On answering difficult questions

I have a master’s degree in apologetics. I feel pretty good about answering difficult questions about Christianity.

But even if that weren’t true, I could google it. The information’s all there.

But if we think only of difficult questions as a problem to solve, then I think we miss the bigger opportunity.

Jesus had critics. And they asked him difficult questions. And, of course, being God, he knew the answers.

But he also knew something else.

He also knew that many times those difficult questions were really a ruse. Bate. Like the time in Matthew 21:23-27, when he asked a harder question in return and then never gave an answer at all.

What Jesus knew is that chasing down his critics would have distracted those listening from hearing the real message. The gospel, that God loves them.

The better option for deciding whether to answer difficult questions is to use this filter: Will this help them better understand God’s love?

And if the answer is no, then it’s better to move on.