The Broken Record Approach to Evangelism
By Bob Wilkin What Is This Approach? It was the start of the fall semester of my senior year in college. A friend, John Carlson, had invited me to a College Life meeting, a Christian outreach event. He got me there by asking, “Is it possible that your view of the gospel is wrong?” […]
Denying the Faith?
By Ken Yates What does it mean to “deny the faith” (1 Tim 5:8)? This question brings up a couple of issues. First, is it possible for a Christian to verbally deny the Christian faith or to renounce Christ? Even though many today would say a Christian could never do such a thing, and […]
The Armor of God: Our Assurance of Salvation (Ephesians 6:13-18)
By Bill Lee I have long considered Paul’s letter to the Ephesians the Christian’s guide to the spiritual conflict of the ages. Paul wrote Ephesians while imprisoned in Rome after his arrest in Jerusalem. While he expected to be released, the possibility of being executed did exist, and that could be the reason Paul […]
Do Not Be Ashamed (2 Timothy 1:1–18)
By Zane C. Hodges Salutation (1:1–2) 1:1. In Paul’s salutation to Timothy, the Apostle presents both the medium of his apostleship and its measure. The phrase by the will of God (dia thelēmatos Theou) is the divine medium, while according to the promise of life (kat’ epangelian zōēs) suggests the divine measure or […]
Faith in Christ Does Not Mean Faithfulness or Fidelity
By Wayne A. Brindle Unlikely Definitions What if you were debating someone about the merits of home schooling, and your opponent said, “Home schools are bad, because, as the Oxford English Dictionary defines ‘school,’ it’s a ‘group of people gambling together,’ and we certainly don’t want our children to do that.” What would your […]
Legalism: No Laughing Matter
By Ken Yates Nevertheless, what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.” So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free (Gal 4:30-31). Defining Legalism If we were to define […]
Jesus Weeps Beside Our Tombs
By Bud Brown My daughter-in-law recently posted a Facebook message about our ten-year-old grandson who has muscular dystrophy. My son was scared tonight. He can feel his muscles deteriorate and is afraid of the day he can no longer walk. He is upset and concerned what this means for his life. As he sobbed in […]
Of Elders and Deacons (1 Timothy 3:1–13)
By Zane C. Hodges Function and Maturity 3:1. The discussion of privilege in the public gatherings of the Church as they relate to men and women leads quite naturally to the discussion of another privilege—that of spiritual oversight. It is a good work (kalou ergou). An ascending scale is seen. Just as public prayer and […]
The Decrees of God
A chapter from Chosen to Serve: Why Divine Election Is to Service, Not to Eternal Life. By Shawn Lazar Introduction When theologians write or talk about the decrees of God, it is usually in hushed and reverential tones. These decrees are said to lay at the very heart of the mystery of predestination and election […]
Who Are You, Really?
By Ric Webb When you look at Rembrandt’s painting The Return of the Prodigal—the son with his head shaved, his clothes tattered and torn, no robe, his sandals bare to the sole—you see the picture of one who has been brought to the brink of despair. Broken and bleeding…and most of it within. He makes […]