Key Questions about Biblical Interpretation and Faith

I graduated with a Bachelor degree in Biblical Studies. Never once was I confronted with the following questions. They were simply glossed over. Move along, nothing to see here. I graduated nonetheless, with High Honors, but what did I learn?

I didn’t know the answers until I set aside my commentaries and actually read the Bible literally. Here are some questions to ponder. There are more, but start with these. Read them at face value (literally) don’t read someone else’s opinion on what they mean. Use the plain sense of Scripture, then make an interpretation.

  • Why were the disciples told to go only to the Jews and specifically not the way of the Gentiles? See Matthew 10:5.
  • Why did Jesus say He was sent (by His Father) ONLY to the lost sheep of the house of Israel? See Matthew 15:24.
  • Why did the Lord need the Apostle Paul when He already had 12 Apostles?
  • If Paul was the sole Apostle to the Gentiles, why then did Peter go to the Gentile Cornelius’s house? See Acts 10.
  • Why does the letter of James, addressed to the twelve scattered tribes, say faith must have works or it is dead? See James 2:20, 26
  • Why does Paul say, faith is all one needs to receive the gift of salvation, no works allowed? Ephesians 2:8,9.
  • Why did Paul go to Jerusalem to explain what he was teaching if his gospel was the same as the twelve? See Galatians 2:1-7.
  • Why does Paul call the Gospel, “My Gospel”? Why not “Our” Gospel? Romans 2:16; 16:25, 2 Timothy 2:8.
  • If the Gospel includes repentance, why does Paul not state that in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 where he explicitly says here is the “Gospel by which you are saved”?

Here are two bonus questions:

Why do people say no one was able to follow the Law when it is clearly stated in Luke that Zacharias and Elisabeth were “Blameless, righteous, walking in ALL the commandments and ordinances.”? See Luke 1:6.

Why did Jesus tell the rich young ruler to keep obeying the Law in order to have eternal life? See Matthew 19:16,17.

Don’t be discouraged if you can’t come up with an answer. Just begin to learn to question assumptions you might have developed from sources other than God’s Word. I will present my answers to these and other questions over time.