Why can’t women be priests?
Question: Hello, I’ve got a question: Why can’t women be priests? I’ve already asked my dad and he says it’s just because of tradition. I’ve been wanting to know more about God and I’m a lot more curious about why things are. A thing I do believe is that there are certain things that women…
Read MoreDo the churches of Christ observe Palms Sunday?
Question: Do the churches of Christ observe Palms Sunday? Answer: Christians observe every Sunday in the worship of the Lord, but there is no teaching in the Bible to observe one Sunday differently from all other Sundays. Palms Sunday is a term used to refer to the day of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, but…
Read MoreWhy didn’t you tell the girl with the Muslim father that she could be saved without baptism?
Question: Hello, I just discovered your website’s “questions and answers” page and felt that of the few that I read, the answers were extremely factual and reliable, though I must admit, with one exception! I just finished reading the one from a girl whose father is a Muslim, though she states she is a Christian and though she believes she is supposed to be baptized, she doesn’t know…
Read MoreCan I be an Episcopalian and a Taoist at the same time?
Question: I am an Episcopalian. I believe in the one true God, the heavenly Father, and Jesus Christ, our Savior. I would like to know if I would be able to continue and worship at my church while using the philosophy of Taoism. Answer: I’m a Christian who follows the teachings of God. “If anyone…
Read MoreIn a weak moment, I was sexting. How do I get back on the right path?
Question: I need to forgive myself and move on. I have been a Christian for over 30 years and married nearly that long. In a weak moment, I was sex texting with someone I know. I’ve stopped! But my secret is eating at me and there it will stay. Can you help with sinful regrets?…
Read MoreI’ve been living with a man for years, but now that he is offering to marry me, I’m not certain if he is the right man for me
Question: I am in a relationship for some years now and during this period I have gotten kids with this man. I have been frustrated in different ways by him. Now he is saying he will do the right thing by paying my bride price. Sir, I am so scared. I don’t if I will…
Read MoreWhat do you think of Christians who find it hard to forgive?
Question: What do you think of Christians who find it hard to forgive and this prevents us from coming together. What can a Christian do to change his or her unforgiving spirit? How should Christians respond to other Christians who display a non-Christian-like behavior toward us? Answer: “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your…
Read MoreWhen God Forsook Jesus
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/WhenGodForsookJesus.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Matthew 27:33-54 I. Assumptions can lead to wrong conclusions A. As Jesus was dying on the cross, he cried out – Matthew 27:46 B. Some claim that God abandoned Jesus because Jesus took on the world’s sins: 1. “My answer is that it was Jesus, the Man who became sin for…
Read MoreShould it be called communion or Lord’s Supper?
Question: Good day brother Jeffrey, I’m here to seek your advice or comments and suggestions regarding the phrase “Lord’s Supper.” My question is: Can we still use the phrase “Lord’s Supper” as part of the worship? Which phrase is appropriate to use: communion or Lord’s Supper? I ask because the preacher said that we can…
Read MoreCan a woman lead a song while giving testimony in church?
Question: Hi sir, Is it right for a woman to raise songs when she is about to give testimony? I am asking because this issue is bringing confusion among us. The Bible says a woman should not lead in the church, but when this woman is about to give her testimony about the wonderful things…
Read MoreShould I ask God to give people His complete knowledge?
Question: Is it worthwhile to ask God in prayer to give confused or unbelieving people His complete knowledge of what is expected of them and a chance to accept it and be saved right before they would otherwise be damned? An example of what I mean by a confused person is, say, someone who thinks…
Read MoreShould public breastfeeding be allowed?
Question: Hello, I have been pondering something for a few days now about public breastfeeding and modesty. There is a group of women I know who are “Pro public breastfeeding” They are not Christians at all, but I still feel like I should say something even though I don’t think it will do any good.…
Read MoreI don’t know if I should marry the man I’ve been living with for the last six years
Question: I’m a divorced woman in my forties. I’m currently living with a man in his thirties whom I’ve been in a relationship with for six years. Of those six years, I was still married up until one year ago. During the entire time we were dating he asked me to get a divorce and…
Read MoreShould it be “faith” or “the faith” in Ephesians 2:8 and Colossians 2:12?
Question: Greetings brother Hamilton, I am perplexed as to what the later part of Colossians 2:12 means, “Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye have risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.” Does this part of the scripture mean our subjective faith in…
Read MoreMy second husband left and now wants a divorce. What should I do?
Question: I have a past that I am not proud of. I was in and out of the church and never truly committed to God. I did ask for salvation when I was around 19 but was still not committed to God. I was married for the wrong reasons to my first husband and 11…
Read MoreShould leavened or unleavened bread be used in the Lord’s Supper?
Question: Our congregation uses ordinary bread (very likely leavened) for Lord’s Supper. The minister, after admitting that unleavened bread was used during the Passover meal when Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper, tried to justify the use of ordinary bread this way: 1. The elements of the Lord’s Supper are the bread and fruit of the…
Read MoreI have a problem with pornography while my husband doesn’t
Question: Hello! I am a married woman in my early twenties. I have been married for less than a year. I love my husband very much; he and I have been together for several years. We feel that the Lord called us out of worldliness in the past year. We have felt His hand removing…
Read MoreI found out after I got home that I was charged less than I should have been for a purchase. Is that stealing?
Question: Hello, After I came home today from a local grocery store and deli, I noticed that the cashier may have given me an extra change of 50 cents. I didn’t notice until I got home because I thought the calculations were correct. The cashier said the total was $2.50. It also said so on…
Read MoreMy fiancee kissed another man just months before our wedding
Question: Hello sir, Let me share a great burden in my heart with you. I am only a few months away from my marriage to a lady I have known for just over a year. We have done the family introductions and have a date fixed for our wedding. She came to me last weekend…
Read MoreGod and the Concept of Patterns
by Doy Moyer The nature of typology shows that God is a God of patterns. Without even going through a process of trying to “establish” authority, God shows through His overall record that He is a God of patterns. This is evident right from the beginning when God made a pattern for creation that He…
Read MoreShould my objection to clapping during singing be respected as a weaker brother?
Question: I recently came across your web site and have done some reading in your Question and Answer section which I have found most interesting. I attend a church of Christ of considerable size. Several, maybe 10-25 members clap in our song service to “upbeat” songs, but not all songs. There are are also a…
Read MoreShould John 1:18 have “Son” or “God”?
Question: Hello! I’ve been studying with Jehovah’s Witnesses hoping to be a light and share the truth. As I am sure you know, the biggest obstacle is the deity of Christ. One thing in my research is John 1:18 – the Greek that I have references to the word translated as son is theos, not huios as you had…
Read MoreThings have been going further than they should. I don’t know how to put a stop to them
Question: Hi, I’ve been a Christian for more than three years now. I was a youth leader for the girls, and then became the youth leader for boys and girls. I was also in charge of the children’s ministry. My relationship with God was going great! And I never ever thought this would happen to…
Read MoreWhy wasn’t Satan and his angels offered forgiveness?
Question: Hello, I just stumbled into your website. I have a question. God commands us to forgive and this I accept but my question is: Why did God not forgive Lucifer, the devil? We need to follow the examples of God. Is there a reason why God refused to forgive Lucifer and the other angels…
Read MoreHow do I make restitution when I no longer know how much I stole?
Question: I led a sinful life before I became a Christian. I’d like to ask you a question about restitution. I was a thief. I shoplifted and stole from other people. Now, Zacchaeus tried to restore the money to those he’d stolen from. But is it a command to do so? For instance, before I…
Read MoreWas the blood of Jesus limited only to the washing away of our sins?
Question: Please, was the blood of Jesus limited only to the washing away of our sins? Answer: For the forgiveness of sin and reconciliation with God “Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His…
Read MoreNotes on Blood
The Blood of Jesus Christ For the forgiveness of sin and reconciliation with God “Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that…
Read MoreDo You Know What Is Following You?
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/DoYouKnowWhatIsFollowingYou.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Timothy 5:24-25 I. I guess my wife and I are reaching another milestone in life. People we’ve known, who are our age, are beginning to pass away. A. It might sound sad, but it really isn’t. I was thinking about the passing of someone recently. He had a few…
Read MoreBecoming Wise Men
by Steven Harper When Job had suffered some great losses due to the devil’s personal attack on him, we are told “when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that had come upon him, they came each from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They made an appointment together…
Read MoreDo atheists worship Satan?
Question: Hello, Earlier today a friend and I were talking about things in Christianity that tend to bother me. One of those things was the mantra of “atheists worship Satan.” It drives me crazy because first off, they believe in neither God nor Satan. An illustration: a husband and a wife get into an argument. …
Read MoreIs membership in a local church essential?
Question: As always, love your dedication to the Lord and the time you take to answer so many questions. I come to your site often. It is one of my favorite resources! In regards to the recent post: Should a divisive non-member be told not to come to worship? One point that has been on my mind lately is regarding…
Read MoreDo you know of any prophecy that says the Temple will never be rebuilt?
Question: Do you know of any prophecy that says the Temple will never be rebuilt? Answer: No, there isn’t prophecy that says the temple would not be rebuilt because it has been rebuilt: “Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,…
Read MoreThe girl I’ve been sexually involved with wants to be a Christian. What do I do?
Question: I am a Christian and she is not. We are in a relationship for three months, and we have had sex. I plan to live life fully with her. She even wants to believe in Christ after the preaching I did to her. I told her not to believe because of me. I said…
Read MoreHow can I know that what I am believing is the truth?
Question: Just last night I heard someone say that Lucifer was a human king and not Satan. I had thought that they were one and the same and now I am quite confused and discouraged because so many people view the Bible differently. How can I know that what I am believing is the truth?…
Read MoreChrist’s Prayer for Unity
by Jefferson David Tant In Christ’s final hours before his crucifixion, we find him in the garden in earnest prayer to the Father. Much of his prayer expressed his concern for his disciples who would be left behind to carry on the mission that Christ had been sent to accomplish. He referred to this in…
Read MoreShould Christians end their business because of the health care laws that include birth control?
Question: I’m not directly affected by this change in law but I know people who are. Should Christians with employees end their business because of the health care laws that now include birth control as a “women’s right?” Answer: Roman Catholics protest this new requirement because in their beliefs any prevention of the possibility of…
Read MoreI teach students about sexual purity, but I fell to sexual sin. What do I do?
Question: I’m glad I came across your website. I am a born-again believer who God has used to become a blessing to many students in the area of sexual purity. I am in a situation that I would require your advice. Last year, I met a female friend while working in a certain organization. After…
Read MoreWhat does the Bible say about suing people in court who may owe you money?
Question: What does the Bible say about revenge? What does the Bible say about suing people in court who may owe you money? Would it matter how much it was? Would it matter if it was a significant other or a friend? Answer: If it was a matter of revenge, then God says, “Repay no…
Read MoreShould a divisive non-member be told not to come to worship?
Question: I am a member of a church where there is a split of our church family. This revolves around a man (who is not a member) who has attended this church as a visitor for many years. He stirs up discord within the church habitually. There was a recent incident of this, and the pastor of…
Read MoreI love a girl, but she is from a rich Hindu family and I’m from a lower-middle-class Christian family. How do we get our families to agree to our marriage?
Question: Hi, I truly believe in Christ. I love a girl who is a non-Christian. We love each other so much we want to be united. But she belongs to a rich Hindu family and I am in a lower-middle-class family. How do we convince her parents to approve our marriage? We want both families…
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