Understanding Legalism

Jewish Rulers Take Counsel Against Jesus

For many religious people, the term legalism has a strong negative connotation. Yet others may be unfamiliar with it. To be fair, it is not a term found in the Bible. Instead, it has been coined to describe a certain approach to the Bible.

Legalism is associated with the idea of strictness, narrow-mindedness, and being judgmental. The Pharisees are the classic example of “legalists.” However, while the Pharisees may have been strict, narrow-minded, and judgmental, there was more to them than that. At times, they justified certain sins and acts of disobedience, including the refusal to help their aged parents in need (Matthew 15:3-6). At other times, Jesus rebuked them for what could be described as spiritual mediocrity as they hypocritically taught others to do what they refused to do (Matthew 23:2-4) and presented an appearance of holiness while being spiritually corrupt in their hearts (Matthew 23:27-28).

Just as there is more to the Pharisees than the common stereotype, I believe there is more to “legalism” than the popular concept of it.Continue Reading

Our Common Salvation

Woman being baptized

Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints” (Jude 3).

The verse above is often cited to show the need for Christians to engage in a spiritual battle for the cause of Christ. We are to “put on the full armor of God” (Ephesians 6:11), which enables us to “fight the good fight of faith” (1 Timothy 6:12). In doing this, Jude explained that we must “contend earnestly for the faith.” This is just as important today as it was when Jude penned these words in the first century.*

However, Jude’s original intention was to write about another topic – “our common salvation.” This was (and is) a vitally important subject, but because of the pressing need to “contend earnestly for the faith,” the Holy Spirit saw fit to have the inspired writer deliver a different message than Jude originally intended. Whether Jude ever delivered a follow-up message on that topic – in person or in writing – we do not know. However, the idea of “our common salvation” is worthy of our consideration, so we will discuss that in this article.Continue Reading

How Much Time Should We Spend on the Lord’s Supper?

Communion Trays

In my limited personal experience in every church where I have been a member, the observance of the Lord’s Supper in the assembly has been simple and relatively brief. Even when visiting on a Sunday with other congregations, that experience has been the same.

Lately, I have been hearing of more churches rearranging their Sunday service schedule in order to have one service wholly dedicated to the Lord’s Supper and another service in which they engage in the other acts of worship (singing, praying, preaching/teaching). As of the time I am writing this, I have not visited a church that has gone to this type of arrangement. However, based upon comments I have seen online, those who have done this seem to have an overwhelmingly positive view of this new format.

This begs the question: How much time should we spend on the Lord’s Supper? In this article, I want us to consider some thoughts regarding that question.Continue Reading

20th Year of Plain Bible Teaching

Open Bible with Coffee Cup

The beginning of August means the start of another year of Plain Bible Teaching. The first year started back on August 1, 2005. That means we just completed nineteen full years and are beginning year number twenty!

I feel incredibly blessed that I have been able to carry on this work for so long. Honestly, at this point, I cannot imagine myself not doing this type of work. Part of the reason I have stuck with this so long is that (1) I know how many people are accessing the material on the site (based on website analytics and social media statistics), and (2) I know the material is helpful to people (based upon the emails and comments I receive directly).

So on this anniversary of Plain Bible Teaching, let me take this opportunity to express my sincere appreciation to each of YOU for reading, following, and sharing this material, as well as offering words of encouragement to me in this work. Some of you have been following Plain Bible Teaching since the beginning, others have discovered the site recently, and most are somewhere in between. No matter how long you have been following, I’m glad you’re here and hope the materials posted here will help you for many years to come.Continue Reading

“Mockers Will Come With Their Mocking”

The Last Supper (Leonardo di Vinci)

At the time of this writing, controversy recently erupted at the beginning of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, in which a group of “drag queens” appeared to represent the last supper of Jesus and His apostles. (Pictures of this are currently all over the internet, but I decided they were too vulgar to display on this website. Instead, the image above is of Leonardo da Vinci’s painting which was allegedly being parodied.) Depicting this event with the Lord and His apostles in this way makes a mockery of Christ. However, some claim that this was not the intended reference. Yet even if that were true, the entire lewd scene was an insult to Christians and anyone else who holds a Biblical view of morals and sexuality. Sadly, such a display is no longer surprising today.

As a culture becomes more and more godless, believers in Christ increasingly become the targets of ridicule, harassment, ostracism, and, in some cases, even physical violence. This has been the case in various places throughout the world. Yet now, even in places that were once tolerant of Christianity and generally embraced Biblical values, there is a growing antagonism toward God, the Lord Jesus Christ, His church, His word, and His people.

The apostle Peter warned about this back in the first century:

Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation’” (2 Peter 3:3-4).

We certainly see “mockers” today who ridicule anything that pertains to faith in Christ. Let us consider a few points about this.Continue Reading

Lessons for the Young (and the Not-So-Young)

Young Man Reading Bible

My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your sight; keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life to those who find them and health to all their body” (Proverbs 4:20-22).

In the book of Proverbs, the wise man sought to impart wisdom to his son. It is natural for one to want to help his children or other young people in this way. As we get older, we have lessons that have been shared with us by others, knowledge we have learned on our own, and wisdom we have gained from our experiences. The wise man of the book of Proverbs – as well as the others who wrote the words we can read in the Scriptures – had these words revealed to them by God (cf. 2 Timothy 3:16; 1 Corinthians 2:12-13). Therefore, the lessons we find in the Bible are particularly important.

So, what lessons are needed for young people today? We are going to briefly notice a few examples from the Scriptures. As was the case with the wise man’s words to his son in the book of Proverbs, these instructions are not just for young people. All of these instructions are good for both the young and the not-so-young. Let us consider seven lessons here.Continue Reading

How to Fix Our Broken Nation

Statue of Liberty Fallen

Nearly a decade ago, I preached a sermon with this same title following a mass shooting. Sadly, this country is still very much in need of “fixing.” And, of course, our society is full of people with ideas on how to do this. Yet so many of the “solutions” that are suggested are misguided, incomplete, and short-sighted.

Unsurprisingly, the problems that exist in our society have increased and worsened as the people of our nation have turned away from God and His word. The only real solution is to turn to the Scriptures and follow the principles and precepts found therein.Continue Reading