[Glad Tidings, (Mechanicsville, VA: Cold HarborRoad Church of Christ) Vol. 8, No. 1, July 2000, p. 4.] In a bulletin I was reading, there was a single sentence given as “A Point to Ponder.” It worked — see for yourself: If your son died saving your neighbor from a fire, how would you feel if the neighbor skipped the funeral and went fishing? These words speak of a tragedy beyond description. We love our children, and desire to keep them safe from harm. How horrible it would be to lose a child! Yet, this quote takes it further than that. Our child is killed in saving the life of another, and that person thinks so little of that selfless act that he does not even take the time to pause in memory of the one who died for him. He goes fishing (or had company, or was working on his house, or just wanted to sleep in) instead of going to the funeral. As parents, we would be furious! Our child lies dead and the person he saved does not care enough to come to the funeral! We can easily see where this is headed. Some of the most moving passages of the New Testament remind us that God is in the position of a loving parent whose child died to save others. John 3:16 and Romans 5:8 both help us to see that great sacrifice of a loving Father who gave his Son that we might live. Jesus willingly went to …

We stand, at this time, on the brink of a great abyss, a chasm that yawns before us deeper and wider than the Grand Canyon. We teeter on the brink of this place, not knowing the consequences of our actions. If we were to look and find a sign somewhere near the edge of this canyon, we would find one bordered in black with scarlet letters that would bear the inscription “There Is No Christ.” Kyle Butt spoke of this same place: …Jesus Christ has had an enormous impact — more than anybody else — on history. Had He never come, the hole would be a canyon about the size of a continent. Christ’s influence on the world is immeasurable… Whatever Jesus touched or whatever He did transformed that aspect of human life. Many people will read about the innumerable small incidents in the life of Christ while never dreaming that those casually mentioned “little” things were to transform the history of mankind. (Butt, Kyle and Bert Thompson, “Jesus Christ — Unique Savior or Average Fraud? Part II,” Reason and Revelation, 21(3), 22) Influence is defined as, “The power to produce effects, especially indirectly or through an intermediary; the condition of being affected; one exercising indirect power to sway or affect; to modify” (Kauffman, Liz, ed., Webster’s Dictionary and Thesaurus, 144). We live in a time when people in general are denying Jesus Christ, not just those who deny him with their mouths, but also those who deny him with their words and with their deeds. There are …

The Book of Isaiah is a prophetic book written approximately 760 BC. Chapter 53 is dedicated solely as a messianic prophecy written approximately eight centuries before the coming of Christ. Verses 1-3 foretell the messiah’s reception by man. Verses 4-8 show his pain and suffering on our behalf, and verses 9-12 reflect his death and the purpose for it. Isaiah 53:2 “For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.” The prophet Isaiah refers to Christ as “a root out of dry ground.” The dry ground could refer to the city of Nazareth, the Galilean city where Jesus was raised (Luke 4:16). Why is Nazareth referred to as dry ground? Nathaniel puts it best in John 1:46, “And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.” The city of Nazareth was nestled in the mountains half way between the Mediterranean Sea and the Sea of Galilee. Although Nazareth was located on the well-traveled road connecting Egypt and Mesopotamia, there was nothing special about it. The prophet likened the town to dry ground because Nazareth was an ordinary town. Other than Isaiah 53:2, there is no physical description of Jesus. All we know is that he was in the form of a man while he walked this earth. “But made himself of …

It finally happened; I became a grandpa, too (i.e., “papa”). And yes, I have his photo in my wallet. (Honk if you want to see a picture of my grandchild.) Two things recently have jarred me into a renewed sense of reality. One of them is the eagerness with which my two-year-old grandbaby, Elijah, views every new thing (to him). I don’t know when for me that life became somewhat animated or surreal. Elijah, though, openly and audibly expresses his amazement with his discovery of any and everything, even inconsequential things (e.g., from tourist-trap knick-knacks and souvenirs to the ski lift on a recent family vacation, catching his first fish, etc.). Everything is more real and exciting to him than I can remember for a long time. Elijah rejuvenates my concept of reality as I view the world through his eyes (Matthew 18:3-4). The second event that has shocked both the nation (the world, really) and me to a new consciousness of reality is the recent and horrific terrorism in the USA. Life will never be the same for any of us. One’s mind tends to be a hostage to thoughts of those sad incidents, despite involvement in sundry, ordinary and daily activities. With a heightened appraisal of the world around us, we need to make a new or revised list of those things that really matter in life and eternity. “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these [material] things shall be added unto you” (Matthew …

Thousands of years ago, the God of heaven made three promises to a man best known as Abraham. Later, God repeated these promises to Abraham’s son, Isaac; much later, God again repeated these promises to Abraham’s grandson, Jacob. Two of these promises affect every living person today in a small way. However, one of those promises directly affects the salvation of everyone who ever lived, who lives now and those who will be born in the future. God told Abraham: “And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered” (Genesis 13:16). This promise to multiply the descendants of Abraham was repeated to him in Genesis 22:17 and told to Isaac in Genesis 26:4 and Jacob in Genesis 28:14. References to numbering Abraham’s descendants (commonly called the Jews) in Scripture and observation of millions now living prove that God caused this promise to come true. This is important to us because God also caused Jesus Christ our Savior to be born as one of Abraham’s descendants. Second, God promised Abraham that he would receive a large portion of land, stretching from the Euphrates River to the River of Egypt in the desert. “In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates” (Genesis 15:18). Other verses in Genesis repeat this promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God caused this promise to …

The Old Testament contains types of New Testament anti-types. A type is a “representative form” or “characteristic” of something else. There are striking similarities between the liberation of Israel from Egyptian captivity and the freedom enjoyed in Christ from the slavery of sin. Judaism was never intended by God to be his final revelation to man, but it contains figures, types, patterns, shadows and examples of New Testament counterparts (1 Corinthians 10:1-11; Hebrews 10:1). Old Testament types perfectly fit the New Testament church and its doctrine. Therefore, one can learn valuable principles relating to the Lord’s church and its teaching by examining Old Testament types. Types confirm that the church of the first century is the fulfillment of the long standing will of God (Ephesians 3:10-11). The background to the deliverance of Israel from Egyptian slavery begins when Joseph invited his father and brothers to resort from famine to the land of Goshen in Egypt (Genesis 46:27, [70 souls]; 47:1-12). Later, a different line of kings ruled Egypt, during which time the Israelites were enslaved. Moses was born during this period of oppression. Eighty years later, while a shepherd in the wilderness of Sinai, to which area he fled from Egypt 40 years earlier, Moses was commissioned by God to liberate Israel (Exodus 4). By the mighty hand of God, Egypt was punished and Moses was enabled to lead Israel across the Red Sea to freedom. These points especially need emphasis: (1) All the power at the command of Pharaoh was ineffective in his argument with God, (2) Pharaoh’s attempts to bargain with God were useless, …

“Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them” (Romans 16:17). The object of the apostle’s admonition in Romans 16:17 pertained specifically to Judaizing Christians who as Lenski notes were false teachers because they “mixed the law with the gospel.” MacKnight, Whiteside and Barnes respectively observe: The apostle had in his eye the Jewish teachers, who in many churches set up separate assemblies for the worship of God . . . on the pretense of greater orthodoxy and sanctity than others, and who would admit none into their communion but such as joined them in their peculiarities, and who represented all others as erroneous and impious. Judaizing teachers were the main trouble-makers in the territory of Paul’s labors; they were determined to convince all Gentile Christians that they had to be circumcised and keep the law, or they could not be saved. . . . he refers here to Jewish teachers, or those who insisted strenuously on the observance of the rites of Moses, and who set up a claim for greater purity and orthodoxy than those possessed who received the Gentile converts as Christian brethren. The Jews were perpetually thus recalling the Christian converts to the law of Moses; insisting on the observance of those rites; troubling the churches, and producing dissensions and strifes. In the Romans 16:17 context, the divisions and offenses addressed for which marking and avoiding were to occur resulted directly from false teaching …

Who nailed Jesus to the cross? Roman soldiers drove the actual nails through the hands and feet of our Savior (John 19:23; 20:25). The governor Pilate ordered the soldiers to crucify Jesus Christ (Mark 15:15). A Jewish mob demanded Pilate crucify Jesus (Matthew 27:22-24; Mark 15:11-14) and further intimidated Pilate by threatening to implicate him in treason if he did not agree to crucify Jesus (John 19:12-15). The Jewish priests, elders, scribes and the Sanhedrin, who delivered Jesus to Pilate, prompted the mob to call for the crucifixion of Christ (Matthew 27:20; Mark 15:1, 11). Did the Romans crucify Jesus? Yes. Did the Jews crucify Jesus? Yes, they were responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Now consider for whom Jesus was crucified. Jesus said that he came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). By inspiration, the apostle Paul wrote that all mankind sins. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Also by divine inspiration, the apostle John recorded the same message. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us” (1 John 1:8-10). For whom, then, was Jesus crucified upon the cross? Our Lord was crucified for the Roman soldiers who nailed him to the cross. Jesus died for Pilate who sent Jesus to be crucified and the Jews who clamored for the death of the Son of God. Jesus Christ died …

“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out . . .” (Acts 3:19). A few verses earlier, the apostle Peter accused the Jews of first denying Jesus Christ and then of murdering Jesus. Yet, he assured them that even the sin of murdering the Son of God could be blotted out if they would repent and be converted. In Acts Chapter Two, Peter made a similar charge followed by the assurance that even this sin could be forgiven. “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36). “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins . . .” (Acts 2:38). The apostle Paul listed several sins of which the Corinthian Christians were formerly guilty but for which they had been forgiven. “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). From these passages, we learn that any sin for which we will repent …

Out of boundless love, God the Father sent his Son Jesus Christ into the world to die for our sins. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). The sacrifice of Jesus Christ for us was part of God’s grace and mercy by which we are saved. The sacrifice of Christ and grace permits a just God to grant forgiveness of sins; Christ’s sacrifice and mercy permits a just God to withhold punishment for sins. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost” (Titus 3:5). Through grace, God gives men what they do not deserve (salvation), and through mercy, God does not give men what they do deserve (punishment). However, the grace and mercy of God that results in salvation is conditional upon man’s obedience to the Gospel. With no less love for our souls, Jesus Christ willingly died for us. “For I came …

Introduction The word perks means payoffs. Synonyms include: boon, advantage, bonus, reward, prerogative, privilege, vantage and accommodation. The word preaching encompasses spiritual leadership, ministry, exhortation, to sermonize, to evangelize, to moralize, to teach and to lecture. Biblical preaching conveys a message from God to mankind in expressions that both fairly represent God and are intelligible to mortals. One of the most concise and descriptive definitions of biblical preaching occurs in Nehemiah 8:4-8. “And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Urijah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchiah, and Hashum, and Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam. And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up: And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground. Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people stood in their place. So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.” (Emphasis added, ler.) Verse Eight in the above passage essentially …

The New Testament was originally written in the Greek language, which in the time of our Lord Jesus was common to a large portion of the world. Greek is a precise and descriptive language that was used by all classes of people. It was especially useful as the language through which God communicated his divine will to man. Five different New Testament Greek words are translated by the words: “minister,” “evangelist” and “preacher.” Each of the Greek terms has a slightly different meaning that adds a more complete definition to what it means to be God’s preacher. The Greek word “diakonos” is sometimes translated as “minister” and means: one who serves or an attendant; it emphasizes one’s activity in his work. The Greek “leitourgos” is also translated “minister” and is defined: one who publicly serves another person, perhaps at his own expense; the emphasis is on the public nature of the service. Still another word translated “minister” is “huperetes.” It means under rower or low ranking crewmember of a ship, also an assistant in any work; the emphasis is on the relationship between the servant and the one saved. The Greek word “euangelistes” is translated “evangelist” and means: a messenger of good news with an emphasis on the quality of good. The term “kerux” is translated “preacher.” It is defined as: a messenger with public authority to deliver official or formal messages of kings or military leaders; the emphasis is on the work of one who delivers messages by the authority …

Romans 1:16 Without exception, all men are sinners (Romans 3:9-10; 3:23; 1 John 1:8). Sin constitutes a barrier between man and God (Isaiah 59:1-2), the consequence of which is spiritual death or eternal separation from God (Romans 6:23; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9). To remove the barrier of sin from between man and God, Christ died upon Calvary’s cross even while man remained in the pleasures of sin (Romans 5:8). Not only did Christ come to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10), but only through the blood of Christ can man be saved (Romans 5:9). Jesus Christ alone has the words of eternal life (John 6:68). The words of Christ will judge all men (John 12:48). Those who love Jesus Christ will keep his words or commandments (John 14:15, 21). Jesus is also the author of eternal salvation to all them that obey him (Hebrews 5:8-9). These considerations are sufficient to cause thoughtful men to desire to become disciples of Christ. The application of the Lord’s blood to the souls of sinful men is the only means through which the barrier of sin between men and God can be removed. Without coming in contact with the blood of Jesus Christ, one can neither be saved nor be a disciple of Jesus Christ. One who remains outside the blood of the Lord chooses for himself an eternity away from the presence of God. The New Testament contains a formula for discipleship. Formula means “A set form of words for use in a ceremony …

There are blessings in which both the sinner and the saint bask, courtesy of the grace of Almighty God (Matthew 5:45). These blessings are physical in nature and come upon all men alike. However, the Christian enjoys additional blessings over the sinner. These latter blessings are spiritual instead of physical and superior to the physical blessings in which all men participate. Furthermore, the extra blessings bestowed upon Christians are given to Christians exclusively. No one outside Christ can acquire these special blessings from above! Souls outside Christ may legitimately attribute their physical blessings to God. All men should realize that the natural blessings in which we all share owe their origin not to chaotic accident but to the design of our Creator. Non-Christians, however, are wrong when they claim to possess spiritual blessings and attribute their possession of spiritual blessings to God! Even Christians saying that non-Christians possess the spiritual blessings only attainable in Christ does not make it so! Further, Christians have neither business instructing manmade churches how to grow nor extending to them open fellowship with the church for which Christ died and over which he is head. Ephesians 1:3 decidedly identifies the location of all spiritual blessings. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.” The “us” of verse three are the “saints” and “faithful in Christ Jesus” of verse one. Christians or disciples of Christ, therefore, are the exclusive recipients of “all …

The apostle Paul wrote: “. . . behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). There is no better time to obey the Gospel and receive the forgiveness of sins than NOW. It is impossible today to do anything yesterday, for that day is gone and will not come again. Further, it is too dangerous to put off salvation until some future day; none of us can be certain that we will live beyond the present moment. “Go to now, ye that say, today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that” (James 4:13-15). Now is the accepted time to be saved because all men have sinned. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8). Now is the accepted time to be saved because it is possible to receive the forgiveness of sins. The Gospel message in the New Testament tells how to be saved: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one …

One April day in 1994, a woman was jogging in Placer County, California. Suddenly, unexpectedly and without provocation, a mountain lion pounced on her from the peripheral of the trail. As they tumbled down the stony hillside together, the lion mauled her to death. What a tragic encounter with wildlife! What a hurtful empty void that tragedy must have left in the lives of her loved ones! In view of the catastrophic consequences of being on that trail at that moment, who could imagine that such a victim would want her husband or one of her children to be the next person to follow in her footsteps that day? Surely, no one would exclaim that to choose another trail to safety would be a dishonor to the memory of the beloved but departed victim of that attack. Doubtless, she would not fault her family for choosing a trail to safety. A wife and mother would earnestly hope that her family would not fall prey to the mountain lion also. The Bible records this thought provoking conversation between departed spirits. “There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And …

Aggressive Discipleship is depicted emphatically in both testaments of the Bible. That passive discipleship is displeasing to our Lord is evident from Revelation 3:15-16. Furthermore, neither does fanatical discipleship possess inspiration’s stamp of approval (Acts 15:1; 3 John 9-10). Aggressive discipleship lies midrange between the passive and the fanatical. Fruitful, aggressive discipleship, then, is a balanced discipleship. As in the first century, our generation boasts of disciples, many of whom are passive Christians, a few of whom are aggressive disciples and several of whom whose zeal overrides the authority and balance of the Scriptures. For instance, many are the elderships and congregations who are content merely to sit upon orthodoxy. Comparatively few congregations and their elders, armed with the sword of the Spirit, appear genuinely concerned about lost souls. At the same time, some other brethren have undertaken the intensified distribution of their own and peculiar brand of zeal. Aggressive discipleship is the medium and biblical stance between two extremes. Old Testament characters bring to mind an aggressiveness that has always been characteristic of God’s most useful servants. Hebrews, Chapter Eleven, appropriately portrays many Old Testament worthies in some of their most aggressive or active roles. Examination of the Bible’s Hall of Fame discloses the activity with which they demonstrated their faith, often in the face of personal peril. The New Testament also records an aggressiveness with which the Lord’s disciples demonstrated their faith. Remember how John the Baptizer boldly proclaimed God’s Word before the Pharisees and Sadducees (Matthew 3:7) and …

Part One: Homiletics “Here We Are But Straying Pilgrims” is one of my favorite songs. I once heard that song sung in a crescendo/decrescendo fashion; it sounded as though a happy band of Christians, at first singing in the distance, marched past and continued the glad, songful march toward the horizon of heaven itself. I desperately want to make that pilgrimage, and travel with as many family members, friends, neighbors, co-workers and brethren as possible. In the here and the now, though, we are not only pilgrims but strangers, too. “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation” (1 Peter 2:11-12). Abraham was a stranger and a pilgrim in the literal sense of the words. Doubtless, the accent and pronunciation of Abraham and his fellow travelers readily identified them as aliens (Matthew 26:73; Acts 2:7; Judges 12:5-6). The speech of Christians also either identifies them as part of the world or apart from the world (John 17:15-16; James 4:4; 1 John 2:15-17). Intermingling with the heathen once corrupted the Jews’ language and caused many of them to speak the language of Ashdod (Nehemiah 13:23-24). Christians must be careful lest they too (figuratively) speak the language of Ashdod (i.e., worldly language). Sometimes our speech betrays us! As nomadic people, sojourners in a land not theirs, the patriarchs …

Though often characterized as a Christian nation, America is really filled with idolatry. Furthermore, millions of religious souls, among whom are many Christians, unwittingly practice this idolatry. Proportionately, there is as much idolatry in our esteemed and beloved country as the apostle Paul found in Athens (Acts 17:16-23). Since God views idolatry as spiritual adultery (Jeremiah 3:26; Judges 2:17; Ezekiel 6:9), these equate to highly serious charges. One idol god often worshipped in the world’s prosperous nations is the god of materialism. This type of idolatry dominates much of the western civilization of which Americans are major stockholders. There is no question that the world in which we live is becoming increasingly more materialistic. The many blessings and relative prosperity with which Christians have been endowed also pull them toward the worship of the idol god of materialism. Therefore, materialism poses a threat even to the Lord’s church. A myriad of people sincerely but mistakenly engage the following type of idolatry, too. That popular idol god on which much homage is bestowed in America is the god of denominationalism. Really, there are thousands of denominational gods competing among themselves and with the God of heaven for the hearts and souls of men. This type of idolatry is strikingly similar to the idolatry with which the heathen and the children of God have been beset throughout human history. Though denominational peoples purportedly believe in and worship Almighty God, such simply is not the case! Forasmuch as denominational people boast of and urge others to attend the church of their choice, they also worship the god …

To what do the words churches or church of Christ (Romans 16:16) really refer? Does this biblical phrase have any reference to denominationalism? Is the church of Christ today merely one of several denominations that comprise the religious community? What is the church of Christ? Ironically, at least one prominent commentator exhibits in his writings a notion of the true nature of the church of Christ. Yet, he completely fails to realize that he and his fellows can or need to personally attain membership in it. Adam Clarke, for instance, refers to the “Church of Christ” as something that is aloof and distinct from denominationalism. Clarke treats the “Church of Christ” as a spiritual structure — built by Jesus Christ. Commenting on Galatians 6:10, Clarke writes: Let us help all who need help according to the uttermost of our power but let the objects of our regards be those who are of the household of faith — the members of the Church of Christ, who form one family, of which Jesus Christ is the head. In his comments on 1 Corinthians 14:36, he pens: “Are you the mother church? that you should have rules, and orders, and customs, different from all others; and set yourselves up for a model to be copied by all the Churches of Christ?” Clarke also freely uses other biblical terminology descriptive of the one church of the Bible: “Church of God” (referring to the same verse). Of false teachers addressed in Romans 16:18, Clarke writes: “. . . they have intruded themselves into the Church of …

The New Testament contains a divine pattern for worshipping God. At the inauguration of Judaism, God gave patterns to his people for the construction of the Tabernacle, its furniture and instruments and their worship (Exodus 25:9; Ezekiel 43:10; Hebrews 8:5; 9:23). There is no less direction for worshipping God under the New Covenant than there was under the Old Covenant. John 4:24 says, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” Whereas worshipping God in spirit pertains to a proper attitude, worshipping God in truth corresponds to adhering to the pattern for worship of the divine law now in effect. The New Testament has superseded the Old Testament and is the religious law to which all people today are amenable (Hebrews 8:6-13; Ephesians 2:15). There are similarities and dissimilarities between Old and New Testament worship practices. For instance, the New Testament neither requires nor authorizes the worship of God with sacrificial animal offerings, lighted candles or burning incense. One must turn to the New Testament alone to identify how God desires people living in the Gospel Age to worship him. There are five avenues of worship prescribed in the New Testament through which God desires to be worshipped today. Each of these must comprise Christian worship each first day of the week (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:1-2). Music The most obvious contrast between worshipful music employed by churches of Christ versus other churches is the absence of mechanical instrumental music among churches of Christ. This …

True unity is an identifying mark of the New Testament church (John 17:20-23). Divine unity results from agreement on and practice of the Gospel alone as the final and absolute standard of religious authority today (Romans 1:16; Luke 6:46; John 6:68). Biblical unity is not companion to the motto of at least one ministerial association: “We have agreed to disagree.” The prophet Amos established a principle that applies to such agreements (facades of unity), “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” (Amos 3:3). The implied answer to this rhetorical question is a resounding, “No!” The unity that should characterize the New Testament church is more than a mere union, as one contemporary proverb well illustrates. “Tying the tails of two cats together and tossing them over a clothesline is union, but it is not unity.” A Common Doctrine Is Essential to Biblical Unity The New Testament is the sole doctrine by which the church Jesus built must be guided (John 12:48; Jude 3). There is no basis for unity wherein something less than, additional to or instead of the New Testament is the premise for religious cohesion (Revelation 22:18-19; Galatians 1:6-9). Sandwiched between the verses, “Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3) and “Till we all come in the unity of the faith . . .” (Ephesians 4:13) are seven ones upon which unity in the Christian faith is predicated. “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called …

The divine origin of the New Testament church is evident since: (1) its conception was first in the mind of God, and (2) the church was established by the power and authority of God. After the careful Bible student learns these truths, he will have no difficulty identifying the church of the Bible, despite much denominational confusion. While explaining God’s plan of salvation to the Ephesian church, the apostle Paul wrote that God always planned to save mankind through the church. Therefore, according to Acts 2:47, the Lord adds the saved to the church. The church was God’s idea, not man’s idea. “And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Ephesians 3:9-11) (emphasis added) The establishment of the church or kingdom in complete fulfillment of numerous Old Testament prophecies is remarkable testimony of the establishment of the church by God. The apostles made no distinction between the church and the kingdom. Paul addressed the “church” at Corinth (1 Corinthians 1:2) and used the word “kingdom” referring to the church in Colosse (Colossians 1:13). John also referred to the church as the kingdom (Revelation 1:9). Jesus, too, used the words church and kingdom interchangeably (Matthew 16:18-19). Isaiah 2:1-5, Joel 2:28-3:2 and …

Unlike many contemporary churches, the New Testament church has no chain of command through which newly formed dogma filters down to the masses. It has no clergy, earthly headquarters or human creed. Each congregation is autonomous and independent from every other congregation. The New Testament church is governed in matters of doctrine solely by God’s Word, overseen by elders, served by deacons, taught by preachers and teachers, and supported morally and financially by all its members. Heavenly Headquarters Instead of an earthly head or a select group of men heading the church, the Lord’s church is headed by Jesus Christ alone. Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18, ASV). Further, the Lord is the head of the body, the church (Ephesians 1:22-23). Jesus Christ has not surrendered his throne, but is ruling now (1 Corinthians 15:24-28). Not on earth, but from a heavenly headquarters, Jesus exercises his headship over the church (Ephesians 1:3; Philippians 2:9-11; 20-23; Hebrews 8:1; Acts 7:55). The degree of and place from which Jesus Christ demonstrates his authority is concisely noted in Ephesians 1:20-23. “Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all …

Biblical fellowship should be the only spiritual fellowship in which the people of God have the least interest. Furthermore, the definition of fellowship that can be gleaned from Scripture is the only definition sanctioned by God, and the only fellowship that will carry any weight in judgment. Isn’t it, therefore, rather pointless to subscribe to a counterfeit definition of fellowship, which can only mislead man now and certainly condemn him in eternity? However, does the Bible (and especially the New Testament or Gospel) clearly define biblical fellowship? Further, granting a Scriptural definition exists, is it necessary to accept and practice that fellowship? With whom may one have fellowship, and under what conditions (or are there any conditions)? Are there also others with whom the children of God are forbidden to practice fellowship? What does the Bible teach concerning the subject of fellowship? There are books devoted to the biblical doctrine of fellowship, so the following is obviously only an abbreviated examination of this topic. It is this writer’s firm conviction and understanding of Scripture that biblical fellowship must be established and maintained with God, and with those who are in fellowship with God. “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3). Further, man is wholly unauthorized to redefine fellowship or extend it to those outside the scope of the biblical definition. The beginning of …

The early church was taught an aversion to humanly devised creeds. Jesus declared a cardinal abuse under Judaism was the substitution of human doctrine for teaching of divine origin (Matthew 15:9). “But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” The apostle Paul heartily affirmed the Gospel alone effects the salvation of men (Romans 1:16; Galatians 1:6-12). The Gospel (New Testament) is comprised of: (1) instruction (doctrine or teaching), (2) God’s unfolded scheme for man’s redemption, and (3) God’s assignment of a three-fold mission to the church. New Testament: Only Creed of the Church Creeds of human origin are the source of vast religious division around the world. Whereas human creeds change periodically, New Testament ink long ago dried, making the doctrine of the New Testament changeless. Even from a human perspective, accepting the New Testament as sole creed and doctrine in religion is more likely to achieve the unity for which Jesus prayed (John 17:20-21) than the sum of all alternatives some ecumenical movement may promote. Before the judgment bar at times end, all men will be judged by the covenant of God under which they lived (Revelation 20:12-15). Men cannot be sanctified by substandard, humanly devised righteousness (Romans 10:1-3; Matthew 7:21-23). Neither will people living in the Gospel (New Testament) Age be received into heaven through compliance with the Old Testament standard from which we have been delivered (Colossians 2:14; Ephesians 2:15; Romans 7:6-7; Hebrews 8:6-13). Anyone trying to live by the Old Law (Testament) …