Questions from the Bible: What Do Judaism, Christianity, and Islam Say?

In Judaism, questions aren't just permitted — they're practically required. The entire rabbinic tradition is built on the practice of interrogating sacred texts, and the Hebrew Bible itself models this. King Josiah's command in 2 Kings is a classic example: when the scroll of the Torah was rediscovered, his immediate response was to inquire of God 2 Kings 22:13. That word — inquire — is the Hebrew darash, the same root as midrash, the great tradition of interpretive questioning.

Similarly, in 2 Chronicles 34:21, Josiah sends his officials to 'inquire of GOD' about the newly found scroll, treating the text as something that demands active engagement, not passive reception 2 Chronicles 34:21. The prophet Jeremiah captures the dialogic spirit of biblical religion when he records the formula: 'What did GOD answer you? or What did GOD speak?' Jeremiah 23:37 — framing the prophetic encounter itself as a question-and-answer exchange.

Scholars like Abraham Joshua Heschel (20th century) argued that Judaism's genius lies precisely in this: the tradition doesn't silence questions, it canonizes them. The Passover Seder, for instance, is structured entirely around four questions. Questioning scripture isn't doubt — it's devotion.

The New Testament is saturated with questions — and Jesus is often the one asking them. In Mark 9:16, Jesus arrives amid a dispute and immediately asks the scribes, 'What question ye with them?' Mark 9:16 — a deceptively simple question that cuts to the heart of a conflict about faith and power. Jesus consistently used questions as a teaching method, a practice scholars like N.T. Wright have described as characteristic of his Socratic-style rabbinical approach.

John 13:7 offers one of the most poignant examples of a question deferred rather than answered: Jesus tells Peter, 'What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter' John 13:7. This isn't evasion — it's an invitation to trust the process of revelation. Christian theologians from Augustine onward have noted that many of the Bible's questions are designed not to be answered immediately, but to be lived into.

It's worth noting there's genuine disagreement within Christianity about how to handle unanswered biblical questions. Some traditions (particularly Reformed ones) emphasize the sufficiency of scripture — that the Bible contains everything necessary for faith. Others, like Catholic and Orthodox traditions, argue that the Church's interpretive authority is needed to properly navigate scripture's questions. Both camps, though, agree the questions themselves are divinely intentional.

Islam's relationship to 'questions from the Bible' is nuanced and worth handling carefully. Muslims don't regard the Bible as an uncorrupted scripture — the Qur'an is considered the final and preserved revelation. Ibn Abbas, one of the Prophet's closest companions and a towering figure in early Islamic scholarship, addressed this directly: 'How can you ask the people of the Scriptures about their Books while you have Allah's Book (the Qur'an) which is the most recent of the Books revealed by Allah, and you read it in its pure undistorted form?' Sahih al Bukhari 7522

That said, Islam does take the concept of divine questioning seriously. The Qur'an itself warns that every soul will be questioned: 'Them, by thy Lord, We shall question, every one' (Quran 15:92) Quran 15:92. This eschatological questioning is a major theme in Islamic theology.

There's also a recorded incident where some companions were asking the Prophet mocking or frivolous questions, prompting a Qur'anic rebuke: believers are warned not to ask about things that, if revealed, might cause them trouble Sahih al Bukhari 4622. Classical scholars like al-Nawawi (13th century) used this hadith to distinguish between sincere inquiry — which is praiseworthy — and provocative or trivial questioning, which is discouraged. So Islam doesn't oppose questioning per se; it's concerned with the spirit in which questions are asked.

In the Tanakh, questioning God is often a covenantal act—leaders and prophets formally seek God’s word to diagnose unfaithfulness and find the path of obedience Jeremiah 23:37.

King Josiah commands priests and court officials, “Go, inquire of GOD… concerning the words of this scroll,” treating the rediscovered Torah as the norm that must be understood and obeyed 2 Kings 22:13.

Chronicles preserves the same episode, stressing communal responsibility to heed the scroll, underscoring that questions are resolved by divine instruction rather than speculation 2 Chronicles 34:21.

In the New Testament, Jesus both asks and answers questions to reveal motives and guide disciples into deeper understanding, as when he confronts a dispute: “What question ye with them?” Mark 9:16.

At the Last Supper, Jesus acknowledges partial understanding and promises clarity after the impending events of his passion: “What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter,” framing faithful patience as part of discipleship John 13:7.

The narrative of Judah’s penitential questioning before Joseph—“What shall we say… how shall we clear ourselves?”—is also read in Christian tradition as a model of confession and submission before divine providence Genesis 44:16.

Not applicable. Concerns biblical scripture and practice within Judaism and Christianity; no direct Islamic counterpart is required by the prompt’s scope.