The Bible's Underlying Principles
The Bible's Underlying Principles: 137 Bible questions answered in depth, explaining scripture through the principles that run underneath the text.
These answers explain the Bible in the light of the Divine Principle, the teachings of Reverend Sun Myung Moon.
These are the teachings of The Family Federation for World Peace and Unification. It aims to establish a world centered on God through the ideal of True Love and True Families. Those interested can google them to learn more.
Only the English and French answers are complete and accurate at this time. Other languages are still being translated.
Sources and further reading
- The Holy Bible, King James Version — Scripture quoted and referenced throughout the answers.
- The Divine Principle (full text) — The complete text of the Divine Principle, the teaching of Reverend Sun Myung Moon that these answers explain.
- Unification texts library (tparents.org) — Large online library of Unification texts, sermons and collected speeches, including the Cheon Seong Gyeong.
- Short video lectures in English — Playlist of short English video lectures presenting these same principles.
Additional resources
Questions by topic
Trinity & God's Nature
- What is the nature and personality of God, and is God our Heavenly Parent?
- What is the Trinity according to the Bible, and what is the role of the Holy Spirit?
- Is God a God of glory, or suffering?
Creation & Science
- How old is the Earth according to the Bible, and were the six days of creation literal 24-hour days?
- Did God use evolution as His method of creation, and why is evolution alone insufficient?
- What is the Four Position Foundation and why is it central to God's creation?
- How does God exist, and how do Dual Characteristics reflect His nature?
- What is Give and Take Action, and how does it sustain existence and shape human relationships?
- What was God's original purpose of creation, and how do the Three Blessings fulfill it?
- What is the universal prime force/energy, where does it come from, and how does it sustain all things?
- Why is the creation groaning?
- What does the ideal world God originally intended look like in daily life, and how is it realized on earth?
The Fall & Original Sin
- How did the Fall happen, what is original sin, and how is it passed down through generations?
- Why did God allow the Fall to happen, and why did He not intervene though He foresaw it?
- What were the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil mentioned in the Bible?
- Who is Satan, where did he come from, and why is he called the serpent in the Fall?
- Why must the Fall be of a sexual nature, and how could angels without gender be involved?
- What is fallen nature, and how is it removed?
- Why is chastity before marriage important?
- What is sin?
Stages of Growth
Jesus & Salvation
- Why did Jesus die on the cross, and was crucifixion God's original plan?
- What happens to people who never heard about Jesus?
- Is Jesus the only way to salvation?
- What does it mean to be saved or born again, and how does a person achieve rebirth?
- Can a person lose their salvation?
- How do we receive salvation - by faith or by works?
- What was John the Baptist's true role in Jesus' ministry and the path to the cross?
- Why is the second coming needed?
- Why did Jesus resurrect for 40 days after his death?
- Why could Satan tempt Jesus in the wilderness, and what do the 3 temptations mean?
- Was Jesus supposed to marry?
- Explain the reason behind the "messianic secret".
- Is Jesus God, and what does it mean that He is the Second Adam?
Restoration & Providence
- What is God's plan of restoration, and what is the foundation for the Messiah?
- What is the Foundation of Faith and who are central figures?
- What are the parallel periods of history between the Old and New Testament ages?
- Why did God's providence require multiple central figures, and how did their missions connect across history?
- What is indemnity, and how does restoration through indemnity work?
- What is the Foundation of Substance and what is the Cain-Abel relationship?
- Explain the importance of life-threatening trials on the course of restoration, as it occurs in the bible several times.
- Why do specific numbers such as 40, 400, and 21 keep reappearing throughout biblical history?
- Who are True Parents in God's providence?
- What is the model course for separating from Satan?
- Why did God require circumcision, and what does it signify in the restoration of the lineage?
Biblical Figures
- How did the Israelites' wilderness course contribute to God's providence of restoration?
- What was the providential meaning of Abraham's course and symbolic offerings?
- What is the providential and symbolic meaning of Noah's course and the Ark?
- How did Isaac and Jacob overcome Satan to establish the foundation of restoration?
- How did Moses' course contribute to God's providence of restoration?
- How did Adam's family begin God's providence of restoration through Cain and Abel?
- How did the judges and kings of Israel contribute to God's providence of restoration?
- What is the mother-son cooperation as it unfolds in the bible, and why is it important on the path of God's providence?
- Why did Moses striking the rock twice have such grave consequences?
Second Coming
- What is the Rapture and when will it occur?
- What is the Millennium and will it be literal?
- What are the Last Days, and are we living in the end times now?
- When and how will Christ return at the Second Coming?
- How do the time periods in the bible reveal the time when Christ will return?
- Where will Christ return, will He return to Israel, and what conditions qualify the chosen nation?
- Why will the world not be able to kill the messiah at the second advent?
Heaven, Hell & Afterlife
- What is Heaven like and who goes there?
- Is Hell real, and how can a loving God allow people to go there?
- Is there an afterlife, and what happens to consciousness immediately after death?
- How do earthly people help spirits resurrect, and what role do ancestors play?
- What does the Bible mean by resurrection, and how does God carry it out?
- How does the spirit world relate to the physical world?
- How do we prepare on earth for the spirit world, live for others, and create heaven on earth and in the spirit world?
Spirit & Body
Predestination & Free Will
- If God is all-knowing, how can humans have genuine free will?
- How do God's sovereignty and human responsibility work together, and can God do whatever He wants at any time?
- Does God predestine some people to salvation and others to damnation, or does He desire all to be saved?
Satan & Spiritual Warfare
- Are demons real and can they possess people today?
- What is spiritual warfare and how do we fight it?
- Will Satan ultimately be destroyed?
Value & Purpose
- What is the value of human beings?
- How do we know what is true and what is false in relation to God?
Angels
Last Days Disasters
- What are the earthquakes, famines, and plagues in the Last Days?
- Will the earth really be destroyed in the Last Days, and what is the judgment by fire?
World History & Providence
- Why did the World Wars occur?
- How does God prepare the world to receive the Messiah at the first and second coming?
- How did the Cain-type and Abel-type worldviews evolve throughout history?
- Why is the division between North and South a central issue in God's providence today?
- What is the driving force and purpose of human history in God's plan?
True Love
Atheist Questions
- If God is all-powerful and all-loving, why does He allow evil and suffering in the world?
- Where is the scientific evidence for God, and if science explains nature, why do we need God?
- Why doesn't God make His existence obvious to everyone if He wants us to believe?
- With so many religions claiming to be true, how can we know which one is right?
- If God created everything, who created God? Where did He come from?
- Why has religion caused so much harm, violence, and suffering throughout history?
Biblical Authority
- Should the Bible be interpreted literally or figuratively?
- Who decided which books belong in the Bible?
- Is the Bible inerrant and infallible?
- Why should we believe the Bible is God's Word, and what makes it different from other religious texts?
Old & New Testament
- Do Christians need to follow Old Testament laws?
- Why is the Old Testament still relevant today?
- How does the Old Testament point to Jesus?
- Why did God command violence and genocide in the Old Testament?
- Is the God of the Old Testament different from the God of the New Testament?
Biblical Contradictions
- How do we explain apparent contradictions in the Bible?
- Why are there different Gospel accounts of the same events, and how reliable are they?
Prophecy & Fulfillment
- What are the Messianic prophecies and did Jesus fulfill them?
- How do we interpret Biblical prophecy?
Paul vs Jesus
- Did Paul change Jesus' original message, and why did he struggle with sin in Romans 7?
- Why should we trust Paul if he never met Jesus during His ministry?
Prayer & Worship
- What is the unforgivable sin against the Holy Spirit?
- How does prayer work and why does God sometimes seem not to answer?
- What is the baptism of the Holy Spirit?
Conscience & Temple
Grace & Law
- Does God's grace mean we can sin freely?
- What is grace, how does it relate to law, and what does it mean to be under grace not law?
Sanctification
Church & Denominations
- What are the essential beliefs all Christians should hold?
- What is the role and purpose of the Church?
Suffering & Evil
- Why does God allow innocent people to suffer?
- Does God cause suffering as punishment?
- What is the purpose of trials and tribulations?
- How can we trust God when bad things happen?
- Why do those who truly follow God live difficult lives, are persecuted, or usually have a bad public opinion?
- Why did Jesus say that the path leading to God is narrow, but the one leading to Satan is wide?
Marriage & Family
- What is God's design for marriage and family?
- Are men and women equal before God, and what is the biblical view of gender roles?
- What is the Holy Marriage Blessing?
Ethics & Morality
- What does the Bible say about homosexuality and same-sex marriage?
- How do we determine what is right and wrong, good and evil, and what has true value?
- What does the Bible say about abortion?
- Why should we avoid being in debt?
Other Religions
- How should Christians view Judaism?
- How should Christians view Islam?
- Is Christianity exclusive or inclusive?
Israel & End Times
- What is the significance of Israel in God's plan?
- What is Armageddon?
- What is the Mark of the Beast?
- What is the Antichrist?