Does Matthew 16:27 refer to Judgment Day?
Question: I have difficulty understanding Matthew 16:27. Does it refer to the Day of Judgment or is it an allusion to Daniel’s prophecy in Daniel 7? I read two articles on your site and there are different views on both of them. How Could a Loving God Send Me to Hell? says Matthew 16:27 refers…
Read MoreThe Glory and Kingdom of the Son
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Matthew 16:21-28; Mark 8:31-9:1; Luke 9:21-27 To the dismay of his disciples, Jesus began to speak of his pending death. Peter and the other disciples did not realize the importance of that death in God’s plans. Peter went so far as to declare that God would never allow such a…
Read MoreHow Could a Loving God Send Me to Hell?
by Tanner Campbell The very thought of Hell is terrifying. Such a thought is an intense provoker for many to repent of their sins and revere the word of the Lord. However, others think little of Hell. For example, you may have heard someone say something like “how could a loving, kind, and merciful God…
Read MoreDid Jesus have long hair because the Shroud of Turin shows long hair?
Question: Hi. Catholics and other denominations think Jesus had long hair because of the Shroud of Turin. What is your say on this? Answer: The Shroud of Turin first appeared in 1354. It is a 14-foot piece of linen cloth with a faint depiction of a crucified man in the stains of the cloth. The…
Read MoreWould God forgive incest?
Question: Greetings! I would like to ask for some advice about my unrighteousness. I hope you could reply. To get straight to it, I had sex with my brother. It was not really the kind of serious kind of sex because we were just playing around. At that time we were already in the church…
Read MoreReading about the congregation in Nebraska put quite a few thoughts within my heart
Question: I am a member of the church of Christ. Reading about the congregation in Nebraska has put quite a few thoughts within my heart. I am looking forward to visiting this congregation in the future. Maybe too many congregations are putting too much money into their auditorium, too much emphasis on eating, etc. I am going to study…
Read MoreDid Jesus enter the holy of holies twice?
Question: Did Jesus enter the holy of holies twice? Answer: The writer of Hebrews mentions that Jesus entered the true holy of holies, that is he entered into heaven. “For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in…
Read MoreWas Mary the mother of God?
Question: I do not recite Hail Mary nor do I agree with it. But I talked to a person and we came to the topic of Hail Mary. I pointed out that “Mother of God” is never seen in the Bible and expressed an inappropriate meaning. He stated that Elizabeth called Mary “mother of my…
Read MoreThe Mission of Christ
Text: Matthew 5:17-20 I. There is hardly a denomination in existence that does not appeal to the Old Testament for portions of their practices. A. Many of the rituals in the Catholic church find their roots in the Old Testament, such as the burning of incense. B. Protestants are not beyond dipping into the Old Testament. The…
Read MoreThe New Birth of Water
by James E. Cooper in Biblical Insights, Vol. 5, No. 2, Feb. 2005 Question: “Does ‘born of water’ in John 3:3,5 refer to baptism? Answer: Jesus said to Nicodemus, “Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God,” and “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom…
Read MoreAll we have in common is our love for God. Is that enough to get married?
Question: Hello there, I’m in a serious relationship. It took me a while to come to terms with it because we were friends initially. My boyfriend is an awesome guy, he loves and serves God and is caring to people around. He’s passionate about work, his students, family, church, etc.. I could go on. He’s…
Read MoreDoes everyone who was baptized have eternal life?
Question: Hi, From the topic of “The Thousand-Year Reign”, you stated that baptism is the first resurrection. John also states that second death will not have an effect on those who take part in the first resurrection. Then does that mean all who were baptized will have eternal life? But what about those who are…
Read MoreWhere Is God When Mass Murder Strikes?
by David Dann The psalmist poses the following question: “Why do You stand afar off, O LORD? Why do You hide in times of trouble?” (Psalms 10:1). As he describes the wicked man in the same passage, the inspired writer goes on to say, “He sits in the lurking places of the villages; in the…
Read MoreHow do I convince a Roman Catholic that infant baptism is wrong?
Question: A Catholic and I debated the topic of infant baptism. He used the argument of “household” referring to babies as well. When I told him that households could mean teens or servants he said that he would rather follow the practice of infant baptism followed by earlier Christians 2000 years ago. He then argued…
Read MoreIs the Bible Sufficient?
by Wayne Chamberlain The apostle Paul wrote to Timothy and said, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (II Timothy 3:16-17). In a word, Paul is saying,…
Read MoreYour website is an exceptional source of needed information
Question: Hello, I just wanted to say that your website is an exceptional source of needed information. I marvel at the work you and the church must have done to create your site. May I link to your site from my own website? I am blessed to preach every day to millions by means of…
Read MoreDoes the Nice Guy Always Finish Last?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/DoesTheNiceGuyAlwaysFinishLast.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text Psalm 37 I. I’m sure you have heard the statement before, it is well ingrained in our society’s thinking: “Nice guys finish last.” A. Its more modern than you might realize. A baseball player and manager, Leo Durocher, is the one who said it. 1. He also said, “Winning requires toughness,…
Read MoreIs the Spirit of God the same as the Holy Spirit?
Question: Is the Spirit of God the same as the Holy Spirit? Answer: “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:30). The phrase “Spirit of God” and “Holy Spirit” refer to the same being. He is also sometimes called the Helper, the Comforter,…
Read MoreHow did Adam find Eve?
Question: I hope you can answer these for me: When Adam worked in the Garden, did he have to work and show he was worthy Eve for God to present her to him? I understand the help meet part, but did God make Adam for Eve or Eve for Adam? I know it was a…
Read MoreCould the perfect be the kingdom?
Question: Please, what would be wrong to interpret “that which is in part” in I Corinthians 13:10 to mean the kingdom of God instead of the Word of God? Answer: “Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is…
Read MoreWhen I’m struggling with a topic, La Vista’s web site is where I head
Question: I’ve been wanting, needing, and meaning to send this email to you for a really long time. Thank you for your website and all that you have written in the questions and answers section. I pray that the Lord gives you many more years of wisdom and time to continue this invaluable ministry. When…
Read MoreWas baptism only for the Jews?(2)
Question: Good morning brother, I recently had a discussion with a brother in Christ who said that the book of Acts was addressed to the Jews because they killed Christ. He mentioned that the question asked after their hearts were pricked, “what shall we do” applied to those Jews that were assembled. He said that…
Read MoreWhy Do Bad Things Happen?
by T. Sean Sullivan How often is your life visited with a bad day or bad news? How often do we suffer in this world? One specific area that I know visits every family at one time or another is sickness. Yes, ailments come and sometimes they bring an end to a loved one’s life.…
Read MoreHave Times Changed?
by Austin Hausner “For the Son of man came to seek and save the lost” (Luke 19:10). When we talk with people about Christianity or anything Bible-related we find there are many objections to Christianity. Some of these objections are fairly common. We want to be able to provide a counter-argument to one of the…
Read MoreIs the veil only for married women?
Question: Hello! I read your article about the wearing of the veil by women in the Church. I confess that I was very surprised because I always believed that it was merely a custom — a cultural issue — and that the hair itself was already the veil. But I was convinced by your interpretation…
Read MoreA Bible and a Gun
by Bryan Matthew Dockens In his hit song “The Wanderer” Johnny Cash sang, “I went out walking with a Bible and a gun”. Regardless of Cash’s intent with these lyrics, it is an interesting image to ponder. These two objects – a copy of the sacred text and a lethal weapon – are seen by…
Read MoreIf Christ Built Only One, Where Did They All Come From?
by Jefferson David Tant At the beginning of the gospel age, there was but one church, and now, 2000 years later, according to some reports, there are over 1,200. How did this happen? People wonder where they all came from. Is this division and confusion what Christ intended? Let’s examine this situation to see just…
Read MoreAnswering the Sabbath Observance
by Jefferson David Tant Those who claim that the Sabbath (Saturday) is the day God has ordained from the beginning certainly believe that their claims are based on Scripture, and vigorously defend their belief and practice. But a careful examination of the Scriptures shows a problem with the arguments they make to support the practice…
Read MoreHow could God die?
Question: My question was about Jesus, who is God and human. The Bible tells us that Jesus died, but Jesus who is God cannot die. That only leaves Jesus who is human. This means Jesus the Human died on the cross, which means a human paid for all human sins. Why doesn’t the Bible say…
Read MoreHow did the church in Corinth receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit?
Question: How did the Corinthian church receive the Holy Spirit in a miraculous way? Was it by the laying on hands by the apostles or what? Or does the Bible not say? Answer: The church in Corinth was started by the Apostle Paul (Acts 18). He initially taught there for 18 months (Acts 18:11) and…
Read MoreThe Death of Wonder
by Anthony J. Hamilton How often do you feel a sense of wonder? There is a Hebrew word, pâlâ’, with the following definition: Primitive root – to be marvelous, be wonderful, be surpassing, be extraordinary, separate by distinguishing action. It is used in several different ways: for people being separated for service to God and…
Read MoreIs baptism necessary for salvation?
Question: Hello! I am from Brazil, and I am seeking salvation. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died for my sins on the cross and rose on the third day for my justification. I am sorry for all my sins. I would like to ask you: Is baptism by immersion necessary…
Read MoreNotes on Does God Think Baptism Is Necessary?
Despite having received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, Peter commanded Cornelius and his household to be baptized – Acts 10:48 All, including Paul, were baptized into Jesus and into Jesus’ death – Romans 6:3 They were baptized in order to be able to walk in newness of life – Romans 6:4 They were baptized…
Read MoreBaptism: Necessary for Salvation
by Allen Dvorak It is virtually undisputed truth that man is saved by divine grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8). However, some have concluded from this fact that there is nothing that man can or must do for his salvation. It is frequently argued that “water baptism can’t possibly be necessary for salvation because it is…
Read MoreGodly things don’t interest me
Question: Good morning, sir, Sir, now the things of God do not interest me. I have not really told anyone about Christ because when I tell them about Christ most of them agree to hand over their lives to Christ, but at the end, I realize that I am not happy. It seems like their…
Read MoreConsidering the Context
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/ConsideringTheContext.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: II Timothy 2:14-18 I. My wife and I have done it numerous times and I’m sure it has happened to you as well. We’ll be talking about someone we know and then a comment is made that leaves you totally puzzled. So-and-so doesn’t have a relative by that name; at…
Read MoreI don’t want to hurt the guy I’ve been having sex with by leaving him
Question: I am so glad I came across your page and article. God bless you. I have a burden on my heart and I need an answer. Some months back, I met a guy at church rehearsals one evening. I was supposed to lead a song but I wasn’t getting the lyrics and key. He…
Read MoreShould I see a doctor about my OCD?
Question: Hello, This whole year has been quite a nightmare. At the beginning of this year, I started to realize how I wasn’t living the right way. I wanted to start making changes in my life and be a better Christian. In hindsight, I went about it the wrong way. I was trying to “be…
Read MoreCan a woman lead a song outside of worship?
Question: Recently there was a funeral of one of our former members. It was held at their home. Our members preached the service, led songs, and one of the prayers. Then the family said that two ladies wanted to sing a song. They sang a song that we sing many times in worship. They asked…
Read MoreI often commend your site to others
Question: Thank you, Brother! Our mid-week Bible study is on Genesis. All of the research I have done is very confusing. I use your website quite often, and I have recommended it to many others. Unfortunately, we don’t have anyone in our congregation who has the knowledge or willingness to step up and maintain our…
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