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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?
Jesus had to face rejection, suffer, and die, and then rise from the dead. It was necessary because this was the plan of God. It was necessary that he die for our sins, that God might be just and the justifier of those who have faith in Jesus.
It is never right to do wrong. But wrong-doing is compounded even more when one perverts Scripture in seeking to rationalize his evil. This week’s Q&A segment deals with the “gift” of celibacy. What is it?
All who wish to enjoy the remission of past sins will call on the name of the Lord by obeying the gospel plan of redemption. In no other way can one receive pardon.
We must try to master the art of forgiving—for others’ sake, and for our own.
The New Testament gives a clear picture of what the church was under the leadership of the Lord’s apostles. The church’s origin was divine; it continues to be subject to the authority of Christ. Should it not be the same today — simply, the church of Christ?
Was Cornelius, the Roman centurion, saved before being baptized?
Is it possible to rediscover the church of the New Testament in today’s world? Many sincere people have never considered this possibility. But is it possible?
First, no evidence shows that anyone other than the apostles received the baptism of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. They had been promised that blessing (see Acts 1:5, 8). The only other exception was to the household of Cornelius, in fulfillment of Joel's prophecy, as a divine token th...
Several questions and comments have been recently received relative to some of our material dealing with the purpose of “water baptism,” as that theme is set forth in the New Testament. Accordingly, in this Feature article, we wish to address a reader’s obviously sincere concerns.
The Bible affirms God's omniscience (i.e., that he knows everything—past, present, and future; cf. 1 Sam. 16:7; Psa. 139; Is. 40:13ff; Acts 1:24; Heb. 4:13). One aspect of divine omniscience is "foreknowledge" (prognosis -- knowing beforehand). This divine attribute is affirmed of God in Acts 2:2...
Repentance has a variety of uses in the Scriptures. (a) One form of "repentance" is simply a feeling of remorse. It was in this sense that Judas "repented" (Mt. 27:3) just before he hanged himself and perished eternally (Jn. 17:12). (b) Valid repentance is a "change of mind" that results in a cha...
Does any man have the right to forgive sins? Some suggest that Jesus granted this authority to the apostles, and then, through them, to others (see John 20:23). Can you explain this passage?
The sensational news story regarding the return of the kidnapped Salt Lake City teen has caused public attention to be focused upon certain aspects of Mormon doctrine. This week’s Penpoints article highlights a couple of these issues.
The term "works" is a perfectly noble word; yet, in the minds of some, there is a distorted view of this biblical term. Especially has the Protestant world reacted negatively to Catholicism's "works system" -- an ideology contrary to the divine plan of redemption. This reaction, however, is itsel...
More than a dozen words are used in the Greek N.T. to represent various aspects of "sin" (e.g., bad, evil, transgression, iniquity, trespass, godless, unrighteous, etc.). The most frequently employed word is hamartia (173 times), which provides the picture of "missing the mark." The word is used ...
This word is derived from a Greek term meaning "separated." (a) "Saint" refers to an ordinary member of Christ's church who has submitted to gospel obedience (Phil. 1:1; 4:21; 2 Thes. 1:10). (b) A saint (hagios) is one who has gone through the process of sanctification (hagiasmos). See SANCTIFIED...
There are three kindred words in the Greek N.T. that represent the idea of "propitiation." Two are nouns -- hilasmos (1 Jn. 2:2; 4:10) and hilasterion (Rom. 3:25; Heb. 9:5), and the third is the verb hilaskomai (Lk. 18:13; Heb. 2:17). The terms are designed to provide an explanation as to how God...
The Greek term onoma takes on a very important place in the New Testament. Sometimes, by a figure known as metonymy, the name stands for the person himself. To trust in the Lord's name is to trust the Lord (Mt. 12:21). When one blasphemes God's name (Rev. 13:6), he has blasphemed God. The term "n...
The Greek expression for "lord" is kurios. One must look at the context to observe the sense conveyed in a particular setting. "Lord" may be used as a mere title of respect, or it can suggest one who is deity. (a) Kurios is sometimes used in the sense of one who is owner or master of a thing, i.e...
