Does a Private Commitment Create a Legitimate Marriage?

Greg answers questions about how Jesus can be God if God is in Heaven and Jesus was on earth, whether disordered desires are sinful and Satan puts thoughts in Christians’ minds, baptism of the Holy Spirit by laying on hands, and a challenge to Greg’s view on John 16:13.   Topics: How can Jesus be God if God is in Heaven and Jesus was on earth? (04:00) Are disordered desires sinful, and does Satan put sinful thoughts in Christians’ minds? (15:00) Do Acts 8 and 19 teach that we only receive the Holy Spirit if someone lays hands on us? (30:00) Does the fact that the apostles disagreed with each other at times refute the reason why you think John 16:13 doesn’t apply to us today? (44:00)

Greg talks to Craig Hazen, STR’s new chief strategy officer, then he answers a question about the implications that follow from the idea that we don’t have to figure out special instructions from God.   Topics: Interview: Craig Hazen joins Stand to Reason. (00:00) Does the fact that we don’t have to figure out what God is telling us to do mean that God doesn’t really care what we do and doesn’t ordain what he wants us to do? (34:00)   Mentioned on the Show:  Reality Student Apologetics Conference – November 8–9 in Minneapolis, MN; February 21–22, 2025 in Dallas, TX; March 21–22, 2025 in Philadelphia, PA; April 25–26 in Dayton, OH   Related Links: Does God Whisper? Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 (on decision making) by Greg Koukl

Greg talks to Sean McDowell, author of End the Stalemate, about how cancel culture developed, communicating ideas well to others, dealing with your own biases, being charitable, steelmanning your opponent’s arguments, and more.   Topics: Interview: Sean McDowell, author of End the Stalemate: Move Past Cancel Culture to Meaningful Conversations (00:00)   Mentioned on the Show:  End the Stalemate: Move Past Cancel Culture to Meaningful Conversations by Sean McDowell Greg Koukl and Michael Shermer at the End of the Decade of the New Atheists – Debate transcript Sean McDowell and Matthew Vines on the Bible and Homosexuality – Video of the debate Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview by J.P. Moreland and William Lane Craig Street Smarts: Using Questions to Answer Christianity’s Toughest Challenges by Greg Koukl   Related Links: Proverbs for Apologists by Amy Hall

Greg talks to Jonathan Keller of California Family Council about the problematic “marriage equality” Prop 3 in California, then he discusses using our vote to do the most good we can, whether God takes sides, getting educated about what will actually do good, and more.   Topics: Interview: Jonathan Keller, president and CEO of California Family Council, about the problems with California’s Prop 3 (00:00) Thoughts on politics and voting (31:00)   Mentioned on the Show:  Jonathan Keller Proposition 3 for “marriage equality” Polyamorous families are recognized and protected in Oakland, CA – NPR   Related Links: Getting “Political”—Vice or Christian Virtue? by Greg Koukl Politics Is a Moral Enterprise by Greg Koukl #STRask: What Biblical Principles Should Guide How We Vote?

Greg answers questions about helping trauma survivors think through their trauma biblically, giving to the point where your family has to go without things they need, passages about God loving individuals, and assumptions about communication to bring to the study of language.   Topics: In light of the existence of the soul, do you have any advice on how to help trauma survivors think through what they’ve experienced biblically and see things from God’s perspective? (03:00) What are your thoughts on people giving above and beyond a tithe to the church to the point where the family has to go without things they need? (25:00) Are there any passages that talk about God loving individuals personally as opposed to loving everyone in a general way? (36:00) What assumptions about communication do we need to bring to the study of language, particularly to American Sign Language and other sign languages? (46:00)   Mentioned on the Show:  Interview: J.P. Moreland – The Substance of Consciousness

Greg discusses the claim that abortion bans increase infant death rates, then he talks to callers about using probability numbers in teleological arguments and whether it’s worth trying to convince a church member who’s a former Jehovah’s Witness that Jesus is uncreated.   Topics: Commentary: Spot the shell game in this article on abortion bans. (00:00) When it comes to the teleological argument, are apologists conceding it’s possible it could have happened on its own when they give a small probability number? (26:00) Is it worth trying to convince a former Jehovah’s Witness in my church that Jesus is uncreated when he says he’s simply reading the Bible “as it is” and that arguments about language and context just complicate things? (46:00)   Mentioned on the Show:  Reality Student Apologetics Conference – October 18–19 in Seattle, WA; November 8–9 in Minneapolis, MN; February 21–22, 2025 in Dallas, TX; March 21–22, 2025 in Philadelphia, PA; April 25–26 in Dayton, OH Infants died at higher rates after abortion bans in the US, research shows by Deidre McPhillips Deity of Christ: Case Closed by Greg Koukl

Greg answers questions about whether the A-theory vs. B-theory of time is a false dichotomy, why Jesus had to suffer before dying for our sin, gender dysphoria, and how we know we haven’t simply deluded ourselves into thinking we have good evidence for our faith.   Topics: Is the A-theory vs. B-theory of time a false dichotomy when it comes to God and his nature? (04:00) If death was the penalty for sin, why did Jesus have to suffer before dying for our sin? What’s the biblical basis for suffering for sin? (20:00) Toleration of gender dysphoria doesn’t make sense on three different grounds. (37:00) How do we as believers know we haven’t simply deluded ourselves into thinking we have good evidence for our faith? Is there a way to independently verify that we’re seeing things objectively? (47:00)   Mentioned on the Show:  Reality Student Apologetics Conference – October 18–19 in Seattle, WA; November 8–9 in Minneapolis, MN; February 21–22, 2025 in Dallas, TX; March 21–22, 2025 in Philadelphia, PA; April 25–26 in Dayton, OH Upcoming events with Stand to Reason speakers Submit a question on the Open Mic Line Why the Blood by Greg Koukl

Greg talks about whether or not God hears the prayer of the unbeliever, then he answers questions about what Matthew 21:21 means when it says you can make things happen if you have faith and do not doubt and how to know if you should leave a church or you’re being too critical.   Topics: Commentary: Does God hear the prayer of the unbeliever? (00:00) What does Matthew 21:21 mean when it says that if you have faith and do not doubt, you can make things happen and receive things? (33:00) Should I leave this church, or am I being too critical? (46:00)

Greg talks about the notion of entailment, then he talks to callers about how to respond to someone who says Christianity took ideas from older religions, whether or not there are still descendants of Abraham, and how to respond to someone who says God is transgender.   Topics: Commentary: You need to understand the notion of entailment. (00:00) How would you answer people who say Christianity isn’t original, that it took ideas from other religions, and that other religions are older? (18:00) Are there still descendants of Abraham? (37:00) How would you respond to the claim that God is transgender? (50:00)   Mentioned on the Show:  The Story of Reality: How the World Began, How It Ends, and Everything Important that Happens in Between by Greg Koukl Reality Student Apologetics Conference – October 18–19 in Seattle, WA; November 8–9 in Minneapolis, MN; February 21–22, 2025 in Dallas, TX; March 21–22, 2025 in Philadelphia, PA   Related Links: Jesus, Recycled Redeemer? by Greg Koukl

Greg talks to Bobby Conway, author of Does Christianity Still Make Sense? about his past before he was a Christian, apologetics as a way of loving people, how to respond to various popular objections to Christianity, and more.   Topics: Interview: Bobby Conway, author of Does Christianity Still Make Sense?: A Former Skeptic Responds to Today’s Toughest Objections to Christianity (00:00)   Mentioned on the Show:  Does Christianity Still Make Sense?: A Former Skeptic Responds to Today’s Toughest Objections to Christianity by Bobby Conway Christianity Still makes Sense – Bobby Conway’s website Doubting Toward Faith: The Journey to Confident Christianity by Bobby Conway Bobby Conway’s YouTube channel   Related Links: One Way or Any Way? Part 1 by Greg Koukl One Way or Any Way? Part 2 by Greg Koukl