Jesus speaks of how great John the Baptist is and makes the statement that even as great as he is, the lesser (least) in God’s Kingdom is greater than he. My question (and one that was asked of me) is, “Are there degrees of acceptance into the Kingdom? How can anyone in the Kingdom be […]
Last week we noted that denominationalism doesn’t recognize the inherent division within its organization because it fails to acknowledge any other doctrine of the Christian faith as truly important and grounds for unity except belief in Jesus as the Christ. On this account, denominationalism fails to realize that there could be any distinguishing marks that […]
In preparation to teach our high school class about the beliefs of the various denominational bodies, I have noticed one common and consistent practice among them. While most denominations varies widely in their unique doctrines, when it comes to the plan of salvation they mostly agree on the doctrine of faith only. Typically associated with […]
Is singing during the Lord’s Supper scriptural. There are no scriptures that suggest that singing during the Lord’s Supper is something that the early church did. In 1 Corinthians 11:23-34 Paul gives the pattern that we are to follow when observing the Lord’s Supper. One of the things that he says we are to observe […]
Recently, I have received several questions from our web site on the subject of discouragement. One person writes, “I am an evangelist but I feel let down, not wanted?” Another writes, “I am really confused right now. Everybody I ask is going to give me a different answer and I don’t know which one is […]
The word “offence” is used in the KJV of the Bible in one form or another some 73 different times. Out of those occurrences, 23 are found in the Old Testament and 50 in the New Testament. In the New Testament, the vast majority of these instances are from a word which means to cause […]
How are we, as Christians, to forgive others when they have sinned against us? Do we ask for their forgiveness differently if they are not a brother in Christ, someone who is not a member of the church? What does the Bible say on how to forgive others? A: Thanks for your question. It is […]
Can you please give me either examples or word for word scriptures speaking about what the elder’s should do with or how they are to spend the Lord’s money? Ex: Where is the authority to have a kitchen, gymnasim, water fountain, bathroom etc…? Thank you in advance for your response! The New Testament directly teaches […]
I was asked an interesting question yesterday, can the devil get inside your brain and plant an evil thought. I know that we have free will and that we allow ourselves to make bad choices but the question is: ‘Does the Devil have the ability/authority to read our minds and plant evil thoughts.’ The question […]
Regarding this common “argument” that one can be saved without baptism because the thief on the cross was saved, here are six responses: 1. One doesn’t know that the thief wasn’t baptized under John’s baptism. It would be impossible to prove one way or the other that the thief on the cross was baptized. In […]
Please open your Bibles to Job 3:11-19 Vs. 11-12 – In these verses, Job questions why he didn’t die at or near birth. He indicates this in several manners. First he wonders why he did not die in the womb from complications of pregnancy. Second he wonders why he didn’t die after childbirth perhaps due […]
One of the characteristics of the people at Athens was that they were always interested in hearing about something new. Luke records this attitude for us in Acts 17:31 where he writes, “For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some […]
Does baptism mean that a man must dip himself in water? I personally don’t think so. Jesus talked about his crucifixion as baptism. Why did Jesus become baptised by John? The word “baptize” is a transliteration of the Greek word “BAPTIZO” and literally means to dip, plunge, submerge, or immerse. The word has no reference […]
On a recent vacation trip, our family visited two Civil War battlefield sites. One of these sites was in Vicksburg, Mississippi, and the other site was on Lookout Mountain right on the border between Georgia and Tennessee. At these sites men fought and loss of life occurred; Great victories were wrought, and tremendous tragedies were […]
This past week I was having a conversation with a friend who is a member of a denominational church. She mentioned to me that she wanted to come visit us and that she had told her “pastor” that she was going to visit us. Her “pastor” asked who we were and my friend responded, “the […]
On September 6, 1863, forty-eight Confederate soldiers, commanded by Lieutenant Richard “Dick” Dowling (who was only twenty-five years old), waited for the Union invasion of Texas on the muddy banks of Sabine Pass. The Union had sent four gunboats, and seventeen transport ships that contained 1500 troops. Dowling and his men were holed up in […]
I am a member of the church and have a question about divorce. I committed fornication and became pregnant. I married the father thinking that was the “right” thing to do but now realize that two wrongs don’t make a right. I am not in love with my husband but was in a “pregancy high” […]
Our society is fascinated with measuring things. As early as kindergarten children are taught to use a ruler and think about weight. Physicians measure children’s height, weight, and circumferences at the time they are born and then at regular checkups. With adults, they measure blood pressure, pulse, and temperature each time you visit. We are […]
What is the sin unto death? In 1 John 5:16 we read, “If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall […]
“On the twenty-fifth of July, Sow your turnips, wet or dry.” There may be a few among us that remember President Harry Truman. I am currently reading a biography about his life. While President Truman brought a swift end to the war with Japan and deftly handled United States foreign policy, Mr. Truman did not […]