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I Can’t Compete
by Jefferson David Tant The religious world is a world of fierce competition, just as car dealerships are in competition with one another. Obviously, the dealer that sells the most cars makes the most profit and has bragging rights — “We’re the #1 Chevy dealer in the Southeast.” How does a car dealer become #1?…
Read MoreFaith is the Evidence
by Doy Moyer “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1, NASB). Some translations say that faith is the “evidence” of things not seen (KJV, NKJV). What does this mean? We often point out that faith is not blind. Because of the use of the term “evidence”…
Read MoreLaw and Legalism
by H. E. Phillips via Guardian of Truth – January 6, 1994 Law is: “A general rule of action or conduct established or enforced by a sovereign authority; as, a law of Caesar; a law of God” (Webster’s Twentieth Century Dictionary, Unabridged). Webster says of legalism: “Close conformity to law.” Law and legalism are not the same.…
Read MoreWhy Worship?
by Matthew W. Bassford via His Excellent Word There has literally never been a time in my life when I wasn’t regularly attending worship services with the Lord’s people. Even when I was a little kid, even when my parents were members of a little congregation in New Jersey that was lucky if it broke 20…
Read MoreBeware: Diotrephes at Work
by Edward O. Bragwell, Sr. via Guardian of Truth – August 20, 1992 In August of 1956, I heard the late brother Gardner Hall preach on “The Baptism of Diotrephes.” I recall very little of the sermon beyond the announcement of the title and brother Hall’s unique way of introducing it. It went something like…
Read MoreLet Love of the Brethren Continue
by Jefferson Davis Tant Gospel Guardian – June 1, 1967 The most enduring quality in this world is that of love. The great apostle who suffered so much at the hands of false brethren, who was repeatedly imperiled by the elements, who was savagely persecuted by misguided zealots, who was forsaken by fellow workers, who…
Read MoreMaking Bricks of Mud
by Robert F. Turner Paul was set upon by a mob and then dragged from their hands by the police. Falsely charged, he spent two years in Jewish prisons and was then sent to Rome to appear before Caesar. His traveling days ended, and threatened with death by savage beasts (II Timothy 4:17), we could…
Read MorePainless, Pointless, Profitless Preaching
by Edward O. Bragwell, Sr. Guardian of Truth, October 19, 1995 The doctor, looking at the routine test results, announces to the patient, “Hey, man, give me five. Have I got good news for you? Your blood pleasure is super. Your pulse rate is fantastic. And, man, what a fabulous gall bladder. It is beautiful…
Read MoreShould I marry a man who is not a virgin?
Question: Hi, Blessings to you! I’m having a difficult time accepting someone’s past. First I’ll start with that I’m a Christian, not a perfect one, but I do strive to be the godly woman God encourages me to be. As a Christian and follower of Christ, I should never shame someone over their past nor…
Read MoreTumbleweed Christians
by Jefferson David Tant Tumbleweeds are a familiar sight in the western United States. A tumbleweed is a structural part of the above-ground anatomy of a number of species of plants. Once it is mature and dry, it detaches from its root and then is blown across the landscape by the wind. “Tumbling Tumbleweeds” is…
Read MoreJesus: “Public Enemy Number One”
by Larry Hafley How do we explain the Jews’ hatred of Jesus? What motivated them to kill him? If I had been a Jewish lawyer, here is the case I would have presented. (Let the reader understand that what follows is based upon the ignorance and envy of the day (Matthew 22:29; 27:18; John 5:39).…
Read MoreIs the KJV the Only True Bible Version?
by Ethan R. Longhenry via De Vibro Vitae There has been some discussion in the world today, even in the church, that there is one Bible version which is the only true version, the Authorized or King James Version. Is this so? How can we determine which Bible version is better, if any? Let us explore…
Read MoreThe People of God — Their Attitude Toward the Social Order
by Ed Harrell Throughout history, in relating themselves to the world, the two options which Christians have most often pursued were to vigorously strive to control the world or to disdainfully withdraw from it. Some have dreamed that they would make their society “Christian,” necessarily defined in cultural and nationalistic terms, and have passed laws,…
Read MoreFalse Ideas Regarding Death
by Wayne Jackson Each day of our existence we are reminded of the grim reality of death. It haunts us. We know so little about it. In fact, we know almost nothing regarding this ultimate physical experience, except for what is revealed in the Bible. But the biblical information is limited, and so false notions…
Read MoreReaction to Heresy
by Irven Lee via Truth Magazine, December 3, 1970 “Heresy must needs come” (I Corinthians 11: 19). Paul said, “I know this,” when he warned the elders that wolves would enter the flock (Acts 20:29-32). Peter said, “There shall be false teachers among you” (II Peter 2:1-3). John said, “Many false prophets are gone out…
Read MoreThose Who Will Give an Account
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you” (Hebrews 13:17). Most recognize the quote from Hebrews 13:17 as referring to the…
Read MoreThrowing Away the Key
by Dan Shipley via Gospel Power, Vol. 15, No. 8, Feb. 24, 2008. “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16). Sin is bad, but concealed sin is even worse. If deliberate sin is like…
Read MoreBurying the Living
by Jonathan Perz Do you believe in a doctrine that endorses burying the living? Baptism is likened to a burial (Romans 6:4; Colossians 2:12). Now, if we are saved (i.e., made alive – Colossians 2:13; Ephesians 2:1, 5) before baptism, then aren’t we actually burying the living when we are baptized because we have already been…
Read MoreWhat Does I Corinthians 11:3 Teach About the Role of Women?
by T. Doy Moyer Guardian of Truth – February 2, 1995 I Corinthians 11 has been surrounded by controversy due to the teaching about the covering. It is not the purpose or scope of this article to try to expound a pro or con position on the covering today. Women do need to carefully study the…
Read MoreYou May be Surprised to Learn …
by Doy Moyer Have you ever taken for granted certain things and believed them, just because that is what you have been told? Perhaps you find yourself in that situation now, believing and doing things because that is what you were told. Religious people sometimes believe and practice something because a preacher said it, or…
Read MoreA Father’s Reply
by Dave Beckley Long ago, my husband wrote the following to one of our sons. To our many sons and daughters today, please read, for he longs the same for each of you. Joanne Beckley Dear son, Your letter was very revealing and open, a reflection of your honesty and confidence in us. We are…
Read MoreJewish Feasts and Festivals
by Kyle Campbell via Truth Magazine In order to fully understand the Jewish religion and people, and to gain a greater perspective of a number of events in the New Testament, one needs to study the Jewish feasts and festivals. The Jewish feasts and festivals were scheduled at specific times in the annual calendar and they…
Read MoreThe Gift of the Holy Spirit (Bassford 2)
by Matthew W. Bassford A couple of weeks ago, I found myself chatting with a friend online about a very familiar subject to me, the meaning of the phrase “the gift of the Holy Spirit” in Acts 2:38 and 10:45. I literally spent decades arguing the point with my father, as part of our ongoing…
Read MoreI’m Not a Scholar, But …
by Doy Moyer It’s interesting to me how we sometimes couch our arguments with disclaimers that may end up casting doubt upon the very arguments we are trying to make. I tend to get a little suspicious of the argument when someone starts that way (including my own). Now that doesn’t necessarily mean that the…
Read MoreCan I Trust the Bible?
by Ethan Longhenry via de Verbo vitae By far, the most popular book in our culture is still the Bible, and for the Christian, the New Testament in particular. It is a text that is about 1,900 years old, and for some reason, we see many misconceptions about its textual validity. Common misconceptions, which I hope…
Read MoreWhat Difference Do Elders Make?
by Matthew Bassford via His Excellent Word Yesterday, a friend of mine Facebook-messaged me, asking precisely the question in the title. Apparently, they’d been having a conversation with a friend, and the subject arose. It has the sound of a rhetorical question, which says something interesting about the experiences of members of churches of Christ in…
Read MoreNot the Plan But the Man
by Larry Ray Hafley Guardian of Truth XXXIX: No. 24, p. 16-18 December 21, 1995 Forrest L. Keener is a well-known Baptist preacher and author. In his paper, The Baptist Watchman, he wrote an article entitled, “God’s Man Of Salvation” [March 1995, p. 1-3]. While this is not intended to be a review of that article,…
Read MoreA Fool’s Approach
by Gary P. Eubanks Two men are desperate to learn the answer to the same Bible question. Two men take Scripture and resort to the isolation of a park. Two men focus on particular but different texts. Two men begin a process that will take them far from the religious backgrounds in which they were…
Read MoreOn the Relationship between Good and Evil
by Doy Moyer Evil implies good, but good does not necessarily imply evil. Some have the mistaken notion that good and evil must be necessary counterparts. That is, if there is good, then there must be evil. Some worldviews are founded on this principle, but it is not so. Good does not in itself imply…
Read MoreSelfishness and Marriage
by J. R. Bronger Divorce! This word used to call to mind “breaking up a home,” and with it trauma, unhappiness, and all manner of problems. Today, however, it is so commonplace that it rarely raises an eyebrow. There is no need to overwhelm you with statistics in order to prove that nearly half of…
Read MoreFirst the Natural, Then the Spiritual
by Terry W. Benton I Corinthians 15:46 speaks of the natural body being first, and then at the resurrection, the spiritual body takes over. But, that change follows the already established principle found in the nature of the Old Testament versus the New Testament. We see a pattern form that demonstrates God’s plan and confirms…
Read MoreAs Long As It Doesn’t Harm Anyone
by Doy Moyer One of the most prominent moral justifications heard today is that as long as the practice doesn’t harm anyone, then it is right and should be allowed. The primary argument this is being used for today is gay marriage, to no one’s surprise. However, it carries broader applications, and those applications aren’t…
Read MoreAuthorized Aids
by Larry Ray Hafley The Bible does not state that Noah used hammers, saws, and axes in the construction of the ark. However, such instruments were authorized by the command, “Make thee an ark” (Genesis 6:14). Without the instruction to build the ark, the tools would have been unauthorized. The Bible does not mention church…
Read MoreIs Lust Fornication?
by Wayne Jackson The word “fornication” derives from the Greek term porneia, one of a cognate group of five words that together occur fifty-five times in the New Testament. The noun form is found twenty-five times, predominately in the letters of Paul. The word is generic in scope in that it refers to a variety of…
Read MoreThe Dispersion
by Alan Jones via Truth Magazine, May 4, 2000 “Has Ezekiel gone mad?” This may have been the reaction of some after they watched Ezekiel shave his head and beard, weigh the hair, divide it into thirds, and then burn a third, strike a third with a sword, and scatter the remaining third to the wind.…
Read MoreBy Many or By Few
by Irvin Himmel The situation looked grim. Saul’s men had dwindled to only about six hundred. The army of the Philistines numbered into the thousands. Saul’s men were poorly armed. Since all the smiths were among the Philistines, Saul’s soldiers had neither sword nor spear. There was much trembling among the Israelites. Some were hiding…
Read MoreNon-Participation in Sin Is Not Enough
by Edward O. Bragwell “And do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them” (Ephesians 5:11). Christians and local churches, when questioned about their silence concerning various popular sins, often defend and console themselves by answering, “But, I (or we) do not participate in such things.” That is all well…
Read MoreWorry, Worry, Worry
by Joshua V. Best Everyone knows the signs: sleepless nights, sick stomachs, mental breakdowns, deep depression, hiding away, high blood pressure. turning to drugs and alcohol, etc… These are indicators an individual has fallen victim to his own worry. Worry eats people alive, and Christians are not immune. It touches the lives of virtually every…
Read MoreSix Questions About Baptism
by Matthew W. Bassford This lesson was prompted by a series of questions passed to me by one of the young people in the congregation. They are all very thoughtful, and they are all on the subject of baptism. I think publicly exploring the topic is important. Others may be grappling with the same questions,…
Read MoreDangerous Preaching
by Sewell Hall A man who accepts the task of preaching the gospel accepts a dreadful responsibility. “My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment” (James 3:1). Application of these words may not be limited to what we commonly term local preachers, but they apply in…
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