In a recent debate, Democratic candidate Beto O’Rourke was asked about whether churches, colleges, and religious institutions should lose their tax-exempt status for opposing same-sex marriage. The following is his answer. “Yes,” O’Rourke said to applause. “There can be no reward, no benefit, no tax break for anyone or any institution, any organization in…
In the Bible, the term “signs and wonders” occurs approximately twenty-nine times. The Old Testament references almost exclusively refer to the birth of Israel under the leadership of Moses, through whom God worked the signs and delivered Israel from Egypt. The only exceptions to this rule are three references in Daniel, where pagan kings Nebuchadnezzar…
Substitutes are a part of life. Whether you have a substitute teacher, a sub in a sporting event or you substitute applesauce for vegetable oil in your baking. Often, we need substitutes. However, no one should ever make a substitution for God. King Ahaziah of ancient Israel provides us with a vivid illustration of this…
Some charismatic teaching indicates that a person must undergo a separate experience of receiving (or being baptized with) the Holy Spirit sometime after conversion. To arrive at this perspective, they lean heavily and sincerely upon instances in Acts when this either did happen (Acts 2:4ff, Acts 8:14-17, Acts 19:1-7) or merely appeared to happen (Acts…
The Scriptures Convict by Exposing Incorrect Belief Paul’s unique choice of words (ἐλεγμός) which occurs only here in the NT has the sense of “rebuke” (2 Tim 3:16b). In other words, a correct apprehension of Scripture refutes error. Paul expresses the identical concept in 2 Timothy 4:2, “Preach the word; be instant in season, out…
In a Dallas courtroom this week an 18-year-old young man hugged his brother’s killer and forgave her, just after she received a ten-year prison sentence for her actions. Brandt Jean’s brother had done nothing wrong, He was an innocent victim. You can read about the details in many news outlets. What has surprised me is…
Is Christ Jewish? Does God’s plan for the future include the Jewish people? Does Christ have a present interest in His chosen people, or has He moved on to other projects? Acts 1:8 tells us that the church’s mission effort began in Jerusalem:“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon…
The book of Proverbs provides a compelling collection of wisdom from God’s perspective. This wisdom equips a person to make good choices and avoid bad ones. Although no amount of wisdom will insulate a person from all the negative effects of a sinful world, this wisdom enables him to respond to sinful tendencies within and…
The non-ending Brexit story propels me back to the time when the European Union introduced the Euro. It was a dramatic first at the time—multiple countries casting their fates together under “ever increasing union.” In many people’s minds the EU was about to eat our lunch, not unlike the way many Americans view China today.…
Paul declares that all Scripture is “profitable” or “useful” (ὠφέλιμος; 2 Tim 3:16) in the sense of yielding a practical benefit (1 Tim 4:8; Titus 3:8). This benefit is delineated in four phrases.1 These phrases are arranged in two pairs, each with a negative and positive aspect. The first pair of words deals with belief…