Pontius Pilate is remembered as the man who washed his hands of the Lord (Matthew 27:24). Infamous for this irresponsible decision, he stands in biblical history as one who failed miserably when placed in a position to do justly. An analysis of his actions would reveal much about his character, and such information would serve well the Christian who wishes to avoid various pitfalls related to irresponsibility and poor decision-making. As such an analysis is pursued, it will be followed along the lines of spiritual problems which were present in Pilate’s character. These problems were in large part responsible for his notorious neglect of justice and impious indifference. All human beings have problems in their lives. Though some always appear to be carefree and happy, even these still face obstacles and battle problems inwardly. The thing with problems is that some are unavoidable and truly pitiable, while others are encountered and endured because a person has brought them on himself. With Pilate one sees some distinct spiritual problems, and yet spiritual problems are avoidable. The problems which will be brought out in this lesson were conditions over which Pilate had control. And the same is true of human lives today. Spiritually speaking, people make their own decisions and will be held responsible for those decisions (Romans 14:12). James wrote, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). Only in submitting unto God and resisting Satan can a person be successful in avoiding …

[Forest Hill News, Memphis, Forest Hill Church of Christ, Vol. 25, No. 25, June 29, 1999, pp. 1-2.]The handiwork of God is simply amazing.  What a marvel is the majesty of the towering Rockies, or the luring fascination of the Smokies, or the simple beauty of the vividly painted canyons of the West!  But, unsurpassed in the mind of this writer is the pure and graceful spring of water, bursting forth from a mountain’s lofty heights.  However, it seems nothing so clear can long remain. Very vivid in the writer’s memory is his having climbed Mt. LeConte in the Great Smoky Mountains with his father and his brother, Paul, some forty-one years ago.  In memory’s eye, the hike must have been twenty miles to the summit and six miles down.  What a welcomed sight was a clear, sparkling spring gushing forth from rocks through which it had percolated and cascaded!  How refreshing it was!  How renewing and revitalizing!  Could this stream, clear as crystal, ever become contaminated and muddy? What a thing of beauty to see it splash and meander down the gorge, displaying in sparkling fascination its water-tumbled and smoothed pebbles, its rainbow-colored trout and even the reflection of its awe-struck observer!  However, farther down the gorge when streams from other sources in the valley have fed their mud, filth and debris into the steadily enlarging stream, no longer can one observe the darting fish or the washed pebbles, nor can he see his reflection. The person wishing to …

A plaque marking Abraham Lincoln’s birthplace near Hodgenville, Kentucky, records this scrap of conversation:“Any news down t’ the village, Ezry?”  “Well, Squire McLain’s gone t’ Washington t’ see Madison swore in, and ol’ Spellman tells me this Bonaparte fella has captured most o’ Spain.  What’s new out here, neighbor?”  “Nuthin,’ nuthin’ a’tall, ‘cept fer a new baby born t’ Tom Lincoln’s.  Nuthin’ ever happens out here.”Life’s great moments rarely receive a glance from the world.  Positive things go unnoticed by the masses while negative events make the news.  If you want to make the most of life, try this: Aim High George Bernard Shaw once said, “Some men see things as they are and ask why.  I dream things that never were and say, why not?”  Paul strove to preach the Gospel where Christ was not named (Romans 15:20) – and he did!  Caleb heard them talk about giants and walls, but though of God and winning.  When he finally got them to stop whining long enough for him to speak, he said, “Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it” (Numbers 13:30).  Oscar Wilde’s last words were, “I am dying as I’ve lived, beyond my means.”  When God is in a thing, we can do more than we thought possible – Gideon’s three hundred should have never defeated the 135,000, but they did (Judges 6).  Lord Chesterfield (1694-1773) said, “Aim at perfection in everything, though in most things it is …

When I take a good look at the claims of the evolutionist, I do not know whether to laugh or cry. If it were not for the infiltration of the religion of evolution into our school systems I most certainly would laugh. Fortunately we have good brethren such as Bert Thompson and the staff of Apologetics Press, and others who fight mightily in support of creation. While this is a most serious subject, on this occasion, I wish to point out some things that are simply laughable to me. We are told that many, many, many, many, many years ago our little monkey-man ancestors ran around in the tree tops. Safe in the tree tops, they avoided nasty characters like saber-tooth tigers. But one day while skittering and chattering about a thought occurred to one little monkey-man. He thought, “If me could make point on stick, me really have something.” It was a great idea, but monkey man vocabulary had not kept pace with intellectual capacity. It took a long, long, time for that monkey-man to explain his idea to his contemporaries. After a million or so years of handing this idea down from generation to generation a descendent of the original monkey-man hatched a plan to accomplish this task. One day when Saber-Tooth wasn’t looking he scrambled down the tree grabbed a rock and ran back up the tree to safety. He proceeded to scrape the rock against the stick and bingo he had a sharp stick. This sharp …

The Bible teaches “There is one body . . .” (Ephesians 4:4).  What is the one body?  “And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all” (1:22-23). Paul is teaching exactly what Jesus Christ taught.  Our Lord said he wold build his church (Matthew 16:18), which is the one body!  The Book of Ephesians teaches that there is ONE CHURCH (4:4).  It is built upon the one foundation, Jesus Christ (2:20).  Christ died for the church:  “. . . even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it” (5:25).  Jesus is savior of the body (5:23).  Jesus is head of the church:  “And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him be the head over all things to the church” (1:22).  Jesus loves his body, the church:  “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church . . . For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church” (5:25, 29). The church is under the authority of Christ:  “Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ . . .” (5:24).  We are reconciled to God in the one body:  “And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby” (2:16).  We can be members of this body:  “For we are members of his body . . .” (5:30).  We are sanctified and cleansed.  “That he might …

Not unlike hermeneutics which is being supplanted by the infamous “new hermeneutics,” biblical archaeology is being revamped with a “new” biblical archaeology. In both cases, the old, tried, proven and biblically defensible standards are being wholly undercut and discarded — by “scholars” who demonstrate their agnosticism or worse at every juncture.  Strangely, many “biblical archaeologists” today are openly enemies of the Bible. That being so, the term “biblical” should be dropped. Further, the propositions of both “new hermeneutics” and “new biblical archaeology” contradict the respective topics of hermeneutics and biblical archaeology.  James K. Hoffmier, a professor at Wheaton College, summarizes the perspective of new biblical archaeologists. The result of their scholarly investigations has been that virtually all that the Bible has to say about the early history of Israel has been rejected . . . Gone are Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua and now even David. The Egyptian sojourn and exodus stories, along with Sinai wanderings and Joshua’s military entry into Canaan, have been reduced to retrojections or inventions by later Biblical writers. (James K. Hoffmier, “Of Minimalists and Maximalists,” Biblical Archaeology Review, Vol. 21, No. 2, March/April 1995, p. 22.)These and other biblical events, places and people are touted as “fictional.” (Ibid.) New biblical archaeologists picture “. . . the emergence of Israel from varied groups of pastoral nomads, sedentary farmers and possibly even urban families, mainly of local Canaanite origin.” (Shlomo Bunimovitz, “How Mute Stones Speak: Interpreting What We Dig Up,” Biblical Archaeology Review, Vol. 21, No. 2, March/April 1995, …

As Paul was concluding his third missionary campaign, he, along with eight traveling companions, came to Troas on the western coast of provincial Asia.  Here they waited for seven days, finally meeting with the saints of that city on Sunday.  It may have been early evening when the assembly convened.  At some point the brethren ate the Lord’s Supper, meditating upon the Savior’s death.  Also, the great apostle discoursed to the brethren at length, prolonging his presentation till midnight. Luke, who was in the company, vividly described the scene.  He says there were many “lights” (lampas, an oil-burning vessel) where they met in a room that was on the third floor.  Some have questioned the relevance of this allusion to “lights,” suggesting that it is much too trivial to be worthy of a document that professes to be inspired of God.  In response, however, we may observe: 1) This may provide background information for what follows, i.e., the sleep of the youth who fell and was killed (the fumes perhaps generating drowsiness); 2) It may serve to inoculate against the false charge, later cited by Tertullian (Apology c.8), that the early Christians met in darkness where they practiced strange rituals. As Paul extended his speech, a young (neanias – signifying between the ages of approximately twenty-four to forty – Arndt, 536) man named Eutychus was borne down with “deep sleep.”  Suddenly, he fell from the window to the ground below.  The Christians rushed down, doubtless to render assistance, but alas, the …

One of the most tragic and consequential sins in which man can engage is adultery.  It destroys families, lives and destroys within some people the hope of heaven.  Because we live in a time when adultery and divorce are so prevalent, it becomes incumbent upon us to state the truth contained in God’s Word about this sin and its consequences. Let us suppose that a person divorces and remarries without the scriptural grounds of fornication (Matthew 19:9).  Let’s suppose that this person begins a new life with his new wife.  They build a wonderful relationship, are happy and have three children.  As time progresses, they desire to became Christians or return to faithfulness if they already were baptized.  Question:  Does their baptism or their prayer allow them to pick up where they are and continue together in a sexual relationship?  Has their prior adulterous relationship suddenly become a sanctified and holy relationship?  In response to these questions some today are eager and vocal in answering in the affirmative.  However, let us examine several points. First of all, there is no question that baptism or prayer will wash away one’s sins (providing one repents of his sins).  But repentance demands a resolve to cease from a sinful activity.  A couple in an adulterous relationship must resolve to cease from the sinful sexual activity in which they engage if they desire the forgiveness that comes through repentance. Some suggest that baptism washes away their former adulterous relationship and allows them to continue …

No matter where you go, there is always one phrase that brings fear to our eyes–“breaking the law.” When we hear these words we usually think of murderers, rapists, extortioners, gangs, organized crime and many others. The problem we sometimes have, however, is not understanding that breaking the law covers many other areas than just these. It is not enough to understand this in light of the law of the country, but we should also comprehend the magnitude of the unlawful offence in the eyes of God.”Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves” (Rom. 13:1-2).This includes all of the laws of the land, with the only exception being laws that would cause us to disobey God (Acts 5:29). Misdemeanors are just as much against the law as felonies. Traffic violations probably constitute the most frequently broken laws. It seems easy for us to gently apply pressure to the accelerator when we are in a hurry, but speeding is still breaking the law and thereby resisting the ordinance of God. Seatbelt laws, child car seat laws, age limits, handicapped parking, etc. may seem like an imposition at times, but they still are the law, even if everyone else is doing it and even if law enforcement chooses to look the other way. Admittedly, the nature …

A lazy man’s life is more complicated than a working man’s. The harder he tries to escape difficulty, the more it chases him. The problems he avoids are replaced by bigger ones. A Sluggard Has Problems With “Lions” “The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets” (Proverbs 22:13). He is as good at making excuses as the high school sophomore who was assigned a term paper. When due day came the teacher went to collect it, he said, “My dog ate it.” The teacher, who knew he had not worked much on his paper, still at least expected a better excuse. She gave him a hard stare. He persisted, “It’s true. I had to force him, but he ate it.” “The way of the slothful man is as an hedge of thorns: but the way of the righteous is made plain” (Proverbs 15:19). This is saying that to those who do not want to work, the work always looks too hard (thorns), but once a man gets into it, it sorts itself out and was not as hard as it looked (plain). It is foolish to frighten ourselves from real duties by fancied difficulties. The French say, “With enough ‘ifs’ we could put Paris into a bottle.” A farmer sat in front of his shack in July. A friend asked, “How’s your cotton coming?” “Ain’t got none,” he answered. “Didn’t plant none. ‘Fraid of the boll weevil.” Well, how’s your corn?” “Didn’t …

Archaeology is subject to a degree of conjecture because it is necessarily interwoven with human interpretation. It simply is not enough to dig up the past. Artifacts recovered from the earth must be evaluated and linked to a real or theorized juncture in history. Such an analysis is often hindered by the examiner’s unintentional or even intentional bias. Therefore, it is little surprise that archaeological discovery is frequently enveloped with some discord.   To illustrate this problem, I present the following scenario to my classes at West Virginia School of Preaching.   The year is 3157 and I bring to class a time capsule recently discovered in a local excavation (Moundsville, WV). At one time the site where this was found was on the eastern bank of the Ohio River (whereas it has been under 63 feet of water for nearly 800 years). The capsule is four feet tall, 18 inches in diameter and cylindrical. It is made of a primitive metal called “galvanized” and has a lid with a handle. The most exciting find inside the capsule is an ancient weapon. It is in the shape of what once was called a “gun.” The device has a pistol grip and is constructed of something called “plastic.” At this late date, it is difficult to ascertain whether pushing a combination of buttons produced a hot or cold, fast or slow, stun or lethal force. The gun was apparently used for defense of one’s personal habitat, since it utilized an antiquated form of …