Tough Questions

What is the Unforgivable Sin?

Rev Charlie (May 2024)

All three synoptic gospels record Jesus saying that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.  Many Christians question what Jesus meant by this, and some fear that they might have inadvertently, or even deliberately, committed the ‘unforgivable sin.’  This is pastorally significant, since all who have put their faith in Jesus ought to be confident of their forgiven status.

In the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, Jesus speaks about blaspheming the Holy Spirit immediately after the Pharisees accuse him of using demonic power to cast out demons.

Matthew 12: 31-32

And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

Given the context, it could be inferred that to blaspheme the Holy Spirit is to attribute to the devil what the Holy Spirit has done.  However, failing to recognise the Holy Spirit’s work is more likely a symptom of a sinful mindset, whereby a person wilfully and routinely opposes the work of the Holy Spirit.

There is a sense in which we all oppose the work of the Holy Spirit because that is essentially what sin is.  However, to blaspheme the Holy Spirit is to oppose him so thoroughly and determinedly, that one is no longer able to repent and believe.  It is to harden one’s heart to such a great extent that repentance is no longer possible.  Therefore, to blaspheme the Holy Spirit is unforgiveable, not because the Lord chooses not to forgive it, but because the offender refuses to repent and be forgiven.

The person who fears that they may have committed the ‘unforgivable sin’ almost certainly has not.  Even some of the hard-hearted Pharisees eventually gave their lives to Christ, most notably the Apostle Paul.  Their willingness to repent demonstrates beyond doubt that they had not committed the unforgiveable sin.  By contrast, those who heard the Gospel from Christ himself, witnessed his miracles and saw the Spirit’s power at work in the church, yet remained resolutely opposed to the truth until the moment of their death - were guilty of blaspheming the Holy Spirit.  Those who blaspheme the Holy Spirit today will reject and oppose any evidence that points to the truth of the Gospel and will remain entrenched in their unbelief until the end of their days.

Therefore, the unforgiveable sin is not so much a specific category of sin, rather an irrevocable spiritual state of being.

To the person who truly repents forgiveness is available, no matter how heinous the sins of their past.  As it says in 1 John 1: 9, ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.’  In short, no sin is unforgivable for the person who is willing to repent.

Tough Questions

How Can We Be Sure that Jesus Rose from the Dead?

Rev Charlie (April 2024)

The validity of Christianity hinges on the historicity of Jesus’ literal, bodily resurrection.  If Jesus rose from the dead, Christianity is true - if he didn’t, it isn’t.  There is a lot at stake!  So, how can we be sure that Jesus’ resurrection is a historical fact?

A detailed account of Jesus’ resurrection is given by all four Gospel writers, all of whom saw Jesus post resurrection, or spent time with those who did.  Not to mention the other twenty-three books of the New Testament, all of which attest to the same remarkable event.  The New Testament books are historical documents and cannot be discounted simply because they are unashamedly Christian in their perspective.  However, there are also extrabiblical sources that point, not just to Jesus’ existence, but also his resurrection.  For example, the Jewish historian, Flavius Josephus, who had no vested interest in Christianity, wrote a detailed account of the resurrection that is entirely consistent with that found in the Gospels.

Unsurprisingly, the most compelling evidence for the historicity of the resurrection is to be found in the Gospels themselves.  There is much evidence to be gleaned from these accounts, but in the interest of brevity, let us focus on three key facets.

Firstly, the tomb was found empty on the third day.  Nobody denies this.  Matthew tells us that the religious authorities propagated a rumour that the disciples had stolen the body in order to explain this embarrassing fact.  However, if the disciples stole the body, they would have known that they were peddling a lie.  It seems unlikely that they would dedicate their lives to proclaiming a falsehood and be willing to die in their efforts to uphold it.

Secondly, all four Gospel writers affirm that the first to discover the empty tomb were a small group of women.  In first century Jewish (and Roman) culture, women were not permitted to give evidence in a court of law.  If Jesus’ followers had made up the story of his resurrection, a group of peasant women would be an odd choice of primary witnesses.  The only reason for the Gospel writers to have included this detail, which was potentially damaging to their case, is that they were simply reporting the events as they happened.

Thirdly, we must consider the disciples themselves.  When Jesus was arrested, they scattered into the night.  During his sham of a trial, Peter vehemently denied knowing him.  At the crucifixion, they were nowhere to be seen.  Presumably they were in hiding, fearing for their lives, dejected and despondent.  Yet this same group of men were soon to risk everything in their efforts to proclaim that Jesus had risen from the dead.  What brought about this tremendous change of heart?  By far the most plausible explanation is that they personally encountered the risen Christ.

Finally, it is important to stress that the evidence for Jesus’ resurrection does not all lie in antiquity.  Jesus did not have any political or military power; the influential Jewish religious leaders hated him; his public ministry lasted just three years, and he never wrote anything down - yet he is the most influential person in all of human history.  The claim of Christianity is that Jesus is alive today and knowable on a personal level.  Moreover, the lived experience for millions, if not billions, of Christians, past and present, is that of having a personal relationship with Jesus.  This suggests that Jesus not only rose from the dead but is still very much alive today.

Tough Questions

WHY DO CHRISTIANS FAST?

Rev Charlie (March 2024)

Fasting is a Christian spiritual discipline and one that we particularly associate with the season of Lent, but what is fasting and why do we do it?

For many Christians in the modern West, fasting is giving up a luxury food item for Lent, for example, chocolate or coffee.  Whilst this has its benefits, which we’ll discuss later, fasting is more typically going without food for a specified period.  Fasting is not distinctly Christian (Muslims fast), or spiritual (a growing number of people practice intermittent fasting for health reasons), nor is it commanded anywhere in Scripture.  However, we know that Jesus fasted for forty days in the desert, and it would seem that he expected his followers to fast too.

Matthew 6: 16-18

“When you fast, do not look sombre as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

Notice that Jesus did not say, ‘If you fast’, but ‘When you fast’.  Fasting is something that Jesus expected his followers to do.  Moreover, he indicated that fasting should be done in such a way as to go unnoticed by all but God.  This points to the entirely Godward focus and purpose of fasting.  When we fast, we renounce something good (usually food), as a way of expressing our need for something greater.  It is a way of accepting the fact that we need the Lord more than food, and even life itself.  Experiencing the hunger that accompanies fasting reminds us of our hunger for God and our need to turn to him in prayer.  If done with the right motives, fasting will intensify our prayer lives.

Fasting is not a means to impress others or show how pious we are; nor is it a formula to receive what we have asked for in prayer.  Moreover, if our overriding thought when fasting is, ‘I can’t wait to eat something’, then we have probably missed the point altogether.  A true fast will bring us closer to God, which will ultimately change us for the better.  In Isaiah 58, God condemns Israel’s days of fasting for being all show and no substance.  Though they fasted, they continued to disregard the poor and the needy, and injustice and oppression persisted unabated.

Taking fasting seriously as a spiritual discipline, especially during this season of Lent, has the potential to change us forever, but only if we use it to intensify our relationship with the Lord.

There are of course some for whom fasting is not recommended: diabetics, pregnant women, those with a history of eating disorders and so on.  However, going without specific foods or even abstaining from social media or gaming can help us draw closer to God if that is our motive.  The most important thing about fasting is a heartfelt desire for God and his work in our lives.

Tough Questions

DO ALL BABIES GO TO HEAVEN?

Rev Charlie (February 2024)

The question of whether all babies go to heaven is one of deep personal and pastoral significance and the cause of much anguish to a great many people. From the outset, it is important to acknowledge that no verse of scripture addresses this matter specifically, however, much can be inferred from a variety of pertinent texts, from which we can take a great deal of comfort.

It is sometimes asserted that babies go to heaven because they are ‘sinless’, however, this line of argument is inadequate. The Bible teaches that sin is like a hereditary disease that has been passed down to every human being throughout history (see Romans 5: 12), it is therefore present at every stage of development.  This need not cause consternation because no-one enters heaven on account of their sinlessness.  God saves people, not because they have the right to be saved, but because he is gracious.

God reveals himself to humanity in a variety of ways, not least through creation itself.  Romans 1: 20 says, ‘For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.’  An infant is incapable of comprehending God’s eternal power and divine nature and so lacks the capacity to reject God’s revelation of himself.  Moreover, even though infants are not sinless, they do lack the opportunity to sin.  When we consider these two facts together, it could be said that infants are, to all intents and purposes, innocent.

In Matthew 19, when Jesus reprimanded the disciples for shooing away parents who were most likely bringing their babies to him for a blessing, he said “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”  Verse 15 continues, ‘When he had placed his hands on them…’ This laying on of hands almost certainly refers to an act of blessing.  It should be noted that, nowhere in scripture does God explicitly place his blessing on people who are not part of his kingdom.

Our final appeal is to God’s nature.  The Bible places great emphasis on God being loving, compassionate, merciful and just.  Indeed, Psalm 89: 14 says, ‘Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you.’  We can trust God to do what is right and just for each and every infant who passes into his care, and I believe that means mercifully welcoming them into his kingdom.

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Tough Questions

Why are Matthew and Luke’s Accounts of Jesus’ Birth so Different?

Rev Charlie (December 2023)

We are so used to seeing the nativity depicted in the form of cards, paintings, models and plays that we might be forgiven for thinking that every facet of this well-known scene is described by all four gospel writers.  In truth, only Matthew and Luke describe the birth of Christ and their accounts are far from identical.  For example, Matthew states that an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream, whereas Luke describes the angel Gabriel visiting Mary in person.  Both Matthew and Luke recount a group of people visiting the infant Jesus, however, for Matthew it is a group of Magi and for Luke a group of shepherds.  Matthew chronicles the family’s escape to Egypt, whilst Luke makes no mention of their sojourn in Egypt.  What are we to make of these differences?

Firstly, it is important to recognise that ‘difference’ is not the same thing as ‘contradiction’.  If you were to read about an event in two different newspapers, you would not expect the accounts to be identical, since each reporter would have his or her own perspective.  Moreover, by reading two reports on the same event, you would most likely get a much fuller picture of what occurred.  Admittedly, a comparison of the accounts of the birth of Christ in Matthew and Luke does present us with some conundrums, but overall, they complement each other in the same way that two newspaper articles might do.

Most of the differences can be attributed to the details that each writer chose to include or omit.  For example, it is perfectly reasonable to surmise that both Joseph and Mary received some kind of angelic visitation.

Perhaps the most difficult details to reconcile are the fact that Matthew tells us that the holy family fled to Egypt, whilst Luke seemingly has them returning to Nazareth immediately after Jesus is presented in the temple, (which would have taken place when he was forty days old).  There are two possible explanations that negate the need to hypothesise that one or both authors “adapted’ the story for rhetorical or theological reasons.   

Firstly, it could be that Jesus was presented in the temple after the Magi’s visit in Matthew 2.  If the family returned to Nazareth immediately after this event, it would mean that they fled to Egypt from Nazareth and not Bethlehem, which is plausible since Herod’s jurisdiction included Nazareth.  If this is the case, Matthew 2: 13 would be understood as follows, ‘When they [the magi] had gone, [insert Luke’s account of the visit to the temple and return to Nazareth], an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream.’

The second possibility, and in my view the more likely, is that the family’s flight to Egypt took place after Jesus was presented in the temple and before they returned to Nazareth.  In this case, Luke 2: 39 would read as follows, ‘When Joseph and Mary had done everything required of the Law of the Lord [insert the family’s return to Bethlehem, the magi’s visit and the flight to Egypt], they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth.’

An author’s silence about an event need not signify that it did not happen.  It is therefore judicious to reconcile the two gospel accounts of Jesus’ birth by recognising than neither author detailed every aspect of the narrative.

The foregoing observations draw our attention to the differences between the two accounts, but of far more interest are the similarities.  Matthew and Luke both assert that Mary was a virgin when she conceived and that an angel announced that her son would be the Messiah.  Both authors affirm that Mary and Jospeh were engaged to be married and that Jesus was born in Bethlehem.  And, in both gospels, Jesus’ family end up in Nazareth.  Most importantly, the clear message of both evangelists (and indeed all four gospel writers), is that God has entered the world in the person of Jesus Christ to bring salvation to his people.

As we enter the season of Advent, let us enjoy this story with all its layers and complexities and give thanks for the awesome events that paved the way for us be reconciled to God through his son Jesus.

John 3: 16

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Tough Questions

Is it Okay for Christians to be Cremated?

Rev Charlie (November 2023)

Cremation was legalised in the UK in 1902 and in Australia between 1891 and 1925 (depending on the state).  However, it only became widely accepted in the Church of England in the 1940s, and the Catholic Church did not authorise the practice until 1963.  The Orthodox church prohibits cremation to this day.  Most people are not well versed in the recent history of cremation, nevertheless, the question of whether cremation is equal to burial is one that Priests encounter from time to time.

The reason that all Christian denominations rejected cremation until relatively recently has to do with its links to pagan burial rights encountered by the early church.  In some pagan cultures, cremation was seen as a way of liberating the soul from the body, so that it could pass on to the ‘afterlife.’  However, as Christians, we do not anticipate a disembodied afterlife, quite the opposite, we look forward to a bodily resurrection.

If we want to know what resurrection life looks like, we should turn to the accounts of Jesus’ resurrection in the gospels.  When Jesus rose from the dead, he had a real, physical body.  The disciples were able to touch him and he ate with them.  Our physical bodies are a requisite component of human existence; that is to say, we need both body and soul to be human.

1 Corinthians 15: 42-44 says the following about the resurrection, ‘So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.’

Those who belong to Jesus will be raised with physical bodies that are no longer subject to death and decay.  This will be the case for all Christians, regardless of whether they have been buried or cremated.  God created the universe from scratch; he will not require the remains of our bodies to remake them.  If a deceased person is buried, their body will eventually decompose and be no different from a body that was cremated.  The mode of burial in no way hinders God’s ability to raise a person to everlasting life in a renewed and restored creation, where heaven and earth are forever conjoined.

The Bible has nothing to say about required modes of burial, however, it goes without saying that the bodies of the dead should be treated with dignity and respect.  In the case of cremation, this would normally mean that the ashes are buried in the ground, or in some cases, buried at sea.

Most importantly, this question reminds us that death need not have the last word because we have the sure and certain hope of resurrection life through Christ Jesus.

Tough Questions

Has Modern Science Disproved Parts of the Bible?

Rev Charlie (August 2023)

The assertion is often made that modern science has “disproved” the Bible and rendered Christianity null and void, however, nothing could be further from the truth.

Modern science was born out of a worldview that accepted the premise of there being an omnipotent God of creation.  As C.S. Lewis wrote, “Men [people] became scientific because they expected Law in Nature, and they expected Law in Nature because they believed in a Legislator.”  Indeed, most of the pioneers of modern science were devout Christians, who saw no contradiction between their faith and their scientific discoveries: Nicolaus Copernicus, Galileo Galilei, Johannes Kepler, Isaac Newton Robert Boyle and Francis Bacon to name but a few.  And if, as some contend, science has now ‘outgrown’ such a primitive thing as faith, how does one explain the presence of so many Christians among the world’s most eminent scientists today?

Far from discrediting the claims of Christianity, in many cases, modern science gives credence to them.  The Aristotelian idea of an eternal universe was seized upon by post-Christian scientists, who were eager to remove God from the picture.  However, in 1931, a Belgian cosmologist and Catholic priest by the name of Georges Lemaître, put forward a theory that has been popularised as ‘the big bang theory.’  Lemaître’s widely accepted theory necessitates the universe having a beginning, something that was known to the authors of Genesis more than 3,000 years ago.

Another startling scientific discovery that points clearly to there being a creator is the unravelling of the human genome.  This 3 billion letter mathematical sequence is the code required to create a human being, and it can be found in every cell of our bodies.  If we were to discover a complex computer code, or even a book, we would assume that it must have an intelligent creator.  The human genome is a phenomenally complex coded language; it is inconceivable that it came about solely through natural processes.  Indeed, the scientist responsible for the Human Genome Project, Francis Collins, affirms that view.

When examining the perceived contradictions between scientific discovery and the Bible, it is important to recognise that scientific endeavour and the Bible seek to answer very different questions.  The Bible contains a myriad of literary genres, but these do not include the genre of ‘scientific textbook’.  Take, for example, the creation accounts of Genesis 1 and 2, which describe the creation of the universe in about two pages.  These accounts do not attempt to answer scientific questions about creation, such as ‘When?’ and ‘How?’, rather they answer the more personal questions of ‘Who?’ and ‘Why?’.

When we consider the Bible’s many literary genres, we must bear in mind that something can be true without being literally true, poetry for example.  In the 17th century, the Catholic church made the mistake of refuting Galileo’s most significant discovery on the basis of a literal reading of poetry.  Galileo discovered that the earth orbits the sun, but the Church was loathe to accept this fact, largely because of Psalm 104: 5, which states, ‘He set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved.’  This verse is true, in that God did indeed establish the earth, and its position in the universe is stable and unchanging.  However, this truth is expressed poetically and was never intended to be understood as a scientific dictum.

So, we can be confident that the Bible is true, and not in any way discredited by modern scientific discovery, however, we must always pay careful attention to the genre of any given text.

Let us conclude with what the Bible has to say about itself, namely, ‘All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.’ (2 Timothy 3: 16-17)

Tough Questions

Should Christians Tithe 10% of their Income?

Rev Charlie (August 2023)

Many of us have heard it said, or preached, that Christians should give away ten percent of their income, in accordance with practices that we read about in the Old Testament, but is this still a requirement for Christians today?

The ten percent ‘tithe’ was part of the Mosaic law, but the New Testament makes it clear that Christians are no longer under the law, for example, Galatians 3: 24-25 says, ‘[…] the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.’

Moreover, the tithe was one of many offerings required by the law.  A faithful Jew was expected to give between twenty and twenty-five percent of their income.  If we were still under the law, why would we limit our giving to ten percent?

Some proponents of the tithe cite Jesus’ affirmation of it in Matthew 23: 23:

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.”

Jesus tells the Pharisees that they should not have neglected ‘the former’, namely tithing from their spices.  However, it should be noted that Jesus himself lived under the mosaic law, since the new covenant (God’s new agreement with humanity), did not come into effect until after Jesus’ death and resurrection.  We tend to forget that Jesus was decidedly Jewish in his daily practices, worship and outlook.

In a list of the top fifty subjects that Jesus taught on, money and finance comes in at number four, yet Jesus never chose to teach about tithing.  In short, the New Testament does not stipulate a ten percent tithe for Christians.  So, what should our position on giving be?

The New Testament makes it clear that giving is an essential Christian discipline.  However, instead of a percentage amount we are given clear principles.

Firstly, our giving should be generous and sacrificial.  Paul commended the poverty-stricken Macedonian church that gave beyond its means to support the church in Jerusalem, saying: ‘In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability.’ (2 Corinthians 8: 2-3).  This is a corporate version of the kind of generosity that Jesus commended in the poor widow, who gave two copper coins and the last of all she had (Mark 12: 41-44).  Sacrificial generosity requires great faith in the Lord’s ability and willingness to provide for all our needs (though not necessarily our wants).  A standard ten percent tithe would not be sacrificial for the very wealthy because they could offer it without forgoing any of life’s luxuries.

Secondly, our giving is to be joyful.  That is to say, it should flow from an attitude of the heart, rather than from a sense of obligation.  As it says in 2 Corinthians 9: 7, ‘Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.’  Again, there is no mention of a percentage amount that everyone must pay.  One could assume that some will give more than ten percent and others less, according to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Finally, our giving should be thoughtful and prayerful.  It is worth remembering that Jesus taught us to go beyond the requirements of the law.  The law says ‘do not murder’, but Jesus said, do not harbour anger and resentment in your hearts.  The law says, ‘do not commit adultery’, but Jesus said, do not look at someone with lust.  The law says ‘give a tenth of all that your fields produce each year’, but Jesus said, ‘give to everyone who asks you’ (Luke 6: 30).  Our generosity and giving should not be limited by a set amount, rather it should grow and increase as God’s kingdom grows within us (Luke 17: 21).  Deuteronomy 10: 14 reminds us that everything belongs to God.  In other words, everything we have is on loan to us; we do not own it and we cannot take it with us when we depart from this world (Ecclesiastes 5: 15).  James reminds us that ‘every good and perfect gift is from above.’ (James 1: 17).  Our very lives are a gift from God, as is our eternal salvation.  We do well to remember what it cost Jesus to secure it for us.  With all this in mind, we think, and we pray, and we trust – and we decide in our hearts how much to give.

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Tough Questions

Why are there Different Versions of the Lord’s Prayer?

Rev Charlie (August 2023)

The Lord’s prayer is essentially the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples, as recorded in Matthew 6: 9-13.  In some later manuscripts the prayer closes with the words, ‘for yours is the kingdom the power and the glory forever. Amen.’, hence those words conclude what is undoubtedly the best known of all Christian prayers.

The Anglican church authorises traditional and contemporary versions of the Lord’s Prayer.  The traditional version begins with the words ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.’  The contemporary version beings with, ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.’  Some argue that the traditional version sounds more melodious and poetic and I have some sympathy for that view, however, the modern version was offered to ensure that everyone could easily understand it.

To complicate matters further, there are two variations to the modern version, one which says, ‘Lead us not into temptation’ and the other, ‘Save us from the time of trial’, so why the difference?  This change stems from confusion about the meaning of the appeal to ‘lead us not into temptation.’  Many have understood this to mean that temptation can sometimes come from God.  This is categorically not the case.  As it says in James 1: 13:

‘When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone…’

‘Lead us not into temptation’ does not mean, ‘Lord, we think you might temp us to do something evil; please don’t.’ Rather, it is asking the Lord to help us in our times of temptation.  The word ‘not’ indicates that we want the Lord to do the opposite of leading us into temptation, which is to lead us away from it.

We must also bear in mind that we are reading an English translation from the original Greek, and whilst the meaning can be preserved, it is not always possible to provide a word for word translation.  Personally, I think that the meaning of Matthew 6:13 is better captured by the Spanish NIV translation, which says, ‘no nos dejes caer en tentación’, which in English reads, ‘do not let us fall into temptation.’

In light of the foregoing analysis, I do not have a problem with ‘lead us not into temptation’, however, I can appreciate why it was amended to ‘save us from the time of trial.’  However, it should be noted that the amendment is not as significant as it might appear, since in Greek the same word is used for temptation, trial and test.

‘Save us from the time of trial’ acknowledges that we will face ‘trials of many kinds’ which of course includes temptation.  When we pray these words, we are asking God to deliver us from the powers that rage against his kingdom, including our own evil desires.

In conclusion, trials and temptations are a feature of our daily lives and, whichever version of the Lord’s prayer we use, we will effectively be asking for the Lord’s help in dealing with them.

Tough Questions

Do Social Justice and Christianity Go Hand in Hand?

Rev Charlie (July 2023)

Social justice is a loaded term, which is often used to describe objectives that are aligned with the Christian faith, however, it is also frequently used to describe objectives that are antithetical to Christianity.  The Bible simply speaks of justice and injustice, with justice being inexorably bound to God’s righteousness and character.  When we speak of justice, we must ask the question, ‘Whose justice; God’s or the world’s?’

For example, proponents of communism might see their agenda as one that is firmly rooted in social justice.  In a nutshell, communism is the government being “generous” with other people’s money, whilst Biblical generosity is individuals (and communities) being generous with their own money.  The former is not intrinsically linked to love and real generosity, whilst the later is completely reliant on a genuine love for our fellow human beings and the desire to obey God.  The former is a worldly concept of justice, the later is commanded by scripture.

God is perfectly just, and scripture has a lot to say about justice.  In the ancient world the Hebrew scriptures were at the cutting edge of justice, and the prophets continually expressed God’s displeasure at Israel’s idolatry and injustice towards the poor and the marginalised.

Jesus himself was deeply concerned with justice, but before we get to that, it is important to note that Jesus was primarily concerned with salvation through the forgiveness of sins.  That is the very heart of the Gospel and everything else flows from it.

Those who repent and put their faith in Jesus are reconciled to God and filled with the Holy Spirit.  Moreover, their heart of stone is replaced with a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 11: 19), and they begin the process of being changed and transformed into Jesus’ likeness.  This means that, over time, the Christian will begin to see the world as God sees it, including God’s perspective on justice.

Jesus loved people regardless of their status, background, or circumstances, and he destroyed the notion that the healthy and wealthy are especially favoured by God.  He showed compassion to the infirm, the hungry, the bereaved and the marginalised and he expects us to do the same.  In fact, he said that feeding the hungry, clothing the destitute, caring for the sick and visiting prisoners are traits by which his true followers will be recognised (Matthew 25: 31-46).

When asked which commandment is the greatest, Jesus replied, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22: 37-40)

Jesus even calls us to love our enemies (Matthew 5: 43-48), so there can be no-one beyond the scope of Jesus’ injunction to love our neighbour.  Love for neighbour must surely include countering injustice on behalf of those who are oppressed and downtrodden.

That said, we need to be careful that our notion of justice comes, not from a particular outcome that we perceive to be right, but from a Biblically based morality.  Moreover, our motivation should be rooted in our desire to serve God faithfully, by loving Him and by loving our neighbours as ourselves.

Christianity is about bringing sinful human beings back into a right relationship with a loving God and one of the inevitable byproducts of that relationship is a deep desire for justice.  ‘Social Justice’ is a loaded term; I would prefer to say that God’s justice and Christianity go hand in hand.

Tough Questions

Does the Bible Endorse Slavery?

Rev Charlie (June 2023)

The Bible has a lot to say about slavery, which should not come as a surprise since slavery was a major feature of life in the ancient world.  However, the assertion that the Bible endorses slavery is misleading, to say the least.

When the subject of slavery is broached, we tend to imagine the horrors of the transatlantic slave trade.  Men, women and children, kidnapped from villages in West Africa, transported across the ocean in subhuman conditions and forced to work on plantations for cruel masters who treated them worse than animals.  That was certainly a reality in the 17th and 18th centuries, but a far cry from anything described in either the Old or the New Testament.  Exodus 21: 16 defines kidnapping as a capital offence, which precludes outright the kind of practices that characterised the transatlantic slave trade.

So, what kind of slavery do we find in the Bible?  Firstly, in the book of Exodus, we read about the Israelites’ captivity and forced labour in Egypt.  This situation was categorically bad, and Pharaoh, who was largely responsible for it, is depicted as perhaps the most malevolent character in all of scripture.

Secondly, we have the slaves of Hebrew culture, who were in fact bond servants.  These were people who had sold themselves into slavery, for a period of six years, in the case of extreme financial hardship.  From our cultural vista, the situation of a bond servant might seem intolerable, however, the practice existed to prevent a person or family from becoming completely destitute.  Exodus 21 details a number of laws pertaining to the treatment of bond servants and it is clear that the overall thrust of these laws seeks to prevent their mistreatment.  Bond servants had all their basic needs provided for and to be in the employ of a good and kind master (as prescribed by the law), was by far the most secure and comfortable existence for those of meagre means.

Thirdly, the New Testament is set against the backdrop of Greco-Roman culture, of which slavery was a significant element.  Again, the slavery of the Greco-Roman world was very different to that of the transatlantic slave trade.  Slaves were often well educated, they could own property and even buy their freedom.  What is more, slavery was never racialized.  That is to say, a person’s race or skin colour was not indicative of them being ‘slave material’.

Having outlined what is meant by ‘slavery’ in the Bible, let us examine whether it is endorsed.

On page one of the Bible, we find the astonishing statement that human beings are made in the image of God.  That being the case, we are all of equal value to God.  It was this premise, among others, that inspired the abolitionists of the 18th and 19th centuries.  The abolitionist movement, led by devout Christians, eventually caused Britain to become the first nation in history, not only to abolish slavery, but to impose and police its anti-slavery policies internationally.

Many claim that Ephesians 6 is an endorsement of slavery, since it exhorts slaves to obey their masters.  Notwithstanding, it also exhorts masters to reciprocate their slaves’ respect and integrity.  It is not surprising that the New Testament writers did not set about dismantling slavery in a revolutionary way.  After all, their mission was to proclaim eternal salvation through Jesus Christ.  Moreover, slavery was an integral part of ancient culture; to abolish it, as it were, overnight would be like calling time on the internet in the modern era.  It is not something that could have been done rapidly without creating enormous problems for society.

The New Testament creates the vision of a new society based on Jesus’ kingdom values.  The remarkable claim of Christianity is that God stooped down to the level of a slave in order that the lowest could be raised up.  Jesus told his disciples that “the last will be first, and the first will be last” and that the one who wants to be great must be a servant.

The Apostle Paul sent an escaped slave back to his master with a letter beseeching him to receive his slave back, “no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother.”  And in Galatians 3, Paul makes the following radical claim, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”  In other words, society’s divisive barriers become null and void in Christ’s kingdom.

Whilst abolishing slavery may not have been the top priority for the New Testament authors, it was inevitable that the practice would come under critical scrutiny from those who sought to live within the parameters of Jesus’ radical new kingdom.

In the Museum of the Bible, in Washington DC, is a copy of ‘The Slave Bible’.  The Slave Bible was compiled by slave owners in the 1800s and given to slaves as a method of justifying their slavery.  Rather tellingly, The Slave Bible is missing 90% of the Old Testament and 50% of the New.  Or, to put it another way, it comprises just 232 chapters, compared with the 1189 chapters that we find in any other protestant Bible.  This demonstrates that, whilst certain verses taken out of context can appear to justify slavery, the overall witness of the Bible points in the opposite direction.  Far from endorsing slavery, the Bible, as a whole, makes the practice untenable.  It is little wonder that plantation owners went to such lengths to prevent slaves from reading the full canon of scripture and drawing their own conclusions.

Tough Questions

How Do We Control Our Thoughts?

Rev Charlie (May 2023)

I recently received a question, which was prompted by a line in an authorised confession which says, ‘Merciful God, our maker and our judge, we have sinned against you in thought, word and deed...’

The enquirer expressed that he has a good level of control over his words and deeds, but not over his thoughts, which are sometimes ‘less than wholesome’.  The question was essentially, ‘How can one avoid sinning against God in thought, when unsavoury thoughts so often pop into one’s mind, seemingly unannounced and uninvited?’

The first thing to say is that, if a Christian recognizes that his or her thought life is unsatisfactory, it is in fact an encouraging sign that the Holy Spirit is at work in that person.  However, when it comes to our thoughts, we must differentiate between sin and temptation.  Every human being experiences temptation and there is nothing novel or unique about the temptations of any individual.  As it says in 1 Corinthians 10: 13, ‘No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind.’

Temptation itself is not sin.  Even Jesus was tempted by the devil for forty days in the wilderness, yet he was without sin.  Temptation is an invitation to sin, which can be accepted or refused.  It is not the unwanted thoughts that cause us to sin, rather it is what we do with them.  Do we reject them immediately, or do we dwell on them?  Martin Luther wrote, ‘You cannot keep birds from flying over your head, but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair.’

We could also liken tempting thoughts to passing a room with an open door and witnessing something sordid going on inside.  In that situation, we could either close the door immediately and walk away or stand in the doorway gawping.  Worse still, we could enter the room and get involved, which is the point at which sinful thoughts become deeds.

Admittedly, it is sometimes difficult to determine the exact point at which a tempting thought becomes a sinful one.  I once heard someone ask, ‘What is the difference between noticing a beautiful woman and lusting after her?’  The reply given was, ‘About two seconds.’  As Christians, we should be aware of the thoughts that we are entertaining and invite the Holy Spirit to give us the resolve to keep ‘closing the door.’

Many, if not all, of our thoughts are triggered by things that we see and hear.  Thoughts will often be an immediate response to external stimuli; however, our memories enable us to replay and relive just about anything our five senses have taken in over the entire course of our lives.  Naturally, we cannot filter out every sound, image or sensation that may give rise to a tempting thought, either at that moment, or in the future.  However, as Christians it is vitally important that we do not intentionally fill our minds with unwholesome stimuli.  The most obvious example is pornography, and it is clearly a sin to view it.  However, there are other more subtle ways to fuel our temptation, for example: music with explicit lyrics, very graphic films, inappropriate social media and so on.  Being selective about the influences that we expose ourselves to is prudent, not prudish, as some might surmise.  We may not be able to prevent tempting thoughts from entering our minds, but we certainly should not be fuelling them!

Perhaps the best advice is that which the Apostle Paul gives towards the end of his letter to the Philippians:

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.  Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Tough Questions

Where did Jesus Go When He Died?

Rev Charlie (April 2023)

We are about to enter Holy Week, when we will remember the events leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion.  Then, on Easter Sunday, we will celebrate the wondrous victory of his resurrection.  Good Friday ends with Jesus in the tomb and Easter Sunday begins with a small group of women discovering that the tomb was empty.  But what actually happened to Jesus between Good Friday and Easter Sunday?

The fact that Jesus’ body was in the tomb is undisputed, but there are various conjectures about what happened to Jesus’ spirit, or soul.  Prior to 1979, the Book of Common Prayer (BCP), included a line in the Apostles Creed which stated, ‘He descended into hell.’  This has caused many to surmise that Jesus went to hell.

However, this view is neither supported by scripture, nor by the original version of the Apostles Creed.  The Apostles Creed was written some time in the second century, but the line, ‘he descended into hell’, does not appear until 390 AD.  Moreover, the word translated ‘hell’ is not intended to mean hell as some understand it.  In the New Testament, the word Gehenna describes a place of final judgement and separation from God.  However, the word that is used in the creed is Sheol or Hades, which are more general terms for the place where dead people go.  The BCP’s current rendering, ‘he descended to the dead’, is therefore more faithful to the original understanding of this phrase.

There are several verses from the New Testament (Eph. 4: 8-10 and 1 Pet. 3: 18-20, in particular), that some have taken to mean that Jesus made an appearance in hell.  Notwithstanding, there are more plausible interpretations of these verses, however, that is beyond the scope of this article.  Similarly, the purpose of this article is not to explore what hell actually is.

When Jesus was on the cross, he said to the criminal hanging next to him, “Today you will be with me in paradise,” which seems to suggest that Jesus’ spirit would pass immediately into the presence of God.  That having been said, one has to question what ‘today’ actually means to someone who has passed through the veil of death and beyond the limitations of time as we know it.

In Luke 23: 46, Jesus cries out “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit,” which seems to anticipate an immediate end to his suffering.  Even more striking are Jesus’ last words “It is finished,” from Jn. 19: 30.  The work of Jesus’ atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world was ‘finished’ on the cross.  To suggest that Jesus subsequently went to hell is tantamount to saying that what he did on the cross was not enough!

The Bible does not tell us what happened to Jesus’ soul whilst his body was in the grave, but the foregoing analysis demonstrates that he was not in hell (whatever, or wherever that may be).  What we can be sure of is that Jesus was under the power of death until the third day.  It is possible that Jesus’ spirit passed immediately into God’s presence and was then reunited with his body at the time of his resurrection.  Another possibility, though harder for us to grasp, is that time as we know it does not exist beyond death.  If that is the case, Jesus might feasibly have passed through the veil of death and straight onto his resurrection.

The truth is, we cannot know these things for sure, it is therefore prudent to focus on what we can be sure of, namely, that Jesus died on a cross and three days later rose from the dead, so that sinful human beings who put their trust in Jesus will be forgiven and reconciled to God forever.

Tough Questions

Why Do We Sing in Church?

Rev Charlie (March 2023)

Anybody who has ever been to church will have noticed that there is quite a lot of singing, but is it essential and could we worship God effectively without it?

When I first came to faith (and for a number of years afterwards), I struggled with sung worship. Singing was not something that I had ever enjoyed or engaged in and I found the cacophonous sound of my voice to be an embarrassing distraction.  Notwithstanding, I now enjoy sung worship and see it as an essential part of our weekly gathering.

Human beings are made in the image of God and so it should not surprise us to learn that God sings.  Zephaniah 3: 17 states that God will rejoice over his people with singing; Jesus sang hymns with his disciples (Matt. 26: 30); and Ephesians 5: 18-19 exhorts believers to be filled with the Spirit, that they might sing to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit.  It would seem that all three members of the trinity are given to singing.

God sings and he has created humans to sing, especially as a means of worship.  Many of the psalms are songs of praise that enjoin and even command God’s people to sing.  For example, Psalm 96: 2, which says, ‘Sing to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day.’

At the risk of making unsubstantiated generalisations, when it comes to worship, some people lead with their heads and others with their hearts.  Those who lead with their heads tend to engage more readily with the readings and the sermon and those who lead with their hearts are more inclined towards the music and the singing.  Every aspect of a Christian service is a form of worship, and each part enables us to connect with God in different ways.

Worship music has the capacity to awaken our emotions and move us in ways that other forms of worship may not do.  Singing helps us to relax and engage every aspect of our being: mind, body and spirit.  What is more, singing has a unique capacity to lead us into God’s presence in unison with others.  In Revelation 5, we read of a song of praise in God’s throne room, which is sung by all the creatures in heaven and on earth.  Our sung worship points forward to the glorious reality of worshipping God together with the whole of creation.

Finally, singing has the quality of enabling us to remember words.  I think most of us have had the experience of getting a song ‘stuck in our heads.’  Songs are a wonderful way of absorbing and remembering the truth of scripture and God’s promises in particular.  Colossians 3:16 states that we should  ‘teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit.’

In conclusion, it is possible to worship God without singing.  Indeed, we have been created to honour, glorify and worship God in every area of our lives.  However, to omit sung worship from our services would greatly impoverish our attempts to draw near to God in the unity of the Spirit and it would prohibit us from engaging in worship with every aspect of our being.

There is singing in heaven of unimaginable beauty.  If we are serious about building God’s kingdom here on earth, we should do our best to mirror the glory of heaven (albeit in a very deficient way):

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.

Tough Questions

What is Lent?

Rev Charlie (February 2023)

Lent is a period of forty days (excluding Sundays), that runs from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday.  Whilst you won’t find any mention of Lent or its observation in the Bible, the season of Lent, which has been observed by Christians since the 4th century, was founded on deeply Biblical principles.

Forty is a significant number in the Bible and one that is usually associated with trial, testing, prayer and fasting.  In the book of Genesis, God sent rain upon the earth for forty days and forty nights.  When Moses received the ten commandments, he stayed with the Lord on Mount Sinai for forty days and forty nights, during which time he fasted.  From Mount Sinai, the Israelites were meant to go directly to the promised land and take possession of it.  However, due to their lack of faith and rebellion against God, they first endured forty years of wilderness wanderings in the Sinai desert.  At the age of about thirty, Jesus was baptised in the Jordan River, after which he was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where he was tempted (or tested) by the devil for forty days.  During that period Jesus fasted.

In each of the examples above, the challenging period of forty days, or years, served as a time of preparation and spiritual growth.  Noah and his family learned to trust and obey God; Moses was prepared for the task of leading God’s people during their sojourn in the desert; God’s people were brought to a point of obedience (albeit their obedience was short lived); and Jesus was prepared for his time of public ministry, which ultimately led to his sacrificial death on a cross and subsequent resurrection.

It is no coincidence that the season of Lent lasts for forty days.  It has echoes of all the aforementioned events in the story of God’s people, but most of all, it has echoes of the forty days that Jesus spent in the wilderness: praying, fasting and battling the temptations of the devil.

Lent is a time of prayer, fasting, penitence and resolving to follow Christ wholeheartedly, as we prepare to celebrate the victory of his death and resurrection and behold these events with fresh eyes.  It is a time to identify the things that are getting in the way of our relationship with the Lord, in order that we might deal with them.

As we approach the season of Lent, let us not focus on arbitrary sacrifices such as forgoing chocolate, coffee or red meat.  Instead, let us give up, or take up, attitudes and habits that will help us draw nearer to Jesus.  As Jesus battled temptation in the wilderness, let us, through prayer and fasting, battle the sin and apathy in our lives.

Lent should be a time of preparation and spiritual growth; a catalyst for positive and permanent change and transformation, brought about through our cooperation with the Holy Spirit.

Tough Questions

When Will Jesus Return?

Rev Charlie (January 2023)

During the season of Advent we focus on the immanent celebration of Jesus’ birth (his first coming), but also on our sure and certain hope of his return (Jesus’ second coming).  Advent is a season of watching and waiting, as we pray that ancient prayer, ‘Maranatha’ – ‘Come Lord Jesus’.

Another year has passed, 2023 has began and the world is still in a mess; perhaps more so than at any other point in most of our lifetimes.  Undoubtedly, there are Christians all over the world echoing the psalmist’s prayer, ‘How long, O Lord?’

The New Testament is explicit in its claim that Jesus will one day return to judge the living and the dead and to put an end to all that is evil and unwholesome.  From then on, God’s people will live with Jesus in a renewed and restored creation and death will be no more.  Perhaps the best-known passage dealing with eschatology (the end of the world as we know it), is Matthew 24, where in response to the disciples’ question, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”, Jesus talks about various cataclysmic events, such as war, famine, earthquakes and the persecution of Christians.

In response to any sort of global or national upheaval, many Christians will say things like, ‘These are definitely the end times’, by which they usually mean that Jesus’ return is to be expected within a matter of decades, or even less.  However, Jesus did not talk about wars, natural disasters, the hardening of men’s hearts or persecution in order that we might plot them as way markers on some kind of apocalyptic calendar.  Quite the opposite, Jesus stated that these things will happen, but if we find ourselves in the midst of the confusion that such events will inevitably cause, we should not be duped into believing that Jesus has returned or that the future hour of his return has been revealed.

If we think back over the past two-thousand years, there have been innumerable events (or series of events), that may have caused people to surmise that Jesus’ return would occur in their lifetime.  For example, the bubonic plague that swept through Europe in the 14th Century, killing between forty and sixty percent of the entire population.  A more pertinent example is the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in AD70.  The Jewish historian, Josephus, estimated that 1.1 million people died in what was one of the most devastating events in the history of the Jewish people.  Indeed, this event, which occurred within the lifetime of some of Jesus’ disciples, was probably, in part at least, what Jesus was alluding to in Matthew 24.

In one sense, the ‘end times’ began with the birth of Jesus and we are still living in them.  This is the time that the prophets of the Old Testament longed to see.  God’s kingdom has been established here on earth and one day, when Jesus returns, it will be fully established.  However, we have no way of knowing when this will happen.  Jesus told his disciples that not even he was privy to the timing, saying, “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”  If Jesus was unable to narrow it down, we can be quite sure that we will not be able to either.

Jesus is going to return and we cannot know when, regardless of what is happening in the world around us.  However, of crucial importance to us is our state of readiness, a subject that Jesus addressed at length and the theme of at least four parables.  Jesus exhorts his followers to live as if he will return at any moment, which of course he could do.  We are to be ‘ready’ by following Jesus’ commands and by living the purposeful, fruitful, kingdom focussed lives that he calls us to.

Our response to the evil, chaos and uncertainty in the world around us is to remain steadfast and faithful to Christ, as we seek to live out his kingdom values, which includes fighting against all that is evil, both within ourselves and in the world. As it says in Romans 12: 21, ‘Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.’

So, before we make any new year’s resolutions, let us ask ourselves this question, ‘How can I make myself more ready to meet Jesus when he returns?’

Come Lord Jesus.

Matt. 24: 43; Matt. 24: 45-51; Matt. 25: 1-13; Matt. 25: 14-30

Tough Questions

Why Christmas?

Rev Charlie (December 2022)

People have mixed feelings about Christmas.  For some, it is a magical and exciting time of year, for others it is stressful and draining.  For some it is an opportunity to spend time with loved ones, for others a painful reminder of the brokenness of their family.  Some enjoy shopping for gifts, others are plagued by financial worries.

A huge amount of time and effort goes into Christmas.  Much time is spent shopping, wrapping presents, cooking, eating and drinking, and there are streets in Springfield where almost every house displays an elaborate array of lights and decorations. But what is it all for?  What are we celebrating and why?

In amongst the baubles, reindeer and wrapping paper, many people are vaguely aware of a story about a baby laying in a manger, but all too often that story is devoid of any real meaning.  Christmas is a big deal in our culture, but most fail to realise that the story that stands behind it does in fact lead us to the most remarkable and important sequence of events in human history.

As it says in John 1:14, The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

The Word is Jesus, who was and is God, therefore God took on human flesh.  The fact that God entered into his own creation as a vulnerable human child is surprising and wonderful and his reasons for doing so are even more so.

The destiny of that defenceless baby laid in a manger was to suffer Roman crucifixion.  God took on flesh, so that that flesh could be scourged and pierced by thorns and nails.  God took on flesh in order that he might die.  On the cross, Jesus bore all the world’s sin and wrongdoing, including yours and mine.  Therefore, if we put our trust in Jesus, God will look at us as if we had never sinned and begin to transform our lives and character by the power of his Holy Spirit.  Those who belong to Jesus, even though they die, will be raised to new and everlasting life, just as Jesus was.  As it says in Romans 8: 11:

And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.

In the middle of the popular Christmas Carol, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, we find these words, ‘Born that man no more may die.’  Which is perhaps the simplest and most accurate way to answer the question, ‘Why Christmas?’  The story of Christmas cannot be divorced from the purpose of Jesus and so we must look beyond the stable to the cross on a hill.

Christmas is so much more than the story of God being born (remarkable enough in itself), it is the story of a loving God, who came to save his most beloved creatures.  John 3:16 summarises it perfectly:

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

The full implications of Christmas, properly understood, are not just potentially life changing, they are eternity changing.  The wonderful news of Jesus’ birth should evoke a response of unsurpassed gratitude, praise, adoration and love.  In the words of another well-known carol, ‘Come let us adore him.’

Tough Questions

Who Created God?

Rev Charlie (November 2022)

If God created everything, then who created God?  This question was asked by the ten-year-old grandson of a couple in our congregation, but it should not be dismissed as a childish question.  Indeed, the world’s best-known atheist, Richard Dawkins, uses this question as a central pillar for his argument against the existence of God in his popular book, ‘The God Delusion.’

However, the question itself reveals that the person asking it has misunderstood an important facet of God’s nature, namely aseity; that is to say he was not created.  The God Christians worship is eternal.  Created gods are a delusion, which is why the Bible warns so strongly against all forms of idolatry.  The very definition of idolatry is worshipping that which has been created, instead of worshipping the creator himself.

The Bible makes clear that there are two categories of ‘thing’ in existence, there is God and there is everything else.  God has always existed and everything else has been created by God.  As a Christian I believe that God created everything from nothing.  Admittedly, that is not an easy concept, but it is, I think, more plausible than the materialistic view that nothing created everything from nothing.

Of course, it is not easy for us to get our heads around an omnipotent (all powerful), omniscient (all knowing) and omnipresent (everywhere at once), being who has always existed.  The human mind struggles to grasp that which is eternal (let alone God’s other attributes).

When we think about God being eternal, we tend to place him on some kind of time scale and then attempt to conceptualise what ‘forever’ might look like on that timescale.  As far back as the 4th century, St. Augustine postulated that God is outside of time and many contemporary physicists and philosophers question the existence of time itself.  If either or both are correct it would suggest that trying to imagine an infinite period of time before creation is a deeply flawed way to think about the eternal nature of God.

Another misconception, which for the sake of clarity I will caricature, is the assumption that at some point in eternity, God got really bored and so created the universe and with it sentient life.  The uniquely Christian doctrine of the Trinity is an attempt to understand God as an eternal fellowship or relationship.  If I, as a human being, want to have a relationship I need at least one other being to interact with.  That is not the case with God, who is three equally divine persons (Father, Son and Holy Spirit), making, in total, one God.  Therefore, God did not create human beings because he lacked relationship, indeed the relationship between Father, Son and Holy Spirit has always existed and will always exist.

In Conclusion, the question, ‘Who Created God?’ doesn’t apply to the one true God because he has always existed.  This may be difficult to comprehend, but when we start trying to understand God, we should expect to find something new.