...We Answer

Not every answer might comply with everybody's way of seeing things. Then I kindly ask you to hold it with Paul, who said in 1 Corinthians 13 that we now see in part. All of us answering here, stick to the basic faith statements as defined in the Apostle's Creed, yet further to that we know that there are also Biblical topics not related to salvation itself, that different people understand and see differently. So please keep this in mind in case you "stumble" over a certain answer - we would like you to be blessed by the challenge of different aspects!

Answer Set 3

Question: When God made man and gave him woman, did he perform a marriage as we know it? is it wrong living together as man and wife without legal papers.

Answer from Polly: The only recorded 'marriage ceremony' God performed is found in Genesis 1:28: 'God blessed them'. And yes, it is wrong to live together as man and wife without being married. 'Marriage should be honored by all and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral'.

Question: I’m asking this question on behalf of a friend, who is getting more and more interested in Christianity. Her question is did Peter go to hell because he denied Christ 3 times? or was he forgiven? is there a passage in the Bible that speaks of this forgiveness?

Answer from Polly: Matthew 26:27-28 speaks of a 'meal of forgiveness' that Jesus shared with His disciples. Notice that Judas was included in this meal. The difference between Judas and Peter is that Judas never returned to Christ. On the other hand, Peter jumped into the water and swam to the Risen Lord (John 21:1-17). Here on the shore another meal with the disciples was shared and then Jesus commanded Peter to 'feed my sheep' (John 21:17). Yes, Peter was forgiven and reinstated and sent with the eleven to teach and baptize in the Name of Jesus (Matthew 28:16-20).

As for anyone going to hell, we must be careful how we judge (Luke 6:37) lest we ourselves be judged (Acts 10:28b).

Since your friend is 'interested' in salvation then perhaps you should lead her to John 3:16-18, Acts 4:12, 16:31, Romans 10:13. 'How can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?' (Romans 10:14-15).

Question: from Donna. My question is regarding when someone dies. Do we see them as a love one or just a spirit when and if we are reunited in heaven when judgement day finally comes?

Answer from Polly: How are the dead raised? When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed... there are earthly bodies and heavenly bodies...the body that is sown is perishable and raised imperishable... it there is a natural body there is also a spiritual body... we will all be changed (1 Corinthians 15:35-55)...when we die and rise to meet Christ we will be in our righteous state (Psalm 17:15), Christ will transform our lowly bodies to be like His glorious body (Philippians 3:20-21), we do not yet know what we will be but when He appears we shall be like Him for we shall see Him as He is (1 John 3:2-3). We know Jesus in part now (because we cannot imagine a Spirit body) but when we are resurrected we will see Him as He is just as He NOW knows us (He sees us as sinless and perfected).... 'Now I know in part, then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known' (1 Corinthians 13:10, 12). Jesus Himself gives us a hint of whether or not we will know our loved ones in heaven as we know them on earth; 'who is my mother and who are my brothers?.... whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother' (Matthew 12:46-50).

Question: what does the second part of psalm23:4 mean when it says the shadow of death? I know to cast a shadow there must be light, but I’m trying to understand this so I can teach it.

⁴ Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Answer from Polly: The shadow of the valley of death could either mean the minutes between physical life and death and spiritual life. Or it could mean the most severe and terrible afflictions and trials of natural life. Jeremiah 2:6 refers to the Israelites in the wilderness as the land of darkness. Suffering and grief are part of life and we all must go through it. Going through means we do not stay there and neither do we run through it. The Author of Psalm 23 was a shepherd and knew that he must lead his sheep through the hazards from one feeding ground to another with careful steps, protecting them with each step from falling, just as God upholds us with His right hand (Isaiah 41:13) and will never fail or forsake those who are His (1 Chronicles 28:20b, Hebrews 13:5b-6).

Question: Is it a sin if you are using alcohol or provide it to someone?

Answer from Polly: The bible has much to say about not drinking strong drink (alcohol), one of the most quoted coming from Proverbs 23:20-20: 'Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat, for drunkards and gluttons become poor'. Other scriptures on drinking/or not can be found in 2 Timothy 3:16, 1 Timothy 3:8, Titus 2:3, Ephesians 5:18, Isaiah 5:11, 5:22, Proverbs 2:1, Romans 13:13-14. Your body is the temple of God and nothing should enter it that would destroy this temple (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). As far as providing drink for others we are told not to be a stumbling block for anyone (Romans 14:13, 1 John 2:10).

(Ingrid) Jesus himself changed water into wine miraculously at the marriage of Canaa. He did it because he was asked to do so and to please the guests. He did it after he spoke to his father. Would he have done so, if it were a sin drinking it? No! Read the mentioned Proverbs correctly: here is the emphasis on too much .... So you may drink it - as long as you don't go above a certain level. Stop before the first signs of getting drunk appear - the responsibility is yours. But in itself wine is healthy.

The answer of the second part of your question is different: If you offer wine/alcohol to somebody having no drinking problem, then it is the responsibility of that very person to say yes or no. But to know somebody IS having such a problem AND offering alcohol to this person is definitely a sin, as this person may not have the mental strength to say no to your request and will suffer afterwards. Handle it as Paul who said I am everything to everybody. To the Jews I am a Jew, to the gentiles I am a gentile, with those eating meat I will eat meat, with those eating no meat I'll do as they do.

Question: Are Christians slaves or servants?

Answer from Polly: A Christian is both a slave and a servant to Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. A servant is a person employed or otherwise bound to serve and discharge duties for another. Many servants in the bible are clearly not slaves but in a sense, dependent laborers such as 'servants of the king' (1 Samuel 18:5, 2 Samuel 2:13-17, 1 Kings 9:26-28, 2 Chronicles 8:18). New Testament authors use this metaphor, especially Paul, an apostle and a servant of Christ (Romans 1:1, Galatians 1:10, Philippines 1:1); the recipients of prophecy are called God's servants (Revelation 1:1, 19:5, 22:6). Servants of God are commissioned to announce the message of the gospel (1 Corinthians 3:5, 2 Corinthians 3:6, 6:4). This understanding of early Christian ministry as ambassadorship comes from Jesus, 'whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant...for the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve' (Mark 10:43-45). An Old Testament servant of the Lord was one who belonged to Yahweh and sought to do His will (Genesis 26:24, Joshua 1:2, 2 Samuel 3:18, Isaiah 20:3).

Slaves are described as being held in servitude by violence and in the Old Testament concerned debt-bondage (Exodus 21, Leviticus 25). Slaves mentioned in the New Testament are Onesimus (Philemon 10:21), the Ethiopian (Acts 8:27-39) and the maid Rhoda (Acts 12:13-15). Paul used 'slave' as a metaphor, identifying himself as a slave of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 9:19) to witness for Him and was indeed a 'servant for Christ' in chains (Ephesians 6:20). Among baptized Christians there is no longer slave or free (Galatians 3:28, Colossians 3:11) meaning we are all servants to Christ and sons of God through faith and are all one in Christ (Galatians 3:26-29). Sin is no longer your master (Romans 6:14) but you are a slave to the one who saved you (Romans 6:1618).