A question came up in Bible study today. I wondered, why would that question be asked? I realized something profound (at least to me).
The question the sparked my mind today is this: “Was Jesus created or a Creator?” From a Scripture standpoint, it is impossible to conclude that Jesus is a created being. Jesus is God who incarnated into a human body, but Jesus is Lord of Lords and has existed throughout eternity.
I thought that if something is not true, why bother asking the question? Shouldn’t we be preaching the truth? Through the ensuing discussions however, I realized this question was asked in order to discover the truth, not to dictate truth. Then I instantly realized that the thousands of questions I had asked (in making hundreds of Bible study question sheets) were asked with the intention of dictating truth. I realized today that after doing this for many years, I had ended up dictating ideals and opinions. I started out with the good intention of telling the truth to others, but ended up binding their lives to a system of pious actions. I had lost the joy of discovery and investigative learning!
So I wonder, why do you ask questions? Are you telling the Bible what you want it to say? Are you telling others to follow your church’s programs?
A LinkedIn discussion reveals some really good reasons why people ask questions. When we study the Bible and preach Christ, we must take utmost care to know these things. Otherwise, we can use the sword of the Bible as a weapon.
Here is my favorite list of the purpose of questions from the LinkedIn discussion:
* To obtain an answer
* To open a dialogue
* To show interest
* To signal your presence
* To encourage someone else to express themselves
* To demonstrate knowledge
* To lead someone to think or respond in a particular way
* To obtain the corresponding action implied
* To trigger a debate
* To commence a joke
When I left UBF, I took 5 months to do it. I asked many questions and raised many issues in order to open a dialogue. And I am now embarking on a new phase of my spiritual journey toward Heaven. I am seeking the joy of discovering the truth!