The BIG Picture (Q&A)

QUESTION: Who decides what is morally right—God or people (like: Thomas Aquinas)—and why do Christians sometimes disagree about what is moral, especially when reading passages like Judges 11? ANSWER: When people ask whether morality is defined by man or by God, they often assume that morality is a universal system that applies the same way in every age, covenant, and dispensation. But Scripture shows something far more precise. God Himself defines what is right, but He does so within the framework of His revealed will for each people and each program. What was moral for Israel under the law is not the same as what governs the Body of Christ under grace. This is why trying to force all morality into one timeless category leads to confusion, disagreement, and contradictions. The word “moral” simply refers to what is right or wrong according to a standard. The real question is not what the word means, but whose standard applies. Thomas Aquinas and other theologians tried to build universa...

This question reveals a common confusion between two categories of spiritual gifts: sign gifts and functional gifts . To answer it clearly, we must rightly divide what Scripture says about each—and understand their purpose within God’s unfolding plan. Sign Gifts Were Temporary and Confirmatory In the early church, God gave miraculous gifts—tongues, healings, prophecy—not as permanent features of Christian life, but as signs to confirm the gospel and authenticate the apostles. “Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.” — 2 Corinthians 12:12 “Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not…” — 1 Corinthians 14:22 These gifts were foundational. Once the full revelation of Scripture was complete and the apostolic office fulfilled, the need for signs ceased. “Whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it s...

Contradictions in Christianity stem from a failure to divide the Word between the two primary programs in the Bible; the prophetic Kingdom program and the mystery Grace program. The moment a person mixes these two programs, ignoring the division of these two programs and blindly assuming that everything in the Bible is about them, or in reference to them, this is where contradiction and confusion is born. The two programs are fundamentally different from each other. One can simple look at the primary differences to notice that you cannot mix or merge them. Let us consider the following; one is about law, and the other is about grace. One is addressed to the Jews alone, the other addresses the all nations. One is about the inheritance of the earth while the other is the inheritance of the heavens. One was proclaimed in prophecy since the world began and the other was kept secret since the world began, only revealed after the Lord saved Paul. I can go on and on listing more contrasting p...

We all know in part. Being a Bible teacher myself, we do the best we can to teach the Word of God as accurately and correctly as possible, but we are human and we interpret the Word based on our own life experiences and based on how we ourselves have been taught. The bottom line is this: We can learn from those we trust, but as the student, we need to take what we have been taught and confirm it by searching the scripture for ourselves, to verify that what we have been taught is true. The Bible actually instructs us to do this, Acts 17:10 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. One thing that you must understand is that the Bible is unique to EVERY other book and human mind out there!!! It is the infallible words of God. T...