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Is Christian baptism to be administered by men or by the Spirit? Some believe that Holy Spirit baptism is in view in Romans 6:3-4 and Galatians 3:26-27. But will this idea stand the scrutiny of sound biblical interpretation?
There are several factors to consider when responding to this excellent question. Reflect upon the following: Salvation is wonderfully described in the New Testament as a free gift. This terminology is used to emphasize that God is under no compulsion to offer it. Man, by his choice, has rebelled...
Before we obey the gospel, we are dead in sin (Eph. 2:1). But the question is, to what does this refer: the physical body or a spiritual condition? It refers, of course, to our spiritual condition. The passages cited in the question (Rom. 6:3-8; Col. 2:11-12) discuss the spiritual life we can hav...
An in-depth study of two contrasting ideas: what we’ve earned through sin and the free gift God has offered to humanity.
Justification may be defined as the divine process by which God acquits the sinner and reckons him as righteous. The noun dikaiosis ("justification") is used but twice in the N.T. (Rom. 4:25; 5:18). The verb dikaioo is employed thirty-nine times in the N.T., and it describes the result of the pro...
The phenomenon of “sin” has wrought a terrible harvest upon this earth. Consider this matter with us.
It is frequently alleged that “justification” is a process accomplished wholly by God, and any “obedience” on the part of man is excluded. But this theory, sincere as it may be, is seriously erroneous. Study this issue with us.
The book of Romans is magnificent in that it reveals so many aspects of the “righteousness of God” (1:16-17).
The Bible is filled with affirmations of our Creator's generosity. Every good and perfect gift is from him (Jas. 1:17). Surely our gratitude must be lavishly expressed for his graciousness. God has given us life itself (Acts 17:25; 1 Tim. 6:13). Human life, therefore, is sacred. Jehovah gives us ...
Although baptism is mentioned dozens of times in the New Testament, the rite has been so grossly misunderstood in a great variety of ways.
Every one uses the principles of “logic,” whether aware of it or not. Humans cannot function without some logical skill. When it comes to religion, however, many fling “logic” to the wind. No where is this more apparent that in considering the plan of divine salvation.
The declaration, “The righteous shall live by faith,” is found several times in the Bible. What is the significance of the expression? This essay explores this issue.
Grace is one of the most thrilling terms in scripture. It is a tragedy of no small magnitude that it is so perverted by the religious world. What does the Bible really teach about the amazing favor of God?
While it is certainly true that grace is a thrilling element in the divine scheme of things, it is not true that it is unconditionally dispensed, or that it is obtained merely by believing. Study this issue with us.
Does 1 Corinthians 7:14 teach that a non-Christian is “sanctified” (saved) by being married to a Christian?
Are we baptized in the Spirit or in water?
Life may be viewed under two categories -- physical life and spiritual life. (a) All biological organisms are characterized by physical "life." A living creature has independent movement, processes food and oxygen, reproduces, etc. Life is a mystery that science cannot explain. It is a "gift" fro...
Blood is a prominent theme in the Bible. Because blood is the life stream of a person (Lev. 17:11), it becomes the biblical representation of life. Because of sin, man has forfeited the right to live (Gen. 2:17; Rom. 6:23; Eph. 2:1). To satisfy the justice of God, a blood-offering was required (H...
The English word "atonement" derives from an Anglo-Saxon term that practically signifies "a making at one." Though the English term "atonement" is common to the Old Testament, it is found only once in the New Testament (Rom. 5:11 KJV). There, the original term (katallage) is better rendered as "r...
Perhaps the answer to a decline in Christianity is to restore the church as found in the New Testament.