What Are Some Good Bible Questions and Answers?

In Jewish tradition, questioning scripture is not just permitted — it's central to religious life. The Talmudic method, developed by rabbis like Hillel and Shammai around the 1st century BCE, is built on rigorous question-and-answer dialogue. Good Bible questions in this context often revolve around what God has actually spoken and what God has answered Jeremiah 23:37.

Jeremiah 23:35 frames communal inquiry beautifully, urging people to ask one another: what has God answered, what has God spoken? Jeremiah 23:35 This suggests that seeking divine clarity is a shared, communal responsibility — not just an individual one. It's worth noting that some scholars, like Abraham Joshua Heschel in his 1962 work The Prophets, argue that the prophetic tradition itself is essentially a long dialogue between humanity and God.

Another compelling biblical question comes from 2 Chronicles 34:21, where King Josiah commands his servants to inquire of God about the newly discovered scroll of the Law 2 Chronicles 34:21. This is a model for good Bible engagement: encountering a text, wrestling with its implications, and actively seeking answers. The question isn't rhetorical — it demands a real response.

Proverbs 22:21 adds a wisdom dimension, emphasizing that the goal of knowing scripture is to be able to answer truthfully: to know the certainty of the words of truth, that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send thee Proverbs 22:21. Good Bible questions, in Judaism, are those that lead to truthful, grounded answers.

Christianity inherits the Hebrew Bible's tradition of inquiry and adds the New Testament's own rich layer of questioning. Jesus himself was a master of the Socratic-style question — he often answered questions with questions, as seen in Mark 9:16 where he asks the scribes directly: What question ye with them? Mark 9:16 This rhetorical technique was noted by New Testament scholar N.T. Wright in his 1996 work Jesus and the Victory of God as a deliberate teaching method.

Some genuinely good Bible questions for Christians include: Who is Jesus? What does salvation mean? What is the Kingdom of God? How should Christians treat their enemies? These questions emerge naturally from the Gospels and the Epistles and have generated centuries of theological debate.

Proverbs 22:21, shared with the Hebrew Bible, also resonates in Christian tradition — the goal of scripture study is to know the certainty of the words of truth and to answer truthfully Proverbs 22:21. This is why catechisms — formal question-and-answer formats for teaching Christian doctrine — became so important in church history, from the Heidelberg Catechism (1563) to the Westminster Shorter Catechism (1647).

It's worth acknowledging disagreement here: some traditions, like certain strands of evangelical Christianity, emphasize that the Bible's answers are clear and accessible to all readers, while others, like Catholic and Orthodox traditions, stress that authoritative interpretation requires the Church's guidance. Both camps, though, agree that asking good questions is the starting point.

Islam's relationship to the Bible is indirect but not dismissive. The Quran acknowledges the prior scriptures — the Torah and the Gospels — and in Quran 10:94, Muhammad is instructed to consult those who have been reading scripture before him if doubt arises: ask those who have been reading the Scripture before you Quran 10:94. This verse implies that the earlier scriptures contain truth worth engaging with, even if Muslims believe those texts have been partially altered over time.

More distinctively, Islam frames the ultimate question-and-answer session as eschatological. Quran 28:65 describes the Day of Judgment as a moment when God will ask humanity: What answer gave ye to the messengers? Quran 28:65 This reframes the entire concept of Bible questions — the most important question isn't one you ask of the text, but one God asks of you.

Quran 15:92 reinforces this accountability: Them, by thy Lord, We shall question, every one Quran 15:92. Islamic scholars like Ibn Kathir (14th century) interpreted this as a warning that every person will be held responsible for how they responded to divine guidance. So in Islam, engaging seriously with scripture — asking and answering good questions — is itself a form of preparation for divine accountability.

The Hebrew Bible models covenantal inquiry—asking, “What has GOD answered/spoken?”—as a communal discipline of truth-seeking Jeremiah 23:35. When the recovered scroll confronted Judah, the king explicitly commanded an inquiry of GOD, exemplifying sober, text-driven questioning 2 Chronicles 34:21.

• Good question: “What has GOD answered?”
  Answer (verbatim prompt to ask): See below quote; use this exact wording to frame discussion in study or prayer Jeremiah 23:35.
• Good question: “What should we do when Scripture exposes disobedience?”
  Answer: Go inquire of GOD on behalf of the people, recognizing the gravity of wrath for not obeying what is written 2 Chronicles 34:21.
• Good question: “Why insist on carefully true answers?”
  Answer: So you may know the certainty of words of truth and return such words to those who sent you (i.e., speak reliably to questioners) Proverbs 22:21.

Note that Jeremiah frames inquiry as speech among neighbors and kin, highlighting a shared, reverent conversation rather than private speculation Jeremiah 23:35. I can’t responsibly attribute modern scholarly positions here because I lack citable passages in this set.

Jesus himself initiates clarifying questions—“What are you arguing about?”—drawing people from dispute toward disclosure and healing, a pattern for pastoral and catechetical Q&A Mark 9:16. Christians also inherit Israel’s habit of asking, “What hath the LORD answered?” as a devout way to test words against God’s answer and speech Jeremiah 23:37.

• Good question: “What are you arguing about?”
  Answer (Jesus’ model): Bring the matter into the open before Christ’s question, inviting him to address it Mark 9:16.
• Good question: “What hath the LORD answered?”
  Answer: Measure claims by what the Lord has answered/spoken, not merely by human contention Jeremiah 23:37.
• Good question: “How do we provide solid answers?”
  Answer: Offer sure “words of truth” to those who ask, aiming for certainty grounded in Scripture Proverbs 22:21.

Because only Mark 9:16 is provided here, I’m limiting claims to what can be shown from this passage’s questioning pattern Mark 9:16.

Not applicable. Concerns Christian and Jewish scripture/practice (the Bible); no direct counterpart is required for Muslims beyond the Qur’an’s separate guidance.