Socialism is becoming more accepted in our society. Proponents of it are more open in advocating for it and it holds less of a stigma than it once did. However, there is still a large percentage of people that reject this political and economic philosophy – many of these are religious people. Those who promote socialism, if they want it to gain popular support, must find a way to convince these individuals of the alleged virtues of the system.
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August 30, 2011
Does the Bible Promote Socialism?
August 24, 2011
Finding Purpose Amidst the Vanity of Life
As we deal with the regular trials and pressures of this life, it is not uncommon to have periods in which we are down and might struggle to see the value in our normal pursuits. The wise man articulated these feelings in the book of Ecclesiastes. He opened with these words: “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 1:2). He then went on to mention several regular pursuits of this life that he considered vain:
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August 18, 2011
Someone Has His Father’s Wife
The church at Corinth had several problems that Paul needed to address in his first epistle. One notable problem was the case of the man who had taken his father’s wife and how the congregation had reacted to it. There are several lessons we should take from this. First, let us be reminded of the situation that existed there:
“It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father’s wife. You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst” (1 Corinthians 5:1-2).
Following this, Paul went on to describe the appropriate way to handle this situation. Let us notice some lessons from the brother in sin, the congregation, and what God wants us to understand about sin and His church.
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August 11, 2011
Finding Reasons to Praise God in the Midst of an Economic Crisis
Our struggling economy took another hit when the United States’ credit rating was downgraded for the first time in history. This sent the stock market tumbling and made many people even more anxious about the future. Whether this is just a bump in the road or the trigger to the economic downfall of the United States remains to be seen. But even during uncertain times like these, we should be reminded of some important reasons why we ought to praise God.
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August 4, 2011
Who Are You Who Judge Your Neighbor?
We live in a time when tolerance is a chief virtue – not tolerance in the way the Bible defines it, but tolerance for almost any sort of sin or error that may be practiced or promoted by man. As a result, our society is most intolerant of what could be seen as one person judging another. After all, what business do we have judging anyone else?
This is a good question to consider. We certainly must not judge when it is not our place to do so. James wrote, “There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you who judge your neighbor?” (James 4:12). Paul wrote, “Now accept one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions” (Romans 14:1). A little bit later he asked: “But you, why do you judge your brother: Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God” (Romans 14:10). One of the most quoted statements by Jesus was spoken in His Sermon on the Mount: “Do not judge so that you will not be judged” (Matthew 7:1).
Do these passages teach that all judgments we might make are wrong? Conversely, is it possible to be wrongly accused of judging others?
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August 1, 2011
7th Year of Plain Bible Teaching
August 1, 2005 was the official launch date for the Plain Bible Teaching website. Six years later, we are now beginning the seventh year of Plain Bible Teaching. Coincidentally, this first post of year number seven is also the 500th post on this site. To all those who have visited the site over the first six years, thank you.
As we begin the seventh year of Plain Bible Teaching, I am adding a new feature to the site — a weekly email newsletter. Each week, the newsletter will contain several items, including the latest content on Plain Bible Teaching, featured articles from the PBT archives, new outlines added to my DIY Sermon Outlines site, helpful links to Bible topics from around the web, religious news stories, and more. To sign up, enter your email address in the sign-up form to the right. The first issue will be delivered to your inbox on Friday.
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July 26, 2011
Be Filled With The Spirit
In the letter to the church at Ephesus, Paul commanded, “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). Many believe that a Christian being filled with the Spirit is wholly dependent upon some direct action by God. This is puzzling, considering that Paul phrases this as a command. A commandment implies a responsibility to obey. Therefore, we are responsible for being “filled with the Spirit.” So how are we to do this?
