When Paul came to Thessalonica, he began preaching in the synagogue with some success (Acts 17:1-4). However, many of the Jews became upset and caused an uproar (Acts 17:5). They searched for Paul and Silas, the ones who had “turned the world upside down” with their teaching (Acts 17:6). When they could not find them, they brought Jason and some of the other brethren before the city authorities (Acts 17:6-7). What charge did they bring against Jason? He “welcomed them” (Acts 17:7).
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September 5, 2007
Do Not Receive Him into Your House
July 1, 2007
Fellowship with One Another
Fellowship is a word that we often hear, but a topic that we do not hear discussed as often. When we discuss fellowship, we must understand the basis for our fellowship. Why do we have fellowship with one another? That question leads us to another question: Why do we not have fellowship with certain ones? This is the question many are uncomfortable with or are uninterested in discussing. So we frequently hear of fellowship, but not about fellowship. In this article, we will discuss fellowship, the basis for it, and the dangers of being too loose or restrictive in it.
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April 1, 2007
Testing the Spirits
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).
This warning from the apostle John is for us not to believe everyone who claims to be bringing a message from God. There are “many false prophets” – many who teach things that are wrong and lead to damnation. So we are to “test the spirits” and identify false teachers among us. It is important that we know how to identify such individuals.
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March 1, 2007
Local Church Autonomy
The Bible teaches that each local church is to be autonomous. That is, they are not answerable to another local church or council of churches. Elders are to shepherd the flock which is among them (Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:1-2). No man or group of men has been given authority in the New Testament to rule or govern any other congregation(s).
Sometimes though, the Bible teaching of local church autonomy is misapplied or abused by brethren. Many believe that autonomy means we cannot be critical of what another congregation practices or teaches. When a concerned brother does speak out against error or apostasy in another local church, “autonomy” is the club used to attack this man. After all, to speak out against the error or apostasy in another congregation is to violate that church’s autonomy. Really?
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February 5, 2007
Don’t Believe Everything You Hear
“The naive believes everything, but the sensible man considers his steps” (Proverbs 14:15).
When it comes to things that pertain to the Bible, many have a belief that is based upon what someone has told them, whether that is a parent, preacher, pastor, etc. But we are being naive if we believe everything someone might tell us, regardless of how much respect we have for that person.
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