Jesus did not soften His language when confronting those who claimed to know God but rejected His teachings. In John 8:43-47, Jesus expressed the same idea repeatedly: “Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word” (v. 43). He then concluded, “He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God” (v. 47). Their problem was not that Jesus had failed to make the truth understandable, but that they were unwilling to receive it.… Read more
Being an Active and Accountable Member of a Local Church
When someone becomes a Christian, he is not just saved individually. The Lord adds him to His church (Acts 2:41, 47), and he becomes part of the household and body of Christ (Ephesians 2:19; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27).
This new relationship comes with both blessings and responsibilities. Unfortunately, some today treat the local church almost like a social club, attending only when convenient, resisting accountability, and refusing real commitment. Being accountable and active in the work of a local congregation are important parts of faithfully serving Christ.… Read more
Did Jesus Come to Bring Peace or Division?
Jesus is called “The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6), yet He told His disciples, “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword” (Matthew 10:34). How can both statements be true?
There is no contradiction. In one sense, Jesus came to bring peace. In another sense, He knew that His coming and His teachings would bring division.
Jesus Came to Bring Peace
Jesus came to make it possible for men to have peace with God.… Read more
Is It Enough to Just Love God and Your Neighbor?
Some misuse Matthew 22:36-40, wrongly teaching that if we “just love God and love others,” we do not need to do anything else to please God. That is false.
Just because Jesus said that loving God and loving our neighbors as ourselves are the greatest commandments does not mean they are the only commandments. In fact, love for God requires obedience and is demonstrated by obedience (John 14:15, 21, 24; 1 John 5:3). The two “greatest commandments” do not eliminate Christ’s other commandments.… Read more
Can the Church Introduce Instruments Like David?
Those who defend the use of mechanical instruments of music in New Testament worship sometimes appeal to David. The argument goes something like this: Mechanical instruments were not part of the worship at the tabernacle under Moses. David later introduced instruments into Israel’s worship, and God accepted them. Therefore, why cannot Christians introduce instruments into the worship of the church today? The argument raises a legitimate question, but it rests upon a mistaken premise. David introduced something new, but he did not introduce something unauthorized.… Read more
Does Revelation Authorize Mechanical Instruments in New Testament Worship?
The book of Revelation is filled with symbolism. One of the biggest mistakes people make with Revelation is assuming that the imagery John saw was intended to be taken literally. Revelation itself frequently explains what its symbols represent. It explains, for example, that the seven lampstands represent the seven churches (Revelation 1:20), the seven stars represent the angels (messengers) of the seven churches (1:20), the incense represents “the prayers of the saints” (5:8; 8:3-4), the great red dragon represents Satan (12:3, 9), the seven heads and ten horns are explained later in the book (17:9-12), and the fine linen represents “the righteousness of the saints” (19:8).… Read more
What Darwin Didn’t Know
In 1859, Charles Darwin proposed that all living organisms descended from a common ancestor and that one species could gradually evolve into another, producing increasingly complex forms of life. His theory contradicts the Bible (Mark 10:6, for example) and many well-established scientific observations. Today, we know many things that Charles Darwin did not know when he wrote On the Origin of Species. Perhaps if he had had access to this information, he would have changed his mind.… Read more
Acts 13 Helps Explain Luke 21:31
While foretelling the destruction of Jerusalem, Jesus said: “So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand” (Luke 21:31). Some conclude from this passage that the kingdom did not exist until the destruction of Jerusalem. However, the New Testament repeatedly speaks of the kingdom as already existing before that event (Col. 1:13; Heb. 12:22-28; Rev. 1:9). How, then, should Luke 21:31 be understood?… Read more
The Amarna Tablets: Confirming the Conquest of Canaan
God promised Abraham that his descendants would inherit the land of Canaan (Genesis 12:1-7). More than four centuries later, after delivering Israel from Egyptian bondage through Moses (c. 1450 B.C.), God began fulfilling that promise under Joshua. The book of Joshua records Israel’s conquest of Canaan and the gradual possession of the land God had sworn to give Abraham’s descendants.
Many skeptics have dismissed the Exodus and the conquest of Canaan as legend or as heavily embellished tradition rather than straightforward history; yet archaeology has repeatedly confirmed historical details recorded in the Bible.… Read more
Does First Corinthians 7 Authorize Divorce for Desertion?
Some claim that First Corinthians 7:15 grants a deserted believer the right to divorce and remarry. A careful reading of the text in context does not support this conclusion. Paul upholds what Jesus taught: divorce is not permitted, “except it be for fornication” (Matthew 19:9; cf. 19:3-6). Nothing in First Corinthians 7 suggests that Paul added a second exception.
1 Corinthians 7:10–11
Paul opens this section with a direct command: “Let not the wife depart from her husband: but and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband” (1 Corinthians 7:10–11).… Read more
Refuting Realized Eschatology (The A.D. 70 Doctrine)
The doctrine known as “Realized Eschatology,” or the “A.D. 70 Doctrine,” falsely asserts that all Bible prophecy was fulfilled by A.D. 70, including the final return of Christ, the resurrection of the dead, and the final judgment. Eschatology is the study of final things, and its adherents assert that all final things prophesied in God’s Word have occurred and have thus been “realized.” While they claim to be teaching the true fulfillment of prophecy, this doctrine undermines foundational Christian hope and contradicts clear Biblical teachings.… Read more
Steps Toward Salvation
The Bible lists several steps toward salvation using the Greek preposition eis, which means “unto” or toward:
• Belief unto (eis) righteousness (Rom. 10:10)
• Repentance unto (eis) life (Acts 11:18)
• Confession unto (eis) salvation (Rom. 10:10)
However, notice that when it comes to baptism, eis is translated as “into”:
• Baptized in/into (eis) the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19)
• Baptized into (eis) Jesus Christ (Rom. 6:3)
• Baptized into (eis) one body (1 Cor.… Read more
Learning from the Young
A few years ago I was speaking out of town as a guest preacher. While I was there for that week, I met a young boy who made a great impression on me. He was probably eight years old, and was very enthusiastic about worship—especially song leading. As I was sitting alone on the front pew before worship began, he came up and sat next to me. He was talking to me about preaching and singing, and then he pointed to the list of song numbers on the wall that were going to be sung in worship.… Read more
Your Temptations Do Not Define You
You are not defined by what tempts you. Just because a person may be tempted to be intimate with someone of the same gender, that does not mean that he must give in to that temptation, or that he is destined to be a homosexual. If a married man is tempted to cheat on his wife, that does not mean he must give in to that temptation or that he is destined to be an adulterer.… Read more
Trying to Be Nicer Than God
Many today try to justify actions by calling them “loving,” even when those actions contradict what God said. True love does not try to improve God’s standard—it follows it. God has valid reasons for His commands, and they are for our eternal welfare. When we ignore His commands in the name of love, we endanger the very souls we claim to love. Every one of the following actions works against the salvation of souls, in the name of love and tolerance:
- Refusing to address or rebuke sin because some claim that would be unloving (1 Tim.