Archive for 2004
Neutrality in War
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I. The book of Obadiah is directed to the nation of Edom. A. Edomites were related to Israelites through Abraham. B. While never found of each other, they usually managed to live peacefully next to each other. C. When Israel fell, Edom did not make any overt move. 1. They did not support the Israelites. 2. They…
Read More21 Reasons Why You Should be Scripturally Baptized
by Kenneth E. Thomas Because God commands it. (Acts 10:48) To fulfill all righteousness. (Matthew 3:15) To be a friend of Christ. (John 15:14) Because you love God. (I John 5:3; John 14:15) Lest you reject the counsel of God against yourself. (Luke 7:30) To complete the “new birth.” (John 3:3-5; Titus 3:5) To enter…
Read MoreAre there more Christians who actually believe the Bible?
Question: Are there more Christians who actually believe the Word of God? I know I should rejoice in trials, but I would like to know are there more people who, like you, believe in the Word. Everyone is so “Christian” until you get to a verse of the Scripture that they don’t like, then they…
Read MoreWhat do you think about my thesis on biblical codes?
Question: I co-wrote this thesis, currently circulating on the Internet. It is a very compelling four-year examination into the genders of Bible characters, based on word cases used in the original languages, that aid the reader to determine gender. I consider it another unveiled, hidden mystery that is being revealed as knowledge is increased, similar…
Read MoreWas there a world before Genesis?
Question: Was there a world before Genesis? Answer: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). Approximately 4,000 years after this event, Jesus stated, “And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ ” (Matthew 19:4). The…
Read MoreCould cousins marry in biblical times?
Question: Could cousins marry in biblical times? Answer: The restriction on marrying near relatives changed as the world aged. In the beginning, the world was created in perfect condition. “Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good” (Genesis 1:31). There were no genetic defects to plague mankind at this…
Read MoreWhy did Jesus start Catholicism?
Question: Why did Jesus start Catholicism? Answer: The simple answer is that Jesus did not start Catholicism. Catholicism is a system of religion that gradually developed from the church started by Jesus, but Catholicism has long ago stopped resembling the original church. Jesus stated, “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and…
Read MoreHow do I save my marriage?
Question: You wrote that I could rescue my wife and my marriage. Please give me advice on saving my marriage and rescuing my wife. Answer: Many books have been written on this topic and trying to address an individual situation with almost nothing to go on is very difficult. The best that I can offer is…
Read MoreThe Jesus Seminar
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I. At the beginning of April, 1996, three major news magazines [Times, Newsweek, and US News and World Report] all carried the same lead story – “the search for the historical Jesus” A. This wasn’t a coincidence. A group of self-proclaimed scholars, called “The Jesus Society”, were behind the stories. B. Questions regarding who…
Read MoreIs anal or oral sex between a married couple a sin?
Question: Is anal and oral sex between a married couple a sin? And is my desire for it also a sin? Should I be angry at my wife’s unwillingness to participate in anal or oral sex? Answer: In describing the decay of the Gentile society, Paul pointed out that it began with a rejection of…
Read MoreWill I be sinning if I have sex with my girlfriend?
Question: Will I be sinning if I have sex with my girlfriend? Answer: In the Greek language of the New Testament is the word pornos. It refers to a person who has sex outside the bonds of marriage. It is most accurately translated as “fornicator” in English, but in some translations, the word is more vaguely…
Read MoreIs Anything Done in Moderation Not a Sin?
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Romans 6:8-15 I. I was asked recently what I thought about the argument that gambling once in a while (two or three times a week) wasn’t sinful because “anything done in moderation is not a sin.” A. We could address the issue of gambling from a number of viewpoints to show…
Read MoreThe Inheritance
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Revelation 21:6-8 I. The Christian’s relationship with God is described by several metaphors A. We are servants – I Corinthians 4:1 1. The emphasis is on our obeying the will of our Master B. We are priests – I Peter 2:4-5, 9 1. We are able to bring worship directly to God without anyone…
Read MoreWhat sexual acts should not be committed before marriage?
Question: What sexual acts should not be committed in a relationship before marriage? Answer: “Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge” (Hebrews 13:4). From the time that God created the world, His intention was that sex would be freely expressed within marriages between a husband and…
Read MoreShould I divorce my unfaithful wife?
Question: My wife had three children out of wedlock before we got married and has just informed me that she had sex with someone else during our marriage. I think I have the right to divorce, but my question is: what should I do? It appears to me that she cannot be faithful. Answer: “He…
Read MoreWho is the Queen of Heaven in Jeremiah 7:18?
Question: If there are no female gods, then who is the Queen of Heaven in Jeremiah 7:18? Answer: Just because man worships an idol, it does not make the god represented by the idol real. “Therefore know this day, and consider it in your heart, that the LORD Himself is God in heaven above and on…
Read MoreDid the apostle Paul keep the laws found in the Torah?
Question: Did the apostle Paul keep the laws found in the Torah? If so, why do people reject them today? Answer: “For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might…
Read MoreCan I as a homosexual change if I start going to church?
Question: I always thought I was born a homosexual, everybody thought I was because I was very feminine. I read in the Bible that it is a sin, and now I have constant worries about being gay, but I have desires for sex with other guys. Do you think I can really change if I…
Read MoreShould I leave this marriage?
Question: My wife had three children before we met and has now had an affair. Is she unmarriageable and should I leave this marriage? Answer: Unfortunately, there is insufficient information in this question for me to answer in regards to your personal situation. You did not mention whether your wife was married prior to your…
Read MoreMust a member of the church follow the truth?
Question: Is it true that if a member of the church of Christ is shown a truth from the Scriptures, they are bound to follow that truth? Answer: Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). Hence, any true follower of Christ (a Christian) will strive to as obediently to the truth…
Read MoreHorns of Destruction
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Zechariah 1:18-21 I. Zechariah, at the end of Judah’s captivity, was given a vision of four horns A. Horns are used symbolically to represent power. 1. In particular, the horns represented the power of the nations around Judah (see verse 21) 2. II Kings 18:11-12 – Assyria pulled away the northern tribes 3. II…
Read MoreWhy is there no female god in the Bible?
Question: Why is there no female god in the Bible? Answer: If this is in reference to false gods of idolatrous worship, then there are female gods mentioned in the Bible. People worshipped Asheroth or Asherah, a Canaanite goddess of fertility. “So the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD. They…
Read MoreA Heart-Felt Religion?
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I. It seems many people today are struggling with the concept of worship. A. Suppose a visitor comes to worship with us. We sing a song of praise to God. The lights are on, eyes are open, no one is swaying with hands in the air. 1. This same person visits another group that…
Read MoreGrace and Law
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: John 1:14-17 I. False ideas don’t always die. They end up getting recycled at a later time when the present generation has forgotten the teachings of the past which showed the ideas to be false. A. I remember from childhood a big debate over the role of grace 1. The core was…
Read MoreShould a woman deny her husband sex?
Question: Should a woman deny her husband sex? Answer: “Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. Let the husband render to…
Read MoreWhy isn’t I Timothy 2:9 taken literally?
Question: On I Timothy 2:9, how come it is not taken literally? I was wondering because I keep getting told that it is cultural when I do not understand even how the Bible could possibly be cultural being the Word of God and II Timothy 3:16. Answer: In like manner also, that the women adorn…
Read MoreWhen did women stop covering their heads during worship?
Question: I am not very old; therefore, all I know about the veil thing is from my mother and from westerns; but otherwise, I do not know when about the whole change occurred. I know that you are probably really busy but I was having trouble finding something. I was figuring since you have more…
Read MoreGod and the Nations
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: John 19:10-11 I. How involved in God in the activities of the nations? A. We know that God doesn’t change and from the teachings in the prophets of the Old Testament we find that God was heavily involved in the governments of various nations. B. If it was true then, we can…
Read MoreThe Gall of Bitterness
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Reading: Acts 8:14-24 I. Hebrews 12:14-15 A. Bitterness is “characterized by animosity; harshly reproachful, caustic, disagreeable; to have a ‘sour’ disposition towards others other things that happened, whether real or imagined.” B. Few people want to be bitter, but many slide into it over the years. II. Causes of bitterness A. Pride and arrogance 1. Deut.…
Read MoreFishers of Men
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I. Jesus told his disciples that he would make them fishers of men – Mark 1:16-18 A. I’ve seen a few ponds where you can drop a hook into the water and in minutes find a fish dangling off the end, but most of the time fishing takes much more time and patience.…
Read MoreWhat was special about a man named Enoch?
Question: What was special about a man named Enoch? Answer: More than one man held the name “Enoch,” but the one we recall as being special is mentioned in Genesis 5:22-24, “After he begot Methuselah, Enoch walked with God three hundred years, and had sons and daughters. So all the days of Enoch were three hundred…
Read MoreWhat is it that I’m doing if it is not speaking in tongues?
Question: every time i pray its in tongue.even when iam a sleep my husband says. i speak. and dreams of what is to come. Answer: Normally when I receive statements and questions, I will correct any grammatical errors that I notice. I realize that many people write quickly and don’t take the time to proofread…
Read MoreCan you sin after receiving the Holy Spirit?
Question: Can you sin after receiving the Holy Spirit? Answer: Peter received the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, along with the other disciples (Acts 2:4, 14). He, along with John, was able to pass on the gifts of the Spirit to others (Acts 8:14-15). Yet, he was rebuked for sinning by Paul. “Now when…
Read MoreWhy are Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles divided into two books each?
Question: Why are Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles divided into two books each? Answer: In earlier times books were written on scrolls — long strips of parchment or similar material. The strips were wound around two sticks. This works well for small books, but large books become cumbersome. Imagine trying to look up a passage that you…
Read MoreWhat is the age of accountability for a child?
Question: What is the age of accountability for a child? Answer: The Bible teaches us that each person is held accountable for his own sins. “The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous…
Read MoreFault Finding
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Thessalonians 5:11-18 I. The golden rule – Romans 13:9-10 A. Much of our life is involved in relating to other people. 1. We need the cooperation of others in so many ways. 2. And so many people are just plain hard to get along with. B. God’s laws are easily summed up in…
Read MoreWhat is the purpose of praise and worship?
Question: What is the purpose of praise and worship? Answer: The word “worship” means to honor and give respect to a divine being or supernatural power. God claims worship as His exclusive right. “For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ” (Matthew 4:10). And yet through…
Read MoreFaithful Fathers
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Deuteronomy 8:1-10 I. It is not arbitrarily that God is referred to as our Father and we His children A. After the wandering in the wilderness, God told them they endured hardship because He was treating as a father would treat his children. B. We can learn from God what is expected…
Read MoreHow do you handle people with hot tempers?
Question: How do you handle people with hot tempers? Answer: The Bible speaks of two types of anger: the quick, fly-off-the-handle, hot-tempered people; and the slow, methodical, vengeance seeking people. Both are dangerous, for different reasons. We are told, “But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language…
Read MoreWhat is the difference between a priest and a Levite?
Question: What is the difference between the priests and the Levites in the Old Testament? Answer: Initially, God offered to make the entire nation of Israel a nation of priests. “Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people;…
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