I. What are intellectual problems?
A. Intellectual Problems are when a claim or tenant of a philosophic system appears to be in conflict with other known or accepted philosophy.
B. A desire to have things be different is not an intellectual problem, but is often offered as such.
II. The supernatural world.
A. The Bible claims that:
1. There is a God
2. Angels
3. A Devil
4. Demons
5. The Devil and demons are:
a. Powerful, influential, deceitful
b. Able to work miracles
c. Weaker than God
III. The Problem of Evil.
A. If God is good, all powerful, and all knowing; how could there be evil in the world?
B. This leads some to say that maybe God is not:
1. Good
2. All powerful
3. All knowing
C. The Answer:
1. God defines good. God says that it is better to let some evil exist, rather than override our will. He also promises that he will be able to make everything right, even paying the price for every sin ever committed, so that we could be in relationship with Him again.
2. Remember that omnipotent means all powerful. All powerful includes the capacity to give choice to another.
3. How could you test omniscience? God claims to be all knowing, so far as we can tell he is. We simply cannot test this claim.
IV. The Problem of Exclusivity.
A. Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father
except through me.” John 14:6
B. The objections:
1. There has to be another way.
2. What about the people who have not read.
C. The Answer:
1. Many things can only be done one way. While we may want to have multiple ways to do things, often we are not given that as an option.
2. What about those who haven’t heard.
a. Romans 10