God’s concept of predestination in the Bible primarily operates at a group level rather than an individual one. The Bible shows that predestination involves selecting entire communities, not specific persons. This is evident in both major periods of biblical history. During Old Testament times, God selected the entire nation of Israel as His chosen people. …
The debate surrounding the first sixteen verses of 1 Corinthians 11 stems not from their clarity but from how they should be applied in practice. The text itself is straightforward to comprehend. The main point of contention lies between two interpretations: Some argue these instructions were specific to ancient cultural practices and, therefore, no longer …
Romans exegesis Chapters 9-11 return to the theme of defending God’s steadfast faithfulness, described as “the righteousness of God” in the early chapters of Romans. The righteousness of God, that is, God’s covenant faithfulness has been revealed through the faithfulness of Jesus for all who believe (Romans 3:23). Turn back to Romans 3:1-8 and recall …
Both the OT and NT show us that the silence of the scriptures have been reverenced throughout the ages In the Old Testament Cain and Abel present the first case for consideration. We are told that Cain’s sacrifice was rejected, while Abel’s was accepted. We are not privy to what God told them, but we …
By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name,” (Heb 13:15). God created humanity with the ability to use voices to sing praises to Him. The clapping of hands, guitars, etc is not the fruit of the Lips “Why …
THE HOLY SPIRIT AND SPIRITUAL GIFTS The subject of the Holy Spirit is one of the most misunderstood of all religious topics. Many people claim to have the gift of the Holy Spirit, but don’t know in what measure they have it. Others say that it is impossible to get it all, and still others …
Listening to preachers, pastors, and priests today, one wonders if they could answer the question, “What must I do to be saved?” in a manner similar to the apostles. What Must I Do to be Saved? In the very first sermon recorded, Peter convicted the Jews of participating in the death of the Messiah. “Now …
WHAT IS A CHURCH? The word “Church” is a translation of the Greek word ἐκκλησία (ekklēsia). Greek is the language in which the New Testament was first written. Ἐκκλησίαmeans “a called out assembly,” “a congregation.” It refers to God’s people who are called out of the world into fellowship with Him (I John 1:3; Acts 26:16-18;Colossians …
Concerning religion, there are only two sources of authority — God or man. Of these two sources, only one is the rightful source — God. The right standard of authority is important because when our authority is men, our worship is vain. Jesus said, “But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the …
