77 FAQs About God and the Bible: Your Toughest Questions Answered

by Josh McDowell, Sean McDowell

Real-life, on-the-street Christian apologetics is what readers expect from Josh McDowell. Here, he and his son, Sean, reflect their ongoing research and close engagement with our culture in answers to classic questions such as… …and questions that arise from today’s 77 FAQs offers the concise, accessible presentations that readers want and need in an apologetic resource―answers they’ll turn to for help in everyday life.

Genres: Christian, Religion

240 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2012

About the author

Josh McDowell is a bestselling Christian apologist, evangelist, and author of over 150 books, including Evidence That Demands a Verdict and More Than a Carpenter. Once an agnostic, he converted to Christianity while investigating its historical claims. He went on to earn degrees from Wheaton College and Talbot Theological Seminary. For decades, McDowell has been a prominent speaker with Campus Crusade for Christ, addressing issues of faith, character, and youth culture worldwide. His work emphasizes historical and legal evidence for Christianity and tackles challenges posed by skepticism and non-Christian beliefs. He lives in California with his wife, Dottie, and is the father of four children, including fellow apologist Sean McDowell.

Reviews

[E. Scott Harvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot recommend ANY and EVERY book by Josh and Sean McDowell strongly enough.

[Apollos Michio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Six years ago, when my family and I went on a trip to America, we visited a pastor in Long Island, New York, who long ago preached at our church in Singapore. After a dinner meal we had with him and his wife, this pastor gave me and my siblings a book. This was the book: 77 FAQs About God and the Bible.

Six years later, while being cooped up at home because of COVID-19, I decided to pick up this book and read it. Yes, it took so long, but I am so thankful for this gift because this book answers so many of my questions and doubts about Christianity, mainly about God and the Bible. With questions like “Why does God allow suffering?”, “If God is so loving, why can’t he be more tolerant of sin?” and “Is the Bible reliable?”, I have to say the authors really did a fine job of answering them and explaining them to the best of their abilities.

The answers are objective and substantiated, and therefore credible and very convincing. If you are a Christian, this is a book that can strengthen your faith. If you are not a Christian, this book can answer your questions and doubts. Written in its question-and-answer format, this is a book that need not be read from cover to cover. You can just read the answers to the questions you have, so even those who don’t really read books can enjoy this one!

I will definitely recommend this immensely helpful book to everyone and anyone who wants to know more about God and the Bible!

4.5/5

[Steven H · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE FATHER/SON APOLOGETICS TEAM DEAL WITH MANY QUESTIONS

Famous apologist Josh McDowell and his apologist son Sean wrote in the first chapter of this 2012 book, “There are many questions on the subjects of God and the Bible that have satisfying answers. But to some people they may not be satisfying… Many of the questions we are answering are spiritual questions that require spiritual answers. If you accept only ‘secular’ answers, you may be disappointed… Sometimes we must accept that there are issues and situations God knows but that remain partially or wholly a mystery to us humans… it is important to recognize our own human limitations. So no---not all of your questions about God and the Bible can be answered in this or in any other book. But we will do our best to address every question honestly and provide answers that are as clear and practical as possible.”

They argue, “if there is no God, then what is GOOD? Without God, we are all left to figure out the meaning of good for ourselves, and the concept of objective good disappears… We know that objective moral values exist. We don’t need to be persuaded that, for example, torturing babies for fun is wrong. All reasonable people know this. Therefore, since moral values do exist, then God must exist as well.” (Pg. 34)

They state, “Where did evil come from, and what caused the first human to choose it? Eve coveted God’s wisdom---his sovereign determination of what was in the best interest of humans. He gave the first couple the power of free will, and they chose to follow their own desires rather than his. Evil was born out of a choice to believe that God was denying his human creation what was good. As a result, the first humans committed an evil act of self-sovereignty in disobedience to their Creator’s account.” (Pg. 52)

They observe, “Nothing in Scripture reveals that there is intelligent life on other planets Scripture is silent on this issue. We are told there are demons, angels, seraphim, and cherubim, but there is no reference to other intelligent life. But if there was life on other distant planets, it would not seem to contradict Christian beliefs. God is the creator of the universe, and if he created other life-forms and didn’t tell us about it---that’s his prerogative. And just because he chooses not to tell us doesn’t necessarily mean there aren’t other intelligent beings out there. The point is, we simply don’t know.” (Pg. 60)

They acknowledge, “the question is, is [God] violent?... The short answer is yes. But unless we have a context for God’s violence, we risk misunderstanding his nature… God, who is the antithesis of sin and self-centeredness, at times engages in violence because he is the ultimate protector of the innocent and judge of the unrighteous. When God killed 185,000 Assyrians he was killing soldiers were attempting to capture Jerusalem… Assyria … brutally tortured and killed innocent men, women, and children… A heathen empire that murdered the innocent and mocked the true God deserved punishment… Yes, God uses violence to defend, protect, and bring deserved judgment on evildoers.” (Pg. 75-76)

They state, “Hell then is a place absent of relationship, which is absolute aloneness. Hell is a place of perpetual disintegration of the soul into greater and greater self-centeredness. It is hard to imagine the anguish of such a place---the absolute aloneness of the living dead. Yet is a loving God sending people to that place? Scripture makes it clear that God … will not force us to love him and enjoy a relationship with him. So actually, God doesn’t send people to hell; they make a free choice to reject him… And his giving humans free choice has opened up consequences that can be extremely negative.” (Pg. 85-86)

About why God allows suffering, they suggest, “First, we don’t think that there is any logical explanation that somehow satisfies the emotional cry for a solution to the horrific problem of pain and suffering. So we admit that reason and philosophical discourse cannot fully answer the cries of the heart. But… All things considered, we believe the Christian worldview provides the most intellectually satisfying and emotionally fulfilling response to the problem of suffering and evil… God has given humans created in his image the power of free choice… God gave the first couple a very good thing---the power to choose between unselfishly loving him and believing that he knew what was best… or selfishly loving themselves and believing THEY knew what was best… If the first couple had followed that way they would have avoided pain and suffering.” (Pg. 89-90)

They continue, “We confess that we cannot satisfactorily explain why God has allowed suffering for as long as he has… why God is taking SO LONG to end pain and suffering is truly a perplexing question… It’s true that the longer God waits to return, the more people are coming to him… Christianity may have declined as a proportion of the West’s population, but this is not so in other major population areas of the world… Does this mean that as long as the earth is being populated and people are coming to Christ, God will wait to bring an end to it all? We don’t know. But God does, and it seems clear he has simply chosen not to fully explain why he has allowed evil, suffering, pain, and death to last as long as it has.” (Pg. 93-96)

They explain, “Because God spoke his words through humans, the Scripture is textured with varied literary forms and styles and the different human perspectives, emotions, and cultures of his spokesmen. In so communicating, God captures the full character of those he spoke through… Each book of Scripture is presented through the lens of its human spokesman yet still conveys the exact message God wants us to receive… Yet its writing was supernaturally guided and divinely superintended to convey precisely what God wants to communicate. Therefore, it is rightly called the Word of God.” (Pg. 152-153)

This book will be of great interest to those seeking “answers” to a wide variety of questions, presented in a concise and honest manner.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: 77 FAQs ABOUT GOD AND THE BIBLE
Authors: Josh McDowell and Sean McDowell
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers
August 2012
ISBN: 978-0736949248
Genre: Christian Life

You got questions? We’ve got answers.

Between Josh and Sean, they’ve spoken to more than 5,000 groups and organizations about God and the Bible. They not only believe the Bible is trustworthy, but they have also compiled the answers to the 77 most commonly asked questions about God and the Bible in this newest book 77 FAQs ABOUT GOD AND THE BIBLE.

Some of the questions asked include (but aren’t limited to):

 Does God get involved with politics?
 What is God’s church?
 Isn’t the Bible full of contradictions?
 Why does God allow suffering?
 Why isn’t God still inspiring people to write His Word today?

The McDowell’s have put extensive research into these questions and more and provide solid answers that will help readers. A valuable resource tool for anyone, preachers to laymen to have on hand to answer questions about God and the Bible. Recommended.

[Cashie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty good skim over a decent range of questions. It's a really good starter book for people who are new as Christians or for others who want to brush up on their apologetics. If you want a more in depth analysis (especially for the bible questions) I would go to Evidence That Demands A Verdict.

[Shelley Lawrence · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a bit dry and I found some of the answers, or explanations, a bit too brief to be all that helpful. Generally speaking though, it was a decent overview of biblical answers to often asked questions.

[Ken Orton · Rating 2 out of 5]

McDowell broke into (Christian) celebrity status in 1972 with the book "Evidence That Demands A Verdict." I read it back then and was amazed as a young Christian that he had "all the answers" that one would ever need concerning God and the Bible. It's now 37 years later and I think I can say accurately that the only change I see in McDowell's theology and system of apologetics is that he has written a lot of other books and has those to refer to in his "proofs" in this newer publication. Meanwhile, my own beliefs and systems have undergone numerous changes based on Bible study, reading of the classic commentators, experience, tradition, interactions with other Christians and the opportunity to teach in dozens of Bible studies and classes.
So what is wrong here? How could it be that McDowell has not learned a single new thing in all these years (except how to drag your son in with you and how to sell your other books by referring to them as authoritative proof sources). No doubt he is just still riding the same horse that brought him to fame.
Careful reading with experienced eyes reveal that he still operates in the shadows of theology by supporting his personal beliefs with distortions, misinterpretations, twisting of words, passages, books and "facts" all the while criticizing those who do the very same things. He would have made a great politician. Anyway, there is some value in the book, especially in explanations of other religions, sects and beliefs but his reluctance to simply say "the Bible appears have errors here" or "the Abraham and Isaac story isn't understood by anyone" is frustrating to a scholar. He also misquotes statistics concerning recent discoveries of ancient writings and continues to avow that the Bible is inerrant in every story and word, a position that almost no Christians would accept today. (I mean, c'mon - a snake talked to the only two people on earth in the Garden? Where did the people come from in the land of Nod where Cain was sent?) Inspired - yes, inerrant - hardly.

[Joseph P. Alexander · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall a good book. It is a simple book, giving basic answers to questions the McDowells have received over the years. Of course, a multitude of translations are used which is on par with how they write. If you have a profound level of bible knowledge, very little in here will turn your head, but I don't think that it was written for people with 20 years of Bible under their belt. The sections on Muslims, Mormans, and Catholics was good and, for me, the most helpful. I would recommend this to a newer believer or one who is not regenerate.

[Jewell L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I mean it's hard to rate books like this. Because it's not like a story or anything. The information was for the most understandable. Clear and concise. They authors really made certain topics less complex. Their references were also very helpful. And I enjoyed reading about various ideas from their perspective. I can't say I hated anything. 

[Amy B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this book is better used for reference for teaching class or for looking up a question if you need perspective to help answer. The material itself is good. It would likely be very beneficial to read cover to cover for someone who has a lot of questions about God and the Bible. If you are well-versed, it’s a better resource guide for specific situations.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a wonderful introduction to the Christian faith and the questions that one may have as a new believer. This book does not contain dense, "meaty" substance and may leave the more mature believer wanting more. I would recommend this book.

[Robert Phelps · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got this book before entering the military, and it was a good apologetic resource. It was easily digestible and the chapter organization and topic delivery made it super handy for discussion during training or at work.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved that this book broke down some super complex questions and provided easy to understand answers. This book had some questions I don’t think I would’ve ever had but I loved that! It helped me to learn something new and think of things in a new way!!

[Chad Enright · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a good book to help answer questions in easy to understand verbiage. A good tool to help you answer questions in layman's terms when others ask you.

[Rima Kassooha · Rating 5 out of 5]

محاولة للإجابة على كثير من الأسئلة التي يطرحها المسيحي وغير المسيحي
كتاب يستحق القراءة

[รђєк๏๏ · Rating 5 out of 5]

من اجمل ومن اكثر الكتب افاده ليا في مجال الدفاعيات كتاب جميل وبيجاوب علي اسأله فعلا بتواجه الكتير مننا حاليا بشكر الله علي هذا العمل العظيم واشكر الكاتب والمترجم وكل من قام علي هذا العمل العظيم