Questions?

Questions can be powerful tools to use. As a teacher, I love to have question and answer time with my students. As long as the question has something to do with the topic, I don't mind answering them. Pretty much because it is important to them, and it helps them to learn and understand more of what I am teaching. The same in church? If there is something about the bible, say a doctrine or a verse, that we do not understand it is best to ask your pastor, deacon, elder, and so on. However, questions have the ability to be dangerous as well. They can also lead to downfall if not used properly.

This past Sunday at church our pastor referenced the first question ever asked in the bible. Now, sadly, I had never thought about this question. Genesis 3:1 "Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?" What we see here in the context is not the asking of a question for the sake of knowledge and wanting to know more about God, but rather, questioning God's Word and authority. We could reword the question to say "Did God really say that?" This questioning the will of God and His authority ultimately lead to the fall of man. And we have been struggling ever since to regain that connection. As we continue reading the bible we see more and more examples of this. Cain questioning whether he was his brother's keeper, Moses questioning God about sending him to Pharaoh, and the list continues on.

Questioning authority always leads to problems and loss of fellowship. As a parent, I expect my children to act a certain way, to do what is right, and to do as they are told. I have a great disdain for the question "why?" when they are told to do something. Sometimes they need to learn just because I said so. Now sometimes I do give an explanation of why somethings are important when the timing is right. But the questioning of authority has no place in my home because I want them to learn at an early age to respect authority. If this is instilled in them then they will be more receptive to the teachings of the Word of God. They will understand better the need to follow Him without question, which is the basis of faith and salvation. To get to a point where we say "Lord, what You want and not what I want."

So, what does this mean for us as Christians? Is it okay to ask questions about the bible to learn more? Absolutely, and we should on a regular basis. Is it right to question the commands of God and His perfect will? Definitely not. It is not up to us. We can practice this in our homes, in our work by submitting to those that have authority over us, in society, and in our churches and spiritual lives.

Thanks, and God Bless You all this week!