Answers | To Your Questions About the Bible, Theology and Christian Living

The position of medical science is that exercise is a top priority for good health. Then why does 1 Timothy 4:8 say, “Bodily exercise profiteth little”? Is this an instance where science and the Bible are at odds?

No, there is no disagreement here. The context of the whole verse basically says that physical health has some value, but spiritual health is infinitely more important because it is eternal. First Timothy 4:8 in whole says, “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come” (NIV).

Ken Horn

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God cares about every portion of your life … the big things and the small. Lots of Christians admit to praying for a parking place at the mall. The needs of a living creature are certainly more important than that.

It has been clearly demonstrated that pets can have significant health benefits for people. That’s one of the reasons therapy dogs and therapy cats are in use today for institutionalized or shut-in patients. Recent studies indicate that people with pets live longer, healthier lives. They can be a very good thing for some people.

And the Bible is clear that God values even animal life, which are a part of His creation.There seems to be a glimpse of this in Jonah 4:11 (NIV): “But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?”

It is more pronounced in the New Testament. In Luke 12, Jesus addresses the eternal value of a soul, as well as the value of small things. Verses 6 and 7 say, “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”

Children can learn compassion and kindness by watching how adults treat animals.

Yes, it is appropriate to pray for sick or injured pets, as well as for other small areas of our lives … but Christians should pray far more about things of eternal value. We just need to keep things in perspective.

Ken Horn

Some other scriptures about animals:

Exodus 20:8-10 Even work animals deserve a rest.

Deuteronomy 22:10 Don’t mismatch work animals. It would cause undue suffering for mismatched animals to be yoked together. (There’s a human application to this as well.)

Proverbs 12:10 People are expected to be kind to animals.

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What does 1 Corinthians 7:14 mean when it says an unbelieving husband is “sanctified” through a believing wife and the children are now “holy”?

The context refers to a situation where one partner in a marriage becomes a Christian and the other does not. Paul says the believing partner is not to initiate a divorce in such cases where the unbelieving partner chooses to stay in a loving relationship.

He explains further that continuing in this relationship “does not defile the believer. The believer’s faith in God and Jesus has a sanctifying influence over the relationship. In that sense the unbeliever is sanctified, or set apart from anything sinful in the relationship. If this were not so, the children born to the couple would be unclean, that is, ceremonially unclean and therefore unable to come into the presence of God. But the sanctifying influence of the Christian parent makes the children holy in the sense that they belong to the Lord and can be brought into His presence for His blessing. The Holy Spirit can make such a marriage situation into a powerful ministry” (Horton, Stanley M., I & II Corinthians, Springfield, Mo., Logion Press, 1999, p. 71).

This does not mean the unbelieving spouse is given salvation. The children also, upon reaching an age of accountability, still have to make their personal choices. But the blessings they enjoy because of the believing parent certainly could influence them (and the unbelieving partner as well) to accept Jesus as Savior and Lord.

Stanley M. Horton

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The second coming of Jesus Christ has been preached as imminent for a long time. Why is it taking so long?

Where is this coming He promised? Everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation. If that is what you think when you hear mention of Christ’s return to snatch away His people, be careful. Peter predicted last-day scoffers, following their own evil desires, would be saying just that (2 Peter 3:3-4).

Yet, with the many centuries since the promise was given (Acts 1:11), it is natural to wonder if such a supernatural intervention will actually take place.

Count on it. It is going to happen. The Bible is full of references to this glorious event, the blessed hope of every believer (Titus 2:13). However, don’t be misled by our human way of counting time. The average human lifetime is 70-80 years. But some life forms live fewer years than humans and some much longer. God’s lifetime is forever, without beginning or end. As Psalm 90:4 says, “A thousand years in [God’s] sight are like a day that has just gone by” (NIV). So it has been just “a couple of days” since the promise was given to first-century Christians.

But why might Christ delay His return even for another instant? Several reasons come to mind:

1. He is giving our generation a chance to repent and receive His salvation.

2. He is testing the strength of our faith and commitment.

3. He is giving the church opportunity to evangelize the lost.

4. His delay encourages us to work faithfully, as though death is yet in the future, but to be ready for His coming at any time.

God is not willing that any should perish or experience spiritual death. His delay is not slowness in fulfilling His promise (2 Peter 3:9). He is preparing His bride “to present her … as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless” (Ephesians 5:27).

Our natural minds tend to be concerned about the millions since the first century who have lived on earth without accepting Christ as their Savior. And we should have a burden for the lost of our day. But we should be even more concerned about becoming the holy and blameless bride of Christ without wrinkle or blemish. Christ tarries now so we may have opportunity to become that prepared and perfect bride.

As God’s children, our earthly lives will end in one of two ways: by death or via the Rapture. A faithful elderly Christian woman left detailed instructions for her funeral. But at the end of the note she wrote, “Prefer to go in the Rapture.”

Are you ready for either departure route?

Zenas J. Bicket

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Innocent people seem to suffer a lot. Why do bad things happen to good people? And why do so many bad people seem to have it made?

My godly mother was beaten and left for dead by a young prison parolee. Mother lived five more years, faithfully praying for the man’s salvation. Many asked, “Why would God allow such a good woman to suffer such a bad thing?”

God has not given one simple answer that will satisfy everyone, but His Word has given us all we need to know in order to live victoriously (2 Peter 1:3,4). Being all-powerful and all-loving, He absolutely works all things for good for those who love Him (Romans 8:28).

Christians are subject to common calamities. If God protected His children from all storms, disappointments, poverty and plagues, people would be tempted to serve Him for selfish reasons, as Satan falsely accused Job of doing (Job 1:10,11). Good people have no insurance against physical death; even innocent children and babies die. Heartbroken loved ones can be comforted by God’s promise that He sometimes takes the righteous one away “from the evil to come” (Isaiah 57:1).

When believers sow to the flesh, they reap bad consequences; Galatians 6:7 was written to Christians. God chastens His children (Hebrews 12:5) to correct wrong attitudes and prevent sin. Paul suffered a painful infirmity, “a messenger of Satan” to keep him from pride (2 Corinthians 12:7).

Fiery trials come to purify our faith (1 Peter 1:7). Tribulation is essential to perseverance, and these produce character, the only thing we can take with us into heaven for eternity (Roman 5:3,4). As believers, we share in the “fellowship of his suffering” (Philippians 3:10). The same world that hated Him hates us (John 15:18-21); all who are godly will suffer persecution (2 Timothy 3:12). The sufferings of Christ abound in good people so they can know the comfort God gives. Then — and only then — are they prepared to comfort others (2 Corinthians 1:3-6).

Why do the wicked prosper? Job wrestled with this question (21:7-15). Psalm 73 tells how David’s steps nearly slipped because he was envious when he saw the prosperity of the wicked (vv. 2,3).

Jesus explained why bad people prosper. He said the world loves its own (John 15:19). Satan’s people help each other. From the far-reaching Mafia to local scams, bad people shrewdly cheat others out of wealth (Luke 16:8). Abraham reminded Dives (the rich man) that in his life on earth he received good things (Luke 16:25).

For the present, God allows the devil to be “the god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4). He can give the kingdoms of the world to whomsoever he will unless God overrules (Luke 4:6).

God’s goodness toward the sinner is intended to lead him to repentance; if he spurns God’s mercies, he stores up greater wrath for himself at the final judgment (Romans 2:4,5).

God’s final answer to these questions is in the Cross. Jesus used the ultimate “bad thing” to crush the serpent’s head (Colossians 2:15; Genesis 3:15). Soon God’s people will be in the only place in the universe that is totally free of all bad things; all who follow Satan will have lost all that is good forever.

Opal Reddin

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