Beards & Bible Podcast

In 1990, 26-year-old Terri Schiavo fell into a persistent vegetative state after suffering cardiac arrest. A fierce highly public battle took place between her parents and her husband, who wanted to disconnect her feeding tube. Terri's husband argued that his wife would not have wanted her life artificially prolonged, with no hope of recovery.

Terri Schiavo's case spurred an emotional nationwide and international heated debate over quality of life, right-to-die and end-of-life issues. The case grew so notorious that the Vatican in Rome challenged American law which allowed for discontinuing food and water in certain circumstances, arguing for the sanctity of human life.

Though the courts sided with her husband, Michael Schiavo, the state legislature passed a bill, known as Terri's law, giving Florida Gov. Jeb Bush authority to prevent the removal of the feeding tube. After much back and forth involving state and federal courts, Terri's feeding tube was eventually removed, ending the long legal struggle over her fate when she died on March 31, 2005 at the age of 41.

So should a person’s death be prolonged or should a person’s life be allowed to end through, “mercy killings” or euthanasia? What about a person who is seeking to euthanize themselves with the aid of a physician? Is allowing such practices merciful or merciless?

What does the Bible have the say about these issues? How can we understand the topic of suicide, euthanasia, and the sanctity of life as Christians?

In American Christianity especially, there is much confusion on the doctrine of eternal security (sometimes referred to as “once saved, always saved“).

Some circles of Christianity, for example, might teach that one can lose his/her salvation and fall into the error of trying to keep his salvation by personal effort. According to scripture, this is a serious error (Gal. 3:1-3).

On the other hand, some circles teach that one can never lose his/her salvation, and therefore fall into the error of sinning willfully because he/she believes salvation can't be lost no matter how much an individual sins. This is also a serious doctrinal error (Heb. 10:26).

It would seem that some Scriptures suggests that God preserves those who are truly His (John 10:27-28; Heb. 13:5; Matt. 7:21-23; 1 John 2:19; Rom. 8:38-39), yet there is also an indication in scripture that in the journey of pursuing Christ, many will fall away from the faith (2 Pet. 2:1; Gal. 5:4; Heb. 10:26; 6:4-6; Ps. 69:28).

So which is it? Are we eternally secure? Or is our salvation conditional on our own ability to walk in obedience? How do we understand apostasy, or those who once professed faith in Christ but now don’t?

One of the more confusing topics in the New Testament is the subject of the charismatic gifts- healing, prophecy, miracles, and tongues. As bizarre of some of these gifts seem to us, it certainly appears from reading the New Testament, that these gifts that were given by Holy Spirit were a normative part of a Christian life and the experience of the early church.

But has that changed at all? Are those gifts for today? If so, how does somebody get them?

What does it mean to be, “baptized in the Holy Spirit” or “Filled with the Holy Spirit”? And if you don’t speak in tongues, does that mean something’s wrong with you?