Silence in Practice In 1 Timothy 2, Paul first instructs men (not women) “to pray everywhere while lifting up holy hands”; 1 Tim. 2:8). The lifting of hands while leading God’s people in prayer followed the practice of Jewish priests and kings (Lev. 9:22; 1 Kgs....
A Plea to Return to New Testament Principles Romanticism, characterized by its emphasis on the glorification of the past, was at its peak in the first half of the nineteenth century. Not surprisingly, its influence was at work in the ecclesiastical world of...
“Question authority” was the self-defining cry of the baby boomer generation. A half century on from the adoption of that credo, their children and grandchildren see no need to question it, for they believe that authority resides in themselves. In an age where truth...
Scripture affirms that not only is God wise but He alone is wise: “to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.” (Rom. 16:27; see also 1 Tim. 1:17; Jude 25). It is this wisdom which enables Him to attain right ends in a way that most...
What does God desire from the Church during her earthly sojourn? The answer is to reveal “the manifold wisdom of God…to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places”…“to the praise of His glory” (Eph. 1:13, 3:10). We are to glorify God by magnifying Christ in every situation (Phil. 1:20). As directed by God, selfless […]
The Lord’s Table and the Lord’s Supper These two phrases are often used interchangeably in assembly circles. This begs the question, are they both referring to the same thing? Do we gather on a Sunday at the Lord’s Table to observe the Lord’s Supper or is there a distinction? Context A proper interpretation of any […]
The Christian’s Security and Assurance in Christ That “Salvation is of the Lord” is a good thing, for if man had any part in it, it would be inherently unstable (John 2:9). If being saved were a cooperative effort between humans and God, then our moral frailty would engender eternal insecurity within us. Thankfully, well-known […]
Introduction Jonah has been called the wayward prophet. I would like to suggest that he is a prophet with an attitude! God gave him a clear command to do something and he did the exact opposite. Yet after chastening him, God, in grace and mercy, gave him a second chance. With that second chance, He […]
Some people are last minute shoppers while others are on the other end of the spectrum, having already bought their Christmas gifts in early summer. Contemplating the infinite gift of the ages, the eternal God purposed in eternity to give His eternal Son to us (Titus 1:2). Yet the revelation of this Gift was gradually […]
The apostle Paul commenting on the perfect deity and humanity of the Lord Jesus wrote “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh…” (1 Tim. 3:16) W.E. Vine defines the word “mystery” as being “outside the range of unassisted natural comprehension and can only be made known by […]
Given the centrality of Christ’s redemptive work on the cross, it is interesting that He never refers to it as His cross.1 He spoke of the disciples’ individual crosses, but that referred to their identification with persecution for His sake, as well as death to the old life (Matt. 10:38; 16:24-26; cf. Rom. 6:6; Gal. […]
“For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So, then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” Romans 14:10-12 Believers will not face the judgment […]
To say that the woman’s role in the church is a controversial subject would be an understatement! Sadly, the subject in the local church is increasingly being challenged today. Many churches have divided over this issue, resulting in many hurts and families leaving their meetings. The pressures of society, genderism, feminism, and equal rights have […]
David begins Psalm 139 marveling about God’s knowledge: “O Lord, You have searched me and known me.” We conduct a search to find something that is lost or to obtain information about something of which we want to know more. But that doesn’t apply here. It is not that at some moment God chose to […]
The wonderful effect of God’s grace is that a sinner can cry out to God for salvation and receive forgiveness of sins. But in salvation, God does more than just forgive. He saves people from their sins and begins the process of changing us from a sinner having a desire to sin to a saint […]
The wonderful effect of God’s grace is that a sinner can cry out to God for salvation and receive forgiveness of sins. But in salvation, God does more than just forgive. He saves people from their sins and begins the process of changing us from a sinner having a desire to sin to a saint […]
Introduction The teaching of a pre-tribulation rapture has been taking quite a beating over the past couple decades. It comes from teachers that have abandoned ship and embraced the popular view which insists that the Church will go through the Tribulation. I, however, am not among this number. This is not because you cannot teach […]
God is the sovereign Lord of the universe and the centrality of divine Lordship is a prominent theme in the Bible. Scripture reveals that God possesses absolute authority and rule as King. He is the living God, the eternal King. “But the Lord is the true God, He is the living God and the everlasting […]
In numerous verses, the Bible declares or assumes itself to be the Word of God. The fact that this Book claims to be the inspired Word of God cannot be denied. It is the constant claim of the New Testament and Old Testament writers, and of Christ Himself. Now, why is this an important subject? […]
The Lord Jesus has been revealed as the elect and beloved Servant, “Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased” (Matt. 12:18). In John 13, the feet-washing is a living parable on the self-humbling of Christ as outlined in Philippians chapter 2. It teaches us something of […]