How could the Son of God grow in wisdom?

Question: I believe Jesus was omniscient while on Earth, but could you explain “grew in wisdom” as discussed in Luke 2:52? Answer: Interestingly we find: “The Child continued to grow and become strong, increasing in wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him” (Luke 2:40). “And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with…

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How do I respond to the “I never told you to hate anybody” meme?

Question: Hi Jeff, I recently came across a post that, rightly so, was completely wrong. The post basically says and I will also attach the picture, that Jesus never said homosexuality is wrong, marriage can be with whomever and it doesn’t matter who you worship. My question is just by the gospels alone, can it…

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Did God know before He created the world that His Son would be sacrificed?

Question: Greetings and God bless, I just read your answer: Could you explain “foreknew” and “predestined” to me? Concluding the article, you said: “The idea of predestination in the scripture can be summarized bysaying that God predetermined (or predestined) before the beginning of the world to set up a church through his Son’s sacrifice…” My…

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Jesus, the Bible, and History

by Edwin Crozier As Luke digs into the story of who Jesus is, he doesn’t say, “Long ago, in a land far, far away.” He doesn’t say, “Once upon a time.” He gets specific. It was the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar. Pontius Pilate was the governor of Judea. Herod was the…

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Who Put You in Charge?

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Who-Put-You-in-Charge.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Acts 7:20-39   I.         David had asked for some provisions for his men after having protected Nabal’s herds – I Samuel 25:5-8             A.        But Nabal’s response was “Who is David?” – I Samuel 25:10-11             B.        Nabal shows he did know who David was, but he thought he wasn’t worth recognizing.             C.        But it…

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Why don’t we use Yeshua instead of Jesus?

Question: Someone asked me why Yeshua, which is believed to be the real name of Christ, is never used today because of the English translation. Jesus is believed to be a corruption of Yeshua. What is your view on this? Answer: We use “Jesus” because that is the English transliteration of the Greek spelling of…

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Opened Eyes and Burning Hearts

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Opened-Eyes-and-Burning-Heart.mp3 by Andy Cantrell Finding Our Purpose from the Past

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Feeding the Poor

by Edwin Crozier Where in the Bible did Jesus feed the poor? My only goal is to provoke some intense thinking and searching. I’ll just say at the outset that I know my point here is going to make me an outlier. I know I’m cutting against the grain and swimming upstream and any other…

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Did Jesus have long hair because the Shroud of Turin shows long hair?

Question: Hi. Catholics and other denominations think Jesus had long hair because of the Shroud of Turin. What is your say on this? Answer: The Shroud of Turin first appeared in 1354. It is a 14-foot piece of linen cloth with a faint depiction of a crucified man in the stains of the cloth. The…

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Did Jesus enter the holy of holies twice?

Question: Did Jesus enter the holy of holies twice? Answer: The writer of Hebrews mentions that Jesus entered the true holy of holies, that is he entered into heaven. “For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in…

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Was Mary the mother of God?

Question: I do not recite Hail Mary nor do I agree with it. But I talked to a person and we came to the topic of Hail Mary. I pointed out that “Mother of God” is never seen in the Bible and expressed an inappropriate meaning. He stated that Elizabeth called Mary “mother of my…

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How could God die?

Question: My question was about Jesus, who is God and human. The Bible tells us that Jesus died, but Jesus who is God cannot die. That only leaves Jesus who is human. This means Jesus the Human died on the cross, which means a human paid for all human sins. Why doesn’t the Bible say…

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Jesus’ Baptism

by Terry Wane Benton Jesus had no sins, and John was baptizing people who needed their sins washed away. When Jesus requested that John baptize Him, John “tried to prevent Him, saying, “I have need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” Baptism is for sinners who want their sins remitted,…

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Did God or Christ lead Israel?

Question: Hi Mr. Jeffrey, I was reading this article: Immorality: The Forbidden Territory and found this statement: “The Israelites even had Christ on their side! How often do we quote, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13)? The Israelites’ access to Christ did not allow most of them to reach…

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Did Jesus always have all authority?

Question: In Matthew’s 28:18, why was all authority given to Jesus? Did he not have all authority already? And in I Corinthians it says that He will give all authority back to his Father. Please explain this to me. Answer: “And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to…

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On Praying to Jesus

by Nathan Ward If you haven’t yet, you will likely encounter a person who believes Christians should not pray to Jesus. The position is often accompanied by what seems like reasonable logic, at least on a surface level. We ought not to pray to Jesus, it is said, because he is our mediator — and…

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Is It Possible to Preach Christ and Not Preach Baptism or the Church?

by Donald Townsley via Guardian of Truth, December 15, 1988 From time to time men set forth the doctrine that we should “preach Christ” and leave the controversial subjects of the plan of salvation and the church alone. Some say, “just preach the man and not the plan”; others say, “preach Christ and not the…

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How could Jesus be taught of God if he is all-knowing?

Question: Hey brother, Jesus says He was taught by God. I always found that interesting and intriguing. If Jesus is all knowing, can you help me understand how he was taught by God? Answer: “So they were saying to Him, “Who are You?” Jesus said to them, “What have I been saying to you from…

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Who is Melchizedek?

Question: Who is Melchizedek in the Bible? Some argue he is the pre-incarnate Christ, others believe the Hebrews author is speaking figuratively. If he wasn’t Jesus, then how did he rank spiritually higher than Abraham to the point of Abraham giving him tithes? Answer: “Therefore, if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood (for under it…

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Jesus and the Passover

by Alan Feaster “for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:40). Jesus, we know without a doubt was in the grave for three days, it was prophesied many times. When we say three days,…

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When God Washed Men’s Feet

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/WhenGodWashedMensFeet.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: John 13:1-17 I.         Jesus’ mission was drawing to a conclusion             A.        It was the night that Jesus would be betrayed             B.        Judas had already made a deal with the Jewish leaders to betray Jesus             C.        Jesus had gathered with his disciples to eat one last Passover meal and to give them final instructions…

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Made to be Sin

by Doy Moyer Sometimes I am struck with the beauty of a passage while, at the same time, humbled by the fact that its fullness and depth are out of my reach. The passage becomes a never-ending source of thought, ideas, and encouragement. Such is the case for me with II Corinthians 5:21 — “For…

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When did Jesus become the Son of God?

Question: Hi minister, I do not believe that the Bible contradicts itself; hence, whenever I sense a contradiction I call it confusion. Now I am a little confused because I do not know when Jesus became the son of God. This is because some passages of the Bible say he became the son by virtue…

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Bearing Sins

by Doy Moyer I was reading in Matthew and this caught my attention and my mind began to chase the rabbit down the hole. Maybe others have made this point: “That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who…

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Jesus’ Approach to Authority

by Terry W. Benton Here was Jesus’ approach to authority: The Son can do nothing of Himself (positive authority must allow the action). But what He sees the Father do (Divine precedent or example). The Father shows Him all things that He Himself does (John 5:19-20). Thus, Jesus placed a lot of emphasis upon example and the authority of…

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Does Jesus’ blood continually cleanse us from all sin?

Question: The Bible says we will give an account of our life and sin, but God washes away our sins at baptism and the blood of Christ continually cleanses. He forgives us and remembers no more, so is there judgment where our sin is remembered, or are we as white as snow because of Jesus’…

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The Misunderstood Jesus

by Doy Moyer Understanding people is often difficult. What do they mean? How are they using phrases? Are they being literal or figurative, or both? In person, we can ask and clarify, but when we are reading what others said, we can easily misinterpret because we are not hearing the inflections or seeing their gestures.…

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Burnt Offerings

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/BurntOfferings.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Hebrews 9:24-10:10   I.         The sacrifices of the Old Testament can be confusing because they are classified in different categories, such as by how they were done (heave, wave, burnt), what they were for (sin, trespass, vow, voluntary, peace), what they were (firstfruits, food, drink), or even how they smelled…

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The Words in Red

by Terry Wayne Benton Some have the impression that if we believe the words in red (in red letter editions of the Bible) are more sacred and binding than the other words delivered by the other apostles of Jesus. This reasoning is terribly wrong. First, Matthew wrote over a decade after Jesus ascended to heaven…

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Christ, the Conqueror

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/ChristTheConqueror.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalm 110   I.         The Jews long looked for the Messiah of God             A.        They saw him as a leader, like David, who would throw out the oppressive Gentiles and restore Israel to its glory days             B.        However, Jesus was not the conqueror they expected                         1.         They even tried to force Jesus and…

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Things a Blind Man Saw

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/ThingsABlindManSaw.mp3 by Raymond Warfel

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Faith in God’s Man and Method

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/2018Spring7FaithInGodsManAndMethod.mp3 by Raymond Warfel, Jr. 2018 Spring Meeting

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Does Jesus Offend You?

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/2018Spring6DoesJesusOffendYou.mp3 by Raymond Warfel, Jr. 2018 Spring Meeting

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Is Jesus a Bad Teacher?

by Jeremy Crump Have you ever had a teacher that just wouldn’t give you a straight answer? I remember a math teacher I had in high school who I’d ask for help and instead of solving the problem for me, she’d give me some hints and then send me back to my seat to work…

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Why was an unclean animal used to symbolize Jesus’ tribe?

Question: Greetings, According to Leviticus 11:27, the lion is an unclean animal because of its paw. Therefore, how is it that the lion (Lion of the Tribe of Judah) is chosen as a type of Christ? Thank you. Answer: Unclean animals are a classification in regard to food. “Nevertheless these you shall not eat among…

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Does “the Lord” in Amos 7 refer to Jesus?

Question: Hey Mr. Jeffery, I noticed in the vision in Amos 7 that Amos had at two different times referred to God as the Lord (no caps and not as Jehovah). It also appears that Amos is visually seeing the Lord (no one has ever seen Jehovah fully), so could that have been Jesus holding…

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Confirmation

by Jefferson David Tant “Confirmation” is an important factor in life. We want, and need, things to be confirmed, validated, or guaranteed. We want things “signed, sealed, and delivered,” as a popular song suggests. Statements in court are to be confirmed with an oath “to tell the truth…” Certain documents may be required to be…

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Three Witnesses

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/ThreeWitnesses.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I John 5:5-9   I.         There are two readings for I John 5:7-8             A.        ”For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and…

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What does I John 5:7-8 mean?

Question: “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.” (I John 5:7-8 KJV). What does verse eight mean?…

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