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Can We All See the Bible Alike?
by Jefferson David Tant Religious division exists on every hand. In every city and village, buildings are erected as monuments to religion. Some say this is good, but the bottom line is that this represents confusion and division. There are multiplied thousands of sects or denominations within what is called “Christianity.” This division is confusing…
Read MoreTradition, Feeling, and Scripture
by Doy Moyer Tradition is basically what has been handed down for the next generation to believe and practice. There is nothing wrong with that. Teachings and practices are meant to be passed down. Indeed, tradition is necessary and unavoidable, and no one is without traditions of some kind (including any who claim to dislike…
Read MoreEvidence for Mark’s Longer Ending
by Perry Hall Should we accept Mark’s longer ending (Mark 16:9-20), or instead concur with a popular scholarly conclusion that verse 8 is the proper ending? Here I will present one argument for why I think the longer ending is fitting to Mark’s gospel. Notice the claim: “the longer ending is fitting to Mark’s gospel”.…
Read MoreEvolution’s Missing Fossils
by Jon Gary Williams The idea of an evolving scale of life has been around for more than two thousand years — from the time of Thales, Anaximander, and Empedocles. Yet it was not until the days of Charles Darwin that the idea began to take on any essence of science. Men such as Jean-Baptiste…
Read MoreFlippancy Toward Reproduction
by Andy Diestelkamp Undoubtedly the invention of the birth control pill fueled “the sexual revolution.” The prospect of sexual experience without “consequences” gave women what some men imagined that they already “enjoyed” – freedom! Freedom from responsibilities and the burdens that come with them. Yet, this stereotypical flippant male mentality which imagines personal freedom from the…
Read MoreEarly Christians Speak Concerning Assembling
by Ron Halbrook The early saints speak to us in both word and deed regarding their assemblies. Their narrative is rich with lessons for us today if only we have hearts to hear. Let us review and reflect upon the record of their meetings in the book of Acts in the first century, and a…
Read MoreThe Black Type in the Red-Letter Edition of the New Testament
by Garry Smalley Of course, it is extremely disturbing to read or hear destructive criticisms toward the Holy Bible as unbelievers state disparaging comments regarding the reliability of the God-breathed writings (II Timothy 3:16; cf. II Peter 1:16-21; I Corinthians 2:12-13). But even among Christians, there are some who seek to diminish the authority of…
Read MoreTraditionalists and Progressives
by Gardner Hall There are two opposite but equally harmful attitudes among churches I know: The Overly Compliant Spirit It’s the spirit that accepts without question whatever leaders or church traditions have historically taught. It declares, “my family has been in this church for years, and whatever they say is what I am going to…
Read MoreThe Sin of Small Churches
by Mike Thomas It is not uncommon for people to measure a church’s success solely by the numbers it has in attendance. One of the first things I am asked when people learn I am a preacher is how big the church is where I attend. They will then use this as a benchmark for…
Read MoreThe Sin of Self-Righteousness
by Steven Harper Jesus rebuked the religious leaders of the first century, often because they had a too-high view of themselves. When He was at the house of Simon [a Pharisee], a woman who was known to be a sinner came in and began to wash His feet with her tears, wiping them dry with…
Read MoreThe Words of Jesus (Moyer)
by Doy Moyer The recognition of the Lordship of Jesus Christ is integrally linked to His word as recorded in Scripture: “The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day” (John 12:48). The only way we know…
Read MoreThe Contagion of Emotions
by Terry Wane Benton At Ephesus, there was a stirring of emotions causing the idolatrous people to start a long series of chants and emotional outbursts of “Great is Diana of the Ephesians” (Acts 19:34). This constant chant went on for two hours. There was a contagion of emotions, and perhaps the fervor for Diana…
Read MoreJoyful Devotion
by George Slover “For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God Than dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold…
Read MoreChurch Snake Handlers
by Terry Wane Benton I am sorry that a preacher died due to his misunderstanding of the promise of Jesus in Mark 16:15-20. But, the promise was to the apostles who had just been rebuked for “their” unbelief. The miracles that would “follow” those apostles who believed included the promise of protection from taking up…
Read MoreThe Scheme of Redemption
by Bryan Vinson The Scheme of Redemption in Prophecy The Scheme of Redemption in Type The Scheme of Redemption in Preparation The Scheme of Redemption in Perfection and Presentation
Read MoreWhat I’ve Learned About Repentance
by Perry Hall When I review my life I have become convinced of three (among many) necessities for spiritual victory: True repentance is more than being sorry. It is peeling back, again and again, the layers of your sin, finding how many sins were involved even within “one” sin. Does one sin ever involve one…
Read MoreIn All the Churches
by Terry W. Benton In the first century, you had churches in different locations, but all the churches were taught the same thing and practiced the same thing, and if they drifted away from that teaching they did not have God (II John 9-10; I Corinthians 4:17; 7:17). There was one standard and body of…
Read MoreChrist or Muhammad?
by Jefferson David Tant The rapid spread of Islam has caused concern among Bible believers. Some 40 nations are majority Muslim, and most of the terrorism around the world has been fostered by Muslim extremists. While some experts have made a distinction between the terrorist activities of Muslim fundamentalists and true Islamic beliefs, it is…
Read MoreThe Rules Apply to All of You, Except for Us
by Orlando Gonzalez “They hate him who reproves in the gate, And they abhor him who speaks with integrity” (Amos 5:10). It is no secret that the arrival, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ flipped the world upside down nearly two thousand years ago. The ancient world, at that time, was in a state of…
Read MoreLarimore and Tant
by F. Yater Tant Gospel Guardian, September 22, 1955 In the 1890s the beloved T. B. Larimore held a six-month meeting at Sherman, Texas, and baptized something like 250 people. His prestige there and his influence were almost comparable to Paul’s in Galatia at the time the Galatians “would have plucked out their eyes” and…
Read MoreA Little Dating Advice for Singles
by David Maxson “Now in all Israel there was no one so much to be praised for his handsome appearance as Absalom. From the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no blemish on him”(II Samuel 14:25). How much stock do you put into appearance? To some, it’s the first…
Read MoreAdvice to Young Preachers
Andy Sochor Plain Bible Teaching, 7 September 2011 Some might wonder how it is that someone like myself – a thirty-year-old with no “full-time” preaching experience – would be so bold as to hand out advice to young preachers (many of whom would be my peers). I am not so arrogant as to think that…
Read MoreThe Perversion of Homosexuality
Quote from Robert Jeffress But God’s Word has not changed. The Bible describes homosexuality as a perversion of God’s design for human sexuality that has devastating physical, emotional, and spiritual consequences. Christians should not fall into the trap of cutting our consciences to fit this year’s fashion, to paraphrase American playwright Lillian Hellman. Homosexuality is…
Read MoreDon’t Be a Victim
by Perry Hall The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), in modern lingo, teaches these two counter-culture concepts: Suffering doesn’t make you a victim when you find your blessing from God and not circumstances. Victimizing others doesn’t make you powerful when your victims refuse to get their dignity through your oppressive eyes. Check out the…
Read MorePlanning Your Life
by P.D. Wilmeth These seven teenage years are a great adventure in experiences, with all the risks and hazards of unknown paths. They are tremendously important years this is a journey that we make only once. There is no roundtrip ticket, most of us according to the calendar will be on this road for about…
Read MoreThe Root Cause of Violence
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton “For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them. But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. Do…
Read MoreThe Root Cause of Sexual Sins
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I’ve become fascinated by the lists presented in the Bible when I came to realize that many of them are more than a collection of related items. Permit me to illustrate this with a list that Paul gave in Colossians 3. “Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead…
Read MoreOn Offending Others
by Jefferson David Tant Did you ever offend someone? Have you ever been offended? I am quite sure we can all answer “Yes” to both of those questions. And while it should never be our intent to offend others, we know it does happen. Sometimes it is done unintentionally, while there are times when we…
Read MoreThe Palm and Cedar Trees
by Wayne S. Walker “The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree; he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon” (Psalm 92:12). I have always liked looking at palm trees. Of course, growing up in the midwest I never saw a palm tree, except for potted ones indoors and on television shows, until I went…
Read MoreSaints (Harris)
by Webb Harris, Jr. Guardian of Truth XXXII: 13, pp. 402-403, July 7, 1988 The Problem of Avoided Terms It is fundamental to a proper understanding of divine revelation that we appreciate that the “popular” definitions of many words common to the Scriptures differ from the intended ideas of the inspired writers. The term “saint”…
Read MoreThe Fullness of Time (Tant)
by Jefferson David Tant In two passages, the apostle Paul uses the expression “the fullness of the time,” and this expression is very “full” in its meaning. Among other things, it shows God’s wisdom in preparing the world for the coming of his Son, and as we look at the condition of the world in…
Read MoreThe 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 (Thomas)
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…
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