Article
Is It Right to Criticize Another Person’s Religion?
by Kevin Kay It’s not only right to criticize false religion, no matter whose religion it is; it’s the faithful Christian’s responsibility. Jesus criticized the Pharisees for “teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:7-9). Paul criticized those who tried to bind the shadows of the Mosaic law on New Testament Christians (Colossians 2:16-23).…
Read MoreIs Homosexuality Just Another Way of Life?
by Guyton E. Montgomery Homosexuality is a problem that is plaguing the nation. Television, movies, magazines, and music are bringing this abomination into our homes. Children are being taught that this is just another choice and that there is nothing wrong with it. Something must be done! The problem is: if a person even suggests…
Read MoreThe Innocence of Jesus
by Bill Cavendar via Guardian of Truth XXIX: 3, p. 67, February 7, 1985 The Bible records six different trials that Jesus endured after He was seized in the Garden of Gethsemane. There were three Jewish trials: Before Annas (John 18:13,24); Before Caiaphas, aided by a group of priests and the Sanhedrin (Matthew 26:57-68; Mark 14:53-65; John 18:14-28); Before…
Read MoreDress Codes (Article)
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton by Elissa Eikelboom Why do we pull out our best clothing each Sunday in preparation for attending services? Many of us have our “Sunday Best” – those outfits reserved for Sundays and other special occasions. The thought of attending services in anything but our best clothing is so repulsive that many…
Read MoreThe Importance of Listening
by T. Sean Sullivan How significant is listening? Listening is the fullness of hearing. It is possible to hear someone talk and not listen. In order to hear and listen, one must be paying attention. My wife becomes very annoyed with me when she speaks and I do not listen. Perhaps I am distracted by…
Read MoreHis Name Was Jake
by Jack Wise Jake’s parents were normal compared to other parents. They both worked. They had two other children, girls, whom they cared for. Shelter and food and everyday child maintenance were provided. His parents were on and off “church” goers of a local denomination. Even though they lacked total dedication, they were loving caring…
Read MoreSober-Minded in Every Sense of the Term
by David Diestelkamp via Think on These Things Researchers at the University of California San Diego reviewed 14 years of accident data and found that “A blood alcohol concentration of just 0.01 percent was associated with risky behaviors such as speeding.” Lead researcher, David P. Phillips, Ph.D. says, “For a 180-pound person, that translates to one glass…
Read MoreThe Hardships of Preaching
by Jefferson David Tant The following is an excerpt from the story of my grandfather, J. D. Tant, written by Yeater Tant. I was rereading this portion this morning and thought of the hardships he endured, and how comfortable so many of us are. Would we have such faith? And would we be willing to…
Read MoreDemonology
by Jerry C. Ray Truth Magazine VI: 6, pp. 19-21, March 1962 Truth Magazine VI: 7, pp. 9-11, April 1962 Truth Magazine VI: 8, pp. 6-7, May 1962 Truth Magazine VI: 9 & 10, pp. 9-10, June & July 1962 Due to the limited information in the Bible on the subject of demonology, and in…
Read MoreThe Dead in Christ Shall Rise First
by Ron Daly via Guardian of Truth XLI: 4 p. 10-11, February 20, 1997 Paul wrote in his first letter to the Thessalonians, that when the Lord descends from heaven, “the dead in Christ will rise first” (I Thessalonians 4:16). Apparently, Paul had reason to be concerned that some of the Christians in Thessalonica were uninformed…
Read MoreCome Ye Out from Among Them
by Clem Thurman via Gospel Minutes, Vol. 58, No. 27, July 3, 2009. The October 2002 issue of “The Legal Alert” from the Christian Law Association lists nine cases in this country of Christians being opposed or restricted in one way or another in the practice of their faith. I’m sure that the number has risen…
Read MoreThe Christian’s Sabbath
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton based on an ad by Floyd Chappelear Some people teach that the Ten Commandments are a set of permanent laws established by God at the creation of the world. They believe that Christians are still supposed to be in obedience to these laws, including the law of observing the Sabbath on…
Read MoreChanging the Label Makes Sin More Dangerous
Author Unknown One of America’s great needs is to recognize sin for what it is. We are too prone to explain it away, or to soften its horrors. Wilbur Chapman tells of a distinguished minister who preached on sin, and one of the leading members came to talk to him in his study. He said…
Read MoreBut He Never Enlisted!
by Sewell Hall He served in the army but … “he wasn’t a soldier.” We believe there is a lesson in the following Associated Press report: “An Army spokesman said Friday that 15 year old Walter Lee Martin is not recognized as a soldier — despite two periods of serving in Vietnam, because he did…
Read MoreBabylon Clay Tablet Confirms Jeremiah
by Ben M. Shropshire via Lifeline, 7/15/00 The recent discovery of a cuneiform clay tablet by an Austrian scholar at the site of ancient Babylon confirms the historical accuracy of the book of Jeremiah. The recently deciphered tablet, which dates from 595 BC, refers to an official in the court of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon,…
Read More21 Reasons Why You Should be Scripturally Baptized
by Kenneth E. Thomas Because God commands it. (Acts 10:48) To fulfill all righteousness. (Matthew 3:15) To be a friend of Christ. (John 15:14) Because you love God. (I John 5:3; John 14:15) Lest you reject the counsel of God against yourself. (Luke 7:30) To complete the “new birth.” (John 3:3-5; Titus 3:5) To enter…
Read MoreHonor Your Father and Mother (Hamilton)
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton The command to honor your parents was carried over into the law of Christ intact. “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: “that it may be well with you and you may live long on…
Read More666 and the Mark of the Beast
by Jerry Falk Do microchips and bar codes have anything to do with “the mark of the beast” (Revelation 16:2; 19:20)? Before answering this question, we would do well to remember that the word of God is “handled” a lot in the world. However, it’s not good enough to just handle it; we need to…
Read MoreThe Use of Alcohol
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Can a Christian drink? It is a question that comes up frequently. Earlier this century, the United States ended the sale of alcoholic beverages because of the perceived dangers of these drinks. The prohibition did not last, due to strong demand for access to liquor. However, the question remains: “Can a…
Read MoreYou Can’t Tell Me How to Dress!
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton He came to services sporting a mohawk haircut spiked tall with hair gel. Each ear was pierced several times: small nut-like objects filled the larger holes in each ear. One eyebrow was pierced. His lip was pierced and when idle the boy toyed with the ring occupying the hole. His tongue…
Read MoreModest Apparel
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton “Therefore I desire that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting; in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, but, which is proper for women professing godliness,…
Read MoreNew Testament Beverages
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton One of the greatest difficulties in studying God’s stance on drinking is the bias translators have brought to the meaning of words used in the Bible in regards to drinking. The most common Greek word, which is translated “wine” is oinos which is directly equivalent to the Hebrew word yayin. (See “Old Testament…
Read MoreOld Testament Beverages
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Throughout the Bible, drunkenness is consistently condemned. We understand that a drunkard cannot inherit the kingdom of God (I Corinthians 6:9-10). Paul warned that carousing and drunkenness are improper behaviors for Christians to engage in (Romans 13:13). The warnings are clear enough that few people argue that being down-and-out drunk is…
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 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 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 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 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 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’…
Read MoreThe Unique Religion of Christ
by Dillard Thurman via Gospel Minutes, 1972 There are many religions in the world, but Christianity is unique! It stands alone. Whereas our coins bear the inscription: “E Pluribus Unum,” to signify “one among many,” it is surely not true in regard to Christianity. It is a unique religion. The word, “unique,” allows only one…
Read MoreThe Jesus Proposal by Rubel Shelley and John O. York
A Review by Raymond Elliott This is a new book, having been published in the spring of 2003, by Leafwood Publishers in Siloam Springs, AR. Most brethren know that Rubel Shelley is a preacher for the Woodmont Hills Church of Christ in Nashville. John O. York is “Associate Professor of Preaching and New Testament at…
Read MoreUnderstanding the Tetragrammaton: How Is It Pronounced?
by Ethan R. Longhenry In the religious world, there is much confusion about the Tetragrammaton (a Greek term meaning “the four letters”), referring to the name of God in the Old Testament, designated with the consonants YHWH. There are some religious organizations that place great emphasis on this name, and there is also generally much…
Read MoreApostleship
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton “Your church is not organized as the early church was. Where are your apostles?” Such was the contention of two Mormon “elders” who came to my door one day. It is not the only time I have heard such a question; there are several denominations that claim to have apostles, especially…
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