Various essays on issues in the church and deaing with church culture.
What is the context of the “binding and loosing” statement in Matt 16 and 18? Is it about a prayer of agreement, or is it about excommunication? If the latter, is there still evidence for a prayer of agreement?
Continue readingJesus said to preach the gospel to everyone (Matt 18:18-20). The word Gospel comes from the Greek Euangelion (εὐαγγέλιον) or Evangelium in Latin, which in Old English becomes “gōdspel” (gōd “good” + spel “news”), all of which means good news. Jesus is the Messiah (the Christ), which means “anointed one,” and the good news is about him saving us. However, the Bible says there will be an Antichrist or false Messiah, and this false Messiah will have his own false gospel.
Continue readingIn Matthew 22:34-40, Jesus said the two greatest commandments are to, “love God with all of your heart, soul, and strength” (Deut 6:4-5), and “love your neighbor as yourself (Lev 19:18). 1 Timothy 2:1-8 says to pray for all people and give thanks for them, including those in governmental authority. In verse 8 Paul says to do this “free from anger and controversy.” The government itself is an institution established by God, existing to maintain peace, and it’s for our benefit, as stated in Romans 13:1-7. However, it is made up of fallible and corrupt humans, so we must pray for them.
Continue readingThe Gospel is supposed to be presented as good news. It is supposed to be a sign of relief from the desert that is the world. Living Water (John 7:38) for a world of people who are dying of thirst. Or the Bread of Life (John 6:35) for those who are scavenging for scraps to eat. The gospel is that Jesus is the oasis in the desert and the source of the Living Water and the Bread of Life. Believers are those who have already “tasted and seen that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8). Believers are to carry that bread and water with them to share with others and point them to the source. Believers cannot force anyone to eat or drink, but they can only offer them the option. One cannot threaten someone with good news (the gospel); if they reject it, then they miss out.
Continue readingWhat is Baptism? Is it necessary to be saved, or is it something you do after believing in Jesus? Does baptizing babies overwrite apostasy as an adult?
Continue readingWhat is tithing? How does it differ from offerings? Does it still apply in the New Covenant? What did Jesus say about tithing and the law?
Continue readingMany have heard and quoted the second half of Proverbs 13:22, which says, “A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.” What does that look like when the wealth of the wicked is stored up for the just? Are there examples of this in the Bible? In the Old Testament, we can see a wealth transfer in the form of reparations given to the Israelites upon their departure from Egypt. There is also a long-promised wealth transfer of Canaan (the land of milk and honey) to Abraham’s descendants. This milk and honey clause from Ex 3:8 implies that the people in the land were rich, but throughout the Torah, we are also told of their sinfulness. And some of Jesus’ parables also allude to this transfer, such as the Parable of the 3 Servants (Matt 25:14-30) or the Parable of the 10 Servants (Luke 19:11-27).
Continue readingChristians often practice a tradition known as communion, which involves eating bread and drinking wine in a symbolic ritual of remembrance of what Jesus did for us. This was based on his last supper, and the communion elements reveal the true meaning of the Passover story. Transubstantiation, the idea that the communion bread turns into Jesus’ literal flesh, and the wine transforms his literal blood, is not supported by biblical evidence. Blood drinking is not only forbidden in the Noahide covenant (Gen 9:3-4) and the Sinaitic covenant (Lev 7:26-27, 17:24, 19:26, Deut 12:16-25, 15:23), but also in the Messianic covenant (Acts 15:19-21). This is a sin for everyone, both Jew and Gentile, for all time from the beginning to the end.
Continue readingWas Mary a sinless perpetual virgin? Well, scripture says that the only person that never sinned was Jesus (Rom 3:23, Heb 4:14-15, & 2 Cor 5:21), and it also implies that Mary had children with Joseph after Jesus (Acts 1:14), and it specifies that they had intercourse after Jesus was born (Matt 1:25). This is a non-biblical church tradition. Believers are only accountable for believing what is written, not what we are told out of tradition.
Continue readingOnly those who are believers and are living by God’s spirit are children of God and are joint heirs of the kingdom along with Jesus. It is they who will inherit the blessings that God promises and they who will share in Jesus’ glory, but they will also share in his persecution and suffering (John 1:10-13, 1 John 3:9-10, Rom 8:7-17).
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