The Pharisees and Legalism
One of the most confusing periods in the history of the Jewish nation was described as entirely lacking in respect for God’s authority (Judges 21:25). The division and confusion in the religious world today can be directly related to a failure to recognize any single standard of authority in religion. In Matthew 21:23-27, Jesus recognized […]
Moses’ Testimony About Jesus
John 5:45-47 says, “Think not that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses on whom ye have set your hope. For if ye believed Moses, ye would believe me; for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my word?” […]
“Filled With the Spirit”
“And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:18-19). Being “filled with the Spirit” is quite a difficult concept to grasp for a lot of people who […]
Capital Punishment
Ronald Gene Simmons was executed in the state of Arkansas on June 25, 1990, after killing fourteen members of his own family and two other people in December 1987. Simmons shot, clubbed, shot at or strangled 21 people, 16 of whom died. The dead included his wife, Becky, four of his daughters, three of his […]
God’s Purpose and Modern Religion
As God unfolded His will to man through special revelation, the purpose and plan of God became evident as existing before time began. Paul’s letter to the saints in Ephesus declares the glory of the church and the eternal purpose of God (Ephesians 1:3-5). Before the earth was created, God had a plan! The eternal […]
The Law Code of Hammurabi
One of the grandest facts about the ongoing findings of archaeology is that it never fails to produce unique and interesting finds that open up new proofs for conclusions previously unknown. One such find was the law code of Hammurabi. Hammurabi was the sixth king in the Babylonian dynasty and ruled from approximately 1792 to […]
Where Do the Gospels Belong?
The question of the application of the gospels is one that constantly faces us. What Jesus taught during His earthly ministry was both confirming to the Law of Moses (“go, show yourself to the priest …”) and preparatory/ anticipatory of the Law of Christ (“tell it to the church …” in Matthew 18:17; “gospel of […]
Following Authority
We all are very familiar with authority. We use it every day of our lives. If we have jobs, then we have bosses and managers that we submit to; when we were young, we always submitted to what our parents said. So we are very in tune with how authority works and see in our […]
The Doctrines of Men
The word “doctrines” in our title means “teaching.” In other words, some people attribute certain teachings to the New Testament that aren’t there. This isn’t a new problem. Jesus told the Pharisees that they worshiped God in vain because they taught the “commandments of men” (Matthew 15:8-9). They weren’t teaching God’s will but said it […]
Five Witnesses to the Claims of Jesus #3
John 5:39-40 says, “Ye search the scriptures because ye think that in them ye have eternal life; and these are they that bear witness of me, and ye will not come to me that ye may have life”. Jesus presented Himself to His nation as the Messiah for whom they looked — the Son of […]