The Bible claims to be the inspired Word of God. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God …” (2 Timothy 3:16). The Greek word that is translated into the English word “inspiration” is theopneustos. This word means, “God-breathed or breathed out of God!” From the definition of this word, one can only conclude that the writer is claiming to be inspired of God and, further, that “each” word that he recorded was given to him by God! The Greek word that is translated into the English word “Scripture” is graphe. This word means literally “writings,” but, as used in this context, denotes “writings that are inspired.” Some would assert that God did not give the exact words to be recorded, but that he simply put a thought into the minds of the writers and then left the words to be used up to them. This false theory is called “thought inspiration.” If the words that were to be recorded depended upon fallible men, then the words are fallible. If their words were fallible, then it would be the case that the Word of God is not inspired at all, but, rather, based on judgments made by man! However, it is the case that the Bible not only claims “inspiration,” it claims “full, verbal inspiration,” i.e., “word-for-word inspiration.” The Old Testament claims such (2 Samuel 23:2) and the New Testament claims such (Matthew 10:19-20). First Corinthians 2:10-13 clearly teaches that revelation to man came from God through his Spirit that

With reference to the burial and resurrection of baptism (Colossians 2:12), Paul writes in Colossians 3:1-2 that since “you [Christians] were raised [from the water] with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth.” It is not merely a suggestion, then, but a Divine requirement that a Christian’s focus be on Christ and things heavenly. Paul does not leave us without the reason for doing so. In verse three, he writes that it is because “you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” The idea of being dead involves a separation (James 2:26). The one who has risen with Christ is dead to the sins of this world and, because of this, has no longer any reason to focus his heart on the things of this world. In death, he has separated himself from it and has hidden his life with Christ in God. The sense of this language is that a person who has hidden his life with Christ has deposited his treasures with him for safekeeping. Christ presents this very idea first in the Sermon on the Mount: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth … but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 5:19-21). The faithful Christian, then, will live his life in concert with Paul’s statement in 2

The Bible is clear that homosexuality in all its forms is sinful and those involved in it will not inherit the kingdom of God (Leviticus 18:22; 20:13; Romans 1:24:28; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; 1 Timothy 1:9-10). Yet, many homosexuals contend, through rationalization and the wresting of plain passages of Scripture, that God has created them the way they are — that they have been genetically programmed by him to righteously practice that which he condemns in all others! Such “illogic,” when fully developed, demands the irrational conclusion that a “genetic” homosexual would be sinning against heaven (would be separated from God / would be fallen from grace) if he were to violate his “divine” genetic make-up by taking a wife in accordance with God’s laws of marriage, i.e., “Have ye not read, that He which made them at the beginning made them male and female … For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they [male and female] shall be one flesh” (Matthew 19:4-5). In other words, the faulty logic of the homosexual demands the conclusion that if a heterosexual violates his or her “divine” genetic program by engaging in a homosexual act (and sins by so doing), then it must also follow, and is true, that if a homosexual violates his or her “divine” genetic program by engaging in scriptural marital sex, he or she also sins! How foolish! And yet, how revealing! Can the homosexual scripturally or logically suggest why

There can be no doubt in the mind of the serious student of God’s Word that the church of our Lord is a unity, that it is not made up of thousands of little churches all of which believe and practice different, conflicting doctrines. Christ did not pray that there should be such division in his body, the church, but just the opposite. He prayed for oneness among those who would believe on him through the words of the apostles (John 17:20-23). The apostle Paul, as directed by the Holy Spirit, defines in detail the oneness for which Jesus prayed: “Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined in the same mind and in the same judgment” (1 Corinthians 1:10). This clearly defined directive stands in stark contrast to the realities of the denominational world today! The only basis for arriving at the unity for which Christ prayed is complete, unrelenting dependence upon his Truth, the only means by which man can be sanctified (John 17:17). In becoming a member of the one church for which he died, there must be complete agreement with the Truth that he proclaimed and, as well, there must be total unity with the inspired apostles who acted upon and revealed that Truth to us. Anything else, any other approach to becoming a member of his church creates

To the faithful child of God there are many precious promises of Scripture, the fulfillment of which are eagerly awaited. The one promise that will open the door to the fulfillment of all remaining promises is that of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. That the Word of God clearly assures this fact cannot be successfully denied. Yet, there are those who scoff at the promise. There are those who falsely teach that his Second Coming has already occurred. There are those who in error teach that his Second Coming will be followed by a third coming, at which time he is to establish a physical, earthly kingdom over which he will rule from the city of Jerusalem. These errant suggestions have no place in Scripture, but are rooted in the fanciful traditions and doctrines of men (Matthew 15:9-13). We can know that Christ has not yet come, because the Bible teaches that “He is coming with clouds, and every eye shall see Him, even they who pierced Him” (Revelation 1:7). It is the true case that our eyes have not yet seen him. Certainly there has been no news coverage by television and radio of such an event. Since none have seen him come, it is evident that he has not yet come. As well, we can know that Christ is not coming the second time in order to establish his kingdom, because his kingdom has already been established. It was successfully established on the day of Pentecost during

The name “God” is a word that applies appropriately to only the three personalities of divine nature (the Godhead), either collectively or individually. All three of these personalities, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, are called “God” in Scripture (John 1:1; John 3:16; Acts 5:3-4) and each possesses all of the attributes of Deity. This means that all are “God” and all are equal in every respect. It has been the claim of many, even today, that Jesus is not Deity, that he never claimed to be God, and that the Bible does not teach such. However, even a casual reading of the Bible uncovers the error and inaccuracy of such empty assertions. The relationship of “Father” and “Son” expressed often in Scripture (Matthew 11:27; John 3:16; John 5:19-23; Revelation 2:18) clearly evidences an existing equality. The Jews that sought to kill him rightly understood this fact. In John 5:18 they declared that Jesus “said that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.” In the following verses (18-23), Jesus did not deny what the Jews had said, but rather attested to that equality. He expressed that equality in terms of work (vs. 19); in terms of knowledge (vs. 20); in terms of power (vs. 21); in terms of judgment (vs. 22); and in terms of honor (vs. 23). Logic, as well, attests to the fact that the nature of a father inheres in his son. So it is with human beings and so it is with Deity. In this