A querist asks, “Are we commanded to fast, just like we are to pray. Is this something that people have forgotten about doing because it is not practiced as often as it should nor is it taught?” Christians are not commanded to fast under the New Testament law of Christ. Early New Testament Christians did […]
In Revelation 2:6,15, we read about the “deeds” and the “doctrine” of the Nicolaitans. Just who were the Nicolaitans, what were their deeds, and what was their doctrine? The word, “Nicolaitans” means “destruction of people”. They were a sect or party of evil influence in early Christianity, especially in the seven churches of Asia (Revelation […]
A querist asks, “What are the biblical definitions of the terms, apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers, and their specific roles?” In this article, let us briefly explore these definitions in order to better identify these individuals and their roles in the church. Apostle – These men were (1) commissioned by Christ (Luke 6:13; Acts 9:15; […]
In an experimental laboratory, a frog was placed in a container of water. The water was heated at the rate of 0.036 of a degree per second. The frog did not notice the change. When the water finally reached 140 degrees, the frog died. But, he had not been aware of any change in temperature. […]
In 2 Corinthians 10:12, Paul tells his opponents that one way to correctly measure spiritual growth is to discontinue using worldly yardsticks, and begin using God’s yardstick (2 Corinthians 10:13). By the world’s measure, Paul seemed a failure, but in God’s eyes he was a glorious conqueror (Romans 8:31-39). In this article, let us briefly […]
In Habakkuk 2:20, God’s prophet wrote, “The Lord is in His holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before Him” (KJV). In this passage, the prophet is teaching respect for the authority of the God of Heaven. The Lord being in His holy temple is a reference to His authority and the place of […]
Jesus rules his kingdom with “a sceptre of righteousness” (Hebrews 1:8; cf. Psalms 45:6). As “The Prince of Peace” and upholding his kingdom “with justice and with righteousness” (Isaiah 9:6-7 – ESV), the only sceptre appropriate for this king is that of uprightness, equity and justness. His very nature is expressed in loving righteousness, and […]
Our Lord lived as a man for about a third of a century. For good reason, not every earthly activity of Jesus is recorded in the Bible (John 21:25). But we can rest assured that what we do have in God’s word about Him is sufficient to cause us to recognize Him as the Christ, […]
When we think of the fact that sin is running rampant in our country we cannot restrain a feeling of distress. Jeremiah, the weeping prophet said regarding Judah, “For the land is full of adulterers; for because of swearing the land mourneth; the pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up, and their course is […]
It has always seemed to this writer a sad commentary on human nature that we have to organize a holiday to encourage people to be thankful. Doesn’t it seem reasonable that if we were genuinely grateful for all that God has given us, we wouldn’t need to mark it on the calendar? For example, “This […]
The instruction in Proverbs 22:6 to “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it”, is a difficult saying for most parents, because we feel we have failed our children in so many ways. “Training” is more than teaching. The word may be […]
Can you imagine what it would be like to live in a society where citizens could flaunt the rules and absolutely no consequences would follow – no fines, no imprisonment, and no reprimand of any kind? Can you conceive of a home environment where children are allowed to do whatever they please with utterly no […]
6) Baptism Is Like Giving Life To The Dead The sinner is dead in his trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1). He is separated from God by them (Isaiah 59:1-2). God only can give new life to those dead in sin. It is “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his […]
As we study the Bible, we see that God never commands us to observe a religious holiday. Our responsibility is to honor Christ as we worship Him “in spirit and in truth” upon the first day of the week (John 4:24; Acts 2:42; Ephesians 5:19). Nothing in the New Testament authorizes celebrations, masses, or special […]
In the religious world today there is much controversy over the subject of baptism. Some believe it is necessary to obedience and one may not refuse to submit, but it is not essential to our becoming a child of God. Others believe it is not necessary at all while others believe it is a prerequisite […]
Have you ever been troubled in your heart? Have you ever experienced a physical illness or the illness of a loved one? The problems of life and daily living can many times overwhelm us to the point of being disappointed, discouraged and even despondent. There is no human being living on the earth who can […]
Do you remember how as children we used to play like we were something that we were not? We’d say, “Let’s play like we’re cowboys,” or “Let’s play like we’re firemen,” or “Let’s play like we’re policemen.” It was not strange that we as children lived in a fantasy world from time to time. There […]
Is Instrumental Music in Worship Wrong? 1) There is no command in the New Testament for Christians to use instruments of music in the worship of the church. 2) There is no example in the New Testament of a church, apostle, teacher, or any Christian ever using an instrument in worship. 3) It is not […]
In the beginning of Romans 11:26, the inspired writer, Paul declares: “And so all Israel shall be saved….” Modern premillennialists contend that there will be a mass conversion of the nation of Israel at the time of Christ’s return. Supposedly, the prelude to this event was the establishment of Israel as an independent nation in […]
1) The work of John the Baptist – John’s work was to herald the approach of the kingdom of heaven, the church (Matthew 3:1-2). John was the messenger to prepare the way before the Lord (Malachi 3:1); the Elijah who was to appear before the “great and terrible day of Jehovah come” (Malachi 4:5); the […]