Article
The Collision Between Homosexuality and Christianity
by Dennis Abernathy The agenda of the LGBTQ is to redefine the family. Bumper stickers are seen all over that say: “Burn the Binary.” What does that mean? It means to destroy the distinction between man and woman or male and female. Apparently, such foolishness is making inroads in our culture, since more and more…
Read MoreWhere Did God Say That We Are Not Allowed to Use Instruments in Worship?
by Paul Mays Question: Where did God say that we are not allowed to use instruments in the avenue of Christian worship that is music? Answer: The thing is God doesn’t owe us a list of what worship we are not allowed to offer. He is merciful enough to give us a way that we…
Read MoreExpediency
by Heath Rogers In the previous article, we discussed the difference between general and specific authority. When God specifies something, everything else is automatically excluded. However, when God gives us a general command, we are free to choose how to fulfill that command. This is where the study of expediency must be applied. Expediency is…
Read MoreThe Silence of the Scriptures (Rogers)
by Heath Rogers Bible authority is established through direct statements, commands, approved examples, and necessary inferences. We understand what to do with the stated commands and prohibitions of Scripture, but what are we to do with the things God does not say? We know what to do with God’s voice, but what are we to do…
Read MoreSubmission to Authority
by Heath Rogers We have discussed the need for authority in religious matters, the proper source for authority, and how to establish Bible authority. In this article, we will consider the importance of responding properly to God’s authority. Authority is defined as “the power or right to give commands, enforce obedience, take action, or make…
Read MoreBiblical Authority
by Heath Rogers By What Authority Are You Doing These Things? The Proper Source of Authority Improper Sources of Authority How to Establish Biblical Authority General and Specific Authority Expediency The Silence of the Scriptures Submission to Authority
Read MoreGeneral and Specific Authority
by Heath Rogers Previous articles in this series have set forth the need for authority in religious matters, the proper source of authority, and how to establish what God has authorized. This article will consider an important distinction that must be made in understanding what has been authorized by God. We will study the difference…
Read MoreIdle Words
by Craig Thomas “Help, LORD, for the godly man ceases to be, for the faithful disappear from among the sons of men. They speak falsehood to one another; with flattering lips and with a double heart they speak. May the LORD cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that speaks great things; who have said,…
Read MoreMethods of Divisive Teachers
by Doy Moyer Deceit is nothing new. Those who subversively gain followings, start new movements, and cause divisions are masters at it. Scripture warns us of this problem, so we should consider some common elements in the methods of divisive teachers. Every element listed may not be in every divisive teacher, but these are characteristics…
Read MoreThe Superiority of Christ
by Jefferson David Tant Hebrews chapter one contains a wealth of information as to Christ’s identity and his unique position in all creation. This is what sets him apart from all other so-called “prophets” and would-be “saviors.” No other can match his credentials. Neither Joseph Smith, Muhammad, Zoroaster, Buddha, Mary Baker Eddy, Ron Hubbard, Vishnu,…
Read MoreI’m Not 18 Years Old Anymore
by Zeke Flores I’m not 18 years old anymore My body doesn’t move as it did then; more things droop and sag, and more parts hurt and ache. At 18 I had very few responsibilities. I lived entirely in the moment making decisions solely based on my selfish desire for immediate gratification. At 18 I…
Read MoreHow to Establish Biblical Authority
by Heath Rogers God is the proper source of authority in religious matters. Our authority must come from heaven and not from men (Matthew 21:25). God has given authority to His Son, Who gave the Holy Spirit to the apostles. These and other inspired men have written the New Testament. Consider, then, the proper way…
Read MoreReverencing the Name of God
by David Gibson I once overheard an older woman ask a middle-aged man as he entered the post office, “Are they closed?” “Lord, no!” he said. “They ain’t closed.” In a Dallas hospital waiting room, several women were passing the time in conversation. One of them mentioned that a certain man they knew was 38.…
Read MoreThe Battle of Armageddon (Willis)
by Mike Willis Truth Magazine XXII: 13, pp. 211-212, March 30, 1978 Truth Magazine XXII: 14, pp. 227-229, April 6, 1978 Truth Magazine XXII: 15, pp. 243-245, April 13, 1978 Truth Magazine XXII: 16, pp. 259-260, April 20, 1978 In recent years, the premillennial controversy has raged once again. Practically every time that an attempt…
Read MoreMormonism and “Men on the Moon”
by Jefferson David Tant Adapted from an unknown author An unbelievable fact that is not known to most is the fact that Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon religion, taught that people lived on the moon. And his successor, Brigham Young, concurred with this. “The Inhabitants of the Mood,” an LDS publication from 1892…
Read MoreCreation and Resurrection
by Matthew W. Bassford The primary objection to the resurrection accounts of the Bible is philosophical. It is based on the theory of naturalism. This theory holds that all events have causes rooted in the natural laws of the universe. In the universe, dead people don’t naturally come back to life, so Jesus, if dead,…
Read MoreIs Everything That Happens God’s Will?
by Gardner Hall via Mount Bethel Publishing, 25 November 2014 After the death of a child, a horrible mishap, or any other tragedy there are always some who say, “It was the will of God.” Is that statement always true? It Depends! Yes… It is the will of God to permit tragedies and trials. Everything…
Read MoreWhat Is Your Standard?
by Doy Moyer What is your standard of what is true? How do you determine what is good? Remove God from any answer and what will you have? Personal preferences? Whatever society says? Human experience? What other options are there? Once God is taken out of the answers, no other standard suffices to provide us…
Read MoreHope for the Future
by Andy Sochor Throughout the book of Proverbs, a contrast is made between wisdom and foolishness. Since the wisdom described in the book comes from above, those who follow this and live according to its precepts will be righteous. Conversely, those who reject the way of wisdom will inevitably find themselves engaged in wickedness. Despite…
Read MoreJoshua’s Encouragement
by Doy Moyer As the children of Israel were preparing to go into the Promised Land, Moses delivered a series of speeches to help them understand how important their love and obedience to God would be (see Deuteronomy 6:1-9). Moses would not enter the Land himself, but Joshua had been chosen as the successor who…
Read MoreGrudges
by Matthew W. Bassford I hold grudges. It is one of my biggest spiritual failings. I’m not a particularly touchy person, so I don’t keep an account of light offenses. However, I do have an excellent memory, and though it is helpful in many other areas, it is not at all helpful here. When someone…
Read MoreEarly Persecution
by Andy Sochor via Unmasking Sophistry, October-December 2022 As the apostles were commissioned to “make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew 28:19), this would include preparing these disciples to face persecution for the cause of Christ. Jesus warned about this in His Sermon on the Mount: “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you,…
Read MoreThe Problem with Organized Religion
by Andy Sochor via Unmasking Sophistry, January-March 2023 Many people today disparage “organized religion.” Instead, they simply desire a “personal relationship” with the Lord. However, this is not an “either-or” proposition. In our service to God, we have personal and corporate responsibilities. Notice what Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus: “And He gave some as…
Read MoreThe Beginning of Apostasy
by Andy Sochor via Unmasking Sophistry, January-March 2023 As we noticed in “Early Persecution,” the early Christians openly faced severe persecution for the cause of Christ. While many abandoned their faith in order to avoid these persecutions, there were others who remained faithful even to the point of death. Because of this, the enemies of…
Read MoreAt Home
by John Gipson “And every day in the temple and at home they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ” (Acts 5:42). Harold E. Luccock once observed, “We have not ceased to preach at the temple. But we have, rather largely, ceased to do it at home. And therein likes one of…
Read MoreGo Back to Your Galilee
by Perry Hall The angel sitting on the rock he rolled away from Jesus’s empty tomb had a message for the women to deliver to the apostles: “Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has risen from the dead and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; you will see him there.…
Read MoreWhat Calvinists call “the Finished Work of Christ”
by Terry Wane Benton The Calvinists are often heard making of “the finished work of Christ” something that was never intended. They say there is nothing we can do to be saved. They say all doing is “finished” by what Christ did on the cross. But that is a misuse of the verses. Sure, Christ…
Read MoreThe Bible Says, “Get a Job!”
by Cody Westbrook The “give me” generation is bearing fruit at a rapid pace. Indicators have been readily apparent for some time through various movements but in recent months the socialistic push has taken center stage in American news and culture. One result of this is a near demonization of work and ownership. On the…
Read MoreThoughts on Baptism
by Jefferson David Tant The rite of baptism is almost universally practiced in the thousands of denominations that claim to follow the Bible. It is observed in various ways, such as immersion, pouring, and sprinkling of water, sprinkling of rose petals, etc. Then there is infant baptism, baptism of believers, and baptism for the dead.…
Read MoreJesus the Prophet
by Doy Moyer Hebrews begins, “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son” (Hebrews 1:1-2). Then, toward the end, “See that you do not refuse him who is speaking” (Hebrews 12:25). This is…
Read MoreImproper Sources of Authority
by Heath Rogers “Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, ˜By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?'” (Matthew 21:23). In “The Proper Source of Authority” we noted that the chief priests…
Read MoreTypes and Their Abuse
by Jerry C. Ray The Gospel Guardian, 5 January 1961 and 12 January 1961 Webster’s Dictionary defines type as “a person or thing regarded as the symbol of someone or something that is yet to appear.” The word “type” (Greek — tupos) is from the Greek word, tuptein — to strike, as when a hammer…
Read MoreThe Elder’s Children
by Jerry C. Ray The Gospel Guardian, 26 November 1964 In the study of the qualifications for elders, one of the most frequently asked questions is regarding the “children” (I Timothy 3:4; Titus 1:6). Does the expression necessitate a plurality, or does it mean that a man is qualified with either (A) one child, or…
Read MoreHow Does the Birth of Jesus Bring Peace on Earth?
by Wes Adams “Hark! The herald angels sing, ‘Glory to the newborn King: peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!’” These are the words of a well-known carol by Charles Wesley. The song describes the scene in Luke 2, in which angels are announcing the birth of Jesus. The angels declared, “Glory…
Read MoreIs the Church Important?
by Jefferson David Tant Is God’s church important? Does it have any significant place in our lives, or is it just something concerning which we have a choice — to be a part of it, or do our own thing? It is pretty obvious that many in the “Christian” world today see no real value…
Read MoreThe Mystery of Godliness (Moyer)
by Doy Moyer Paul through the Spirit provides what early Christians confessed, possibly even sang. He calls it the “mystery of godliness.” Yet what had been a mystery was revealed and understood through Jesus (Ephesians 3:1-6). “Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit,…
Read MoreThe Salvation Army
by David Weaks I wonder how many people know that the Salvation Army is a church. The only time you see them is at Christmas time when the red kettles and bell ringers show up at entrances to shopping malls. How many times have people tossed money into the kettle, accepted the cheery “God bless…
Read MoreThe Proper Source of Authority
by Heath Rogers “Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, ˜By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?'” (Matthew 21:23). The chief priests and elders who confronted Jesus were asking legitimate questions.…
Read MoreGod with Us
by Doy Moyer The coming of Jesus into this world, with all it entails, is more important than any or all events in this world combined. The light has come into a world of darkness, and darkness could not comprehend it. God is with us. Consider that Joseph was told not to be afraid to…
Read MorePossess Your Vessel
by Mike Thomas The Thessalonians were surrounded by immorality and ungodly influences, but those who became Christians “turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God” (I Thessalonians 1:9). In encouraging them to fulfill this commitment, Paul reminded them of the need to avoid the sexual immorality that was very common in…
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