Questions Answered by R.C. Sproul | Learn Reformed theology from top theologians and teachers at Ligonier.org

Both Peter and Paul call us to submit to governing authorities. In light of that, is revolution ever possible for a Christian, and if so, under what circumstances?

It certainly is clear that the New Testament puts an emphasis on the Christian’s responsibility to be a model of civil obedience. In Romans 13, Paul tells us that the powers that be are ordained by God. That doesn’t mean …Read More

In Acts 16 Paul encourages Timothy to be circumcised, then later condemns it. Was he being hypocritical?

I don’t think the apostle was being hypocritical at all. This is a very interesting historical situation that the New Testament records for us. It does say that Paul circumcised Timothy and then refused to circumcise Titus, and this became …Read More

First Corinthians 15:29 says, “Otherwise, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why then are they baptized for them?” I know it’s a Mormon doctrine to believe in baptism for the dead by proxy. What is the Christian view of this?

There’s not a single text in all of Scripture that gives an explicit mandate for the church to practice proxy baptism, or baptism for the dead, and yet here is a practice that has emerged in one religious body. The …Read More

Is God concerned with the material well-being of Christians?

The short answer to that, emphatically and definitely, is yes. Not only is God concerned about the material well-being of Christians, he’s deeply and profoundly concerned for the material well-being of the whole world. God created a material world. He …Read More

Why in the Old Testament does God demand so much violence and war of the Jewish nation?

One of the most difficult episodes for us to handle as people who live on this side of the New Testament are the Old Testament records of what is called the herem. This is where God calls Israel to embark …Read More

What Scriptures can a Christian wife and mother use as guidelines for her responsibilities and duties?

First of all, you are a human being, and you’re a person who’s been claimed by Christ. You are in the kingdom, so the Scriptures you use to learn of your responsibilities and duties before God start at Genesis 1:1 …Read More

Are we living in the last days?

We have to be careful not to be guilty of what Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for—what I call the Red Sky Syndrome. If you recall, Jesus rebuked the Pharisees because they had an ability to predict the weather. They could …Read More

What do our good deeds have to do with our salvation?

From one perspective our good deeds have absolutely nothing to do with our salvation; from another perspective they have everything to do with it. This is the core debate that has been raging among Christians ever since the Protestant Reformation. …Read More

Please define a miracle and state whether or not you think God still performs them today.

There is a tremendous difference between the popular definition of a miracle in our culture and the narrow technical definition of a miracle that theologians work with in their science. We can often have serious communication problems when people ask …Read More

Doesn’t science disprove Christianity?

There have been obvious conflicts between the scientific community and the religious community over certain points. Of course, the most notable dispute historically was the embarrassing episode of Galileo and the whole theory of whether the earth or the sun …Read More

We’ve been taught that prayer changes things. In view of God’s sovereignty, what is the role of prayer in a Christian’s life?

First of all, we need to establish that it is the sovereign God who not only invites us but commands us to pray. Prayer is a duty, and as we perform that duty, one thing for sure is going to …Read More

May a Christian married couple practice birth control?

I presume you mean by that artificial methods of birth control. That’s one of those issues in Christian ethics where there is a seriously divided house in the history of the church. The Roman Catholic Church, as you are aware, …Read More

If justification is by faith alone, how can we apply James 2:24, which says a person is justified by what he does, not his faith alone?

That question is not critical only today, but it was in the eye of the storm we call the Protestant Reformation that swept through and divided the Christian church in the sixteenth century. Martin Luther declared his position: Justification is …Read More

Scripture says that Christ stated the unforgivable sin as being blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Can you expand on that, and how should I pray for someone committing that sin?

There’s a lot of confusion over the sin that Jesus says cannot be forgiven either in this world or in the world to come. Some people think that the unforgivable sin is murder because the Old Testament gives us such …Read More

How should I handle my own doubts about God’s presence in my life?

This question brings to mind an experience I had early in my ministry. In fact, I’d only been ordained a few months and was teaching at a college. One church had a minister who was much loved by his congregation; …Read More

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Questions Answered

Both Peter and Paul call us to submit to governing authorities. In light of that, is revolution ever possible for a Christian, and if so, under what circumstances?

In Acts 16 Paul encourages Timothy to be circumcised, then later condemns it. Was he being hypocritical?

First Corinthians 15:29 says, “Otherwise, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why then are they baptized for them?” I know it’s a Mormon doctrine to believe in baptism for the dead by proxy. What is the Christian view of this?

Is God concerned with the material well-being of Christians?

Why in the Old Testament does God demand so much violence and war of the Jewish nation?

What Scriptures can a Christian wife and mother use as guidelines for her responsibilities and duties?

Are we living in the last days?

What do our good deeds have to do with our salvation?

Please define a miracle and state whether or not you think God still performs them today.

Doesn’t science disprove Christianity?

We’ve been taught that prayer changes things. In view of God’s sovereignty, what is the role of prayer in a Christian’s life?

May a Christian married couple practice birth control?

If justification is by faith alone, how can we apply James 2:24, which says a person is justified by what he does, not his faith alone?

Scripture says that Christ stated the unforgivable sin as being blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Can you expand on that, and how should I pray for someone committing that sin?

How should I handle my own doubts about God’s presence in my life?

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