In the Words of the Pope and the Church

by Jefferson David Tant Most people are familiar with the Roman Catholic Church and the man who is its leader, the Pope of Rome. The history of this office can be traced at least back to around 600 AD when Boniface III assumed the title of Bishop or Pope. While some claim that the first…

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Intelligent Design Explains Nothing?

by William C. Sexton As I glanced at the Opinion Page of my Fort Smith Time Record Thursday morning, August 4th, 2005, I find an article written by the “Script Howard News Service” with the following heading: “Bush is of Two minds, One is Wrong.” As I read on I notice they say: “When it…

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What does the Bible say about the Rapture?

Question: I am 13 years old. I am attempting to write a fictional book about the Rapture. I know nothing about the Rapture other than what the Bible says. I would like some in-depth understanding of this phenomenon in order to write my book better. Could you help me, please? Answer: Writing a book is…

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Is living together before marriage a sin?

Question: Is living together before marriage a sin? Answer: See: No Longer “Living In Sin” Waiting for the Proper Time Why Sex Outside of Marriage is Wrong If these don’t manage to give a satisfactory answer, let me know what further questions you have and I will try to address them.

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What does it mean to be a child of God?

Question: What does it mean to be a child of God? Answer: “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs–heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together” (Romans 8:16-17). Jesus told…

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If There is Only One in the Godhead

by Johnie Edwards via Back To Basics, Vol. 3, No. 2, February 2005. There are consequences of the doctrine that there is only one person in the Godhead.  We take a look at some of these: Why the Word “Both?” The word “both” means more than one.  John wrote, “Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in…

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I Can’t Make You Read This

by Steven Harper We are told within the revealed and written Word of God that God had established a plan for man’s salvation through Jesus Christ even before the foundation of the world (I Peter 1:20) or, as Paul said it, “before time began” (II Timothy 1:9). We are also told within the revealed and written Word…

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I am a Restorer

Author Unknown I am a restorer – unbowed, undaunted, extremist, and eccentric. The centerpiece of my intellectual universe is Biblical primitivism, a search for the first pure truths and ordinances. I am seeking that elusive image of Christianity as it came from the mind of God. You may say it is not there; it is…

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Who is the Holy Spirit?

I.         Many people have vague notions about the being we know as the Holy Spirit             A.        Part of this comes from the descriptions of God.                         1.         Jesus has a name, but Spirit is more generic term.                         2.         God, the Father, and God, the Son, give us relationships that we are familiar with, but how does the Spirit fit into…

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Notes on Animals

General References Genesis 1:24-25 Genesis 9:2 1 Kings 4:33 Job 12:7 1 Corinthians 15:39 Apes 1 Kings 10:22 For the king had merchant ships at sea with the fleet of Hiram. Once every three years the merchant ships came bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and monkeys. 2 Chronicles 9:21 For the king’s ships went to…

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How Effective Is Your Congregation?

by Gilbert Alexander Evaluating a local congregation and its effectiveness in a community is not a simple task. Population shifts affect the number of members in a local church. Such shifts may be caused by economic changes, persecution, or the relocation of people who have an interest in spiritual things. If some of our modern…

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How an Old-Time Preacher Handled Mischief

Author Unknown One of the best-known preachers of the first half of the last century was J. D. Tant (1861-1941). My Dad knew brother Tant and heard him preach. A few months before Dad died, he was telling me about some of the preachers he had known and some of the things that had transpired…

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The Hidden Ball Trick

by Thomas A. Thornhill, Jr. Most of you know that one of my “hobbies” is officiating sports.  In an odd sort of way, I call it “stress relief” as I focus on the game I am officiating.  I work in three sports, but the one I am most proficient in (and experienced in) is baseball.  This brings us…

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Should wages be fixed?

Questions: Describe the merits and demerits of fixed wages. Answer: When wages are described in the Bible, they are determined by negotiation. An employer declares what he is willing to pay and a prospective employee replies whether he will accept the job for that pay. For example, Jacob negotiated a shepherding job in exchange for…

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Have You Gone to Him About It?

by Brian A. Yeager How brethren deal with sin among the saints should often be brought into question. In fact, one could easily write many articles pointing out how infrequently brethren will apply what the scriptures teach when it comes to congregational discipline. Then, when brethren finally decided to practice scriptural discipline it is sad…

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Are the objections to Catholicism without foundation?

Question: I’m a Catholic doing research for my Catholicism class and in order to back up my research, I wanted to get clear information from opposing views. I would appreciate if you are going to post negative comments regarding Catholic beliefs, that you thoroughly understand the beliefs. When you say: “Catholics, at least in the…

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Halloween

by Jeffrey W. Hamilton In Matthew 5:14-16, Jesus tells his audience that we are to be lights that shine forth in a dark world. Letting our lights shine lets the world see what it is like to be a follower of God. As we shine forth, our reputations reflect the glory of the Father, bringing…

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The Greatest Question

by Foy E. Wallace, Jr. The question of all questions is “What think ye of the Christ?” What one thinks of Christ determines his thoughts and actions on every question. The correctness of faith depends on the correct answer to the superlative question “What think ye of Christ?” The question of how and when one…

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The Fruits and Tendencies of Evolution

by Jon Gary Williams Typical of many evolutionists is this statement from The Meaning of Evolution, by G. G. Simpson: “Man is the result of a purposeless and materialistic process that did not have him in mind.” A more recent statement by the famed evolutionist, Julian Huxley, expresses the same sentiment: “Darwinism removed the whole idea…

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Is Matthew 28:19 a part of the setting up of the church?

Question: I am concerned about baptism. I have found that all of the Bible corresponds with Acts 2:38 from the prophets until the Spirit came upon the apostles. What I do not find is Matthew 28:19 having a part in the setting up of the church at Jerusalem. The prophets Isaiah and Micah tell us Jerusalem, and the…

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Which version of the Bible is most accurate?

Question: I have a question about which version of the Bible is most accurate. Some believe that the King James Version 1611 is the only one that is the true Word of God. Then I hear otherwise. Also, the church I attend uses the New King James Version and the New Century Version. I was…

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Why would those who never heard the gospel be lost?

Question: Isn’t it true that the Bible says the following: Go into all of the world and preach the gospel. He that believes and is baptized shall be saved and he that (after hearing the Gospel) does not believe will be damned. Now, what conclusions can we logically deduce from that? I studied logic in…

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How can I get God to answer my prayer?

Question: How can I get God to answer my prayer tonight? Answer: Imagine a small child coming up to you and telling you, “I’m going to make mommy give me candy.” You might find it an amusing thought. Obviously, this child doesn’t understand who is in control. Or, there might be a passing sad sympathy…

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From a Fortune Cookie

by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I was at a Chinese restaurant the other day. It had been several years since I had been there, and the food quality had gone downhill in the meantime. But at the end of the meal came the traditional fortune cookie. As I munched on the treat I read the slip…

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Freedom Under God

by Robert F. Turner via Guardian of Truth XL: 2 p. 1 January 18, 1996 Freedom … The word is almost sacred to the American people, and over the world today it stirs great hope and aspirations. Our Declaration of Independence calls it an “inalienable” right and a truth “self-evident.” What is the source of this freedom,…

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Fellowship Halls

Adapted from an article by James P. Miller via Stand, March 1981. It is with regret that we learn that one of the congregations is now building a “fellowship hall” to advance their understanding of the gospel of Christ. We regret more for it widens the gulf between them and all brethren who seek to stand…

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False Reports from the Watchtower

by Fred Shewmaker God’s people always have had a problem with false prophets.  If God had not given a standard by which to measure prophets, it might be difficult to determine whether or not they are from God or false prophets.  However, by Moses, He said, “When a prophet speaketh in the name of the…

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Expendable

by Robert F. Turner via Plain Talk, February 1974 During World War II, when British troops were facing Dunkirk; when our boys were pushed from Bataan; someone applied the term “expendable” to forces left to cover the withdrawal. They were considered certainly lost — given to the enemy — their death or capture, the price…

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Employer — Employee

by Homer Hailey in The Preceptor, Vol. 1, No. 12, Oct. 1952. In this, the Christian dispensation, God does not set forth one form of civil government as being above another. He does, however, lay down definite principles which are to govern the conduct of any kind of government, and principles which are to govern the…

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Dying Wedding Vows

by Joe R. Price Remember when “honor and obey” was a standard part of wedding vows? Then, the feminist movement said, “No way will I vow to obey my husband!” Today, you rarely hear a couple using this worthy vow to recognize and accept the roles and relationships God established in marriage (Genesis 2:22-24; 3:16;…

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Do the Work of an Evangelist

by Keith Storment via The Preceptor, September 1983 In II Timothy 4:5 Paul  admonishes  his young protégé, Timothy, to “be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” We can see in the context of this verse several reasons why we need faithful men, young and old, to be…

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Where does the Bible talk about the unmarried living together?

Question: Where is the Scripture that talks about living together if unmarried? Answer: Generally the phrase “living together” is a polite way of saying that two people are sharing the same bed in the same home, thus engaged in sex, though unmarried. In the Greek, the word for this is pornos, which means engaging in sex…

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I don’t believe a woman gives up her body when she marries

Question: When a woman marries a man she becomes his wife; this does not mean that she gives up her body and mind to a man (her husband). Rape can occur in a marriage. If a wife does not consent to sex and she is forced to have sex by her husband, this is rape.…

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No Longer “Living in Sin”

by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Sometimes you find interesting coincidences in the paper. One article brings up a question and another, unrelated one, supplies the answer. Recently I spotted an article in the June 7, 1995 edition of the Omaha World-Herald that shows the birthrate of children born to unwed mothers has increased 54 percent from…

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Soul and Spirit

Soul and Spirit – Part 1Soul and Spirit – Part 2Soul and Spirit – Part 3 Text: I Thessalonians 5:11-23   I.         Man is composed of three elements: body, soul, and spirit – I Thessalonians 5:23             A.        The body is easy to define.                         1.         It has a physical dimension to it – Job 19:25-27                         2.         We understand that it…

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Does One Have a Right to His Own Belief?

by Eugene W. Clevenger via The Preceptor, Vol. 1, No. 6, April 1952. A question that we often hear asked is, Does every person have a right to his own belief? I cannot answer that question honestly and completely with a simple “Yes” or “No”, because to me the answer is both “Yes” and “No.” Looking…

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How Do They Do That?

by Jeffrey W. Hamilton You watch as the magician waves his hands and mutters mysterious words. Suddenly, the handkerchief he was holding becomes a dove. You know it is a trick, but you wonder how he did it. You read yet another account of a con man taking the money of several people. The lies…

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The Ruse of the Rapture

by Dudley Ross Spears Maybe you have seen the bumper sticker that reads, “In case the Rapture occurs, this car will be driverless.” With tensions building in the Middle East, expectations are being sharpened in those who believe that the Rapture is about to take place. The Rapture is an intriguing topic and we will…

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People Love To Have It So: The Rapture

by Gary McDade Human nature has changed very little since Bible times as is evidenced by comparing a statement in the Book of Jeremiah with a seemingly unabated infatuation with a contrived doctrine commonly known as “the Rapture.” In the sixth century BC Jeremiah said, “A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land;…

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