Christian Questions Bible Podcast

There are two fundamental lessons we can learn about God from having a general knowledge of the true message of the Bible. First, we know that God is love, as He created humanity for the sake of having an eternal human family. Second, God is just. His love for humanity is not weak and unreliable; it is based on a solid foundation of justice. When Adam sinned, this justice aspect of His character was plain to see as Adam would no longer have eternal life. He would now be destined to live out his life outside of the Garden of Eden, in a different environment than he had originally been given. Adam, Eve and the generations they would produce would now make their living off of a cursed earth. What would this mean for them? Did their disobedience doom to whole world to a cursed life of hopelessness? Did God curse the world?

Two targeted curses

When we look closely at the Genesis account, we discover that God’s actions in Eden were far more purposeful and hopeful than many assume. Rather than cursing humanity, God issued two targeted curses: one on the serpent and one on the ground. The serpent’s curse carried both humiliation and prophecy, pointing forward to the eventual destruction of Satan by the promised seed. The curse on the ground introduced toil, resistance and frustration into human labor—not as an act of divine spite, but as a teacher. Life outside the Garden would now reveal the true cost of sin and humanity’s deep need for redemption.

Throughout Scripture, this theme continues. Cain’s judgment, Lamech’s longing for relief and Noah’s partial mitigation of the ground’s difficulty all show that God’s curse on the soil shaped human experience but never represented a curse on humanity itself. Even after the Flood, God reaffirmed stability and seasons, signaling mercy within the struggle. The ground remained cursed, but the world was not abandoned.

Romans 8

The Apostle Paul picks up this thread in Romans 8, explaining that creation was “subjected to futility”—not cursed—and that this condition is temporary. Paul uses the imagery of childbirth to show that the world’s present suffering is leading toward something new. The groaning of creation is in anticipation.  God’s plan has always been restoration.

This is where Jesus enters the picture with breathtaking clarity. By taking Adam’s death penalty and stepping into the Law’s covenant curse—symbolized by being “hung on a tree”—Jesus opened the way for both Jews and Gentiles to become part of Abraham’s promised seed. His sacrifice ensures that the curse on the ground, the futility of creation and the burden of sin will all be resolved in God’s appointed time. The story that begins with a curse ends with healing and restoration, and the promise of a world made new.

Key Takeaways

• God cursed the serpent and the ground in Genesis 3. He did not curse humanity.

• The curse on the ground served a purpose, shaping human experience and pointing to the need for redemption.

• Creation’s “futility” in Romans 8 is temporary and filled with hope.

• Jesus fulfilled the Law’s curse symbol by being publicly displayed on the cross.

• Through Christ, both Jews and Gentiles become Abraham’s seed and heirs of the promise.

• God’s plan moves from curse to consequence to redemption and finally, to restoration.

In Part I of this 2-part series, we introduced several reasons why many Christians believe women should be able to serve as pastors. Our scriptural considerations began with understanding what the “equality in Christ” in our theme text means. We found that it is pointing to an immovable foundation for people of differing ethnicities, different social standings and both genders to stand firmly upon. While Christ does not change our heritage, social standing or gender privileges, he equally welcomes all of us. We also briefly examined the roles of a few prominent Old Testament women. Here we discovered that even though they were wise and chosen prophets of God, that did not open the door for them to be in any way related to the priesthood of Israel.

In Part II of our series, we continue examining the question of whether women should serve as pastors or elders by looking closely at New Testament women in ministry by including examples often raised in support of egalitarian views. We explore the lives of Priscilla, Phoebe and Junia—women of remarkable faith and influence—and consider how their contributions fit within the structure God designed for the early church. These women served powerfully and sacrificially, yet Scripture never presents them as holding the governing or teaching offices reserved for elders.

Gift vs. office

A major theme of this episode is the difference between gifts and offices. God gives spiritual gifts broadly to both men and women, enabling all believers to teach, encourage, counsel and serve. But the New Testament consistently assigns the formal teaching and governing roles of the church to qualified men. This distinction becomes especially important when we look at Pentecost. Peter quotes a prophecy from Joel to show that God’s spirit was being poured out on both sons and daughters, but his purpose was to highlight the arrival of miraculous gifts—not to redefine church leadership. Pentecost was a preview of God’s power, not a restructuring of the elder role.

The Competency Argument

We also address the modern argument of competency. Many women today are highly educated, capable leaders in every sphere of society. Scripture never denies their ability. Instead, it provokes us to consider how God arranges His body according to His design, not human preference. The pattern of male eldership is rooted not in culture, but in creation, headship and the consistent teaching of both Paul and Peter.

This episode encourages all Christians—men and women—to embrace their God given roles with humility, gratitude and purpose, recognizing that leadership in the body of Christ begins and ends with faithful service.

Key Takeaways

• New Testament women served powerfully, but none are shown holding the office of elder.

• Gifts and offices are different: gifts show ability; offices show responsibility.

• Pentecost demonstrated God’s power, not a change in church leadership structure.

• Competency is not the issue—God’s design and order are.

• Headship is rooted in creation, not culture.

• Every Christian can lead by example, regardless of role.

The world has changed dramatically over the last 2,000 years. If you are accessing this podcast information, then the world you live in has gone from a very localized environment where the fastest news traveled was by horseback or boat, to a society of instant access for all news and information. Your world has transformed from a patriarchal society where men represented the vast majority of power and influence in life, to a society that continues to make all roles equally available for both men and women. So, has Christianity kept up with the times? Have we made all roles, specifically the role of pastor and teacher in the church equally available to both men and women? If your church has, should they have? If they have not, then why not? Should women be pastors? There is a clear scriptural answer to this!

Egalitarian and complementarian views

In Part I of this important two-part series, we take a careful, respectful look at one of the most debated questions in modern Christianity: Should women serve as pastors or elders in the church? Rather than beginning with our own conclusion that women should not serve in this way, we start by laying out the pro-woman pastor egalitarian viewpoint, exactly as its supporters understand it. We walk through the strongest egalitarian arguments, including equality in Christ, women in biblical leadership, the distribution of spiritual gifts and the practical reality that women already serve in many ministry roles today.

Once this perspective is clearly understood, the episode turns to Scripture to examine the foundation beneath the complementarian view we hold. What does “equality in Christ” actually mean? Does it erase distinctions God built into creation, or does it elevate men and women equally while preserving different roles? The conversation explores the Old Testament pattern of spiritual leadership, the significance of the priesthood, and the creation order established before sin entered the world. It also looks honestly at how sin distorted God’s design, leading to centuries of misuse, imbalance and cultural extremes Scripture never endorsed.

Throughout the discussion, the goal is not to diminish women’s value or gifting, but to understand how God arranged roles for the protection, order and flourishing of the church. This episode invites our listeners to consider the question not through the lens of culture or tradition, but through the lens of God’s revealed design.

Key Takeaways

• Equality in Christ elevates men and women without erasing God-given distinctions.

• Women in Scripture held significant leadership roles, yet not the highest spiritual offices.

• Spiritual gifts are given broadly, but spiritual offices are assigned purposefully.

• The creation order—not culture—forms the foundation for church structure.

• Sin distorted headship into domination, but Scripture restores balance and dignity.

• Clearly understanding both viewpoints clearly helps us approach this topic with grace and truth.

In our last episode, we laid out a scriptural foundation for how human free will works by considering two Old Testament accounts. First, we looked at Joshua and how he was called upon by God to lead Israel after the death of Moses. His choosing to closely follow God’s direction in this task made him a great leader. This showed us the profound value of always using God’s word and His will to guide us. Second, we looked at the account of Adam and Eve and their sin. Their poor choices showed us how easy it is for us to apply our free will in self-destructive ways by listening to other voices that oppose godliness. Now we get practical and examine free will in relation to our Christianity, as well as free will in relation to the rest of the world.

As Christians, our free will is meant to be shaped and elevated by the teachings of Jesus. Scripture calls us to “continue in his word,” reminding us that discipleship requires direction, discipline and a conscience trained by truth. Understanding how God guides our free will helps us see that He does not override our choices; instead, He surrounds our path with the “guardrails” of providence—Scripture, conscience, correction and the influence of His spirit. These guardrails don’t force us to stay on the road, but they can lovingly prevent us from drifting into danger.

Ephesians 4

Ephesians 4 gives us a practical picture of how God guides our free will by showing what a renewed mind and transformed character look like in action. This chapter becomes a roadmap for what a transformed free will looks like in daily life. As we “put off” the old self and “put on” the new, our choices begin to reflect Christlike qualities: truthful communication, forbearance, godly morality, upbuilding words, diligent actions, purified emotions and a tender, forgiving heart. This transformation is gradual, intentional and deeply connected to our willingness to align our intellect and character with God’s word.

This is good for Christians, but what about the free will of the world at large? While humanity’s choices now often lead to suffering and injustice, the Bible assures us that God has fixed a future “day of judgment”—a thousand-year period of restoration, clarity and righteous instruction. In that kingdom, every person will finally have the opportunity to choose God with full understanding. Free will, once confused and wounded, will be healed and guided toward life.

Key Takeaways

• Free will becomes powerful and safe only when it is aligned with Jesus’ teachings.

• Ephesians 4 shows how a transformed free will produces Christlike behavior.

• Christian growth requires “putting off” the old self and “putting on” the new.

• The world’s uneven free will experiences will be addressed in the future kingdom.

• The “day of judgment” is a restorative, thousand-year period of learning righteousness.

• Ultimately, God’s plan leads every human being toward clarity, accountability and the opportunity to choose life.

The Bible plainly teaches us that God in His unfathomable wisdom and power has a clear plan for the destiny of ALL humanity. We also know according to 1 Peter 1:20 that His plan for the sacrifice of Jesus was clearly in place even before the earth was created. Now, if God’s plan was clear to Him even before humanity existed, how does that fit into our understanding that each and every one of us has free will? Wouldn’t His foreknowledge by its very existence make us all puppets in His hands? If He knows how it will all turn out, then aren’t we just playing a predetermined role? Actually, nothing could be further from the truth! As we dig into these questions, we will see that God’s plans and purposes are firmly built around the free will of all of His intelligent creation. Understanding this is life changing!

Joshua

As we explored this question in Part I, we began with Joshua—one of Scripture’s clearest examples of how human free will operates within God’s will. Joshua was given a divine assignment and the assurance that God would be with him, yet he still had to actively choose obedience, courage and faith. God laid out the road, but Joshua had to walk it. His free will didn’t create God’s plan, but it determined how faithfully he would travel upon it. This powerful picture shows us that God’s foreknowledge does not eliminate our choices; instead, it provides the framework in which our choices gain meaning.

Adam & Eve

We also examined the first human exercise of free will in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve were created perfect, placed in an environment designed for success and given clear boundaries. Their free will was real, and so were the consequences of their decisions. When Eve listened to another voice and Adam followed her lead, they stepped outside of God’s protective boundaries. God didn’t force the outcome, but free will must be tested, proven and ultimately aligned with God’s character.

Throughout the episode, we saw that God’s will is

perfect

committed

time-tested and

harmonious.

Human free will, by contrast, is developing. It must learn strength, courage, character and intellectual alignment with God’s truth. Rather than making us puppets, God invites us into a lifelong process of choosing His way—again and again—until our will becomes anchored in His.

Understanding this relationship between God’s sovereignty and our freedom is deeply practical. It shapes how we face decisions, how we interpret trials, and how we grow into Christlike maturity.

Key Takeaways

• God’s foreknowledge frames human free will. It does not cancel it.

• Joshua shows that God provides the road, but we choose how faithfully we walk it.

• Strength and courage are active choices, not automatic feelings.

• Adam and Eve’s test reveals that free will must be proven and aligned with God’s character.

• God’s will is perfect and unchanging. Our will is being shaped to match His.

• Every decision becomes an opportunity to choose trust, obedience and spiritual growth.