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In a letter to the church at Corinth, Paul affirmed that “the natural man does not receive the things of God.” Some allege that this text suggests that one cannot understand the Scriptures without direct guidance from the Holy Spirit. But, as Wayne Jackson demonstrates in this article, this view ...
A golden lamp stand with seven lights was placed in the ancient tabernacle of Jehovah. In the book of Revelation, we find the “seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God” (Rev. 4:5)—the number seven symbolizing the perfect Spirit of God. What do you know abo...
This is a good question, but the alleged problem is not of serious import. Let us consider the following factors. General Principles First, it has long been recognized that when referring to another's audible use of language or written words, it is not necessary to quote verbatim to accurately re...
In a letter to the church in Corinth, Paul said: “I think I have the Spirit of God” (1 Cor. 7:40). Was the apostle uncertain of his possession of the Holy Spirit? Read this discussion of this puzzling passage.
Exactly what is “psychology” and how does this area of interest relate to the Bible?
In a marvelous passage designed to inspire confidence in God’s oversight of our lives, Paul affirms that the Holy Spirit assists the Christian in his prayer life.
False teachers do exist (2 Peter 2:1), and the ideas they advocate are dangerous. In this study, we will direct attention to some false teachings relative to the Holy Spirit.
The adjective "spiritual" has several senses. (a) It may refer to a being that is "spirit" in nature, e.g., angels (Eph. 6:12). (b) Spiritual may denote that which is from God, thus is lofty in its quality (Rom. 7:14). (c) Spiritual may connote a person who has access to sacred revelation by supe...
"Predestination" is the idea that God determined something beforehand. The noun itself does not appear in the Bible, but the verb behind it does. The Greek term is proorizo (pro — "before" and horizo — "to mark out, to set a boundary"). It is found six times in the New Testament (Acts 4:28; Roman...
This expression takes its rise from the language employed by Christ in his conversation with Nicodemus (Jn. 3:1ff). The facts regarding the "new birth" are these. (a) It is an absolutely essential requirement for entering the kingdom of God. Jesus said that "except" one is born "anew" he cannot e...
The Greek word krino means to render a verdict (Lk. 7:43; Acts 15:9). Prepositions may be attached as prefixes to provide some direction to the term. For example, diakrino suggests the idea of distinguishing between objects (1 Cor. 6:5; 11:31; 14:19); anakrino means to investigate or thoroughly s...
In his second letter to Timothy, Paul stated that the Scriptures are "inspired of God" (2 Tim. 3:16-17). The Greek is one word, theopneustos, literally "God breathed." It is an affirmation that God is the ultimate author of the Bible. Inspiration cannot be explained precisely in a way that human ...
The Holy Spirit was promised by Christ to his apostles for their special work.
Many dismiss the authority of Paul as an apostle by accusing him of injecting cultural norms of the first century into his instructions to the churches? Is this a legitimate argument against his apostolic authority?
Influenced by society, many are looking for New Testament authority for expanding the role of women in the body of Christ.
Those who teach that salvation is solely by faith, without further acts of obedience, have a difficult time reconciling Paul with himself. Study this matter with us.
Stephen was the first Christian martyr. His final recorded words were a prayer directed to his Savior. This narrative contains some rich truths.
Will we recognize friends and loved ones in Heaven?
Heaven will be a wonderful reward for those faithful to God. Unfortunately the biblical teaching on this theme has been grossly perverted in numerous ways. Study this great topic in this article.
There are those known as “conditionalists” who argue for the eventual annihilation of the wicked. The gentleman asking this question does not appear to be in this category, but he repeats a charge familiar to their theology. Conditionalists frequently suggest that Bible students believing in the ...