I really enjoyed your material on the Parable of the Unjust Steward
Question: In preparing for a home study, I was looking for a further explanation of the parable about the unjust steward found in Luke 16. Really enjoyed reading your material on this. Answer: I’m glad you found the material useful.
Read MoreNovel Understanding
by Doy Moyer I don’t try to be novel in my understanding of Scripture. I am not aware of any particular view I hold on specific passages that is “way out there” compared to how others generally and historically see the same passages. That is not to say that there are no differences or disagreements.…
Read MoreFree Will and the Power of God
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Photo by Rock’n Roll Monkey on Unsplash A gentleman called me recently to discuss the idea of men having free will. He believed that if a person can choose his own destiny, then he is working against God’s will. Therefore he believes that a concept of free will is at odds…
Read MoreDoes it matter how you are baptized?
Question: I get confused about baptism. I believe a person should be baptized by immersion. Some feel the mode does not matter – just as long as you get baptized. I have attended a Baptist church that says baptism does not save you – that the thief on the cross next to Jesus was saved…
Read MoreShould we always understand a passage literally?
Question: I have a friend who told me that, when we read Bible, if it is possible for us to do so, we should take it literally, but I do not think it is always the case. For example, in Matthew 6:17, Jesus said we should “anoint your head” when we fast, but I do…
Read MoreWhy does Jude contain quotes not found in the Old Testament?
Question: When we study the book of Jude in our Bible study group, I found that in verse 9 and verse 14, Jude quoted “The Lord rebuke thee” and “Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,” but they were not in the Old Testament. A brother told me that they are in…
Read MoreDo I need to fix all my past sins in order to repent? Must I confess sins I did years ago before the church?
Question: Hello! Okay, I am going to tell you some things that have happened over the course of about six years. I am currently 20 years old. When I was 14 years old, I was baptized. Soon after, I began to mess up and commit sin. (By the way, I do not have a perfect…
Read MoreDid God clothe Adam and Eve with feathers?
Question: Hi. The Bible does not specify what God used to clothe Adam and Eve with. Jewish commentary mentions the idea that the Nachash molted and that God used this to cover their nakedness. Answer: “Also for Adam and his wife the LORD God made tunics of skin, and clothed them” (Genesis 3:21). The Hebrew word…
Read MoreWhat is meant by the beauty of the Lord?
Question: In Psalm 27:4 and others when it states the beauty of the Lord, what do you think of? There are several different ways, I think, to look at this and I wanted someone else’s’ opinion to help me. Thank you. Answer: “One thing I have desired of the LORD, that will I seek: that…
Read MoreFellowship: A Word Study
by Becky Rene It is essential at this point that we understand how our spiritual fellowship is expressed. So we will take the time to examine the noun “fellowship” (koinonia) in all the contexts in which it appears. Some of the verses are difficult to understand because the translators have translated the noun koinonia as if it…
Read MoreIf someone refuses to repent, are they still considered brethren?
Question: We had a couple who were members until we learned that their marriage was unscriptural. They refused to repent. Are they considered “brethren?” Answer: “And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet do not count him as…
Read MoreWhere in the Bible does it tell about two judges ruling at the same time, one evil and the other one good?
Question: Where in the Bible does it tell about two judges ruling at the same time, one evil and the other one good? Answer: Sounds like a trivia question. I suppose some might count Eli as an evil judge (I Samuel 14:8); however, his sin was not in his judgment but in his lack of…
Read MoreSince my husband returned from overseas, he hasn’t come home. He wants a divorce. Does this mean I can’t remarry?
Question: I hope this email finds you in great strength and faith. I spoke with you months ago about my marriage to a man who had just left to go overseas with the Air Force. He has come back home and hasn’t made any attempt to see or talk to me. So I definitely want…
Read MoreLove your article on the King James Version. Disappointed in your home page
Question: Regarding your article on the King James Version: God bless you! How so many in our movement think that the KJV is the only acceptable Bible, I will never understand! Wow! Then I went to your home page and was SOOOOO disappointed! Answer: Upon what passage in the Bible do you base your disappointment? “For do I…
Read MoreParallel Worship (Children’s Church)
by Bob Berard Some elderships with announced good intentions have introduced the practice of excusing children and a few members from their congregation’s Sunday evening worship services for a special program called “children’s church.” While the remainder of the church engages in a worship assembly wherein are conducted the same worship activities as in the…
Read MoreIf Satan is tempting one person, is everyone else safe at that moment?
Question: Is Satan omnipresent? If yes, how do we understand Job 1:6-7? If not, can we say when Satan is tempting somebody, everyone else is safe? Answer: “And the LORD said to Satan, “From where do you come?” So Satan answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from…
Read MoreI Got Sick of the World
by Gerry Sandusky “You were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers but with the precious blood of Christ” (I Peter 1:18-19). My religious background could be summed up by saying there was almost none. My Baptist grandmother took me to the Methodist…
Read MoreEmphasizing the Physical
Text: Matthew 12:1-14 I. Schools have been placed in tough positions in the recent years A. They are told to keep religion out of schools. Almost every direct form of discipline has been forbidden to them. 1. The natural result is the steady decline in the moral standards of their students. 2. In response the community demands the…
Read MoreWas there a ritual that a Levite had to go through before becoming a high priest?
Question: Was there a ritual (cleansing, education, ceremony, etc.) that a Levite must go through before he became the high priest? Answer: Among the Levites, only descendants of Aaron could become priests or high priests. Other Levites served the Lord but in different functions. The consecration of a Levite before his service is covered in…
Read MoreI don’t think I understood what I was confessing well enough before my baptism. So am I saved?
Question: I am wondering if I am saved. I was baptized in a Church of Christ and since learning more about it I have questions. First I don’t think I understood the confession part. I thought it was confessing to God that you are a sinner and in need of salvation. Then I recently heard…
Read MoreWhy is Romans 5:13 in parenthesis in the King James Version?
Question: This came up recently: Romans 5:13 is in parenthesis in the King James version. Could you please explain why? Answer: The parenthesis was added by the translators, both in the King James and New King James versions, to emphasize that this is explaining the charge made in Romans 5:12. Paul stated, “Therefore, just as…
Read MoreCan a woman sign for the deaf during worship?
Question: I understand why women are not to lead singing in worship services. My question is: Can a woman stand before the congregation and sign for the deaf during singing? If she could do this, could she also sign for the preacher or for anyone else? Thank you. Answer: The command in I Timothy 2:11-12…
Read MoreDo you sell everything you have? Why do you have an air-conditioned building?
Question: “Quite simply, we are a church that follows after the pattern of the New Testament.” —from the church website. “All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the…
Read MoreIs all lying bad?
Question: This question is about lying. Is lying in all views, such as white lies or small lies, a sin? Is there such a thing as using a lie to help someone? I can’t think of a good example now, but I do hope you know what I mean. There are also lies about even…
Read MoreHow do I stop my 14-year-old son from sneaking out at night to see a girl?
Question: My 14-year-old son has just started sneaking out of our house in the middle of the night. Two times in the last month he left our house at 2 am and walked over one mile to his girlfriend’s house. My son is very sneaky, and he will wait until I’m asleep and then leave…
Read MoreDaily Bible Reading Schedules
“Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine” (I Timothy 4:13). Photo by chris liu on Unsplash The best way to become familiar with the contents of the Bible is to read it on a regular basis. Below are various reading schedules to help you organize your reading plan Daily Bible Reading…
Read MoreOvercoming Bitterness
by Lawrence Kelley “So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea; then they went out into the Wilderness of Shur. And they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it…
Read MoreShould a man search out the father who abandoned him as a child to remove a curse of a broken family from him?
Question: We were having a conversation about a man from a broken family, who is born again. Should he go to look for his dad who abandoned him when he was a child? We were divided into two camps. One group was of the opinion that this man should go look for his dad so…
Read MoreI came to the same conclusion regarding the letter to Laodicea that you did
Question: Greetings to you in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. After reading Colossians during one of my personal studies, I came across the reference to the letter from Laodicea. I wanted to find out more, so I read many commentaries to try to see what this letter was all about. No…
Read MorePraying a Sinner’s Prayer
by Jarrod Jacobs via “Common Questions — Bible Answers” (Southside church of Christ, Owensboro, Kentucky) A while back, I received a sample packet of tracts from “The Tract League” (a.k.a. “Faith, Prayer, & Tract League”) out of Grand Rapids, MI. According to their form letter addressed to the “Pastor,” they have over 300 tracts in…
Read MoreThe Sinner’s Prayer
by Bob Myhan The so-called sinner’s prayer is the prayer of an alien sinner for the forgiveness of sins. An alien sinner is one who has never been saved and is not yet a citizen in the kingdom of God. The sinner’s prayer has had many incarnations over the years but it usually goes something…
Read MoreYour web site is great and easy to use
Question: I want to compliment you a bunch on your web site. It is great, easy to use, and very user friendly. I really enjoy it and plan to access it often! Answer: Why thank you! It particularly tickles me since I teach web site design at a local community college every once in a…
Read MoreThe lesson “The Weight of the Nails” is incredible!
Question: I just finished reading the lesson on your web site regarding Psalm 139 and the “Weight of the Nails,” about the clotting agents and the days that should be waited until circumcision is done. Incredible! I am absolutely awed by your home page. This is what a church should be. Answer: I’m glad you are finding the web site…
Read MoreFour Callings
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/FourCallings.mp3 by Reggie Finch
Read MoreIs it right for my wife to work at a tanning salon?
Question: My wife recently was thinking of changing jobs, going back to working at a tanning salon she once worked at. The owners want her to be the store manager and take on more roles than when she worked there before. She brought something up to me tonight that bothered and upset me. One of…
Read MoreHow do you deal with an easily angered father?
Question: How should a Christian deal with a person who is easily angered? Well, let me rephrase that — how can a Christian deal with a very easily angered father, who is always speaking negatively about people, things, and me? Answer: I’m not certain how old you are, so let me cover a few points.…
Read MoreCan my wife or I remarry after the divorce?
Question: My story: My wife and I are Christians. A few years ago my wife had an affair. I forgave her. But since that time I have been the spouse who has pretty much carried the relationship. I suggested counseling and suggested a closer walk with God. I notified my spouse that she needed to…
Read MoreHow do you answer someone who claims “new wine” in Acts 2:13 must be alcoholic?
Question: In attempts to discuss my beliefs with some people in the denominations, the issue of alcohol came up (the person I was speaking to brews her own beer). Their claim was that Acts 2:13 proves that the new wine was alcoholic, even though I tried to point out that, instead, it was being used as an insult…
Read MoreWhy was the value of the books burned given?
Question: I have a question concerning Acts 19:19-20 “Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver. So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.” I…
Read MoreMy girlfriend kissed another man. What do I do?
Question: Something happened this week my girlfriend confessed that she kissed another man. She said it started as a game and they were teasing one another and they kissed for about two seconds and she pulled away and walked off. I don’t know whether it’s out of guilt, or if she was genuinely sorry, but…
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