You’ve mentioned before that we all should be baptized if we expect to enter the gates of Heaven.  What is your take on the thief on the cross beside Jesus?  He, the thief, asked Jesus to remember him, and Jesus answered, “Today you shall be with Me in Paradise”.

I suppose the thief may have been baptized previously, before he took on a life of crime, or was Jesus giving this guy a break this one time?

Sincerely,
Question From The Jury

Dear Question From The Jury,

There are four explanations for Christ’s pardon of the crucified thief in Lk 23:39-43.  All of them fit in perfect harmony with the necessity of baptism and the New Testament teachings that salvation begins at baptism (1 Pet 3:21, Acts 2:37-38, Mk 16:16, Rom 6:3-4).

1. The first explanation you have already mentioned.  This thief may very well have been baptized by John the Baptist (Mk 1:4) or one of Jesus’ disciples (Jhn 4:1-2).  We simply don’t know enough about this thief to say whether he was or wasn’t baptized.  It is always faulty to build a doctrine off an assumption.  To say that we don’t need to be baptized because that thief wasn’t baptized is an assumption.
2. The thief was physically unable to be baptized.  2 Cor 8:12 tells us that God only holds us accountable for what we are physically able to do.  That thief didn’t have the capability to get off that cross and be baptized.  The argument could be made that he was excused from the law of baptism the same way that a mute man would be excused from the command to “confess Christ with your tongue” (Rom 14:11).  This isn’t the best argument of the four, but it is a valid point worth considering.
3. While Jesus was here on earth, He had the authority to forgive sins as He saw fit (Matt 9:6).  This thief was no different than any of the other people whose sins were verbally forgiven by Christ as He walked this earth (Lk 7:48-49, Lk 5:20).  Since Jesus is no longer on this earth… baptism is the only other way to have your sins removed.
4. The command to be baptized for salvation is a New Testament command.  Those who are baptized become a part of the church (Acts 2:41).  If we are being technical (and there is a time for technicalities), the church and the New Testament law didn’t come into effect until after Jesus died and rose from the grave.  Until Jesus’ death and resurrection, the laws of the Old Testament would have still been in effect.  That thief wasn’t bound to the law of baptism (a New Testament law) because Jesus hadn’t yet died.

No matter which argument seems the sturdiest to you (they all have merit), the thief on the cross example doesn’t negate the necessity of baptism today.

Something I struggle with is trying to understand why the gate is so narrow (Matthew 7:14).  God could have created us any way He chose to, but He created us in such a way that most of us are not interested in taking the appropriate steps to become a christian.  Living life as a christian is hard, and we are so tempted to do the wrong thing at every turn.

Why would God create us in this way?  If He is so loving, why did He create us this way KNOWING that most of us are going to fail?

Sincerely,
Uphill Battle

Dear Uphill Battle,

The road is narrow, but it is also accessible to anyone (Jhn 3:16).  The road to salvation is designed so that salvation can only be found in Christ (Jhn 14:6).  God created mankind with the freedom to choose.  We can choose to live for ourselves (which is a wide road with a zillion different paths based upon our interests, desires, etc.), or we can choose to live for God (Rom 12:1).  The road to salvation is narrow because it is based off of one question: “Do we trust God?” (Heb 11:6).  Anyone can trust God, but very few people are interested in doing so.  It isn’t because He created us poorly; it is because He created us with the ability to choose.  Whenever you give people freedom, expect most of us to abuse it.  If God had made us without freedom, everyone would go to heaven… but no one would have chosen to go there.  So God, in His infinite wisdom, believed it better to create mankind with choice and have most people choose poorly than to create humans as mindless robots devoid of freewill.

My question is on Genesis 34:19.  Shechem has agreed to be circumcised to be able to keep Dinah.  It says, “…he [Shechem] is more respected than all the household of his father”.  Then the account goes on to show that he, his father, and all the men were slain by the sons of Jacob in revenge for violating Dinah.  That is after they do what was asked of them and were circumcised.  What does ‘respected’ mean in this case?  Why is that verse there for us to read?  What truth is God revealing?  This verse has me stumped, and it is good to have AskYourPreacher around for an answer .

Sincerely,
Respectfully Stumped

Dear Respectfully Stumped,

Shechem loved Dinah, but he did a sinful and dishonorable thing by laying with her before marriage (Gen 34:2).  Shechem truly loved her and realized that he had done something wrong and asked for his father to do whatever it took to obtain Dinah for him as a wife (Gen 34:3-4).  Jacob tells Shechem’s father, Hamor, that the only way that they can intermarry with them is if their people, the Hivites, all became circumcised.  The verse in question, Gen 34:19, explains that Shechem was more than willing to be circumcised because he was “more respected” (other translations say “more honorable”) than anyone else in his father’s house.  Shechem wasn’t a perfect man, but he did have a moral code and was willing to be circumcised, a very painful operation, in order to repent of that sin.  Shechem had a sense of honor.

Eventually, Jacob’s sons, Levi and Simeon, kill all the men in the city out of revenge, but that wasn’t something that was pleasing to God.  Jacob rebuked them for being so bloodthirsty and vengeful (Gen 34:30).  Shechem was a good man who made a bad choice, and Levi and Simeon killed him and all of his household deceitfully.

I have been baptized, but at the time, I didn’t understand what it REALLY meant.  I have ALWAYS believed in God and Jesus in my heart.  I pray and try to live a life of compassion.  I was not raised in a church.  I never read the Bible until now; I am starting to go through it.  I am twenty-nine, and I have faith, but I also have questions.  How come everyone says, “Oh, it was their time; they are in a better place now.”  It is God’s plan… but how does God decide who is going to get stabbed to death or who is going to get decapitated in a wreck or who is going to die of a heart explosion?  I have to admit that I BELIEVE, but I am also VERY FRIGHTENED of death.  Terrified… mortified… and everyone says if you believe, you wouldn’t be scared, but that’s just NOT so!  How can I overcome this fear?  What is God’s plan for MY death?  I have committed a DEADLY sin, but I did not KNOW it was one until recently because of my ignorance… will I go to hell for being ignorant and committing this sin LONG after baptism?  Everyone was getting baptized, so I did it too because I BELIEVED.  I am so lost!  PLEASE write back to my e-mail; I fear I won’t be able to find this site again.  Thank you sooo much and bless you.  I may need to write often!

Sincerely,
Full Of Questions

Dear Full Of Questions,

It is normal to fear death; every sin is deadly (but every sin can be forgiven), and we need to talk about your baptism.  That is the short version of our answer to your question.  Now let’s break it down a little bit more:

1. Fear of Death.  Christianity provides hope for us beyond the grave (2 Cor 1:10).  However, just because I might know something will turn out right, that doesn’t mean I won’t be nervous to face it.  No matter how many statistics you are given about skydiving, the first jump out of a perfectly good airplane will be nerve-wracking.  Death is the same way.  All that we humans have ever known is a physical existence.  Life after death is a new experience (‘Hades’ literally means ‘the unseen place’), and the unknown is always scary.  The apostle Paul made it clear that leaving these fleshly bodies will be a difficult experience for most of us because the idea of being “unclothed” from these mortal bodies is fear-inducing (2 Cor 5:4).
2. Committing A Deadly Sin.  Every sin is deadly (Rom 6:23).  The idea that some sins are worse than other sins is not a Biblical idea – it is a man-made theology.  Cardinal vs. venial sins is from Catholicism, not Christianity.  Even a single sin of any sort has the power to separate us from God (Isa 59:2).  Every sin has the power to kill, and all sin can be forgiven if we are washed in the blood of Christ (1 Jn 1:7).
3. Baptism.  You started your question by stating, “I have been baptized, but at the time didn’t understand what it really meant.”  ‘Baptism’ means ‘immersion in water’… every time you take a bath or go swimming you are baptized.  Baptism will only save you from your sins when you understand what you are doing and why you are doing it (1 Pet 3:21, Mk 16:16).  If you didn’t understand what you were doing when you were baptized… then it didn’t do anything for you.

We here at AYP are happy to answer all your questions and help you on your spiritual journey.  Having said that, there is only so much that a website can provide to help your long-term spiritual growth.  We would be happy to help you find a faithful congregation that can help you one-on-one in learning and applying the Bible in your life.  If you would like help getting in contact with a congregation in your area, e-mail us at askyourpreacher@mvchurchofchrist.org.

Which Bible “translation” do you recommend out of the dozens out there?  So I understand the KJV to be the “authorized translation”, and I do have and read it but more for the poetic language than to actually be able to read and understand it.  I understand the difference between the NIV and TNIV which uses simple, more gender-inclusive language.  Then there is the paraphrase language used in The Message and the Recovery version that one church (Living Waters Ministry) puts out to emphasize what they believe which, to me, seems wrong to do.  Then there is the ESV, the NASB, the Amplified (which to me seems to put words in God’s mouth), the… you get the point.  I have been collecting different versions and have read them all (which in itself is good, because at least I am reading it, right?), but I don’t know how to choose the “right” one, so I can do consistent Bible study (not to mention lighten the heavy book bag, LOL).  Is it right to choose a translation because I like the language used?

Sincerely,
The Reader

Dear The Reader,

There are two things to consider when choosing a Bible translation:

1. Accuracy
2. Readability

As you have noticed, the easier a translation is to read, the less accurate it becomes – and the more accurate a translation is, the more difficulty you will have in reading it.  The key is to find the right balance between readability and accuracy.  There are three types of translations: word-for-word translations, thought-for-thought translations, and paraphrase translations.

Paraphrase translations don’t even attempt to be accurate; all they want to do is make the Bible easy to read.  We never recommend a paraphrase translation.

Thought-for-thought translations try and take the original language and translate it using what the translators think is the same idea or concept that the Greek and Hebrew languages were trying to convey.  The NRSV, NIRV, and TNIV are all though-for-thought translations.  The NIV (currently the most popular version) is a mix between a word-for-word and a thought-for-thought – we have a lengthy article on the NIV translation that will give you more insight into that particular translation (click here to go to that post).  Thought-for-thought translations are better than paraphrasing, but they still remove the exact words of Jesus and His apostles and replace them with someone’s best guess at what they might have said if they had spoken in English.

Last, but not least, we have word-for-word translations.  Word-for-word translations are exactly what they sound like – they do their best to directly translate every word from the Greek and Hebrew into English.  There are currently four major word-for-word translations available: King James Version (KJV), New King James Version (NKJV), American Standard Version (ASV), and New American Standard Version (NASB).  God tells us that every word was directly conveyed from God to the original Bible writers (1 Cor 2:13).  Since God made a point of divinely inspiring every word of the Bible, we here at AYP only feel comfortable using a translation that keeps those words intact.  Personally, we find the NASB and NKJV to be very readable and highly accurate.  Having read the New Testament in both the Greek and English (a couple of our AYP writers can read Koine Greek), we have found those two versions to be very sound.

To sum up, if you really want to make sure you are reading what God authored, make sure to ask for a word-for-word translation.

It has been a long time since I last e-mailed you.  I would like to know from whomever answers this question how long they’ve been serving God.

My question is:  My christian friend and her father (in particular) say that I shouldn’t listen to Turkish/Arabic or any music from around the world.  Now, in my defense, I do hope that it isn’t the words of the devil but of the counsel of God.  My defense is that God made music, and like art, it makes you feel good.  I understand I should want to hear only music to exalt God, but I have gotten translations to these tracks, and they just talk about life and how they went through life trials.  Why can’t I enjoy some classical or salsa music just because nobody is singing “hallelujah God”?  Their defense was that everything you do should work up to God; if you’re a christian and you are pleasing yourself before God, it is wrong.  Long story short, why can’t I appreciate the gift God gave to a man to play the violin or a computer to make tracks or art that doesn’t particularly talk about God, like Monet or Rembrandt paintings?  I also understand to back away from things (in particular things God has told you not to do) that will hinder your path to God.  So I don’t listen to specific music, art, movies, books that may arouse me negatively or state inappropriate lyrics.  But classical?  Jazz?  I still listen to christian rock and gospel 70% of the time, though.

Sincerely,
Art Lover

Dear Art Lover,

For more information about the AYP writers, visit the “Who Is This Guy?” page.  There is nothing wrong with listening to music of any type as long as it:

1. not teaching or professing evil ideas (such as drunkenness, promiscuity, immorality, violence, etc.)
2. not full of foul or crass language (Eph 4:29).

Bad company corrupts good morals (1 Cor 15:33), and bad music is a form of bad company.

Having said that – any other type of music is perfectly permissible.  Jesus even uses music as an example of general happiness in the parable of the prodigal son (Lk15:25).  In fact, you might find it interesting to read some of our articles on religious music; it might give you a point of view you’ve never heard before.  Here are links to a couple of those posts:

“Should The Hip Hop Stop?”

“Ain’t Nothing But A Hound Dog”

“A REALLY Joyful Noise”