Bible Questions and Answers: What Judaism and Christianity Teach
Judaism
And when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD our God hath commanded you? — Deuteronomy 6:20 (KJV)
In Judaism, asking questions isn't just permitted — it's practically a religious obligation. The tradition of she'elot u-teshuvot (questions and answers, often abbreviated as responsa) stretches back centuries, with scholars like Maimonides (12th century) and Joseph Karo (16th century) producing vast legal literature built entirely on the question-and-answer format.
Deuteronomy 6:20 is a foundational text here. It envisions a child asking the parent about the meaning of God's laws — and the parent being ready with a full, historically grounded answer Deuteronomy 6:20. This verse is even embedded in the Passover Haggadah as one of the 'four children' passages, celebrating the inquisitive child. Questioning is framed as a sign of engagement, not doubt.
Isaiah 40:21 pushes further, with a rhetorical cascade of questions — 'Have ye not known? have ye not heard?' — implying that the evidence of God's nature is available to anyone willing to look and ask Isaiah 40:21. The Talmudic tradition (Babylonian Talmud, compiled ~500 CE) is itself structured as an ongoing dialogue of questions, counter-questions, and answers, reflecting the Jewish conviction that wrestling with scripture is itself a holy act.
Christianity
And Jesus answering said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God? — Mark 12:24 (KJV)
Christianity inherits the Jewish love of scriptural questioning and deepens it through the teaching ministry of Jesus, who — across the Gospels — both answers questions and poses them. He's remarkably comfortable with the back-and-forth format, often answering a question with another question.
In Matthew 21:24, Jesus deflects a challenge about his authority by proposing a counter-question, a classic rabbinic technique Matthew 21:24. In John 18:34, he responds to Pilate's interrogation with a probing question of his own John 18:34. These aren't evasions — they're invitations to deeper reflection.
Mark 12:24 is perhaps the sharpest statement on the stakes of biblical literacy: Jesus tells the Sadducees they're wrong precisely because they don't know the scriptures or the power of God Mark 12:24. Scholar N.T. Wright (in Jesus and the Victory of God, 1996) argues this kind of scriptural engagement was central to Jesus's whole method — he expected his audience to know the text and think hard about it.
John 6:29 offers a theological answer to one of Christianity's core questions — what must we do to do God's work? Jesus's answer is strikingly simple: believe in the one God sent John 6:29. And John 13:7 acknowledges that some answers come only with time: 'What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter' John 13:7, a comfort to anyone frustrated by unanswered questions of faith.
Islam
Not applicable. This question concerns the Bible specifically — the Jewish Tanakh and the Christian Old and New Testaments. While Islam reveres earlier scriptures in principle, it does not use the Bible as a primary religious text, and the retrieved passages are drawn exclusively from biblical sources with no Quranic or Hadith counterparts provided.
Where they agree
Both Judaism and Christianity agree that asking questions about scripture is not only acceptable but essential. Both traditions treat ignorance of God's word as a serious problem — Deuteronomy 6:20 commands parents to answer their children's questions about God's laws Deuteronomy 6:20, and Jesus in Mark 12:24 explicitly links doctrinal error to not knowing the scriptures Mark 12:24. Both also share Isaiah 40:21's assumption that the truth is knowable if one is willing to seek it Isaiah 40:21.
Where they disagree
| Topic | Judaism | Christianity |
|---|---|---|
| Primary format of Q&A | Legal responsa literature; Talmudic debate between rabbis | Catechetical tradition; Jesus's dialogues in the Gospels |
| Who answers questions | Rabbis, legal scholars, the community of interpretation | Jesus as the definitive teacher; later the Church and its theologians |
| Scope of the 'Bible' | Tanakh only (Torah, Prophets, Writings) | Old Testament + New Testament; the Gospels add a new layer of Q&A |
| Unanswered questions | Accepted as part of ongoing study; 'teku' (unresolved) is a valid Talmudic conclusion | Some answers deferred to the future — John 13:7 John 13:7 — but Christ seen as the ultimate answer |
Key takeaways
- Deuteronomy 6:20 makes parental Q&A about God's laws a religious duty, forming the basis of Judaism's question-centered learning culture Deuteronomy 6:20.
- Jesus in Mark 12:24 directly links not knowing the Bible to theological error — biblical literacy is framed as spiritually urgent Mark 12:24.
- Isaiah 40:21's cascading rhetorical questions ('Have ye not known? have ye not heard?') suggest the answers to life's deepest questions are already available in scripture Isaiah 40:21.
- Jesus frequently answered questions with counter-questions (Matthew 21:24, John 18:34), a technique shared with rabbinic tradition that invites deeper reflection rather than passive reception.
- Both Judaism and Christianity treat unresolved questions differently: Judaism accepts 'teku' (unresolved) as a valid outcome; Christianity often points to Christ or to future revelation (John 13:7) as the ultimate answer John 13:7.
FAQs
Why does the Bible encourage asking questions?
What did Jesus say about knowing the scriptures?
How does Jesus answer questions in the Gospels?
Does Judaism have a tradition of Bible questions and answers?
Judaism
Thus you shall speak to the prophet: “What did GOD answer you?” or “What did GOD speak?”
When questions arise about the Bible, the Tanakh portrays Israel’s leaders explicitly “inquiring of GOD” regarding “the words of the scroll,” treating the written revelation as the norm for answers 2 Chronicles 34:21 2 Kings 22:13.
Prophetic discourse also frames the process as asking, “What did GOD answer you?”—that is, seeking God’s response to human questioning, again anchored in revealed words Jeremiah 23:37.
Accordingly, Jewish precedent emphasizes returning to the scroll’s content to discern obedience and resolve crisis, a pattern visible in the reforms prompted by rediscovering the law 2 Chronicles 34:21 2 Kings 22:13.
Christianity
And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things.
Jesus models a robust question-and-answer method: He asks interlocutors about the basis of His authority before answering their challenge, highlighting that discernment of authority is central to handling Scripture questions Matthew 21:24.
He also interprets Scripture in debate—“Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?”—showing how citing the text itself frames the argument and its answer John 10:34.
Even among disciples, Jesus tests and deepens faith through questions like “Do ye now believe?”, embedding inquiry within the path to understanding John 16:31.
Islam
Or do you have a scripture in which you learn
The Qur’an presents revelation as the learning-source for answers, asking rhetorically, “Or do you have a scripture in which you learn,” directing seekers to rely on God’s Book for guidance Quran 68:37 Quran 68:37.
A report from Ibn ‘Abbas warns Muslims against turning to the People of the Scripture for answers when the Qur’an is present “in its pure undistorted form,” prioritizing Qur’anic authority in resolving questions Sahih al Bukhari 7522.
Thus, in Muslim discourse about biblical questions, comparison is made to the Qur’an as the final criterion, and caution is urged in taking earlier texts as decisive Sahih al Bukhari 7522 Quran 68:37.
Where they agree
All three traditions treat revealed scripture as a normative source for learning and answers, whether by consulting a scroll’s words, engaging Jesus’ scriptural reasoning, or appealing to a divinely given kitab 2 Chronicles 34:21 Matthew 21:24 Quran 68:37.
They also depict inquiry itself—asking and answering—as a legitimate path to discernment before God, seen in prophetic speech, Jesus’ dialogues, and Qur’anic exhortation to learn from revelation Jeremiah 23:37 John 16:31 Quran 68:37.
Where they disagree
| Topic | Judaism | Christianity | Islam |
|---|---|---|---|
| Final reference point | Returns to the words of the discovered scroll for binding guidance 2 Chronicles 34:21 2 Kings 22:13. | Centers Jesus’ authoritative reading and use of Scripture in resolving disputes Matthew 21:24 John 10:34. | Centers the Qur’an as the decisive scripture for learning and adjudication Quran 68:37 Sahih al Bukhari 7522. |
| Use of earlier scriptures | Affirms the authority of the Torah/Prophets as the covenantal standard 2 Chronicles 34:21 Jeremiah 23:37. | Engages Israel’s Scriptures and applies them through Jesus’ teaching and identity John 10:34 Matthew 21:24. | Cautions against relying on earlier scriptures when the Qur’an is present and pure Sahih al Bukhari 7522 Quran 68:37. |
Key takeaways
- In Judaism, inquiry returns to the scroll’s words as the standard for action 2 Chronicles 34:21 2 Kings 22:13.
- Jesus uses questions and Scripture citations to clarify authority and meaning Matthew 21:24 John 10:34.
- Islam prioritizes the Qur’an as the primary source of learned answers, urging caution with earlier scriptures Sahih al Bukhari 7522 Quran 68:37.
- All three depict questioning as a valid path to understanding under divine revelation Jeremiah 23:37 John 16:31 Quran 68:37.
FAQs
How did ancient Israelites handle difficult biblical passages?
Did Jesus encourage questions in matters of biblical authority?
What does Islam say about asking the People of the Book for answers?
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