Questions

Confused about something in the gospel of Mark?

Have a theological question?

Have any questions about life in general?

Write your question below and I’ll follow up with an answer!

=)

- Pastor Steve

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Catherine Suh (05:15:56) :

Will we ever cover the topic of ’666′ ..you know the mark of the beast thing? I recently heard from my parents and other people about it and talking about this ‘verichip’ thing (google it)? …..I’m a bit scared and I’m wondering if that stuff is actually ture?

Again, another good question.

We might cover the topic of ‘666’ when we get to chapter 13 of Mark so cross your fingers =)

I have also heard about the verichip thing. And here’s my take on it.

On the one hand, in Revelation 13:16-18 it says regarding the second of two beasts, “Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.

This will absolutely happen.

On the other hand, Verichip is a microchip about the length of two dimes, which can be implanted into a person’s arm for the purpose of identification verification.

This may or may not be “the mark” discussed in Rev. 13.

One is a fact, the other is a speculation.

Now, if you put them together, it makes sense why people would draw a connection between verichip and the mark of the beast. Verichip could be used as the future form of money in which one could buy or sell. So if people talk/discuss the connection between the two, I think its natural, understandable, and even stimulating.

But at the same time, these are just speculations. We must remember that the enemy is the deceiver and so while we do consider possibilities of what the mark of the beast may be, the best thing is to stay the course of truth by the power of the Holy Spirit in both Word and prayer. Don’t forget, the One who is in us is greater than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4)!

Lastly, if I could encourage you – take some time to read through the entire book of Revelation. Christians are often scared of reading Revelation because of all the talk of the beast, anti-Christ, and the mark. However, the book of Revelation is one of the most encouraging books and one that should instill in the believer utmost confidence in Jesus because the book vividly depicts the powerful God-Man, Lord and King, Savior and Judge, Jesus Christ who is returning to earth on a white horse to put a final end to the enemy, judge all of mankind, and establish His unfaltering Kingdom rule on earth. Revelations is about Jesus’ victory over all. So check it out and I hope you’re encouraged by it.

=)

- P. Steve.

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isaac woo (18:40:16)

salvation comes from believing and accepting that Jesus died to cover our sins. but the jews do not accept Jesus as the savior and messiah, therefore they are not saved. how is it possible that God’s own chosen people are not saved while other people of the world are? i just thought that it was strange.

A thinker’s question indeed!

You’re right on two important points Isaac.

1. Salvation does come from believing and accepting that Jesus died to cover our sins (Acts 4:12).
2. The Jews (generally speaking, some Jews did trust Christ) rejected Jesus as their Savior and Messiah (Luke 23:18-25).

With this being said, I think Scripture clarifies for us what exactly happened/is happening/and will happen regarding His chosen people and His plan of salvation.

Before you read the list below, I recommend a thorough reading of Romans 11.

With that being said, here are a few things we find in Romans 11 and other parts of Romans.

1) God’s purpose for the Gentiles – Yes, God’s chosen people (Israelites) did reject Jesus. But Scripture teaches us that it was through this disobedience that salvation came to the rest of the world.

Romans 11:11- “So I ask, did they (Israelites) stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous.”

Romans 11:25 – “lest you be wise in your own conceits, I want you to understand this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.”

God used the very sin (rejection of Jesus) of His people to bring salvation to the world.

2) God not done with the Israelites – Though the Israelites rejected Jesus the Messiah, God is not yet done with them. In fact, there will come a time when His people will be saved.

Romans 11:1-2 – I ask then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew.

Romans 11:5 – So too at the present time there is a remnant (of God’s people), chosen by grace.

In this, God saves both His chosen people and the rest of the world!

3) Meaning of “chosen people” – We must also define what we mean by “chosen.” For us, we think that because the Israelites were the chosen people, that must mean EVERY SINGLE Israelites should be saved. Yet according to Apostle Paul’s understanding of God’s plan of salvation, this is not true.

Romans 2:28-29 – “For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter.”

Romans 9:6-8 – “But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.”

Being a chosen people is more than just ritual (circumcision) or genetic (lineage) circumstances.

We find that God has used the sin of the Jews to bring salvation to the world. In this God has not given up on the Israelites, but will fulfill His promise to bring salvation to His chosen people. And lastly, “chosen” is determined not by ritual or genetics but by promise. In the end, God wins, His plan is accomplished, and His chosen people are saved.

Hope this was of help!

- P. Steve

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Catherine Suh (04:07:31) :

What is the difference between a presbyterian & wesleyan ?? (I hope I spelled the two right …)

Great question Catherine! And yes you spelled it right =)

Presbyterian and Wesleyan are two denominations.

A denomination is a religious organization uniting local congregations into a single body with common beliefs.

With that being said, here are a couple of distinctives-

The Presbyterian denomination is based on the teachings and theology of the Swiss theologian John Calvin. John Calvin was known for systematizing the many teachings of the Bible. He saw the Bible primarily through the lens of God’s sovereignty and is well known for his teachings regarding predestination.

The Wesleyan denomination was founded by its break from the Methodist church (which was founded by the evangelist and theologian John Wesley). The cause for this break was because of its anti-slavery convictions. Wesleyan theology emphasizes salvation and sanctification.

A difference in theology is a doctrine (teaching) known as “Perseverance of the Saints.”

This is the doctrine that teaches that a true born again believer cannot lose their salvation, or to put it in other words – once saved, always saved. The Presbyterian church affirms this whereas the Wesleyan church does not. Our church however, does believe that a true, genuine believer cannot lose their salvation.

In spite of its few differences, there is much more that is agreed upon – the person of God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the gospel, view of Scripture, how one is saved, etc.

Hope this was of some help!

- P. Steve

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Nathan Oh (00:10:02) :

Hey Bang,
I just wanted to know why we were going over Mark as opposed to a different Gospel, seeing how all the Gospels are almost the same.
Is there any special reason?

Great question Nathan!

Yes, you’re right. The Gospels are very similar to each other, especially the synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke). In fact, 93% of all that’s written in Mark is found in Matthew and Luke.

So…why are we studying Mark? Why not Matthew? Why not Luke?

3 reasons and I’ll list them for easy reading =)

1. Mark’s Theme – Though the three Gospels look much alike and all four Gospels tell the story of Christ’s life, each Gospel carries its own unique and distinct theme. For example, the Gospel of Matthew powerfully portrays Jesus as the promised Messiah. The Gospel of Luke portrays the humanity of Jesus while John portrays His divinity. The Gospel of Mark portrays Jesus as the suffering servant who saves the world. I wanted us as a group to see Jesus in this way. God came not to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45)! How amazing is that?! Isn’t the only appropriate response for us to give praise to Him and in turn serve others? This is why I titled the series “Mark: the Servant and the Savior.”

2. Action Packed – The Gospel of Mark is the shortest Gospel and yet has more stories of Christ’s miracles than any other Gospel. To put it in another way – It’s action packed! If you look at Matthew, it takes 7 full chapters before Jesus performs any miracle. It takes Luke almost 4 chapters, and John 1 full chapter. But Mark jumps right into it after 20 verses by casting out a demon, then healing the sick, then preaching, then cleansing a leper, and healing a paralytic. It moves in a very fast pace. I thought it would be beneficial for us to get a closer look at the many actions of Jesus to explore what it teaches us about Him. Remember before we went through the Gospel of John? Well John is the opposite! Instead of being action focused, it’s more teaching and conversation focused. That’s why there are so many red letters (Jesus’ words)! So I thought we’d see a different perspective of our Savior.

3. Length – Mark is only 16 chapters to Matthew’s 28, Luke’s 24, and John’s 21. I wanted us to go through a Gospel thoroughly but still move fast enough to get to another book of the Bible so I liked the 16 chapters =P

I hope this answered your question Nathan.

Let’s allow Him to move us to properly see Jesus, to hear and respond to His Kingdom invitation, and ultimately be transformed to be like Him.

Great question Nate!

- P. Steve