Bible questions answered

*Local minister Malcolm Hill authors Bible Q & A book

by AMY DAVIS
TENNESSEE BIBLE COLLEGE

COOKEVILLE — Have a Bible question?

Cookeville minister Malcolm Hill may just have the answer in his latest book, Questions and Answers.

The book contains almost 250 pages dealing with a variety of questions about the Bible and how it applies to life — everything from dancing to drinking to divorce and remarriage. The questions were selected from 23 years' worth of newspaper columns by Hill that were published in the Herald-Citizen from the mid-1970s through the mid-1990s.

"The book is intended to take from those many articles things that will help people understand various questions of personal interest so they may become more grounded in what the Bible says," he said.

Hill, who serves as president of Tennessee Bible College and a preacher and elder at Northeast Church of Christ, said he was encouraged by friends to put the articles in book form.

"The chief person who encouraged me was Dr. Kerry Duke, the dean at TBC," Hill said. "I owe a great deal to Kerry because he went through the newspapers and selected the articles for the book."

Duke said, "The questions are really practical and up-to-date, and the answers are given in a short format. You don't have to read 10 or 20 pages to get the answer. Also, he gives Bible answers. You hear a lot of discussion about these questions, but most people just give their opinion."

Following are examples of questions:

• How do we know the Bible comes from God?
• Where did all the various religions come from?
• How old is the earth and where did the dinosaurs go?
• Since Jesus drank wine, is it all right for Christians to drink wine?
• Are school dances and proms sinful?
• Does God authorize capital punishment?

A variety of locally-authored religious books are available at Tennessee Bible College, the latest being "Questions and Answers" by Malcolm Hill. Call the college at 931.526.2616 for more information.

Hill said that while some current issues aren't mentioned in the Bible directly, they may be addressed indirectly.

"For instance, the Bible does not deal directly with surrogate parenting, but it has something to say about it in the moral realm of right and wrong," Hill said. "God holds individuals accountable for bringing children into the world and rearing those children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord."

What will readers gain from Questions and Answers?

"I hope that they will gain a complete, well-balanced understanding of the Bible," Hill said.

Duke said, "I strongly recommend this book for Bible class teachers, preachers, elders, deacons and all who are interested in studying the Scriptures."

Copies are available at TBC. The cost is $22.50, and all proceeds go to the school to train preachers and other interested individuals.

"It's strictly a donation to Tennessee Bible College," said David Hill, TBC's public relations director and business manager. "The money goes directly into the college's general fund."

In addition to Questions and Answers, Hill has authored several other books, including My God and My Neighbor ($6) and True-False Questions on Worship ($2.50).

The following books are also available at TBC:

• Debate Charts on Roman Catholicism by Kerry Duke ($10)
• Jesus is Lord, edited by Glenn B. Ramsey ($13)
• My Sister's Keeper, edited by Kerry Duke ($11)
• God at a Distance, by Kerry Duke ($12)
• Ox in the Ditch, by Kerry Duke ($9)
• The Remarriage of a Divorced Couple by Kerry Duke ($6)

Cookbooks compiled by the Ladies Associates of Tennessee Bible College are available as well:

• The Big Blue Book of Cooking ($10)
• Second Helpings ($10)
• Third Times a Charm ($10)

Tennessee Bible College offers a bachelor's degree in religious education, master's and doctorate degrees in theology and a two-year preaching diploma. For more information, call 931.526.2616 or visit the college at 1616 McCulley Road, Cookeville.