Articles by Jason Patrick Hilburn
What is meant by the words above recorded in John 20:22? Did the apostles “receive the Holy Spirit” when Jesus was speaking to them on earth, or did that happen after Jesus returned to Heaven, on the day of Pentecost, as recorded in Acts chapter two?
The context of John 20:22 should first be considered. On the day Christ was resurrected, the first day of the week, He appeared to His disciples and said:
…Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.… Read more
Revelation 3:20 records encouraging words from Jesus to His church at Laodicea, urging them to repent. It is sad that many have taken His words and twisted them into a false plan of salvation that Jesus never authorized. Jesus said, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20). Some have used this passage to teach that all one must do to become a Christian is to believe and pray a prayer to Jesus.… Read more
Those who have had bad experiences with “religious people” or a certain church should not use such experiences as an excuse to totally reject religion in general. Some say they reject “organized religion” and do not “attend church” but still follow Christ. Is that possible? The word “religion” is not a bad word, as many people seem to think. James used the word in a positive way (Jam. 1:26, 27). Christ Himself was a religious person who had a “custom” of regularly assembling with others of like faith (Lk.… Read more
Deuteronomy chapter six, verses four and five, are often called the Shema, from the Hebrew word meaning “to hear” (Strong), (e.g., “Hear, O Israel…”). They are considered some of the most important words revealed in Deuteronomy and the entire Bible. The Shema begins with this statement: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD [Yahweh] our God [Elohim] is one LORD [Yahweh].” Some believe this verse could be better translated as “Hear, O Israel: ‘Yahweh (is) our God, Yahweh (is) one’” (Cloud 482).… Read more
Does John 14:2 teach that every individual child of God will have his own mansion in Heaven? Could it be that Jesus was referring to something even better than that?
Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also (John 14:1-3).… Read more
True or False?
1. Even though I do not believe Christians must drink alcoholic beverages to be saved, I will fervently defend the use of beverage alcohol—even if it causes serious problems for the church or for individuals (cf. Psa. 133:1; Prov. 6:19; 20:1; Rom. 13:10; 1 Cor. 10:32-33; Eph. 4:3; 1 Jn. 2:10). True or False?
2. I honestly believe one can convert people to Christ with a beer in his hand (cf. Mt. 5:13-16). True or False?… Read more
Some who claim to believe the Bible is God’s Word deny the Deity of Christ. They are asked to please consider the following:
1. It was against God’s Law to worship anyone but God (Exo. 20:3-5; Deut. 6:13-14; 2 Kings 17:35; Matt. 4:10); therefore, either Christ is divine, or Christ sinned by accepting worship on many occasions (Matt. 2:11; 8:2; 9:18; 28:9, 17; cf. Acts 12:23; Heb. 4:15; Rev. 22:8, 9). We know Christ never sinned (Heb.… Read more
Just because someone calls himself a Christian, that does not mean he is truly following Christ (1 John 1:6; 2:4), and just because a church claims to be a Biblical church, that does not mean they are truly following Christ. In fact, they may have never even done what God commanded to be added to Christ’s church in the first place (Acts 2:36-41, 47).
Christ promised to build only one church, and it belongs to Him: “…I will build my church…” (Matt.… Read more
Today there is a widespread belief that no person is allowed to question or “condemn” the actions or teachings of anyone else. Perhaps you have heard someone say, “Who are you to judge?,” or “Only Christ can judge.” Does the Bible teach that it is always wrong to judge, or has the Bible been mishandled to lead people to the wrong conclusion on this subject?
First of all, what exactly does it mean to “judge”? Some assume that to judge always means to condemn, but to judge simply means “to discern; to distinguish; to consider accurately for the purpose of forming an opinion or conclusion” (Webster).… Read more
Today there are a lot of people in “the Bible belt” of the USA and many other places in the world who would be described by most as good people—good religious-minded people who believe in Jesus, but are they all saved? Are they truly honest about what God’s Word requires for man’s salvation, or have many chosen to believe what seems convenient and comfortable? In religious discussions, whether online or in person, it is common to see many known as “good religious people” being dishonest, denying what the Scriptures plainly say.… Read more
Some of today’s denominational churches are putting a stamp of approval on homosexuality. Some even have “gay clergy” members, as they are called, claiming that Jesus never condemned homosexuality. Is that true? If one cannot find an explicit statement from Jesus such as, “Thou shalt not commit homosexuality,” does that mean Jesus approved of homosexuality?
First of all, Jesus condemned homosexuality when He condemned fornication (Mt. 15:19; cf. 5:32; 19:9). The word “fornication” (from the Greek porneia) is a broad term encompassing various sexual sins, including homosexuality.… Read more
If you stand with Israel, with which Israel do you stand? The word “Israel” can mean different things, based on the context in which it is found, such as: 1) The grandson of Abraham (originally named Jacob) who had twelve sons; 2) The nation which proceeded from Jacob and his twelve sons; 3) The modern nation commonly called “Israel,” which may or may not be true descendants of Jacob (nobody today can prove that his lineage goes back to Jacob—cf.… Read more
Are we guilty of being too critical of others? Do we judge others based on our own personal standards, instead of God’s Word? Here are some questions to consider:
No scientist can make a living cell (ever heard how complex DNA is?), but the human body makes 300,000,000,000 cells per day (300 billion). Even if a scientist could make one cell every second in a laboratory, working constantly night and day, it would take 9,500 years to do what the human body does in a single day!
Scientists could not begin to “make a brain,” which has about 100,000,000,000 neurons (100 billion) and about 100,000,000,000,000 connections (100 trillion).… Read more
