Posts with the category “bible-study”

Some people believe that children are subject to "total hereditary depravity" or "original sin," meaning they are sinful from birth. Why then does the Bible say to "become as little children"?   Read More

The trial of Jesus was a tragedy in so many ways. One not often considered is how the Jewish leaders rebelled not just against God but against the very songs they had sung in worship. Could we end up doing the same thing?   Read More

"I don't think that's a salvation issue." Ever heard this before? Ever said it? We can be pretty quick to declare whether or not a matter is one of eternal importance. Should we be? What does the Bible say?   Read More

Many churches keep detailed records: attendance, baptisms, restorations, and contribution. Our numbers are typically quite precise. Yet, when the Holy Spirit took attendance of the disciples, He was always inexact. Why, and what can we learn from this?   Read More

We can all be thankful that God's saving grace has appeared. Sadly, this doesn't mean that everyone is saved... but why? Let's explore Titus 2:11-12.   Read More

God's grace is incredibly rich... but is it so rich that it can prevent the saved from being lost? Or is there something that the New Testament wants us to understand about grace?   Read More

While the Bible begins appropriately, "In the beginning," one Gospel writer takes us to before the beginning. What truths does he reveal about Jesus from this time before time?   Read More

Romans 10:9-13 are considered by some to be a one stop shop to teach a sinner how to be saved. Are they, or is there more to the story? Let's examine these verses in their context and learn about calling on the name of the Lord.  Read More

John 3:16 is a favorite verse of many people for it's powerful truths. However, it contains a detail that must be understood by anyone who wants to understand salvation. Let's study it together.  Read More

Jesus was once asked the question, "Lord, will only a few be saved?" Have you ever wondered the same thing? Let's explore what the Bible says.  Read More

Can you imagine someone coming up from the waters of baptism only to be handed a pen so he could sign up on the teaching roster? I doubt it's ever happened, but it is sometimes thought that Christians should be encouraged to teach their way to maturity. Is this what God intended?   Read More

God said, "I do not change" (Malachi 3:6). Does that mean that our prayers don't really matter? Let's consider our unchanging God and the various aspects of His will at work when we pray.   Read More

You've probably heard the popular traveler's saying, "Not all who wander are lost." There is a kind of wandering though that will guarantee being lost, and the Bible warns us about it. Let's open our Bibles and explore James 1:16.   Read More

Citizenship was precious and valued in the first century, so much so in fact that some obtained it "with a large sum" (Acts 22:28). What did Peter's words identifying Christians as members of "holy nation" (1 Peter 2:9) mean in such an environment, and what should they mean to us?   Read More

Olives and olive trees were a major part of the world of the Bible. What can we learn from the many verses that discuss olives and olive trees?   Read More

As Joshua 22 reveals, the altar used in making sacrifices to God was so important to the faithful that they were willing to go to war over it. Does God have an altar for Christians and their living sacrifices today?   Read More

Paul said that God "preached the Gospel to Abraham" (Galatians 3:8). While he had a specific occasion in mind, there really is so much of the Gospel in Abraham's life. No more vividly is the Gospel on display than when Abraham took his son to the mountains of Moriah.   Read More

Some religions doubt or even deny the Deity of Jesus and/or the Holy Spirit. What does Isaiah's vision of God in Isaiah 6 reveal about them and about God?   Read More

A decline in marriage rates globally has seen an upswing in the popularity of religious celibacy. It's nothing new; some religions have been forbidding marriage for some or all of their adherents for years. What does the Bible say about celibacy?   Read More

"There are many roads that lead to Heaven." People used to say this about a broad spectrum of self-described Christian faiths; they now say it about a wide variety of religions, some of which actually deny Jesus as Lord. What trends influenced this change, and what does the Bible say about the path to Heaven?   Read More

It's not uncommon to hear someone who was raised in a Christian home publicly denounce his/her faith, having bought into the philosophy of deconstructionism. Like Peter though, these individuals' speech betrays something about them: they speak of the "Church of Christ," when so many Christians would rather talk about the "church of Christ." What's the difference - why does that little "c" matter?   Read More

“So, are you saying that __________ am/is/are/would be lost?” As Christians, we're often asked this question. How do we answer? Let's consider what the Bible says about judgment.   Read More

A common Catholic prayer known sometimes as a "Hail Mary" claims that Mary is "full of grace" before seeking her intercession and help. Where did this prayer come from, and what does the Bible say about it?   Read More

Ezekiel is told on two separate occasions to prophesy to “the mountains of Israel” (Ezekiel 6:2; 36:1). Both times, he delivered a message from the Lord Himself. Why did God talk to mountains, and what can the church learn from what the prophet said?   Read More

While standing before Pilate, Jesus said, “The one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin” (John 19:11). What does "the greater sin" mean? Does this statement imply that there are big sins and little sins? Let's see what the Bible says.   Read More

In 1 Corinthians 14 in the King James Version, one can read of an "unknown tongue." Why does it say this, and what exactly is the gift of tongues spoken about in this chapter?   Read More

Evangelism is the responsibility and privilege of every Christian. Though this is true, evangelism will fail if souls won fall away from the faith... including ours. As outward trials and inward troubles fell upon the church, what final charges did Peter give them, and what can we learn?   Read More

When asked, most people who claim to be Christians will also claim that they don't believe in salvation through good works. However, a closer examination of their beliefs may tell a different story.  Read More

When the Israelites took the ark of the covenant with them into a battle against the Philistines, they demonstrated that they thought God dwelled in a box. Are we guilty of trying to put God in boxes today?   Read More

Students today are taught to avoid plagiarism by properly citing the sources that influence their work. New Testament authors used citation to a degree, but sometimes their efforts in doing so leave modern readers with more questions than answers. Let's attempt to answer some of these questions by considering a couple of New Testament examples.   Read More

Gospel Meetings were both both successful and common in the yesteryears of the United States. However, there once was a Gospel Meeting that would put even the best attended meeting in the United States to shame. What can we learn from this meeting and the man who preached at it?   Read More

If you were challenged to open your Bible to an account of Jesus' temptation in the wilderness, would have you have turned to Mark 1? Mark's short account of this event is often overlooked or lumped into the longer accounts. What can be gained from focusing specifically on what he recorded and developing a habit of considering texts in their context first?  Read More

"Christianity is a relationship, not a religion." Have you ever felt like this, or said it? More and more people see religion as the antithesis of faith instead of an avenue for faith. Are they right? Let's see what our Bibles say about "religion."   Read More

Prophets are sometimes understood as finger pointers at rather than participants in their culture. The truth is that prophets helped their people move forward and that their loss was keenly felt. What can we learn from Enoch, Elijah, and Elisha about walking with God and having an impact on others?   Read More

2 Peter 2 is a chapter full of condemnation for the wicked, and yet in the midst of it, there is a hopeful promise: "the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation" (2 Peter 2:9). What can we learn from the context about the Lord's deliverance?   Read More

The early church was united in the practice of acapella singing; the thousands of denominations that exist today... aren't, to put it mildly. These days, one can find all kinds of music being offered in praise to God. Why were things so different 2000 years ago? Let's dig deeper in our Bibles and find out.   Read More

"Contend for the faith" is a command... except it isn't in the text of Jude 3. Instead, it's an infinitive, a verb form that describes an activity that Jude wrote to encourage. His brief epistle not only reveals how to contend for the faith but why one not only should but must do so.   Read More

We tend to think of idolatry as bowing down to a statue symbolizing a false deity or one's ancestors. However, Ephesians 5:5 would have us think about the term differently.   Read More

Proverbs 31:6 is frequently used as a proof text for those trying to demonstrate a positive view of alcohol from Scripture. is that really how God intended for it to be used? Let's put the verse back in its context and reflect upon its meaning.   Read More

Rick Warren, a well-known denominational church leader, recently proposed that we should "go back to the first century" to discover "the church at its best." In his church though, there are "women pastors" who teach the assembled church. How did his church establish this practice, and is it really what the first century church did?   Read More