Paul’s Sons
by Earl Robertson via Biblical Insights, Vol. 8, No. 6, June 2008. The relationship of Timothy and Titus to Paul as sons is spiritual, legitimate, and true — “legitimately born, not spurious,” says Thayer, pg. 119. They were true sons. Paul said Timothy was “a true child in the faith,” showing the sphere in which this…
Read MorePaul, Barnabas, and Us!
by Greg Gwin We received an email communication from a man named Joe. He is a member of the First Christian Church. He has been using the Internet to search for “people of like-minded faith.” In his letter, Joe explains what he sees as the necessary conditions before he can call someone his “brother.” “If…
Read MoreBiblical Figures of Speech: Ellipsis
Text: Galatians 4:21-31 I. In our everyday speech, we employ figures of speech constantly and rarely think about what we are doing. A. Figures of speech are important tools because they make points standout in a statement. B. When we recognize that a figure of speech in use, it helps us understand what is being said more…
Read MoreDoes God Answer Every Prayer?
by Clem Thurman via Gospel Minutes; Vol. 56, No. 3; Jan. 19, 2007. Question: “I believe that when we pray for something, in faith, God will give it to us. If we are sick, we can pray and God will heal us. He is able to do all things. So, the question is: ‘Does God…
Read MoreUnanswered Prayers
by Lewis Willis via Guardian of Truth; April 4, 1991; Vol. XXXV, No. 7; pp. 193, 215 Photo by Patrick Fore on Unsplash When I think of prayer, I think of it as the very essence of the Christian’s relationship with God. It is our link of communication with him, as the New Testament is his…
Read MoreI’ve been going through a crisis and what I’ve read makes sense
Question: I need to take a moment and thank you for such an awesome web site. I have been going through a crisis and want to turn to God and the Bible but find it difficult since I virtually don’t know much at all. Your web site has inspired me. What I am reading makes…
Read MoreRoman Catholic Quotes Regarding the Bible
The Bible Alone was Used in the Early Church There was far more extensive and continuous use of Scriptures in the public service of the early Church than there is among us. [Addis and Arnold, Catholic Dictionary, The Catholic Publication Society, 1887, page 509] Our present convenient compendiums — the Missal, Breviary, and so on were…
Read MorePreaching Like Jeremiah
by Jerry Fite via Guardian of Truth XXXVI: 3, pp. 70-71, February 6, 1992 Jeremiah began his prophetic work in the thirteenth year of Josiah’s reign. As a youthful Josiah wielded kingly force to tear down idols, young Jeremiah applied moral persuasion to eliminate the idolatrous heart. Despite forty years of exposure to Jeremiah’s preaching, Judah’s…
Read MoreIs it wrong to clap after someone is baptized?
Question: Is it wrong to clap after someone is baptized? Answer: Clapping is a way of showing approval or appreciation. We generally use clapping to show approval to something that entertained us, but it can be used for other things we approve. As such it isn’t particularly wrong, but I do have a concern when…
Read MoreCan a person add things to their worship so long as they don’t require it of others?
Question: I’m curious about things and friends of mine who go to other churches. I want to understand why they do the things they do. Regarding Christians doing what they personally want to do is what I’m trying to understand. I understand if they use musical instruments, dance, etc. in the religious practice of what…
Read MoreRemember to Magnify His Work
Text: Job 36:24-33 I. In outlining the sins of the people of the world, Paul noted that the Gentiles could be justly charged with sin – Romans 1:18-23 A. No one has the excuse of not knowing that God exists. B. He and even His nature can be seen in the things God has made, leaving all…
Read MoreWhat Makes the Church of Christ Different?
by Billy Moore Question: “You say the Church of Christ is not a Protestant denomination, but I know you protest the Catholic religion for I have read a lot of your writings, so what makes you different from the other churches. You look like one of many churches to me.” Answer: Yes, we have said…
Read MoreIf you get a raise, should the first check go to the Lord?
Question: I have been working for a year. I just recently got a raise. I paid tithe on the check the raise was on, but someone told me the first time it appears on my check I was supposed to give the whole thing to the Lord as the first fruit. They use the scripture…
Read MoreAny advice for a new elder?
Question: I have a brother in Christ who’s been an elder for a short time. There are two older elders who have been in the church for many years and he feels like a junior elder and they are senior elders. The church recognizes it at times because it’s being mentioned. He is discouraged because,…
Read MoreIf Adam and Eve did not sin, would it have been only a matter of time before someone else sinned?
Question: What would the world be like if Adam and Eve had not sinned? Would it only be a matter of time before someone else after them would have sinned? Answer: It would be impossible to speculate because we don’t have sufficient information. We know that God planned on the fact that men would sin…
Read MoreWhy did God let David play music?
Question: I have had plenty of discussions with people about praising God. The problem with a lot of people is that they don’t see the wrong in praising Him with their own personal praise that God didn’t command in His worship. I’m not trying to be confusing. A discussion I had once where a man…
Read MorePatience in Seeking Truth, a Necessity
by Garreth L. Clair John 8:32, “and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” ASV John 17:17, “Sanctify them in the truth: thy word is truth.” ASV II Timothy 3:16-17, “Every scripture inspired of God (is) also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness. That the…
Read MoreCould God have two wills, one that tells man what to do and a hidden will where He makes some men sin to accomplish His other will?
Question: I have heard a popular Baptist preacher named John Piper preach about predestination. He talked about the two wills of God. He said that there is a revealed will of God and there is also a decreed will. The former, according to him, is his will of command. Meaning, all his commands that he…
Read MoreWhat does a woman do when the Christian men around seem more interested in non-Christian women?
Question: Your site is nice and good for learning for the Christians. You are doing a good job. May the Lord strengthen you to do more. I am very happy to come across your web site while I was searching for a hymn, “God Give Us Christian Homes,” and I have read some of the questions…
Read MoreI found an answer to a question that had eluded me for 40 years. Thank you
Question: I am a member of the New Testament church. I was looking for ideas for an adult class project when I came across your web site. I kept wandering to the questions and answers page, and in the January 2009 list, I found an answer that has eluded me for 40 years. I feel…
Read MoreChoosing a Companion
by Bill Hall A happy home is being with a wise choice of a marriage partner. We, therefore, submit the following questions as a guide for our young people as they seek out their companion for life. 1. Is this person eligible for marriage? There are those who have a right to marry according to the laws…
Read MoreHow long did the exodus from Egypt take?
Question: How long did it take Israel to travel out of Egypt? I know that they wandered for 40 years in the wilderness of Sinai, but how long did it take them to walk the journey from Egypt to the crossing of the Red Sea? Answer: The Exodus started on the fourteenth day of the…
Read MoreYour article sounds as if being a vegetarian is a sign of not being a true believer
Question: Although I agree with much of what was written in “Was Jesus a Vegetarian?,” I have a problem with the last statement: “…the forbidding of eating certain foods is an indication of people departing from the Christian faith.” Although this indeed could be true, you make it sound as if being a vegetarian is a…
Read MoreOur preacher wants us to separate before marrying us. How will this make any difference?
Question: Today I went to meet with my preacher to talk about him marrying my fiance and me. After talking he said that he would do it as long as, starting today, we couldn’t sleep in the same house together. The wedding is scheduled for about three weeks away. I currently work two jobs and…
Read MoreOnly Human?
by Frank Bush A year or so ago, I had a student in my office. He was there because his behavior was much less than what I expected of a Bible college student. After discussing the matter, he crowned his long recitation with the excuse, “After all, I’m only human.” When he said that, I…
Read MoreWho do you think you are telling someone the proper order for finding a spouse?
Question: Are you for real? Do things in the proper order: find someone you want to spend the rest of your life with, fall in love, get married, and then enjoy sex without the constant worries and sinfulness of uncommitted sex. Who do you think you are to tell someone what the proper order is? For the…
Read MoreCan we bribe God?
Question: Can we bribe God? For example, you have sinned, like you got something that is not yours and without permission, then you want something that only God can give. If you read the Bible after this, is it bribery? Answer: God cannot be bribed for two reasons: First, everything belongs to God. “For every…
Read MoreYour web site is absolutely spectacular!
Question: I just found your web site! How absolutely spectacular! Thank you so much for this ministry. I have never seen such a wonderful array of graphics! I will be sure to visit often! Answer: I hope you continue to find the content of the web site useful.
Read MoreWhy I Am Not a Nazarene
by J. R. Bronger In June of 1972 my wife, Sue, and I were baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins (Acts 2:38). Like many of our brothers and sisters in Christ, we came out of religious error. Our involvement was with the Church of the Nazarene, headquartered in Kansas City. I was…
Read MoreObscene Movies and TV Programs
by Gary Henry via, Lost River Bulletin, Vol. 58, No. 3, Aug. 2008. Few things frighten me any more than the passing comments I hear brothers and sisters in the Lord make about movies and TV programs they’ve permitted themselves and their children to see. Just when I believe there may be a deepening spirituality…
Read MoreIs liturgical dancing wrong?
Question: I have a friend that goes to a church and she is a liturgical dancer. I read all your articles on dancing and understand the views. She told me that it was her calling to dance to the Lord. Is liturgical dancing wrong? Answer: The New Testament does not contain a commandment, an example,…
Read MoreThe Next Generation
by Steve Klein via The Bulletin of the Church of Christ at New Georgia, December 3, 2006 As Solomon looked at life under the sun, he observed that “One generation passes away, and another generation comes; But the earth abides forever” (Ecclesiastes 1:4). With the passing of each generation, knowledge, values, and even faith are…
Read MoreChristians Without Churches?
by Ethan R. Longhenry Over the past few years, a trend has increased among people, especially Americans: the idea that people can be good Christians without being part of a church. Many people will recognize that Jesus is the Messiah and Lord, but yet want nothing to do with any church. This attitude fits with…
Read MoreNew Churches
by Gilbert Alexander The number of new churches started by men and based upon a human standard has grown rapidly over the past century in this country. Their creation and continued existence reflect the unbelief and arrogant self-will of their builders, and the gullibility of those who have joined them. Apparently, the church of Jesus…
Read MoreI think spanking leads to more aggression
Question: I think spanking a 14-year-old young man is unreasonable and will lead to more aggression. My parents spanked me with the belt and left bruises. It left scars on my soul and was not focused on loving correction. I am very conservative in my theology and think this Scripture did mean spanking when younger…
Read MoreThank for the refutation on Dan Billingsly’s teachings and the information on the historical accuracy of the Bible
Question: I came across your site twice in two days. Once when I was looking for refutations to the teachings by Dan Billingsly and now when I was looking for information on the historical accuracy of the Bible. Thanks for the help. I also came across a reference to the Mesha Stele in Wikipedia that supports the reference in II…
Read MoreThank you. I found pictures for my preschool class on your site
Question: I have been working on a lesson for 2 to 3-year-olds and needed some pictures. I have been searching for a long time. I found your web site and pictures. I have used a couple of pictures that I think are appropriate for this age. I just wanted to thank you. Answer: You’re welcome.…
Read MoreThe Christian’s Reign
Text: Psalm 2 I. Paul makes an interesting statement – II Timothy 2:11-12 A. We often talk about being with Christ after our death, but Paul talks about our reigning with Christ. B. He’s not the only one to make this point. John also mentions it – Revelation 3:21 C. It is a reign that will last through all…
Read MoreHow do you keep doing right when others react badly?
Question: I feel like I need some words of encouragement and counsel on a personal issue. Thank you in advance for taking the time to give me a scriptural response that I can apply to my personal life. May God bless you in your efforts. What I’m trying to do is conform my life to…
Read MoreI just found out my husband had an affair eight years ago. Am I free to leave this marriage?
Question: I would like some more information on fornication. My husband confessed to me this morning that he had a physical affair with a co-worker eight years ago. He said it just happened once and he has hated himself for it ever since. His behavior so long ago explains a lot of the way he…
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