{"id":15126,"date":"2026-01-04T18:56:46","date_gmt":"2026-01-04T18:56:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/?p=15126"},"modified":"2026-01-04T18:56:46","modified_gmt":"2026-01-04T18:56:46","slug":"passion-2026-cliffe-knechtle-fields-students-toughest-questions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/?p=15126","title":{"rendered":"Passion 2026: Cliffe Knechtle fields students\u2019 toughest questions"},"content":{"rendered":"


By Leah MarieAnn Klett, Assistant Editor Saturday, January 03, 2026<\/span><\/a>Screenshot\/Passion 2026<\/span><\/p>\n

During a Passion 2026 session built around audience-submitted inquiries, Cliffe Knechtle, an American pastor and Christian apologist, addressed what organizers said were the most common questions young adults are asking today, including those about God\u2019s existence, suffering, sexuality, morality and salvation.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey submitted hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of questions,\u201d Passion founder Louie Giglio told the crowd of thousands gathered at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. \u201cWe collated them, took out the duplicates and raised them to the top.\u201d<\/p>\n

Knechtle, founder of the public apologetics ministry Give Me an Answer and senior pastor of Grace Community Church in New Canaan, Connecticut, framed the session as an honest conversation and repeatedly encouraged students to think critically and grapple seriously with doubt.<\/p>\n

‘What is the evidence that God exists?’<\/strong><\/p>\n

The 71-year-old pastor began by acknowledging his own struggles with doubt.<\/p>\n

\u201cI still doubt,\u201d he said. \u201cAt times. I do not live my life as if God exists. I live at times in an embarrassing way, like a practical atheist. So at those times, I have to deal with my doubts.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said the first evidence that brings him back to belief is \u201corder and design in the universe,\u201d illustrating the point with an example from nature.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s too much order and design in the beaver\u2019s dam for it to happen by accident,\u201d he said. \u201cToo much order, too much design.\u201d<\/p>\n

Extending the analogy to the human body and the cosmos, Knechtle added, \u201cTo think that this amazingly complex universe as a result of chance plus fate plus time, is ludicrous.\u201d<\/p>\n

He cited Psalm 19, which states, in part, \u201cThe heavens declare the glory of God,\u201d to point out that complexity itself points beyond randomness.<\/p>\n

A second line of evidence, he said, is love.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy experience of love shows me that there are intangible, nonmaterial, real things that exist, like love,\u201d Knechtle said. \u201cLove means far more to me than any scientific principle.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added that meaning and morality further support belief in God, arguing that humans cannot live as if life is meaningless or morality merely subjective.<\/p>\n

‘Does science contradict the Bible?’<\/strong><\/p>\n

Responding to questions about faith and science, Knechtle rejected the idea that the two are in conflict.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf anybody tells you that science contradicts the Bible,\u201d he said, \u201cthey don\u2019t understand what science is, or they haven\u2019t read the Bible.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cScience is a study of process,\u201d Knechtle said, emphasizing that the Bible does not attempt to function as a science textbook.<\/p>\n

He cited historical scientists and referenced Galileo\u2019s famous statement that \u201cthe Bible tells us how to go to heaven, not how the heavens go.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no contradiction between hard science and faith,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

‘Is agnosticism the safest option?’<\/strong><\/p>\n

Some students suggested agnosticism as a neutral position, but Knechtle said it ultimately fails in real life.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t live your life that way,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He illustrated the point with a physical analogy, noting that everyday actions depend on conclusions drawn from evidence.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to grapple with reality,\u201d he said. \u201cYou\u2019re gonna have to make a decision.\u201d<\/p>\n

He shifted the question toward moral consequence, asking how human life can be valued if existence is purely accidental.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t escape that,\u201d he said. \u201cYou have to deal with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Screenshot\/Passion 2026<\/span><\/p>\n

‘If God is sovereign, how do free will and predestination coexist?’<\/strong><\/p>\n

Knechtle agreed with C.S. Lewis that it is reasonable for God to give humans free will, even while remaining sovereign.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the self-limitation of God,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He argued that free will implies moral responsibility.<\/p>\n

\u201cGod gave me a hand,\u201d Knechtle said. \u201cHe gave me a hand to respect, to encourage, to help,\u00a0 not to smack somebody.\u201d<\/p>\n

He urged students not to fixate endlessly on theological debates, offering the reminder that the ultimate call on a Christian\u2019s life is to share the Gospel.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease, please do not spend hours in your Bible studies debating predestination and free will,\u201d he said. \u201cLead people to Christ.\u201d<\/p>\n

‘What about people who have never heard of Jesus?’<\/strong><\/p>\n

Knechtle answered candidly.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do not know how God will judge those who\u2019ve never heard about Christ,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

What he said he does know is that \u201cGod is just,\u201d adding, \u201cGod\u2019s not going to rip anybody off.\u201d<\/p>\n

He emphasized that Scripture shows God responding to humility and faith, even before the time of Christ, and reiterated that salvation ultimately rests on Christ\u2019s sacrifice.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do know that the only reason people go to Hell is because they choose to live their lives separate from God. And on the Day of Judgment, God will grant their request, and they’ll spend eternity separate from Him. It is not God’s will that any should perish,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI knew He’s going to be just and fair and compassionate and gracious. And I do know that all of us here, and all of \u2026 the people on every campus you are a student at, have more than ample opportunity to read the Gospels. We have more than ample opportunity to check out this Jesus and to ask, does the evidence point to Him being reliable, or does it not?\u201d<\/p>\n

‘Is eternal suffering compatible with a loving God?’<\/strong><\/p>\n

Knechtle said he could not offer a detailed picture of Hell, but emphasized that Jesus spoke about it frequently.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know exactly what Hell is going to be like,\u201d he said. \u201cJesus spoke more about Hell than anybody else in the whole Bible. So I know Hell is real, but He did not give us a photograph.<\/p>\n

He described Hell, at minimum, as separation from God and rejected the idea that judgment contradicts love.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think at the very least, Hell is separation from God,\u201d he said. \u201c[People say] \u2018Oh, I’m looking forward to going to Hell because that’s where my buddies are going to be, and we’re going to have a kegger time out.\u2019 But all of my abilities to enjoy life are gifts from God. In Hell, when I’m separated from God, I’m not going to have those abilities to have a party.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHeaven’s gonna be a party, the best party ever, but it’s not going to be ever degrading or dehumanizing each other,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

‘Why does God allow suffering?’<\/strong><\/p>\n

Knechtle shared a deeply personal story about the death of his 7-year-old niece in a car accident, recalling his brother\u2019s response to the tragedy.<\/p>\n

\u201cLife hurts, suffering stinks, but God is good,\u201d Knechtle quoted him saying. \u201cLife is unfair. God is fair. Don\u2019t get the two mixed up.\u201d<\/p>\n

He acknowledged that Christianity does not offer an easy or complete explanation for suffering, but pointed to the cross and resurrection as its central answer.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvil is real,\u201d he said. \u201cForgiveness is real. \u2026 And three days after He died, Christ rose from the dead, which means there’s a solution to suffering and death. \u2026 I do know that in Jesus Christ, we have God’s solution to the very real problem of suffering and death. We have forgiveness and eternal life in Heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n

‘How should Christians think about sexuality?’<\/strong><\/p>\n

Addressing questions shaped by modern views of sexual identity, Knechtle said sex is \u201ca beautiful gift from God.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease don\u2019t let anybody tell you that sex is dirty,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s not.\u201d<\/p>\n

He affirmed a biblical framework for sexuality while acknowledging the pain caused by broken families and sin.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know it matters,\u201d he said. \u201cYou know you\u2019ve been scarred.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGod created sex to be enjoyed within the context of a lifelong commitment between one man and one woman till death parts,\u201d he said. \u201cAccording to Jesus in the Bible, God gave us our sexuality for a purpose. For this reason, a man shall leave his father and mother, be united to his wife, and the two shall become one. That’s the purpose. Am I going to live out the purpose for which God gave me this beautiful gift of sex, or am I going to totally pervert it in a zillion different ways?\u201d<\/p>\n

‘Should Christians be involved in politics?’<\/strong><\/p>\n

Knechtle encouraged civic participation while rejecting partisan loyalty.<\/p>\n

\u201cAmerica is a great country when America follows Jesus Christ,\u201d he said. \u201cAmerica turns downright ugly and evil when America turns its back on Christ. I don’t care if it’s slavery, child sex trafficking trade, or the exportation of pornography […] greed out of control, abuse of power. And that is why, my friends, I am not here to convince you to vote for a political party or for a particular politician, because I am convinced that the solution to America’s problems is not the conservative agenda, it’s not the liberal agenda. It’s the Kingdom of God.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease vote,\u201d he said. \u201cVote your conscience.\u201d<\/p>\n

He further insisted that political systems alone cannot transform society.<\/p>\n

\u201cGod has instituted government to maintain justice, to protect citizens,\u201d he said. You and I, as Americans, have the right to vote. Please vote. Vote your conscience. Study the issues, study the Bible, have a biblical worldview of immigration, abortion, LGBTQ, money, helping the poor, respecting the rights of an individual justice, equality. \u2026 If you’ll read the Bible and adopt a Christ-centered worldview on all those issues, you’ll know how to vote.\u201d<\/p>\n

‘How do believers discern God\u2019s will?’<\/strong><\/p>\n

Knechtle described discerning God\u2019s will as one of the hardest struggles in his own life.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me, I have difficulty discerning between my own fleshly desires and the Holy Spirit, because they both can sound like my conscience,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen is it God talking to me, and when is it Cliff talking to me?\u201d<\/p>\n

He urged students to ground themselves in Scripture, prayer, meditation and Christian community, emphasizing trust in God\u2019s goodness.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat’s why we read the Bible, because that’s God speaking truth into our lives, God revealing Himself to us. That’s why we pray. [\u2026] Prayer is a struggle with God, where I’m seeking to learn to align my will with His will. My will aligned with His will. That’s prayer. Prayer is intense. Prayer is focused. That’s how you get to know God. Thirdly, you meditate. You learn to meditate. [\u2026] it\u2019s giving God your undivided attention.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGod is good,\u201d he said. \u201cYou\u2019re going to be all right.\u201d<\/p>\n

‘What makes the Bible different from other holy books?’<\/strong><\/p>\n

Knechtle said faith in Scripture begins with examining the historical reliability of the Gospels.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can show you that the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are historically reliable,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you die and rise from the dead,\u201d he added, \u201cI promise to listen very carefully to everything you have to say.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFaith in Him is not blind. Faith in Him is a response to evidence. He’s reliable. So based on that evidence of reliability, you take a step of faith and trust in Christ, and then you experience Christ’s trustworthiness in your life,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe reason I accept [the Gospels] as the Word of God is because the eyewitness community, those who knew Christ, insisted these guys are speaking the truth. It’s right in line with what Jesus taught. And so that’s why I accept the Bible as the Word of God.\u201d<\/p>\n

‘What does it mean to become a Christian?’<\/strong><\/p>\n

In closing, Knechtle summarized Christianity as repentance and belief.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo become a Christian means you repent and believe,\u201d he said. \u201cRepentance is not self-flagellation, whooping up on yourself, Oh, I’m a loser. It’s not repentance. Repentance is taking responsibility for the wrong decisions I have made in my life and turning to Christ for forgiveness, and He promises to forgive. He promises to forgive when we ask him humbly for forgiveness and then to believe, to put our faith in Christ.\u201d<\/p>\n

He led attendees in a prayer and ended by singing the children\u2019s hymn \u201cJesus Loves Me,\u201d calling it \u201cthe most important truth in the universe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Passion 2026 continues through Jan. 3, drawing tens of thousands of young adults for worship, teaching and dialogue centered on the Christian faith.<\/p>\n

Leah M. Klett is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: leah.klett@christianpost.com<\/p>\n