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When Critics Ask: A Popular Handbook on Bible Difficulties
This comprehensive volume offers you clear and concise answers to every major Bible difficulty from Genesis to Revelation, staunchly defending the authority and inspiration of Scripture. Written in a problem / solution format, the authors cover over 800 questions which critics and doubters raise about the Bible. Three extensive indices – (1) topical, (2) Scripture, and (3) unorthodox doctrines – offer quick and easy access to your specific area of interest. Multipurposed in scope and user-friendly in format, this volume is like no other. It presents the resources of five books in Critical commentary on the whole Bible ~ Apologetics text ~ Bible difficulties reference ~ Theology manual (treating important doctrines) ~ Handbook on verses misused by cults. These friendly features of “When Critics Ask” will enable you to more readily give a defense for the hope that is within you.
748 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1992
15 people are currently reading
461 people want to read
About the author
Norman L. Geisler
226 books317 followersNorman L. Geisler (PhD, Loyola University of Chicago) taught at top evangelical colleges and seminaries for over fifty years and was a distinguished professor of apologetics and theology at Veritas Evangelical Seminary in Murrieta, California. He was the author of nearly eighty books, including the Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics and Christian Ethics. He and his wife lived in Charlotte, North Carolina.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 6, 2015
The bottom line: A big, big book of answers for the difficult Biblical questions, although the answer you get may not be the one you want.
The Big Book of Bible Difficulties offers any dedicated Bible scholar the answers they seek in order to work through the more difficult to understand or seemingly “erroneous” or “contradictory” Biblical ideas and scriptures.
This book is an offensive weapon for those seeking greater understanding by providing apologetic and critical Biblical commentary and highlighting cardinal doctrines. It is also a defensive shield against ... http://www.chesadaphal.com/big-book-o...
The Big Book of Bible Difficulties offers any dedicated Bible scholar the answers they seek in order to work through the more difficult to understand or seemingly “erroneous” or “contradictory” Biblical ideas and scriptures.
This book is an offensive weapon for those seeking greater understanding by providing apologetic and critical Biblical commentary and highlighting cardinal doctrines. It is also a defensive shield against ... http://www.chesadaphal.com/big-book-o...
June 30, 2024
THE COMPANION VOLUME TO "WHEN SKEPTICS ASK"
Norman Geisler is a famed apologist and theologian, who has written/cowritten many other books such as Philosophy of Religion,Christian Apologetics,Introduction to Philosophy,Systematic Theology, etc. Co-author Thomas Howe has also written The Big Book of Bible Difficulties, Daniel in the Preterists' Den, etc. The companion volume is When Skeptics Ask.
They wrote in the Preface to this 1992 book, "This is a book for those who believe we should THINK about what we believe. God places no premium on ignorance, nor does He reward those who refuse to look at the evidence. On the contrary, He will condemn those who refuse to look at the plain evidence. (Rom 1:18-20). This book ... is written as a companion to the Bible, so that one may find the answer to a difficulty in the text at the very place the problem occurs... this book is five books in one. First, it is a book on Bible difficulties that gives answers to all the major questions... Second, this is a work in apologetics... Third, it functions like a critical commentary... Fourth... it will help strengthen your spiritual life as ... your faith in God's Word is increased. Finally, this is a book on evangelism."
They state, "While the Bible is the Word of God and, as such, cannot have any ERRORS... this does not mean there are no DIFFICULTIES in it... The mistakes are ... in the misinterpretations of man. The Bible is without mistake, but the critics are not. All their allegations of error in the Bible are based on some error of their own." (Pg. 15) They admit, "At ... times, the words may be clear but the meaning is not evident because we are not sure to what they refer. This is true in 1 Corinthians 15:29 where Paul speaks of those who were 'baptized for the dead.' Is he referring to the baptizing of live representatives to ensure salvation for dead believers who were not baptized (as Mormons claim)?" (Pg. 19) They point out, "When critics do come upon a genuine mistake in a manuscript copy... They forget that God only uttered the original text of Scripture, not the copies... as St. Augustine wisely noted, when we run into a so-called 'error' in the Bible, we must assume one of two things---either the manuscript was not copied correctly, or we have not understood it rightly." (Pg. 23-24)
They assert, "There is no demonstrated contradiction of fact between Genesis 1 and science. There is only a conflict of interpretation. Either, MOST modern scientists are wrong in insisting the world is billions of years old, or else SOME Bible interpreters are wrong in insisting on only 144 hours of creation some several thousand years before Christ with no gaps allowing millions of years. But, in either case it is not a question of INSPIRATION of Scripture, but of the INTERPRETATION of Scripture (and of the scientific data)." (Pg. 33) They add, "since there are known gaps in the genealogies, we cannot accurately determine the age of the human race by simply adding the numbers in Genesis 5 and 10." (Pg. 39)
He acknowledges probable copyist errors, such as 1 Samuel 13:5 stating that the Philistines having an army of 30,000 chariots (an unprecedented number in ancient history); or 1 Samuel 17:50-51 saying that David slew Goliath, whereas 2 Samuel 21:19 says it was Elhanan the Bethlehemite that killed him. [The words ‘the brother of’ in the King James are italicized, meaning they are not part of the Hebrew text.]. Or 2 Samuel 8:4 saying that David captured 1,700 horsemen, whereas 1 Chronicles 18: says 7,000, and 2 Samuel 23:11 describing a field of "lentils," while 1 Chronicles 11:13 calls it "barley" Similarly, First Kings 4:26 says that Solomon had 40,000 stalls for horses, while Second Chronicles 9:25 says he had only 4,000. Or the difference in when Sennacherib invaded Judah (cf. 2 Ki 18:1 vs. 2 Ki 18:13.) Also, 2 Chron 22:2 says that Ahaziah was 42 when he took the throne in Judah, while 2 Kings 8:26 correctly says that he was 22; "his son Ahaziah could not have been 42 when he took the throne after his father's death, otherwise he would have been older than his father." Also [cf. 2 Ki 24:8/2 Chr 36:9] the age of Jehoiachin when he became king. (Pg. 160, 163, 171, 177, 179, 181, 194, 197, 199, 360)
About the lack of an OT "prophecy" to correspond to Mt 2:23, they suggest, "Matthew did not say that any particular OT 'prophet' (singular) stated this. He simply affirmed that the OT 'prophets' (plural) predicted that Jesus would be called a Nazarene. So we should not expect to fine any given verse, but simply a general truth found in many prophets to correspond to His Nazarene-like character." (Pg. 328)
On Lazarus---despite being bound hand and foot---coming forth from the tomb after being raised in John 11:44, they say, "It is not impossible. The Jewish corpses were not wound so tight ... that it precluded all motion. When life came back into Lazarus' body he was no doubt jolted into action. He could have slid from his slab, stood upright on the floor, and if necessary, even jumped to the cave opening..." (Pg. 418)
About John 20:22 and whether the Holy Spirit was given before Pentecost, they argue, "First of all, the John passage is a difficult one, with no direct parallels, and it is hard to know exactly what it means. And like all obscure passages, one should not base any major teaching on it... even if Jesus meant them to receive the Holy Spirit at that moment... it was apparently in a DIFFERENT SENSE. Here the Spirit is given 'to forgive the sins'... But in Acts 1:8 the Spirit was to be given to provide 'power...' Fourth, the promise of the Spirit in John was for His INDWELLING the believer... not for his being baptized by the Holy Spirit..." (Pg. 424)
The authors are to be greatly commended for not "skimming" past the hardest questions, and the format of the book makes it easy to find a "problem passage." This book will be "must reading" for anyone even marginally interested in Christian apologetics.
Norman Geisler is a famed apologist and theologian, who has written/cowritten many other books such as Philosophy of Religion,Christian Apologetics,Introduction to Philosophy,Systematic Theology, etc. Co-author Thomas Howe has also written The Big Book of Bible Difficulties, Daniel in the Preterists' Den, etc. The companion volume is When Skeptics Ask.
They wrote in the Preface to this 1992 book, "This is a book for those who believe we should THINK about what we believe. God places no premium on ignorance, nor does He reward those who refuse to look at the evidence. On the contrary, He will condemn those who refuse to look at the plain evidence. (Rom 1:18-20). This book ... is written as a companion to the Bible, so that one may find the answer to a difficulty in the text at the very place the problem occurs... this book is five books in one. First, it is a book on Bible difficulties that gives answers to all the major questions... Second, this is a work in apologetics... Third, it functions like a critical commentary... Fourth... it will help strengthen your spiritual life as ... your faith in God's Word is increased. Finally, this is a book on evangelism."
They state, "While the Bible is the Word of God and, as such, cannot have any ERRORS... this does not mean there are no DIFFICULTIES in it... The mistakes are ... in the misinterpretations of man. The Bible is without mistake, but the critics are not. All their allegations of error in the Bible are based on some error of their own." (Pg. 15) They admit, "At ... times, the words may be clear but the meaning is not evident because we are not sure to what they refer. This is true in 1 Corinthians 15:29 where Paul speaks of those who were 'baptized for the dead.' Is he referring to the baptizing of live representatives to ensure salvation for dead believers who were not baptized (as Mormons claim)?" (Pg. 19) They point out, "When critics do come upon a genuine mistake in a manuscript copy... They forget that God only uttered the original text of Scripture, not the copies... as St. Augustine wisely noted, when we run into a so-called 'error' in the Bible, we must assume one of two things---either the manuscript was not copied correctly, or we have not understood it rightly." (Pg. 23-24)
They assert, "There is no demonstrated contradiction of fact between Genesis 1 and science. There is only a conflict of interpretation. Either, MOST modern scientists are wrong in insisting the world is billions of years old, or else SOME Bible interpreters are wrong in insisting on only 144 hours of creation some several thousand years before Christ with no gaps allowing millions of years. But, in either case it is not a question of INSPIRATION of Scripture, but of the INTERPRETATION of Scripture (and of the scientific data)." (Pg. 33) They add, "since there are known gaps in the genealogies, we cannot accurately determine the age of the human race by simply adding the numbers in Genesis 5 and 10." (Pg. 39)
He acknowledges probable copyist errors, such as 1 Samuel 13:5 stating that the Philistines having an army of 30,000 chariots (an unprecedented number in ancient history); or 1 Samuel 17:50-51 saying that David slew Goliath, whereas 2 Samuel 21:19 says it was Elhanan the Bethlehemite that killed him. [The words ‘the brother of’ in the King James are italicized, meaning they are not part of the Hebrew text.]. Or 2 Samuel 8:4 saying that David captured 1,700 horsemen, whereas 1 Chronicles 18: says 7,000, and 2 Samuel 23:11 describing a field of "lentils," while 1 Chronicles 11:13 calls it "barley" Similarly, First Kings 4:26 says that Solomon had 40,000 stalls for horses, while Second Chronicles 9:25 says he had only 4,000. Or the difference in when Sennacherib invaded Judah (cf. 2 Ki 18:1 vs. 2 Ki 18:13.) Also, 2 Chron 22:2 says that Ahaziah was 42 when he took the throne in Judah, while 2 Kings 8:26 correctly says that he was 22; "his son Ahaziah could not have been 42 when he took the throne after his father's death, otherwise he would have been older than his father." Also [cf. 2 Ki 24:8/2 Chr 36:9] the age of Jehoiachin when he became king. (Pg. 160, 163, 171, 177, 179, 181, 194, 197, 199, 360)
About the lack of an OT "prophecy" to correspond to Mt 2:23, they suggest, "Matthew did not say that any particular OT 'prophet' (singular) stated this. He simply affirmed that the OT 'prophets' (plural) predicted that Jesus would be called a Nazarene. So we should not expect to fine any given verse, but simply a general truth found in many prophets to correspond to His Nazarene-like character." (Pg. 328)
On Lazarus---despite being bound hand and foot---coming forth from the tomb after being raised in John 11:44, they say, "It is not impossible. The Jewish corpses were not wound so tight ... that it precluded all motion. When life came back into Lazarus' body he was no doubt jolted into action. He could have slid from his slab, stood upright on the floor, and if necessary, even jumped to the cave opening..." (Pg. 418)
About John 20:22 and whether the Holy Spirit was given before Pentecost, they argue, "First of all, the John passage is a difficult one, with no direct parallels, and it is hard to know exactly what it means. And like all obscure passages, one should not base any major teaching on it... even if Jesus meant them to receive the Holy Spirit at that moment... it was apparently in a DIFFERENT SENSE. Here the Spirit is given 'to forgive the sins'... But in Acts 1:8 the Spirit was to be given to provide 'power...' Fourth, the promise of the Spirit in John was for His INDWELLING the believer... not for his being baptized by the Holy Spirit..." (Pg. 424)
The authors are to be greatly commended for not "skimming" past the hardest questions, and the format of the book makes it easy to find a "problem passage." This book will be "must reading" for anyone even marginally interested in Christian apologetics.
October 5, 2009
The book provides answers to many common questions and is written in easy-reading style, free from crazy theological or philosophical vocabulary. Learned how to defend the authority and inspiration of Scripture. Writing in a problem/solution format, the authors cover every major Bible difficulty from Genesis to Revelation. Goreat book to have for every Christian.
April 10, 2025
This is a book about "bible difficulties", seeming contradictions or errors in the Bible.
For example, Exodus 6:16-20 states that Moses was the son of Amram, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, only 3 generations during the 430 years of the Egyptian captivity. How is that possible?
Answer: in that language and culture, it wasn't unusual to use "son" or "father" synonymously with "descendant" or "ancestor." Numbers 3:28 gives the count of the Kohathites at 8,600 people, so clearly there were other generations besides the three given by name.
The author does a decent job answering hundreds of nit-picky complaints like this. Usually the answer is very clear cut but there are some tough cases where that is not the case and several possible resolutions are outlined. For instance, we don't honestly know what is meant by the 144,000 of all the tribes of Israel mentioned in Revelation 7:4-8.
This is a worthy effort that will be useful to the person who is troubled by difficult passages, and also maybe for the person trying to share the gospel who encounters hecklers trying to undercut the message with supposed contradictions.
For example, Exodus 6:16-20 states that Moses was the son of Amram, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, only 3 generations during the 430 years of the Egyptian captivity. How is that possible?
Answer: in that language and culture, it wasn't unusual to use "son" or "father" synonymously with "descendant" or "ancestor." Numbers 3:28 gives the count of the Kohathites at 8,600 people, so clearly there were other generations besides the three given by name.
The author does a decent job answering hundreds of nit-picky complaints like this. Usually the answer is very clear cut but there are some tough cases where that is not the case and several possible resolutions are outlined. For instance, we don't honestly know what is meant by the 144,000 of all the tribes of Israel mentioned in Revelation 7:4-8.
This is a worthy effort that will be useful to the person who is troubled by difficult passages, and also maybe for the person trying to share the gospel who encounters hecklers trying to undercut the message with supposed contradictions.
May 3, 2008
As good as a know-it-all Bible answer book can be.
But as someone whose faith doesn't rest on the Bible's logical perfection, I can't help but chuckle at an attempt to explain how God could say, "Let there be light. And there was light." but then not create the sun until a few days later.
But as someone whose faith doesn't rest on the Bible's logical perfection, I can't help but chuckle at an attempt to explain how God could say, "Let there be light. And there was light." but then not create the sun until a few days later.
November 27, 2007
Takes on some of the most common criticisms of hard to understand texts in the Bible.
December 12, 2008
avoids the tougher challenges
June 6, 2014
it does a good job of sending the inquisitive to scriptures in the bible to further research the questions at hand
December 2, 2016
I keep this book as reference whenever I come across something I am confused over. It is a great book.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews