The Church Community
by Sam Stinson “The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Make two silver trumpets. Of hammered work you shall make them, and you shall use them for summoning the congregation and for breaking camp. And when both are blown, all the congregation shall gather themselves to you at the entrance of the tent of meeting.” (Numbers…
Read MoreGambling
Text: Colossians 3:1-10 I. Gambling is now rampant in our nation A. Not too long ago, the only gambling available were raffle tickets, bingo games at the Catholic Church, and casinos in La Vegas, Nevada. B. No longer! Gambling is everywhere: at the gas station, at the corner market, even at my doorstep. 1. A young man interrupted…
Read MoreYour article on animals will help me in a debate in my philosophy class. Thanks!
Question: I just wanted to thank you for your site and what you wrote about animals. I have a debate coming up soon in my philosophy class and your writing was extremely helpful. Again I just want to say thanks. I found your argument very enlightening. Answer: I showed your note to brother Treat and he…
Read MoreChristian Giving
by Richard Thetford Will a man rob God? There are some who rob God of what belongs to Him in the first place. In Malachi 3:8-9 we can read: “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. You are…
Read MoreChoosing Friends
by James E. Cooper One of my college professors observed: “Fate made your relatives; choice makes your friends.” Those whom you choose to be your closest friends indicate what your attitude is toward spiritual things. It is a psychological fact that we are drawn to those who share our interests. Devoted Christians will want to…
Read MoreCatechismal Christianity
by Jonathan L. Perz Having faith and understanding your faith are two entirely different matters in modern Christianity. Many profess to have faith, and even show signs of that faith in various aspects of their lives, but have little or no understanding of the faith they cling to so tenaciously. What is the explanation for…
Read MoreIs Gambling Sinful?
by T. Sean Sullivan Are you familiar with, or have you ever heard any of these terms: Raffle, bingo, chances, scratch n’ win, lottery, or gaming? Have you ever made a “wager” on the outcome of a sports event? The Super Bowl is coming up in a couple of weeks. It is one of the…
Read MoreWhy do Christians call Jesus the Son of God?
Question: I’m 21 years old. I’m from Northern Iraq which is the Kurdish people region. I’ve been in the United States for 17 years now. My family was sponsored by a church here in America. I love it here. I have gone back to visit twice and I liked it there, but I’m too Americanized…
Read MoreIs the New World Translation Accurate?
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Isaiah 8:19-22 I. Members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses have become excited in recent times. An author with a Ph.D. after his name has written a book saying the New World Translation and the New American Bible (a Catholic translation) are the most accurate translations. A. He compared nine translations: 1. King James…
Read MoreWhy do you say the New World Translation is not a reliable translation?
Question: On your web site, it reads that The New World Translation (NWT) “…is not a reliable translation”. Prof. Jason BeDuhn in his book Truth in Translation Accuracy and Bias in English Translations of the New Testament (this is not the only book) would strongly disagree with your conclusion that the NWT “is not a reliable…
Read MoreExcellent article on drugs
Question: I just read your article on drugs. Excellent. Particularly timely in light of the epidemic of psychotropic drugs such as Ritalin nicknamed by some the “Cocaine for Kids”. I have written extensively exposing psychotherapy which creates false diagnoses which then leads to compulsory medication in many cases. [The letter continues at extreme length promoting…
Read MoreWhich book is the oldest in the Bible?
Question: Which book is believed to be the oldest book in the Bible? I found the following points: Many scholars agree that Job is the oldest book in the Bible, written by an unknown Israelite about 1500 B.C. Others hold that the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible) are the oldest books in the…
Read MoreYou shouldn’t be so negative
Question: I happened on to your site because I was searching a biblical question. I’m impressed that you want to follow the biblical pattern of the church, but you seemed to have missed one. Jesus didn’t start off by being negative. He talked about who His father was and who He was. Most people won’t…
Read MoreI just wanted to commend you for your information
Question: I just wanted to commend you for you and your church’s website and information. Although I’m not a Church of Christ member; the scriptural guidance, and just tips, in general, is very helpful and most welcome. Answer: You’re most welcome. I do hope that one day you do seek out a congregation of the…
Read MoreWhat is the status of a person who married a person who had no right to marry, but later divorced that person?
Question: If someone has been scripturally divorced, but her previous spouse was not eligible for marriage because of a previous marriage. What is the status of that person? Answer: When a person’s marriage ends in divorce for some reason other than fornication, or if the marriage ended in divorce because of fornication and that person…
Read MoreWhy Sing?
by Wayne S. Walker “I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing to You among the nations” (Psalm 57:9). The Hebrew name for the book of Psalms is “Tehellim” meaning “praises.” Our English word “psalm,” which translates the Hebrew word “mizmor,” comes from the Greek term “psalmos” and refers to a…
Read MoreThe Brotherhood
by Edward O. Bragwell, Sr. via The Reflector, December 07. “Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king” (I Peter 2:17). The word “brotherhood” here is translated from adelphotes. It appears only twice in the New Testament, both times in I Peter (2:17; 5:9). The King James renders it “brethren” in I Peter 5:9,…
Read MoreObjections to the Essentiality of Baptism for Salvation
by Abraham Smith The Bible is very clear in its teaching on baptism’s role in our salvation. It is an act of obedience that is required of us by God “for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38). The Bible does not teach that baptism is “an outward sign of inward grace.” Neither does the Bible…
Read MoreAnswering Arguments Against Baptism
by Dan Gatlin Brethren have long pointed out that “preaching Jesus” means preaching baptism for the remission of sins (Acts 8:35-36). Paul warned the Corinthians that when “we preach Christ crucified” some would stumble and others would consider it foolishness (I Corinthians 1:22-23). While many in the denominational world agree that belief (John 8:24), repentance…
Read MoreThe Truth About Error
by Kenneth E. Thomas Often one will read an article or hear a sermon and immediately think or say, “I wish I had written or preached that.” When this is the case I often do a lesson with the same title or a modified one with some of the same points, giving it my style…
Read MoreCan you get an STD from anal sex without a condom?
Question: I have a quick and silly question, but I want to be safe. I’m not a virgin but the girl I’m seeing is. I’ve had sexual intercourse with two other girls who are clean. Now my question is if I’m having anal intercourse with my girlfriend at the moment, is it necessary to use…
Read MoreCould someone who was abusing drugs and died of an overdose be in heaven?
Question: My pastor’s son recently died of a drug overdose. He was always in and out of jail and had a drug problem that ultimately ended his life. At the son’s funeral, my pastor said that he was confident that his son was in heaven because he witnessed his son praising God. He went on…
Read MoreHow do I get my boyfriend to be honest with me instead of hiding things like his occasional drug use?
Question: My boyfriend used to be a heavy drug addict and he says he is clean, even though I find him lying to me and hiding his occasional drug use from me. I can’t ever talk to him about anything because he gets mad and tells me to grow up and keeps on lying. How…
Read MoreHow did light reach the earth from the stars when God created the world?
Question: I was wondering regarding the star that appeared at Jesus’ birth, so I talked with a teacher about red shifting and the Doppler effect (that has many different flaws in it). Did God just make a new start or did the light just hit the earth after traveling for so long? My theory is…
Read MoreThank you for your time and effort
Question: I want to sincerely thank you for your time and effort. Especially the questions and answers sections. It is the first I have come across that addresses issues so completely in the Lord’s Scriptures. Not just citing one Scripture, but taking all of the Scriptures in full for every answer. I personally have unique…
Read MoreWill my children go to hell because they turned against me?
Question: My question is long, but I will try to shorten it. My husband died two years ago and my three kids turned against me and sued me for the whole estate. They lost in court, but I turned around and gave them each five acres of land. Two of my kids have not spoken…
Read MoreBiblical Reliability
by Dudley Ross Spears How reliable is the Bible? How do we know it is truly the word of God? What evidence is there that justifies our respect for and allegiance to the Book? In this installment, we will consider the things that prove the Bible to be a reliable revelation of the mind of…
Read MoreShould my girlfriend see a guy who has been flirting with her?
Question: My girlfriend has been friends with a guy for around the same length of time that I’ve known her. Recently, he said that he wanted to travel across the country to visit her. What makes us unsure if this is right or not is that for around a year, he flirted with her, even…
Read MoreCan you help with a Women’s Day theme around Proverbs 15:1?
Question: We are having a Women’s Day program and our theme is from Proverbs 15:1. How would you explain this in relation to a Women’s Day program? How would you write an occasion for this theme? Answer: I have this general rule to avoid answering questions which are obviously homework or test assignments. In much…
Read MorePerfect Love Casts Out Fear
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/PerfectLoveCastsOutFear.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I John 4:17-21 I. Fear is an instinctive emotion A. It arises from a need to preserve ourselves, to keep us protected. 1. Fears of job loss, serious illness, difficult problems may each cause us to fear. 2. We don’t fear when we don’t perceive a danger II. Fear of the Unknown A. It…
Read MoreDo you know of any good books on how we got our Bible?
Question: You know of any good books on how we got our Bible and why we leave certain books out? I have two people who want to know a good book about this. I have read how we got our books, but I don’t have those books anymore. I can’t remember as it has been…
Read MoreIn the Book of Revelation, when is Christ coming back on a cloud, before or after the tribulation?
Question: In the Book of Revelation, when is Christ coming back on a cloud, before or after the tribulation? Answer: In premillennialist doctrine, there is a reference to a “great tribulation,” but the various believers in premillennialism cannot make up their minds about the details. Some claim that Jesus will come and take the righteous…
Read MoreWhat is meant when Paul said we are by nature children of wrath?
Question: In Ephesians 2:3 it talks about by nature we are children of wrath, My own opinion is that it’s referring not to children, which is plain and clear, but to people who have already sinned. I’m trying to get this point across to my friend, but he believes in a sin nature and says…
Read MoreIf you’re praying for something and believe you have received it, what if it’s not what God wants?
Question: I’m curious to know about some Bible verses I’ve heard. Well, I heard a Bible verse that said something like: “Therefore, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe you have received it, and it will be yours” The thing I don’t understand is, is that people say God wants what is best for you.…
Read MoreGospel, Word, Truth, Seed, Doctrine
by Carl A. Allen The denominational world has tried to seek unity by teaching we are to believe the Gospel and not enforce “doctrine.” According to them we should not divide over baptism, the Lord’s Supper, instruments of music, tithing, marriage, and divorce, etc. because all of this falls into “doctrine,” and we have no…
Read MoreHymenaeus and Alexander
by Kent Heaton Found only in Paul’s letters to Timothy, Hymenaeus is an example of a man who once had been enlightened of the truth, tasted the heavenly gift and shared in the partaking of the Holy Spirit and yet found himself shipwreck concerning the faith. It is tragic to witness the shipwreck of one’s…
Read MoreI didn’t handle an argument with my brother over the movies he lets my nephew watch. Do you have some advice?
Question: I need some outside advice. This morning I got into a short argument with my brother who has a boy — both of whom live with me in my parent’s home. All of us have put in equal hours helping to raise the boy. We all do our best for him. But this morning…
Read MoreShould I divorce to get peace back into my life?
Question: I am currently the minister of a congregation. I am married and my marriage is on the rocks. I often have thoughts of divorcing my wife, but I know that it would have a huge effect on all those whom I have baptized and help lead to Christ. My wife is no longer attractive…
Read MoreThank you for this article on head covering
Question: “Women who understand the Bible also understand why they cover their heads.” Thank you for this article and for the above statement found in your article. It has long been a conviction of mine and one I practice, albeit quite alone among my congregation. I would ask one thing of any person who still believes this…
Read MoreWas Judas at the Last Supper?
Question: My question concerns Judas and his participation or not, in the first Lord’s Supper. I have read over the verses concerning the Lord’s Supper, the night Jesus initiated it. Luke 22:14-22 appears to say he was there, and after the supper, Jesus then identified Judas as the one to betray Him. Mark 14:17-26 indicates…
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