Exodus
by Terry Wane Benton Exodus is the story of the Israelites’ exit from Egyptian bondage by the power of God and how they were supplied for their journey toward the promised land. The basic divisions of the book can be divided into three parts: The Redemption from Egypt – Chapters 1-19 The Giving of the…
Read MoreWhy Did Jesus Die?
by Doy Moyer There are many atonement theories, and not every theory is equal. But one undeniable truth is that Jesus died to show how death is conquered through resurrection. By His death and resurrection, we are led to victory, and because of this, we can work with confidence that what we do is not…
Read MoreMuch Wine?
by Tracy Dugger In giving the qualifications of elders, the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to write that an elder is not to be, “…given to wine…” (I Timothy 3:3). Then in I Timothy 3:6, Paul stated of deacons, “Likewise must the deacons be grave, not double tongued, not given to much wine…” This alleged difficulty…
Read MoreIs Everyone’s Opinion Equally True?
by Zeke Flores We live in a world that is permeated by pluralism, humanism, relativism, and every other “ism” one can think of. Everybody’s opinion is of equal value, more or less, and therefore equally true. For instance, have you ever heard someone say, “That may be true for you, but not for me”? This…
Read MoreNot What We Were, But What We Become
by David Gibson He lied—repeatedly (Genesis 12:10-20; 20:1-13). Yet we remember Abraham as the man of great faith, the friend of God (Romans 4:18-22; James 2:23). It was Abraham’s great-grandson Judah who persuaded his brothers to sell their despised brother Joseph as a slave (Genesis 39:26-27), but 22 years later Judah proved himself to be…
Read MoreProverbs on the Need for Wisdom
by Terry Wane Benton This book emphasizes the importance of wisdom. The young man is encouraged to pursue wisdom, or else he will set himself up for being a loser in life. The book can be outlined as follows: Obtaining Knowledge and Wisdom. (Proverbs 1-2) Retaining Knowledge and Wisdom Because of Its Correction in Thinking.…
Read MoreCondemnation or Conviction?
by Zeke Flores To many, “conviction” is the same as “condemnation,” and most of us familiar with condemnation don’t like it much. You know, the (not so) subtle voice that hisses, “You’re not good enough!” “You’re a failure!” “It’s too late for you, there’s no hope because you’ll never change!” Our evil enemy— and sometimes…
Read MoreCulture Wars and Spiritual Battles
by Doy Moyer It is possible to win the culture war, as it is called, and lose the spiritual battle. They are not the same. Culturally, Christians want to stand up for the right and oppose the wrong. We want to keep evil influences from being so pervasive, so we do what we can where…
Read MoreHow do I deal with traditional beliefs and practices?
Dear Jeffrey I have begun a journey where I truly desire to know God for myself, not just through what others have taught me, but through personal revelation and understanding. However, I am currently wrestling with some spiritual issues that I hope you can help me gain clarity on, especially as they relate to certain…
Read MoreThe Tabernacle of Witness
by Terry Wane Benton Why was the Tabernacle in Israel referenced as “the Tabernacle of Witness?” The inspired scriptures may provide several different reasons. It was designed to testify to God’s Presence in the pillar of cloud and in the pillar of fire that demonstrated His Presence in the midst of the camp of the…
Read MoreIf I don’t make peace with someone, will this be judged on Judgment Day?
Question: The passage that I’m concerned about is Matthew 5:25-26. Is this saying that if I don’t make peace with someone I have hurt, the situation will be judged in court on judgment day? I am trying my best to clarify what this passage means for me. I know we are all saved by grace,…
Read MoreDid God Cause the Tragedy?
by Gardner Hall Did God cause the tragedy in the Dominican Republic? The roof collapse at Jet Set Nightclub in the Dominican Republic resulted in over 200 deaths and sent shockwaves through the Dominican community in New York City. Many in our West Harlem congregation lost friends or relatives. As in every disaster, some point…
Read MoreArtificial Intelligence
by Doy Moyer Artificial Intelligence… Doesn’t think about you. Doesn’t lose sleep over you. Doesn’t care about you. Doesn’t love you. Has no conscience or moral awareness. Feels and bears no guilt. Has no responsibility as a thinking creature. Maintains no personal commitment to truth. Has no personal integrity. Is not a personal entity. Nor…
Read MoreThe Greatest Commandment
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/The-Greatest-Commandment.mp3 Download Audio by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Matthew 22:34-40 I. From among the Pharisees, a lawyer came to Jesus to put him to the test. A. He asked, “Which is the greatest commandment?” B. A difficult question, given the large number of commands found in the Old Testament. 1. How do you decide which is greater than…
Read MoreThe Golden Rule
by Terry Wane Benton Jesus stated a rule that would solve many problems between people if we all were committed to living by it. It is commonly called the Golden Rule. “Do unto others as you would have them to do unto you” (Matthew 7:12). That would eliminate all criminal activity, as no one would…
Read MoreMurmurers and Complainers
by Michael R. Baggett The word “murmur” is not often used in our vocabulary. The King James Version uses this word to describe complainers who mutter, grumble, or express displeasure privately or publicly. Murmurers or complainers may complain against God (see Vine’s, Murmurer, Jude 15-16). Moses experienced murmuring throughout the travels of the Israelites in…
Read MoreFatal Flaws in Transgender Brain Studies
Source: Colin Wright, “Transgender Brain Studies are Fatally Flawed,” City Journal, 14 March 2025. “The notion that males can have ‘female brains,’ and vice versa, rests on a flawed interpretation of ‘brain sex’ studies that in no way demonstrate or even suggest a definitive biological basis for ‘gender identity.’” “The theory is advanced for relatively…
Read MoreBeing Crucified with Christ
by Terry Wane Benton Formerly, Paul was an enemy of Christ and made it his mission to stomp out His church if possible. He thought he was doing God service as he searched to persecute and kill Christians, those Paul sincerely thought were heretics of the Jews’ religion. According to the law of Moses, those…
Read MoreThe Ancestry of Caleb
by Doy Moyer One interesting rabbit hole is found in this little conundrum: Was Caleb of the tribe of Judah, or was he a descendant of the Edomites? Hang on because there is an important point to be made here that is more than just a question of interest. Caleb is known for his strong…
Read MoreIt is hard to find a Christian to date
Question: To Whom It May Concern, I am a 27-year-old male, never married, and have no children. I’m single and am a member of a local church of Christ. My question is regarding relationships. There are no opportunities for me to date where I am a member. I want to wait on the Lord patiently…
Read MoreCarrying About….
by Terry Wane Benton What mental and emotional baggage do we carry that weighs us down and makes our hearts heavy? Paul speaks of being persecuted, hard-pressed on every side, and perplexed, but these things were not what he “carried about” in his heart (II Corinthians 4:6-16). The way these negative things became bearable was…
Read MoreIs it right to dismiss a preacher because he married a non-Christian?
Question: Hello, First, thank you for all you do to answer these difficult questions. They have helped me a lot on my Christian journey. My question concerns something that happened very recently at my congregation; our youth group had two ministers helping and supporting all the activities (spiritual and recreational), and they were doing a…
Read MoreWhat if I hid the fact that I’m a Christian?
Question: Good day, Minister, I am a fellow member of the church of Christ. I’m hoping you can provide me with some insight: If I said that I wouldn’t disclose that I was a Christian and also encouraged my mom not to disclose that she is a Christian as well, and others heard it, would…
Read MoreDo miracles still happen?
Question: Do miracles, such as healing, speaking in tongues, etc., still happen? I have seen videos on YouTube about how a very crippled woman was healed (her testimony), and another video of how a non-speaking boy was also healed and still speaks. Answer: Consider whether the evidence given would stand up in a court. Do…
Read MorePick Your Jesus
by Terry Wane Benton Paul said some were preaching “another Jesus” (II Corinthians 11:3-4). That was by picking the things they liked about the real Jesus, mixing in a few of their desires, avoiding the things they did not like about what the real Jesus said, and now we can talk about the Jesus we…
Read MoreWhy was the bread offered at Pentecost to be made with leaven?
Question: Hi Jeffrey, “You shall bring from your dwellings two wave loaves of two-tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour; they shall be baked with leaven. They are the firstfruits to the LORD” (Leviticus 23:17 NKJV) Here, God says the leaven is needed when Jews were baking the loaves of bread sacrificed…
Read MoreAt Hand
by Terry Wane Benton Most who get tangled up in the Realized Eschatology heresy get puzzled by the “at hand” language found in so many books of the New Testament. All they can conclude is that there was only one thing it could be talking about, and that is the destruction of Jerusalem in AD…
Read MorePrecious Things
by Leon Mauldin via Biblical Insights, Vol. 15 No. 2, February 2015 The Word of the Lord I Samuel 3:1 gives the setting for God’s initial calling of young Samuel to the prophetic office: “And the child Samuel ministered unto Jehovah before Eli. And the word of Jehovah was precious in those days; there was…
Read MoreWhat This Woman Has Done
by Zeke Flores Writing these words this morning is a privilege as, one more time, I am proving Jesus’ prediction true. In Matthew 26:6-13, Jesus was visiting a leper (!) and was anointed by a woman using very costly perfume. Matthew doesn’t give her name, background, what moved her to get that jar of ointment,…
Read MoreThe Difference
by Terry Wane Benton The difference between Christians and non-Christians is not that Christians are perfect. Sometimes, you find a Cornelius (Acts 10) who is morally just as upright as Christians. The difference is that one person has forgiveness through Jesus’ blood, and the other does not. Forgiveness is available to all, but only some…
Read MoreIn Matthew 26:29, what does “new” refer to?
Question: Hi Jeffrey, In “But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom” (Matthew 26:29 NKJV), what’s the “new”? And what is “that day”? How can we drink the new cup with…
Read MoreThe Lord’s Supper
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/The-Lords-Supper.mp3 Download Audio by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Corinthians 11:17-34 I. It is a covenant meal A. Luke 22:19-20 – The cup is the new covenant B. A covenant that is taken with us in the kingdom – Matthew 26:28-29 C. Covenants were often sealed with a meal shared between the two parties. 1. Jacob and Laban’s covenant…
Read MoreThe “Time of Reformation” Prophesied
by Terry Wane Benton In Hebrews 9, the Holy Spirit tells us that the tabernacle and its furnishings were imposed “until the time of reformation” (Hebrews 9:10-11). The physical items used were merely teaching items to illustrate the spiritual things that would come into play in a new and better system. So, are there prophecies…
Read MoreAn Introduction to the Ten Commandments
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/An-Introduction-to-the-Ten-Commandments.mp3 Download Audio by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Exodus 20:1-18 I. Thousands of years ago, God gave Israel a law that has impacted the laws of mankind ever since. A. John Adams wrote, “As much as I love, esteem, and admire the Greeks, I believe the Hebrews have done more to enlighten and civilize the world.…
Read MoreWhich New Testament translation should I read?
Question: Good morning. I wish to ask you which New Testament to read: one written by a Catholic publisher or one written by a Protestant publisher? Thank you very much. Greetings from Argentina. Answer: It isn’t as much a matter of who printed the pages as it is the accuracy of the translation. The Roman…
Read MoreIt’s good to know we are not alone
Question: Hello, I was delighted to read your comments on Is it a sin to divorce a non-believer? The current liberal trend in the church, led by Christ, to allow divorce and remarriage, is a disgrace and is costing the church dearly. One preacher asked me if a divorced person was not allowed to be happy!…
Read MoreChurch Shoppers
by Chadwick Brewer “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord” (Romans 12:10-11). Some areas in the world are blessed with multiple congregations in close proximity. What a blessing it is to have so many Christians in one…
Read MoreWhere is God’s love, mercy, and compassion if baptism is necessary for salvation?
Question: My question concerns the role of baptism and whether it is necessary for salvation. I have heard explanations of how it is necessary to get baptized to be saved, yet they both make sense and don’t make sense to me. I have heard some people from the Church of Christ preach about water baptism…
Read MoreIs it a sin to divorce a non-believer?
Question: Hello! I have read much on your webpage about divorce, and I appreciate all the hard work you put into answering these questions. I pray God continues to give us all wisdom through His word. In I Corinthians 7, we have the situation where a believer departs from another believer. We see a situation…
Read MoreWolf Creek Church of Christ
by Floyd Chappelear via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 16 No. 4, December 31, 1990 From the Belmont Bible Banner. Paul Caldwell, editor, November 19, 1974, we reprint the following: “‘For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called’ (I Corinthians 1:26). Based on…
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