Problem: Jesus urged the rich young ruler to “sell what you have and give to the poor” (Matt. 19:21). The early disciples sold their possessions and laid the money at the apostles’ feet (Acts 4:34–35). And Paul warned that “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil” (1 Tim. 6:10). However, God blessed Abraham and Job with riches, and Paul does not instruct the rich to give away all they have, but to use and “richly enjoy” (1 Tim. 6:17–18).
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1 Tim 6:16 – Does God dwell in darkness or in light?
Problem: According to Paul, God “dwells in unapproachable light.” However, the Bible repeatedly says things like “the Lord said He would dwell in the dark cloud” (1 Kings 8:12) because “He made darkness His secret place (Ps. 18:11; cf. 97:2). Which is it—darkness or light?
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1 Tim 6:16 – Does only God have immortality or do humans also have it?
Problem: According to Paul in this passage, God “alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light.” However, in other places, Paul speaks of Christians being raised in “immortal” physical bodies (1 Cor. 15:53) and partaking of “immortality” through the Gospel (2 Tim. 1:10). But if God alone has immortality, then how can anyone else have it?
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1 Tim 6:15-16 – Has anyone seen God or not?
Problem: In some verses of Scripture, people see God. But, in other verses, it says they cannot see God? Is this a contradiction? It is not if you understand the Trinity and the context of those verses.
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1 Tim. 6:1-2 – Does the Bible support slavery?
Does the Bible support slavery? Skeptics of the Bible often claim that it does. For instance, in their book What the Bible Really Says, skeptics Morton Smith and R. Joseph Hoffman write,
There is no reasonable doubt that the New Testament, like the Old, not only tolerated chattel slavery (the form prevalent in the Greco-Roman world of Paul’s time) but helped to perpetuate it by making the slaves’ obedience to their masters a religious duty. This biblical morality was one of the greatest handicaps that the emancipation movement in the United States had to overcome.[1]
How should believers respond to such claims? Does the Bible support slavery?
1 Tim 5:23 – Is it right or wrong to drink alcohol?
Problem: Many Christians argue that consumption of alcohol is sinful. However, Paul specifically tells Timothy to drink alcohol. Should we drink alcohol or not?
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1 Tim 5:23 – Was Paul recommending wine-drinking for Christians?
Problem: The Bible repeatedly warns against abuse of strong drink and drunkenness (Prov. 20:1; 31:4–5; Isa. 24:9; 1 Cor. 6:9–10; Eph. 5:18). However, here Paul tells Timothy to “no longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent infirmities.” Doesn’t this commend wine drinking?
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