Is repentance necessary to be saved?
Question: When Peter preached to Cornelius and his household, was repentance anywhere in his sermon? Is a person born again by faith and repentance, or by faith? I think that I was born again when God revealed His Son to me, and I believed in Him, am I completely wrong? I believed in Him first,…
Read MoreAiding and Abetting
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I. Did you know that holding coats could be a sin? A. Saul held the coats of those who stoned Stephen – Acts 7:57, Acts 22:20 B. He never threw a stone, and yet he was guilty of that death C. He approved of what the others were doing, showing it by helping. II. You don’t…
Read MoreBoredom (Hamilton)
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton The child has a room full of action figures, video games, cable TV, DVD player, a huge collection of movies, every piece of sports equipment known to man, his own telephone, a fully loaded computer with high-speed Internet access … but he doesn’t have a thing to do. He’s bored. Boredom…
Read MoreHow many children did Abraham have?
Question: How many children did Abraham have? Answer: Abraham had a son, named Ishmael, by his wife’s maid, Hagar, whom he had taken as a concubine (a servant who was also a wife) (Genesis 16:3-4). However, since he was not the child promised to Abraham and Sarah, he was not allowed to inherit (Genesis 17:18-21).…
Read MoreThe Nature of Law (Article)
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton In our fantasies, it is sometimes appealing to wonder what it would be like to live in a place without any laws, where a person is free to do whatever he pleases. Laws can be irritating at times; do this, don’t do that, and, of course, we never get them right.…
Read MoreBoy – girl relationships don’t affect studies do they?
Question: Boy-girl relationships don’t affect studies, do they? Answer: I assume that your parents object to you dating while you are in school. Unfortunately, they are making a valid point. Back in the days when Israel called up its volunteer army, certain people were asked not to serve: “Then the officers shall speak to the…
Read MoreImages of Head Covering During Worship
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton A frequent claim is that I Corinthians 11:1-16 only deals with the local customs of the people in the area of Corinth. The wearing of a head covering, we are told, was a common practice in those days and in that region. Hence, Paul was merely telling women not to go against social…
Read MoreHair
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton “Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering” (I Corinthians 11:14-15). Have you stopped and wonder…
Read MoreThe Message of I Corinthians 11
by Ethan R. Longhenry I would like to examine a passage that has caused many divisions and great strife in many churches of Christ. Many have simply disregarded this passage and do not wish to find any way in which to apply it to their own lives because of the controversy that it generates. We…
Read MoreWhy is sex a sin?
Question: Why is sex a sin? Answer: The short answer to your question is that sex is not a sin, but it can become a sin in certain situations. “Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge” (Hebrews 13:4). The Greek word koite is translated as “the bed” in…
Read MoreShould the Father only be addressed as Yahweh and the Son as Yahshua?
Question: I have stopped using the words “God” and “Jesus”. It has come as a revelation and blessing to me that these words are inappropriate as names for our Father and His Son. There is a whole “World” in their names Yahweh and Yahshua. Answer: Oddly enough, God uses the name “God” (elohim in Hebrew, theos in Greek)…
Read MoreWhere does it say the Holy Spirit is God?
Question: Where does it say that the Holy Spirit is God? Answer: “But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in…
Read MoreIs “hell” a proper translation of “Gehenna”?
Question: The word Hell like the word baptism is not really a proper translation is it? I looked up the word hell and it is Gehenna, and Gehenna is a place, Originally the Valley of Hinnom, near Jerusalem (ISBE). So it would be helpful to use Gehenna instead of hell, just as I find it…
Read MoreWhat is meant by an elder being the husband of one wife?
Question: What does the statement husband of one wife mean in regards to an elder? Answer: “The husband of one wife” (I Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:6). Only a married man may be an elder. Single men are eliminated as well as men who practice bigamy. The Law of Moses did allow some men to have multiple…
Read MoreCan a man be both a preacher and an elder?
Question: Can an elder function as an evangelist and vice versa? Answer: The word “pastor” in Ephesians 4:11 comes from a Greek word referring to a shepherd. This is the man charged with the care and feeding of a flock. As with the office of the evangelist, this office is described by a variety of words. We…
Read MoreMust an elder have faithful children?
Question: Is it necessary for an elder to have children faithful in the church? If yes, then how many? Answer: “Having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion” (Titus 1:6). “He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity” (I Timothy 3:4). The purpose…
Read MoreWho removes an elder from office?
Answer: If an elder sins, who removes him from office? Answer: Paul told Timothy, “Do not receive an accusation against an elder except from two or three witnesses. Those who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all, that the rest also may fear. I charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and…
Read MoreWho appoints elders?
Question: Who appoint elders? Answer: The qualifications for the position of elder are found in lists recorded in I Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9. That the eldership is a distinct duty is clearly seen in I Timothy 3:1, “It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires…
Read MoreIs sex within marriage a privilege to be earned?
Question: Thank you for the timely reply. Though I do not agree with your comments, I find it interesting that you did not address the conclusion I stated about oral sex, cross-dressing, etc. being acceptable if sex is reduced to a physical level only (which is what happens when the situation occurs as I described). We…
Read MoreWhere does the idea that Hell is a place of torment come from?
Question: Where does the idea that Hell is a place of torment come from? Answer: Let me recommend the article, “What is Hell Like?” which explains the biblical teaching on Hell in detail.
Read MoreEvidence that meat is acceptable food offends a reader
Question: It is very strange for you to promote the most horrible farm animals’ suffering by support meat/dairy/egg consumption in our society of factory farms and meatpacking plants where terrified, trembling animals are on one side and cut up meat comes out from another side! Your messages are the reason why so many people want…
Read MoreWhen was the spousal rape law passed?
Question: When was the spousal rape law passed? Answer: According to the National Center for Victims of Crime, in an article titled “Spousal Rape Laws: 20 Years Later”: “Until the late 1970’s, most states did not consider spousal rape a crime. Typically, spouses were exempted from the sexual assault laws. For example, until 1993 North…
Read MoreSubtle References to the Trinity of God
Text: Isaiah 48:12-16 I. Often I find people making statements, such “the Holy Spirit is never said to be Deity, Divine in any way.” Or, statements that Jesus is the first of creation and thus is not fully God (or divine). A. The problem is that proof or denial often requires a complete knowledge of the…
Read MoreWhat Is Hell Like? (Article)
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton When Jesus taught with parables, each story is based on true events: people do purchase fields, widows do lose coins, and fishermen do catch a variety of things in their nets. In one story, Jesus tells of a rich man and a poor man named Lazarus. The story is not presented…
Read MoreWhy I am a Member of the Church of Christ
by Irvin Himmel via The Voice of West End, Vol. 5, No. 23, Feb. 16, 1964. People have offered a variety of reasons for their religious connections. I am here to present my reasons for being a member of the church of Christ; but, first, some negative thoughts: Not because of wealth The Roman Catholic Church…
Read MoreWhy Believe in the God of the Bible?
Billy B. Norris via Gospel Guide, Nov. 1995 One may be a believer in the One God; an atheist, a disbeliever in any god; or a heathen, a believer in many gods. Let’s examine each of these positions: Heathenism In its plural number of gods, heathenism is confusing and divisive. As a young man, Solomon…
Read MoreWho Does God Think He Is?
by Floyd Chappalear modified by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Worship isn’t enough. The Bible says that voluntary humility, severity to the body, acts of contrition, and such like may be nothing more than evidence of “will worship;” that is, serving one’s own interests (see Colossians 2:18-23). Furthermore, Jesus said that “not everyone who says unto me…
Read MoreWhen Daddy Prays …
Author Unknown When Daddy prays, he doesn’t use The words the preacher does; There’s different things for different days But mostly it’s for us. When Daddy prays, the house is still, His voice is slow and deep. We shut our eyes, the clock ticks loud. So quiet we must keep. He prays that we may…
Read MoreIs it rape when a husband is influenced by alcohol, drugs, or pornography?
Question: I strongly disagree with you about a husband raping a wife. If the husband is not a Christian and is under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or pornography, what he is doing is not respectful to his wife and not considered in agreement with Scripture that refers to the marriage bed being undefiled. If…
Read MoreCan we love and care for animals?
Question: My husband tells my daughter and I it is wrong for us to love and take care of our animals. He claims the Bible says to take care of persons, not animals. Is this right? I know we are to take care of people for they are our brothers and sisters in Christ, but…
Read MoreMay a Christian serve in government?
Question: May Christians serve as punitive agents, such as soldiers or policemen, for the civil government? Answer: There are several denominations which hold pacifist views. Some, such as Quakers, refuse to serve in any capacity where killing might be involved. Others, such as the Amish, reject all ties to civil authority. To answer your question…
Read MoreIs it okay for boys and girls to swim together?
Question: My friend wants to know if it is ok to go swimming where there are boys. I asked Daddy and he says he did not think that was right, and I do not do that. I told my friend, but she still does. Answer: To answer your question, we need to define exactly what…
Read MoreShould a preacher be paid to hold a gospel meeting?
Question: One brother raised an objection that he believed that a preacher shouldn’t be paid anything for holding a gospel meeting! The reason being that it would be paying to hear the gospel preached. What do you think? Answers: “My defense to those who examine me is this: Do we have no right to eat…
Read MoreWhat to do when parents disagree about spanking?
Question: Whenever I switch one of the kids my wife has a fit. She begs me to use a different punishment. Her crying and shouting make it very difficult to administer a proper whipping to the youngster. Afterward, she is furious with me and may even give me the silent treatment for a few days.…
Read MoreDoes the Spirit physically indwell a person?
Question: If the Holy Spirit never physically indwelled anyone in the Scripture; how is one to explain the concept of “the Spirit came upon them?” Answer: I don’t believe I ever said that the Holy Spirit never physically came upon anyone, though the Spirit is, well, spiritual and not physical. When Jesus was baptized we…
Read MoreShould we call on Jesus or Jehovah to be saved?
Question: Should we call on Jesus or Jehovah to be saved? Answer: The question assumes that God the Father and God the Son have different desires for our salvation. Yet Jesus stated, “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may…
Read MoreWhat Are You Looking For?
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton “‘Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.’…
Read MoreWe Are a Different People
by Eugene W. Clevenger via The Preceptor, Vol. 1, No. 6, April 1952 One of the greatest factors within the church today that is hindering the cause of Christ is a morbid fear on the part of being different. God’s people in every dispensation have been different people, and members of the New Testament church…
Read MoreIs spousal rape grounds for divorce?
Question: Does spousal rape constitute fornication, or sexual immorality, thus giving grounds for divorce and remarriage? Answer: Some questions are difficult – not because we cannot clearly state the truth, but because the way the questions are worded cause you to make assumptions that may not be true. A classic example is “Are you still…
Read MoreWas the Sermon on the Mount Nailed to the Cross?
by Terry W. Benton There has not been a more fundamental question about how to rightly divide the word of truth and how to apply the scriptures than this one. At first, you might think this question is preposterous, but bear with me. There are brethren lurking in churches today who would affirm that Jesus’…
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