49 Questions About Christianity

By Saleem Ahmed

1.If   Jesus's  mission  was  to  the  lost  sheep   of
 Israel,why  was it confined to Palestine  where  only
 two  of  the  original tribes had settled?  Did  that
 mean that Jesus had failed in his mission?

2.Why  should  Jesus specifically forbid,  on  the  one
  hand,  preaching  the Gospel to the Gentiles  Matthew
  7:6,15:24,26)  and  yet  on  the  other,   tell   the
  disciples  to  teach all the nations, baptizing  them
  in  the  name  of the Father, the Son  and  the  Holy
  Ghost? (Matthew 28:19)

3.Why did Jesus prohibit the Gospel from being preached
  to  the  Gentiles during his ministry (Matthew  10:5,
  7:6,15:24-26) but after his 'resurrection' tell  them
  to  preach  the  Gospel  to the  whole  world?  (Mark
  16:15)
  If  Jesus  really had made the latter statement,  why
  was  there  such  a  fierce debate within  the  early
  Church  (and particularly between Peter and Paul)  as
  to  whether  the  Gospel should be  preached  to  the
  Gentiles? (Acts 15:6-30)

4.Out  of  all  the signs that Jesus could  have  given
  about  himself, he chose to give the sign  of  Jonah:
  This  generation is an evil generation;  it  seeks  a
  sign  but  no  sign shall be given to it  except  the
  sign  of  Jonah. (Luke 11:29, Matthew 12:39,  Matthew
  16)   Jonah  was  swallowed  alive  by  a  whale  and
  remained  in  its  belly alive for  three  days.  For
  Jesus  to  have properly fulfilled the  prophecy,  he
  would  need  to  enter the tomb alive  and  come  out
  alive.  Why should Jesus give this, of all signs,  if
  he was to die and be resurrected?

5.If    Jesus's message was for the whole  of  mankind,
  why  did  he  forbid his disciples to preach  to  the
  Gentiles? (Matthew 10:5-6)

6.When  Jesus was asked what the only way was  to  true
  salvation,he replied: keep the Commandments  (Matthew
  19:17).
  The  first of the Commandments was to believe in  the
  Oneness  of  God (Exodus 20:3). Why did Jesus  answer
  so  if  he  believed in and was part of the  Trinity?
  Why  did he not refer to the Father, the Son, and the
  Holy Ghost?

7.Jesus said that he had not come to change the Law  of
  Moses  (Matthew 5:17-20, Matthew 23:1-3). The Law of Moses teaches  that
  there  is  one  God  (Exodus  20:3).  If  Jesus   was
  introducing the concept of Trinity, why  did  he  not
  say  that  he  was  changing  the  Law  of  Moses  or
  introducing a different

8.Jesus prophesied that men of his generation would not
  pass  away  without witnessing his second coming  and
  the  falling of stars (Mark 9:1, 13:30). Why was this
  prophecy unfulfilled? Why was it that Jesus  did  not
  return within the lifetime of his generation?

9.Why  did  Jesus  forbid  the disciples  from  calling
  people  fools  yet  called the  Jewish  leaders  with
  names  like  vipers and children of adultery?  Is  it
  conceivable that a Divine Being would behave in  this
  way?

10.According  to Luke, when the Jews tried  Jesus  they
  asked  him Are you the son of God? Jesus replied  you
  say  that I am (Luke 22:70) which could mean: you say
  that  I  am  but  I  do  not.  If  his  divinity  was
  something he came to tell the world, why did  he  not
  plainly  say  yes instead of couching his  answer  in
  ambiguous terms?

11.In  the  Old  Testament, the term  Son  of  God  was
  applied  to  David  (Psalms  89:27),  the  nation  of
  Israel    (Exodus  4:22),  the  children  of   Israel
  (Psalms  82:6),  and  Solomon (1  Chronicles  22:10).
  Jesus  also  used  it  for the  peacemakers  (Matthew
  5:9).  If Jesus was referring to himself as  the  Son
  of  God in the literal sense, why did he not make  it
  clear    that  he  was  differentiating  between    a
  symbolic  reference  and  a literal  meaning  of  the
  term?

12.Jesus  was  the  Messiah,  the  fulfillment  of  Old
  Testament  prophecies. He frequently  made  reference
  to  himself as the suffering servant foretold in  the
  Book  of  Isaiah  (Matthew 8:17 & Isaiah  53:4;  Luke
  2:30 & Isaiah 52:10; Luke 22:37 & Isaiah 53:12).  The
  Messiah  of the Old Testament was, however,  promised
  by  God  that  he would not be killed (Psalms  34:19,
  Isaiah  53:10). How was it, therefore, that the  Jews
  had  succeeded in killing the Messiah if  Jesus  died
  on the cross?

13.If  Jesus  knew that Judas was going to betray  him,
  why  did he continue to permit him as a disciple? Why
  did  he  not  tell the other disciples so that  Judas
  could   be  excluded  from  his  closest  circle   of
  followers?

14.If Jesus knew that one of his disciples would betray
  him,  why  should  he say that all  twelve  disciples
  would sit upon twelve thrones? (Matthew 19:28)

15.If  Jesus knew that he was to die on the cross,  why
  did  he  spend  all night praying in  the  Garden  of
  Gethsemane  seeking  deliverance:  Father  if  it  is
  possible  may  this  cup be taken from  me?  (Matthew
  26:39)

16.Jesus  had  taught that man's prayers  are  answered
  the  Garden  of  Gethsemane? What effect  would  this
  incident  have  on  the faith of  his  disciples  and
  followers to see that a prayer had not been  answered
  contrary to what Jesus had taught?

17.If  Jesus believed that his prayer in the Garden  of
  Gethsemane would not be heard, why did he  tell   his
  disciples  earlier that prayers are answered?:  Would
  any  of  you  who are fathers give your son  a  stone
  when  he asked for bread (Matthew 7:9-10) which means
  that  God  hears the prayers    of man  more  than  a
  father  answers  the wishes of his children  and  Ask
  and  it will be given to you; seek and you will find;
  knock  and  it will be openedtoyou. And whatever  you
  ask  in  your prayers, you will receive, if you  have
  faith. (Matthew 21:22; John 11:41,42)

18.If  Jesus's  prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane  was
  not  to be heard, why was it something that he wanted
  the  disciples to witness? If the prayer was  not  to
  be heard, what useful purpose does this story serve?

19.Why   should  Matthew,  Mark  and  Luke  all  report
  (Matthew  26:39, Mark 14:36, Luke 22:42)  that  Jesus
  asked  for  the  cup of suffering to  be  passed   if
  possible  yet  John (John 18:11) reports  that  Jesus
  hastened  for  the  crucifixion saying  shall  I  not
  drink the cup the Father hath given me?

20.Why did Pontius Pilate just simply ignore his wife's
  plea  to have nothing to do with Jesus on account  of
  her  bad  dream? (Matthew 27:19) If the very  mission
  of   Jesus  was  to  suffer  death,  why  should  God
  Almighty  show a dream to Pilate's wife  which  would
  cause  her to try and persuade her husband to release
  Jesus?  Would  not that appear to counter  God's  own
  plan?

21.If  Pilate really wanted Jesus to die on the  cross,
  why  would he fix the crucifixion on a Friday evening
  knowing  that  the Jews would have to take  him  down
  before  Sabbath and that such a little  time  on  the
  cross was insufficient for him to die?

22.If  Jesus knew all along that he was destined to  be
  crucified  to death (indeed if that was  his  purpose
  in  life), why did he exclaim on the cross  Eli,  Eli
  Lama  Sabachthani meaning my God my God why hast thou
  forsaken me? (Matthew 27:46)

23.If Jesus was about to die, how was he able to say in
  a  clear  loud and audible voice that he was thirsty?
  (John 19:28)
  Sabachthani   (Matthew  27:46)  reported   in   their
  original  Aramaic  form? Could  it  be  that  Jesus's
  helpless  cry left such a vivid impression of  a  man
  seemingly  bereft of hope that anyone who heard  them
  would remember the exact words?

25.Vinegar   is  often considered to have a stimulating
  effect,rather  similar  to smelling  salts.  Why,  in
  Jesus's  case,  did it suddenly lead  to  his  death?
  (John 19:29,

26.How could an onlooker tell the difference between  a
  man  on  the  cross who had died and a  man  who  had
  fainted   (Mark  15:39)  particularly  when   it   is
  reported that it was dark at that time? (Mark  15:33,
  Matthew 27:45, Luke 23:44)

27.If  Jesus  was  dead when he was  removed  from  the
  cross,  why  did  his body release blood  and  water,
  since  blood does not flow at all from a  dead  body?
  (John 19:34)

28.Why  did  Jesus die before the other  two  who  were
  crucified with him even though the legs of the  other
  two were broken to hasten death? (John 19:32)

29.It  is  reported that dead saints came out of  their
  graves  and  made themselves known to  many  (Matthew
  27:52).  When  the Jews saw this, why  did  they  not
  immediately profess faith in Jesus? Where  did  these
  saints  go? Who did they see? Why is there no account
  of  this  story  elsewhere other  than  in  Matthew's
  Gospel?

30.If the above story of saints rising from the dead is
  not  based on an actual historical event, what  other
  statements  there in the Gospels which are  not  baon
  actual historical facts?

31.Jesus  said that the killing of prophets ended  with
  the  killing of Zacharias (Matthew 23:35-36). How was
  it,  therefore,  that  the  Jews  had  succeeded   in
  killing another prophet?

32.Crucifixion  was  meant  to  be  an  accursed  death
  (Deuteronomy  21:23).  If Jesus  was  crucified,  did
  that mean he also suffered an accursed death?

33.Why  was  it  that a Roman soldier  was  so  readily
  prepared  to  allow Joseph (a subjected  citizen)  to
  take   down  Jesus's  body  from  the  cross  without
  checking  and  without  Joseph  having  any  apparent
  lawful authority?

34.Why  is  there  is no direct account  by  Joseph  of
  Arimathea  or Nicodemus that Jesus was dead  when  he
  was  account  would  have settled the  matter  beyond
  dispute?

35.Why should Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus take so
  much  trouble to recover the body of Jesus when  this
  would have been the duty of the nearest relative?