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Honor the Emperor
by Chadwick Brewer “…living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor” (I Peter 2:16-17). Often in Scripture, within a list of commands, one command or concept seems dissimilar to the others. I believe this serves to throw its importance into sharp relief. It is meant to be very…
Read MoreThe Riches of His Grace
by Terry Wane Benton It is exciting to go through Romans, Hebrews, Ephesians, and II Corinthians and note how many times and ways Paul mentioned or described “the riches of His grace” and how “unsearchable” these riches are. It’s like finding an endless supply of gold coins, pearls, precious stones, and other things that would…
Read MoreThe Goodness and Severity of God
by Jim Mickells via Biblical Insights, Vol. 14, No. 9, September 2014 “Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off” (Romans 11:22). It seems that many, if not most, in the religious world today only…
Read MoreA Siege Ramp Against Our Faith
by Lee Wildman via Biblical Insights, Vol 14, No. 9, September 2014 Masada was a fortress on a plateau overlooking the Dead Sea where Herod the Great built a palace over 30 years before Jesus was born. After the Romans destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD, they were determined to take this fortress from the Jews who had…
Read MoreThe Body Is for the Lord
by Bob Hutto via Biblical Insights, Vol. 14, No. 9, September 2014 It appears that some Christians in Corinth were trying to justify their immoral behavior. Whether their arguments stemmed from former pagan practices, were the result of bad theology, or were simply an excuse to do what they wanted, Paul knew he had to deal…
Read MoreThe Flood
by Terry Wane Benton “By which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water” (II Peter 3:6). The “world” Peter is discussing is not the world of Judaism. He is not speaking metaphorically of Judaism. That is sometimes read into the passage. It is not the matter under discussion here. What world are…
Read MoreAssurance of Salvation
by Terry Wane Benton “So, any Christian who keeps the faith never has to be worried about their salvation. Once Saved, Always Saved is not in the Bible. Assurance of salvation is. We can know that we have eternal life” [from a comment received]. The key here is “keeping the faith.” If you keep the…
Read MoreTruth and Fellowship
by Terry Wane Benton Years ago, I heard a preacher encourage brethren not to worry so much about who to fellowship with as about what to preach and support from God’s word. He said, “Just focus on preaching the truth of God’s word, and fellowship issues will begin to take care of themselves.” What he…
Read MoreLovers of Darkness
by Zeke Flores Jesus said that men love darkness rather than light because their actions are evil (John 3:19). That makes sense since so many heinous deeds, from robbery to murder, take place under cover of darkness. But when light shines in darkness, it will have one of two effects: Either those who want light will…
Read MoreLove of the Truth
by Terry Wane Benton Everyone does not want to hear God’s word. Jesus lets each person determine their destiny and therefore lets each person pick his own interest in truth or error. He did not waste time “casting pearls before swine” (Matt.7:6). When a person reveals that they have no inclination to hear the truth…
Read MoreOnce SAVED Always Saved?
by Terry Wane Benton Of course, those words are never seen in the Bible. They are not stated, and they are not even implied. In fact, to believe such a doctrine, you would have to work against many clear verses, either outright denying them or outright ignoring them. Not only does the Bible say you…
Read MoreOf Being an “Overcomer”
by Terry Wane Benton “He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels” (Revelation 3:5). As mentioned repeatedly, the overcomers overcome apathy, indifference, and worldly priorities. They gain the…
Read MoreWorking Together
by Doy Moyer The people of God are characterized by work. This is not a drudgery but a blessing demonstrating God’s fellowship with His people and His people with one another. Salvation is by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), yet God’s grace teaches us to “renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright,…
Read MorePagan Ways Transferred to Christians: Looking for Signs
by Terry Wane Benton On the Isle of Malta, Paul found some friendly natives. When a viper bit Paul, these people read that as a sign. They were wrong, and people who try to read events as signs today are borrowing from paganism. In Acts 28:1-4, the natives read the viper event as a sign…
Read MoreSex and Sanctification
by David Diestelkamp via Think on These Things, Vol. 56, No. 1, January-March 2025 Although it is hard to establish accurately, it appears that, of those marrying today for the first time, only between 3% and 10% are virgins. The vast majority of singles are sexually active. Christians are not immune to sexual temptation, but…
Read MoreI Don’t Want to Flaunt My Christianity
by Zeke Flores Sometimes, someone says, “I don’t want to flaunt my Christianity.” I get it, I think. They don’t want to seem “holier-than-thou.” I’d rather not believe they want to be closet Christians. But see, Christianity is obvious. There must be some plain evidence that Christ has improved your life, some manifestation of the gospel…
Read MoreThe Credibility of Jesus
by Terry Wane Benton Friends and enemies saw the miracles of Jesus. The enemies had to explain them. Their go-to argument was that He worked by the power of Satan. But the fact that they even had to explain them in such a way means that such testimony was credible from the start. Furthermore, the…
Read MoreDead in Trespasses
by Terry Wane Benton “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in…
Read MoreMercy and Grace
by Perry Hall Are mercy and grace the same? As with many things, metonymy can combine multiple things under a single word (i.e., faith often includes obedience and being saved by grace). Even with that example, faith and works are distinguishable. Faith is inward first (like mercy), being trust, and then demonstrated outwardly second (like…
Read MoreTwo Coverings Under Consideration
by Elvis Smith Some contend that I Corinthians 11:2-16 only requires long hair as a covering on a woman. But I suggest that if that were so, the three phrases like “praying or prophesying” found in I Corinthians 11:4, 5, and 13 would have no real significance. The three “praying or prophesying” phrases tell us…
Read MoreHearers Only
by Terry Wane Benton The Holy Spirit inspired James to write: “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves“ (James 1:22 NKJV). There are only two choices: self-deception because of only hearing the word and truth because you are a doer of the word. Hearers-only are deceived mainly because of the…
Read MoreWithout Walls
by Terry Wane Benton A city or country without walls is vulnerable to destruction. Jerusalem was an easy target for invaders until the walls were built. Walls protected the city. It was foolish to rebuild the city in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah and not have the walls in place to protect the city.…
Read MoreThe Divine Pattern
by Homer Hailey The divine wisdom has provided a divine pattern in all his ways. The doctrine men obey is a “form” or pattern, a mold, such as metal, which is poured into which life is fashioned. (Romans 6:17.) This pattern of doctrine was from God by Christ, who did and taught as the Father…
Read MoreThe Voice of Reason
by David Gibson Naaman A story with a happy ending Naaman, a Syrian army officer, had leprosy (II Kings 5). When he arrived at the home of Elisha the prophet, hoping for a cure, he was told to dip seven times in the Jordan River. This was hardly what he expected, and it offended him…
Read MoreWork Out Your Own Salvation
by Terry Wane Benton Paul encouraged the brethren at Philippi to continue obeying as they had in the past to work out their own salvation (Philippians 2:12). This did not mean that they were to work it out on their own, earning or meriting their way to heaven without provisions of grace from the Lord.…
Read MoreLove versus Grace
by Terry Wane Benton God does indeed love us all. He “so loved the world” that He gave His only Son (John 3:16). But, did you notice that even though He loves all, many will “perish”? Many will go to hell, even though God loves us all. You see, telling people that God loves them…
Read MoreA Brief Reflection on Ezekiel 34: Faithful and Unfaithful Shepherds
by Rowland Femi Gbamis via Unmasking Sophistry, Vol. 5, No. 1, January-March 2025 Over the years, God has blessed me by working and interacting with many leaders in the Lord’s Church in Nigeria, Canada, and the United States. I have seen the finest sides of these men as they serve in the vineyards of the…
Read MoreThanks for God-Given Friends
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Thanks-for-God-Given-Friends-Audio.mp3 by Anthony Hamilton My beloved grandmother, Sara Melson, completed her sojourn in this world the Saturday before Thanksgiving. She had faithfully fought the good fight and completed her race. She has entered into her final rest. She was among the most generous, serving, and encouraging people I know, and I am so thoroughly blessed…
Read MorePray at the Proper Time
by Andy Sochor via Unmasking Sophistry, Vol. 5, No. 1, January-March 2025 Zechariah prophesied of the future prosperity and deliverance of God’s people. Much of this was tied to the coming of Christ (the Messiah). Despite the oppression from outside forces, they could look forward to peace. Regarding His plan to bless them, God said,…
Read MoreDivision in the Restoration Movement
by Andy Sochor via Unmasking Sophistry, Vol. 5, No. 1, January-March, 2025 As a reminder, when we talk about the Restoration Movement, we refer to the religious movement that began around the start of the nineteenth century in the United States and endeavored to restore the doctrines and practices of the first-century church as described…
Read MoreII Peter 3 and New Creation Theology
by Chris Reeves via Unmasking Sophistry, Vol. 5, No. 1, January-March 2025 Peter’s words in II Peter 3 are being used today to teach that the righteous will come back after the judgment day and live on a renovated earth for all eternity. Jehovah’s Witnesses have used II Peter 3 this way for many years.…
Read MoreThe Work God Gave the Local Church
by Steve Klein God is the Master designer. We need only look at the physical universe to realize this. Psalm 19:1 tells us, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows His handiwork.” The intricate and marvelous design of the creation shows the wisdom of God. “O LORD, how manifold are Your…
Read MoreTwo Necessary Things in Christian Parenting
by Jen Venuso Whether or not you make New Year’s resolutions (I’ve been both), you’re likely reflecting on the past and looking forward to the next year. Right now, I’m heavily in the throes of parenting, so much of my reflection settles there. As a bio/foster/adoptive mom to seven kids (plus a few short-term kids),…
Read MoreBooks of the Bible Scavenger Hunt
Use your Bible to find the answer. The first person (or group) to get them all correct wins! Books of the Bible Scavenger Hunt 1 / 23 A book that was named after a queen Check 2 / 23 The two books that detail David’s life Check 3 / 23 The first book that mentions…
Read MoreI Never Knew You
by Terry Wane Benton Jesus said that some religious people who believed in Him and thought of themselves as doing things “in His name” would be surprised on the day of judgment about what He would say to them. “Not everyone who says to Me,’Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who…
Read MoreWhen Someone Says “God Told Me”
by Terry Wane Benton A few years ago, I read directly from one lady who claimed two false things while claiming, “God told me.” She claimed that 1) God told her to tell others that God forbids His people from getting the COVID-19 vaccine, and 2) taking it is “the mark of the beast.” Now,…
Read MoreFearfully and Wonderfully Made
by Terry Wane Benton Text: Psalms 139 Your body consists of 37 trillion cells divided into 200 different types. 100 billion cells make up the skin, which is the largest organ in your body. 100 billion neurons in the brain allow you to process as many as 60,000 thoughts per day. You also have 127…
Read MoreMaking Reservations
by Terry Wane Benton When we plan an important trip, we know it is important to make reservations. We have made some trips without good planning and spent time looking for hotels that were disasters. We cannot go to heaven by rejecting Jesus all of our lives, and then, just before we die, we want…
Read MoreFill It Up
by Terry Wane Benton What do you do when your heart feels empty? Moping around is not the answer! You must find ways to fill your heart and time with things that bring satisfaction and accomplishment to your life. Notice the “be filled” passages in Ephesians. Be strengthened in the inner man (Ephesians 3:16). Be…
Read MoreJustified then Sanctified?
by Perry Hall For those who don’t consider baptism the point at which God grants us His grace but rather an outward sign of inward grace, some propose moving baptism from the justification column to the sanctification column. Here are two problems with that. First, the scriptural problem considering Scripture is our authority. Notice how…
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