What Does Baptism For The Dead Mean?
In the great resurrection chapter (1 Corinthians 15), Paul states on the subject something that is very perplexing and confusing to a lot of people who study the Scriptures in 1 Corinthians 15:29: "Otherwise, what will they do who are baptized for the dead, if the dead do not rise at all? Why then are they baptized for the dead?" The Latter-Day Saints will take this verse out of its context and apply it to a present-day religious practice (proxy baptism - a living person is baptized on behalf of a person who has already died so that they can receive salvation) that God never intended.
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Is Paul Teaching That Water Immersion Is Not Essential?
It is very clear from the Scriptures that water immersion is an essential component that is a part of how God saves an alien sinner/non-Christian from his/her sins (Mark 16:15,16; Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 2:38; 8:35-39; 10:47; 19:1-7; 22:16; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Romans 6:3,4; Galatians 3:26,27; 1 Peter 3:21). Some teachers though have proposed from 1 Corinthians 1:17 that Paul downplays water immersion and excludes it from the gospel plan of salvation. Is Paul teaching that water immersion is not essential?
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Does A Christian Who Goes Back Into A Practice Of Sin Have To Be Re-baptized?
A sinner who trusts and obeys Jesus Christ for his salvation will believe in Him (John 8:24), repent of his sins (Acts 3:19), confess His wonderful name (Romans 10:9,10), and be immersed in water to come into contact with the blood of Jesus that washes away his sins (Acts 2:38; 22:16; Revelation 1:5,6; Romans 6:3,4).
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Is The Word of God Always Pure?
he Skeptics' Annotated Bible asserts that there are many contradictions in the Bible. One question posed is: "Is every word of God pure?" http://www.skepticsannotatedbible.com/contra/pure.html.
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Was God Being Unfair To Uzzah When He Touched The Ark of the Covenant?
By taking Jerusalem from the Jebusites, David was able to expand his kingdom. He wanted to bring the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem, which would become known as the City of David. In the past, David inquired of God on how he should deal with the Philistines (2 Samuel 5:19,23). In this incidence, however, he sought the advice of the army officers (1 Chronicles 13:1-3). Clear instructions on how to transport the ark had already been recorded in Numbers 4:5-9 (1 Chronicles 15:13). Such instructions were not heeded.
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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.
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Was The Ability of One To Work Miracles Dependent On The Faith Of The Recipient?
There are many denominations who will make the claim that if a person is not healed miraculously from some terminal illness, he/she is at fault because he/she did not have enough faith. This is fallacious reasoning.
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Does the Bible Contradict Itself When It uses the Term Fool?
Problem: Many skeptics have pointed out that the Bible contradicts itself when it comes to using the term "fool". They will state that Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount that a person should not call another person "fool" (Matthew 5:21,22), even though elsewhere throughout the Scriptures, it uses the term "fool" in a variety of ways to refer to (1) a person who does not believe that God exists (Psalm 14:1; 53:1),
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Where Does It Refer To Christ's Bodily Resurrection In The Old Testament On The Third Day?
1 Corinthians 15:2-3 states: “For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.”
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Is Investing In The Stock Market A Form of Gambling?
The common factor that the stock market and gambling have together is risk. Yet risk, in and of itself, does not constitute gambling. How do we know this?
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Is 1 Corinthians 7:15 Another Scriptural Reason For Divorce?
“If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her. And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy. But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace. For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?”
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Is A Congregation Scriptural With Only One Deacon?
All scriptural information indicates that only a plurality of deacons were appointed (Philippians 1:1; possibly Acts 6:1-6). In arguing that the scriptures teach that there must be a plurality of elders (Acts 14:23; Titus 1:5), we must be consistent in arguing that there is to be a plurality of deacons as well. On the other hand, there is a clear distinction between elders and deacons is that the work of elders is a work of oversight while the work of deacons is service to the congregation, not a work of oversight over the membership. There would be no threat of a "power grab" if there was only one deacon appointed. A single deacon would be carrying out his assigned duties that are given by the eldership. It may be the case though that he has too much of a workload, which is the reason of wisely appointing more than one deacon.
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Is Sexual Lust in Matthew 5:27,28 Parallel To Committing Fornication in Matthew 19:9?
Pornography is a prevalent immoral problem in our world. It can be found in magazines (Playboy), videos, movies, and the internet. It is so easily accessible and a person can remain anonymous while engaging in it. It exploits men, women, and children. When you view pornography, you are viewing someone who was created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26, 27) and how you mistreat the creation is how you also will mistreat the Creator since we all resemble His image.
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Must An Elder Have A Plurality of Children?
One of the qualifications that a Christian man must hold to in order to be appointed to the eldership is that he must "blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination" (Titus 1:6) and "one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence 5 (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, ho w will he take care of the church of God?)" (1 Timothy 3:4,5).
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Is There Anything Wrong With Christian Communal Living?
Acts 4:32-35 states: "Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, and laid them at the apostles' feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need."
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Is The Book of Mormon Mentioned In Ezekiel 37?
Many Latter-Day Saints (hereafter LDS) honestly believe that the Bible and the Book of Mormon testify to the same gospel of Jesus Christ. A good question to ask LDS: "Is there any evidence that the Book of Mormon would come forth as a latter-day revelation from God that would testify to the gospel?" The LDS usually reply is Ezekiel 37:15-23 (please read).
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Is Jesus Our Brother?
Those who have been born again (John 3:3-5; Galatians 3:26-29) have been born into the family of God (1 John 3:1), the church of Christ. We know that Jesus is not only our King (Matthew 28:18; Revelation 19:16), but when He became human (John 1:1,14), He identified with us so that He serves as Meditator between God and mankind (1 Timothy 2:5). This remarkably shows us the love of God (John 3:16). Hebrews 2:10-12 states: "For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying: ‘I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You. '" Yes, Jesus is our Brother if we are in the family of God.
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Is Water Immersion A Work of Human Merit?
Does undergoing water immersion earn us our salvation? Are we boasting before God that we can save ourselves by our own efforts through water immersion? Absolutely not. Even though the denominational world holds this to be true, the Bible does not hold that view.
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Should We Preach Christ From Selfish Ambition and Envy?
Philippians 1:15
Some take Philippians 1:15-18 out of context and believe that just because Paul mentions some brethren preaching Christ from envy and strife that somehow it is not a sin to do so. If this were true, Paul would not have stated in Philippians 2:3, 4 states: " Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit ..." Paul urges Christians to take upon the mind of Christ - have a heart of a servant (Philippians 2:5-11). May none of us be guilty of a fleshly mind by preaching Christ from envy and strife!
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