Bible Questions and Answers

God made man with free will, allowing him to decide how he will live. Men are free to live how God wants them to live or do their own thing. Men choose to disobey God and live their own way. The result is violence, sexism (because the woman is generally physically weaker) and slavery.

In Genesis it is recorded:

Genesis 6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. 7 And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them...11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. 13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

God destroyed man from the face of the earth, saving Noah and his family because Noah was a righteous man. [To be righteous means to live in the way that God wants us to live]

Genesis 6:1 And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.

The progeny of Noah turned away from God and lived as they chose.

Violence, sexism and slavery are man’s choice not God’s.

God chose Abraham and made his progeny into the nation called Israel. To Israel God gave his Law through Moses. The Law is intended to regulate the evil way that men live and Israel was supposed to be an example to all nations.

Deuteronomy 4:5 Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the LORD my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it. 6 Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people. 7 For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for? 8 And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?

The Law puts a limit on violence, sexism and slavery; it does not ‘promote’ them. It recognizes that they exist because men choose that way of life and puts a limit on excess. Jesus explains that the Law took into account the hardness of men’s hearts - as in the matter of divorce:

Mark 10:5 And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept. 6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. 7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; 8 And they twain shall be one flesh:

Under the law kidnapping for slavery was punishable by death.

Deuteronomy 24:7 If a man be found stealing any of his brethren of the children of Israel, and maketh merchandise of him, or selleth him; then that thief shall die; and thou shalt put evil away from among you.

The principles of God’s Law are as Jesus describes:

Matthew 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

This is not plucked out of the air; Jesus is quoting from the Law given through Moses.

Deuteronomy 6:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

Leviticus 19:18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.

The Bible is filled with violence, sexism and slavery because it describes what men do in contrast with what God wants them to do.

God created man out of love. Out of love, he made him with free will, to give him choice. Man is free to choose to serve God in love and be rewarded with eternal life; or to disobey God, do evil to his fellow man and return to the dust from which he is made.

Death is the punishment for sin.

Ezekiel 18:20 The soul that sinneth, it shall die...

God wants men to love him and love each other.

1 John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

He demonstrated his love by giving Jesus Christ and allowing him to die to redeem men from sin [Sin is disobedience to God’s commandments].

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

1 John 4:11  Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

Jesus exhibited the character of God in his life.

John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

John 14:9  Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?

He did no evil to his fellow man and voluntarily died a painful death to save others from the consequence of their sin.

John 15:13  Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.

The apostles of Christ established the Christian Church based on the commandments of Christ which came from God. History shows that, like men before the flood, and Israel with the Law, Christians chose to go their own way. Instead of living by the commandments of Christ, ‘Christians’ adopted violence, sexism and slavery.

The principles of God haven’t changed from the beginning. What happens is that men corrupt God’s way upon the earth.

Mark 7:21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

God judged the world in Noah’s day and has promised to judge it again at the return of Christ.

Acts 17:24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; 25 Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; 26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; 27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: 28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. 29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device. 30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: 31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

2 Peter 3:7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

The resurrection of Christ is an undisputable fact of history. His return to judge the world is an undisputable fact of prophecy. 

God is not responsible for violence, sexism and promotion of slavery. Man does all these things by choice. The Bible records them for our learning. They will have an end when the kingdom of God is established at the return of Christ.

Isaiah 65:17 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.

2 Peter 3:13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

This is not a physical replacement of heaven and earth but a new order of things, ruled by Jesus Christ.

Psalms 37:11 …the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

Matthew 5:5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

To have part in the new heavens and a new earth we must believe and obey the gospel preached by Jesus Christ.

I hope you have found this helpful.

God bless,
Glenn