Problem: John writes of “the seven Spirits who are before His throne” (Rev. 1:4). What is he referring to? The Holy Spirit or angels?
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Revelation 1:4 – How can the Holy Spirit be seven spirits if He is one person?
Problem: According to the orthodox doctrine of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit is one person, the third person of the triune Godhead. Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit as “He” (singular). But John referred to “the seven Spirits who are before His [God’s] throne” (Rev. 1:4), which many commentators see as a reference to the Holy Spirit. But how can the Holy Spirit be seven spirits?
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Revelation 1:1 – Why does John say that these events “must soon take place”?
Problem: John writes about “the things which must soon take place” (Rev. 1:1). He also speaks of these events being “near” (Rev. 1:3). Preterist interpreters argue that John believed that these predictions were fulfilled in AD 70 at the destruction of the Temple. Preterist Kenneth Gentry writes,
Greek lexicons and modern translations agree that these terms indicate temporal proximity. Throughout the New Testament tachos means “quickly, at once, without delay, shortly.” The term engys (“near”) also speaks of temporal nearness: of the future (Matt. 26:18), of summer (24:32), and of a festival (John 2:13). The inspired apostle John clearly informs his original audience nearly two thousand years ago that they should expect the prophecies to “take place” (Rev. 1:1) in their lifetime.[1]
Was John telling his readers that these prophecies were going to take place in their lifetimes?
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Jude 14 – Is the book of Enoch scripture since Jude quotes it?
Problem: Jude 14 quotes the book of Enoch. Is it Scripture?
“And about these also Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones,” (Jude 14).
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Jude 14 – Doesn’t Jude cite the uninspired Book of Enoch as divinely authoritative?
Problem: Jude quotes The Book of Enoch, saying, “Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, `Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints’ ” (v. 14). However, Enoch is not an inspired book but is considered pseudepigraphal (a false writing) by the Christian church.
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Jude 9, 14-15 – Why does Jude quote the Assumption of Moses (v.9) and the Book of Enoch (v.14-15)?
Problem: Jude cites from both the Assumption of Moses (v.9) and the Book of Enoch (v.14-15). Neither of these books are canonical (inspired Scripture); they are pseudepigraphic (uninspired books outside the Bible). Critics argue that either Jude believed these books were Scripture, or the book of Jude is not Scripture itself.
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Jude 9 – Isn’t the dispute between Michael the Archangel and the devil based on an apocryphal story?
Problem: Jude records an account in which Michael the archangel and the devil have a dispute over the body of Moses, saying, “Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, `The Lord rebuke you!’ ” (v. 9) This account is not found in the OT and is also considered to be found in a pseudepigraphal book (false writing) titled The Assumption of Moses.
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Jude 4 – Condemned beforehand?
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3 John 13-14 – Does this passage imply that verbal tradition is greater than Scripture?
Problem: John writes, “I had many things to write to you, but I am not willing to write them to you with pen and ink; 14 but I hope to see you shortly, and we will speak face to face” (3 Jn. 13). Catholic apologists claim that this implies that oral tradition is greater than written Scripture.
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3 John 9-10 – Does this passage speak against church discipline or for it?
Problem: John writes, “Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not accept what we say. 10 For this reason, if I come, I will call attention to his deeds which he does, unjustly accusing us with wicked words; and not satisfied with this, he himself does not receive the brethren, either, and he forbids those who desire to do so and puts them out of the church” (3 Jn. 9-10). John seems to be against Diotrephes engaging in church discipline here, but the rest of Bible speaks about this practice (Mt. 18:15-17; 1 Cor. 5:1-13; 2 Thess. 3:6). Does the Bible support church discipline or not?
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