MATTHEW 16:18—Is Peter the rock on which the church is built? PROBLEM: Roman Catholics use this passage to support their belief in the primacy of Peter, that is, that he is the rock on which…
Why wasn’t Cain given capital punishment for the murder he committed? PROBLEM: In the OT, murderers were given capital punishment for their crime ( Gen. 9:6 ; Ex. 21:12 ). Yet Cain was not…
Does God show respect to certain persons? PROBLEM: God is represented in the Scriptures as someone who “is no respect[er] of persons” ( Rom. 2:11 , KJV ), and one who “shows…
MATTHEW 16:16—Why does Peter’s confession here differ from that recorded in Mark and Luke? PROBLEM: Peter’s confession of Christ in Caesarea Philippi is stated differently in the three Gospels: Matthew: “You are the Christ, the…
MATTHEW 13:45—Was Mary a perpetual virgin, or did she have other children after Jesus’ virgin birth? PROBLEM: Roman Catholicism teaches that Mary was a perpetual virgin, that is, that she never had sexual intercourse, even…
MATTHEW 13:34—Did Jesus always speak in parables or not? PROBLEM: This text states distinctly that “without a parable He [Jesus] did not speak to them.” However, Jesus gave His whole Sermon on the Mount (Matt.…
MATTHEW 13:31–32—Did Jesus make a mistake when referring to the mustard seed as the smallest of all seeds? PROBLEM 1: Jesus said that the mustard seed was “the least of all the seeds.” However, today…
MATTHEW 13:12—Is God unfair in giving to those who have? PROBLEM: God is presented in the Bible as fair and evenhanded (Rom. 2:11; Gen. 18:25). Jesus, as God incarnate, is set up as the perfect…
MATTHEW 12:40 (cf. John 19:14)—If Jesus was crucified on Friday, how could He have been in the grave three days and nights? PROBLEM: Christ rose on Sunday (Matt. 28:1), but He stated that He would…
MATTHEW 12:1–5—Did Jesus’ disciples break the Jewish Sabbath law? PROBLEM: Jesus said, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill” (Matt.…