Campus Bible Study

"Is it proven and known that Jesus actually died on Friday 3rd April AD? Or was that simply said because this year, Good Friday falls on 3rd April!"

"How are the wicked raised (for judgement)? Is it in some seme sense an overcoming of death for them even though not in Christ?"

"How do I explain hell to someone who doesn't believe in the afterlife or in God, if the idea of a Godless existence does not mean anything to them so hell is an immaterial thing Christians just throw at non-believers?"

"Should we seek death?"

"Is it wrong for us to attempt to prolong life in this world e.g. medical interventions?"

"Why did Jesus have to die?"

“Aren't most of vv3-14 things that occur after the cross?”

“If Jesus is speaking about his crucifixion, why does he say to pray it doesn't happen in winter, and cry alas for women nursing infants? Does this not suggest that the 'great tribulation' (v21) is one which is experienced by the people and not by him? Why is seeing his crucifixion (if it is the abomination of desolation) a sign to flee (v15)?”

"If the abomination of desolation was Jesus' death, how do we interpret v20, v23-38? Wouldn't those verses point towards a time after Jesus?"

"If the abomination here is Jesus' death on the cross, then why are there all the fleeing instructions in Matthew 24:16-20? Is not Jesus the only one who suffers the tribulation?"

"If we take the 'abomination that causes desolation' to be tied to Jesus' death/resurrection, how does the more general tribulation and fleeing in v16-20 fit in? Seems more AD70-like, would seem strange if it were sandwiched by AD33 stuff."

"I'm curious about 24:16-20, and how this fits with Jesus' death or the final judgement? It feels very practical, and I'm confused about what the "flight" is (v.20) in either of these contexts." 

“I wonder if the coming in v30 is different from v36-44 since the first seem to have signs and nearness or if they are just the same coming spanning the age?”

“The third servant seems to get thrown into hell because of his actions. How do we reconcile this with salvation through faith alone?”

"Is there still a balance in serving in ministry with endurance? I think burn out is still very real?"

"In Matt 22:1-14 the garment is the important qualifier for being at the feast or not, so why are some of them called "good"? Does it mean anything, or is it one of those "it's a parable don't worry about it too much" situations?"

"What are the implications for us with the men with no garment? Are there still extra things that we need to be given once we enter the "wedding"/kingdom of God? (Is salvation a multi-step process?)"

"How should we think about tax when the government spends on things against God (e.g. abortion) (or idol worship in Rome)?”

"What does Jesus mean in "god of the living"?"

"What 'resurrection' is Jesus talking about? Our being raised to eternal life or his?"

"Jesus condemns the Sadducees' question for not knowing the scriptures. Does the OT say there is no marriage in heaven?"

"How do we then approach earthly law if we are hypocritical if we try to keep all of God's law?"

"How can you reconcile trying not to be "performative" and making yourself seem more obedient than you actually are, with being a good role model/avoiding being a stumbling block for others/living above reproach?"

"How is God not fair and yet the Bible says God is perfectly just?"

"Who is the daughter of Zion mentioned in Matthew 21:5 - what relevance does it have to the passage?"

"How does 21:20-22 fit into the understanding of the fig tree as an analogy?"

"Why did you skip v21-22 (ch 21)"

"How do we repent genuinely when we know we are prone to sin + may continue in sin?"

"How do we read Matthew 18:35? Does it not imply that God's forgiveness is conditional on our actions?"

“Does someone need to be sorry in order for you to forgive them?”

"In Matthew 18 with the parable of an unforgiving servant, when the master forgives the servant of debt what is this supposed to metaphorically represent (as Jesus has not yet died?)?"

"Why did the first servant say "Have patience, I will pay you everything" if he knew he could not pay the impossibly large debt? Why did he not ask for the debt to be cleared and admit he could not pay it on his own? Does this imply that we can approach God in this way and attain salvation without complete reliance on him?"

"What is the church Jesus refers to in Matthew 18:17?"

“Some claim 18:20 is about church. Is it? Does the context (of witnesses and prayer) shape how we understand it?" 

"What does Jesus mean when he says to treat an unrepentant brother/sister as "a Gentile + tax collector"?”

"Is Jesus saying in Mathew 19:9 that if you divorce because of sexual immorality, then you are not committing adultery?"

"What about abuse within marriage as a case for divorce?"

"How should we view/talk about marriage between people who are not Christians? Is it more just a legal thing, not model? Is it still possible to model unity? Should we be encouraging (or not) our non-Christian friends to get married? Do we accept the "secularisation" of marriage and just use it as a talking point for the gospel?"