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• Lessons for the Church from Isaiah (Chapter 1)

  …ster WongMixxMySpaceNetvouzNewsvineoneviewOnlyWirePlugIMPropellerRedditSegnaloShoutwireSimpySlashdotSurphaceSphinnSpurlSquidooStumbleUponTechnoratiThisNextTwitterWebrideWindows LiveYahoo!Email This to a Friend  Link HTML:  Permalink:  If you like this then please subscribe to the RSS Feed.Powered by Bookmarkify™ More »Paul says, in Rom. 15:4, “For whatever things were written before were written f…

• The Church Christ Built–Marks of Identification

  n one would expect that it would not have a name attached to it given by men.  Actually, no formal name was ever given to the church Jesus built.  It was often referred to by various figures such as:  the body of Christ (Eph. 1:22-23, 4:12), the Lamb’s bride (Rev. 21:9-10, Rom. 7:4), the church of God (Acts 20:28), the church of Christ (Rom. 16:16), the church of the living God (1 Tim. 3:15), the church of the firstborn (Heb. 12:23), the househol…

• Unhappy With the Church of Christ?

  t have ever read their Bible. The Bible clearly teaches one must be a member of the church of Christ (the church either belongs to Christ or it doesn’t—you tell me which the Bible teaches).  The church is his body (Eph. 1:22-23, Col. 1:18).  Christ is “head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.̶1; (Eph. 5:23 NKJV)  If Christ is the Savior of the body and the body is the church and the church is his church then please te…

• Things People Do Not Know About the Church

  you are a member of their particular denomination for they say you can be saved without being a member of their group).  But, with that said it is a whole different story when it comes to the Lord’s church.  Here is a list of 12 things many people do not know or understand about the Lord’s church̵1;things that make all the difference in the world. (1)  The same process that makes you a Christian adds you to the church the Lord built.  There i…

• How Does One Get Into the Church Christ Built?

  ans you were never purchased with the blood of Christ.  It means you are not a part of the body that he is saving.  “He is the Savior of the body.” (Eph. 5:23 NKJV)  What body?  “He is the head of the body, the church.” (Col. 1:18 NKJV)  The church is the spiritual body of Christ of which he is the Savior. Christians are “members of his body, of his flesh and of his bones. (Eph. 5:30 NKJV)  “You (Christians̵1;DS) are the body of Christ, and m…

• Saved by Jesus Outside the Church?

  hat does scripture say?  It says that “the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.̶1; (Acts 2:38 NKJV)  This is the church of which Jesus said, “I will build my church̶1; (NKJV) in Matt. 16:18.  If you are saved you cannot help but be in the church for the Lord does the adding at the time one obeys the gospel and he adds only the saved and none who are not saved.  You do not join the church, though many have…

• Jesus the Foundation of and the Builder of the Church

  e the Jewish council where he was asked, “‘Are you then the Son of God?’  And he said to them, ‘You rightly say that I am.’̶1; (Luke 22:70 NKJV)  This fact earlier confessed by Peter in Matt. 16 when he said, “you are the Christ, the Son of the living God,̶1; (Matt. 16:16 NKJV) is the rock Jesus built the church on (Matt. 16:18 NKJV) Catholic doctrine to the contrary notwithstanding.  No one can enter t…

• Christ the Savior of the Body but Which One–the Matter of Timing?

  In Eph. 5:23 we read where Paul says “Christ is the head of the church; and he is the savior of the body.”  This passage is clear cut and easy to understand save for one thing̵1;what body is it he is the savior of?  The New Testament teaches the body is the church (see Col. 1:24, Eph. 1:22-23) so is it the Baptist church, the Lutheran, the Methodist, the Nazarene, or one of the hundreds of others that could be named?  Many would say it is al…

• The Church as the Body of Christ–Which Means What?

  The church of the New Testament is in the scriptures referred to under several different designations or appellations one of which is the body of Christ.  “And he put all things under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.” (Eph. 1:22-23 NKJV)  “I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for th…

• Can one be Just a Christian in Christ’s Church without being in a Denomination?

  the saving business?  When did his church alone cease to be the body of the saved?  “He is the Savior of the body.” (Eph. 5:23 NKJV)  The body is his spiritual body, his church, “He is the head of the body, the church.” (Col. 1:18 NKJV)  The Lord adds us to the church when we believe and obey the gospel (Acts 2:47).  Paul says of Christians, “you are the body of Christ, and members individually.” (1 Cor. 12:27 NKJV) But it is now said that that i…

• Who Governs the Church if We Follow the Bible?

  ect him and his word when we do so and involve ourselves in sin by supporting such a set up. Christ did provide for government, oversight would probably be a better word, within local congregations of churches of Christ (Rom. 16:16).  As just stated, in the prior paragraph, those who would be governing within a local congregation were given no rights to step outside his word, to add to it, to take away from it, or do anything that would take away…

• One Church—A Thing Hard to Accept

  ould flunk out of a high school or college class for they will not accept factual statements or any kind of sound reasoning.  Show them a passage like Acts 2:38 on baptism for the remission of sins (add to that Acts 22:16 and 1 Peter 3:21) and they will say the text cannot mean what it seems to be saying, that would be impossible from their point of view, for like the lady with O.J. it simply cannot be so.  It cannot be so for the heart has alrea…

• The Church

  ollow the Bible? Who Gets to Decide̵1;God or the Church? The Church as the Body of Christ̵1;Which Means What? The Army of the Lord̵1;the Church Unhappy With the Church of Christ? Lessons for the Church from Isaiah Chapter One Hypocrites in the Church Audio Sermons (by Waymon Swain) A Description of the Church The Misunderstood Church The Church Established and Restored Jesus the Builder and Head of the Church Division Let Us Go Unto …

• Which Denomination Did Jesus Build?

  did that it would put all other denominations outside the church thus you have to take the position this woman took.  Jesus is “the Savior of the body̶1; (Eph. 5:23 NKJV) and the body is his body, the church. (Eph. 1:22-23)  That is the very thing your denomination can never admit to being if you believe others in other denominations can and will be saved. Think about that long and hard.  You can never admit your group is the body of C…

• Does God Really Care?

  uffering without hope.  So, it is an important study. I would like to say contemplating all of this that it helps immensely to rephrase the question and ask does Christ care.  I grant you that Christ is God.  Jesus says, John 10:30, “I and My Father are one.̶1; (NKJV)  In John 14:9 he says, “He who has seen me has seen the Father.̶1; (NKJV) Other passages teach the same thing.  “God was manifested in the flesh.̶1; (1…

• The Cleansing of the Church at Ephesus

  aved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast.” (NAS)  Many, many passages of the New Testament teach that salvation is a matter of God’s grace (Acts 15:11, Rom. 3:24, Gal. 2:21, 5:4, Eph. 1:7, 2:5, 2 Thess. 2:16, 2 Tim. 1:9, Titus 2:11, Titus 3:7, 1 Peter 1:10, 1 Peter 1:13).  I have listed most of them here so the reader will know I am well aware of them. I might also a…

• Parable of the Tares–No Middle Ground

  The story of the parable of the tares is found in Matt. 13:24-30 and then explained by Jesus in verses 36-43.  I quote the parable as follows: “Another parable he put forth to them, saying: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.  But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.  So th…

• The Silence of the Scriptures

  From a book entitled A Short History of Christianity by Stephen Tomkins I quote as follows:  “The basic difference between Zwingli and Luther was in their attitudes to the Bible.  Zwingli saw it as a precise blueprint for church life.  For Luther, what is not forbidden is permitted; for Zwingli, what is not permitted is forbidden.̶1; (page 141)  Both Zwingli and Luther lived in the Age of Reformation often called the Protestant Reforma…

• The Church as the Family of God–Things Found in It

  nd alone is far more painful than any physical ailment for it touches the soul.   When one is unloved and unwanted then what is left when that comes into a person’s life?  “By sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.” (Prov. 15:13 NKJV)  God knew what he was talking about.  All human experience has borne out the truth of this statement of scripture. In Christ one always has family for the church of God is the family of God, people who love one a…

• The Parable of the 10 Virgins–7 Lessons

  The parable of the 10 virgins found in Matt. 25:1-13 has more to say to us than we often realize. One of the things that troubles a person most, that nags and gnaws at our spirit, is when we mess up, make a bad mistake, and then have to pay for it when we had realized from the beginning what it was we needed to do which would have avoided the whole thing but simply failed to do it for one reason or another.  We blame ourselves for the mess we go…

• God’s Hardening of the Human Heart

  s whom he hardens?  That is a very difficult question to answer.  After all of the plagues were over and Pharaoh had released the children of Israel to leave Egypt, God instructs Moses to camp at Pi Hahiroth by the sea (Exod. 14:2) the reason being, “Then I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, so that he will pursue them; and I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD.̶1; (Exodus 1…

• Hypocrites in the Church

  Are there hypocrites in the church?  Surely, there are some.  Paul dealt with such in his day for he said in 2 Cor. 11:13, “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.̶1; (NASU)  In Gal. 2:4 he speaks of “false brethren secretly brought in.̶1; (NASU)  Hypocrisy is thus an age old problem and one we will never rid ourselves of in this life. There are hypocrites about everywh…

• Abuse of the Old Testament

  , we count those blessed who endured.  You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.̶1; (James 5:11 NAS) Hebrews chapter 11 is another good illustration.  We are taught by the examples of Old Testament characters what faith is and what it means to have faith.  We are encouraged to persevere as we see what some of those men and women were willi…

• Mary of Bethany–Doing What You Can

  Sometimes even when we do good we receive criticism and blame as though that which we did was evil rather than good.  Such was the case with Mary of Bethany a friend of Jesus and one whom Jesus loved (John 11:5).  If you are not familiar with the story of Mary who anointed Jesus with some very expensive oil of spikenard not long before his arrest, trial, and crucifixion you can read the account in Matt. 26:6-13, Mark 14:3-9, and John 12:1-8. I w…

• Gospel Obedience at Corinth

  Did Paul preach the same gospel at Corinth that he taught elsewhere?  Everywhere else he taught, as part of the gospel, baptism for the remission of sins.  One can go to Acts 16 and read two accounts, in the same chapter, of conversions made by Paul̵1;Lydia and the Philippian jailer̵1;in which in both instances those being converted were baptized.  Paul himself, in his conversion, was baptized.  You may recall the words of Ananias to him…

• Diotrephes Loves To Have the Preeminence

  In the third book of John we read about a man by the name of Diotrephes as follows: “I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us.  Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words.  And not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren, and forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the church.” (3 John 1:9-10 …

• Religious Titles Forbidden in Christianity

  instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.̶1; (1 Cor. 4:15 NKJV)  Paul also referred to Timothy as his “true son in the faith.̶1; (1 Tim. 1:2 NKJV)  He referred to Titus (Titus 1:4) and to Onesimus (Philemon 1:10) in a similar way. In 2 Cor. 12:14 Paul implies that the church at Corinth is his children (making him their father) and likewise in Gal. 4:19 with r…

• Acceptable Prayer

  grace to help in time of need.̶1; (Heb. 4:16 NAS)  What we often fail to consider is that both writers are writing to Christians, not just anyone but to God’s own people.  Let us take a look at some passages. Prov. 15:8, “The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord.̶1; (NASU)  Prov. 15:29, “The Lord is far from the wicked.̶1; (NASU)  And, now get this, Prov. 28:9, “He who turns away his ear from …

• Who Gets to Decide–God or the Church?

  There are approximately 38,000 denominations in the world today calling themselves Christian according to the results I found on the subject doing a Google search.  I was astounded and find that number hard to believe but be that as it may we all know there are a vast multitude of them and I suppose the number you come up with depends on how you decide to count them.  If this number is correct we have gone from 1 church in the New Testament to 3…

• Is Church Attendance Essential for Christian Salvation?

  onsider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Heb. 10:24-25 NKJV) This passage clearly commands the Christian to assemble with other Christians.  That being the case the next 6 verses should terrify the Christian who will not attend services (verses 26 – 31).  The passage is…

• Is Denominational Baptism Scriptural?

  There are many different baptisms being performed today by religious people̵1;different methods and for different purposes.  However, the only baptism that I as an individual facing eternity ought to be concerned with is the baptism that Jesus spoke of when he said, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved.” (Mark 16:16 NKJV) This is the baptism of the Great Commission when Jesus told the apostles, “Go therefore and make disciples of a…

• The Washing of Water by the Word–Baptism and Salvation

  one to be baptized. Some think they can be saved outside the church.  There is no way that can happen.  Why?  Because Christians are the church and it is Christians that will be saved.  The church is the body of Christ (Eph. 1:22-23); “He (Jesus̵1;DS) is the Savior of the body.” (Eph. 5:23 NKJV)  Nowhere does the Bible teach that one can be outside of the Savior (his body, the church) and be saved.  If you can be outside the Savor and be sav…

• Christian Wars–A Misnomer

  locality.  Jesus told Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.̶1; (John 18:36 NKJV) He told the one who sought to protect him by physical force at the time of his arrest, the one who used his sword and cut off the ear of the servant of the high priest, to “Put your sword in its place, for …

• Singing and Playing in Christian Worship

  usic in worship was that of singing.  This helps me get a grasp on it and maybe it will help you as well.  It is now the year 2011.  Let us take 670 years from that and see how far back we get.  That takes us back to the year 1341 A.D.  If we phrase it this way and reverse the events (in order to grasp the time element better) we would say that from the year 1341 up to the year 2011 the church did not have instruments in the worship of God.  It i…

• Behold the Judge is Standing at the Door

  e judgment seat of Christ.  For it is written:  ‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.’  So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.̶1; (Rom. 14:10-12 NKJV)  If the Bible is true, and I say that it is without a doubt in my mind, then every person who has ever lived, or will live in the future, or who lives now, will someday be found on their knees at the feet of G…

• The New Birth and Water

  ism are modern day explanations.  While it may seem about everyone supports those views today it was not that way in the past, in fact, just the opposite. In the book entitled, The Gospel Plan of Salvation, first published in 1874, by T. W. Brents, I quote as follows:  “The religious world, with one voice, from the days of Christ until quite recently, has ascribed this language to water baptism.” (Page 490)  He goes on to quote a Dr. Wall as foll…

• If Miracles Have Ceased–the Implications

  ased on the word of God confirmed by miracles.  I believe not because I am naive and will believe anything and will buy bridges in deserts but rather because God said, “come now, and let us reason together.̶1; (Isa. 1:18 NKJV)  I have done that̵1;reasoning based on the word of God confirmed by miracles. Why was the tomb of Jesus empty the third day?  Why could the Romans not find the body of Jesus?  Why did they not even look for it…

• What Is Baptism (the Sprinkling Hoax)

  he world calls “Christianity.̶1;  One ought to be able to see the evil of that kind of an attitude toward God’s word.  I can’t find what I want here in the word.  Okay, I will just make some changes.  In 1311 the Roman Catholic Church at the council of Revenna officially adopted the sprinkling of water for baptism.  The Greek Catholic Church would not accept this but the Roman Catholic did and it exercised dominance in the W…

• Christianity–Who Rules Reason or Emotions?

  ly based and eventually, if that is the case with us, it will lead us to disaster. Truth and reason will always win out given enough time.  Emotion rules for a season, truth and reason for eternity.  God’s word is truth (John 17:17).  It does not matter how you feel emotionally about what he has said.  It doesn’t matter whether or not you like it or would like to see it changed or given a different twist than what it seems to have.  Truth is not …

• Why Do Men Run From God?

  t and mind that have led them to the point where they are at? If there be a God (I am not expressing doubt) then by definition of what it means to be God it is clear one could not successfully run from him.  Hear David in the 139th Psalm. “O LORD, You have searched me and known me.   You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off.   You comprehend my path and my lying down,  And are acquainted with all my ways…

• The Truth So Called Christians Will Not Accept

  Most people who call themselves Christians are in reality not Christians at all no matter how dedicated they may be to their faith.  The word of God is truth (Jesus speaking̵1;John 17:17) and stands as the one and only standard that is acceptable to the God of heaven and of men.  It, not man, sets the standard for who is a Christian. As there is a political correctness in our land there is likewise a religious correctness that one must adher…

• The Army of the Lord–the Church

  al in his letter to Timothy and saying to him, paraphrasing, if you are a Christian and you are living like it and talking about it̵1;the command is to “go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15 NKJV)̵1;then you are going to suffer for it.  If we do not suffer for it (sooner or later) then maybe that says a lot about our failure to live the life as God intended it to be lived.  To me that is the implied te…

• Confirmation Sunday–No Bibles Required

  on. After reading the article I went to my e-sword concordance and did a search on the word “confirmation.̶1;   I did find it in 2 locations.  Paul spoke about “confirmation of the gospel̶1; in Philippians 1:7 and the writer of the book of Hebrews spoke of how an “oath for confirmation̶1; (Heb. 6:16) is for men an end of all dispute but was just making an observation about secular matters among men in order to make a…

• Demas Has Forsaken Me

  ect?  We are not told.  In a way it makes no difference. There is no doubt the world has much to offer as long as we live in the flesh.  Who really desires to make their life a living self sacrifice everyday of the year? (Rom 12:1)  Who desires to always put self second?  Who is it that does not desire respect from his fellowman in this world? Christians are not well thought of by most of the world.  We are ridiculed and made fun of and our compa…

• Abortion Luke 1 – All You Need to Know

  Luke 1 tells you all you need to know about abortion and a woman’s right to choose.  Abortion in politically correct liberal speech is referred to as a choice today but I am far more concerned with scripturally correct speech than I am politically correct speech and I think you ought to be too.  Our concern ought not to be how society views a matter or how those who have gained power view a subject but how God sees it. I remind you that th…

• Resource Sites

  the Bible he also knows what men are saying about it.) Walking by Faith:  Origin of Instrumental Music in Christian Worship  (This is an online copy of what was once a pamphlet consisting of two sermons delivered in the late 1800′s by M. C. Kurfees.  Gives the best definition of faith I have ever read making a clear distinction between faith and opinion and then makes the application to the use of instrumental music.  If there was not a wo…

• The Chastening of the Lord

  to go to school to stay home?  The child will be happy for the time being but how about in the future?  Sometimes children need to be chastened so they can have a happy future, not necessarily a pleasant here and now. Hebrews 12:5-11 use to be a little hard for me to understand and that is probably true with most people who read and study the Bible.  What is the chastening of the Lord?  How does God do that?  How can I recognize it when it is occ…

• He Went Away Grieved

  o seek him out and that for the purpose of finding the way of life.  Matthew tells us he was a young man and Luke informs us that he was a ruler thus a young ruler but not only that we also learn he “was extremely rich” (Luke 18:23 NAS).  He was a rich young ruler with probably a long life ahead of him. This young man had a lot of good qualities.  He was deeply interested in spiritual matters, he sought Jesus out, he seemed to believe in him, and…

• Faith Comes by Hearing the Word of God–the Implications

  “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Rom. 10:17 NKJV)  On its surface this proclamation by Paul is very simple and easy to understand and yet the failure to grasp its implications has brought much division and strife among those who believe Jesus is the Son of God.  Faith and opinion are mixed and it seems no one is able to separate the two.  It appears to the casual observer that one man’s faith is another man’s op…

• Christianity and Multiculturalism

  argue that in democracies it is majority rule and thus minorities are held down and discriminated against.  The desire is to withdraw from the majority culture.  So what does the Bible have to say, if anything, on the topic? 1 Cor. 1:10 reads as follows:  “Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined togeth…

• Instrumental Music in Christian Worship–Is it God’s Will?

  en gave or what God gave?  They say it doesn’t matter; God doesn’t care.  How can we know this?  I repeat, how can we know this?  How can you be sure?  Do you just know it because your heart tells you so? Jeremiah said, (Jer. 17:9 NKJV), “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”  Again the Lord says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.” (Isa. 55:8 NKJV)  …

• He Feared

  never fails.  It is the man who fails, fails to have faith in sufficient strength to remain faithful.  It is a challenge to all men to develop a strong faith. Paul, in writing to the Christians in Ephesus, in chapter 6 verse 11, tells them to, “Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.” (NAS)  In verse 13 he explains saying, “that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done …

• Deeper Spiritual Understanding–How do I Acquire It?

  uppose the scribes and the Pharisees of the New Testament era read their Bible (the Old Testament) and prayed and yet to what avail? We are all familiar with the parable of the tax collector and the Pharisee beginning in Luke 18:9 who both went up to the temple to pray.  Only one went down from it justified.  Prayer was of no profit to the Pharisee. We might also say with justification that the Pharisees seemed to know the Old Testament scripture…

• Mt. Sinai and the Day of Judgment

  What do the children of Israel coming to Mt. Sinai have to do with the Day of Judgment?  More than you might think.  The children of Israel reached Mt. Sinai in the third month after they left Egypt (Ex. 19:1-2).  They had had by this time many experiences and had seen God working actively on their behalf in miracle after miracle.  They had seen the plagues in Egypt from many of which they were spared.  They had crossed the Red Sea on dry ground…

• Fear God

  asked to define reverence they would use words like respect, honor, and deference but too often leave out godly fear.  Godly fear is an essential element of true reverence for God.  This kind of fear is not a contradiction of 1 John 4:18.  In fact, godly fear leads to the banishment of the fear described in 1 John 4:18 for it leads to a faithful life. Observation of life shows us many who have no fear of God whatsoever.  The fact that a man has n…

• Christ and Baptism in Colossians

  (2 Tim. 2:15 NAS)  We need to read the book of Colossians and see what it teaches about Christ and baptism.  What Paul teaches there he teaches elsewhere in the New Testament as well. “Christ in you, the hope of glory,” (Col. 1:27 NAS) is a central theme of the first two chapters of the book of Colossians.  Christ is all that is needed in a person’s life for in him “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Col. 2:3 NAS)  In him we …

• Regrets

  ll of Samuel.  He was God’s man and judged Israel all the days of his life (1 Sam. 7:15) and, furthermore, he was a prophet of God ((1 Sam. 3:20).  In the New Testament we find him listed in the book of Hebrews, chapter 11, along with others in what one might call faith’s all of fame.  And, yet, we find this.  “Now it came to pass when Samuel was old that he made his sons judges over Israel.̶1; (1 Sam. 8:1 NKJV)  And then a …

• Jesus and the Furnace of Fire

  ll send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.̶1; (Mat 13:41-42 NKJV) Many people who think they know Jesus would say, “No, he would never do that.̶1;  Well, if not he is a liar.  If he is a liar you cannot depend on a single word he ever uttered for who would know whe…

• Baptized For the Dead

  In 1 Cor. 15:29 Paul says, “Otherwise, what will they do who are baptized for the dead, if the dead do not rise at all? Why then are they baptized for the dead?” (NKJV)  It is said by commentators that there is broad disagreement as to what is being referred to by the phrase “baptized for the dead.”  It is common to find in most commentaries an extended discussion of the verse with much more space being devoted to it than there is to the average…

• The Joy and the Danger of a Clean Conscience

  as possible. Paul was not the only man in the Bible whose good conscience did not keep him from serious sin.  One of the most tragic cases in the Bible was that of the prophet described as “a man of God̶1; (1 Kings 13:1) who was sent by God to Jeroboam to prophecy against the altar on which Jeroboam was planning to make sacrifices to the two golden calves he had made.  On his return trip back home he was met by “an old prophet…

• King Saul–As Long as It Glorifies God

  Paul said, “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” (Rom. 15:4 NKJV)  The NIV translates the first part of that verse as follows, “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us.” Paul had reference primarily to the writings found in the Old Testament when he made that statement.  As we read the Old Testament we need t…

• Abraham’s Faith (Faith Accounted for Righteousness)

  21; (Gal. 3:9 NKJV)  If we can learn the nature of Abraham’s faith and then copy it in our own lives we too can and will be blessed. In Romans 4:3 Paul talks about Abraham’s faith quoting a scripture found in Gen. 15:6, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.̶1; (NKJV)  The context in Gen. 15 is God’s promise to Abraham that “one who will come from your own body shall be your heir…

• Peter’s Second Gospel Sermon

  aid with reference to Judas, “The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had never been born.̶1; (Mark 14:21 NKJV)  Jesus could not have said that of Judas had Judas been saved in the end. John the Baptist spoke of bearing “fruits worthy of repentance̶1; (Matt. 3:8 NKJV) thus reformation of life is a product of repe…

• The Mysterious Eloquent Evangelist

  There are a lot of mysterious characters mentioned in the Bible we would like to know a lot more about than we do with Apollos, the eloquent evangelist, ranking right up there near the top among such New Testament characters.  However, the fact that we know but little about him could be said equally of most of the apostles.  The thing that makes Apollos mysterious is what we do know about him. Here is what we know, Acts 18:24-28 (NAS), “No…

• Ways into Christ–How Many Ways Are There?

  on in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12 NKJV)  Jesus said he was “the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6 NKJV)  Again, he says, “I am the door.  If anyone enters by me, he will be saved.” (John 10:9 NKJV) The point I want to drive home here is that salvation is found “in Christ” and not “out of Christ.”  Paul speaks of “th…

• Christ Did Not Send Paul to Baptize

  Sometimes it is easy to misunderstand passages of scripture and especially so if we are getting all kinds of help doing so.  Paul’s statement in 1 Cor. 1:17 is such a passage.  It reads as follows:  “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel.̶1; (1 Cor. 1:17a NKJV)  What is Paul saying here?  Is he saying that Christ does not care whether or not disciples are baptized?  Is he saying it is unimportant and mak…

• When did Obedience Become Legalism?

  based on the conversations you hear and the preaching and that no matter what kind of life the man lived. People talk about love for God all the time.  It is in their heart (their emotions).  Yet, quote a passage to them like 1 John 5:2-3, “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep his commandments.  For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments.  And his commandments are not burdensome” (NKJV) and y…

• Repentance–How Can I Be Sure?

    The call to men from inspiration from the very beginning of the unfolding of the New Testament was a call to repentance.  Jesus said it was a matter so important that it was repent or perish, an either or proposition. (Luke 13:3, 5) Repentance is a command to all men everywhere in all time to come as long as the earth shall stand.  Paul, in his speech in the midst of the Areopagus in Athens, made this statement: “Truly, these times of ignorance…

• Why Men Today Cannot Be Saved Like The Thief On The Cross?

  epart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, ‘you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’̶1; (Act 1:4-5 ESV) In Acts 2 we see the arrival of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4) clothing the apostles with power from on high.  Peter’s sermon that day and in that chapter fulfilled Jesus’ earlier proclamation found in L…

• A New Creation in Christ

  In Luke 18:9-14 Jesus gave a parable of two men who went up to pray that reads as follows: “Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:  ‘Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men̵1;extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even…

• Things God Cannot Do

  online Bible concordance for the New King James Version and type in the word “cannot̶1; and see what came up.  I was interested only in those things God cannot do.  Here is the list I compiled. (1) God says in Isa. 1:13, “I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting.̶1; (NKJV)  Prior to this verse God speaking through Isaiah says of his people that they “have rebelled against me.̶1; (Isa. 1:2 NKJV)  A little late…

• Three Attitudes That Destroy the Hope of Salvation

  u do not need God in your life do you and that is the problem when we take the attitude of self-sufficiency too far. The Bible gives an account of just such a man̵1;the parable of the rich fool (a landowner) found in Luke 12:16-21.  “Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: ‘The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully.  And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?&…

• Ignorance Does Not Excuse Sin

  God does not consider ignorance an excuse for sin and will not overlook a sin just because you or I were ignorant of the sin when we committed it.  The verse that teaches this is found in Lev. 5:17, “If a person sins, and commits any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the Lord, though he does not know it, yet he is guilty and shall bear his iniquity.” (NKJV)  (See also Lev. 4:1-2, 13, 22, 27 and Lev. 5:2 and 5:…

• Obedience of Faith and Justification by Faith–Opposing Doctrines?

  The book of Romans begins and ends talking about the “obedience of faith” (Rom. 1:5 and Rom. 16:26).  In chapter 1 Paul says that “we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles.” (Rom. 1:5 NAS)  In Rom. 16 he speaks of the gospel being made known to all nations with the purpose being “obedience of faith.” (Rom. 16:26 NAS) Obedience of faith is simply the obedience that grows out of or is the …

• Why Men Do Not Believe

  ave to say about the reasons for unbelief? Paul said of himself, in talking about his past, how he was a persecutor of Christians and then says, “I was shown mercy, because I acted ignorantly in unbelief.̶1; (1 Tim. 1:13 NAS) Thus there was a time in Paul’s life when he was an unbeliever.  Yet, Paul, then known as Saul, was an honest man for he says elsewhere in Acts 23:1 while standing before the Council or Sanhedrin that “…

• Though He Slay Me

  The title for this article comes from the Old Testament book of Job, chapter 13 verse 15, where Job makes the statement, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust him.” (NKJV) The story of Job as told in the Old Testament is one of pain, suffering, and sorrow, of the loss of loved ones (sons and daughters), of possessions, of health, and very nearly of hope.  His state got to be such that his wife’s advice was, “Curse God and die!” (Job 2:9 NKJV)  De…

• For By Grace You Have Been Saved Through Faith Alone

  ven evil thoughts are sin in God’s sight. “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.  These are the things which defile a man.̶1; (Matt. 15:19-20 NKJV)  “There is none righteous, no, not one.̶1; (Rom. 3:10 NKJV)  “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.̶1; (Rom. 3:23 NKJV) Yes, I am thankful for grace for my own sins wear me do…

• Paul’s Conversion (Justified by Faith)

  d or not is easily answered.  The first people the gospel was ever preached to lived in Jerusalem and were guilty of putting Jesus the Son of God to death.  When Pilate wanted to release Jesus they would have none of it (John 19:12).  They wanted him crucified.  Peter confronts them with their guilt over this matter in Acts 2:23 and again in Acts 3:14-15.  The good news is that “Christ died for the ungodly̶1; (Rom. 5:6 NKJV) and thus as…

• The Kind of Faith in God That Destroys

  and saying, ‘You are the Son of God!’  And rebuking them, He would not allow them to speak, because they knew Him to be the Christ.̶1; But, it is not just demons that have faith that has not availed.  In Mark 10:17-23 we have the account of the man who is generally referred to as the rich young ruler.  It is too long to quote in its entirety so I quote only the relevant verses.  (Mark 10:17 NAS), “And as He was setting out …

• If Baptism is Not Essential for Salvation

  If one is figurative the other is as well.  If one is literal the other is as well.  (2)  If baptism is not essential for salvation then Jesus errored again when he said, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved,” (Mark 16:16 NKJV) for the truth would be “he who believes and is not baptized will be saved.”  (3)  If baptism is not essential for salvation then Peter either lied or the Holy Spirit was in error when on the Day of Pentecost whil…

• What Does The Phrase “Born Of Water And The Spirit” Mean? (The New Birth)

  t.  We are either in the domain of darkness or in the kingdom of God.  Paul speaking to Christians says, “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.̶1; (Col. 1:13 NASU)  It is a simple either/or matter.  Whether we are in the domain of darkness or in Christ’s kingdom depends on whether or not we have met his qualifications for being made members of it. I know this is hard f…

• How Does the Blood of Jesus and Baptism Tie Together

  I know of no one who claims to be a Christian but what believes we are saved by the blood of Jesus.  All believe that for the Bible clearly teaches it stating it plainly, “We have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.̶1; (Eph 1:7 NKJV)  There are very few, however, who realize where God has placed that blood spiritually speaking.  Christianity is a religion of the spirit.  No man is saved by coming into physical contac…

• The Lord’s Supper as a Part of a Larger Meal–Right or Wrong?

  I do want to investigate this subject and see if there is any merit in the argument they make based on what the Bible does say about the partaking of the Lord’s Supper. The relevant passages are found in Matt. 26:26-29, Mark 14:22-25, Luke 22:19-20, and 1 Cor. 11:23-26. The Lord’s Supper was instituted during the observance of the Jewish Passover meal. The observance of this meal was commanded of God as a memorial for what he did on the night wh…

• What is it a Man Must Believe in Order to be Saved?

  hat he rewards those who diligently seek him.  “But without faith it is impossible to please him, for he who comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him.̶1; (Heb. 11:6 NKJV)  There will be no atheists in heaven.  There will be no one there who displeases God.  If you are an atheist you are not pleasing to God and have no hope of mercy in the Day of Judgment.  One must believe that God…

• Never Give Up

  hat he was speaking of himself and his brother Aaron who was with him.  God was left out of the picture and not given the glory.  For this Moses was not allowed to enter the Promised Land.  (See the accounts of this in Exodus 17:1-7, Numbers 20:2-13, Numbers 20:24, Numbers 27:12-14, and Deut. 32:48-52.) Moses was such a great man of God that God spoke to him face to face.  “So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.” …

• Sin in the Desert–Testing God at Massah and Meribah

  all not put the Lord your God to the test.̶1; (Matt: 4:7 NASB)  Paul in telling us not to follow the example of the children of Israel during their wilderness wanderings said, “Nor let us try the Lord.̶1; (1 Cor 10:9 NASB)  A lot of translations use the word “test̶1; here rather than the word “try̶1; as the meaning is the same.  According to Peter, in Acts 5:9, Ananias and Sapphira “put the Spirit of the Lo…

• Healing For the Brokenhearted

  am a worm and not a man, a reproach of men and despised by the people.  All who see me sneer at me.̶1; (Psalms 22:6 NASU)  John says, “He came to His own, and those who were his own did not receive Him.̶1; (John 1:11 NASU)  Was the heart of Jesus broken?  When for the last time he saw Jerusalem from a distance as he was about to enter therein it is said, “He saw the city and wept over it.̶1; (Luke 19:41 NASU)  Broken heart…

• Honestly Deceived

  In 1 Kings 13:1-33 we read of a man of God, a prophet, who came from Judah to Bethel to prophecy against the altar there.  Jeroboam, the king of Israel, was present at the altar.  Jeroboam was the king who had made the two golden calves for the children of Israel to worship one of which resided at Bethel (1 Kings 12:25-33).  On the altar there sacrifices were made to the golden calf that resided there.  As the prophet arrived he found Jeroboam a…

• The Prodigal Son–When He Came to Himself

  The story of the prodigal son as told by Jesus in Luke 15:11-32 is too long to quote here but also so well known that almost everyone acquainted with the Bible at all knows the story and the main thrust of the lesson taught there.  However, there is one phrase in the account we do not talk enough about̵1;the phrase “when he came to himself” found in verse 17. This verse marks the point in the young man’s life where his eyes were opened to th…

• Parables

  The Parable of the 10 Virgins̵1;7 Lessons Parable of the Tares̵1;No Middle Ground The Parable of the Talents̵1;the Sin of Fear The Prodigal Son̵1;When He Came to Himself   …

• Praying to God to Bless the Bread–Really?

  ur reckless partaking of it if we play the fool while  partaking.  “Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.̶1; (1 Cor. 11:27 KJV)  “For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.̶1; (1 Cor. 11:29 KJV)  I have over the course of a few decades seen once in a…

• The Blessing of Affliction and the Goodness of God

  In the book of Psalms 119, verse 71, there is a passage that has come to have personal meaning to me as I have contemplated it over time and made application to the things that have befallen me.  The Psalmist said, “It is good for me that I have been afflicted.” (NKJV)  Earlier in the same chapter the writer had said, “Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word.” (Psalms 119:67 NKJV) We all learn very early in life that we wi…

• Whatcha Gonna Do When They Come For You?

  ble teaches clearly that one needs to make preparation for death.  The Hebrew writer says, “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.̶1; (Heb. 9:27 NKJV)  A few verses later in chapter 10 verses 30 and 31 we read, “And again, ‘The LORD will judge His people.’  It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.̶1; Paul says it this way in 2 Cor. 5:10-11 (NKJV), “For …

• Faith in the New Testament–Different Meanings

  es.  The word is used with this meaning more than any other meaning given the word in the New Testament scriptures.  I think the classic example of this kind of faith (trust in God) found in the New Testament is found in Heb. 11:17-19 referring back to Abraham.  The text reads as follows: “By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, R1…

• Pray For Others Lest You Sin

  Is it a sin to not pray for others?  When we think of sin I am sure a failure to pray for others does not come immediately to mind like say robbery, murder, adultery,  lying, and the list goes on of the more notorious sins.  Yet, in the book of 1 Samuel, chapter 12, verse 23, we read this statement from Samuel spoken to the children of Israel:  “Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you….

• Is Holy Spirit Baptism The Baptism That Saves?

  comes with the introduction of John the Baptist.  Mark says, “Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.̶1;  (Mark 1:5 NKJV)  We know Jesus when baptized “came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.̶1;  (Matt. 3:16 NK…

• The Case of Cornelius and the Holy Spirit

  e says, “there is no partiality with God̶1; (Rom 2:11 NKJV) and Paul says there is but “one faith̶1; (Eph. 4:4) while saying also of one who preaches another gospel “let him be accursed.̶1; (Gal. 1:8).  All of this being the case then how does one account for the fact that in the account of Cornelius’ conversion we have the Holy Spirit arriving before, rather than after, baptism?  Has the Holy Spirit suddenly c…

• Who is the Believer in John 3:16?

  a belief so strong as to lead him to be baptized (which is the water of John 3:5).  As Jesus taught elsewhere, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.̶1; (Mark 16:16 NKJV)  Who is the person who does not believe?  It is the person who is not baptized.  He is the person who does not believe Jesus when he said, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved.̶1;  He is the p…

• Weak, Defiled, and Seared Consciences

  be weak, defiled, evil, and even seared.  It is the negative traits of the conscience I wish to discuss in this article.  What is a weak conscience?  The first time one reads about a weak conscience in the New Testament is in 1 Cor. 8:7-12.  This entire chapter is devoted to the subject of eating meats offered to idols and whether or not it is acceptable in God’s eyes for a Christian to eat such meats.  One should also read 1 Corinthians 10…

• The Christian, Politics, and the Government

  ove, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.   Against such there is no law.” (Gal. 5:22-23 NKJV)  Just above this passage in Gal. 5:19-21 are listed the “works of the flesh” (V. 19) of which I would like to list two of those works that are listed as they pertain most directly to the topic at hand (politics), namely, “hatred” (v. 20) and “outbursts of wrath” (v. 20).  The reader can clearly see the c…

• Peter’s Preaching and the Apostle’s Preaching

  tent and says and teaches one thing at one time and another thing at another time.  It is to say there is more than one gospel which is the very thing scripture denies. One can “pervert the gospel of Christ̶1; (Gal. 1:7 NKJV) but you cannot make two gospels out of one.  Paul says, by inspiration, “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.̶1; …

• Spiritual Mirages

  the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness…̶1; (2 Cor. 11:24-27 NKJV) he lived his life and worse was to come for if we can believe history his faith finally led to his death. Blessings from God do not necessarily equate with God being pleased with you and the way you are living…

• Baptism

  immersion, or take your choice?).  So many questions but are there no answers?  Was God such a poor communicator that he could not make the subject clear?  What does the New Testament say about the topic?  What did the early church after the apostles passing have to say on the subject?  Surely, there are some answers if we will accept them. Below you will find links to many articles written by me (Denny Smith) on the subject as well as audio ser…

• Indifference – The Great Destroyer

  ul’s salvation, what then? What then indeed and that is what makes the word “indifferent̶1; such a fearful word? If God and his word are matters of no serious concern to me, if God is only going to make my top 100 list of most important things to me in my life, if he gets that high, then realistically what kind of hope do I have of salvation? To be indifferent is to not care. If you do not care about God, about his will, about goi…

• The Grace of God in Baptism

  rages Christians in saying, “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and (now watch it̵1;DS) our bodies washed with pure water.̶1; (Heb. 10:22 NKJV) The washing is with water; the washing is baptism. Now back to our original text in Titus̵1; Titus 3:4-7. Certainly, Paul teaches we are saved by God’s mercy, by his grace, for he very clearly states that but…

• Salvation (Becoming a Christian)

  one a Sufficient Guide to Heaven? Three Attitudes That Destroy the Hope of Salvation Audio Sermons (by Waymon Swain) What Must I Do To Be Saved?  (Part I) What Must I Do To Be Saved? (Part II) Factors in Salvation Salvation From Sin Conditions of Salvation Forgiveness Contacting the Blood of Salvation The Gospel of the Grace of God When One Obeys the Gospel Things That Happen With Gospel Obedience What if I Miss Heaven? The Three Fold Nature of…

• The Parable of the Talents–the Sin of Fear

  The parable of the talents is found in Matthew 25:14-30 with an account that is similar in many respects in Luke 19:12-28 although there are differences.  Only the account given in Matthew is referred to, by men, as the parable of the talents but it is profitable to read Luke along with Matthew.  Differences aside both accounts seem to be teaching about the same lesson and one I have needed throughout my life. The account is too long to quote he…

• Three Benefits of Being a Christian in This Life – Hope, Love, Peace

  and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.̶1; (1 Thess. 4:13-14 NKJV)  The Christian lives “in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began.̶1; (Titus 1:2 NKJV)  When one grows old one needs this hope.  When one grows old and is facing the reality of the inevitable the non-Christian has no hope.  He ought to have fear but “the fool has said in his heart, ‘There…

• Non-Offensive Christianity

  e Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.̶1; (Gal. 5:22-23 NKJV)  We might recall Peter’s admonition to add to our faith virtue and godliness in 2 Peter 1.  No doubt we would add humility (1 Peter 5:5), mercy and meekness (Col. 3:12), thankfulness (Col. 3:15), and truthfulness (Eph. 4:25) to our list and our list would still not be all inclusive of the good things to be foun…

• Faith is Not Just What You Believe

  edience) is discounted.  Who needs to obey?  Just believe is the cry.  That is not what Jesus taught. Jesus taught that a failure to obey was a failure to love.  Hear Jesus, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (John 14:15 NKJV)  “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me.” (John 14:21 NKJV)  “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word.” (John 14:23 NKJV)  “He who does not love Me does not keep My words.” (John…

• Faith, Works, and Baptism

  Many are the men and women who believe that since the Bible teaches justification by faith (Rom. 5:1) and not by works (Eph. 2:8-9, Titus 3:5) that baptism is excluded as an act essential to salvation despite many passages that teach the contrary (Acts 2:38, 22:16, 1 Peter 3:21, Titus 3:5, Eph. 5:26, 1 Cor. 12:13 compared with Eph. 5:23, John 3:5, Gal. 3:26-27, etc.).  They are greatly mistaken. In the first place the Bible clearly teaches that …

• Keep Your Heart With All Diligence

  we are just a little more depraved than others.  Since it is not possible to look inside another individual and see what they are inside (“For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him?” 1 Cor. 2:11 NKJV) we doubt ourselves. As I have grown older in life I have finally come to believe we are all pretty much in the same boat.  “For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and thes…

• The Need to Sing in Worship

  but I fail to partake is it sin?  How can it be anything else? I would like to take a look at what the Bible has to say about singing and would like to begin with the very first time singing is mentioned in the Bible, Exodus 15:1.  The occasion was that of the time when the Red Sea had closed over Pharaoh and his troops bringing salvation to the children of Israel.  It was a time of great relief, of joy and happiness, and thanksgiving.  The Bibl…

• The Hardening of the Human Heart

  ear, and the end result may well be a heart too hardened to repent and who can say how long or short a period of time that may take. The Bible speaks about God giving up on people.  No doubt they had become hardened.  In Rom. 1 we read words like “God also gave them up̶1; (v. 24), “God gave them up̶1; (v. 26), and “God gave them over̶1; (v. 28) all talking about God giving those people up to sins of various kinds whi…

• What Does the Phrase “My Name” Mean in the Bible?

  Sometimes we run across phrases in the Bible that we really do not understand yet we think we can kind of guess at the meaning and come close enough thus we never bother to study them out to get at the truth.  The phrases trouble us a little but not enough for us to do any extra work to find out the meanings.  The phrase “my name̶1; as found in the Bible is just such a phrase. The exact phrase “my name̶1; is found 118 times i…

• Saved by Faith or Saved by Holy Spirit Baptism–Which Is It?

  Christian community who are thoroughly convinced that one is saved by Holy Spirit baptism.  I do not believe they are in the majority but they are out there nonetheless. The case of Cornelius and his household as found in Act 10 is where most of the difficulty arises.  People feel that when the Holy Spirit fell upon Cornelius that saved him or, let me get this straight, did it mean he was already saved before the Spirit fell upon him for God woul…

• Everlasting Life–The Believer of John 3:16

  ld believe me; for he wrote about me.  But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?̶1; (John 5:46-47 NKJV)  You see it is not enough to just believe in Jesus that he is the Son of God.  (See John 12:42-43 as an example of those who believed that but were nevertheless lost.)  You must, as Jesus put it, “believe my words̶1; and that is where the rub comes in with so many people.  They are glad to believe in J…

• Are Paul’s Writings as Authoritative as Jesus’ Words?

  Many years ago as a young man I heard it said by a young lady of my own age that the apostle Paul just had a thing against women with the idea being that what he wrote on the subject of women had no authority but was merely the expression of personal prejudice on his part.  That young lady many years later became a preacher (?) within her denominational body contrary to Paul’s teaching on the subject in 1 Tim. 2:12. Over the course of the …

• Cornelius’ Conversion–Final Thoughts

  The idea is in vogue in some quarters that Cornelius was saved when the Holy Spirit fell upon him (Acts 10:44) without any further action on his part.  One of the verses used to support this idea is 1 John 4:13, “By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.̶1; (NKJV)  So, it is said that settles it. I went to take a look at that verse and read it in context.  Now understand I believe the Sp…

• Preaching Jesus Means Preaching Baptism–The Conversion of the Ethiopian Eunuch

  audience of only one man and in a different location but we still see him preaching with the same result ̵1; baptism.  This time it is just said that “he preached Jesus to him.̶1; In the book of Acts up to this chapter we have had two Holy Spirit inspired men preaching ̵1; first Peter and now Philip.  In each case baptism was a part of what was preached.  They preached it because the Holy Spirit by which they spoke required it….

• Jesus as the Bread of Life (John 6:48)

  ht eat of this bread and have eternal life.  There are many, many descriptive terms used in reference to Jesus in the Bible of which the bread of life is but one. In the book of John alone Jesus is described as the Word (John 1:1), the Light (John 1:9), the only begotten (John 1:14), the lamb of God (John 1:29), the Messiah (John 1:41), the Son of God (John 1:49), the bread of life (John 6:48), the light of the world (John 8:12), the door through…

• Without Natural Affection and Covenant Breakers

  Most of us prefer a version of the Bible today that is a little more up to date in its language than is the old original American Standard Version of 1901 or the King James Version thus making the Bible a little easier to read and understand.  However, in a few passages scattered about the Bible even the new literal translations like the ESV, NASB, and the NKJV, all excellent translations when taken as a whole, have led us slightly astray with i…

• Looking Down Your Nose

  on tells us this is not the way the Christian is supposed to be.  We are to treat each other honorably and show no respect of persons. I would like to go back now and take a look at parts of the text quoted from James.  Verse 1 teaches us clearly there is to be no partiality among us.  It is a command.  The ESV says, “show no partiality̶1; and that sums up the command.  However, I ask the question is this a one way street? Some years ba…

• Saul’s Conversion

  “And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he regained his sight, and he arose and was baptized.̶1; (Acts 9:18 NAS)  In Acts chapter 9 verses 1 through 18 we have the account of Saul’s conversion from a persecutor of Christians to an apostle of Christ.  In the early years of Christianity when a person heard and believed the gospel, accepting it, it always led immediately to baptism.  The reader and Bible…

• The Conversion of the Philippian Jailer

  In Acts 16 verses 23 through 34 we have the account of the conversion of the Philippian jailer at the hands of Paul and Silas who preached the gospel to him and his household.  As you recall Paul and Silas had been jailed in Philippi when an earthquake at midnight loosed their bonds and opened all the prison doors.  Being responsible for the prisoners the jailer assumed all had escaped and was ready to take his own life when Paul called out to h…

• Abel’s Sacrifice by Faith versus Cain’s Sacrifice

  Abel, the son of Adam and Eve, is the first person listed among many in Hebrews chapter 11 commended by the Holy Spirit for their faith.  Of Abel it is said, “By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.̶1; (Heb. 11:4 NKJV)  Men have long been troubled by this passage trying to figure ou…

• Are Works Essential for Christian Salvation?

  o not always reason as closely as we should, often read more into statements than are there, and do not read the full context in which we find the statements.  The very next verse coming after this Eph. 2:8-9 passage is verse 10 which reads, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.̶1; (NKJV) The man who takes Eph. 2:8-9 as eliminating the need for goo…

• The Kingdom of God and the New Birth–A Matter of Timing

  will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.̶1; (Luke 1:31-33 NKJV) When John the Baptist comes on the scene and begins his ministry his message is that “the kingdom of heaven is at hand.̶1; (Matt. 3:2 NKJV)  This then which was at hand, meaning not here yet but getti…

• Faith and Baptism in Paul’s Preaching

  and practiced as they went out into the world preaching the gospel.  In this article I want to take a look at the apostle Paul and what he taught and practiced in making Christians in the city of Philippi as recorded in Acts 16:12-34.  We have in that chapter two conversions made by Paul̵1;that of Lydia (Acts 16:12-15) and that of the Philippian jailer (Acts 16:30-34).  We begin with that of Lydia. The story of Lydia’s conversion is so…

• The Struggle to be a Spiritually Minded Man or Woman

  living eternally with God and not just for living a brief span of years on earth like a dog.  We are better than that. When God created man he said, “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness.̶1; (Gen. 1:26 NKJV)  Only man was created in the image of God.  Jesus said of man in John 10:34, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, “You are gods.̶1; ‘ ̶1; (NKJV)  I am not going to try and tell …

• Receiving the Gospel (Acts 2:41)

  baptism is required.  They cannot accept that nor are they willing to.  The New Living Translation, a dynamic equivalence translation, puts it this way, “Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day ….̶1;   The International Standard Version translates this way, “So those who welcomed his message were baptized ….̶1;   The New King James Version says, “Then those who gladly received hi…

• Christianity, Homosexuality, and Gay Marriage–What Do We Do With the Bible?

  om and Gomorrah?  God will decide that.  What it does mean is that we approve of the homosexual life. When Lot settled in the area of Sodom the Bible says, “the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord.” (Gen. 13:13 ESV)  We know, because we are told, that Sodom would have been spared destruction had God been able to find as few as 10 righteous men there (Gen. 18:32).  He could not do it for they were not there. Well, what was the…

• The Faithfulness of Jesus to God the Father

  fit to be had in looking into this subject in as much as Jesus is to be our example.  It is Jesus who said, “If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.̶1;  (Matt. 16:24 NKJV)  Following Jesus would include following him in faithfulness. While Jesus was in the beginning with God and the Holy Spirit when the words were uttered “let us make man in our image, according to our likene…

• God’s Plea–On Christ’s Behalf be Reconciled to God

  ing and possibly take his father’s life. Prior to David’s army going into battle against the army of Absalom David commanded Joab, the commander of his own army, to “Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom.” (2 Sam 18:5 NKJV)  When word was sent back to David as to how the battle had gone the first thing David wanted to know was, “Is the young man Absalom safe?” (2 Sam. 18:29 NKJV)  When he was told that was not the case, that Absalom …

• A Good and Pure Conscience

  ef priests; and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them.̶1; (Acts 26:9-10 NKJV) The conscience then to be of value to us must be trained in righteousness, trained in God’s word for it is truth (John 17:17).  No one following strictly God’s word would ever do anything to another but what was beneficial and good for that person.  God is love (1 John 4:16) and his word is based on that love.  Thus the conscience to b…

• What Must a Man Believe to be Saved by the Gospel?

  That the gospel of Christ must be believed (as well as obeyed) in order to receive Christian salvation is made abundantly clear by the apostle Paul in one of the best known passages found in the Bible̵1;Rom. 1:16:  “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.̶1; (Rom. 1:16 NAS)  It thus becomes essential that we learn what it is that …

• Are the New Testament Scriptures Alone a Sufficient Guide to Heaven?

  aul.  Was Paul excluding his own writings when he spoke of scripture being given by inspiration of God? To the Corinthians Paul told them “the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord.̶1; (1 Cor. 14:37 NKJV) But we also have Peter’s testimony on the subject when he says, “as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in th…

• Philip Preaching the Gospel in Samaria

  “But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike.̶1; (Acts 8:12 NAS) It would be good to read an earlier article on this web site from an earlier time in the book of Acts, an article entitled, “Receiving the Gospel̵1;Acts 2:41,̶1; as Acts 8:12 is pretty much a parallel passage teaching the same thing as Acts 2:41.  …

• The Need to Preach on Sin

  Does that make me sin free?  No way!  “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.̶1; (Rom. 3:23 NKJV)  “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.̶1; (1 John 1:8 NKJV)  “The wages of sin is death.̶1; (Rom. 6:23 NKJV)  We all live condemned before the God of the universe based on the sin in our life unless it is forgiven.  Men need to be convicted of sin in order to moti…

• Ashamed of Jesus and His Words

  In Luke 9:26 Jesus made the following statement, “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.̶1; (NAS)  There are two things here that men are told they must avoid if they are to have any hope of Jesus not being ashamed of them in the day he returns to judge the world in righteousness (Acts 17:31) – (1) being ashamed of …

• Christian Living

  g The Home As God Sees It Remove Not the Ancient Landmarks The Pot of Gold at the End of God’s Rainbow Why I Am a Christian The Disciples Prayer The Burden of Life Division On to Canaan Abiding in The Doctrine Learning From the Mistakes of Peter …