why we've grouped some questions around church?
In his first letter to Timothy, Paul makes a statement that deserves a closer look. When he says in 1 Timothy 2:153 that women should be saved through childbearing some immediate questions might arise. For example, is Paul saying that [more]
Categories: Christian Living, Salvation, WorshipTags: authority, church, egalitarianism, passage exegesis, righteousness, salvationWhen it comes to the organization of the church, there has long been debate and variation. Whether it is a single worldwide leader (e.g. Pope), or having various “presiding Bishops” to oversee certain groups or regions of churches, or having [more]
Categories: Bible ConceptsTags: church, egalitarianismDetermining how church is defined in the Bible could be done a few different ways. If we were to simply look up the word “church” in our modern dictionaries we would get something like, “a building [more]
Categories: Bible ConceptsTags: authority, church, definitions, doctrine, egalitarianism, Greek words, Jesus, kingdom, salvation, worshipThe use of instrumental music in worship has become a staple in much of modern religious life. Not offering it is an automatic turn-off for many when choosing their church affiliation. In fact, instrumental music in worship is arguably the [more]
Becoming a member of the church can mean a couple of different things. Depending on where you live, there are probably many different “local” churches. Within the Christian faith, these “churches” meet at a certain place, at certain designated times, [more]
The images of the church that God has chosen are powerful! In fact, God very often communicates in His word through imagery and metaphors, and why wouldn’t He given their use “takes an abstract, hard to understand idea and compares [more]
Categories: Jesus the Son, WorshipTags: AD70, church, Jesus, kingdom, top # list, worshipMany of the cultural norms regarding marriage are under assault today. As a result, it’s important to reflect on how Biblical marriage is defined and described. United States marriage trends published from Pew Research (February, 2019) [more]
Categories: Christian LivingTags: authority, church, definitions, truth, Word of GodScripture doesn’t comment about the time of Christ in typical human terms. The exact dates of his birth or death are not mentioned. But that’s not to say that Scripture is silent about the time of Christ. In fact, the [more]
Categories: Jesus the SonTags: church, Greek words, kingdom, premillennialism, providence, sin, TULIPThere is a belief among some that Jesus did not accomplish all that He came to earth to do. On the surface, the suggestion that God could fail and that Jesus did not accomplish His mission seems absurd. Yet, this [more]
Categories: Jesus the Son, Premillennialism, PreterismTags: AD70, church, doctrine, end times, Jesus, kingdom, premillennialismHe came to earth once, and when Jesus returns it will be different. He came to earth the first time on a mission. When Jesus returns a second time, there won’t be a literal thousand year reign nor [more]
Categories: Eschatology, Jesus the Son, PreterismTags: AD70, antichrist, church, end times, kingdom, premillennialism, salvationIn today’s religious vernacular, a preacher is a pastor. In fact, the word pastor is used almost exclusively as a title in religious organizations. Most dictionaries would list synonyms for “preacher” to be “pastor” or “minister”. Effectively, in the religious [more]
Categories: Bible ConceptsTags: authority, church, definitions, Scripture, worshipThe idea of Jesus establishing His kingdom comes from Jesus Himself, but was Jesus’ kingdom established when He walked on earth in the first century? The question of “When?” regarding Jesus’ kingdom is debated. Some even say that Jesus [more]
Categories: Eschatology, Premillennialism, PreterismTags: AD70, authority, church, end times, Jesus, kingdom, premillennialism, prophecy, prophetsWhere Jesus is today is a simple enough question. However, level-setting on the answer can be foundational in understanding other aspects of the Godhead. It can also be the first step in understanding other characteristics and responsibilities for the Son [more]
What Christian’s believe and how they have come to understand what the Bible teaches isn’t always shaped purely by Scripture. The Ancient Greek influence of Gnosticism has had a profound and enduring effect on Christian thought. [more]
Categories: Jesus the Son, Reformed/Calvinism, SalvationTags: church, doctrine, gnosticism, grace, Greek words, Jesus, salvation, TULIPGod’s land promise was originally made to Abraham in roughly 2,000BC. The Bible first tells of the land promise in Genesis 12:1-3 and it is repeated several more times to Abraham and descendants Isaac and Jacob (aka Israel). As [more]
Categories: PremillennialismTags: church, end times, kingdom, Old Testament, premillennialism, prophecy, prophetsA literal return of King David is a tenant of much of the modern religious thought today. Purveyors of premillennial doctrine, such as David Jeremiah, teach that King David will return in the flesh to rule alongside Jesus during the [more]
Categories: Eschatology, Jesus the Son, Premillennialism, ProphetsTags: church, doctrine, end times, false teaching, judgment, kingdom, Old Testament, premillennialism, prophecy, prophetsThe Kingdom of God is Within You, Leo Tolstoy
Understanding the kingdom of God is fundamental to understanding much of God’s revealed word. How and what one understands the kingdom of [more]
Categories: Bible Concepts, Premillennialism, PreterismTags: AD70, church, definitions, egalitarianism, end times, God, government, heaven, Jesus, judgment, kingdom, premillennialism, prophecy, salvationThe office of elder in the first century church was an important one. As such, Scripture includes specific qualifications for a church elder. To be clear, we should note that Scripture uses several words to refer to “elder” including bishop, [more]
Categories: Bible ConceptsTags: authority, church, egalitarianism, Greek words, worshipThe phrase “last days” is a common one throughout Scripture, especially with the prophets of the Old Testament. They often speak of the “last days” and other derivative phrases such as “days are coming” or “latter days” or “in/on [more]
Categories: Eschatology, Premillennialism, PreterismTags: AD70, church, definitions, end times, kingdom, Old Testament, premillennialism, prophecy, prophetsChrist’s church goes by many, many different names in this day and time. The signs in front of Christian churches testify to the countless denominations that exist as well as thousands of independent or non-denominational groups. Christ’s church may indeed [more]
Categories: Bible Concepts, Jesus the Son, WorshipTags: authority, church, worship