Difficult Questions of the Bible

Participants will articulate the biblical tension between God’s goodness and the existence of evil. They will trace how Scripture reveals a God who works redemption through brokenness and begin forming a framework for approaching hard questions with trust rather than suspicion.

Participants will examine how God’s presence accompanies human suffering, building on last week’s exploration of God’s goodness. They will identify ways Jesus enters our pain and practice viewing their own or others’ suffering through the lens of God’s compassionate nearness. This reflection prepares them to consider how God’s presence continues even in times when He seems silent in prayer.

Participants will explore the mystery of unanswered prayer by studying Jesus’ and Paul’s experiences. They will examine what it truly means to pray “in Jesus’ name” — not as a formula to secure results but as an invitation to align their desires with His will and character. Through reflection and practice, they will learn to persevere in prayer with faith and humility, seeking deeper intimacy with God rather than predictable outcomes.

Participants will investigate how Scripture holds the tension between honest doubt and James’s warning against double‑mindedness. They will compare examples such as the father in Mark 9, Thomas in John 20, and James 1:6–8 to discern the difference between questioning that seeks God and skepticism that resists Him. They will practice bringing their uncertainties to God as acts of trust, learning that mature faith can include honest wrestling without collapse into unbelief.

Participants will evaluate the reliability and authority of Scripture by examining historical evidence such as manuscript transmission, archaeological discoveries, and the witness of the Dead Sea Scrolls. They will learn to see the Bible as a Spirit‑inspired narrative that leads to Jesus, recognizing that scholarly discovery consistently affirms rather than undermines its integrity. Through discussion and reflection, they will practice engaging questions about the Bible with both intellectual honesty and spiritual confidence, developing a model for faithful inquiry that honors truth and the Spirit who breathes through it.

Participants will discuss how scientific discovery and biblical faith both reveal God’s truth, recognizing that Genesis was not written as a scientific manual but as a theological declaration of who God is as Creator. They will explore how the biblical creation account confronted ancient creation myths by revealing one sovereign, good, and purposeful God. Through study and reflection, they will learn to approach science‑and‑faith questions with confidence, humility, and worship, practicing how to reframe modern debates through Scripture’s intended message.

Participants will investigate how God’s justice and mercy operate toward those who have not heard of Jesus. They will study passages such as Acts 10 and Romans 2:12–16 to see that God’s judgment is always fair and His saving purpose relentlessly inclusive. They will examine how God’s revelation moves outward through His people and reflect on how questions about the “unreached” invite both trust in God’s character and participation in His global mission.

Participants will grapple with the tension between divine love and judgment, reframing the question “How can a loving God send people to hell?” through the lens of God’s persistent invitation and human freedom. They will study passages such as Matthew 25:31–46 and 2 Peter 3:8–9 to see that God’s desire is for all to be saved and that judgment ultimately reveals the choices of the human heart. Through discussion and reflection, they will learn to hold this mystery with reverence, recognizing that God’s love does not coerce but honors our response to His invitation.

Participants will discern how God’s will is revealed through obedience to what He has already made known — to love as Jesus loved and to live as His witnesses in the world. They will study Romans 12:1–2, John 15:1–11, and Jesus’ Great Commandment and Great Commission to see that God’s will is relational and participatory, unfolding as they walk with Him. Through reflection and practice, they will learn that clarity often comes through motion — as they follow what they already know to be true, God directs their steps and deepens their trust.

Participants will synthesize what they have learned about God’s character and human questioning throughout the study. Having explored issues of suffering, prayer, doubt, Scripture, science, justice, judgment, and purpose, they will identify recurring patterns in how Scripture reveals God’s goodness amid mystery. They will develop a personal framework for engaging future difficult questions with faith, humility, and hope — practicing how to listen, study, and respond in ways that reflect God’s character and the wisdom of Scripture.