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Catechismal Christianity
by Jonathan L. Perz Having faith and understanding your faith are two entirely different matters in modern Christianity. Many profess to have faith, and even show signs of that faith in various aspects of their lives, but have little or no understanding of the faith they cling to so tenaciously. What is the explanation for…
Read MoreIs Gambling Sinful?
by T. Sean Sullivan Are you familiar with, or have you ever heard any of these terms: Raffle, bingo, chances, scratch n’ win, lottery, or gaming? Have you ever made a “wager” on the outcome of a sports event? The Super Bowl is coming up in a couple of weeks. It is one of the…
Read MoreWhy Sing?
by Wayne S. Walker “I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing to You among the nations” (Psalm 57:9). The Hebrew name for the book of Psalms is “Tehellim” meaning “praises.” Our English word “psalm,” which translates the Hebrew word “mizmor,” comes from the Greek term “psalmos” and refers to a…
Read MoreThe Brotherhood
by Edward O. Bragwell, Sr. via The Reflector, December 07. “Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king” (I Peter 2:17). The word “brotherhood” here is translated from adelphotes. It appears only twice in the New Testament, both times in I Peter (2:17; 5:9). The King James renders it “brethren” in I Peter 5:9,…
Read MoreObjections to the Essentiality of Baptism for Salvation
by Abraham Smith The Bible is very clear in its teaching on baptism’s role in our salvation. It is an act of obedience that is required of us by God “for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38). The Bible does not teach that baptism is “an outward sign of inward grace.” Neither does the Bible…
Read MoreAnswering Arguments Against Baptism
by Dan Gatlin Brethren have long pointed out that “preaching Jesus” means preaching baptism for the remission of sins (Acts 8:35-36). Paul warned the Corinthians that when “we preach Christ crucified” some would stumble and others would consider it foolishness (I Corinthians 1:22-23). While many in the denominational world agree that belief (John 8:24), repentance…
Read MoreBiblical Reliability
by Dudley Ross Spears How reliable is the Bible? How do we know it is truly the word of God? What evidence is there that justifies our respect for and allegiance to the Book? In this installment, we will consider the things that prove the Bible to be a reliable revelation of the mind of…
Read MoreGospel, Word, Truth, Seed, Doctrine
by Carl A. Allen The denominational world has tried to seek unity by teaching we are to believe the Gospel and not enforce “doctrine.” According to them we should not divide over baptism, the Lord’s Supper, instruments of music, tithing, marriage, and divorce, etc. because all of this falls into “doctrine,” and we have no…
Read MoreHymenaeus and Alexander
by Kent Heaton Found only in Paul’s letters to Timothy, Hymenaeus is an example of a man who once had been enlightened of the truth, tasted the heavenly gift and shared in the partaking of the Holy Spirit and yet found himself shipwreck concerning the faith. It is tragic to witness the shipwreck of one’s…
Read MoreOn Being Educated
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Every school-aged child asks questions like these: “Why do I have to learn this stuff?” Why should a person go to school? What use are all those endless facts? Does education have a value from a biblical viewpoint? To answer such a question, we need to find its synonyms: knowledge…
Read MoreThe Extra Catholic Books
by Donald P. Ames Originally Published in Truth Magazine Vol. XIII 2, pp. 12-14, November 1968 Vol. XIII:6, pp. 10-12, March 1969 Vol. XIII:4, pp. 14-17, January 1969 Vol. XIII:5, pp. 13-15, February 1969 Many today sadly lack information about the extra books found in the Catholic Bible and just exactly how they got there. Many…
Read MoreIn View of the Bible, Should Churches Accept Homosexuality?
by Abraham Smith Homosexuality has infiltrated more and more churches. Will homosexuality be normalized as an acceptable and legally sanctioned lifestyle? Or, will those who practice it be identified as sinners in need of redemption? Will those who regard homosexuality as a sin and therefore refuse to accept homosexuals as members in good standing be…
Read MoreJudgment: Understanding Luke 17:20-37
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Teachers in various denominations connect many strange ideas with the second coming of Christ. Often these ideas are the result of applying verses to topics the original author never had in mind. Luke 17 deals with a coming judgment, but to understand what Jesus is saying, we must decide what judgment…
Read MoreYour Best Life Now? Really?
by Steven Harper Unless you’ve been living in a cave for the past few years, you’ve probably heard of a man named Joel Osteen and have probably seen one of his books, Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps To Living at Your Full Potential. [He also has a new book out now, Become A Better You.] By…
Read MoreA Soft Answer vs. A Soft Answer
by Steven Harper The wise writer once said, “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Proverbs 15:1). Good advice, indeed. We would be wise even today to admit that it is much better to give a soft [as opposed to harsh] answer because we will be more successful in our attempts…
Read MoreDating the Book of Revelation
by Steve A. Hamilton The date when the book of Revelation was written has been a controversial subject for centuries. The insight I have gained and relate in this article is not likely to change the debate in favor of any certain date. However, after reading many different sources on the subject, I have not…
Read MoreJesus: Intolerant, Confrontational, and Exclusionary
by Dan Gatlin The typical denominational view of both Father and Son is that “God is love,” and only love. What is so easily forgotten is His severity (Romans 11:22) and wrath (II Thessalonians 1:3-10). Jesus is depicted as quiet, soft-spoken, harmless, almost a wimp (nothing could be further from the truth). The consequence of…
Read MoreThe Bible: Dare We Leave It?
by Dee Bowman It is amazing how many religions, in general, have left the Bible. Catholicism bears little resemblance to the Bible anymore, nor does denominationalism. In fact, some of the congregations that wear the name “Church of Christ” are quickly abdicating biblical principles in preference for what the people want instead of what the…
Read More“Baptism is an Elective”
by Larry Ray Hafley Truth Magazine, June 16, 1977 “The great church history writers state that baptism misunderstood and misapplied became the major factor of separation in the early church which Jesus formed. Apparently the much mention of baptism in the New Testament overworked the minds of some ceremonialists to the point of declaring it…
Read MoreThe Age of Accountability
by Ben Overby The Bible is clear in teaching that we are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26). Therefore, to suggest we are born sinful is to say that God is sinful. We know that God is sinless, therefore, when we begin our journey in this world we are safe (spiritually), due to…
Read MoreAtheism’s Faith and Fruits
by James D. Bales, reprinted in The Preceptor, Vol. 1, No. 8, June 1952. Unbelievers constantly bring against Christians the charge that the Bible is unworthy of a place in a scientific age since it calls for faith but men must walk by sight. By the term faith, they seek to convey the idea that…
Read MoreAnswering Jeremiah Wright
by George Hutto When Jeremiah Wright, the former preacher at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, recently challenged the media in a National Press Club speech, he was asked a question concerning Jesus’ words in John 14:6 – “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but…
Read More70 A.D. ‘ism and the Kingdom
by Carl A. Allen In the book of Daniel there is a prophecy concerning the coming “Kingdom.” When this Kingdom comes into existence it is said of it, “And in the days of those kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall the sovereignty thereof be…
Read MoreThe Corruption of Money (Article)
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton In any discussion of false teachers, you have to address the issue of money. Money is a significant motivator behind those who would compromise the truth, for the love of money is the root of all sorts of evil (I Timothy 6:10-11). Even in Paul’s days, there were men who taught…
Read MoreThe Moral Danger of the Modern Dance
by Frank Walton Biblical Insights, Vol. 6, No. 6, June 2006. “Dancing” can be defined simply as “the rhythmic movement of the body to music” (II Samuel 6:16; Luke 15:25; Ecclesiastes 3:4). The Ryrie Study Bible notes on religious dancing in Psalms 149:3: “In the Old Testament, whirling motion done by a single individual or by a…
Read MoreDid 120 Receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2:1-4?
by Carl A. Allen I have been told, by many preachers of the United Pentecostal persuasion, and many others, that the 120 in Acts 1:15 received the “Baptism of the Holy Spirit!” All one has to do is look at the context of Acts 1-6 and he can see clearly that the 120 did not…
Read MoreOnce for All
by Billy Norris via Gospel Guide, Vol. 27, No. 12, December 1995 “Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints…” (Jude 3). The original…
Read MoreLatter Day Revelations
by Johnny Ramsey Gospel Minutes, Vol. 55, No. 9, March 3, 2006. Nearly all the denominations that have sprung up since 1800 have as a basis “latter-day revelation.” That is, some religious leader (usually self-appointed) claimed to have received direct communication from God in which salvation for this modern age is revealed. The names of…
Read MoreDoes God Speak Directly to Mankind Today?
by Abraham Smith Earlier, we studied Scriptures that show we have an obligation to read the whole Bible. In order to do so, we must eliminate whatever might hinder our doing so. Even so, some of us have false beliefs that reject this obligation. There are those who believe that God still speaks directly to…
Read MoreDo You Believe in Three Gods or One?
by Dudley Ross Spears Question: Our pastor says the Church of Christ believes in three Gods and he says the Bible teaches there is only one God. Why do you believe in three Gods? Don’t you believe the Bible? Answer: Thanks for the question. No offense intended but your “pastor” is wrong. Yes, indeed, we believe every…
Read MoreIs All of Life Worship?
by Kevin Kay via Biblical Insights, July 2006 That’s what some are saying. In his book, Unbroken Bread, Mike Root says: “Worship is a life given in obedience to God. It’s not a when or where proposition, but a what. It’s what we are. You can’t go to it or leave it, dress for it or from…
Read MoreThe Importance of Doctrine
by Steve Klein via The Bulletin of the Church of Christ at New Georgia, August 26, 2007 This past week, I noticed that the sign in front of the Presbyterian Church in Rogersville said, “Love God. Love others. The rest is doctrine.” The message was plain. Loving God and loving others are essential things, but doctrine…
Read MoreThe Truth Shall Make You Free
by Carey Scott “So now we call the proud blessed, for those who do wickedness are raised up; they even tempt God and go free” (Malachi 3:15). The sad situation in Malachi presents an attitude that many people today hang on to. The people were tired of being restrained in their behavior by the dictates…
Read MoreThe Battle of Armageddon (Roberts)
by Mark Roberts Armageddon is a term that has slipped easily into today’s vocabulary. One hears of “nuclear Armageddon” and the “final battle” in both political and religious speeches. What does it all mean? Are premillennialists, like Hal Lindsey, correct when they tell us the last battle will involve Israel and Russia? What does the…
Read MoreWere the Ten Commandments Nailed to the Cross?
by Clem Thurman via Gospel Minutes, Vol. 56, No. 20, May 18, 2007 QUESTION: I understand that the Old Testament was “nailed to the cross” when Jesus died. Would that also include the Ten Commandments? If so, what about idolatry, murder, and the other moral commandments? ANSWER: The first listing of the Ten Commandments is found in Exodus…
Read MoreWhy People Give Up on Good Things
by Abraham Smith Some solutions to consider In today’s times, many good efforts have been started and then abandoned. Churches have initiated efforts to save the lost, but they stopped. People have given up on themselves. Students have given up on their education. Husbands and wives have given up on their marriages. Children of God…
Read MoreWhy Is It? (Norman)
by Morris D. Norman via Gospel Power, Vol. 16, No. 1, Jan. 4, 2009. We see so many in today’s society that are doing so many things to destroy health and shorten life. There are many campaigns and many public advertisements to keep people from the evil of drugs, drink, and tobacco but the number who…
Read MoreWhy I Left the Baptist Church (Stevens)
by Grover Stevens No Animosity For Baptists I would like to say in the beginning that I have no animosity whatsoever against Baptists. Personally, I have no reason for leaving the Baptist church, but quite to the contrary, if personal reasons counted, I would never have left the Baptist Church, because personality is in their…
Read MoreWho Loaned Us Lent?
by Mike Thomas Now is the time of year when Catholics practice Lent. The term comes from the Old English term “lencten,” which meant “the spring season.” It is now used to describe the forty-day period prior to Easter wherein people seek to imitate the forty-day fast of Jesus in the wilderness (Matthew 4:2). The…
Read MoreWhere Is Your Faith?
by J. F. Dancer Have you ever asked yourself this question? We all assume that our faith is in God, but it may not be so! Paul said that when he came to Corinth he was careful to preach God’s word in a plain and simple manner so the faith of the Corinthians would stand…
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