Is Using Multiple Containers For The Fruit of the Vine Sinful?
There are some students of the Bible who believe that there ought to be just one cup (or container) used for the fruit of the vine in the Lord's Supper. They will misuse the term "cup" from 1 Corinthians 11:23-25 in an attempt to justify their scruple.
Are Mechanical Instruments of Music An Aid or An Addition?
One of the longest held arguments that advocates who are in favor of justifying the practice of worshipping with mechanical instruments of music in the worship of the New Testament church is known as the "expedient (or aid) argument ". The "expedient argument " states that mechanical instruments of music in church worship are an aid to the congregational singing in the same way that songbooks, pitchforks, projectors, projector screens, and many other items are considered an aid.
Are "Chain Prayers" Scripturally Acceptable?
A chain prayer is where adult males and females are gathered together for the purpose of prayer and each member of that group will lead a prayer in turn while the other members listen. Is such a practice acceptable and authorized by God?
Is It Scriptural To Lift Up Our Hands In Prayer To God?
The Bible presents a number of different postures in which people prayed to God , for example:
- Exodus 4:31 - Bowing down one's head
- Daniel 6:10 - Kneeling
- Matthew 26:39 - Falling on one's face
- Luke 18:13 - Not look ing toward heaven (expressing a contrite and humble spirit as a sinner who is in need of the grace of God).
- 1 Kings 8:22,23 - Spreading out one's hands toward heaven
- Nehemiah 8:6 - Answering "Amen, Amen!" while lifting up one's hands
Can Deacons Be Appointed To Their Work Without Elders?
No. There are several reasons why a local congregation should not have deacons without elders.
Is Ephesians 5:19 Only Related To Daily Life And Not The Worship Assembly?
One argument used to try to justify the use of mechanical instruments in worship to God is stated as follows: “Ephesians 5:19 is not related to or found within the context of the worship assembly; it only applies to the activities of daily life.”
Children’s Church – Is It Authorized?
The practice of taking the young children out of the worship assembly has come to be called “children’s church” in many corners. The purpose of this is to train and teach the children in a less formal setting that encourages them to “enjoy” church while allowing their parents to worship without distraction. This may sound good on the surface. However, it is important to ask some questions before giving in to any practice that involves worship to our God. Firstly, and most importantly, what does God’s Word teach on the subject? Is it authorized in the Scriptures? Does the Bible give us examples or principles to draw from that may help us come to a conclusion as to whether this is acceptable in God’s sight? Why would we separate children from the worship assembly in order to teach them about worship?
The Question Of Head Coverings: A Study Of 1 Corinthians 11:2-16
This passage is one of the most difficult passages in Scripture. For many, its difficulty has caused them to gloss over it or accept what others say about it without studying for themselves. As Christians we must study and teach the whole counsel of God (2 Timothy 2:15; Acts 20:27), and should therefore, make our best effort to understand God's Word. This writer does not claim to know all there is to know about these verses. Only through much studying and handling the Scriptures correctly can we glean from all of God's revelation, and especially from such hard passages (2 Peter 3:14-18).
The Role of Women
The role of women in the Lord's church is a topic that seems to be resurfacing more and more in our society that pushes for equality on all fronts. For many years women have fought for equal rights in voting, the work place, and the community as a whole. Overall, these aspects are not wrong in and of themselves. It is a problem when we as the Lord's body allow our culture to influence the way we view God's Word and the application thereof. Some think men suppress or trample the talents of women when they are not allowed to preach in the assembly. This mindset is appealing to equality among the sexes and forgets what God has revealed in His Word. Is this subject an equality issue? The Word of God is clear that all humans are equal in God's sight (Genesis 1:26-28). Those who obey God are one in Christ no matter their background, their skin color, or their gender (Galatians 3:28). However, being equal before God as His created beings does not mean that men and women have the same function in His body. All Christians have a role in the kingdom. These functional roles are different and one is not more important than another. The roles of men, women, and children are all important and necessary for edifying and building up the church. All of us have the responsibility to work in our designated niche, if you will, and to make sure we are following God's will therein. For the purpose of this writing, we will study what God's Word says about a woman's role in His kingdom.
What Does Submission Mean?
Many individuals in our culture today have negative connotations about the word “submit”. Images are conjured up in the mind of a tyrant standing over his or her subjects beating them into submission or a doormat-type person that does whatever others want them to do. Webster defines the word as “to yield oneself to the authority or will of another”; “to permit oneself to be subjected to something” or “to defer to or consent to abide by the opinion or authority of another”. These definitions may still convey unfavorable thoughts of some kind since no one likes to become someone else’s subject or never get their own way. In the fallen world in which we live, humans have rejected various authorities over the centuries, especially God’s authority. Although the world and culture play a large part of our understanding of certain concepts, it is the Christian’s responsibility to understand God’s meaning behind a word or phrase found in His Word. What does it mean to submit according to the Bible? Are there commandments in the Bible for certain individuals to submit to others? Is submission really such a negative term? Let’s explore these questions by looking at the one source that contains words of life – the Word of God (John 6:68, Luke 4:4, 2 Timothy 3:16-17).