Problem: Three times in the book of Acts, Luke the physician recorded non-Christians asking what they needed to do to be saved, and three times a different answer was given. The heathen jailor from Philippi asked Paul and Silas, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?,” and was told: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved” (16:30-31). The Jews on Pentecost asked the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?,” and were instructed to “repent and be baptized” (2:37-38). A few years later, Saul (later called Paul—Acts 13:9) asked Jesus, Who appeared to Saul on his way to Damascus, “Lord, what do you want me to do?” (9:6; 22:10). After being told to go into Damascus to find out what he “must do” to be saved, Ananias, the Lord’s servant, commanded Saul to “[a]rise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (22:16). The question that many ask is: “Why are three different answers given to the same question?” Are these answers contradictory, or is there a logical explanation for their differences?
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Problem: Considering how many people within Christendom teach that an individual can be saved merely by professing a belief in Christ, it is not surprising that skeptics claim that the Bible contradicts itself in this regard. Although Peter and Paul declared, “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Acts 2:21; Romans 10:13; cf. Joel 2:32), skeptics quickly remind their readers that Jesus once stated: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven” (Matthew 7:21; cf. Luke 6:46). Allegedly, Matthew 7:21 clashes with such passages as Acts 2:21 and Romans 10:13 (see Morgan, 2003; Wells, 2001). Since many professed Christians seem to equate “calling on the name of the Lord” with the idea of saying to Jesus, “Lord, save me,” Bible critics feel even more justified in their pronouncement of “conflicting testimonies.” How can certain professed followers of Christ claim that they were saved by simply “calling out to Christ,” when Christ Himself proclaimed that a mere calling upon Him would not save a person?
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Problem: Pentecost marks the beginning of the Church. On this important day Spirit-baptism first took place (see Ephesians 1:22-23 and 1 Corinthians12:13; compare with Matthew 3:11; 16:18; Acts 1:5; 11:15-17). Thus for the first time believers were immersed into a new and unique organism, the body of Christ. God’s new program was inaugurated on this momentous day!

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Problem: Reformed/Covenant Theology teaches (with some variation in details) that the Church is made up of the elect of all ages, and therefore the Church must have begun with the first person who was saved. This is the common view, although some begin the church with the nation Israel. In either case, Reformed men are unanimous in teaching that the Church was present in the Old Testament period.  This is illustrated by the headings found at the top of The Thompson Chain Reference Bible in the book of Isaiah: “God’s mercy to the Church”   “God avengeth His church” “His great mercies to the Church”   “The church comforted”  “The restoration of the Church”   “The church exhorted”  “God will comfort His church”   “The prophet’s zeal for the church”  “Confession and complaint of the church” etc. 

Reformed/Covenant men stress that throughout all history there is but one people of God, and that these saved people comprise the Church.
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Problem: Through the years, the description of Judas Iscariot’s death has been one of the most popular alleged Bible contradictions. It seems as if every skeptical book or Web site that questions the integrity of the Bible lists Judas’ death as one of the most obvious inconsistencies in Scripture. Whereas Matthew records that Judas “went and hanged himself” after betraying Jesus for 30 pieces of silver (27:5), Luke records that “falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his entrails gushed out” (Acts 1:18). Because Matthew only mentions Judas being hanged, while Luke mentions Judas falling headlong and bursting open at his midsection, a “real” contradiction supposedly is staring us in the face.
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Problem: Did Judas Iscariot die by hanging (Matthew 27:5) or did he die by falling and bursting open (Acts 1:18)?

Matthew 27:5
Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself.

Acts 1:18
Now this man purchased a field with the wages of iniquity; and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his entrails gushed out.

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Problem: Numerous alleged Bible discrepancies arise because skeptics frequently interpret figurative language in a literal fashion. They treat God’s Word as if it were a dissertation on the Pythagorean theorem rather than a book written using ordinary language. They fail to recognize the inspired writers’ use of sarcasm, hyperbole, prolepsis, irony, etc. Such is the case in their interpretation of 1 Corinthians 15:5. Since Paul stated that “the twelve” (apostles) saw Jesus after His resurrection, these critics claim that Paul clearly erred, because there were not “twelve” apostles after Jesus’ resurrection and before His ascension. There actually were only eleven apostles during that time. [Judas already had committed suicide (Matthew 27:5), and Matthias was not chosen as an apostle until after Jesus’ ascension into heaven (Acts 1:15-26).] Skeptics claim Paul’s use of the term “twelve” when speaking about “eleven” clearly shows that the Bible was not given “by inspiration of God.”
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Problems: Have you ever stopped to consider how flexible people are when using geographical terms to describe somewhere they have been in the past or are going in the future? Perhaps you have heard friends telling about their trip to Dallas, Texas to watch the Dallas Cowboys play football. The truth is, however, the Cowboys technically do not play in Dallas, Texas, but in Arlington, Texas. It may be that one day your family decides to take a trip to Atlanta, Georgia to go to Six Flags. If you do, make sure you first understand that Six Flags is not exactly in Atlanta, but in Austell, Georgia.
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Problem: Some time ago a gentleman presented what he thought was an “insurmountable problem” for the Christian who claims that “Jesus physically rose from the grave in essentially the same body that was crucified on the cross” . Allegedly, since God is spirit, Who lives in the spiritual heavens, it was necessary for Jesus to die a second time in order to shed His earthly body. And, since there is no mention of Jesus shedding this body before ascending into heaven, one supposedly cannot justifiably conclude that He physically rose from the grave.
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Problem: “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, He shall testify of me” (John 15:26). The Holy Spirit’s ministry is to testify or bear witness of Christ, to point to Christ. The Holy Spirit does not draw attention to Himself, but to the Lord Jesus.
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Problem: Charismatic Answer: The person must tarry and pray and sometimes go through a long ordeal, and if not successful, try, try, try again.

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Problem: Charismatic Answer: Only those Christians who have had the “Pentecostal” experience of speaking in tongues.

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Problem: Charismatic Answer: “subsequent to salvation”. If it happens after salvation, then this means a person could be saved who has not yet had this experience of Spirit baptism.

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Problem: “The baptism in the Holy Spirit is a definite, personal experience subsequent to salvation and confirmed to the believer with the evidence of speaking in a new language or tongue supernaturally as the Holy Spirit gives utterance.” [From a Charismatic tract written by Dr. Hobart Freeman and published by Faith Ministries & Publications.]

“The baptism of the Holy Spirit as a separate, distinct experience subsequent to salvation, providing enduement of power for life and service, accompanied by speaking in tongues.”  [From the doctrinal statement of the Rock Church (the name of certain charismatic churches in Connecticut and perhaps elsewhere).]

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