The resurrection of Jesus Christ happened almost two thousand years ago, yet it is still remembered, is still talked about, and continues to impact the lives of people throughout the world. The preaching of the apostles was filled with it (Acts 2:22-24, 32; 3:15; 4:10; 5:30; 10:38-43; 13:29-31; 17:31; 26:23). Today, we continue to proclaim the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. But why? And what evidence do we have that this event happened? Let us consider a few points.Continue Reading
“In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following” (1 Timothy 4:6).
A preacher’s job is not to find some “new” thing to present to his audience every time he preaches. If he has been preaching the truth, there is nothing “new” for him to teach without getting in trouble (cf. Galatians 1:8-9). A preacher is to “preach the word” (2 Timothy 4:2), which includes informing, challenging, and reminding.
In the passage above, Paul declared the need to “put the brethren in remembrance” (KJV). This can be applied broadly to anything taught in the word of God, but what did Paul mean in this specific context? Notice what he wrote in the verses leading up to this statement:
“But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude; for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer” (1 Timothy 4:1-5).
These were the things that Paul wanted Timothy to “point out” to the brethren. These reminders are still necessary today. Let us briefly consider these points.Continue Reading
As one moves from childhood to adulthood, various changes occur in one’s physical body, relationships, responsibilities, maturity, knowledge, wisdom, and so on. However, many people do not want to grow up and put away childish things, whether that be in the form of a refusal to take on adult responsibilities or a reluctance to outgrow childhood obsessions (like toys and entertainment).
Paul used this basic principle of growth and maturity as an analogy for our spiritual lives.
“When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things” (1 Corinthians 13:11).
In this article, we will consider some “childish things” we are to put away from a spiritual standpoint.Continue Reading
“Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you” (Romans 16:16).
When talking about spiritual matters with other religious people, we often find many things that we will agree about – God is the creator, Jesus died for our sins and was raised from the dead, there is hope that the faithful will have eternal life in heaven, etc.
However, there are also some significant differences between churches of Christ and other churches. Some who belong to other churches are curious about this, and we want to be ready to give an explanation for what we believe (cf. 1 Peter 3:15).
Before we begin, I want to be clear that there is no “official” position for churches of Christ. We do not have a written creed, nor do we have a denominational headquarters deciding on doctrine. I cannot speak for any other congregation that calls itself a church of Christ. However, there are some teachings and practices that are generally common among churches of Christ but differ from those of most other churches. In this article, we will look at some of these unique characteristics and briefly examine the New Testament to see why we believe and practice them.Continue Reading
The New Testament describes fellowship as something to be valued, built, and maintained among Christians. In his first epistle, John declared that the apostles taught the message of the gospel “so that you too may have fellowship with us” (1 John 1:3). When the apostles in Jerusalem wanted to demonstrate their acceptance and approval of Paul and Barnabas, they “gave to [them] the right hand of fellowship” (Galatians 2:9).
The word translated fellowship is the Greek word koinonia. It contains the idea of association, community, communion, and joint participation (Thayer’s Greek Lexicon). Because of this definition, this same word is used elsewhere in the New Testament to describe a contribution made for needy saints (Romans 15:26; 2 Corinthians 9:13) and participation in their support (2 Corinthians 8:4), a sharing in the body and blood of Christ as we partake of the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 10:16), and a participation with Paul in the work of preaching the gospel (Philippians 1:5).
While we sometimes think of fellowship in a generic sense and talk about the “fellowship” we have with Christians around the world (even those we have never met or even know of), the way the term is used in the New Testament has a much more limited scope. It is true that all Christians – whether they know one another or not – have a common bond in Christ. We are all brethren (1 Peter 1:22; 2:17) and part of the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13). But fellowship – the sense of community, the close association, the shared communion, and the way in which we jointly participate in the Lord’s work – demands a more personal and localized view of fellowship rather than one that is vague and impossible to see how far it extends.
The reason this is important is because of the limits that we see in the New Testament on fellowship. There are certain people to whom we must not extend fellowship (not associate with them, not welcome them into the local church community, not commune with them, and not work with them in the cause of Christ). It would be impossible to respect the limits placed on fellowship if we were automatically “in fellowship” with others, whether we knew about them or not.
What are these limits? Notice some of the people or groups we are not to have fellowship with:Continue Reading
It is a thrilling thing to witness someone respond to the invitation at the end of a sermon, make their way to the front of the auditorium, confess their faith in Christ, and then be baptized to have their sins washed away. Of course, this is not the only setting in which one could obey the gospel. Baptisms can occur in bathtubs, swimming pools, rivers, and anywhere else there is sufficient water for someone to be “buried with [Christ] in baptism” (Colossians 2:12) after they made the decision to become a Christian.
But why do people decide to become Christians? What motivates them to obey the gospel? We will briefly consider some possibilities in this article. However, we first need to understand what it means to obey the gospel.Continue Reading
People sometimes have questions about sin and forgiveness. Are some sins unforgivable? If so, and they commit those sins, are they forever lost without any hope? These are important questions, and we need to examine the Bible to answer them.
There is one sin in the Bible that many point to as being the unforgivable or unpardonable sin. It was identified by Jesus as blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.
“‘Truly I say to you, all sins shall be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin’—because they were saying, ‘He has an unclean spirit’” (Mark 3:28-30).
What is this sin? Why will it not be forgiven? And is it truly unforgivable? In other words, is someone beyond hope if they commit this sin just one time? Let us consider what the Bible teaches about this.Continue Reading
What does “propitiation” mean? How is “justification” connected to salvation? What does “sanctification” look like in our day-to-day lives? The Bible uses some powerful words to describe God’s plan to save mankind. However, these words are not always easy to understand, especially when they are not part of our everyday vocabulary. This book explores key Bible terms that unlock the message of the gospel.
Big Words in the Bible examines five important words – Propitiation, Reconciliation, Sanctification, Justification, and Resurrection – using plain language to see how the Scriptures describe these concepts and how the apostle Paul employs them in his letter to the Romans. This book also contains an appendix with eleven additional articles to explore these topics further.
Whether you are new to the Bible and want to grow in your understanding or want a simple way to explain these core gospel doctrines to others, this book will be helpful. With a focus on the Scriptures, Big Words in the Bible helps break down these fundamental topics to shed light on the life-changing message of the gospel and the salvation found in it.
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