Stand to Reason Weekly Podcast

Greg answers questions from callers about how one could reconcile the presence of death before the fall with Romans 5 and 8, whether the Bible will still play a role in the new earth, how we know when a psalm is a messianic prophecy, and whether there are strings attached to our free salvation.
 
Topics:

How could one reconcile the presence of death in the world before Adam and Eve with Romans 5 and 8? (06:00)

Will the Bible still play a role in the new earth? (32:00)

How do Bible scholars know that when certain psalms were written, they were prophecies of the Messiah? (37:00)

What would you say to someone who says it seems like there are a lot of strings attached to our "free" salvation (going to church, reading the Bible, etc.), making it sound more conditional than free? (47:00)

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Greg talks about distinguishing between descriptive and prescriptive passages, then he answers questions about a secular case against legalizing prostitution, how a good God could send a lying spirit, fulfilling a rash vow to God, and attending a wedding between a Christian and a non-Christian.
 
Topics:

Commentary: Distinguishing descriptive passages from prescriptive ones (00:00)

How would you make a secular case that we shouldn’t legalize prostitution? (06:00)

How would you explain God being holy and good to a non-believer reading 1 Kings 22:21–23, where God sends a lying spirit? (29:00)

When I thought God called me to be single, I made a vow to do it, but now that I’ve changed my mind about callings, am I still obligated to fulfill that vow? (38:00)

Would it be wrong to attend the wedding of a Christian family member who is marrying a non-Christian, and if it’s wrong, what should I do if my wife wants to go? (44:00)

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Greg answers questions about why we weren’t made sinless in the first place, the morality of using donor sperm to conceive, whether we would conclude the Holy Spirit is equal to the Father and Jesus without the Nicene Creed, how God knows the future, and baptism for the dead.
 
Topics:

If our evil will be removed in Heaven, why weren’t we made that way in the first place? (02:00)

Would it be morally wrong for a Christian married couple to use donor sperm to conceive a child if the husband is infertile? (23:00)

Would we come to the conclusion that the Holy Spirit is equal to the Father and Jesus Christ without the Nicene Creed, and if early Christians didn’t believe in the Trinity, were they not saved? (31:00)

Does God only know the future simply because he plans the future? (41:00)

What are your thoughts on the reference to baptism for the dead in 1 Corinthians 15:29? (47:00)

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Greg answers questions about why Jesus lists heart, soul, and mind separately in Mark 12:29–30, whether the Bible is written for laypeople rather than scholars, responding to someone who thinks life is a simulation, and whether it’s wrong to forgive someone who hasn’t repented.
 
Topics:

What’s the difference between heart, soul, and mind, and why does Jesus list them separately in Mark 12:29–31? (02:00)

Was the Bible written for laypeople, or does it need to be interpreted by people with scholarly or divine knowledge? (15:00)

How would you respond to someone who thinks that this life is just a simulation? (33:00)

Was it wrong for Erika Kirk to forgive Charlie’s murderer without his repentance (see Luke 17:3–4)? (44:00)

How are we supposed to think about forgiving those who don’t repent if Christ doesn’t forgive the unrepentant, and how can our own souls move on from being wronged if we don’t forgive? (46:00)

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Greg answers questions about relationships between former offenders and the offended on the new earth, applying Ezekiel 33:1–9 to Christians, handling a Sunday school situation, reading enough to get the author’s intent, and deceased loved ones communicating with us.
 
Topics:

Given that Christians are required to forgive but not to reconcile with each other, what will relationships between former offenders and the offended be like on the new earth? (02:00)

Should the passage in Ezekiel 33:1–9, where Ezekiel is appointed a watchman, be applied to believers today such that we’ll be held responsible for not warning non-believers of the coming judgment? (11:00)

Do you have any advice for how to handle a situation where a child in my wife’s Sunday School class was very upset about his parents fighting? (25:00)

How much of Genesis 1 do you have to read to get the author’s intent? (34:00)

Do deceased loved ones communicate with us from the dead, and if not, how can a loving son confront his parents about their belief in this after the death of their daughter? (50:00)

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