Answer
Should a Christian school use an art textbook depicting nakedness?
Question: A university attended by many Christians currently uses an art textbook containing photography of nudity, photos glorifying homosexuality, sculptures of female genitalia, and multiple sculptures of nude human bodies. The administration and many brethren are defending such content because it is “Art” and not intended to be viewed as pornographic. There is one person…
Read MoreHow do we deal with a girl in our congregation who was raped?
Question: A girl in our church had a baby not long ago but refused to acknowledge her sin and repent. She recently said she was at a party that she should not have gone to, and she was raped by two boys. None of us knew this before. So how are we, as Christians, to…
Read MoreShould someone who fails to give a greeting be ignored?
Question: My brother complained to me about a girl who knows him very well. She came to his workplace but did not greet him. He was not happy because it showed disrespect in his opinion. (The lady is younger than him.) He also said that if he is in a position to offer assistance to…
Read MoreHow can we conclude that a person is glorified?
Question: I’d like to know how to define “glorify.” How can we conclude that a person is glorified? By what sign? Answer: The word “glorify” means “to give glory to”. Glory can mean honor, praise, or devotion, but it is usually considered a much more intense word than any of these. Thus, to glorify God…
Read MoreWhen did Samuel begin ministering to the Lord?
Question: Hi Jeff, At what age did the prophet Samuel begin ministering to the Lord? A teacher said seven years. Answer: We don’t know. Samuel was brought to the tabernacle after he was weaned (I Samuel 1:23-24), so he could be anywhere from 2 to 5 years old. As a boy, he served in the…
Read MoreI see your patience in trying to correct people’s misuse of Scripture
Question: I see your patience in trying to correct people’s misuse of Scripture. Answer: I’m glad it is noticeable.
Read MoreCan you achieve anything by just believing in yourself?
Question: Hi Jeff, I am a young man who is inexperienced in life but want to explore. I hear a lot of “you can do anything if you just believe in yourself.” But when I consider that there is a lot to learn, but our life span is short, I get scared. So I ask:…
Read MoreThank you for putting your articles online
Question: Hello, I want to thank you for putting your articles online. That makes it so easy to share with others, even around the world, with whom I am studying. Our congregation is like yours. I am hoping we can put our preachers’ audio or video online soon. Your friend in Christ. Answer: I’m glad…
Read MoreCan someone lose his reward but retain his salvation?
Question: Dear minister of God, Would you be kind enough to assist me in answering the following: For me, my understanding is that the believer’s eternal salvation is a matter of grace through faith alone. His reward is based on righteousness and works. Whereas the believer’s eternal salvation can never be lost, his reward can…
Read MoreIs benevolence by Christians limited to other Christians?
Question: I want to know whether sharing or any act of benevolence by Christians should be limited to the body of Christ alone. Answer: There are two standards for benevolence work. One concerns what the church can do and the other concerns what individuals are expected to do. The easy one is what is commanded…
Read MoreWhen will the rapture, seven years of distress, the war led by Jesus, and his 1,000-year reign occur?
Question: The four events that I am interested in are: the rapture will occur, Seven years of great distress on earth will happen a big war will then take place when Jesus personally comes back to earth, Jesus reigns on earth for 1000 years. Now what I wanted to know is: Will they occur before…
Read MoreCan I remove sin by myself?
Question: Hi, I want to know if I can remove the sin by myself or do I have to trust Jesus in order for this to work? Answer: When you sin, you put yourself into debt and into slavery. “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that…
Read MoreWhat should be done about a girl who is unmarried, pregnant, and not willing to repent?
Question: A college girl in our congregation, whose father is a deacon, became pregnant and is not married. She says she will not go forward and repent or make any statement of being sorry for her sin. I am an elder’s wife and have said to the other elders’ wives that I will not take…
Read MoreWhy is sin still our fault?
Question: Hello, I have something to ask that’s been a big question for me. I don’t understand things the way I ought to. All have sinned. Can you help me reconcile the fact that it’s impossible to never sin, but sin is still our fault? I know factually that God is not to blame, but…
Read MoreI just wanted to express my gratitude for all of the answers you provide
Question: Howdy, I just wanted to express my gratitude for all of the answers you provide to those who send in various questions. I’ve read through countless responses of yours throughout the years. Now, when I have a question about a biblical topic, I almost always type the question out and add “la vista” at…
Read MoreIf you fear God, how can you trust Him?
Question: I have conflicting thoughts about Cornelius (Acts 10). It says he feared God and was always praying to Him. If he feared God, how could Cornelius trust in God? Answer: I think you may be using the wrong definition of fear. Fearing God has always been a requirement for men to follow God. Abraham…
Read MoreDoes God sometimes show favoritism?
Question: In Acts 10:34-35, Peter said, “I now realize God does not show favoritism but accepts men who fear him and do what is right”. I believe sometimes God shows favoritism. In Romans 9:13 and Malachi 1:2-3, it is written: “Jacob I love, Esau I hated.” Here God favored Jacob even with all the sins…
Read MoreShould we allow our son to get an earring?
Question: Dear brother Jeffrey, I hope you are doing well, and that everything is going well in your work and in the local church. Brother, I wanted to ask about this personal matter. I have a 15-year-old son who is not a Christian. He is generally a good boy and obedient to us like his…
Read MoreAre the church and the kingdom the same thing?
Question: Are the church and the kingdom the same thing? Answer: Often the Bible explains things through multiple words whenever one word is insufficient to fully describe what is meant. After all, the Bible is trying to describe a world that we cannot touch or see. For example, Jesus is described as the good shepherd,…
Read MoreI’m not sure if my thoughts are sin
Question: I saw a website that makes going to heaven seem really difficult. I have religious OCD and I get blasphemous thoughts constantly and repent all day long. Some of the thoughts feel like I want them. What should I do? If I’m not sure if my thoughts are really sins, so I ignore them,…
Read MoreWhy don’t we have apostles currently?
Question: The Bible says some are called to be apostles (I Corinthians 12:28). Why then do we emphasize that no one fulfills the condition of being an apostle currently? Or is it a similar word but has a different meaning? Answer: An apostle is an ambassador of sorts (i.e., one with official authority to speak…
Read MoreCould Titus 1:5-6 be a “plural of class” case?
Question: Hello, I have been diligently studying the qualifications for Elders. I recently stumbled upon a discussion regarding the use of tekna. In one of your articles, you stated the exception of “plural of class” using widows in I Timothy 5. You stated that I Timothy 3 and Titus 1 show no indication of the plural of class…
Read MoreI’m using your questions and answers for some of my own studies
Question: Thank you, Jeff, for sharing your wonderful plethora of questions and answers for the world to see. It is obvious from the number of website hits that you have provided some valuable information from God’s word in application to relevant questions today. There are so many questions that are very pertinent to people today.…
Read MoreCarry on following the footsteps of Jesus
Question: I spend time on your website, reading some of the questions and answers. I can see that you are following in the footsteps of the Lord Jesus. I am encouraging you and your congregation to carry on doing so for the sake of His glory, for we are not called to please people, but…
Read MoreWhy do you use a capital “C” in “church”?
Question: I noticed your website and church sign used a capital C on “church.” This practice is opposed by every church of Christ I have ever known. Why is it OK or not OK? Answer: Yes, there has been a fad among Christians to use a lowercase “c” in the names of churches. However, it…
Read MoreDoes faith alone save one from his sins?
Question: Does faith alone save one from his sins? Answer: Faith does save (Acts 16:31). Grace saves (Acts 15:11). Jesus saves (Acts 4:12). The message saves (Acts 11:14). The resurrection saves (Romans 5:10). Hope saves (Romans 8:24). Confession saves (Romans 10:10). The gospel saves (I Corinthians 15:2). Knowledge saves (1 Timothy 4:2). The washing of…
Read MoreDon’t you think we need new methods to interpret the Bible?
Question: I think the reason that churches don’t grow is that they are stuck in the past using outdated methods to interpret the Bible. What we need are some new methods. What do you think? Answer: Well, I don’t have anything new – just some very old observations. In fact, it would be hard to…
Read MoreDoes “the Lord” in Amos 7 refer to Jesus?
Question: Hey Mr. Jeffery, I noticed in the vision in Amos 7 that Amos had at two different times referred to God as the Lord (no caps and not as Jehovah). It also appears that Amos is visually seeing the Lord (no one has ever seen Jehovah fully), so could that have been Jesus holding…
Read MoreI’ve been angry about my ex-boyfriend entering into an adulterous marriage
Question: Hello, My old boyfriend got into an affair with a married woman (with children). They have been pronouncing their love for each other for several years now, and they just got married this last weekend. During this time, I have been dealing with such deep anger toward the people who condone this. His family,…
Read MoreShould I just give up asking God for things?
Question: Hi. I hope things are well with you. I was thinking about something. I have been suffering from a chronic stomach illness since I was 16. I prayed endlessly for healing but never received any. Now I am 20, and in addition to my disease, I now have chronic back pain. Of course, I…
Read MoreIs avoiding getting your wife pregnant a sin?
Question: If I am married, and I am having sex with my wife, is pulling out a sin? Judah’s son pulled out when performing his brotherly duties and was struck dead by God. I know that it was because he robbed Tamar of her right to a child, but Deuteronomy and Leviticus speak of the…
Read MoreIs it all right to wear religious clothing, so long as we are not showing off?
Question: Luke 20:46 and Matthew 23:5 warns us about people wearing religious clothes just to show off. Yet, some groups claim a need to wear special clothing because they can’t be like the rest of the world. Are they okay as long as they don’t do it to show off as the Pharisees were doing?…
Read MoreJesus is not going to give our sins back to us once they are taken away
Question: Good works are not part of the Gospel (Ephesians 2:8-9), they’re not requirements for salvation, rather they’re the fruits of salvation. Paul calls the Philippians to work out their salvation in Philippians 2:12. However, this is not a call to do works in order to be saved, rather it is a call for them…
Read MoreIs the word “church” pagan in origin?
Question: I recently read something saying that the word “church” is pagan in origin, and it gives honor to the daughter of some sun god. I was able to find basically two different ideas on where the word comes from. Some say from “circe” which would have meant circle or been the name of this…
Read MoreHow could Israel worship idols shortly after agreeing to keep the covenant?
Question: In Exodus 19, everybody hears God telling about the covenant and they all agree. In Exodus 32 we read that when Moses is on the mountain (chapter 21-31) they let Aaron make a golden idol as in Egypt. How can they do that? Answer: I don’t know if you could have picked a better…
Read MoreIs a church right because it calls itself a church of Christ?
Question: How do you know if a church is the right church? Is it because they bear the name “church of Christ”? Isn’t it possible that a church might also be a Bible-believing church but might not have a “church of Christ” attached to their church? Or is the name “church of Christ” the only…
Read MoreWhy did the Jews reject God?
Question: I have read what was written on the website about why the Jews rejected God, but I remain confused as to why this occurred. Are you able to make it clearer? Using passages from the Bible does not explain this, at least I have not read it. What I have gathered, by reading, is…
Read MoreIs there any difference between trials, temptations, and persecution?
Question: Hi Jeff, Is there any difference between trials, temptations, and persecution? Thanks. Answer: In English, a trial is any difficult situation, including temptations and persecution. Temptation is when you desire something but realize that to get what you want, you would have to break a law of God. Persecution is when others make life…
Read MoreI got a girl pregnant twice and now I have no life
Question: I impregnated a girl over ten years ago. I told her that I couldn’t marry her. I went to university and tried to assist her to develop academically too, but all effort was abortive. I was taking care of the baby and paying all the bills. After some time, she has another baby with…
Read MoreAre we God’s puppets?
Question: About predestination and foreknowledge: God gave us a mind of our own, but He already knows what we will choose. Therefore, He can determine His plans without taking away our own responsibility. As a child, I learned that God predestined us to believe, so we don’t choose ourselves and that He predestined what happens…
Read More