Your Questions Were Never the Problem That question you asked in Sunday school that made everyone go silent? It wasn’t because you asked something wrong. It was because they didn’t know how to answer it. That time you raised your hand during the sermon and the pastor gave you that look? You weren’t being disruptive, you were being curious. And that made them uncomfortable. That moment when you said, “I don’t understand,” and someone told you to “just have faith”? You weren’t lacking faith. You were displaying it. Real faith asks real questions. But along the way, you started believing that your confusion was evidence of your stupidity instead of evidence of their poor teaching. You internalized the message that good Christians don’t ask hard questions, don’t admit confusion, and don’t challenge explanations that don’t make sense. You learned to nod along when you didn’t understand, smile when you disagreed, and stay quiet when you had doubts. That wasn’t spiritual maturity. That was intellectual abuse. The Lie That’s Keeping Christians Dumb Here’s the toxic teaching that’s been destroying Christian minds for generations: “If you have to ask questions about faith, you don’t have enough faith.” This spiritual gaslighting suggests that confusion is a character flaw rather than a cognitive process. It implies that people who need explanations are spiritually inferior to people who accept everything without question. Church culture reinforces this by celebrating blind acceptance and shaming intellectual curiosity. We applaud the person who says, “I don’t need to understand it, I just believe it.” We praise the believer who “trusts God even when it doesn’t make sense.” We celebrate the Christian who “has simple, childlike faith.” You see, there will be times where we will need that ‘childlike faith’, and that ‘trust when it doesn’t make sense’ type of faith. There’s nothing wrong with it, and it’s great to have, but not everyone is either like that or is at that stage in their walk with God. Meanwhile, we treat people who ask “why,” or “how,” or “what if” like they’re spiritual problems to be fixed rather than minds to be engaged. But here’s what we’ve forgotten: God created human intelligence and curiosity. Asking questions isn’t evidence of weak faith. It’s evidence of engaged faith. What Your Questions Actually Revealed When you asked questions that made church leaders uncomfortable, you weren’t exposing problems with Christianity. You were exposing problems with their version of Christianity. Your questions revealed that they had shallow theology. When someone responds to legitimate questions with “just have faith,” they’re usually protecting weak doctrine, not strong convictions. If their beliefs could survive examination, they wouldn’t be afraid of examination. Your questions revealed that they preferred control over understanding. Leaders who discourage questions often care more about compliance than comprehension. They want followers, not thinkers. Your questions revealed that they confused certainty with confidence. There’s a difference between being confident in God and being certain about every theological detail. Your questions threatened their need to appear like they had everything figured out. Your questions revealed that they were afraid of honest inquiry. Churches that shame questioners are usually churches with something to hide — whether that’s intellectual dishonesty, abusive leadership, or theological errors they can’t defend. Biblical Evidence That God Loves Questions If God hated questions, the Bible would be a very different book. Instead, Scripture is full of people asking God hard questions and God engaging with their inquiries. Abraham questioned God’s plan to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. He literally negotiated with God, asking, “What if there are fifty righteous people? What about forty? What about ten?” God didn’t rebuke him for questioning. He answered every single question. Moses questioned God’s call on his life multiple times. “Who am I? What if they don’t believe me? What if I can’t speak well?” God didn’t tell Moses to “just have faith.” He addressed every concern with specific answers. David filled the Psalms with questions: “Why do the wicked prosper? How long will you be angry? Where are you when I need you?” God didn’t consider these complaints evidence of weak faith. He included them in Scripture. Job spent entire chapters questioning God’s justice, goodness, and purposes. When God finally responds, He doesn’t condemn Job for asking questions. He condemns Job’s friends for giving simplistic answers to complex problems. Thomas demanded evidence before believing in Jesus’ resurrection. Jesus didn’t shame him for needing proof. He provided exactly the evidence Thomas needed. From there, he became the disciple who traveled the furthest to deliver the gospel according to church tradition. The disciples constantly asked Jesus to explain His teachings. They said things like “We don’t understand this parable” and “What do you mean?” Jesus never told them they lacked faith. He explained things more clearly. Paul encouraged believers to “test everything” and “examine the Scriptures” to verify what they were being taught. He praised the Bereans specifically because they questioned his teaching instead of blindly accepting it. The pattern is clear: God engages with honest questions. He always has. Why Churches Are Afraid of Your Intelligence Questions expose poor leadership. When leaders can’t answer basic questions about what they’re teaching, it reveals that they might not understand it themselves. Your curiosity threatened their authority. Questions challenge tradition. Many church practices exist because “that’s how we’ve always done it,” not because they’re biblical or effective. Your questions forced them to defend traditions they’d never examined. Questions require actual study. Answering thoughtful questions requires doing homework. Some leaders would rather silence questioners than do the work of providing good answers. Questions create accountability. When you ask “Where does the Bible say that?” you’re holding teachers accountable to their source material. Some teachers prefer assumptions over accuracy. Questions democratize knowledge. When everyone is encouraged to ask questions and think critically, it’s harder for leaders to maintain knowledge monopolies or spiritual hierarchies. The Difference Between Faith & Gullibility Churches that discourage questions often confuse faith with gullibility, but they’re opposite qualities. Gullibility says: “I’ll believe anything you tell me without question. "Faith says: “I’ll believe this because I’ve examined it and found it trustworthy.” Gullibility is passive. It accepts information without processing it. Faith is active. It engages with truth and wrestles with implications. Gullibility fears examination. It avoids hard questions because it’s built on shaky foundations. Faith welcomes examination. It invites questions because it’s confident in its foundations. Gullibility creates weak believers. People who never question their beliefs can’t defend them when challenged. Faith creates strong believers. People who’ve worked through their questions have conviction that can withstand opposition. The church leaders who tried to make you feel stupid for asking questions were actually trying to turn you into a gullible follower instead of a faithful thinker. How Smart Faith Actually Works Smart faith asks good questions. It wants to understand what it believes and why it believes it. It’s not threatened by inquiry because truth can handle examination. Smart faith does homework. It studies Scripture, reads broadly, and engages with different perspectives. It’s not afraid of learning because it trusts that truth will emerge from honest investigation. Smart faith admits uncertainty. It’s comfortable saying “I don’t know” about things that aren’t clear rather than pretending to have all the answers. Smart faith distinguishes between core truths and cultural preferences. It knows the difference between essential Christian beliefs and denominational traditions. Smart faith welcomes discussion. It enjoys theological conversations because it sees them as opportunities to grow and learn, not threats to defend against. What to Do With Your God-Given Intelligence Stop apologizing for being curious. Your questions aren’t character flaws. They’re evidence that God gave you a brain and expects you to use it. Find communities that welcome questions. Look for churches and Christian friends who see your curiosity as an asset, not a problem. Study for yourself. Don’t rely on other people’s theological opinions. Read Scripture, research history, and engage with different perspectives so you can form your own convictions. Ask better questions. Instead of just questioning everything, learn to ask productive questions that lead to understanding rather than just doubt. Help others feel safe to question. When you encounter Christians who are afraid to voice their doubts or confusion, create space for them to process honestly. Remember that your intelligence honors God. Using your mind to understand truth is an act of worship, not rebellion. The Church You Deserve You deserve a church that sees your questions as gifts, not threats. You deserve teachers who can explain what they believe and why they believe it. You deserve a community that values understanding over blind compliance. You deserve leaders who are secure enough to say “I don’t know” when they don’t know. You deserve a faith that can handle examination because it’s built on truth. The church that made you feel stupid was protecting its weakness, not God’s truth. The church that shamed your questions was revealing its insecurity, not your inadequacy. The church that preferred your silence to your curiosity was prioritizing control over growth. Church hurt has a way of making you believe the problem was you. You weren’t the problem. Your questions weren’t the problem. A church culture that’s threatened by intelligence, that’s the problem. Your mind is not God’s enemy. It’s one of His greatest gifts to you. And any church that treats it as a threat isn’t worthy of the God they claim to serve. © 2026 Ashneil Want more content like this? Explore more articles in Rethinking Doctrine. Press Ctrl + P (Windows) or Cmd + P (Mac) to print this article or save it as a PDF.

Life has a way of reminding us how little control we actually have. Plans shift, seasons change, and circumstances rise and fall without our permission. Yet Scripture offers a truth strong enough to steady any heart: God is sovereign. His sovereignty is not a cold doctrine reserved for theologians. It is a warm assurance for everyday believers. It means God reigns, God knows, God directs, and God cares. Psalm 103:19 gives us the foundation: God has established His throne in the heavens, and His kingdom rules over all. That single verse tells us that God reigns over creation, over history, and over the details of our lives. Nothing stands outside His authority. Nothing surprises Him. Nothing threatens His rule. This truth is echoed throughout Scripture. Psalm 115:3 affirms that God does whatever He pleases. We are reminded in 1 Chronicles 29:11–12 that all power, majesty, and rule belong to Him. These passages are not meant to intimidate us. They should provide comfort to us. A God who reigns is a God who can be trusted. His Purposes Cannot Be Stopped One of the most reassuring aspects of God’s sovereignty is that His purposes stand firm. Isaiah 46:9–10 declares that His counsel will stand and that He accomplishes His purpose. Job, after walking through unimaginable suffering, confessed in Job 42:2 that no purpose of God can be restrained. Proverbs 19:21 adds that while people make many plans, it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. God never reacts. He never revises. He never loses control. His plans are not fragile, and His purposes are not uncertain. Even when life feels unpredictable, God is not. His sovereignty gives believers rest, not because life is easy, but because God is faithful. God Works Through All Things Perhaps one of the most comforting expressions of God’s sovereignty is found in Romans 8:28, which teaches that God works all things together for good for those who love Him. “All things” include the moments we celebrate, the moments we regret, the moments we don’t understand, and the moments we would never choose. Joseph understood this when he told his brothers in Genesis 50:20 that although they intended harm, God intended good. Ephesians 1:11 reinforces that God works all things according to the counsel of His will. This does not mean God causes every hardship. But it does mean He rules over every hardship. He weaves every thread, both bright and dark, into His good purposes. This is sovereignty wrapped in compassion. God Rules Over Kings and Nations The world often feels unstable. Leaders rise and fall. Nations shift. Headlines change daily. Yet Scripture reminds us that God governs the affairs of the world. Daniel 2:21 says He removes kings and sets up kings. Proverbs 21:1 teaches that even the heart of a king is in the Lord’s hand. Psalm 22:28 declares that the kingdom belongs to the Lord and that He rules over the nations. Daniel lived under unpredictable rulers and shifting empires, yet he never panicked. He knew that earthly power is temporary, but God’s rule is eternal. The same is true today. The world may feel unstable, but God is not. God Directs Our Personal Steps God’s sovereignty is both global and deeply personal. Proverbs 16:9 teaches that while we plan our way, the Lord establishes our steps. Psalm 37:23–24 says He delights in directing the steps of the righteous. Jeremiah 10:23 reminds us that our way is not in ourselves. This is not control that crushes. It is guidance that protects. God’s sovereignty means your life has never been outside His care. He was sovereign in your past, He is sovereign in your present, and He will be sovereign in your future. For all of us, His truth brings peace. Every season, every chapter, every transition has been held in the hands of a faithful God. God’s Sovereignty Leads to Peace, Not Fear The purpose of sovereignty removes fretting or being anxious. Instead, it is to make us still. Psalm 46:10 calls us to be still and know that He is God. Jesus reminds us in Matthew 10:29–31 that not even a sparrow falls apart from the Father’s knowledge. Philippians 4:6–7 teaches that His peace guards our hearts when we bring our concerns to Him. Even in Psalm 23, He makes us to lie down in green pastures — to bring us rest, refreshment, and restoration. Because God is sovereign, we can release our anxieties. We can trust His timing. We can surrender our need to control outcomes. Sovereignty is meant to produce worship, humility, and peace. A Final Word of Encouragement God’s sovereignty is not a distant doctrine. It is a daily comfort. He reigns over the universe, yet He watches over your life. He directs the rise and fall of nations, yet He guides your steps. He governs history, yet He provides what you truly need. He never loses control and He never loses sight of His children. He reigns. He knows. He directs. He cares. And because He is sovereign, you can rest. © Randy DeVaul, MA

“That’s rearview mirror thinking” is a quote my husband often throws out to remind me that we are not the same people we once were in our previous lives/marriages. Occasionally, I need to be reminded of this fact. I have a tendency to trip and fall back into thoughts about past mistakes, which may in turn send me tumbling down into a pathetic guilty shame spiral. When this happens it is not beneficial for myself or anyone else around me. Sometimes I am a slow learner. But I am learning. So I will celebrate progress over perfection. To be clear, guilt trips are not entirely bad. There are a few positive outcomes potentially derived as a result of having a contrite heart. My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise. Psalm 51:17 NIV We may be given an opportunity to make appropriate amends and set things right in relationships where we have wronged another person [or God]. Hopefully we learn (sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly) from our past regrets, and avoid repeating them in the future. “Rearview Mirror Thinking” is exactly what it sounds like. “Rearview mirror thinking” is a cognitive trap where individuals focus too heavily on past experiences, mistakes, or successes, hindering their ability to move forward. Often cited in leadership and personal development, it highlights that while the past informs, dwelling on it causes one to “drive” forward blindly, prioritizing past comfort zones over future potential. — -Excerpt from Google AI overview In life we tend to move in the direction we are looking toward. Philippians 3:13–14: “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal…”Isaiah 43:18–19: “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!”.Luke 9:62: “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God”.Ecclesiastes 7:10: “Do not say, ‘Why were the old days better than these?’ For it is not wise to ask such questions”.Proverbs 4:25–26: “Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.” Do you want to continue progressing forward while growing, improving, and building a better future? OR Do you want to stay stuck in the past, paralyzed, rendering yourself useless, unproductive, depressing to be around? It’s more than okay to feel your feelings. Processing grief from loss and feelings of regret for errors in judgement is healthy and necessary for Spiritual Growth. Letting go of long-harbored resentments is also healthy and required for personal peace and JOY! The point is that not all rearview thoughts are detrimental. However, getting stuck there is potentially harmful. At the risk of sounding cliche, it is important to LET GO, LET GOD © Nora Gwen May we breathe deeply as we inhale grace and exhale praise for this fresh start to do markedly better today than yesterday. If you find these meditations and affirmations to be helpful, please consider purchasing a coffee ☕ buymeacoffee.com/GratefulGwen

Check these words out. Believe, Worship, Serve, Trust, Love, Pray, Fast, Patience, Obey, Rejoice, Give, Seek, Ask, Kneel, Read, Surrender, Follow, Honor, Humble, Knock, Reconcile, Wait, Repent, Test, Submit, Study, Declare, Guide, Respect, Protect, Lead, Tithe, Carry, Faith, Preach, Fear, Restore, Endure, Rest, Forgive, Teach, Heal, Anoint, Renew, Build, Baptize, Conform, Consecrate, Abide, Praise, ect…. See the pattern? God is the World Cup Champion when it came to creating a definitive, active, and dynamic vocabulary on how we are to be and what we need to do. Don’t think God doesn’t expect you to put in a little elbow grease here. Believing is not, and never has been, a passive “thing” that simply exists; it is, and always will be, a daily exercise of the mind, body, and soul. To be a faithful Christian, you must confront and embrace this reality. You’re in a long-term relationship that requires exercising every part of your being. It’s no different than a marriage or a friendship, where you have constant actions you are exercising and fulfilling to hold that relationship together, make it grow, and keep it strong. If you can do that for your best friend or spouse without blinking an eye, why can’t you do it for God? It’s kind of hard to claim you're a faithful and steadfast Christian without breaking out those gubby sweats and giving it a good workout. Here’s the problem. America has become pudgy around the midsection, it’s become a country of ease, 2-day shipping, InstaCart, and fast food. This mentality has not just touched the doorsteps of churches but has fully engulfed many churches, which are now watering down Christianity into this passive title that people believe they can claim, go on with their day, and that's it. They don’t do any real work behind the scenes to earn it, so it stays soft and pudgy around the midsection. You want God? You want real faith? You want Him to take you seriously? Then you’re going to have to work for it. Holding the word Christian over your head like an award means absolutely nothing if you’re not strong enough in your faith to hold up against life’s many lies, storms, and trials. The Bible isn’t full of action words for no reason. © Jane Isley Thank you for taking the time to read, and please consider supporting my work. Your gift helps keep this work going, blesses others, and means the world to me. You can visit me at Faithful Writers on Medium, where other Christian writers have joined me in sharing the word of God. You can also find me on Facebook.

I’m going to get some pushback for this one. I know that already. I am not a pre-tribulation believer. I once was, but only because that is what I was told I had to believe. It never made much sense to me, given everything else I knew. I have since learned to read for myself and take the church out of the Bible. A Simple Question That Got Complicated A young Christian woman came to me recently with questions about death, specifically, when we die, do we go to heaven right away, or do we wait for judgment? (souls still in the ground) I pointed her to three verses. Revelations 20:4–5 “ […]They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection.” John 3:13 “No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven — the Son of Man.” Matthew 24: 9–14 “[…]At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” That led naturally into pre-tribulation questions. Then I realized the answer wasn’t as simple as it should be. Rapture Rabbit Hole I had to warn her that if she goes online and looks up that dreaded word rapture, she is going to get overwhelmed by all the different theories and doctrines out there. (She is a new Christian) So I gave her my honest opinion based on Scripture. People have simply become lazy over time and afraid of what it actually means to be a Christian during the end times. And there is a big thread of entitlement mixed in, a belief that because they are Christians, they are somehow above what everyone else will have to endure. Those are the real reasons this pre-tribulation theory gets such traction and keeps growing as a popular belief, despite never being part of any Christian teaching before the 1800s. That and the fact that movies have popularized it for cinematic effect. Fear and entitlement. That is what it comes down to. Nothing more and nothing less. What the Bible Actually Says Nowhere in the Bible does it teach pre-tribulation rapture. You have to perform a lot of mental and linguistic gymnastics to get there. Matthew 24, straight from Jesus’s own mouth, makes it abundantly clear that some of us are going to go through some really, really bad stuff. And by some of us, I mean those of us who are still alive when it happens, not those already gone. Why are people taking Jesus’ words out of the Bible? What an Untainted Mind Sees Clearly What follows is the result of someone who reads her Bible and does not worry about what men say. She has not been tainted by the politics, drama, and doctrines of the institutional church yet. She tests everything, including what I had to say on the matter, which is exactly what I wanted her to do without me telling her to do that. She did it brilliantly in questioning me quite thoroughly. Here is a part of what she said to me: “I mean it just logically doesn’t make sense to have all the Christians disappear, because during the end times I’m pretty sure it says that evil will be ruling over the earth during that time and its like how would people be able to come and know Jesus if none of His disciples live on the earth to share His word.” Right there is common sense speaking, not doctrine, wishes, or wants. The rest is all acrobatics on paper. Christians will go through the tribulation or at least a big part of it. I personally do not hold any hard time frame stance on this because it really could be anywhere in that time frame when it all starts. Also, I’m more concerned with spreading the Gospel, not an end date that I will never know until it happens. Whether you want to acknowledge any of this is up to you, but we will not miss when it hits. © Jane Isley First published in Never Stop Writing on Medium. Thank you for taking the time to read, and please consider supporting my work. Your gift helps keep this work going, blesses others, and means the world to me. You can visit me at Faithful Writers on Medium, where other Christian writers have joined me in sharing the word of God. You can also find me on Facebook.

The Emmaus Road is one of Scripture’s most honest portrayals of emotional struggle. Two disciples walked away from Jerusalem carrying the weight of disappointment. Their faces were downcast, their steps heavy, and their conversation filled with confusion. They had believed Jesus was the One who would redeem Israel, but His crucifixion shattered their expectations. Their grief was so overwhelming that when Jesus Himself approached them, they didn’t recognize Him. When Jesus asked what they were discussing, they stopped walking. Their shock revealed how deeply their emotions had shaped their worldview. They assumed that anyone who knew about Jesus must be grieving His death. In their minds, the entire community of believers was devastated, confused, and hopeless. But their feelings didn’t reflect reality. Some people were celebrating Jesus’ death, believing they had eliminated a threat. Others were indifferent, seeing His crucifixion as just another execution. Some were hiding in fear. And some, like the women who visited the tomb, were already filled with hope because they had encountered the truth that Jesus had risen, just as He had said He would. Their testimony aligned with everything Jesus had taught about His suffering and resurrection, yet the disciples dismissed it because their emotions had already decided the story was over. This is what happens when feelings become our lens. Emotions are real, but they are not reliable. They can cloud judgment, distort perception, and convince us that our experience is universal. When we feel hopeless, we assume everyone else is hopeless. When we feel discouraged, we assume no one sees a way forward. When we feel abandoned, we assume God is distant. When we feel overwhelmed, we assume the situation is impossible. The disciples weren’t lying about their feelings. They were simply interpreting life through them. Their emotions had become their “truth,” even though their truth didn’t match God’s reality. This is why Scripture emphasizes the renewing of the mind. Transformation doesn’t begin with changing how we feel. It begins with changing how we think. Paul’s instruction to renew the mind is not a call to ignore emotions but to anchor them in truth. Likewise, his command to think on what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and praiseworthy is not a sentimental suggestion but a spiritual strategy for emotional stability. Jesus models this strategy on the Emmaus Road. He doesn’t start by soothing their emotions. He starts by addressing their interpretation. He listens to their disappointment, then gently challenges their assumptions. He opens the Scriptures and reframes the story they thought they understood. He shows them that the Messiah’s suffering was not a failure but a fulfillment of God’s plan. He walks them through truth until their perspective begins to shift. What’s remarkable is that their emotional transformation begins before their eyes are opened. As Jesus explains the Scriptures, their hearts begin to burn within them. Something awakens. Something stirs. Their feelings start to change because their thinking is being renewed. Their hopelessness loosens its grip as truth takes root. When their eyes are finally opened at the breaking of bread, everything becomes clear. The One they believed was dead is alive. The One they thought had failed has fulfilled every promise. The One they assumed was absent has been walking with them the entire time. Their response is immediate. They return to Jerusalem — the same road they had just walked in despair now becomes the road they run with hope. Their testimony, once shaped by disappointment, is now fueled by resurrection. This story speaks to anyone who has ever felt overwhelmed by emotion. When feelings dominate thinking, perspective shrinks. We lose sight of what God is doing. We assume our emotions reflect reality. We project our fears onto others. We dismiss hopeful voices. We forget what God has already said. And we overlook the possibility that Jesus is walking with us even when we don’t recognize Him. But when truth renews the mind, perspective widens. When perspective widens, feelings begin to heal. And when feelings heal, testimony becomes powerful again. The Emmaus Road teaches us that emotional transformation begins with mental renewal. Jesus restores hope not by changing circumstances but by changing perspective. He still does the same today. © 2026 Randy DeVaul, MA. Want more content like this? Explore more articles Knowing God.

It usually does not feel like a big deal in the moment. You are talking to someone every day. It feels like a relationship. You act like you are together. But when the question comes up what are we, you dodge it. Not because you do not care, but because defining it feels risky. What if it changes things. What if it costs you something. So you delay. And nothing explodes. Life keeps moving. It even feels easier this way. Until one day, you realize something important quietly slipped through your hands. That is how passivity works. It rarely looks dangerous at first. It feels safe. It feels like keeping your options open. But over time, it begins to shape your life in ways you never intended. Passivity is not doing nothing about something that does not matter. It is doing nothing about something that does. It is choosing not to choose when a decision is actually required. Most of us are not passive across the board. We are often highly driven in the areas we care about. We plan our careers. We optimize our schedules. We chase opportunities. But at the same time, we drift in areas that matter more than we want to admit. Relationships. Character. Faith. We tend to be passive in the areas that matter most. Sometimes it is because something does not feel urgent. Other times it is because making a decision takes courage. Decisions close doors. They expose us. They force us to deal with consequences. So we tell ourselves we will deal with it later. You can see this pattern everywhere. In relationships that stay undefined. In majors that remain undecided. In life directions that stay open ended. We are overwhelmed by options and afraid of choosing wrong, so we do not choose at all. Indecision feels like safety. But there are some things in life that are too important to delay. Some decisions demand a response. And when it comes to Jesus, passivity is not neutral. To see this clearly, we need to step into a moment that was anything but neutral. Pontius Pilate stood at the center of one of the most volatile situations in the ancient world. As the Roman governor of Judea, his job was to maintain order in a region constantly on the edge of unrest. The Jewish people lived under Roman rule and longed for freedom. There was a history of rebellion. Religious leaders held deep influence. Rome demanded control. And now it was Passover. The city of Jerusalem was packed. The air was charged with national longing and political tension. This was the time when people remembered deliverance from oppression. It was not hard to imagine how quickly things could turn into revolt. Then Jesus entered the city to crowds shouting for salvation. From a political standpoint, everything was unstable. And then Jesus was brought before Pilate. At first, Pilate approaches it like any other case. He asks if Jesus is the king of the Jews. It is a political question, the kind he is used to asking. But Jesus does something unexpected. He turns the conversation. He asks whether that question is Pilate’s own or something he is simply repeating. In a moment, the dynamic shifts. Pilate is no longer just evaluating Jesus. He is being evaluated. Jesus tells him that he came into the world to bear witness to the truth, and that everyone who belongs to the truth listens to his voice. Pilate responds with a question that has echoed for centuries. What is truth. But the defining detail is not the question. It is what he does next. He does not wait for an answer. He walks back out to the crowd. Not rejection. Avoidance. Pilate is not uninterested in truth. He simply has no room for it. There are too many pressures. Too many expectations. Too much at stake. In that moment, truth feels less urgent than survival. It is not hard to see ourselves in him. We may not be governors, but our lives are full. Classes, jobs, internships, friendships, expectations. Many of us feel like we are barely keeping up. And in the middle of all of it, Jesus speaks about truth. About who God is. About what actually matters. About life, death, and eternity. And our instinctive response is the same. Not now. Later. When things calm down. But that moment rarely comes. Life does not simplify. It expands. Responsibilities grow. Pressures increase. The idea that there will be a better time to deal with ultimate questions is often a myth. Pilate shows us where delay leads. From that point on, he begins moving back and forth. Inside with Jesus. Outside with the crowd. Inside, he is confronted with truth. Outside, he is surrounded by pressure. Each time he steps away from Jesus, the noise grows louder. The tension rises. The cost of doing what is right becomes clearer. And something subtle begins to happen. The louder the crowd becomes, the quieter the truth sounds. You can feel this in your own life. The constant noise. Notifications. Opinions. Expectations. The pressure to keep up, to fit in, to succeed. It does not usually argue directly against truth. It simply drowns it out. Until eventually, you can barely hear it at all. In the end, Pilate tries to escape the decision. He attempts to hand responsibility over to the crowd. But the crowd has already been influenced. The momentum has already shifted. Then the decisive pressure comes. If he releases Jesus, he risks everything. His position. His reputation. Possibly his life. The cost becomes too high. So he gives in. He publicly washes his hands as if to declare his innocence. He tries to separate himself from what is happening. He tells himself it is not his responsibility. And then he hands Jesus over to be crucified. An innocent man condemned. A decision shaped not by truth, but by pressure. This is what passivity does. It does not leave you neutral. It slowly moves you in a direction, often without you realizing it, until one day you arrive somewhere you never meant to go. We often believe we can stay undecided about Jesus. That we can revisit the question later. That we can hold a neutral position without consequence. But neutrality is an illusion. There are always forces at work. The pull of comfort. The fear of cost. The influence of culture. If you are not actively moving toward truth, you are drifting away from it. Most people do not abandon faith in a single moment. They drift. Slowly. Quietly. Through a thousand small decisions to delay. A thousand moments of saying not now. But the story does not end with Pilate trying to avoid responsibility. Because at the center of this moment, when everyone else is passing the weight, Jesus does something entirely different. He takes it. Blame moves from person to person. The crowd deflects. The leaders deflect. No one wants to carry the weight of what is happening. It is too heavy. This is what we do as well. We minimize. We justify. We shift responsibility. The weight of our own failure is more than we can bear. But at the cross, Jesus steps forward and says he will carry it. He does not defend himself. He does not redirect blame. He does not say this is not mine. He absorbs it. The injustice. The sin. The weight that everyone else is trying to escape. This is the heart of the gospel. Not that we fix ourselves, but that Jesus takes what we cannot carry. And that changes everything. Because the reason we avoid truth is not just because we are busy. It is because we are afraid of what it will cost us. Afraid of what it will expose. But the one who confronts us with truth is the same one who offers to carry our burden. Which means we do not have to run anymore. We do not have to delay. We can face the truth because we are not facing it alone. So the question remains. What will you do with Jesus. You do not drift into following him. You only drift away. Pilate thought he could deal with it later. But later never came. And many of us are doing the same thing. Not rejecting. Just delaying. But delaying your decision about Jesus is your decision about Jesus. So do not walk away. Do not wait for a less busy season that will never arrive. The moment is now. What will you do with him. © 2026 David Jun. Want more content like this? Explore more articles in Knowing God.

We all have these thoughts: Am I going to lose my job? How will I pay my bills? Will my groceries last all week? What if the test results are positive? Am I good enough? Do they even like me? These thoughts can quickly become persistent worries. They can paralyze you. For some, the weight is heavier than for others, but regardless, worry steals from your present and robs your tomorrow before it even arrives. This is different from the normal day-to-day issues that naturally cause concern. Persistent worry can keep us in an unhealthy state of mind. Over time, it grows into anxiety, manifesting itself physically within our bodies and makes us sick. Concern is acknowledging that something is happening now or could potentially happen in real time. Concern is natural; it is a safety system God placed within us. We can take those concerns to God and seek His guidance, wisdom, and solutions before they turn into persistent worry and anxiety, before they become thoughts that offer no peace, no answers, and no direction. We can stop that anxiety cycle. No matter the situation, who is at fault, or how big or small the mountain before you may seem, you can lay it before Him. He will walk with you through it and never leave your side. Let Him in, and let Him carry those burdens and keep your tomorrow's. “For God gave us not a spirit of fearfulness; but of power and love and discipline.”~ 2 Timothy 1:7 “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time; casting all your anxiety upon him, because he careth for you.”~1 Peter 5:6–7 “Jehovah will fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.”~ Exodus 14:14 “Be still, and know that I am God […]”~ Psalms 46:10 © 2025/26 Jane Isley. Want more content like this? Explore more articles in Knowing God. Press Ctrl + P (Windows) or Cmd + P (Mac) to print this article or save it as a PDF.

In part 1, I went through the incident that led up to these two articles, broke down and examined “justifications” used for believing self-defense is never allowed, explored Peter’s actions, the Cities of Refuge God, and some other stuff. Part 2: You can’t “cherry pick” your way through the Bible. The pastors justification on his stance: “Thou shall not kill.” This is where his belief went off script. I could understand his first argument to some degree if you look at it just on the surface, but this one I can’t. He allowed no room for this discussion, no allowance for anyone to even explain that it is in fact Thou Shall Not Murder not Thou Shall Not Kill. Deliberate and intentional changing or going along with a previous mistranslation of the Bible that has been openly fixed and proven correct just to suit personal feelings or cowardness is the hallmark making of creating a disaster film. It’s all in the language. Before we start, two things. First, think about this quote by Andrew Holt. “All murder involves killing, but not all killings are considered murders” And I recommend you read the article below by Rabbi Yerachmiel D. Fried. I wanted to provide information from a Jewish perspective on this matter. While I do not necessarily agree with everything in this article by Rabbi Fried, it discusses both words from a Jewish perspective and linguistic source. I believe it is a valuable resource because we are predominantly English speakers who have been translating the Bible into our language. Our words, concepts, culture and thinking are not necessarily everyone else’s and vis versa. Texas Jewish Post; Torah makes distinction between murder, killing. While it is true that the word “kill” is used in many translations, newer translations have done a significantly better job thankfully of using ratsach and hāraḡ correctly. The Hebrew word used in Exodus 20:13 is trə-ṣāḥ (תִּֿרְצָֽ֖ח׃), the transliteration is ratsach, which means: “To murder, to slay, to kill.” It is not the Hebrew word hāraḡ which means “To kill, slay, destroy.” It is also not any of the other Hebrew words used in reference to death, dying, slaughter, destroy, butcher etc., it is the the word תִּֿרְצָֽ֖ח׃. תִּֿרְצָֽ֖ח׃ | trə·ṣāḥ | Ratsac “The Hebrew verb “ratsach” primarily refers to the act of murder or unlawful killing. It is used in the context of intentional, premeditated killing, as well as manslaughter. The term is often associated with the violation of the sanctity of life, which is a fundamental principle in biblical law.” (biblehub.com) הָרַ֖גְתָּ | hā-raḡ-tā | Harag “The Hebrew verb “harag” primarily means to kill or slay. It is used in the context of taking life, whether in warfare, murder, or execution. The term can imply both intentional and unintentional acts of killing. It is often used in the Old Testament to describe acts of violence, judgment, or divine retribution.” (Biblehub.com) Ultimately even if you choose to strictly use language as your only argument, it comes down to the fact you would need to remove everything else in the Bible regarding defense and self-defense and then you would have no choice but to remove God as well considering everything He did, commanded and said. You can’t have it both ways My Personal Reflections. We have learned more about the Hebrew language since people first started translating the Bible. We have become more accurate over the years as we have learned more about its unique nuances, structure and contextual uses. The words Ratsach and Harag each have a difference that sets these two words apart from each other. I recommend reading this article for an even further in-depth explanation of the Hebrew language and the use of kill and murder, it is very informative! "The whole killing vs. murder ‘contradiction’… by Mennoknight. Before anyone wants to go off and use improper translations, mistranslations, and how certain groups translated things, as a weapon against the Bible or an excuse not to believe in the Bible’s authority. Keep in mind that if someone hadn’t taken the Bible from the Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic languages and put it into Latin, then English, we’d be further backwards than forwards in our Christianity right now. Believe me, I have plenty of qualms about some of the word choices that were used over the years that led to misinterpretations, but those are for different days. Here’s the thing: We know more about languages than ever before! There is no excuse to not look and study further now, especially from someone who stands behind a pulpit. His personal feelings are irrelevant; only God’s word is relevant. If you are going to believe something and forcibly shut people down, make sure you know what you are talking about. Be open to learning, study the whole Bible, don’t cherry pick it. Learn the language, study the culture it came from, present the facts as they are and present the possible multiple interpretations as well if need be. But do not shut down your own congregation’s questions because you want to be the only one who knows “everything,” and you can not accept challenges. Don’t think that because you stand behind a pulpit, it protects you somehow or gives you the authority to change the Bible. Openly admitting you would not protect your own family and using the Bible as your “proof” is simply cowardice and a disgrace. © Jane Isley Thank you for taking the time to read, and please consider supporting my work. Your gift helps keep this work going, blesses others, and means the world to me. You can visit me at Faithful Writers on Medium, where other Christian writers have joined me in sharing the word of God. You can also find me on Facebook.

I was told self-defense is never allowed and is considered murder by a pastor. Challenge accepted. I was involved in a discussion where the topic of self-defense was brought up in a Bible study. It was recently brought to my attention again by someone else who was there about what happened that night. It wasn’t pretty, for several reasons and I realize in hindsight that I am still in disbelief over the conversation and how we all were treated and talked to. [I’ll do my best to paraphrase what happened] We were told that self-defense of any kind for any reason was absolutely against the Bible. (so is being in the military, but that’s for another day) A few of us put out in the conversation this question. If someone broke into your house and your wife or child were being attacked or raped, you wouldn’t fight back at all? The answer was no. Then he made an off-hand comment about giving a cloak to someone in need. I wish I was joking and could properly convey this pastor’s attitude toward us. According to him, we do not defend ourselves, at all for any reason, and if the worst happened it would always be murder if we protected ourselves, never self-defense. That’s where the discussion ended — in fact, he ended it, quickly, swiftly and like a bully. There was no allowance for further discussion from those who understood the language better to offer additional Biblical information to the discussion. It was his opinion and his alone that was correct. That, readers, is a serious red flag in any church and I’m going to break down his arguments, explain why it is unbiblical, and address his attitude in a two-part article. His first justification When Jesus was betrayed, Peter sliced off the ear of the servant of the high priest and Jesus chastised the disciple for doing what he did. This event is recorded in all four gospels, Matthew 26:47–55, Mark 14:47–50, Luke 22:49–51, and John 18:10. On the surface, this may appear to be a valid and solid argument against self-defense because Jesus chastised Peter. If you don’t study further. There are two details we need to examine with this situation. 1. A servant of the high priest was the one injured. This individual would have been made to come with the high priest despite what he felt on the matter. I read and view this person as the innocent bystander in this particular situation because he would not have been given a choice in accompanying the high priest. The reason for my belief? — The word δοῦλον (doulon). It was used in all four gospels to describe this particular individual. (I do think it’s relevant that all four gospels used the same word.) It comes from doulos which means “ Servant, Slave, Bondservant.” This was a person who was owned in some way by the high priest. “Doulos emphasizes who you belong to. You don’t get to make independent choices about your life, because you belong to someone else.” ~ Ezra Project The very word itself is synonymous with slave. 2. Peter did not use wisdom in this situation, he responded emotionally. While this was undoubtedly a tense and volatile situation. Jesus had forewarned his disciples that he would be betrayed, and it would end in His crucifixion. Peter reacted emotionally and impulsively and attacked the man without probable cause. Peter did not exercise wisdom, which is why what Peter did was wrong. Some other things to consider. “And He said to them, “But now, whoever has a money belt is to take it along, likewise also a bag, whoever has no sword is to sell his cloak and buy one. For I tell you that this which is written must be fulfilled in Me: ‘And He was counted with wrongdoers’; for that which refers to Me has its fulfillment.” They said, “Lord, look, here are two swords.” And He said to them, “It is enough.” Luke 22:36–38 * Why instruct them to buy swords if self-defense was never allowed? This was straight from Jesus; even to the end, He was still using what was happening around Him to teach us by example. Yes, absolutely, Peter messed up; that is not in question. But it is in this situation that we learn a significant difference between self-defense and murder. * Defense and self-defense are not new concepts in the Bible. The Israelites went to war and defended themselves a lot in the Bible; the Book of Esther is a good example. She requested that her people be allowed to defend themselves against attack, and God created a way for them to defend themselves, legally, I would like to point out. Also note that after they defended themselves, they did not take any spoils; it was not greed that motivated them, it was living. * Exodus 22:2–3 is also an example of self-defense and does require more than a precursory glance through. There have been varying questions asked regarding what is meant by the night vs day aspect for a long time, but ultimately, these verses are about self-defense. Blogger James Pate has an excellent article that takes you through various breakdowns and interpretations of this verse. I believe it would be very helpful to read as you explore this topic. * Jesus taught us to endure the insults that will come our way. He taught us to think before taking any action against someone who would hurt us and not to be vengeful. He taught us to forgive, show mercy, and be gentle and encouraged us to seek peace first and love our enemies. However, He did not command us to sit by and be violated either. In His Sermon on the Mount Jesus tells us He came to fulfill the law. What does that mean specifically? It means He came to promote the authority of God. He clarified, expanded, and taught us what we needed to know, how to act, give, pray, and many other things. He also confirmed that the law would remain until the second coming and called out those who would change the law in any way. That’s why the next section is really, really important regarding that so-called “conversation” I was a witness to. See, in Matthew 5:21–23, Jesus directly addresses Exodus 20:13 for us. “You shall not murder,’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be answerable to the court." In both instances the word murder is derived from the Greek word φονεύς, our transliteration is Phoneuó which means “To murder, to kill." This Greek verb literally means “to commit murder or to kill unlawfully. It is used in the New Testament to describe the act of taking another person’s life with intent and malice.” (Biblehub.com) And yes, Jesus expands on that for us, He discusses the dangers of anger in ourselves and what that means for us. But Jesus never made a statement against our right to self-defense. That would have been the prime moment to clarify this subject, but He did not. He clarified that law for us in a personal manner, He did not change it. In fact Jesus NEVER took away our right to defend ourselves anywhere. To change this is what we define as heresy. Jesus gave them the necessary framework needed in how to behave and to go out in the world to spread the gospel. But never as target dummies. There’s also this. We have the Cities of Refuge in the Bible God told Moses and Joshua to provide for foreigners and anyone who took a life unintentionally or in self-defense. These cities were strategically placed for people to be able to get to them quickly and the roads were well maintained. Numbers 35:13–15 and Joshua 20:5–9 talk about these cities and what they were provided for. 2 Samuel 3:26–28 also confirms these cities were for situations of self-defense. “He who strikes someone so that he dies shall certainly be put to death. Yet if he did not lie in wait for him, but God caused him to fall into his hand, then I will appoint you a place to which he may flee. If, however, someone is enraged against his neighbor, so as to kill him in a cunning way, you are to take him even from My altar, to be put to death.” Exodus 21:12–14 www.blueletterbible.org Self-defense had been acknowledged by God as something that would inevitably occur. Protective measures were set in place by God and never stopped by Jesus to protect the innocent. God’s law on murder was strict, and these cities provided people safety. Self-defense is the use of wisdom, knowledge, experience, tact, and common sense. © 2025 Jane Isley Thank you for taking the time to read, and please consider supporting my work. Your gift helps keep this work going, blesses others, and means the world to me. You can visit me at Faithful Writers on Medium, where other Christian writers have joined me in sharing the word of God. You can also find me on Facebook. Part 2 is here. I will be going through the differences between kill and murder, how they are two different words, and my personal reflections on this conversation.