Q&A With PJ

From time-to-time, we'll use our blog and newsletter article space to answer questions that come in at our services. This week, i have four which I'll handle briefly. If you want/need more detail on any of these subjects, please call (860) 436-9216 or email office@millpondchurch.org. Thanks!

1. Q. Does it matter whether or not you are creamated or buried after death?

A. Biblically, the short answer is "No." I 1Corinthians 15:35-45, Paul makes it clear that what comes up in the resurrection at Christ's return, is a spiritual body--a new body, not a reworked version of the old (see also all of 1 Cor. 15 and 1Thess. 4:13-18). Thus, whether the old flesh was buried, burned, or blown-up--we still get the new and DRASTICALLY improved, spiritual version when Jesus comes again.

2. Q. How Do you submit to a spouse who is not saved?

A. In brief, the same way you submit to one who IS saved. I'm not being trite or cute here, but it's true. Submission to one another is always done "out of reverence to Christ (Eph. 5:21, etc.)." Thus, you treat your spouse as you would treat Jesus even though your spouse can and will NEVER deserve that kind of treatment. You sacrifice your wants at times for his/her needs. Now, this doesn't include abuse since to sacrifice by allowing yourself or your children to be abused would never be God's will nor does it really help your spouse. In fact, allowing abuse under the guise of "submission," is to encourage/enable it and lead the spouse further away from God by helping them sin! Still, to surrender my desires in order to care for and sacrifice for my spouse's needs is Biblical no matter whether or not he/she is a Christian. No matter what the spiritual state of your mate, the key is to know the difference between needs, wants, and sinful requests. For example, my spouse needs love and respect always. She may want $1,000,000 in spending money, but I can't (and probably shouldn't) give her that. Furthermore, she may make a sinful request that I not attend church so I can be with her 24/7, but God is clear that I shouldn't forsake assembling with other Christians (Heb. 10:25), so that's something "nonnegotiable." I submit by laying down my wants for her needs---whether she's a pagan or a devoted follower of Christ. Hope this helps....

3. Q. In Genesis, we're told that Noah put all the animals in the Ark. How could he do that since the Ark would be smaller than some aircraft carriers today?

A. A couple of thoughts. First, was it every species or every single type of animal? Read it carefully, Genesis 7 makes it clear that this was done, "after (their) kind." So rather than have every breed of dog, there may have just been two small dogs. The same with birds, cats, various reptiles, etc. Also, it's entirely impossible that these were baby animals, not fully grown, such that space wasn't an issue. Having said this, remember that the ark WAS huge. Thus, it was clearly capable of holding hundreds if not thousands of species and thus, accomplish the task.

4. Q. In Genesis 6, it says, "the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose." Later, it says that there were "Nephilim" on earth who were "heros." Were these giants? Who were the "sons of men" and the "daughters of men?" Were these angels marrying humans?

A. There have been many speculations about this over time and I'd be lying if I didn't say that my answer is just a "good guess." Still, there are a couple of things we know. First, angels apparently don't have sex and thus don't marry. Jesus said so (see Matt. 22:30). Second, the text doesn't actually say that the "Nephilim" had super powers or that they were giants per se. They were probably bigger and stronger than most, but not the size of a house or "able to leap tall buildings with a single bound." Personally, I think that the point of Genesis 6 is that people were simply marrying without considering faith and family. We know it displeased God (Genesis 6:3) and, from other passages of scripture, this usually meant that people of faith were marrying people who worshiped false gods and were thus led astray. The "sons of God" would be people of faith and the "daughters of men" would represent people who weren't believers in the one true God. This was always a concern...and still is to this day (See 2Cor. 6:14).


If you'd like a question answered in our "Q&A With PJ" portion of the newsletter, just email us or stick a written question in the box at one of our worship services. Thank you!