Luke the Comedian, Part 1 (Luke 8:25)
I recently noticed two places in Luke’s writing that are humorous. I’m not sure many people recognize how funny they are. The two “jokes” are related, and I thought it might be worth our while to look at them. I’m not sure Luke meant to be a comedian, but what he writes in recording these […]
Why We Must Confront Lordship Salvation and Major Doctrinal Error*
*The following is from the conclusion of Chapter 1 of Absolutely Free: A Biblical Reply to Lordship Salvation, pp. 20-21. It goes without saying that an error of this magnitude [i.e., Lordship Salvation] cannot be dismissed as irrelevant to the life of the church. Neither can it be ignored in the vain hope that it […]
“Without Me You Can Do Nothing” (John 15:5)?
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” John 15:5 C.J. asks a great question: I was reflecting on the Lord Jesus Christ’s words in John 15:5 where He says, “I am the vine, you are […]
Easier Said than Done (Hebrews 13:6)
We don’t know who they were, but the original recipients of the letter to the Hebrews were going through a rough time. They were being persecuted for their faith in Christ (Heb 10:32-35; 12:3), and the Lord wanted them to endure the difficulties they were going through. To encourage them to do so, the author […]
When Compromise Is Foolish
I do not know who said it. But is it true? A good compromise is when both parties are dissatisfied. May I modify that? A good compromise is when both parties, and God, are satisfied. We should seek win-win-win solutions to impasses. But what about situations where to compromise would be to go against God’s […]
The Surgeon General Says…
I’m old enough to remember when smoking cigarettes was cool. All the beautiful actresses and handsome actors in movies and on TV smoked. It was considered both sexy and elegant. Many of my relatives smoked cigarettes and used other forms of tobacco. I recall commercials in which even doctors promoted certain brands of cigarettes. Some […]
The Sinner Saint
A few years ago, I had the opportunity to teach a course on soteriology (doctrine of salvation) in Zambia. During one of the discussions, I learned that the students’ definition of sinner was causing some confusion. Most of the students came from an Arminian perspective, meaning that they believed in losing salvation if they fell […]
Why Can’t the Law Give Everlasting Life (Galatians 3:21)?
Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. I’m teaching a second-year Greek course. We are using Galatians as our text. Each week we translate and exegete around ten verses. […]
A Servant Becomes a King
Agur, a man of whom we know very little, wrote Proverbs 30. Most students of the Bible will recognize one of the characteristics of his writing. He likes to enumerate several things that have something in common, then up the number by one. Proverbs 30:21-23 is an example. Agur says that there are “three things” […]
How Do You Know What Your Spiritual Gift Is?
I have been in several churches that offered classes to help you determine what your spiritual gifts are. One church had a multiple-choice exam that told you what your gifts were. Scripture clearly teaches that each believer has at least one spiritual gift:i Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be […]