Archive for 2010
Was Paul a Sabbath Keeper?
by Benard Kagaga Always, when the Bible is given time as the word of God (II Timothy 3:16-17) to give us the clear way (John 14:6), when our minds reach a point of confusion (I Corinthians 14:33), given time with the Bible we will understand. When talking with the Sabbath keepers, we learn they hate…
Read MoreAre elders responsible for the employment of preachers?
Question: I enjoyed and appreciated your article on the work of the evangelist. I find it quite different from many by what you might consider institutional churches of Christ. I am concerned about the final paragraph on the selection of the minister. As I understand first-century history, many preachers were involved in the establishing, building up,…
Read MoreWas the Titus in the Bible the same as Titus Vespasianus?
Question: Is Titus Vespasian, who was involved with Bernice, the same as the Titus who traveled with Paul? Answer: Then as now, just because a person has the same name, it doesn’t mean they are the same person. There is only one Titus mentioned by name in the Bible and he was a preacher and…
Read MoreGive It Up!
by David Thurman via Gospel Minutes, Vol. 57, No. 3, Jan. 16, 2009. Toward the end of WWII, it was obvious to everyone that the Japanese empire was on its last legs. It was only a matter of time before the Japanese would be beaten. But, with a strict code of honor and battle, most Japanese…
Read MoreThe Funeral Service of Shunn Hamilton
by Tommy Thornhill Around noontime, Thursday, March 16, 2006, a man’s life was taken from him in a moment of time. As he and a couple of his friends were on their way to lunch, their vehicle came over a hill and collided with another vehicle that was in the roadway. Shunn Hamilton was thrown…
Read MoreHow do I object to homosexuality without getting fired?
Question: Currently at my place of work I have homosexual couples doing things that really disturb me. Is there not something wrong with homosexual couples adopting children, or female homosexual couples being able to get in-vitro fertilization to have children? I really desire to voice my opinion but I know that I will be the…
Read MoreIs there a non-miraculous form of prophecy?
Question: I’m having a problem understanding “prophesying.” In Romans 12:6 Paul said, “let us prophesy.” Is I Corinthians 14:3-4 teaching that during the days of the early church one form of prophesying was not in a “miraculous” sense but rather a “natural” ability (cf. Romans 12:4-6)? Answer: In Romans, Paul makes the point: “For as we have…
Read MoreDoes the Bible predict a future war in Korea?
Question: Hi, I have a friend online who sent me this message; “I HOPE you know the SERIOUSNESS of this approaching Korean war! The Bible mentions it! So it MUST be a MAJOR MAJOR WAR (to be mentioned in the Bible!) My guess, (for it to be SO MAJOR that it’s mentioned in the Bible)…
Read MoreIs there any hope for me?
Question: I went through your article, “A Sin Leading to Death.” Like so many other articles on the sin that leads to death and apostasy, there seems to be no final consensus on what are these sins, what are their consequences, and the chances of reversing these consequences. So the article held some hope for…
Read MoreHow could the men with Saul hear and not hear the voice?
Question: Can you explain the seeming contradiction in these verses from Acts? Acts 9:7 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man Acts 22:9 And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake…
Read MoreI’m so grateful to find your article on premillennialism
Question: I have accepted a challenge to spend two Sunday mornings (that’s not much!) in surveying the basics of premillennial eschatology. I am grateful to our faithful Jesus, the Lord of us both, that I finally, after so much searching, came across your church’s web site and your article on premillennialism. You’re so right that…
Read MoreSelling Yourself
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2005/07/SellingYourself.mp3 Text: I Kings 21:1-26 I. Have you heard the old phrase that someone had sold his soul to the Devil? A. Unfortunately, it is not just some mythological idea. It has some biblical basis. B. Elijah, in I Kings 21:20, accuses Ahab of selling himself when he took possession of Naboth’s vineyard. 1. Notice though that Ahab…
Read MoreWhy do you teach that a man can only have one wife?
Question: I just read “What Bible Passage Teaches Monogamy?” by George Hutto. It has to do with men having only one wife. While I agree with most of what is written, I have a problem with the intent. Since most men, of any measure of success, in the Old Testament, had wives known as maidservants,…
Read MoreHow can you prove that the New Testament contains God’s only pattern for worship in the Lord’s church today?
Question: How can you prove that the New Testament contains God’s only pattern for worship in the Lord’s church today? Answer: “I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you…
Read MoreCould there be some “event” that God is waiting for to trigger the second coming of Christ?
Question: I know the Bible says no one knows when Jesus’ second return will be. However, those who are called are watching out for it, so, therefore, it won’t be such a surprise to them. Is that correct? Why does it seem to me and others that things in the world are happening in such…
Read MoreIn Mark 3:29, why does the NKJV say “eternal condemnation” while the NASB says “eternal sin?”
Question: The NKJV in Mark 3:29 has “but is subject to eternal condemnation” and the NASB has is “guilty of an eternal sin”. Are the meanings different? They seem to mean something different. Isn’t the NASB more accurate to the original than the NKJV? Answer: Both the NASB and the NKJV are accurate translations. However,…
Read MoreWhy did Antioch send relief to Judea if the famine was worldwide?
Question: Can anyone tell me why the church in Antioch sent relief to the brethren in Judea (Acts 11) if the famine was worldwide? Wouldn’t they all have suffered? Were the people in Antioch just more wealthy and could afford to help more needy Christians? Answer: In regards to your question, we do not know…
Read MoreWhy was Haman’s face covered?
Question: In Esther 7:8 it reads, “As the word went out of king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face.” Does this mean that his face was covered because he laying on her bed and was much too close to Esther, or that he was now marked for death? Was the covering of someone’s face a custom then?…
Read MorePearls From Proverbs: Frankness Finds Favor
by Irvin Himmel Via Guardian of Truth XXXI: 4, p. 108, February 19, 1987 “He that rebuketh a man afterwards shall find more favor than he that flattereth with the tongue” (Proverbs 28:23). Although there are people who do not care what others think about them, most of us desire the esteem and goodwill of our acquaintances.…
Read MoreThe Form of the New Testament
by Bob West The Milpitas Messenger, February 1996 “Why isn’t the New Testament written in legal form; i.e., broken down into encyclopedic categories and lists? Instead, it contains much historical, biographical and personal material. Yet we are asked to believe that this is God’s law for us today. How can this be?” The above paragraph…
Read MoreFlattery
by Mike Johnson At a reception in Washington, a widow asked a young man to guess her age. “You must have some idea,” she said, as he hesitated. “I have several ideas,” he admitted with a smile. “The trouble is that I hesitate whether to make it ten years younger on account of your looks…
Read MoreFirst Love
by Robert Turner A tap at the study door announced a timid and frightened young couple. Their marriage was “coming apart” — or so they thought — and since I had “performed their ceremony,” they had come to me for help. The timid approach fooled me. What should have been an easy “patch-up” job grew…
Read MoreFaithful Fathers
by David Thurman via Gospel Minutes, Vol. 56, No. 29, July 20, 2007 Our world seems to take delight in bashing men. It is not fashionable to be a man, a husband, or a father. As such, it is getting harder and harder to be a man, a husband, or a father. Fortunately, those of…
Read MoreThe Essence of Atheism
by Doy Moyer Start with nothing. From nothing, for no reason or purpose, lifeless, mindless material just came into existence. Lifeless, mindless material, existing for no reason and with no purpose, somehow, some way, through a process that has never been observed anywhere, spontaneously generated something that was living. This living thing, having come into…
Read MoreThe Church of Oprah
by Dan Gatlin For decades, Oprah Winfrey has proclaimed faith in Jesus Christ. Yet, when one examines Oprah’s Jesus, he is not the same Jesus found in the New Testament. Oprah’s Jesus is not God in the flesh, but merely a “good man.” He is non-condemning and tolerant of “alternative lifestyles.” In short, her Jesus…
Read MoreConfessing Our Faults
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/ConfessingOurFaults.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalm 32 I. I John 1:8-10 A. Forgiveness of our sins is not automatic. God has always required action on our part to gain His forgiveness. B. In this passage we learn that God wants us to confess our faults. II. Confession has always been required by God A. In the garden, God…
Read MoreAll Things Work Together for Good
by Cecil B. Douthitt Gospel Guardian – August 31, 1967 Romans 8:28 contains one of the most precious promises in all the Bible: “And we know that to them that love God all things work together for good, even to them that are called according to his purpose.” An accurate understanding and an unwavering faith in this…
Read MoreAn Eloquent Man
by Billy Norris in Gospel Guide, May 1995 Whether in the political arena, the classroom, or the pulpit, eloquent speakers are few in number. In graduate school at the beginning of the year, I attended my first assembly. Deeply impressed by the marvelous eloquence of the visiting speaker, I looked forward to the assembly periods…
Read MoreOf course God sends people to hell, but hell doesn’t exist!
Question: Your article that God does not send people to hell falls way short of giving any real and meaningful answer. True, people have a choice to some extent and God will not force Himself on anyone, but it most certainly says in the Scriptures that no one can come to the Father unless they are chosen. Can’t…
Read MoreDoes the curse of Canaan mean we should be saving as many black people as possible?
Question: Can you send me all the information you have on the curse of Canaan? I see Ham had four sons and Canaan was the youngest. So this can’t mean all black people are cursed because it was only the descendants of one of the four children. Yet at the same time, that’s a lot…
Read MoreDid the flood kill sea life?
Question: How did the flood kill animals from the sea? And if it killed them, how did Noah fit animals from the sea in a dry ark? Answer: “And of every living thing of all flesh you shall bring two of every sort into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be…
Read MoreDo we know the year Jesus was crucified?
Question: Regarding the sermon outline Three Days and Three Nights: “Amen.” Excellent work in putting this subject together. Appreciate the spreadsheet “visual” at the bottom. Three somewhat related questions: Do we know what year the crucifixion took place? Would a Jubilee year be in Jesus’ ministry years? Does Jesus’ anointed year fit with any of Daniel’s…
Read MoreSlavery in the Bible
Slavery in the Bible – Part 1Slavery in the Bible – Part 2 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Romans 6:15-23 I. At times you will run into people who attempt to discredit the Bible by stating that some aspect of its teaching was immoral or at least shady. A. The idea is that if it was…
Read MoreWhat is spiritual death?
Question: What exactly is spiritual death? Some say that spiritual death is a separation from God. But what exactly is being separated? A physical separation, personal separation, or soul separation after physical death? If it was a physical separation, then why did God continue to have a relationship with Adam and Eve by clothing them…
Read MoreHow could there be sin before Moses when there was no law?
Question: I need to understand Noah’s history. It says in Genesis 6:9 that Noah was a just man; that he walked with God. But what does it mean by “just?” I mean, there wasn’t a law at the time, Moses didn’t exist. The same about Cain killing Abel. God told him to do good when…
Read MoreThe Continuation of Slavery
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/SlaveryInTheBiblePart1.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: John 8:28-36 I. It is difficult to imagine, but slavery continues in the United States A. Oh, I know that slavery officially ended with the passing of the thirteenth amendment on December 6, 1865. B. Yet slavery continues to this day. C. Perhaps you are thinking, “I’m an American. I was born…
Read MoreDon’t Quit
by Bubba Carrier The first time I tried to march and play drums at the same time, I was terrible. When I concentrated on playing a steady beat, I marched out of step; when I focused on marching in line, I played off beat. After the first week, I went to the band director and…
Read MoreHow do we know that one day equals a year in Daniel’s prophecy of the seventy weeks?
Question: I understand how they came up with the 483 years in Daniel 9, but how do we know from scripture that the 69 weeks is supposed to mean 69 weeks of seven years? Why do they do this or are they just figuring this backward and then saying well it must have meant years…
Read More“The Letter to Laodicea” really refreshed my spirit
Question: I want to thanks your words in “The Letter to Laodicea.” They really refresh my spirit with joy. We should have more ministers sharing our thoughts with each other. Especially the last paragraphs commenting about Apostle Paul’s motive for Philemon’s epistle and his ways to ensure the right thing was done. It’s so needed…
Read MoreDon’t Muzzle the Ox
by Sam Stinson “For it is written in the Law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain.” Is it for oxen that God is concerned? Does he not speak entirely for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope and the…
Read More