God Breathed

by Stan Cox In II Timothy 3, the apostle Paul penned a wonderful sentence that establishes both the precious nature of the words contained in our Bibles and their efficacy in ordering our lives as His servants. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for…

Read More

What does the Bible have to do with God?

Question: What does the Bible have to do with God? I’ve been reading questions and answers on your site, and I really like how you stick with the Bible without adding any opinions that aren’t in there. You see, I have a problem, and I was hoping you would be able to help me. I’ve…

Read More

Why I Believe the Bible Is God’s Only Revelation

by Terry W. Benton There is something unique about the Bible that sets it apart from all other books that claim some kind of divine authority associated with them. Human Wisdom Alone Can Account For All Others When we examine each book there are features that lend credibility to the claim of inspiration in one…

Read More

The Weight of the Nails

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/WeightOfTheNails.mp3 Text: Psalm 139   I.         For a book as concise as the Bible, it contains a surprising amount of detail             A.        Detail that many ignore             B.        So much detail that Reader’s Digest once took it upon themselves to produce a condensed version of the Bible, for which they were justly ridiculed.             C.        I Corinthians 2:12-13 – God selected…

Read More

Inspiration and Trivia

Short Talk   Question:        How can the Bible claim to be from the mouth of God when it contains so much trivial information, such as Paul’s request to bring his cloak in II Timothy 4:13? Surely, these things cannot be inspired! Answer: I.         What superficially appears to be trivial may, upon deeper reflection, be a rich depository…

Read More

How do we know that we have an accurate rendition of the oral teachings?

Question: Since parts of the New Testament were first delivered orally, how do we know if we have a 100% accurate rendition of the original writings that were spoken by the Holy Spirit? I’ve heard that through oral teachings, details could be lost and distorted. For example, someone may deliver a story to 20 people…

Read More

The Sufficiency of the Bible

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/SufficiencyOfTheBible.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Ephesians 3:1-12   I.         Do we need anything beyond the Bible to know God’s will for us?             A.        If the Bible is all sufficient, then we would not need any church, priest, or religious leader.             B.        If the Bible is sufficient then we would be responsible to find the truth for ourselves…

Read More

Are the gospels more important than the rest of the New Testament?

Question: I recently heard a preacher from a non-denominational church. He touched on a point I totally disagreed with, but it will take me some time to research as I read through the gospels and mark out verses. But in the meantime, I was wondering about your opinion. He made a statement that what is…

Read More

Does 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 More

Biblical Infallibility: Can We Trust the Bible?

by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I.       Trust in the scriptures is important to every Christian. The Bible is the center of our faith.           A.      We are Christians because we believe that God exists and that the Bible is God’s word – II Tim. 3:16           B.      Believing in the Bible’s message will save our souls – James 1:21, I Thess.…

Read More

How can Solomon’s writings be God’s words?

Question: I read what you said about Solomon’s writing being the words of God, but it seems to me that something must have changed. How do you explain Proverbs 10:15 (in light of James 1:9-10), Proverbs 10:27 (in light of Jesus and John the Baptist), Proverbs 12:21 (in light of people like Hugh Heffner), and…

Read More

Why does the Bible contain the words of Satan?

Question: If the Bible is inspired, why is it that there are words of Satan? Answer: If two political parties oppose each other, why do they quote their opponent’s words? The Bible contains an accurate record of numerous key events in the history of mankind. In that history, there are interactions between righteous and wicked…

Read More

How do we know the Bible is inspired?

Question: How do we know absolutely that the Bible is the infallible and inspired Word of God? How did the Bible as we know it today come into existence? Answer: Entire books have been written on the subject of the inspiration of the Bible. It is unlikely that I will be able to address the…

Read More

Indwelling

Text: Psalm 139   I.          The concept of indwelling, specifically the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, is interesting because there are so many misconceptions given that a simple answer is commonly rejected. II.         Who is the Holy Spirit?              A.         The religious world holds many ideas regarding the Spirit of God                           1.          Some believe it is just another reference to…

Read More