Isn’t the word “day” added to Acts 20:7?
Question: In Acts 20:7, in the original Greek, the word “day” is not there. It was later added by men. Adding to! I worship (adore, give praise. honor) each and every day, 24/7. I can’t believe you limit worship to a day. One of Satan’s greatest accomplishments has been to get and keep people arguing…
Read MoreCould the veil just be a symbol of the husband and not a physical veil?
Question: I just read an article called Command or Custom? by Hiram O Hutto. I have a question in regard to that article. I have a friend who says that the covering that Paul is referring to is not a physical one such as a veil or hat etc, but rather Paul is referring to the woman’s…
Read MoreWhat is the source of the quote from Martin Luther in McClintock and Strong’s Cyclopedia?
Question: Having been raised a Lutheran and knowing their pride in using a pipe organ for hundreds of years in their worship service, and after I became a Christian in 1974 I did not find it quizzical that Lutherans are inconsistent with Luther on many points, including instrumental music. When I read “The organ in…
Read MoreThe Sin of Jesting
by Kent Heaton “Be ye therefore followers of God as dear children: And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as…
Read MoreScience as Shifting Sand
by Ethan R. Longhenry The modern world stands torn between competing understandings of the origins of the universe and of life on Earth: the spiritual understanding of the creation by God as described in Genesis 1-2, and the naturalistic explanations of modern scientific theory. The conflict between these understandings represents a significant stumbling block to…
Read MoreShould an unused preacher’s home be rented out by a church?
Question: How do you feel about a preacher’s home that the preacher does not live in being rented out? The congregation also has one other home that it rents out. Is that scripturally wrong? Answer: The problem is a lack of authority. The Scriptures are clear that a church is to raise its funds by…
Read MoreHow do you know if you were a victim of witchcraft?
Question: How do you know if you were a victim of witchcraft? Answer: The Bible consistently describes witchcraft as fakery. The very word in the Hebrew language means a person who obscures or clouds another person’s sight and acts covertly. In other words, witchcraft is the practice of deceiving other people. In the New Testament,…
Read MoreIs a handjob a sin if you love her and it doesn’t lead to sex?
Question: Is a handjob a sin if you love her and it most definitely does not lead to sex? Answer: A “hand job” is slang for mutual masturbation; using the hand to stimulate the genitals. Saying that it does not lead to sex is a misnomer. It would be more accurate to state that in…
Read MoreIs homosexuality a sign of mental illness?
Question: A few days ago I saw my two friends making out and they are both guys. Everyone thinks they are mentally sick. Does being gay mean you have mental problems? I am really worried about them. They also asked for my suggestions. Answer: Having sex with someone of the same gender is not a…
Read MoreCould I be a descendant of Ishmael?
Question: I recently found out my grandmother’s maiden name is Ishmael. I’ve been curious as to the origins of this last name and thought back to Ishmael in the Bible. Could it be possible that I’m a descendant of Ishmael? Or am I way out in the left-field with this idea? If you have no…
Read MoreDid Jesus go to Hell?
Question: Did Jesus go to Hell? Answer: The idea comes from a poor choice of words selected by the translators of the King James Version of the Bible. “He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption” (Acts 2:31). The…
Read MoreWhy did God allow slavery or commit genocide?
Question: Why did God allow the Israelites to commit actions which are clearly wrong, by His command, such as allowing daughters to be sold into slavery (Exodus 21:7) or committing genocide upon the peoples of Canaan (Joshua)? If the Bible is infallible, is this the kind of moral code that God wants us to apply…
Read MoreHow do I address the criticism of the church by a family member?
Question: Hello, I am a member of the body of Christ and it disturbs me greatly that people within my physical family, as well as my spiritual family, are saying that God never founded the church of Christ. Below you will find a few correspondences sent to me by a family member who has left…
Read MoreThe New Testament was written in Hebrew, not Greek!
Question: You seem to teach that the original New Testament was originally written in Greek. I hate to differ with you. Nowhere is that fact proven. I believe that Luke may have written his manuscript in Greek, since he was of Syrian descent and also perhaps the books of Acts, but as far as the…
Read MoreHow can I help break an impasse between two young people?
Question: I would, please, like to know your thoughts about a particular courting problem with which I am involved. The problem is concerning two young friends of mine, a young lady and a young man. They’re both serious disciples of Jesus, as are their respective families. They and their respective families each attend a different congregation. Up to the present time, the only way…
Read MoreWhen does head covering apply?
Question: I am a Christian wife and mother. First of all, I would like to thank you for your excellent web site, which I just found this morning. I look forward to reading many more of the articles. My question at this moment, though, pertains to the teaching of I Corinthians 11. I was raised…
Read MoreWhy do I still not have control over my anger?
Question: This morning, I found that I still have problems with anger management. I had to go to a doctor’s appointment again, and when I went to the front desk, the secretary mentioned my bill. I have been unable to pay, due to no work, and many health problems which prevent me from working. Sad…
Read MoreWhere are we headed?
Question: I have been reading your web site for some time. I have lots of questions but I will try to limit them to one subject: human reproduction. Every four years abortion is a huge subject, then after the election, it is soon forgotten. There is disagreement about using discarded “test tube” babies for stem…
Read MoreThe Roman Catholics, 1486 AD, and the “Title Page” Argument
by Terry W. Benton The Argument: “..the Roman Catholic church in 1486 AD arbitrarily placed the four books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John –before the cross — (MMLJBC) in the New rather Old Testament by placing an erroneous New Testament “title page” between the books of Malachi and Matthew. Answer: Everyone already knew that…
Read MoreResponsibility
Greg Litmer via That Ye May Grow Thereby. We live in a day and time when no one seems to want to take responsibility for their own actions and very few want to hold individuals accountable for what they have done. If a person commits a crime, it is society’s fault. If a person engages…
Read MoreReproof
by Ethan R. Longhenry “Whoso loveth correction loveth knowledge; but he that hateth reproof is brutish” (Proverbs 12:1). “A wise son heareth his father’s instruction; but a scoffer heareth not rebuke” (Proverbs 13:1). “A fool despiseth his father’s correction; but he that regardeth reproof getteth prudence” (Proverbs 15:5). One of the things that unite all mankind…
Read MoreDoes a change in the Law mean God changes His mind a lot?
Question: Since God changed His Law, then apparently God changes His mind a lot. Answer: Actually God planned the change all along. The Law of Moses defined sin and bound it to mankind, but it could not in itself save. It spoke only of future salvation. “For the law made nothing perfect; on the other…
Read MoreI’m not certain whether my boyfriend went to heaven or hell. How can I know?
Question: My ex-boyfriend passed away seven years ago and I still think of him, especially on his birthday, which happens to fall on Valentine’s day, February 14th. I know he is in heaven, but just today something just keeps bothering me, like I’m unsure whether he is in heaven or hell. I feel like I…
Read MoreWhere Would You Be If _____ Never Happened to You?
by Steve Klein The Bulletin of the Church of Christ at New Georgia, April 1, 2007 Somerset Maugham, the English writer, once wrote a story about a janitor at St. Peter’s Church in London. One day a young vicar discovered that the janitor was illiterate and fired him. Jobless, the man invested his meager savings…
Read MoreReflections on a Funeral Service
by Wayne S. Walker Several years ago I had the unpleasant task of attending and participating in the funeral service of a relative. It was not difficult from the standpoint that the deceased was an evil person, for such was not the case. Rather, the distressing aspect was due simply to the sorrow of loss…
Read MoreIs masturbating wrong for women?
Question: I am a female, Christian, and a young adult who has some questions about the topic of masturbation: Is masturbation wrong for women? (It seems as if God doesn’t talk about women, he seems to just mention “semen”). Is masturbation wrong, if you are thinking about sex in the boundaries of marriage (not fornication)? (For…
Read MoreIn the stations of the cross, why is Jesus shown carrying the cross after Simeon carries the cross?
Question: In the stations of the cross, and in Luke, Simeon is made to carry the cross for Jesus. But, in the following stations, Jesus is depicted carrying the cross. I do not understand that if Simeon is carrying it, why Jesus is shown carrying it. Answer: The simple answer is that “the stations of…
Read MoreWhich antidepressant is best for the treatment of drug addiction and for dealing with anger?
Question: Please advise: Which antidepressant would you say is the best for the treatment of drug addiction and also best for dealing with anger? Answer: I have not analyzed the various antidepressants, nor do I have the expertise to make such a judgment call. That is something that would have to be discussed with a…
Read MoreQuotes on the Social Gospel
N. B. Hardeman Hardeman’s Tabernacle Sermons, Volume V, pages 50,53, November 1945. What is the purpose of the church of the Lord? Suppose I discuss the negative side first. I may say some things with which you do not agree, but I bid you hear me regardless. I do not consider it a part of…
Read MoreQuotes on Institutionalism
Excerpt from an article by David Lipscomb Gospel Advocate, August 29, 1907 The following article was sent to me with the request that I comment on it. Bathurst St. Church of Christ To the Church of Christ at Beamsville — Greetings: At a meeting of the officers of the congregation, held on June 2, a…
Read MoreWhat can I do about my mother-in-law’s interference?
Question: I am feeling unhappy with my wife’s mother yet again. Why can’t she allow my wife and me to live our lives as a married couple? Yesterday, the three of us went to a family get-together. My wife had a seizure and her mother took control of the recovery of my wife. I am…
Read MoreA Question about Dowries
Question: I have a question bothering me and this issue is about tearing apart one of our congregations here in Nigeria. Please, is parental consent considered to be marriage; that is, the cohabitation of a man and a woman without the payment of a bride price or dowry? Since examples in the Bible state Christ…
Read MoreWho was sent out as the first missionary?
Question: Who was sent out as the first missionary? Answer: The answer depends on how tightly you want to define the word “missionary.” It isn’t a word used in the Scriptures, so we can’t apply a Greek or Hebrew definition to the word. Technically, “missionary” means someone sent on a mission and there are numerous…
Read MoreWhy don’t Protestants honor Mary as Catholics do?
Question: The original question was: Why do Protestants not honor Mary as Catholics do? We are to imitate Jesus Christ, are we not? Well, Jesus Christ fulfilled the Law perfectly, and part of the Law is the Fourth Commandment. Jesus honored his Father and his Mother, so we should do the same. Answer: The command…
Read MoreYour website is great and really uplifting
Question: Your website is great and really uplifting. I accidentally came across it while searching. Answer: Thank you for your kind words.
Read MoreIf the man I committed adultery with is getting divorced, can I marry him?
Question: I have committed adultery with a married man and now their marriage is breaking. This man and I have realized our mistakes and we ask pardon from God daily. But he is getting divorced. Is it right for me to marry him? Would I be committing adultery again? Answer: If he is being divorced…
Read MoreJudaizing Teachers
Text: Galatians 5:1-6 I. In the beginnings of the church, Christians first came from the ranks of the Jews A. The Jews had a hard time at first with the gospel being preached to Gentiles – Acts 11:1-3 B. As the gospel spread to the Gentiles, trouble arose as some Jewish Christians began to argue that the…
Read MoreThe Pride of the Drunkard
by Kent Heaton Basil said, “Drunkenness is the ruin of reason. It is premature old age. It is temporary death” (Homilies, c. 375). There are few things engaged in by men that are as self-defeating and destructive as drunkenness. Quite frankly it is stupid beyond reason. A radio commentator recently described a time he had…
Read MorePredictions of the Second Coming by Jehovah’s Witnesses
by Matthew Allen “Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight” (Acts 1:9-10). From that time until the present, men have been anxiously awaiting the return of Jesus Christ. Throughout the centuries, some men have even tried to predict His…
Read MoreDoes losing your faith means losing your salvation?
Question: Hello, I was reading I Timothy and came across mention of Hymenaeus and Alexander. Not knowing anything about them, I did a google search and found your site with your explanation of them. In it, you say that it is possible to lose one’s faith as seen in Hymenaeus, Alexander, and Philetus. Does that also…
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