Article
The 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…
Read MoreThe Fallacy of the “Phobia” Charge
by Doy Moyer Typically, by its very nature, a phobia is an irrational fear. Phobiasource tells us that real phobias are emotional or anxiety disorders causing one to experience intense irrational fear. The person’s reaction is automatic (uncontrollable), and may result in a rapid heartbeat, shaking and trembling, the feeling of need to flee, shortness…
Read MoreBible Truth About Baptism
by Matthew W. Bassford via His Excellent Word, November 14, 2016 I’d gotten some feedback about my recent preaching on evangelism that I felt merited sermons of its own. One of them was last week’s sermon. This week’s sermon is another. Basically, some of the ladies were asking the age-old question, “But what do I say?” …
Read MoreTwice Adopted
by Jefferson David Tant Those familiar with Branson, Missouri’s entertainment mecca may know the musical “Twice Adopted,” featuring ten adopted children who share their singing talent with thousands. Their story touches the heart. Randy and Linda Koenig were childless until they adopted a child from Guatemala. One thing led to another, and another, and another…
Read MoreMaking Known His Glory
by Andrew Hamilton A section of Romans caught my attention during a recent Bible study. As a quick reminder of the context, Paul spends quite a bit of Romans explaining the righteousness of God. Partway through an analysis of Israelite history, he inserts a sort of question-and-answer section to make a few points clear. “What…
Read MoreLiving with Unanswered Questions
by Doy Moyer Most of us would likely agree with the idea that the older we get, the more we realize we don’t know. The vastness of the universe, the complexity of people, and the general recognition that we just don’t have all the answers lead us to realize the need to be humble. We…
Read MoreSin, Repentance, and Judging Others
by Doy Moyer Some discussions just seem odd to me. One such oddity goes along these lines (and it seems to happen over and over, especially on social media, so this is not a reference to one particular discussion): Person A: “People who engage in this activity are in sin and need to repent.” (What…
Read MoreThe Drive Through
by Sheldon Smith This morning on the way to work, I decided to stop by McDonald’s. It was one of those newly designed restaurants with a double drive-through. There were several cars in each line. The normal process is for cars to form a single line after putting in their order. It’s kind of like…
Read More“Where the Bible Speaks, We Speak – Where the Bible is Silent, We are Silent”
by Danny Brown The Preceptor – October 2006 This famous slogan, “Where the Bible speaks; we speak; where the Bible is silent, we are silent” was spoken by Thomas Campbell in August or September of 1809. It is implied by those who believe and accept the principles implied in the motto that they: Believe that…
Read MoreCan One Go Without Sinning?
by Bryan Garlock (edited) John wrote, “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin …” Have you ever considered the phrase, “that you may not sin”? It is true that since the flesh is weak and temptations are many, we stumble and fall from time to time.…
Read MoreIs Knowing that Baptism Is Essential to Salvation Essential to Salvation?
by Gary Eubanks This question may seem a bit obscure and requires a moment’s reflection to digest, but it actually addresses a very common and familiar situation. Anyone who knows much about Evangelicalism knows that at its heart lies the concept of salvation by faith alone. For Evangelicals, salvation comes at the point of belief…
Read MoreAre We Under “Law” or “Grace”?
by Wayne Jackson “Why do some insist that Christians are ‘under law’ today? We are not under law, but grace. The law came by Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus (John 1:17).” We must respectfully point out that the question recorded above reflects a serious misunderstanding of the nature of both law and grace.…
Read MoreBy What Authority? (Tant)
by Jefferson David Tant “When He entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to Him while He was teaching, and said, “By what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority?” Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one thing, which if you tell Me,…
Read MoreDo Not Love the World
by Dennis Stackhouse The fact that Christian people are to be different from those who do not follow Christ, is clearly stated for us in I John 2:15-17: “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all…
Read MoreSave Yourselves
by Terry W. Benton Only because of what Jesus did for us on the cross and only through knowledge of what He did can we engage in the activity of faith that will result in our salvation. There is a common expression these days that “there is nothing you can do, Jesus did it all…
Read MoreWhat Does Submission Look Like?
by Doy Moyer “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). Imagine a person whose normal mode is to run red lights (maybe we don’t have to imagine so much). He runs this light and the next one, but then comes upon a red light and sees a…
Read MoreCourtesy
by Morris D. Norman Whatever happened to old-fashioned courtesy? Oh, it’s still around, but it is becoming rarer and rarer, even among those who call themselves the children of God. The English word means, “courtly politeness, graceful and considerate behavior toward others.” Refined people are courteous. They have respect for the rights, privileges, and feelings…
Read MoreVessels Unto Honor and Vessels Unto Dishonor
by L.A. Stauffer via Son Rays, Vol. 30, No. 23, Sept. 7 2008 Paul writes to the young preacher, Timothy, and urges him to flee immorality so that he might be a “vessel unto honor.” His reference is to Timothy’s person or body and how he should engage in honorable conduct (II Timothy 2:20-21). The…
Read MoreIs Our Faith Known?
by Dennis Stackhouse As the apostle Paul was beginning his letter to the Christians at Colossae, he made this statement in Colossians 1:3-4: “We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all…
Read MoreWhat Is a Pastor?
by Jefferson David Tant The term “pastor” is a familiar term to people in most denominations. It is usually applied to the men or women who stand before the congregation and deliver a message from the Word of God as the preacher. And in many situations, the pastor is the one who has the position…
Read MoreLove Finds a Way
by Sewell Hall All Christians want to bring the lost to Christ. But each of us has some handicap that causes us to feel limited in our ability to do so. It may be a weakness of knowledge or difficulty in expressing ourselves. Perhaps it is a personality deficiency or even a lack of transportation.…
Read MoreCalm Under Pressure
by Dennis Stackhouse How can a person remain calm even when he or she is under pressure, sometimes immense pressure? Perhaps we should ask if it’s even possible to remain calm in this pressure-cooker world we live in? When we view this from the spiritual perspective we can say that it not only is possible,…
Read MoreTeaching Children About Fornication
by Mark Roberts “Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body” (I Corinthians 6:18). Perhaps no precept of scripture is as widely ignored as this one. Our society is absolutely obsessed with sex. Advertising, movies and television, printed material,…
Read More