Articles by Jason Patrick Hilburn
• Acts 19 records the day the Ephesians were saved, and they were not saved by faith alone or told to pray—they were baptized to wash away their sins, just as others had been (Acts 19:5; cf. 2:38; 10:35; 22:16). Ephesians 2 was written after they had been saved by grace through obedient faith, submitting to Christ in baptism (Mt. 28:19-20; Mk. 16:15-16; Gal. 3:26-27).
• Paul was not contrasting faith and obedience, but grace and the Law of Moses.… Read more
From Jeroboam’s corruption to Philip’s Gospel preaching—how a region known for rebellion became ripe for redemption.
When King Jeroboam led the northern kingdom of Israel away from Jerusalem (c. 931 B.C.), he also led them away from God. Fearing that the people would return to Jerusalem to worship, he set up golden calves at Bethel and Dan, saying, “Behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt” (1 Kin. 12:28).… Read more
Was Paul teaching that water baptism is not necessary for salvation when he wrote these words in 1 Corinthians 1:17: “For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel…”? Notice:
1. Paul did baptize. Paul baptized people such as Crispus, Gaius, and the household of Stephanas (1 Cor. 1:14–16). His words cannot mean that he never baptized anyone. Paul was carrying out the Great Commission of our Lord for all nations to believe and be baptized for their salvation (Matthew 28:18–20; Mark 16:15–16).… Read more
1. No one man pastor system – God’s Word never shows one man as “the pastor” of a congregation (always a plurality who meet God’s strict requirements), and pastors (elders/bishops/overseers/shepherds) are not the same as evangelists/preachers (Acts 14:23; 20:17, 28; Eph. 4:11; 1 Tim. 3:1-7; Titus 1:5; 1 Pet. 5:1-4).
2. No sinner’s prayer for salvation – forgiveness is granted at baptism (Acts 2:38; 22:16); prayer is how people get forgiveness after baptism (See Acts 8:12-13, 22-24; cf.… Read more
Freemasonry is a worldwide organization claiming to promote morality, brotherhood, and charitable works through secret rituals and symbols. Though it presents itself as a moral fraternity, its own writings reveal it to be a religious system that contradicts the Bible.
Freemasonry did not originate in Bible times, though some claim it traces back to Solomon’s temple. In reality, the first Grand Lodge was organized in London, England, in 1717, and the first American lodge was formed in Boston in 1733.… Read more
Years ago, an older brother in Christ gave me some advice that is worth sharing. He said if you are stressed about a lot of different things, take a piece of paper and draw a line down the middle of the page. On one side of the page, write the things that you cannot control, and on the other side, list the things you can control. Then fold the page in half so you can only see what you can control.… Read more
Many people now consider it socially acceptable for men to be shirtless in public, with much of their bodies on display. Is this pleasing to God? For many years, faithful Christians have taught that God set an objective standard for modesty that applies to both men and women when He clothed Adam and Eve in a garment that covered them from the neck to the knees. Scholars and commentators also note this same point.
In Packer and Tenney’s Illustrated Manners and Customs of the Bible, the Hebrew word translated as “coats” (KJV) or “tunics” (NKJV) in Genesis 3:21 is described as a garment that reached from the neck to the knees, and sometimes to the ankles.… Read more
Jesus left no doubt about the top priority in life: God must come first. No relationship, career, or personal interest should ever take priority over our loyalty to Him. In fact, placing anything above God is a form of idolatry (Col. 3:5).
1. God Comes Before Family – Jesus warned that following Him may cause division, even in our own households: “For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.… Read more
Jesus told the Jews who sought to kill Him, “Search the [Old Testament, JPH] scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me” (John 5:39). Christ is seen throughout the Bible, including in the life of Abraham’s son Isaac, who lived about 2,000 years before Christ came to earth:
ISAAC – Son of Abraham, the son of promise (Genesis 17:16ff)
CHRIST – Son of Abraham, the Son of promise (Gen.… Read more
ARK – Built by God’s faithful servant (Genesis 6:8, 9, 22)
CHURCH – Built by God’s faithful Son (Matthew 16:18)
ARK – Built of one material (Genesis 6:14)
CHURCH – Built of one material (1 Peter 2:5)
ARK – One source of light (Genesis 6:16)
CHURCH – One source of light (Psalm 119:105)
ARK – One door (Genesis 6:16)
CHURCH – One Door (John 10:9)
ARK – One family (Genesis 7:1)
CHURCH – One family (Ephesians 3:15)
ARK – Family saved through water (1 Peter 3:20)
CHURCH – Family saved through water (1 Peter 3:21)
ARK – The only safe place: no extra lifeboats (Genesis 6:14)
CHURCH – The only safe place: no groups outside (Ephesians 5:23)
ARK – Very few saved (1 Peter 3:20)
CHURCH – Very few saved (Matthew 7:13, 14)
ARK – Work to do inside ark (Genesis 6:21)
CHURCH – Work to do in the church (1 Corinthians 15:58)
ARK – The greatest of storms could not destroy it (Genesis 7:11, 18)
CHURCH – The gates of Hades could not stop it (Matthew 16:18)
ARK – Great hope realized: life in a new world (Genesis 8:13–19)
CHURCH – Great hope will be realized: eternal life in Heaven (Matthew 25:46)
ARK – Door was shut, no more entry (Genesis 7:16)
CHURCH – Door will be shut, no more entry (Matthew 25:10–12)
Countless millions have longed to enter the United States seeking freedom and opportunity. Still, as great as this nation may be, there is one far greater: the “holy nation” built by Jesus Christ nearly 2,000 years ago (1 Pet. 2:9). The USA will not last forever, but Christ’s nation/kingdom/church will last forever and ultimately be “delivered up” to Heaven (Dan. 2:44; Matt. 16:18–19, 28; 1 Cor. 15:24; Eph. 5:23). Regarding immigration into Christ’s holy nation:
We Must Go Through the Legal Process – Just as legal steps are required to become a U.S.… Read more
Too many people today are looking for a church that meets their personal preferences rather than meeting the Lord’s requirements. Instead of asking what Christ wants, people are asking:
• Do they have lots of activities for my children?
• Will I like this preacher better than others I’ve heard?
• Is the building big, beautiful, and modern?
• Is the worship entertaining and exciting?
• Will it make me feel good without requiring change?
Friends, these are the wrong questions.… Read more
Many who claim to be Christians do not seem to take sin seriously. They joke about their disobedience and show little concern for living righteously—but sin is what nailed our Lord to the cross. There is nothing more serious than that, and true love does not rejoice in iniquity (1 Corinthians 13:6). Impenitent sin is just as deadly after conversion as it was before conversion (Acts 8:12–24; 1 Corinthians 10:11–12; James 5:19–20).
Jesus, the very one who died to save us, also commands us to take up our cross of obedience and self-denial daily (Luke 9:23).… Read more
Paul feared that the Corinthians might be deceived as Eve was, being led away from the pure doctrine of Christ. He wrote, “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him” (2 Corinthians 11:3–4).… Read more