The Bible Line - Sept. 13, 2011

A listener from Manning SC heard a pastor say Genesis 1 - 3 doesn’t really matter…but as Christians we should be more concerned about where we are and where we are going and that these chapters have a lot of gray areas…What does Pastor Carl think? The uniqueness of Isaac’s birth and the two natures of Christ were addressed by a listener who wanted to know about the parallels between these two births as well as the mystery of the two natures of Christ. Daniel 9:24 - Do most people believe this is delayed prophecy…that the first 69 weeks were fulfilled in the first coming of Jesus Christ….that we are now in a gap known as the “Church Age” and that the 70th week will be the time of the great tribulation? A listener wants to know why some people are blessed to be in a great country like the U.S. where they have such an ample opportunity to hear the Gospel…but others are born in countries where they are denied the teachings of Christianity? I’ve heard of a software called “rosetta stone” that teaches you contemporary languages. Is there a “rosetta stone” type of software to learn bible greek and hebrew? How different is bible greek and hebrew from contemporary greek and hebrew? Is there such a thing as an audio bible that is read in the original greek and hebrew? What is baptism of repentance? Some preachers say Christ died ’spiritually’….how do we reconcile this with His eternal nature? My youngest son and I were discussing predestination a few nights ago and then I heard Dr. MacArthur preaching about it the next morning. I went to his website and read the printed version of the sermon because I missed the entire sermon on the radio. Anyway, the past 3 mornings on Grace to You, he has been talking about predestination and election. He said that “God chooses those who will be saved. And He does so sovereignly, according to His own will and His own purpose, uninfluenced by any other person, or by anything anyone does.” 1. If this is a correct understanding, why are we to pray for the lost? 2. I heard you say that all babies and young children that die go to heaven. How can we know that all children are part of the group God has chosen? 3. If God chooses those to whom he will give the ability to believe in Him, doesn’t that also mean that he denies the ability to believe to others, thereby allowing them to go to hell because he does nothing to save them. I know that God is faithful and good, which makes it difficult to reconcile this teaching with my understanding of God. I also know that he said to Trust Him will all my heart and lean not on my own understanding, but I am struggling with this. I have been studying the Olivet discourse in Matt. 24 and 25 recently. It seems the more I study these chapters the more questions I have. Can you give me an overview of the events that take place? What is the parable of the wise and foolish virgins referring to? And the judgment of the nations in Matt.25? If this is not the White Throne Judgment why does Jesus say that the sheep entered into life eternal but the goats into everlasting punishment? In Psalm 8:5 the KJV says “a liittle lower than the angels” and the NASB says “a little lower than God”, but in the NASB in Hebrews 2:7 when the NT quotes Psalm 8:5 it says “a little lower than the angels”. Why does the NASB Psalm 8:5 seem to disagree with the KJV and also with the NASB NT version of Psalm 8:5?