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?

John’s second epistle is a word of commendation for a certain “elect lady” and her children. Further, it provides strong warnings regarding those who go beyond the teaching of Christ, and cautions ...

Occasionally we receive questions on the topic of divorce and remarriage. We cannot give unequivocal answers regarding cases wherein we cannot possibly know all the facts. However, we can deal with certain principles.

E-mail, regular mail — what will it be today? Let me give you a small sample of the frustrations associated with writing. It’s not a problem of enormous magnitude — we deal with it. Occasionally, however, it’s good to “vent.”

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 fir...

Only the truth gives hope — real hope — and, as the American poet Wallace Rice put it, “hope is the patent medicine for disease, disaster, and sin.” In this article, Jason Jackson surveys several biblical expressions in which the word “hope” appears. These phrases teach us about the Christian’s future.

Mark’s account of the life of Christ begins with the Savior’s baptism. It is primarily directed to the Romans, one of the major cultures of the first century. It is designed to emphasize the action...

The name of the second book of the Old Testament means “departure” or “going out.” It contains Moses’ record of Israel’s departure from Egyptian bondage and the nation’s separation unto God as a ho...

In this article, Jason Jackson considers the divine imperative, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself up for it” (Eph. 5:25). A husband, living like God wants him to live, will learn to love his wife according to Christ’s example, giving himself selflessly for her spiritual needs. That is agape — a Christian husband’s eternally rewarding obligation.

The practice of baptism “for the dead” is mentioned once in the New Testament. “If the dead are not raised at all, why then are they baptized for them?” (1 Cor. 15:29). Though the passage is somewh...

The book of Matthew is especially directed to Jews (hence, the heavy appeal to the O.T.). It is designed to demonstrate that Jesus of Nazareth was the fulfillment of the Messianic prophecies of the...

This final book of the New Testament is a fitting conclusion to the sacred canon. It was written by John while exiled on the island of Patmos and is directed primarily to seven congregations in Asi...

This book contains the historical record of the change in Israel’s form of government from judges to that of the kings. The nation, in an act of rejecting God, desired a king to be like their pagan...

This expression is found only one time in the N.T. While on the island of Patmos, the apostle John was “in the spirit on the Lord’s day” (Rev. 1:10). But the adjective, kuriakos, “the Lord’s,” is a...

Jesus once declared that he came to this earth to give up his life as a “ransom” for others (cf. Mt. 20:28; Mk. 10:45). The term for “ransom” is lutron. Lutron derives from luo, “to loose,” and whe...

This profound work analyzes the avenues men commonly explore to pursue temporal happiness. Written by Solomon (1:1) likely in his advanced years, it affirms that earthly goals such as wealth, power...

This English term is a rendition of the Greek zoopoieo, “to make alive.” It is found about a dozen times in the N.T. and is rendered by such expressions as “quicken,” “give life,” and “make alive.”...

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 h...

The Corinthian Christians had promised a contribution for their poor brethren in Jerusalem. But they had failed to keep their pledge. How was Paul to motivate them to have a greater spiritual vision?

It is commonly alleged that Jesus, in John 6:37, endorsed the idea of “predestination” as popularized by John Calvin in the 16th century. Did he? Study this question with us.