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It's not surprising that some cultists, who deny the deity of Christ, avoid worshiping the Lord. What's shocking is that some—who are quite sincere, but should know better and hopefully will learn better—are expressing opposition to the idea that Christ is worthy of worship. For example, one man ...
There are many ideas that people have about who will be in Heaven. Since no one on Earth today has ever personally experienced going to Heaven, all we have to go on is what has been revealed and confirmed through the Scriptures. What Does the Bible Actually Say About Who Will Go to Heaven? First,...
To answer this question, let’s review a very fundamental principle of Bible interpretation. The Analogy of Faith and the Doctrine of Forgiveness There is a principle of Bible interpretation known as the analogy of faith. Terry describes the analogy of faith as being: “[the] general harmony of fun...
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...
First, let me point out that the term "swear," as employed in our modern society, has two distinct senses. It is used as an equivalent for profanity, which, of course, no Christian should ever use. The term "swear" may also refer to a legal oath. The question above concerns this latter usage. Is ...
To begin with, it is important to refresh our minds with those principles that identify an actual discrepancy. The law of contradiction briefly stated is this. “A thing cannot both be and not be for the same object at the same time in the same sense.” To summarize, if different things (or people)...
The Samaritans accepted only the Pentateuch (Genesis through Deuteronomy) as Scripture, yet they confidently anticipated the Messiah. In the Temple court, Peter preached: ““Moses indeed said, A prophet shall the Lord God raise up unto you from among your brethren, like unto me; to him shall ye he...
The term "condemned" in Galatians 2:11 is a point of controversy among some commentators. As with many biblical texts, it is important to understand what is happening in the passage and the circumstances that prompted the author to write. The larger context in which the controversial term is foun...
Whenever a command of Jehovah appears frivolous or unreasonable, we need to study the matter more closely. The Lord always does what is right (Genesis 18:25), regardless of how the situation might appear from our limited vantage point. First, we should define the term. To "hock" or "hamstring" a ...
There are three important reasons this language does not mean Jesus was raised from the grave on Saturday. Compare the Witness Testimony The first thing we need to do is compare the Gospel accounts. When we do, we find that the other Gospel accounts clearly show that this visit occurred on the fi...
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...
We typically do not comment on specific issues related to congregations. It is impossible to know all of the facts surrounding certain events, and it is impossible to know the hearts of those involved. We can, however, address some general biblical principles. Individuals or congregations must ma...
The Natural Order of Leadership There is a natural order that exists in the very nature of the divine scheme of things. In his first Corinthian epistle, Paul declares: “But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is...
God calls every person who is saved. Not only does God pardon the sinner (cf. Rom. 3:26), but he also teaches him about the need and means of forgiveness. The Lord Jesus said, ““No man can come to me, except the Father that sent me draw him: and I will raise him up in the last day” (Jn. 6:44).” O...
Before analyzing Proverbs 14:4, it's important to note that, contrary to popular belief, the Bible aims to guide us in every aspect of life. It does not divide life into secular and religious spheres. Instead, God has given us principles for righteous living in all areas (1 Peter 1:3). That impor...
Could anxiety be sinful? Yes, if we accept the testimony of Jesus and respect Paul's apostolic command. But the Bible certainly acknowledges that life’s complications can be depressing. The words "depressing" and "depressed" are flexible in their meaning and cover a broad spectrum of mental state...
There are two views concerning the meaning of the phrase "new heavens and new earth." Since they represent opposing viewpoints, one of them must be false. The phrase indicates that heaven could be a new, literal, physical Earth or simply a figurative way of referring to heaven itself. The Premill...
When we discuss the fact that we “hear God,” we are considering what God fundamentally communicates about the plan of salvation and how we can obey it. Of course, God “speaks” through his creation (Ps. 19:1; Rom. 1:20). But this general revelation of God does not specify how we can be saved from ...
The record of Cain’s rejected sacrifice reads: ““And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto Jehovah. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And Jehovah had respect unto Abel and to his offering: b...
What does this puzzling passage mean? As with any troubling or difficult passage, we must first understand the context to better grasp what the author means. Proverbs 31 begins as follows: “The words of King Lemuel. An oracle that his mother taught him” (v. 1). What did the king’s mother teach hi...
