Answer
Can instrumental music be used during weddings held in a church building?
Question: I have searched your website and didn’t find any information on this so I am submitting this question: Is it scriptural to have recorded music (not vocal) in a wedding ceremony that is held in the church building? There is a young Christian couple that has asked to have recorded music played only as…
Read MoreWould you help resolve a dispute over the sale of a home?
Question: If you believe you are a wise person, can you please help me with this scenario? Shauna owned a new house worth $ 200,000 and she was renting it to Doug, a friend in the church. One day Doug asked Shauna if he could buy the house and so Shauna agreed. Because Doug was…
Read MoreWho is the commander of the Lord’s army?
Question: Who is the commander of the Lord’s army? Answer: “And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, “Are You for us or…
Read MoreHow can a young man stay focused?
Question: I am interested in getting your thoughts on being focused on the goal. It is hard when you see so much of the things you want in life, that at times you feel as though that it is not meant for you. My situation appears to be going nowhere. I feel that the more…
Read MoreWhat does the Bible say about having a fetish?
Question: I have a spanking fetish I’m a 24-year-old male that has a spanking fetish. How do I stop myself? What do the Scriptures say about them? Is it normal to have a spanking fetish? Answer: It is interesting that you used the word fetish. The proper definition of a fetish is: “An inanimate object…
Read MoreCan anyone be forgiven?
Question: Tell me if this is correct: No matter what sin you commit, even if someone had sold their soul to the devil, they could be forgiven for this or any other act no matter what? On the terms that they repent and ask forgiveness, could they still go to heaven? Answer: The potential forgiveness…
Read MoreHow do you respond to someone claiming Jesus was not divine?
Question: Hello again. I’ve been researching the Bible, especially the New Testament quite extensively since I last talked to you, and I came across a Jewish web site claiming that Jesus was not divine. Here’s what it says: Question: Is it true that there are New Testament passages that refute the Christian doctrine of the…
Read MoreCan you be saved without confessing with your mouth?
Question: Can anyone be saved without speaking (confessing) with their mouth? Answer: “But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God…
Read MoreCan you explain the difference between heautou and idios?
Question: I would like to ask for your insight. I am trying to understand two Greek words better. As I was doing a Google search I came upon your website and read many of your articles. I also noticed your apparent love for Greek word studies. Here are the two Greek words I am trying…
Read MoreAt what gate was Stephen stoned?
Question: At what gate was Stephen stoned? Answer: “Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. And they…
Read MoreWhat is mammon?
Question: What is ‘mammon’? In Luke 16, it is talking about the steward who wasted his master’s goods. I don’t fully understand this chapter. Please help. Also, I would like to say that I truly appreciate your website. I am a person who fell away from the church a very long time ago, and now…
Read MoreYour explanation of pharmakeia is poor
Question: Your explanation of the Greek word pharmakeia shows poor scholarship. I first heard of the “pharmakeia=drug use= sorcery” argument back in the early 1980s when I was involved with a Christian group. It never seemed right. The following is part of a word study I’ve done. According to “Divry’s English-Greek and Greek-English Dictionary” there are at…
Read MoreIs a sleeveless shirt or a knee-length dress immodest?
Question: Are sleeveless shirts that are covering everything immodest? I had a skirt that was right on my knee and I wore it to church. I had an older man come up to me and tell me how sinful I was for wearing such a thing. It revealed my knee he said and it could…
Read MoreAre children truly innocent?
Question: I am researching about sin and sin in children. I read your writings and agree with you for the most part, but I have a problem with the idea of children being innocent. If children are not sinful, wouldn’t that make them sinless and almost perfect? Christ was the only one I knew was…
Read MoreIs it wrong to read books about how Satan operates in the world?
Question: Thank you for your website. I enjoy reading the articles as well as the questions and answers. You have helped me in several areas of research. It is becoming increasingly difficult to find Christians who speak from a biblical perspective. I appreciate your candor and adherence to Scripture. My question relates to demonic warfare.…
Read MoreShould I co-sign a loan for a church building?
Question: I am a member of a fundamental Bible-teaching church and firmly believe in the “literal” Word of the Bible. But I find myself in a difficult situation. We are building a new Church building. The building project was kicked off using traditional construction bank financing. We had enough assets and membership support at the time to…
Read MoreWill God forgive me for doing something, knowing it was wrong?
Question: Will God forgive me for doing something, knowing it was wrong? Answer: “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (II Peter 3:9). God does not seek to destroy any sinner. It…
Read MoreWho did Adam and Eve’s children marry?
Question: Just recently I have heard a question that has been circulated among many different mediums. Just the other night this same question came up in my history class and I would like to know how to answer it. Forgive me if I have somehow missed the logic in this question, but I am writing…
Read MoreIs a saved person still saved after stumbling?
Question: If a person is saved and then stumbles, are they considered a saved person? Answer: “And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a…
Read MoreCan I tell you about a way to get married without government involvement?
Question: I noticed a guy wrote a piece about marriage claiming he didn’t need a piece of paper. He is right by all means; all you need is two witnesses and you can be married by American law. But if you do get a marriage license, you put your kids under government authority in such a…
Read MoreWhat does “honor” mean in I Peter 2:17?
Question: Does the word honor (spelled “honour” in the King James Version) as used in I Peter 2:17 instruct followers of Christ Jesus to honor all men, implying that we are to separate the wrong that we maybe aware that a person does from the person and then honor the person but not the wrong…
Read MoreHappy to find the answers
Question: I just wanted to thank you for the response to the Iraq – Interesting article shown below. A friend who is still a newbie in Christ has asked me about this. She works a 10-hour job and I am retired so I proceeded to get on the Internet and try to find answers for…
Read MoreAn appreciative reader
Question: Thank you! Many times over, you have made your knowledge of these topics available to the world. I am an aspiring song leader in the church. I often have questions about my duties and role as a song leader. So often, my questions are answered but are not satisfactory I am thankful there are…
Read MoreHow could the Israelites have left Egypt if they crossed into the Sinai peninsula?
Question: I have a question regarding the map of your proposed route for the Exodus. You show the Israelites going south and crossing the Gulf of Suez. The problem I see is that this route invalidates Exodus 12:41 which states that the Israelites “left Egypt” on precisely the same day they entered 430 years earlier.…
Read MoreThe Bible and The Old Wicker Coal Basket
Revised by Kenneth E. Thomas The story is told of an old man who lived on a farm in the mountains of eastern Kentucky with his young grandson. Each morning, Grandpa was up early sitting at the kitchen table reading from his old worn-out Bible. His grandson who wanted to be just like him tried…
Read MoreWhat do you think about this group who says believers cannot lose their salvation?
Question: I am not really sure you are familiar with the Grace Evangelical Society out of Dallas Texas, but I asked them the same question I asked you: “Is it possible biblically to be a ‘born again from above’ believer in Christ and be an active homosexual or live in an adulterous relationship?” Look at…
Read MoreWho are the three doctors of the Bible?
Question: Who are the three doctors in the Bible? Answer: Luke is an obvious answer: “Luke the beloved physician and Demas greet you” (Colossians 4:14). Jesus said that a proverb concerning physicians could be applied to himself, “He said to them, “You will surely say this proverb to Me, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we have…
Read MoreIs the use of a “praise team” scriptural?
Question: Have you heard of this idea of having a “praise team” in the song service of some churches? This is confusing to me because it would seem that it would place women in a leadership role if they were part of the “team” leading the congregation. What are your thoughts on this? Answer: A…
Read MoreWhy did Catholicism start and when did it happen?
Question: Why did the religion Catholicism start and what year did Catholicism start? Answer: Why Catholicism started is fairly straightforward. Man has a difficult time leaving something alone. There is a strong desire to modify things with the goal of “improving” things. This tendency is encouraged by Satan who wants to destroy the works of…
Read MoreWould an atheist be saved if he did good deeds during his life?
Question: If an atheist has always done good deeds during his life (abided by God´s rules preached by all religions), where would God (if there is any) allocate him after his death — heaven or hell? I personally believe that God, being so gracious as we have been told, will place him in heaven as…
Read MoreWhy twelve apostles?
Question: Why were there only 12 apostles? Answer: Certain numbers appear frequently through the text of the Bible, much more frequently than you would expect from mere chance. Twelve is one such number and its repeated use indicates foreshadowing in the Bible and it is a reflection of the fact that the whole Bible is…
Read MoreDid God pick Jacob for salvation before or after he was born?
Question: In regards to your article “Predetermined Destiny”: First, after stating in paragraph five that God’s selection of Jacob was made before Jacob was born, you turn right around and say that God’s selection of Jacob was not made before he was born. Well, which is it? Did God pick Jacob before he was born,…
Read MoreCan a woman speak out in response to a question or say “amen” during the worship?
Question: Is it scriptural for a woman to speak out during a public worship service to answer a question asked by the preacher? Is it scriptural for a woman to say “amen” at the close of public prayers? I have noticed this being done lately, and I thought women were to keep silent in the…
Read MoreShould Christians avoid unclean foods?
Question: I read your article and liked it very much! I would like to make a comment though about eating unclean meats. I am not saying that by eating them a person will not be saved, because we are saved by grace. But if we want to be free from disease and sickness, then we…
Read MoreWhen is it appropriate to start kissing?
Question: When is an appropriate age to start kissing from a biblical standpoint or is there one? Answer: Most people start at infancy. Okay, okay, I know that isn’t what you meant, but it does point out that it isn’t the kiss that is critical to the answer, but the intent of the kiss. The…
Read MoreIs it wrong to use a slogan?
Question: I am a member of the Lord’s Church assembling with the saints. The sign out front reads “Church of Christ.” I find your website very refreshing in that you say very little about the Restoration Movement, nor do I see you using the slogan “Speak where the Bible speaks, silent where the Bible is…
Read MoreWhat about ghosts and speaking with the dead?
Question: I heard that communication with spirits is forbidden. Is this true? How about those who claim that they can communicate with spirits? Is it a gift from God that they can do that? I learned that there is a verse in Revelation that goes something like this: “…the dead in Christ shall rise first…
Read MoreWhat is pornography’s draw?
Question: I don’t know if this was already explained, but why are so many people addicted to pornography? More and more people are engaging in this kind of activities. And the viewers get younger and younger. I highly doubt that there are any benefits of pornography. But why? It’s really a sin to do such…
Read MoreWhat is the name of David and Bathsheba’s firstborn who died?
Question: What is the name of David and Bathsheba’s first born who died? Was it Shimea? Answer: From the time the child is first mentioned in II Samuel 11:27 until his death in II Samuel 12:23, the child is not referred to by name. Since II Samuel 12:18 specifically mentions that the death occurred seven…
Read MoreCould you clarify when women may speak in church?
Question: I have been having a terrible time in our Bible study on Sunday mornings. I had been approached by at least two people saying it bothered them that I spoke up in class. One couple said that I was usurping the authority of the speaker and that I should know better than to be…
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