Questions and Answers at Coast Bible Church on May 24, 1992 - Zane C. Hodges

On May 24, 1992, Zane Hodges answered the following questions at Coast Bible Church:

1:44 - In Isaiah 40:1-2, who is the speaker asking to do the comforting, the nations of the world or is God comforting? 

3:04 - In what sense should believers view their adoption by God?

4:11 – What is the difference in the two terms for “child” and “son” in Greek?

5:11 – Is there a difference between being born of God and receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit?

7:03 – How can we differentiate between the new creation of God, which I am, and the flesh and not be guilty of a dualistic view of man like the Gnostics?  What is Gnosticism?

10:26 – In 2 Corinthians 5:11, regarding the “Knowing, therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men”, in what sense will Christians experience the terror of the Lord if they fail to persuade men?

13:27 – 1 Corinthians 4:5 speaks of “the hidden things of darkness and the counsels of men’s hearts” being brought to light, in what sense will our failures or sins be brought up at the Judgment Seat of Christ and how does this fit the teaching of forgiveness and cleansing of sin and of God remembering our sins no more (Hebrews 10:17)?

21:06 – Does belief require a commitment?

21:38- Are there different types, degrees, or kinds of faith, such as weak versus strong or superficial versus deep? What sort of faith results in salvation? How much faith do you have to have to be saved?

27:45 – What are works? Which works are acceptable to God? Is fruit the same thing as works?

28:57 – Do works or fruit or both prove that faith exists? If so, why is proof necessary?

30:10 – Is it our job to be fruit inspectors or work detectors?  Are we called to judge ourselves and others?

31:05 – Can we be assured of our own salvation?

31:15 – Can we have assurance of another person’s salvation?

36:21 – In 2 Corinthians 5:1-10, if absence from this body means to be in the instant presence of the Lord, when will we be judged in verse 10?  When shall the dead in Christ rise in 1 Thessalonians 4:16?  Doesn’t the Greek word for “absence”  in 2 Corinthians 5 suggest waiting for something while dead? Don’t other passages suggest the waiting in the care of Christ until they arise first, 1 Corinthians 15:6, 18; 1 Thessalonians 4:13,15; 2 Peter 3:4?

39:00 – What about the idea of soul sleep for dead believers?  Why do we sleep until we receive our glorified physical bodies?

40:55 – If believers will not come into judgment, John 5:24, why do they still go before the Judgment Seat of Christ?

42:25 – What about the idea that dead believers prior to receiving their resurrected bodies experience time outside of the normal time-space continuum?  That is one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day, so it will seem like sleep and the next conscious experience will be awakening at the Judgment Seat of Christ.  Some explain soul sleep this way.

43:50 – Is there an age of accountability?

45:02 - Is the term “justification” used differently by James than by Paul?

46:16 – Explain the living creatures in Ezekiel 1:15.

48:40 – When Saul goes to the witch of En Dor and she brings up Samuel, wouldn’t we have assumed that Samuel is with God, so how could Samuel  ascend out of the earth? (1 Samuel 28)

50:25 – What is the bare minimum components of the Gospel or evangelistic message? Do you have to mention sin?  What is the information that must be communicated?

53:15 – When do we inherit the kingdom of God? What does it mean to inherit the kingdom?

55:56 – What about the omission of the tribe of Dan from the list of the tribes of Israel in Revelation 7?

1:01:09 – Do we lose rewards in heaven if we are recognized for them today?

1:02:21 – Is Matthew 25, are the goats cast into the outer darkness?

1:02:43 – Why do the goats in Matthew 25:43 go into the everlasting fire?  What is going on with the judgment of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25?

1:05:44 – Is one reason for the omission of the tribe of Dan in Revelation 7, is that the tribe of Dan was one of the first tribes to fall into idolatry?

1:06:46 -  Is the 144,000 in Revelation 7 sealed so that they will survive the entire tribulation?

1:08:24 – Is the 144,000 the total sum of believing Israel or the number of missionaries?

1:10:08 – What are you looking forward to in the coming kingdom?