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Comforter or Counselor?
by Matthew W. Bassford Translation is an art, not a science, and this is true even of translating the Bible. We cannot hope to establish a one-to-one correspondence between words in Koiné Greek and English so that one is an apt translation for the other every time. Instead, translators commonly are presented with several different…
Read MoreThe Bible’s Impact on Language
Many common phrases in American English have their roots in the Bible. Tell which book of the Bible each quote or allusion comes from: All things to all people Cast the first stone Doubting Thomas Eat, drink, and be merry Forbidden fruit Man after his own heart Salt of the earth Woe is me Writing…
Read MoreNew Testament Word Search
New Testament Word Search by Netagene Kirkpatrick R L U K E I W S N A I S E H P E O P T R P E T E R N E N I W H L I H H A G C I A S E M A J S I I V…
Read MoreChimney Corner Scriptures
sent by Vince Limburg There are many phrases in our language that we just “know” are in the Bible, but when we look they aren’t there. Which of the following are from the Bible and which are just a chimney-corner scripture? By the skin of my teeth All men are created equal An idle mind…
Read MoreCan You Find the Books?
OK, biblical scholars, folks who need to tear their hair out, and those folks, who have absolutely nothing else to do, here is a puzzle for you. There are thirty books of the Bible in the paragraph below — not all 66 books, only 30. See if you can locate them. Here are some hints:…
Read MoreBible Trivia (Relationships)
What woman’s advances were spurned by a handsome young slave? Who had three hundred concubines? Who deceived a man by substituting the bride’s older sister on their wedding night? Who said, “He who finds a wife finds a good thing”? Name two men who passed off their wives as their sisters. Who received the nickname…
Read MoreBible Trivia (In the Home)
He might not have been a baker, but who said “a little leaven leavens the whole lump.” Oops! Who broke three hundred pitchers in one night? Momma always told you, but who got into trouble because they did not wash their hands before eating? Who slept on an iron bed that was over 13 feet…
Read MoreBible Trivia (General Questions)
Though people refer to the Bible by this name, the name is not found in the Bible. What is the name? How did Elisha make iron float on water? What is the shortest verse in the New Testament? What is the shortest psalm? What is the longest verse in the Bible? Which books in the…
Read MoreBible Trivia (Fashion)
Who’s fashion statement included clothing made from camel hair? Who inherited Elijah’s cloak? Who had a seamless garment? What woman made a pair of kid gloves for her son? It wasn’t a look-alike contest, but who were mistaken for Jupiter and Mercury? Who had his hair cut once a year? Yet another unusual fashion statement:…
Read MoreBible Trivia (Death)
Who was the first person killed? Who was buried in a cave with his wife? Name two Hebrews who were embalmed by Egyptians. Who accidentally hanged himself in a tree? Name the seamstress who didn’t remain dead. Whose death occurred simultaneously with an earthquake but was not due to the earthquake? Who hanged on gallows…
Read MoreBible Trivia (At Work)
What was the penalty for working on the Sabbath? You thought your boss was difficult; who had his wages changed ten times? What preacher made tents to support himself? What two lawyers are mentioned by name in the New Testament? Who built the first city? Name the physician who became an author. What composer is…
Read MoreBible Trivia (Animals)
In what way were the disciples to be like snakes? Who blamed a beast for the evil they had committed? One day, Isaiah said, lions would eat what? Name two people who talked with an animal? What did Jonah do while he was in the great fish? Complete the following: A living dog is better…
Read MoreBible Literacy Quiz #4
Are the following True or False? T F Esau sold his birthright to Jacob. T F Ahab was a prophet of Baal. T F “Blessed” means favored or happy. T F Paul told us to “Prove all things.” T F Ehud was a left-handed judge. T F Scribes escorted Paul to Caesarea. T F Pilate…
Read MoreWell, I’ll be a Monkey’s Uncle
by Jefferson David Tant The above title is an old saying expressing complete surprise or amazement. While that saying has a humorous side, in another sense, it could be used by one claiming to be somebody’s great-great-great-uncle today from many ages ago. I like Carson’s response to the fellow who felt he was an ignoramus…
Read MoreWhat Will Your Children Remember?
by Lowell Blasingame The Psalmist said that a man’s children are “a heritage of the Lord,” (Psalms 127:4). Most admit that there is something badly wrong with parents who do not love and value their children as such. Parental love motivates us to be concerned about our children’s welfare and seek what is best for…
Read MoreRun Through the Rain
Author Unknown Oldest copy found was dated 2010 by Anonymous A little girl had been shopping with her Mom in Walmart. She must have been 6 years old, this beautiful red-haired, freckle-faced image of innocence. It was pouring outside. The kind of rain that gushes over the top of rain gutters, so much in a…
Read MoreWhy Jesus Washed Feet
by Matthew W. Bassford The more I study the Bible, the more I am amazed at its ability to capture profound truths about human nature in a few words. One such amazing text appears in John 13:3-5. To worldly eyes, there seems to be an immense disconnect between Jesus’ self-perception and His actions. He thought…
Read MoreThe Rule of Fear
by Matthew W. Bassford I suspect that the longer a preacher works with a congregation, the more the congregation gets used to the preacher and can identify his particular hobbyhorses. That being the case, I’m sure that some of you, at least, have figured out that I’m particularly interested in fear. In my time, I’ve…
Read MoreTwisting the Scriptures: The Homosexual Agenda
by Jefferson David Tant In the push to legalize same-sex marriages and make homosexual practice on the same level as to whether I prefer a blue or black necktie, some bizarre efforts are made to evade the clear Scripture teaching. One such effort is the publication of “The Queen James Bible.” This is published by…
Read MoreReading Matthew 25 as a Unit
by Matthew W. Bassford The wise and the foolish virgin by Jan Adam Kruseman, 1848 Through the years, God has managed to hammer a few insights about the Bible into my thick head. One of them is that in the gospels, the order of stories matters. It’s common for the Evangelist to arrange material so…
Read MoreWorks of the Flesh: “Things Like These”
by Ethan R. Longhenry Having warned them regarding the danger of apostasy in committing themselves to the Law of Moses (cf. Galatians 1:1-5:16), the Apostle Paul reminded the Galatian Christians regarding the conflict between the desires of the flesh and the ways of God in the Spirit and exhorted the Galatian Christians to manifest the…
Read MoreDo You Want Bible Knowledge?
by Gary Smalley I once heard an aged gospel preacher refer to a comment he received from a person who appreciated his sermons: “I wish I knew as much about the Bible as you.” His reply was, “Lady, if you study the Bible for as many years as I have you would know as much…
Read MoreSome Thoughts on God’s Wrath
by Doy Moyer One way in which God’s wrath is spoken of in Scripture is that God sometimes removes His protection and allows people to feel the consequences of the sins to which they have given themselves. Rather than intervene, He lets the “reap what you sow” principle work. Sometimes God’s wrath is carried out…
Read MoreSchools Among Brethren
by Don Martin Schools among brethren have been a troubling issue, but one not often and carefully studied. I shall not attempt to explore all the nuances of the school issue, but rather I shall focus primarily on the Church of Christ Seminary image inevitably involved with the Bible Department so often associated with the…
Read MoreYoung Man, So You Want to Preach
by Eddie Bragwell One of the encouraging things that I see among my brethren is the number of young men who are expressing a desire to make preaching the gospel their life’s work. Along with that the number of local churches that are willing to financially and morally support an aspiring young preacher as he…
Read MoreThe Danger of Assuming God Is on “Our” Side
by Doy Moyer If we believe that God rules in the kingdoms of men, we cannot stop believing it when things don’t go the way we think they should. We often assume God is on “our” side in a particular cultural, political, or even military conflict. If we believe in God, seek to follow His…
Read MoreThey Wrote What They Saw
by Matthew W. Bassford During our week and a half of vacation, we drove for more than 3000 miles. About 400 of those miles were through the state of Nebraska. I am sure that Nebraska is a great state for growing corn in, but when it comes to scenery, I’ve seen better. There’s not much…
Read MoreThe Natural and the Supernatural
by Doy Moyer The ancients typically would not have thought in terms of our modern categories that we call natural and supernatural. Everything was from God and nothing happened apart from him. Even pagans would have attributed pretty much everything to their deities. They did not think that because something happened in nature, that meant…
Read MoreJesus Turns up the Pressure
by Matthew W. Bassford As different as the four gospels are, all four of them put their greatest emphasis on the events of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. Before that point, their narratives take different paths and discuss different things. At that point, all of them focus on the garden, the cross, and the empty…
Read MoreTo the Depressed or Anxious Who Are on Medication
by Douglas Groothuis To those who are depressed or anxious and on medications for it or for those who are considering medication: Photo by Jude Beck on Unsplash Christians often consider the use of medications for depression or anxiety a spiritual failure. I know of a Christian man who has been depressed for at least…
Read MoreYour Wreckage Can be Repaired!
by Gary Henry “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life” (I Timothy 1:15-16). Under the influence…
Read MoreWhy All the Fuss about Grace-Fellowship?
by Aubrey Belue, Jr. via Gospel Guardian, August 15, 1974 In recent months, much writing –“pro” and “con” (but mostly “con”) — has been done on the “grace-fellowship” issue. Due to the misdirection and “side issues” that now obscure the scene, wisdom requires us to seek a clear definition of matters as they currently stand.…
Read MoreIt’s Not Politics
by Irvin Himmel Moral statements and positions will, necessarily, impact political issues. This is not because morality is inherently political, but because the government has the task of recognizing the difference between good and evil, so moral issues will have to be dealt with (Rom 13:3-4). This means that, contrary to what is so often…
Read MoreForceful Arguments
by Doy Moyer An argument won by force is no real win, but is a sham masquerading as truth. As soon as bullies face real arguments, they merely flex more muscle instead of exerting the effort of thinking things out and through in a reasonable manner. Bullies fear truth and so will suppress it in…
Read MoreDifferences in Bible Miracles and Modern Miracles
by Hiram Hutto While Jesus was on earth he made some very startling claims. He claimed to be divine, and the Jews so understood him (John 5:18; 10:33). He claimed to be the Son of God (John 10:35-37). He claimed to be the Messiah (John 4:25-26) and the Savior of the world (John 14:6). But…
Read MoreKeeping Our Dignity
by Bruce Reeves Preparing for a sermon I came across this passage as Paul wrote to Timothy and thought I would share: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. Avoid godless chatter, because those…
Read MoreThe Timeline of the Resurrection
by Matthew W. Bassford Recently, I’ve become aware that there is this thing floating around on the Internet called “The Easter Challenge”. The inventor of this challenge is an atheist. He asserts that the Biblical accounts of the resurrection of Jesus contradict each other so significantly that they are clearly false and so provide no…
Read MoreWhy Does God Delay?
by Matthew W. Bassford At some point in their lives, all Christians have to deal with the disappointment and frustration of God not answering their prayers on their timetable. They want something that is godly and good, they pray for it, and. . . nothing. Photo by Agê Barros on Unsplash When we are wrestling…
Read MoreTwo Ways to Keep Members Faithful
by Bill Hall There are two ways to keep members of the church “faithful.” The first way is to be sure everyone is involved. Have a project for each member, and make sure that he feels important in his role. Praise him for the good job he is doing. Make him feel needed; make him…
Read MoreRejoicing in an Evil Report
by Matthew W. Bassford The other day, a Facebook friend of mine posted the following quotation from C.S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity, something she apparently does annually. “Suppose one reads a story of filthy atrocities in the paper. Then suppose that something turns up suggesting that the story might not be quite true, or not quite…
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