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The Bible Presents Testimonial Evidence
by Terry Wane Benton The Bible is actually a divinely legal set of 66 pieces of testimony, making the case for Jesus of Nazareth in a most remarkable and amazing way. The first 39 pieces of written testimony lay out the plan for the first arrival of Jesus and what He would accomplish when He…
Read MoreJesus, the Lord of Sabbath
by Doy Moyer The gospel accounts highlight the fact that Jesus worked miracles on the Sabbath. This, of course, was intentional on His part, but it also brought much criticism. For example, he was asked, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” The text says they asked this “so that they might accuse him”…
Read MoreAre You Making Disciples?
by Jefferson David Tant The last words of Christ, recorded by the apostle Matthew, are known as “The Great Commission.” They are found in Matthew 28:19-20: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all…
Read MoreThat Your Joy May Be Full
by Terry Wane Benton Jesus prayed that those who would become His disciples would have a joy that is full (John 17:13; 15:11-13; 16:22). It would come through knowing the truth of the apostle’s eyewitness testimony of Jesus which provided the basis for the conviction that Jesus addresses our need of a cleansed and cleared…
Read MoreTen Facts About Local Congregations
by Gardner Hall Ten facts about local congregations today: taken from the letters to the seven churches (Revelation 2,3). Christ knows their works! Most congregations have a mixture of good qualities and weaknesses. Christ considers some congregations in bad spiritual shape to be his still. Even though we might not be able to conscientiously recommend…
Read MoreLet Not Many of You Be Teachers
by Terry Wane Benton “Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment” (James 3:1). James 3:1 makes this statement, but what does it mean? In the context, it was a certain “you” that was quick to speak and slow to hear (James 1:19), who…
Read MoreTechnicalities and Taking Sides
by Andy Diestelkamp If we learn anything from what is revealed about many of the Jewish leaders of Jesus’ day, it is that there is a human tendency to justify ourselves based on technicalities, which some imagine as justifying their beliefs or behaviors … and they were wrong. In their confrontations with Christ, we also…
Read MorePrinciples of Teaching
by Doy Moyer Let not many become teachers. There is stricter judgment (James 3:1). If you are going to teach, make sure the fire is in your bones, and you are ready to bear the responsibility. Clarify and define. If you know something can be misunderstood, seek to be understood. Don’t hide behind ambiguities. There…
Read MoreIs Not Having the Original Writings a Serious Problem?
by Terry Wane Benton Torah Scribe by Ephraim Moshe Lilien It is not a problem at all. Unless all the copies and quotes are so contradictory and diverse that we need the original documents to settle the matter, the numerous quotes and copies of the Bible provide enough certainty that we do not require the…
Read MoreGenealogy as Evidence
by Terry Wane Benton One thing about all the lists of names in the Bible (forget about the difficulty of pronunciation) is that they were kept meticulously to keep the record accurate and verifiable. When Genesis gave a genealogy, it was to show that the writer was being historical and factual. Families could keep their…
Read MoreDoes a Leader’s Appearance Matter Anymore?
by Max Dawson Daniel was a prophet of God who was among the first captives taken by Nebuchadnezzar from Jerusalem to Babylon in 605 BC. He, along with some other Hebrew captives, were highly spoken of (Daniel 1:4). They are described as “…young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all…
Read MoreSuffering in Baptism?
by Perry Hall Amid Peter discussing suffering and judgment, he mentions, “baptism now saves” (I Peter 3:21). Contextually, what baptism saves us from is God’s judgment on a sinful world. The context from 3:14-4:19 is “Suffering and Judgment.” However, there are many ways baptism cannot save us from suffering because baptism is inherently tied to…
Read MoreIs the Bible Incomprehensible?
by Gardner Hall A growing number of articles in the last few years emphasize difficulties in translating the Scriptures. Perhaps they are slightly helpful in giving pause to some “hyper rationalists” who declare that all the Bible is easy if you’ll just let them interpret it for you! However, such essays need to be read…
Read MoreAn Old Body with a Young Heart
by Orlando Gonzalez Time: one of the great many banes of our existence. It’s a useful tool to measure how long we’ve been at a certain place or how long to bake a cake in an oven, but it is also an unstoppable process that leads toward the end of countless things on Earth, including…
Read MoreHow do I deal with work requirements that involve supporting sinful things?
Question: Good afternoon, I’ve been dealing with this dilemma for several months now and would love advice from a gospel teacher. I am going into my last year of college at one of the most liberal public universities in my region. I currently work as a Resident Assistant, where I help lead the residence halls…
Read MoreMiracle or Miracle Worker?
by Perry Hall Every physical miracle points to a spiritual reality. Every sign and wonder is inferior to the spiritual reality it points to. What would people rather experience? Jesus condemned those demanding signs and wonders (John 6). Miracles visibly benefited people. Therefore, they are preferred. Why are we so willing to accept the inferior…
Read MoreChristianity Is a Crutch
by Zeke Flores Some people say, “Christianity is a crutch for the weak!” I agree; it is a crutch. More precisely, it’s a help, a way to cope. God’s way is a comfort for the afflicted (II Corinthians 1:3-5), help for the persecuted (Hebrews 10:32-39), and strength for the downtrodden (Romans 8:31,36-39). The reason we…
Read MoreCan We Know God?
by Terry Wane Benton We must “believe that He is” (Hebrews 11:6) and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him, but knowing He exists and knowing Him are still two different things. I can know you exist without knowing you. The second is deeper in significance than the former. Knowing you exist is a…
Read MoreI Ordain in All the Churches
by Terry Wane Benton Text: I Corinthians 7:17 There was no such thing as each church making up the rules for themselves. From the very beginning, they “continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine” (Acts 2:42), and when the apostles taught something, it was meant for “all the churches” to teach the same thing and practice…
Read MoreThe Freedom to Choose
by Jefferson David Tant The freedom to choose is among the many blessings we have in this world. That freedom is found only in living beings, whether animals or humans. I have an automobile that is very useful to me, but it is a robot. It can only do what I choose, such as turning…
Read MoreForgive and Forget
by Luther Blackmon An old slave had defied his master’s order not to read the Bible and was being flogged for it. As the whip cut into his flesh, his owner taunted him with: “What can your Bible do for you now, boy?” “It can teach me to forgive master,” he replied. It is sometimes…
Read MoreThe Direction of This Country
by Andy Diestelkamp “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other” [John Adams, October 11, 1798]. Are you concerned about the direction of this country? Then, be concerned about the direction of your family. Too many patriots are more concerned about their…
Read MoreJesus, the Great High Priest
by Doy Moyer When God brought Israel out of Egypt and established a covenant, He also established a priesthood through the levitical family of Aaron. Aaron and his sons were anointed and consecrated through sacrifice, with Aaron as the first High Priest. The tent of meeting was made so that God would meet with the…
Read MoreShould We Follow the Majority?
by Jefferson David Tant The title presents an interesting question. Following the majority is a common practice in our everyday lives. When elections are held, whether for the President of the United States or for our High School Student Body President, the “majority” always wins. In a presidential election, I may vote for the losing…
Read MoreLessons from Saul’s Conversion
by Terry Wane Benton Saul would become the saved apostle Paul, and his conversion from being totally against Jesus and his disciples to becoming a disciple of Jesus, from being a persecutor to being persecuted, is a remarkable account of what is involved in the process of conversion to Christ. Read Acts 9 and then…
Read MoreYou Make This People Trust in a Lie
by Terry Wane Benton Text: Jeremiah 28:15 Jeremiah confronted some popular teachers of his time and rebuked them for getting people to trust in lies. It has happened since the Garden of Eden that people trust in lies. There are plenty of preachers willing to give false assurances. Religious leaders can be bought, or they…
Read MoreDoes Foot Washing Indicate Acceptance?
by Doy Moyer Much has been made over the recent “He gets us” ads depicting various scenes of different kinds of people washing their feet and having their feet washed. The debate is over what this means. Is it a good illustration of what Jesus would do? Does it accurately convey who Jesus is or…
Read MoreReading Past John 3:16
by Perry Hall Do we sometimes miss a powerful point because we stop reading? John 3:16 is so well-known that people stop reading. What happens if we keep reading? Notice these contrasts: “For God loved the world” (John 3:16) vs. “People loved the darkness” (John 3:19). “He gave his one and only Son” (John 3:16)…
Read MoreJesus Believed in Necessary Inferences
by Terry Wane Benton He said, “Moses wrote about Me” (John 5:46). Still, since Moses never used the name “Jesus,” it would have to be a necessary implication of Moses and a necessary inference on our end to conclude that Moses wrote about Jesus. The evidence of reason is strong; in fact, it is as…
Read MoreIndependent Thinking versus Presumptuous Thinking
by Gardner Hall Independent thinking about the Scriptures is good! The Jews in Berea weren’t satisfied with blindly accepting traditional Jewish interpretations of Scripture. Still, they listened to Paul with an open mind, searching the scriptures daily to see if his teaching was true. Those who are presumptuous in their thinking often assume the label…
Read MoreAlexander the (not-so) Great
by Jefferson David Tant If you have ever studied world history, you have probably become acquainted with the world conqueror named Alexander the Great. Alexander was born in Pella, Macedon in 356 B.C. His parents were King Philip II and Queen Olympias. He was well educated under the tutelage of one of the best-known philosophers…
Read MoreTwo Testimonial Testaments to Jesus
by Terry Wane Benton Paul “reasoned” with the Jews for three Sabbaths (Acts 17:2f) from the Scriptures (their own Scriptures). Thus, he started with what both sides agreed was true. The Scriptures had long been settled as true and authoritative to both sides participating in the discussion. The Scriptures would have to be handled accurately.…
Read MoreWhat’s So Important About the Church?
by Jefferson David Tant The comment is often made, “I don’t have to go to church in order to go to heaven,” or, similarly, “I can be a Christian without going to church.” The question is, “Is that really true, or is that a misunderstanding of what “church” is all about?” What Is the Church?…
Read MoreDiscouraged. Disappointed. Disenchanted. Disconnected. Disillusioned. Disheartened. Disengaged.
by Jonathan Perz When one’s expectations for local churches full of imperfect people drive their faith, they often end up facing one, if not all, of these “D’s” in the title of this article. I talk to so many who have walked away because they are hurt by the church. Yet their greater challenge is…
Read MoreJesus, the Way
by Doy Moyer “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” (John 14:6). Jesus declared Himself to be “the way,” but the way to what? “To the Father” is the immediate answer. That is, fellowship with God can only be attained through the path…
Read MoreInternational Relationships
by Zeke Flores International hostilities go back a long way. Way, way back. Consider the international relations in Isaiah’s day. Israel’s former enslaver, Egypt, was constantly vying for top-dog status, which they won and lost repeatedly. Assyria was the superpower of Isaiah’s day. Their unofficial mantra was “march and conquer, march and conquer.” The road…
Read MoreDoes Everything Happen for a Reason?
by R. J. Evans Based upon how often we hear the expression “everything happens for a reason,” you would think the answer would be a definite “yes.” Some time back, while watching a professional football player on TV being interviewed and commenting on his team’s loss, he remarked: “I know everything happens for a reason.”…
Read MoreNecessary Inference in the Old Testament
by Terry Wane Benton It has been said that the Old Testament was always direct in communicating God’s will and that the idea of having to “infer” God’s will has never been necessary and, therefore, is not necessary now. But is that argument a necessary conclusion? Consider just a few things that show that the…
Read MoreJesus, the Bread of Life
by Doy Moyer The Passover feast was at hand, and thousands were visiting the area. A large crowd was coming to Jesus and the disciples were concerned about how they could be fed. This led to the great miracle of Jesus feeding the five thousand (John 6:1-14). Jesus more than amply provided for the needs…
Read MoreWhat Is Institutionalism?
by Gardner Hall When young disciples ask, “What is institutionalism?” … How should we answer them? A simple definition is that institutionalism is seeing God’s church as a network of congregations with its traditions and organizations. Biblically, God’s church is His saved people whose names are written in heaven (Hebrews 12:23). Only He knows who…
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