Could Jasher be right about Jacob spending 14 years with Eber?
Question: You wrote: The Book of Jasher claims that Jacob fled to Eber’s home: “And Jacob was very much afraid of his brother Esau, and he rose up and fled to the house of Eber the son of Shem, and he concealed himself there on account of his brother, and Jacob was sixty-three years old…
Read MoreThe Question of Wine and the Drink-Offering of the Old Testament
Original Author Unknown, Edited by Carl A. Allen and Jeffrey W. Hamilton via The Berean, Vol. V, No. 5,6, February 2010 The argument for the drinking of wine with the Old Testament feasts is stated as thus: “The drink-offerings at all set feasts, including Passover, were of wine (Numbers 15:1-10); therefore, as Jesus was eating the Passover when…
Read MoreThe Catholic Church and The Bible
by Dennis Tucker Recent articles in the local newspaper have dealt with the Catholic Church and whether or not it is of Christ. Some view such discussions as being non-Christ like. They think everybody has a right to their own faith and all faiths are alike. Therefore, one can be a Catholic, Protestant, Jew, or…
Read MoreNow that my wife left me for another man, should I give up living for God?
Question: I’ve been divorced over a year and a half. My then-wife started an affair with another man. We were married for almost a decade and been together years longer than that. I discovered the affair, by accident, seven months after the fact via emails and Facebook. How ironic, as these are social web sites…
Read MoreIs a “bag raffle” gambling?
Question: Is it wrong to participate in a bag raffle? I purchase my groceries from a health food store, and when I bring in my own grocery bag, they subtract five cents from the total, and they offer me a raffle ticket so that I can put my name in a jar to possibly be chosen to win a 30 dollar gift…
Read MoreWhy can’t I find a wife?
Question: I have spent so much time trying to find a good faithful wife. I cannot find one. I have searched for so long. I’ve tried online dating sites. I’ve tried everything. I’ve dated a number of girls and none of them wanted to marry me. I have tried so hard to be the right example and do…
Read MoreI was baptized as an infant. Do I need to be baptized again?
Question: I was baptized as an infant; however, I have recently found Christ and repented from my sinful ways. I know the importance of baptism and want to ensure that I am in accordance with the Scriptures. There are many different views on this subject; however, I cannot seem to find anyone to answer me…
Read MoreWhen Is One Bidding Godspeed to Another’s Error?
by Kenneth E. Thomas One may be prone to say, “Why, that’s a silly question, everyone knows the answer.” Not so fast my good friend and or my brother in Christ; the answer may not be quite as easy as you first thought. I will take a stab at a partial answer by citing some…
Read MoreHow can God judge me when I didn’t ask to be born?
Question: Let’s say I place you in a room and gave you a written exam where if you answered correctly you would have eternal life, if you answer wrong you would suffer eternal punishment if you didn’t answer by not taking the exam you still get a 0% and that is still a failing grade.…
Read MoreWhat is God doing for me now to prove His love?
Question: God taught us to love and loving is a daily process requiring lots of physical and conscious effort. To show I love my wife, I have to remind her, I have to shower her with gifts, I have to kiss, hold, caress her, and sacrifice to her daily. Sometimes I have to do the…
Read MoreShould services be missed because you have a cold?
Question: I have a random question: What do you think about the arguments people make that if you are sick you shouldn’t assemble to worship to God? For example, I recently saw this on the blog of a close friend: Please be kind and loving (both of which are Christian virtues) and don’t come bringing…
Read MoreIs it wrong to love a non-Christian?
Question: I am 20 years old, and I have a boyfriend. We both really love each other. Although he is not a Christian, I can’t leave him. Is it wrong to love a non-Christian? We both sometimes end up having dry sex. He says it’s not a sin because we truly love each other. I…
Read MoreDid the rider on the pale horse appear in Egypt?
Question: Have you seen this video? Video: Has Revelation’s ‘pale rider’ shown up in Egypt? People think it’s one of the horsemen, but I don’t really know about that. It seems something like that wouldn’t really be able to be filmed. Also doesn’t this kind of tie in with only God knows when the world will end…
Read MoreHow did casting lots work?
Question: I am studying the book of Jonah. The mariner’s cast lots to determine who the person was that was causing all the evil to happen to them. I would like to know in greater detail how this worked. Also, how did this compare to how Haman cast the lot to determine the date of slaughter for the…
Read MoreIs “dry humping” considered fornication?
Question: Is “dry humping” considered fornication? Does it count as sex before marriage? Answer: Dry humping is slang for rubbing or bumping the genitals against someone or something in order to gain sexual stimulation. It isn’t fornication, but fornication isn’t the only sexual sin that can be committed. Paul warned, “It is good for a…
Read MoreTo the Young Men
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/ToTheYoungMen.mp3 by Kirk Davidson
Read MoreDo I need to keep foolish promises I made in the past?
Question: I have been worrying about things in the past. Before I became a Christian I was scared and considered being a nun. In prayer, I think I spoke concerning being a nun because I was scared of going to hell. I am not 100% sure I stated as a fact I would become one…
Read MoreJesus’ Relation to the Law of Moses
Matthew 5:17-20 by Bobby Graham When Jesus was teaching in the Sermon on the Mount, was he merely explaining the Law to bring the Jews into closer alignment with God’s will, or was he setting forth principles that would operate in the coming kingdom? It is understood that there was already a kingdom operating, from…
Read MoreThe Book of Jasher
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/BookOfJasher.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: II Samuel 1:17-27 I. It is no mystery that people are not happy with God’s word. Through the ages people have sought ought various reasons to modify it. A. No long ago, Dan Brown wrote a fictional book called The DaVinci Code. At the core of this book was the…
Read MoreThe “Jesus Was Born Under the Law” Argument
by Terry W. Benton The Argument Stated: Jesus was “born” under the law (Galatians 4:4) and he died on the cross to “end” the Old Testament law of Moses (Romans 10:4; Colossians 2:14). This means that everything Jesus said and taught was under the authority of the Old Testament law of Moses. The Argument Answered:…
Read MoreThere is so much happening and my marriage is falling apart. What do I do?
Question: I’m lost and my life is so out of place. I’m married, and we have eight kids: my husband had two by his first wife, and I had one by my first marriage. We have one together. My dad past away with cancer. He had four kids who live with us. About four years…
Read MoreJoseph was the favorite of all of Jacob’s sons, so why did Judah get the blessing?
Question: Joseph was the favorite of all of Jacob’s sons, so why did Judah get the blessing? Answer: There were two things which typically went to the eldest son (not the favorite son): The blessing and a double portion. While it was normally the right of the firstborn to receive these, there were times when…
Read MoreAre ancient writings unreliable because the Book of Jasher differs from the Bible?
Question: Just a comment for your consideration. Jasher Chapter 81 – here is an extract about Pharaoh. “And the Lord manifested to the children of Israel his wonders in Egypt and in the sea by the hand of Moses and Aaron. And when the children of Israel had entered the sea, the Egyptians came after…
Read MoreWere the Apocrypha books accepted as canon before the Council of Trent?
Question: Again I question your dates. You say that the Catholic Church added the “Apocryphal” books to the Bible in 1546 AD. I’m assuming you are talking about the Council of Trent, the Church’s response to the Reformation. You are correct in saying that the Church affirmed that the “Apocryphal” books are Scripture. However, you…
Read MoreCouldn’t the Flood have been a local flood?
Question: Hi, Just thought I’d point out that in the Old Testament, terms that seem to at first clearly speak of the entire earth actually refer to only a localized region, such as the Babylonian Empire for example. Daniel, for example, plainly says that Nebuchadnezzar was king of the entire earth, but we know now…
Read MorePeace of Mind
by Carey Scott Our lives are a mess. We have so much going on all the time that we seldom take a pause to reflect upon our lives and determine if we are capable of having peace in our souls. All the inventions that were supposed to make our lives easier have really only given…
Read MorePaul’s Tentmaking
by James Shewmaker I have come to the conclusion that a lot of people have a misunderstanding of Paul’s tentmaking. When Paul left Berea due to an “invasion” by Thessalonican enemies, his companions stayed behind. Those brethren who escorted him to Achaia returned home, leaving Paul all alone. At the time that Paul met Aquila…
Read MoreIs “indirect communications” wrong?
Question: I have a question about communication. What does God say about indirect communication? I recognize that some cultures in the world speak to each other indirectly and they sometimes or often may not tell a straight forward answer to a question asked by a direct communicator. It can seem as if the indirect person…
Read MoreI committed adultery and had a child. How do I hold on to my marriage and be responsible for the child I brought into this world?
Question: I have been reading some of the articles on your site and I couldn’t wait to post my question to you too. I am married with one child, the first and second years of our marriage life was so good. I love my wife very much. Things began to change after two years of…
Read MoreIs talking sexually through texting before marriage considered wrong?
Question: Is talking sexually through texting before marriage considered wrong? Answer: One of the mistakes the Pharisees made was to look at God’s laws so narrowly that they decided that only what was precisely mentioned was wrong. They understood that committing adultery was wrong, but they excused thinking about it. “You have heard that it…
Read MoreWhat happens if you already lost your virginity? Where do you fit in? Will you always be second-class?
Question: Hello, I have been reading around your site for a bit and I wanted to ask a question. My question is about pre-marital sex. I know and I understand that it is wrong and shouldn’t be done. But the thing is, I had oral sex just once. I know oral sex is wrong and…
Read MoreI applaud you on making the Bible’s teaching on salvation clear
Question: Just wanted to drop a note and applaud you on your web site for making it clear to people that the Bible is very plain about salvation. Baptism is not a very tough subject, but false teachers make it that way. I just wish people would understand the difference in the works of merit…
Read MoreI got addicted to pornography when I was younger. I don’t like the stuff, so how do I stop the temptation to look?
Question: Hello, I’m a young male, gone through puberty and the weird changes in your body. During that time I happened to come across pornographic material but later felt guilty about it. It is as if I like this stuff and don’t at the same time. What does this mean? I seem to have strange…
Read MoreDoes God hate anyone?
Question: Does God hate anyone? And if so, who? Answer: “These six things the LORD hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, A false witness who speaks lies, And…
Read MoreWhy can’t one teach someone of the opposite gender?
Question: Where did the thought process of men teaching men and women teaching women come into play? Did Jesus ever discern a difference? Shouldn’t the need be met regardless of the person’s gender? I have never understood it when other Christians tell others that they shouldn’t study with someone of the opposite sex (understand you…
Read MoreThere’s No Security for the Believer in ‘Once Saved, Always Saved’
by Al Diestelkamp via Think on These Things, Volume 41, No. 1, Jan-Mar 2010 There is a belief in many Protestant churches, and especially popular among those who would describe themselves as “evangelicals,” known as the doctrine of “The Security of the Believer.” In Calvinism’s TULIP acronym, it is represented by the “P” for “Perseverance of…
Read MoreCan I divorce my husband because he refuses to be intimate with me?
Question: I am quite torn as to what to do. My first husband and I divorced because he was very abusive and repeatedly unfaithful. My second marriage is proving to be a nightmare as well. He is cold, cruel, and emotionally abusive. He has not slept in the same bed with me in two years…
Read MoreCan’t you fix your spelling mistakes?
Question: I do truly agree with and appreciate the sermon content of your scriptural exhortations on FaceBook. For the sake of many who will be influenced, I appeal to you to run all printed (and published) material through a spell check system which will also pick up on obscure sentences. The appearance of purposefully neglecting…
Read MoreI still worry about the unforgivable sin. What do I do?
Question: Again I have been worrying about the possibility of my having committed a sin that I can never be forgiven of. In Matthew 12 besides using the word “blasphemy,” it uses “speaks against” as well. If a person speaks anything bad about God, how can they be forgiven? What if there really is a…
Read MoreIsn’t the use of “conservative,” “non-institutional,” or “mainstream” to describe churches wrong?
Question: Since the “Church of Christ” is the only authorized name for the church, why do some take pride in calling it the “conservative church” or the “non-institutional church”? I also hear of the “mainstream church.” Is this not liberalism and denominationalism? Answer: First off, “church of Christ” is not the only name found in…
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