What Calvinism Does
Calvinism’s view of salvation, i.e. that salvation is completely and totally in the hands of God and has nothing to do with man, has serious implications. Anyone with a cursory knowledge of God and His revelation will recognize the absurdity of the following points: First, it implies that man has no free will whatsoever and […]
The Traditions of Men
The traditions of men cause people to turn away from the word of God. There are a number of passages which forbid us from adding to or taking away the Bible (Deuteronomy 4:2; Proverbs 30:6; Galatians 1:6-9; Revelation 22:18-19). Several other passages tell us to “turn not from it to the right hand or to […]
Scriptural Fellowship
I find it very interesting that we have preached against the “social gospel” for many decades, but we are increasingly seeing non-institutional churches announcing “events” which are planned and promoted by churches and include appeals for young people to join in the food and entertainment provided by individuals. Many have even adopted the popular definition […]
“The Sons of the Prophets”
One of the intriguing references in the Old Testament are references to the “sons of the prophets.” This group emerged in the beginnings of the Israelite monarchy (cp. 1 Kings 20:35). They are mentioned ten times in the scriptures, and all references are in Kings. “Sons” is used in the sense of “members of a […]
Should We Identify the False Teacher?
There are lots of brethren who are uncomfortable with preachers naming false teachers in sermons or articles. The argument goes that publicly naming false teachers should be limited to only the apostles or inspired men. They say we should focus on the doctrine and avoid the false teacher’s name. They tell us that we promote […]
A Different Approach to Social Drinking
Full disclosure: I believe the Bible teaches that it is a sin to drink alcohol socially. I mean by that the use of alcohol in social situations such as dinners, banquets, and parties, is a sinful use of alcohol. As such a Christian should not imbibe. I believe that an understanding of the English translations […]
“What He Hath Seen and Heard”
Jn. 3:31-36 is a section which is viewed by some as the comments of John the apostle while others consider it to be the comments of John the baptizer. John the baptizer contrasts Jesus with himself. Jesus was from above and above all. He spoke of heavenly things. John was of the earth and spoke […]
“Be Not Deceived …”
The apostle Paul wrote three times in two letters warning brethren to “be not deceived.” “Deceived” means “to be led into error.” This article will quickly appraise three different ways in which we should not be deceived or led away. Be Not Deceived About Condemning Effects of Evil In 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Paul wrote, “Know […]
“He That Cometh From Above”
“He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is of the earth and of the earth he speaketh: he that cometh from heaven is above all. What he hath seen and heard, of that he beareth witness. He that receiveth his witness hath set his seal to this that […]
Politics in the Pulpit
Before I begin, I should say that I will not interject any of my own political viewpoints. The purpose of this article is only to encourage all who read it to rely on the wisdom of God in making decisions for their everyday life. We currently live in a nation where there is a great […]