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Announcer (00:00:00): It's time to think about the Bible like you never have before. This is Christian Questions. Experience more episodes, videos and Bible study resources at ChristianQuestions.com. Today's topic is, "How Can I Doubt My Doubt? (Part II)". For most of us, when we have doubts, we feel insecure. The Bible is full of examples of doubt, and it's also full of examples of how doubts can be steppingstones to Christian victory. What do I need to do to turn really troubling doubts into really tremendous potential? Here's Rick, Jonathan and Julie.

Rick (00:00:35): Welcome everyone. I'm Rick. I'm joined by Jonathan, my co-host for over 25 years. Julie, a longtime contributor is also with us. Jonathan, what's our theme scripture for this episode?

Jonathan (00:00:47): Matthew 28:16-17: "Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him, they worshiped him: but some doubted."

Rick (00:01:00): In our last episode, we talked about doubt as a permanent fixture in our present world and experiences and how this can be both a positive thing as well as a negative thing. There are many ways the seeds of doubt are planted. We can doubt as a result of misinformation or misunderstanding. We can doubt when we have a limited perception of our circumstances. We can doubt when we are in a difficult situation or have unmet expectations. Whatever the case may be, doubt is a very real part of our Christian experience. As we continue our conversation in this episode, we are going to focus on how doubt manifested itself in the New Testament and what we can learn from it. To clearly understand doubt is to open the door that can diffuse it or use it, whichever brings glory to God. Diffuse it or use it; it all comes down to what brings God glory.

Julie (00:02:00): Let's do a quick recap of Part I. There's good doubt. There's bad doubt. On our last episode, we talked about the destructive doubt of Eve and Israel. Both doubted God. Eve's doubt was brought on by the authority of Lucifer, who's Satan. This was misinformation. Israel's doubt was brought on by serious physical need. This was a difficult situation.

Jonathan (00:02:23): We also talked about the constructive doubt of Gideon and John the Baptist. Yes, doubt can be beneficial. Gideon's doubt was brought on by being given a task that he perceived to be far beyond his capacity. Gideon had limited perception. John the Baptist's doubt was stimulated by his unrealized expectation of how Jesus's teachings would change the world. John had unmet expectations.

Rick (00:02:51): Those four examples of doubt give us a broad base on which to build. Now as we discuss doubt in the New Testament, we're going to draw a very specific line of understanding. We're kind of going to draw a line in the sand here. We're going to be examining doubts that have the potential to be diffused or bring us to growth. We will spend very little time discussing blatant disbelief. We want to give you an example though of that. When Jesus was on the cross--and we're talking about blatant disbelief--when he was on the cross, the Pharisees were strong examples of this kind of disbelief. Jonathan, let's go to Matthew 27:41-43:

Jonathan (00:03:31): "In the same way, the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking him and saying, He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the king of Israel; let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in him (here's where they quote from the Old Testament, Psalm 22:8). He trusts in God; let God rescue him now, if He delights in him; for he said I am the son of God."

Julie (00:03:59): These religious rulers know the prophecies of the Messiah, and they use this particular one to taunt him, which is ironic because in doing so, they said exactly what prophecy said they would say. Psalm 22 prophetically describes Jesus's cross experience.

Jonathan (00:04:15): The religious rulers' offer to believe in Jesus if he came down from the cross was only a gesture of mockery. Talk about the cruelty and loss of human compassion. Jesus was too much of a threat to the Pharisees. They were trying to protect their religious standing with the people.

Julie (00:04:35): Their hatred was doubt gone bad. They took anything Jesus said or that he did out of context. Their hearts were so hardened that their doubts would never turn into trust to turn into faith. We certainly can encounter people like this in our own witnessing efforts. There's nothing we can do or say that'll get them to follow Jesus in this lifetime, and that's okay. Because when their eyes are opened in the kingdom, they will have an opportunity to learn and to repent.

Rick (00:05:02): We look at this one example of blatant disbelief, and we want to look at it just like we did in our last episode. Defining Doubt's Building Blocks; what are the building blocks for such blatant disbelief here? Well, the Pharisees at this point didn't doubt Jesus; they despised him. They were grudgingly witnesses of his miracles, they were stymied by his teachings and were struck speechless by his questions. What may have begun as doubt on some level at some point with some of those Pharisees degraded into a seething anger that would only be satisfied with the utter destruction and humiliation of Jesus and his teachings. Folks, let us never allow ourselves to fall so low as they did in this treatment of others because God, not us, is the judge of all. Please, let's avoid this at all costs.

Jonathan (00:05:57): There are several New Testament words that show us doubt on different levels. We'll start with what looks like the mildest kind of doubt. This first word has many shades of meaning, including "to separate thoroughly, to withdraw from or by implication, oppose; to be at variance with oneself; hesitate, decide, doubt."

Julie (00:06:18): We found something interesting overall about the Greek words used for doubt. This one, Jonathan, that you just described is "diakrino." The first two letters in English are "d-i." In Greek, this "d-i" prefix indicates "two, twice, double." Our English word "dilemma" comes from the ancient Greek, "having two of, specifically an ambiguous proposition." A dilemma is a difficult situation requiring a choice. The way this particular word "diakrino" is used scripturally, it's positive in that at least there's a choice as opposed to having no way out.

Rick (00:06:57): Let's take a look at this in relation to doubt, this general word that's used in this variety of ways that you guys just explained. One example, and we're going to give a general example first before we get to doubt; Jonathan, let's go to 1 Corinthians 6:4-6:

Jonathan (00:07:13): "So if you have law courts dealing with matters of this life, do you appoint them as judges who are of no account to the church? I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not among you one wise man who will be able to decide between his brethren (that word "decide" is the same word for doubt), but brother goes to law with brother, and that before unbelievers?" There is duality to deciding and it can go either direction.

Rick (00:07:41): Right. You've got the "di," the "d-i." This is important because this kind of doubt does have different options. The thought here in this verse is, "Can't you find one who's able to decide between his brethren?" The thought here is that there should be at least one of you who can separate out the truth of the matter if you are having a dispute. You shouldn't be going to the law when you have each other, and you're supposed to be living by higher standards. Able to decide, the figuring out between the two sides. Now let's look at that same word as doubt in the New Testament. There's some really powerful lessons here. Onto the meaning that reflects doubt; first scripture, Jonathan, we'll use two texts here. First is James 1:5-8:

Jonathan (00:08:28): "But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."

Julie (00:08:53): Using the "surf of the sea," tossing you around, is a great analogy. Double-minded means going back and forth between two opinions or influences. You might lean one way, but without really taking a stand. Many people end up taking that path of least resistance because it's easier than fighting against your own natural tendencies.

Rick (00:09:12): That's an important point. That's why the idea James brings up being "a double-minded man, is unstable in all his ways." This is no-trespass territory for Christians. We ought not to ever be double-minded. See, because look; it's one thing to have faith. It's another thing to apply that faith in a firm, unhesitating and single-minded way. Yes, my natural tendencies are not going to be in line with spiritual Christian faith. I have to choose instead of wavering between, instead of hesitating, like, "Yeah, but I like it this way," I need to decide to go that way. Let's look at an example of that kind of single-minded faith. This example is Abraham and his unhesitating faith. Let's take a look at what that faith looked like. It's described in Romans 4:19-22:

Jonathan (00:10:10): "Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah's womb; yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief (this word for waver is the same word for doubt) but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was also able to perform. Therefore it was also credited to him as righteousness."

Julie (00:10:42): The fact is, they were clearly too old to have a baby. But Abraham believed the promise of God over the fact of their ages. He didn't need more information. While he knew it was physically impossible, he knew God would find a way. I've got a great quote attributed to the Roman emperor and philosopher Marcus Aurelius. He said, "What stands in the way becomes the way." Our doubts can be obstacles or tools.

Rick (00:11:10): They can, and it's interesting the way Abraham's challenge and victory is presented here. He didn't waver in unbelief. That's the kind of unbelief that the Pharisees had. In other words, he didn't vacillate between, "Oh, it can never happen," or "maybe it can happen." He went with God's word. That's the key here. That's the understanding that we need to grab when there is this hesitation. What is God's unequivocal word? That's why this verse says "It was credited to him as righteousness." Look at our lives. How many reasons for hesitating that we have stack up against the impossibility of Abraham's circumstances? When you're going back and forth, think about Abraham and think about the massive step of faith that he just continually took and how blessed he was as a result. Wavering, double-mindedness. No, we need to stay away from that. Jonathan, as we wrap up this introduction with this beginning part of more of the milder kind of doubts, let's look at Dismantling Doubt and Fulfilling Our Faith:

Jonathan (00:12:20): As Christians, we can face circumstances where we find ourselves hesitating. This is usually a sign that we have a measure of double-minded thinking. This is destructive doubt. The more quickly we identify this double-mindedness, the more readily we will be able to refocus our attention on only that which is godly.

Rick (00:12:43): It's imperative to make sure we understand that there is double-mindedness, so we can identify it, parse it out, and figure out the higher road, the godly road, the scriptural road, the Christlike road and follow that. That's where doubt gets put in order. We've been called to serve God through following Jesus. Heeding this call means we need to be very aware of what we pay attention to.

Jonathan (00:13:17): Being single-minded in serving God is our main objective. Are there times this single-mindedness can bring us trouble?

Rick (00:13:26): I'm glad you asked that. The beauty of growing and maturing as a Christian is that there's always something else to learn. We can live a life that's dedicated to God's will, and in our experiences, we will regularly be tested so that dedication can continually grow stronger. That's why you have tests, so the dedication grows stronger. Our doubts in this process can be true steppingstones to a more Christ-like character. Now we focus on doubt as being a steppingstone to becoming more like Jesus.

Jonathan (00:14:06): Let's look at doubt in a more positive light by examining another New Testament word that's on the milder side. It means "to duplicate, to waver in opinion."

Julie (00:14:17): This Greek word is "distazo" and that's another word that in English, it starts with a "d-i," "distazo." It's that "d-i" prefix that comes from a different word that means "twice." I can go this way, I can go that way. Which is the more godly direction?

Rick (00:14:33): This word is only used twice; interesting, the "d-i" word that two, it's only used twice in the New Testament. But both of these uses are very, very significant lessons. We want to take some time on each. The first lesson comes from the Apostle Peter who happens to be walking toward Jesus, but he's walking on water, alright? That's an attention-getter. Let's first read the verse where the doubt is revealed, and then go back and build the story behind that revealed doubt. Jonathan, the verses where the doubt is revealed are Matthew 14:30-31:

Jonathan (00:15:09): "But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, Lord, save me! Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and took hold of him, and said to him, You of little faith, why did you doubt?" In other words, why did you waver? Why did you hesitate? Some think Jesus said this as a rebuke or out of pity. But that's not what it sounds like when you read the context and understand what that word for "doubt" means.

Rick (00:15:39): You're right. We look at this and we have to see it for what Jesus actually meant. As we read through this account, we're going to put the pieces in place. But just a side point, one of the definitions here is "waver" and he's walking on the waves, and it just seems to fit so well. But it's a positive statement that Jesus is making. How can you say that? Well, let's look at the account. Let's look at Matthew 14. We're going to go to verses 22-33. We're going to stop several times as we go through these verses. Jonathan, let's get started with 22-23:

Jonathan (00:16:16): "Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side, while he sent the crowds away. After he had sent the crowds away, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray; and when it was evening, he was there alone."

Julie (00:16:30): Now, let me give you some context. This was after the miraculous feeding of the 5,000, which incidentally is the only miracle aside from Jesus' own resurrection that's recorded in all four gospels. Jesus multiplied five barley loaves and two fish into enough food to feed 5,000 men and an unknown amount of women and children, and there were even leftovers! After demonstrating such power, no wonder Jesus needed a moment to himself, to pray to his Father, to rejuvenate. It would also give his disciples time to talk it over by themselves, and think about that miracle that just occurred.

Rick (00:17:06): Yeah, I mean, you think about it. You hungry? I'm not hungry. Are you hungry? Uh-uh. I mean, it is so remarkable, and it's important to have this as the context before the next experience. Jesus had just demonstrated the impossible and shown everyone that God's spirit in him could accomplish things that were beyond anybody's imaginations. This was like, where did this come from? Yet it's Jesus, yet it's God's spirit that we're looking at. Jonathan, let's continue in Matthew 14:

Jonathan (00:17:37): "But the boat was already a long distance from the land, battered by the waves; for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night, he came to them, walking on the sea. When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified and said, It is a spirit! And they cried out in fear."

Julie (00:17:56): "The fourth watch of the night" is between 3:00 AM and 6:00 AM. They've been rowing for hours against the wind and the waves, they're worn out, hanging on, and now in their haze they see some scary figure walking towards them on the water.

Rick (00:18:10): Even though they're experienced fishermen, rough seas, all night rowing, this is dramatic. It's a dramatic concern. You're right, Julie, seeing this figure walking on these tumultuous waters turns this concern, this professional concern into a bewildered fear. This is beyond their mind's capacity to grasp, it's that big. Jonathan, Matthew 14:27-29:

Jonathan (00:18:38): "But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid." Let's stop for a moment, because we can imagine that they were trying to figure out how Jesus is talking to them when he's not in the boat. None of it makes any sense! Let's continue it with verse 28: "Peter said to him, Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water. And he said, Come!"

Rick (00:19:06): In the face of this dramatic uncertainty and fear, Peter, the Apostle Peter is willing to suspend his trust in the natural laws of the earth and place all of his trust upon the Lord Jesus. He just said to Jesus, "If it's you, command me to come walk on the water." Nobody can do that just for information's sake. Go ahead.

Julie (00:19:35): Well, it sounds like instead of having little faith, Peter actually had big faith. He trusted it was Jesus so much that he actually got out of the boat and stepped in the water in the middle of a dangerous windstorm. Think about that for a moment. Who does that?

Jonathan (00:19:48): Continuing with verse 29: "...And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came towards Jesus. But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, Lord, save me!"

Rick (00:20:02): Peter is doing the impossible. It is physically absolutely beyond the realm of reality to do what Peter is doing. Yet by miracle, by God's spirit, he's doing it. But he now, as he's walking toward Jesus, he sees the wind. It would be hard to not see the wind because it's smacking you in the face, okay? He sees the wind. In the boat, he had something to hang onto. But out here in the elements, he's got nothing near him now. There's nothing except Jesus who is still perhaps several steps away seeming out of reach in that moment. Fear brought doubt and doubt--and here's where doubt comes into play--doubt brought only a focus on the overwhelming elements that surrounded him. It took his focus off of his objective. Doubt will do that to us, and Peter is a dramatic example of that here. Jonathan, now verses 31-33:

Jonathan (00:21:05): "Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and took hold of him, and said to him, You of little faith, why did you doubt (or why did you waver)? When they got into the boat, the wind stopped. And those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, You are certainly God's son!"

Rick (00:21:23): Not only did Jesus rescue Peter, but the wind stopped altogether. You have this seeming immediate paradigm shift of circumstances. Everything's different. What is this? This is Jesus showing the power of God's spirit within him. This is Jesus showing what he had been continually showing to them throughout his ministry with the miracles, with the feeding of the 5,000, with all of the things they had seen. This was just another way to see Jesus able to wield God's spirit within him. You've got to ask the question we were talking about. Julie said, "This sounds like magnificent faith," and it does. Why would Jesus say that Peter had little faith when he did what no one else would have dared to do? Why?

Jonathan (00:22:19): Perhaps it was because Peter's faith was strong enough to begin, but was not trusting enough to finish.

Julie (00:22:26): Maybe it was because Peter momentarily, as you said, Rick, lost his focus on where he was called to. The boat's back here, he's here and I'm right in the middle. It says, "But seeing the wind, he became frightened." Once that happened, he began to sink and it was downhill from there.

Rick (00:22:41): It was, it was downhill and actually down...

Julie (00:22:43): Water.

Rick (00:22:43): Down water, okay? He's sinking, he's literally sinking. Perhaps, another "perhaps" here, is because this was not the first time that the apostles witnessed Jesus' power through God's spirit over those very same elements of wind and water. We want to understand that perhaps Jesus says "O ye of little faith" because there's a greater context that needs to be embraced.

Jonathan (00:23:10): A previous miracle on the water is when the disciples and Jesus were in the boat, there was a storm and the boat was covered with waves and Jesus was sleeping. Let's pick up with Matthew 8:25-27: "And they came to him and woke him, saying, Save us, Lord; we are perishing! He said to them, Why are you afraid, you men of little faith? Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm. The men were amazed, and said, What kind of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?"

Rick (00:23:45): You notice in that account that nobody responds to "Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?" They're like in awe. They are in awe. Their faith has actually been stimulated. It's been stimulated to grow because they've seen something that was out of hand. They saw how Jesus, by God's spirit, was able to put it back in order. It's interesting that Jesus talks about men of little faith four different times. In each of those times when Jesus says it, it's not an insult like, "Oh, grow up!" It is, "You have something, it's valuable. Let me show you how to grow it into something much larger." That's why we want to look at this and say, this is a real positive doubt on Peter's part.

Julie (00:24:33): Well, I was blessed to be at the Sea of Galilee and Jonathan, I was with your son in our church group. It's actually a lake. It's about 700 feet below sea level. It's about 12 miles long, seven miles wide. It's surrounded by these beautiful high and almost unbroken wall of hills. These hills are pierced by deep canyons and ravines. Under certain atmosphere conditions these act like gigantic funnels and they draw the cold winds from the mountains that expose the lake to frequent and sudden violent storms, even to this day. But I wanted to point out one more incredible aspect of this miracle. It's not so much that Jesus stopped the wind because wind can stop suddenly under natural conditions. The most astonishing part is that the lake water suddenly becomes calm as glass. After a violent storm, all the energy in the waves doesn't just stop. The waves crash for hours or even days afterwards as this energy slowly dissipates.

Rick (00:25:31): You see, when it says that "even the wind and waves of the sea obey him," you see a powerful, powerful display of what God's spirit and influence can do. Peter doubted, and the response was, "Why did you doubt, O you of little faith?" But this wasn't a bad thing, this was a growing thing. Let's define this particular Doubt's Building Blocks. The Apostle Peter's doubt as he walked on the water should be an inspiration to us. His faith brought him to engage in the impossible. Jesus' rescue of Peter and his reminder to Peter of the power of strong faith in the midst of chaos brought Peter to see how much more he could grow. You think about that and you think, if it were me and I had done that and Jesus had to rescue me, I would be thinking constantly afterwards, "Why did I doubt? Why did I doubt? I should know better. Jesus is right in front of me. Next time I'm not going to forget. Next time I'm not going to look away. Next time it's Jesus. It's only you." See, that's how we take the doubt and Jesus is taking the doubt and stimulating growth from it.

Julie (00:26:44): There's an expression: Sometimes he calms the storm, and sometimes he calms his child. But either way, the storm passes."

Rick (00:26:52): That's exactly, exactly precisely the point. Let's go on to the next example of this kind of doubt, this kind of wavering. It's after Jesus' resurrection. It's the same kind of doubt, the same kind of wavering that was present in this experience. This is Matthew 28:16-18:

Jonathan (00:27:13): "But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some were doubtful (or wavering). And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth." Many times Jesus told the disciples he was leaving and going to his Father in heaven. Maybe this doubt some were having is because they knew he was leaving them that day. They were probably thinking, "Something is happening here that we don't understand. This will be different. This is not what we expected. We don't know what to do when Jesus is gone. How is it supposed to be better when he's gone?"

Rick (00:27:56): Yeah, yeah. The interesting thing about this is the last verse in Matthew says, "And lo, I am with you always, even until the end of the age." That gives the answer to that doubt. But of course they weren't able to grasp that. After all that Jesus had taught, after all that he had done, after all that he had been through, doubt still had a hold upon some. Again, why? Well, we all face the continual challenge of reframing our fleshly minds towards spiritual things. We're all stuck in that vortex of fleshly mind pulling me back, walking towards spiritual things. This doesn't have to be a catastrophic doubt. It should be instead a learning experience. We want to understand that this kind of doubt here is a learning experience for them. They learned very, very quickly how it would be when Jesus wasn't with them physically. Within the context of these two events, let's take a look at doubt in a bigger way.

Jonathan (00:28:57): Everyone has their own doubts, whether expressed or in secret. Rick, you said before, our doubts might come as a result of misinformation or misunderstanding or from a limited perception of our circumstances. We might be in an unusually difficult situation or have unmet expectations.

Rick (00:29:17): With all of those things it's important to realize that that's natural, that's natural. See, natural is the fertilization of doubt. If you understand that it's natural and it's not something that's just going to destroy you, you can take it and you can turn it into planting a seed in that fertile ground so it can grow. That's what Peter did after walking on the water. That's what the apostles did when they were doubtful, when he was going to be raised.

Julie (00:29:47): We might just have the type of personality that is naturally more skeptical than others, and past betrayals or periods of high stress can lead us to be less trusting of people or what we thought we knew. For our listeners going through a time of exceptionally high doubt, we suggest going back to those five questions to consider that we talked about in Part I. The first was, "What or whom am I doubting?

Jonathan (00:30:11): Is this doubt primarily based on my heart being troubled?

Julie (00:30:14): Or is the doubt primarily based on my mind not seeing or understanding?

Jonathan (00:30:19): What brings this doubt to my heart or mind?

Julie (00:30:21): Does this doubt help my Christian experience or does it hinder my Christian experience?

Rick (00:30:27): All of that really comes down to being honest enough to look at the why of my doubt, what or whom am I doubting? Then take it apart. Folks, if we take it apart with scriptural principles in hand, it'll be so much easier to put it back together. Then maybe we can be privileged to be "O you of little faith, o you of little faith" who can grow into something so much bigger than this. Jonathan, Dismantling Doubt and Fulfilling Our Faith. What do we have?

Jonathan (00:30:57): As Christians, our faith, even while intact, is easily susceptible to wavering. Whether it is the physical experiences of our lives or the turning of events that we just have a hard time grasping, we need to use these wavering moments as constructive doubt to remind us of who we are called to follow and what we are called to do.

Rick (00:31:20): See, that's the big question. When I go into doubt, where does my mind go? Does it go to whom I'm called to follow and what I'm called to do? Or does it dwell in wallowing in the doubt and the, "I don't know, I don't know, I don't know." Maybe you don't. But you know Who does know? Our Father in heaven knows, and His providence provides if we're willing to follow Him. It is hard to imagine more dramatic circumstances where faith can be tested than walking on the water or seeing the risen Lord.

Jonathan (00:31:52): So far we have seen doubt defined as hesitation and wavering. How much deeper can our doubt as Christians go?

Rick (00:32:00): Well, the next level of doubt presents a broader challenge. As we shall see, it's bigger than hesitation and wavering. We'll also see that when this next level of doubt is present in Jesus's disciples or potential disciples, it's always given a very clear explanation. This is important. We want to pay close attention to the kinds of lessons that this combination will teach us. This is a deeper doubt, but there's also something that helps put it in order.

Jonathan (00:32:35): The next level of doubt we will look at is from a Greek word meaning "to be entirely at a loss, to be thoroughly nonplussed." To be "nonplussed" is to be so surprised or confused that you aren't sure how to react.

Julie (00:32:51): We're looking for the prefix of this in the Greek word, and we find another "d-i" prefix. "Diaporeo" is the word. We know we still have this sense of having choices. In the examples we're going to look at, when this sudden shock kind of doubt or puzzlement happens, a dramatic explanation follows to help the shocked person move forward. It's really neat how this works.

Rick (00:33:15): Yeah, and Julie, I've got to say you do really well with Greek words. I'm glad you're doing them, not me. Alright, but the "d," the "di," the two, you still have that back and forth and we'll see that really, really come out in these next examples. The first time this kind of doubt appears, and with relation to Christianity, is right after Jesus' resurrection. This is a classic way that this nonplussed kind of doubt comes into play. Luke 24:1-7:

Jonathan (00:33:46): "But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this..." "Perplexed" here is the kind of doubt that is nonplussed; to be so surprised or confused that they aren't sure how to react.

Julie (00:34:10): This group of women who we're talking about - it included Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary, the mother of James. They're here to bring spices to the tomb. Kind of like how we would bring flowers today, and the body is gone. Now, they know they're in the right place because they had followed Jesus' body placed there in the previous chapter. What happened? How could this happen? What did they do with him?

Jonathan (00:34:34): Let's continue with the account verses 4-7: "While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing; and as the woman were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, Why do you seek the living one among the dead? He is not here, but he has risen. Remember how we spoke to you while he was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again."

Julie (00:35:07): We learned from the accounts in Matthew and John that these men in dazzling clothing were angels. So notice how these women were immediately given an explanation for their sudden shock. "He is risen."

Rick (00:35:18): This is a big moment in all of Christian history. We have to understand; this is a big, big moment. There's a big, big answer in that big, big moment. That's something we want to pay attention to here. What we're seeing is serious perplexity in the context of unmet expectations. They're on their way, they're honoring the dead body of Jesus. That's what they're there to do. If he's not there, you just don't know. You have no idea what to do with the circumstance, and immediately you have a spiritual answer. In this particular context, the serious perplexity in the context of unmet expectations, defining its building blocks, this kind of Doubt's Building Blocks. Sometimes we're clear in what to expect, and yet, and yet perplexing doubt arises that contradicts our expectations. What do we do? We need to be open to the guidance of God's word through whatever means it is clarified to us as we learn to pause, consider and refocus. What did those women do afterwards? They refocused. Now instead of bringing spices to the tomb, they went back to the apostles and said, "He's risen." You see that incredible refocus because their perplexity brought them to the most wonderful, wonderful expectation they could possibly have that was beyond what they could see. That's our first example. Let's move on to another one. The next time this kind of doubt appears is on the day of Pentecost. Now the day of Pentecost is ten days after Jesus ascended. He's raised from the grave, he's on earth for 40 days. Then after ten days after he's risen to heaven, on that 50th day, you've got this day of Pentecost. The people heard the apostle speaking in all the languages of those present on this day of Pentecost. That was a weird circumstance.

Jonathan (00:37:21): Let's look at what happened immediately after the disciples at Pentecost spoke in tongues. Acts 2:12-16, starting with 12-13: "And they all continued in amazement and great perplexity, saying to one another, what does this mean? But others were mocking and saying, they are full of sweet wine."

Julie (00:37:42): What's happening here? They were astonished. They didn't know how to explain what was happening, so they accused the disciples of being drunk and confused, which is an odd explanation if you think about it, because drunk people don't suddenly speak intelligently in other languages. But they had no idea.

Jonathan (00:38:00): Continuing in verses 14-16: "But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them: Men of Judea and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you and give heed to my words. For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only the third hour of the day (meaning 9:00 AM); but this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel."

Julie (00:38:26): Once again, those who were so perplexed were given an immediate answer. The prophet Joel predicted that the holy spirit, God's power and influence, would be given. Expected prophecy was being fulfilled at this moment. It shouldn't be shocking. Peter went on to explain who Jesus was and the call to follow him.

Rick (00:38:45): The doubt arises when something completely out of the ordinary occurs. These Hebrew men are suddenly, without education, speaking these other languages. We, of course, know the tongues of fire, God's spirit, came upon them. You have this dramatic event that people look at and say, "What is this? This can't possibly be real. How do they know that?" It's so far beyond normal. Immediately after, the scriptural explanation is put in place. We see that when these things come up in scripture, you have God's will revealed. That perplexity brings us to a higher appreciation. In this case, this was that serious perplexity in the context of unexpected developments. It was a difficult situation. What are we supposed to do with this, okay? It just doesn't make sense. Let's look at defining this kind of Doubt's Building blocks. Sometimes things develop that simply leave us at a loss. You can imagine the people in the crowd are like, "I don't know what to make of this." As we examine whatever comes before us, let us be sure to focus on the scriptural basis of we see, and the capacity to embrace that which is godly; not that which is convenient, but that which is godly. Our perplexity can open the door to God's ways. We have to allow that perplexity to open us up to "Lord, what does this mean? How do I see this in relation to scripture? To prophecy? To what's happening from your perspective, not mine?"

Jonathan (00:40:38): That's the beauty of being nonplussed. It stops us and makes us think. It's often a prime opportunity to open to a deeper understanding or putting things together for an elevation of faith.

Rick (00:40:54): That's the point. We want to put ourselves in a perspective where our faith can grow up, can go higher, not get stuck and be just rehearsing the doubt again and again. But we search to see how God's will is being performed through these things in a scriptural fashion.

Julie (00:41:12): For the women, they ran back to tell the others that Jesus was resurrected. They were able to give this message of hope.

Jonathan (00:41:18): Here at Pentecost, they listened to Peter's explanation and committed to following Jesus. This sudden stop in their attention allowed them to respond to what was happening as being God's will and a fulfillment of prophecy.

Rick (00:41:33): You see these two experiences of being nonplussed, of being "What?" and being able to say, "Oh, God is in this." It's a beautiful, beautiful lesson for us. Now let's look at the last example. Last example regarding this kind of perplexity is regarding the Apostle Peter and his vision that would open the door for the Gentiles to be called to Christ.

Julie (00:41:59): Alright, let's look at the context of the verse where the perplexity occurs. Peter doesn't know this, but Cornelius, a Gentile Roman centurion who had been secretly faithful to the God of Israel for years, received a vision of an angel of God. The angel tells him, "Send your men to find Peter's house and bring Peter back with you." While Cornelius's men are on their way, Peter is praying, but he's hungry. He also sees this vision, but his vision is of a large sheet coming down out of the sky, lowered by four corners to the ground. On the sheet were all kinds of animals, reptiles, birds, what the Jewish law would consider both clean and unclean animals to eat. Peter hears a voice telling him to eat the animals. But he protests, saying he's never eaten anything forbidden by the law.

Jonathan (00:42:51): The voice commands him not to say something is forbidden if God says it's not. This vision repeats three times, and this sheet is raised back up to heaven.

Rick (00:43:02): The message is very straightforward. What God has called clean is clean. No questions, no comments, no "but what about...?" God is making a clear, unequivocal statement. What do you do with that when you're used to seeing something one way for, I don't know, generations and generations and generations? Well, let's take a look at what happens to Peter. Acts 10:17:

Jonathan (00:43:24): "Now while Peter was greatly perplexed in mind as to what the vision which he had seen might be, behold, the men who had been sent by Cornelius, having asked directions for Simon's house, appeared at the gate." He is greatly perplexed, nonplussed, frozen with doubt over what to do next!

Julie (00:43:45): "I'm supposed to eat unclean food? What was unclean is now clean? How am I supposed to apply this and what does it have to do with me? And wait, at WHO's at the door?"

Rick (00:43:53): Yeah, it's like this flood of information that comes in and it says that he just doesn't know how to react. But here's what happens. Peter was immediately given a clear path to follow in the midst of all of this perplexity. Acts 10:19-20,22:

Jonathan (00:44:14): "While Peter was reflecting on the vision, the spirit said to him, Behold, three men are looking for you. But get up, go downstairs and accompany them without misgivings (meaning without wavering, without any doubt), for I have sent them myself. They said, Cornelius, a centurion, a righteous and God-fearing man well-spoken of by the entire nation of the Jews, was divinely directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and hear a message from you."

Rick (00:44:45): You have all of this new information. This is serious perplexity in the context of unexpected future direction, because Peter had a limited perception. How did his limited perception change? It was God's spirit within him showing him what to do, how to do it, and why to do it. This is not some voice that was out loud shouting at him. It was God's spirit moving within him, showing him that this is exactly what God's plan is dictating. You must follow. It's a very strong direction that is given, and Peter obviously does follow.

Jonathan (00:45:29): This was a tremendous, unexpected development. The lesson was given in a shocking repeating vision. Peter was told he was now allowed to eat all kinds of foods. But he was immediately given the understanding that this went way beyond food. This prepared him for looking at the Gentile nation in a different way.

Julie (00:45:50): Matthew Henry's Bible Commentary says this: "The prejudices of Peter against the Gentiles would have prevented his going to Cornelius unless the Lord had prepared him for this service. To tell a Jew that God had directed these animals to be reckoned clean, which were hitherto deemed unclean, was in effect saying that the law of Moses was done away."

Rick (00:46:13): He needed the prompting of God's spirit in a very direct manner with the vision, with the direction. Let's define the Doubt Building Block here for Peter. Sometimes the direction we're called upon to go may be completely out of the context of what we previously knew. At such crossroads, let's find peace in the providence of God's direction for us as we seek to do His will, according to His word, in His way, in His time, and not our own. Folks, we want to be really clear on that. Don't make up a story. Follow God's word and way and will very, very carefully. That's how you deal with this kind of thing. Peter later had to stand firm in arguing for the expansion of the gospel while others had serious doubts. They had the same doubts that Peter would've had. They didn't have the vision. At the conference in Jerusalem years later, Peter recounted the clear direction that he was given to go to Cornelius and to his household. This is found in Acts 15:8-10:

Jonathan (00:47:30): "And God, Who knows the heart, testified to them giving them the holy spirit, just as He also did to us; and He made no distinction (meaning no doubt, no wavering) between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?"

Rick (00:47:54): When Peter's describing this, it's interesting. He uses the words, he says, "He made no distinction." It's the same word for "waver" that we talked about the first word for doubt. God didn't hesitate to give the Gentiles His spirit. Why would we, if God did not? Peter's testimony cleared up the misinformation that Jewish Christians were holding onto. We have these great nonplussed experiences. Each one of these three things, you have a history-changing event. You have the resurrection of Jesus, you have the coming of the holy spirit, and you have the holy spirit being given to the Gentiles. In God's will, these major events had immediate answers because the perplexing nature of them was so big. Jonathan, Dismantling Doubt and Fulfilling Our Faith. What do we have?

Jonathan (00:48:45): Being in the position to follow Christ does not excuse us from seriously perplexing and doubtful circumstances. These experiences can end up as destructive doubt or constructive doubt. Let's take heart in knowing that God's will and direction for us will always be defined by scripturally-based principles and guidance.

Julie (00:49:07): Some of us will have this kind of stop-you-in-your-tracks doubt at one time or another where we don't initially know how to react, but we can find the answer. For me, what comes to mind is the tragedy of 9/11. I was frozen with the horror of it, and it led me to making the final decision to giving my heart to the Lord. There's plenty of fear out there right now due to current world events that can cause people to doubt the Lord's hand in it all, or they will cling to Him even closer.

Rick (00:49:34): We're going to actually touch on that a little bit more in our next segment. But the point is, God's will can be detected even in the big picture of things that don't look easy to understand. It seems odd, but serious doubt and perplexity can actually be an attention-getter for us to find the pathway that God wants us to follow.

Jonathan (00:50:02): Doubt can show itself as hesitation, wavering, and all-out perplexity. How much further and deeper can it go?

Rick (00:50:10): Well, there is another level here. Our next level of doubt is very similar to the previous perplexity. The main difference seems to be that in the previous examples there were choices as to how we decided to interpret something. In those cases, we could compare and choose as to what we wanted to hold onto. As we shall now see, this next kind of doubt feels more like being trapped.

Jonathan (00:50:43): The final Greek word for doubt, we will look at means "to have no way out; to mentally be at a loss; to be without resources."

Julie (00:50:52): The verb and noun versions are "aporeo" and "aporia." There's no longer that "d-i" prefix. Here it's "a-p-o," meaning "away, off, detached, a separation." There's no sense of having a choice with this kind of doubt.

Jonathan (00:51:10): The feeling of having no way out can be ominous. These words are not used often in the New Testament, but when they are used, they teach us valuable doubt-altering lessons.

Rick (00:51:20): This is another level. We're now taking away "this way or that way" in terms of interpretation. We're putting ourselves in a position, not a position anybody wants to be in-- "I feel like there's no way out." Let's take a look at this. The first example is the perplexity that eleven of the twelve apostles experienced with Jesus the night before his crucifixion when he told them something of grave consequence. This is found in John 13:21-22:

Jonathan (00:51:51): "When Jesus had said this, he became troubled in spirit, and testified and said, Truly, truly, I say to you, that one of you will betray me. The disciples began looking at each other at a loss to know of which one he was speaking."

Julie (00:52:08): "At a loss," "aporeo." There's no way out. "One of you in this room will betray me." They didn't know Judas was the one, so we can imagine each one thinking, "Is this something I'm capable of? Even accidentally?"

Jonathan (00:52:22): The idea of one of them betraying Jesus was incomprehensible, and yet those were Jesus's words.

Rick (00:52:31): What Jesus says, Jesus means. You're sitting there looking saying, "It couldn't be me. I wonder if it's you. I wonder, could it, how could it possibly happen? There is no way out of this. There is no easy answer. It's one of the twelve. That's it. You're stuck and you've got this perplexed circumstance that is in front of you. There is no "well, it could be this or it could be that." No, no, no, no, this is serious. This is life-threatening and life-changing right here, and there's no way out. Let's look at this. Let's put this in perspective, define this kind of Doubt's Building Blocks. Because in our lives, sometimes the reality of what's happening around us can simply be hard to believe. In every case, though, in every case when something is just plain hard to believe, let's look at Jesus' words and example to find comfort and direction when we can't easily put our outward circumstances in order. When I'm stuck in that "there's no way out," let me, instead of wallowing in my own self pity of, "Oh, I'm stuck. There's no way out. Poor little Rick," let me instead look to my Lord and meditate on Jesus, "the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, making little of the shame," and call to the right hand of God. That's what we want to look at. How did he do it? I'm not going to do it the way he did because I'm not perfect. But I can take steps. I can take the "no way out" and say Jesus had no way out and he was glorified. Let me follow him. That's the first example of this "no way out" kind of doubt. Next is the perplexity upon humanity at the end times and what it will bring. This is a significant scripture, especially in relation to what's going on in the Middle East right here during this podcast. Luke 21:25-26; this is Jesus speaking of the time of his return. This is his saying, "These are the conditions in which I will return:"

Jonathan (00:54:44): "There will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, men fainting from fear and the expectation of things which are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken." Roaring seas and waves in the Bible often symbolically represent restless humanity. This perplexity is like a tsunami coming and there's nowhere to run. You're trapped and it's going to overtake you.

Rick (00:55:17): Boy, that's a great, great explanation. You know what, folks? Sometimes we feel like that, especially in light of world events, especially when they're big. Humanity, according to this prophecy, will have a growing sense of there being no way out. This will inevitably lead to lead to fear, and that fear will inevitably lead to anarchy. But the key for all of this is that when we look at it, when we understand it, what we have to realize is God knows. God allows certain things to happen for a certain period of time so that every man, woman, and child who ever lived can have an eternal benefit from it. It's like going through surgery. Nobody wants to get cut open. Nobody wants to go through the pain of rehabilitation. But after it's done, you say, "Wow, what a worthwhile experience." That's how we want to look at this kind of no-way-out circumstance. Alright, so let's define this kind of Doubt's Building Blocks. In light of the world-changing events that will bring God's kingdom to its glory, we must always appreciate the difficulties of those around us and be willing to live as examples of hope, faith, and trust in the power of God's eternal plan.

Julie (00:56:32): We receive a lot of sad emails and blog comments from people whose doubts have paralyzed them from moving forward. Let's share some comments: "I question my baptism and wonder if Jesus is living in my heart. If I have doubt, does it mean I'm not really a Christian?"

Jonathan (00:56:49): "I doubt my salvation. I have regret and I don't like myself. Is this self-hatred a sign that I am not saved?"

Julie (00:56:57): "I was doing sinful things in my life, but I've changed. I still feel like God has not forgiven my sins and as a result I've stopped doing spiritual work."

Jonathan (00:57:06): "I repent, but fall back into the sin of addiction, sometimes within days or hours or weeks or months. Am I truly repenting and forgiven each time?"

Julie (00:57:18): "My sins are so bad that there's no way God could ever forgive me." When we read these comments in context, the first thing we notice is that people don't fully understand scripturally how repentance and forgiveness works and what exactly is meant by salvation. We're going to provide additional study resources in this week's CQ Rewind Show Notes that you can get them on our website and app, and we can jump in on any one of these. But I'd really like some comments on sins that are so wretched that they're beyond forgiveness.

Rick (00:57:50): All right, well first of all, if we are going back to God through Christ, asking, realizing what we've done, that is not a sin that's so wretched it's beyond forgiveness. It is simply a sin that has overtaken us and buried us in the process. We need to understand that the wretchedness and the unforgivableness of our sins, if we are truly repentant, is a self-fulfilling prophecy. What we're doing is, we are saying something and saying, "The way I see it is bigger than the way God sees it." Julie, you're right, people don't understand repentance and forgiveness the way they ought to because if we repent--and repent means changing direction, it means going a different way. It doesn't mean just staying in the sin. When someone has addiction, for instance, it is a circumstance that comes back to them. Now, just because it comes back doesn't mean that they're not forgiven because they're working on it. I've had the opportunity of walking individuals with them through the recovery of addiction. Many times you need professional help, absolutely, positively. But if you fall, it doesn't mean you're done. It means you get up again with more determination and work harder. But when we say "my sins are bigger than God," we are being idolatrous. We're putting the created before the Creator, and that ought not to be. We need to understand God is bigger than our sins, but we have to decide to repent, to change direction, and we can be made clean.

Jonathan (00:59:26): It comes down to a mathematical equation. How many times are we to forgive our brother? Seventy times seven. Keep on the pathway of forgiveness. God forgives us over and over again also. We need to get up and do our best not to fall into a weakness we have and work constantly on overcoming it. But if we stumble, we need to ask God again for forgiveness and strength to overcome our sin.

Rick (00:59:53): Okay. That's the key. We need strength to overcome our sin. Let's look now at the next kind of perplexity in the scriptures because this one really hits home for us. This last one was about the world and their doubts and so forth. But this hits home for us as Christians. This is what we can feel as followers of Christ when we go through really difficult times. This is the Apostle Paul telling us how he felt. 2 Corinthians 4:7-10:

Jonathan (01:00:21): "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed (meaning no way out), but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body."

Rick (01:00:49): You see the Apostle Paul bearing his internal turmoil, his internal perplexing; he says "perplexed but not despairing." That word "perplexed" means "no way out." "I feel like there's no way out. There's no way out of the circumstance I'm in." But his answer is "but I'm not despairing." Then he goes on, "I'm persecuted. I'm being pursued all the time, but I am not forsaken. I am struck down (he was stoned, left for dead) but not destroyed." He talked about "afflicted in every way, but not crushed." You put all this in order and you see that even when the Apostle Paul felt like, "There is nothing I can do, I'm stuck, there's no way out," despair did not enter. That's the key to this kind of doubt. We can have it. It's okay. Why? Why can we have it and it's okay? Well, here's the reason. The internal turmoil of our own life experience, this can leave us feeling alone in our "no way out" perplexity. But the apostle said that "I am carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus..." He said, "This is my experience to honor God through Christ. I will take it. I won't despair even if there is no way out." So Defining Doubt's Building Block for this: The Apostle Paul gives great comfort as he shares with us how he constructively coped with his "no way out" kind of doubts. His ending through it all was that all of the turmoil of his life was his share of dying with Jesus. What a beautiful thought! It's, "This is how I am dying with Jesus." Paul saw this as a privilege and we should strive to see our traumas and doubts the same way he saw his. "I get to walk with Jesus." What a beautiful, beautiful example. Folks, this is what our perplexity, our "no way out" experience is. This is where we want them to bring us, to where they brought the Apostle Paul. Jonathan, let's finish up with Philippians 4:4-7, and let's take it in pieces. Verse 4 first:

Jonathan (01:03:13): "Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, rejoice!"

Rick (01:03:17): It's a simple scripture and it has to do with putting our doubts in order. Focus and refocus your heart and mind on the fact that God's providence is sure. There is no questioning that; His providence is sure. He knows the beginning from the end, His plan is intact. It always has been. "Rejoice in the Lord." Make sure that our heart and mind can see whatever it is we're seeing, and we don't rejoice in that bad experience. Rejoice in him, not the experience. Verse 5:

Jonathan (01:03:49): "Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near."

Rick (01:03:54): Not only should we rejoice in the Lord; live that focus in a way that others can see the Christlikeness of your character. Live that focus so others can look at that and say, "That person's an inspiration to me because I don't know what drives them, but they seem to not be shakeable by the things that I can't even handle." Make sure that that rejoicing is something that shows on the outside as well as on the inside. Verse 6:

Jonathan (01:04:24): "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."

Julie (01:04:32): This is important. When we have doubts, bring them before God with gratitude. "Thank you for your guidance, God. I don't know what to do. I know You know where I'm supposed to go. Help me to see what You would have me to see and ignore my own interpretation."

Rick (01:04:49): Put your doubts in order. Make sure that we are thankful, not necessarily for the doubt and the difficult circumstance, but for the fact that God allows it to be a part of my life, so my life can, like Peter, grow through and I can be "O you of little faith." Yes, that's what I want to be when I grow up. "O you of little faith" who can grow into something stronger in Christ because you're putting things in order. Jonathan, what's the last part of this verse? Verse 7:

Jonathan (01:05:18): "And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Rick (01:05:26): That is where we end up. That is where we go.

Jonathan (01:05:30): Rick, finally: Exit destructive doubt. Enter maturity.

Rick (01:05:36): Christian maturity comes as a result of putting doubt in its place. Folks, this is an important, important set of lessons. In these past two episodes, what we have attempted to do is give an overview of doubt and say, "Look, it's there." You're never going to get away from it, but you can decide to put away the doubts that are destructive. Just put them behind you and take those other doubts and have them be stepping stones toward being more like Jesus. That's what our lives are about, and that's what doubt can do for us if we approach it with scriptural faith and focus and by God's grace. Think about it. Folks, we love hearing from our listeners. We welcome your feedback and questions on this episode or other episodes at ChristianQuestions.com. Coming up in our next episode, "How Do Guardian Angels Take Care of Us?" Talk to you about that next week.

Final Notes (01:06:35): copyright @2023 Christian Questions. In addition to this transcript, we provide comprehensive CQ Rewind Show Notes for every episode. They include every scripture quoted during the podcast, as well as graphics, illustrations and bonus material. Click the "CQ Rewind Show Notes" button near the audio player or sign up to receive these weekly at ChristianQuestions.com. This transcript was created using artificial intelligence. While we believe it to be accurate, we apologize for any errors that may exist.