Discussion Jumpstarter
Study leader reference - not a definitive answer
Question 9
When Paul answers the objector’s “Why does he still find fault?” with “Who are you to answer back to God?”, the teacher applies it to people who mock God; where do Christians subtly “answer back” to God today (especially regarding judgment, hell, or exclusivity of Christ), and what kind of posture does Paul demand instead?
Another way to ask: When Paul says, “Who are you to talk back to God?”, where do Christians today still “talk back” in subtle ways (like about judgment, hell, or Jesus being the only way)? What attitude does Paul say we should have instead?
Discussion Jumpstarter
Direct Answer
Based on the transcript, Christians “answer back” when they put God in the dock—critiquing His right to judge or questioning His mercy as if He owed us an account. Paul demands humility: recognizing God’s authority and refusing to speak as if we are God’s judge.
- The objector’s claim: “Why does he still find fault? for who has resisted his will?”—meaning “We’re innocent… it’s not our fault.”
- Paul’s response: “No, O man, but who are you to answer back to God?”
- The speaker expands it beyond Jews: it applies to “a lot of us… today who think they can answer back to God.”
- He mentions the extreme form: people “mock God,” and warns they’ll learn “he’s not someone to be mocked.”
- He frames the dispute as humans judging God’s fairness: “God isn’t fair… being unjust.”
- He keeps returning to the rightful posture: God’s mercy is “his business,” and “God is never in our debt.”