Who is the Holy Spirit? (Hamilton)
I. Many people have vague notions about the being we know as the Holy Spirit A. Part of this comes from the descriptions of God. 1. Jesus has a name, but Spirit is more generic term. 2. God, the Father, and God, the Son, give us relationships that we are familiar with, but how does the Spirit fit into…
Read MoreNotes on Animals
General References Genesis 1:24-25 Genesis 9:2 1 Kings 4:33 Job 12:7 1 Corinthians 15:39 Apes 1 Kings 10:22 For the king had merchant ships at sea with the fleet of Hiram. Once every three years the merchant ships came bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and monkeys. 2 Chronicles 9:21 For the king’s ships went to…
Read MoreHow Effective Is Your Congregation?
by Gilbert Alexander Evaluating a local congregation and its effectiveness in a community is not a simple task. Population shifts affect the number of members in a local church. Such shifts may be caused by economic changes, persecution, or the relocation of people who have an interest in spiritual things. If some of our modern…
Read MoreHow an Old-Time Preacher Handled Mischief
Author Unknown One of the best-known preachers of the first half of the last century was J. D. Tant (1861-1941). My Dad knew brother Tant and heard him preach. A few months before Dad died, he was telling me about some of the preachers he had known and some of the things that had transpired…
Read MoreThe Hidden Ball Trick
by Thomas A. Thornhill, Jr. Most of you know that one of my “hobbies” is officiating sports. In an odd sort of way, I call it “stress relief” as I focus on the game I am officiating. I work in three sports, but the one I am most proficient in (and experienced in) is baseball. This brings us…
Read MoreShould wages be fixed?
Questions: Describe the merits and demerits of fixed wages. Answer: When wages are described in the Bible, they are determined by negotiation. An employer declares what he is willing to pay and a prospective employee replies whether he will accept the job for that pay. For example, Jacob negotiated a shepherding job in exchange for…
Read MoreHave You Gone to Him About It?
by Brian A. Yeager How brethren deal with sin among the saints should often be brought into question. In fact, one could easily write many articles pointing out how infrequently brethren will apply what the scriptures teach when it comes to congregational discipline. Then, when brethren finally decided to practice scriptural discipline it is sad…
Read MoreAre the objections to Catholicism without foundation?
Question: I’m a Catholic doing research for my Catholicism class and in order to back up my research, I wanted to get clear information from opposing views. I would appreciate if you are going to post negative comments regarding Catholic beliefs, that you thoroughly understand the beliefs. When you say: “Catholics, at least in the…
Read MoreHalloween (Article)
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton In Matthew 5:14-16, Jesus tells his audience that we are to be lights that shine forth in a dark world. Letting our lights shine lets the world see what it is like to be a follower of God. As we shine forth, our reputations reflect the glory of the Father, bringing…
Read MoreThe Greatest Question
by Foy E. Wallace, Jr. The question of all questions is “What think ye of the Christ?” What one thinks of Christ determines his thoughts and actions on every question. The correctness of faith depends on the correct answer to the superlative question “What think ye of Christ?” The question of how and when one…
Read MoreWhat type of animals did they have in Jesus’ time?
Question: What type of animals did they have in Jesus’ time? Answer: The animals in Jesus’ day are basically the same as we have today. See: Notes on Animals.
Read MoreThe Fruits and Tendencies of Evolution
by Jon Gary Williams Typical of many evolutionists is this statement from The Meaning of Evolution, by G. G. Simpson: “Man is the result of a purposeless and materialistic process that did not have him in mind.” A more recent statement by the famed evolutionist, Julian Huxley, expresses the same sentiment: “Darwinism removed the whole idea…
Read MoreIs Matthew 28:19 a part of the setting up of the church?
Question: I am concerned about baptism. I have found that all of the Bible corresponds with Acts 2:38 from the prophets until the Spirit came upon the apostles. What I do not find is Matthew 28:19 having a part in the setting up of the church at Jerusalem. The prophets Isaiah and Micah tell us Jerusalem, and the…
Read MoreWhich version of the Bible is most accurate?
Question: I have a question about which version of the Bible is most accurate. Some believe that the King James Version 1611 is the only one that is the true Word of God. Then I hear otherwise. Also, the church I attend uses the New King James Version and the New Century Version. I was…
Read MoreWhy would those who never heard the gospel be lost?
Question: Isn’t it true that the Bible says the following: Go into all of the world and preach the gospel. He that believes and is baptized shall be saved and he that (after hearing the Gospel) does not believe will be damned. Now, what conclusions can we logically deduce from that? I studied logic in…
Read MoreHow can I get God to answer my prayer?
Question: How can I get God to answer my prayer tonight? Answer: Imagine a small child coming up to you and telling you, “I’m going to make mommy give me candy.” You might find it an amusing thought. Obviously, this child doesn’t understand who is in control. Or, there might be a passing sad sympathy…
Read MoreFrom a Fortune Cookie
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I was at a Chinese restaurant the other day. It had been several years since I had been there, and the food quality had gone downhill in the meantime. But at the end of the meal came the traditional fortune cookie. As I munched on the treat I read the slip…
Read MoreFreedom Under God
by Robert F. Turner via Guardian of Truth XL: 2 p. 1 January 18, 1996 Freedom … The word is almost sacred to the American people, and over the world today it stirs great hope and aspirations. Our Declaration of Independence calls it an “inalienable” right and a truth “self-evident.” What is the source of this freedom,…
Read MoreFellowship Halls (Miller)
Adapted from an article by James P. Miller via Stand, March 1981. It is with regret that we learn that one of the congregations is now building a “fellowship hall” to advance their understanding of the gospel of Christ. We regret more for it widens the gulf between them and all brethren who seek to stand…
Read MoreFalse Reports from the Watchtower
by Fred Shewmaker God’s people always have had a problem with false prophets. If God had not given a standard by which to measure prophets, it might be difficult to determine whether or not they are from God or false prophets. However, by Moses, He said, “When a prophet speaketh in the name of the…
Read MoreExpendable
by Robert F. Turner via Plain Talk, February 1974 During World War II, when British troops were facing Dunkirk; when our boys were pushed from Bataan; someone applied the term “expendable” to forces left to cover the withdrawal. They were considered certainly lost — given to the enemy — their death or capture, the price…
Read MoreEmployer — Employee
by Homer Hailey in The Preceptor, Vol. 1, No. 12, Oct. 1952. In this, the Christian dispensation, God does not set forth one form of civil government as being above another. He does, however, lay down definite principles which are to govern the conduct of any kind of government, and principles which are to govern the…
Read MoreDying Wedding Vows
by Joe R. Price Remember when “honor and obey” was a standard part of wedding vows? Then, the feminist movement said, “No way will I vow to obey my husband!” Today, you rarely hear a couple using this worthy vow to recognize and accept the roles and relationships God established in marriage (Genesis 2:22-24; 3:16;…
Read MoreDo the Work of an Evangelist
by Keith Storment via The Preceptor, September 1983 In II Timothy 4:5 Paul admonishes his young protégé, Timothy, to “be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” We can see in the context of this verse several reasons why we need faithful men, young and old, to be…
Read MoreWhere does the Bible talk about the unmarried living together?
Question: Where is the Scripture that talks about living together if unmarried? Answer: Generally the phrase “living together” is a polite way of saying that two people are sharing the same bed in the same home, thus engaged in sex, though unmarried. In the Greek, the word for this is pornos, which means engaging in sex…
Read MoreI don’t believe a woman gives up her body when she marries
Question: When a woman marries a man she becomes his wife; this does not mean that she gives up her body and mind to a man (her husband). Rape can occur in a marriage. If a wife does not consent to sex and she is forced to have sex by her husband, this is rape.…
Read MoreNo Longer “Living in Sin”
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Sometimes you find interesting coincidences in the paper. One article brings up a question and another, unrelated one, supplies the answer. Recently I spotted an article in the June 7, 1995 edition of the Omaha World-Herald that shows the birthrate of children born to unwed mothers has increased 54 percent from…
Read MoreSoul and Spirit
Soul and Spirit – Part 1Soul and Spirit – Part 2Soul and Spirit – Part 3 Text: I Thessalonians 5:11-23 I. Man is composed of three elements: body, soul, and spirit – I Thessalonians 5:23 A. The body is easy to define. 1. It has a physical dimension to it – Job 19:25-27 2. We understand that it…
Read MoreDoes One Have a Right to His Own Belief?
by Eugene W. Clevenger via The Preceptor, Vol. 1, No. 6, April 1952. A question that we often hear asked is, Does every person have a right to his own belief? I cannot answer that question honestly and completely with a simple “Yes” or “No”, because to me the answer is both “Yes” and “No.” Looking…
Read MoreHow Do They Do That?
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton You watch as the magician waves his hands and mutters mysterious words. Suddenly, the handkerchief he was holding becomes a dove. You know it is a trick, but you wonder how he did it. You read yet another account of a con man taking the money of several people. The lies…
Read MoreThe Ruse of the Rapture
by Dudley Ross Spears Maybe you have seen the bumper sticker that reads, “In case the Rapture occurs, this car will be driverless.” With tensions building in the Middle East, expectations are being sharpened in those who believe that the Rapture is about to take place. The Rapture is an intriguing topic and we will…
Read MorePeople Love To Have It So: The Rapture
by Gary McDade Human nature has changed very little since Bible times as is evidenced by comparing a statement in the Book of Jeremiah with a seemingly unabated infatuation with a contrived doctrine commonly known as “the Rapture.” In the sixth century BC Jeremiah said, “A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land;…
Read MoreWhat Is the Rapture?
by V. Glenn McCoy A young Christian mother recently came into my office with her two children and said, “Will you please explain to my children what the ‘Rapture’ is?” Her children had been exposed to the “Rapture” through some of their friends and they were left confused. Most of us have seen bumper…
Read MoreDivisions Must Come
David Lipscomb via The Gospel Advocate, September 4, 1941 Division in the churches is painful. It wrings the heart with anguish. But God asked: “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” (Amos 3:3). This is a strange declaration that they cannot. It is true as applied to both God and man. Can you walk with…
Read MoreDealing with Difficult Brethren
by W. Frank Walton This is a chapter from an upcoming book, “Behind the Preacher’s Door.” The book deals with challenges that preachers face, with practical, scriptural solutions in doing the work of an evangelist. “I have been…in danger of false brethren” (II Corinthians 11:26). The apostle Paul faced some difficult brethren, which pained his life.…
Read MoreThe Deadly Danger of Indecision
by Thomas Thornhill If someone were to ask me what is the most discouraging thing I have encountered as a preacher I would reply, “The deadly danger of indecision.” Not only preachers but any person who has spent time trying to teach the word of God to a lost soul knows just what I am…
Read MoreIs being a vegetarian better than a meat eater?
Question: I’m a vegetarian and wish that others were, but I don’t try to impose my views on them. In the Garden of Eden men were vegetarians, and after Jesus returns the lion will lay down with the lamb and there will be no killing (I hope). So that’s the way I try to live…
Read MoreDoesn’t Ephesians 5:18 imply that some use of alcohol is permitted?
Question: God wrote in Ephesians 5:18, “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.” When God tells us not to get speeding tickets, what is He inferring? Obviously, that driving is not a sin. When God tells us not to get drunk, what is He inferring? People who…
Read MoreIn Mark 5:19, the word is “house” not “people.”
Question: In the article “How Do They Do That?” you stated: One of these cities was Decapolis. Just outside the town, Jesus freed a man possessed by demons. The man wanted to follow Jesus, but instead, Jesus told him to go and preach what he had learned to his people (Mark 5:19-20). Look closely at…
Read MoreWhere do I find a list of God’s laws in the Bible?
Question: Where in the Bible do I find a clear list of God’s law? Answer: You are expecting something from God’s word that it is not. The Bible is not a reference book where you can look under the topic “Law” and find everything you need to know, nor is it a set of statutes…
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