were.  They were simply rhetorical questions and the wording was used to try and understand an omnipotent God.  Incidents like these are in Job 1:7 and 2:2 and Numbers 22:9.

* At times, Bible writers tried to understand God be relating to Him with human terms.  Therefore, they wrote that He "went" somewhere.  This doesn't mean that He wasn't already omnipresent.  It simply relayed a fact about God's actions.  Situations like these are in Genesis 11:5 and Genesis 18:20 and 21.

* When we read that a Bible character "hid" from God, we can rest assured that they simply tried to hide.  God still saw them.  These circumstances can be found in Genesis 3:8 and Genesis 4:14.

* In Genesis 22:12, Deuteronomy 8:2, Deuteronomy 13:3 and 2 Chronicles 32:31, we read about God "knowing" something.  He would sometimes make people show what was in their heart.  He would have them "prove" their love for Him.  By the context, it is not apparent that God did not know their heart.  In fact, we read that God looks at the heart (see 1 Samuel 16:7).  Therefore, we know that He knew their heart. He simply wanted their heart to be revealed to themselves and others.

* In Hosea 8:4, the Hebrew word for "know" is also translated "recognized."  God didn't recognize the gods they worshiped.  He did not heed or respect them.  He surely saw and knew what they were doing.