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Where does the Bible teach that not belonging to a congregation is a sin?
Question: Hello, I came across your question/answer page online. My question is, where does the Word of God teach that not belonging to a congregation is an unforgivable sin and one will go to hell for not belonging to a congregation? I’ve heard Church of Christ preachers speak as though one will go to hell…
Read MoreI keep failing and having sex after my baptism
Question: Hello, I’m seeking guidance. I’ve had sex with my partner six times now after being baptized. When I first met her I was really focusing on God and was still doing whatever I wanted. I had recently come back from Marine Corps training. I know all the bad things I did when I wasn’t…
Read MoreThe Rise of Catholicism
by Julius C. Nwankwo Unmasking Sophistry, vol. 1, no. 2, July-September 2021 The history of God’s people in the Old Testament is a history of faithfulness, apostasy, and restoration. This is also true of the church. Next to a study of the Bible, church history is the most valuable study for a Christian. In this…
Read MoreCan’t Christians meet on other days of the week?
Question: In regards to “Can I attend an InterVarsity Christian Fellowship instead of a church while at college?” My first question is on “One departure from the Lord’s church that you mention is that they have services on Tuesdays, but the church meets on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7; I Corinthians 16:1).”…
Read MoreI benefited greatly from the lessons about the collection for the saints
Question: I benefited greatly from the lessons about the collection for the saints (I Corinthians16:1-2). This has helped me prepare for Sunday school teaching! Thanks, Jeffrey. Answer: I’m glad they were useful to you in your studies.
Read MoreThank you for all the questions that you work diligently to answer
Question: Jeffrey, I just wanted to send an email to you to thank you for all the questions that you work diligently to answer. Thank you so much for working with me and all others that are dealing with different issues relating to their spiritual growth. Thanks for taking the time to spread the truth…
Read MoreWhy are singular pronouns and plural pronouns used in reference to God?
Question: Blessed day. In my discussion with the Unitarian Church, I used Genesis 1:26 to prove that God is not only one person. They ask me if God in Genesis 1:26 is in the plural form then why is it, in Genesis 1:27, there is only one God who created man? They used the verb…
Read MoreCan I attend an InterVarsity Christian Fellowship instead of a church while at college?
Question: Hi Jeffrey, Hope you are well. I have been a Christian for 12 years now. I am going to college this fall. I’m very excited. The college I am going to, while not a Christian college per se, has a very active Varsity Christian Fellowship complete with its own full-time pastor, full-time staff, and…
Read MoreHow do I deal with the fear that my dad may never change?
Question: Hello Bro. Hamilton, I just need some clarification about a situation. My parents are not members of the church of Christ, but I am. We went off and on when I was growing up but stopped because my dad didn’t take us anymore. However, we went back, and I was baptized when I was…
Read MoreDo virtual assemblies count?
Question: Hello, brother in Christ, I hope you are doing well. My question comes from Hebrew 10:25. Now I fully understand what assembling together means, but there seem to be those who say that assembling can be of anything and anywhere. So, does “virtual assembling” count as assembling as described in the Bible? For example: when the…
Read MoreDo I need to confess my every lust to my spouse?
Question: Hello, I first wanted to say thank you for posting these articles and questions/answers. They are very encouraging and I am thankful for your commitment to scripture. I am a baptized Christian man in my mid-20s. My wife (also a baptized Christian) and I have been married for several years now. I did not…
Read MoreI don’t think I should get the vaccine
Question: Hi Mr. Jeff, Good day to you and everyone in the church. My spirit is deeply troubled. I want to get some advice. I have this strong conviction in my heart and conscience not to take the vaccine. It is not because of thoughts that it’s the mark of the beast or fear of its…
Read MoreDid Solomon miss out on heaven?
Question: Jeffrey, Another question that I realize we probably can’t really answer. However, since I’ve been curious about it for some time, I thought I’d ask anyway. In the Old Testament, we read of Solomon letting his wives turn his heart from God. “For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives…
Read MoreI wonder if I falsely remember being baptized
Question: Some say it is absolutely wrong to be baptized more than once and to not do it. Some say it is an outward sign to others, and one can be baptized more than once for various reasons. I have even read that water baptism is not necessary for salvation, which I can agree to a point.…
Read MoreWhere does the Bible suggest swearing is a sin?
Question: Where does the Bible suggest swearing is a sin? And how does it define what words or type of words are to be considered sinful to say? We all understand that taking God’s name in vain is a sin. We are told this in the Bible directly. But I have never seen nor heard…
Read MoreWe need more teaching that elders must have more than one child
Question: Your article, “Must elders have more than one child?”, was very well written and researched. We need more of this to support the correct teaching. I was just recently visiting a congregation in which the preacher was also an elder but with only one child. I was very disappointed to find this out about…
Read MoreHow many streets are in Revelation 21:21?
Question: In Revelations 21:21, is it correctly written as “street” or “streets” as other translations say? Is it more than one? Thanks Answer: The phrasing in Greek is for a single street.
Read MoreWhere does the Old Testament say that the Messiah would die and rise from the dead?
Question: Hello, I have several questions that I have struggled with for years. Can you tell me where in the Old Testament it says that the Messiah will die and rise from the dead? Where does it say in the Old Testament that the Messiah will be worshiped as God? If human sacrifice was forbidden…
Read MoreShould Christians use the bankruptcy laws?
Question: Should a Christian use all the legal loopholes in or laws to avoid paying our debts? I personally think the bible teaches us to be honest, and when you use these laws to protect your assets you are cheating those you owe, or in some cases, you use them to not pay for your…
Read MoreThank you for the article on Once Saved, Always Saved
Question: Dear sir, Greetings. I came across “Is “Once Saved — Always Saved” a Bible Doctrine?” through a friend. Thank you a lot for this teaching. It has helped me a lot. Now I know better. Thank you. Answer: I’m glad the article helped you in your studies.
Read MoreWhat is the difference between seeing the kingdom and entering the kingdom?
Question: In John 3:3-5 Jesus first answered Nicodemus by saying no one could not see the kingdom unless being born in John 3:4. In John 3:5 Jesus said one could not enter the kingdom unless being born again. I understand what “enter the kingdom” means. I do not understand what “see the kingdom” means. How…
Read MoreCould you explain what was meant in “Can We Judge?”
Question: Good day, “We have a saying that we should not judge a book by its cover. We cannot judge a man’s heart or his motives unless by some means that is revealed. But we can judge sinful behavior.” This is an extract from one of your lessons. I’m not sure I understand. Can you…
Read MoreThank you for the article “Overcoming Bitterness”
Question: Good Morning Sir, I read the article by Lawrence Kelley on Overcoming Bitterness and I read the 3 points on identifying the characteristics of bitterness to our Wednesday Night Bible study class. Our minister was so touched by this that he wants to post a copy on our bulletin board and website because he…
Read MoreAm I being used by this man?
Question: I really have a feeling what all your answers are going to be. I just need to know if there is any hope for the relationship I am in. We met at work and I ended up having to spend part of the day being his monitor. So we really got to spend some…
Read MoreHow do I deal with fears of suffering before I die?
Question: I’m afraid of the amount of suffering I might have to go through when I die one day. I wish God would let me die in my sleep so I don’t have to be sick with something like cancer. I have depression over my fears. How do I deal with this? Answer: “So do…
Read MoreWould the Israelites who died in the wilderness not enter Heaven?
Question: Jeffrey, When studying in Hebrews the other night, I was noticing the reference to Psalms 95. Where it states: “Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as in the day of Massah in the wilderness, when your fathers tested Me, they tried Me though they had seen my work. For forty years I…
Read MoreWhy was a cross chosen for Christ to die on?
Question: Why was a cross chosen for Christ to die on? Answer: Jesus stated, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me” (John 8:28). Jesus not only predicted his…
Read MoreThe church started meeting in the Temple and the Temple had instrumental music
Question: Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16 are used out of context. Neither verse is dealing with worship services. The context of Ephesians 5:19 goes back to Ephesians 4:1. It’s about your life as a believer. The same with Colossians 3. When the Israelites were baptized in Acts 2, they went to the Temple daily. The…
Read MoreTwisted up by Evil People
by Matthew W. Bassford When we read the Bible, we learn about some people we simply have to feel sorry for. Hosea has to marry a prostitute. Jeremiah has to faithfully proclaim God’s message to a wicked nation that doesn’t want to hear it and will kill him for saying it. And so on. On…
Read MoreHow do you plan for the future without borrowing trouble from the future?
Question: How does one balance planning for the future without borrowing troubles from the future? Matthew 6:34 says to not worry about tomorrow because it will worry about itself, and today has its own trouble. One must be responsible about planning for the future within reason without imagining all that could possibly go wrong and…
Read MoreIs it wrong to kiss my boyfriend?
Question: Hello, I am 21 years old and am in a relationship. Is it too early? My boyfriend confessed to me that he fornicated once with his first girlfriend, and he really regrets and feels really so bad when he remembers it. He has never shared it with anyone except me, and it really took…
Read MoreIf a preacher sins, is he permanently disqualified from preaching?
Question: Hi, What is the proper term to call the speaker on Sunday? Is it a pastor or a preacher? Also, to be a preacher you basically have to have all the qualifications of an elder correct? And if for some reason a preacher sins, such as adultery, they would be removed from that position,…
Read MoreWhat are the books opened in Revelation 20:12?
Question: Good day. I have an argument with a Catholic defender on social media about Sola Scriptura. I used Revelation 20:12 that the written word will judge us in the last days. But he said that the books opened are not the Bible but the record of men’s deeds. What are the books opened in…
Read MoreWill my future partner determine if I’ll make eternity?
Question: Good evening, sir. Please, I have a question that has been bothering my mind. Will my future partner determine if I’ll make eternity? Answer: Who you choose to marry can reveal your attitude toward righteousness. If you knowingly marry a sinner, then you are knowingly placing temptation before you. After all, Paul warned, “Do…
Read MoreIs salvation in Acts 2:21 salvation from the destruction of Jerusalem?
Question: A member of the church has told me that Acts 2:21 is talking about rescue from danger or destruction, not salvation. He told me “saved” in verse 21 is not salvation from sin, it is saved from the Jerusalem destruction. Another member of the church said in the immediate context of the quotation from…
Read MoreDid Deborah lead worship and preached?
Question: I have read that Deborah did not offer sacrifices as the men did but did lead worship and preach. Can you provide scriptures to clarify this? Answer: I can’t provide Scriptures because the claims are not based on Scripture. Deborah was a prophetess and served as a judge in Israel. “Now Deborah, a prophetess,…
Read MoreAre automatic withdrawals for contributions biblical?
Question: Would you help me understand if automatic withdrawals from your bank account for the first day of the week collection are biblical? Seeing people place money in the tray that is passed around, I think, incites others, especially children. I love seeing a child place some money in the tray. When I am attending…
Read MoreIf you chose to fast, how do you not let family members know?
Question: Hi, I’m a little confused about the practice of fasting. From what I understand, we, Christians, have the freedom to do fasting and that it should be done privately. At the present time, families mostly stay at home and it is unavoidable to notice everyone’s actions inside the house. If one desires to fast…
Read MoreDid I sin by getting baptized again?
Question: Hello, I hope you are well and having a blessed day. I am writing you because I have been greatly troubled. I’ve prayed about it, and I’ve tried to get past the things I’ve done. To backtrack a little bit, I was first baptized into the church when I was thirteen. I remember sitting…
Read MoreI find the newer design hard to navigate
Question: Knowing brethren are growing is encouraging. I have used this site many times. I’m sorry to say I find the newer web page set up hard for me to navigate compared to the older system. But I’m sure it’s the seeking of the truth that will make me relearn. Watch and pray. Answer: What…
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