Related: Spiritual Gifts   Is service optional? Yes, and no. Yes in the sense that God’s servants are not robots. Our service is a voluntary thing. Christ does not command us to serve Him. We were once slaves to sin and Satan, but Christ has freed us. But are we now “free” to do our […]

The Collection. One of the most basic Christian privileges is giving. We have a giving God (John 3:16), and we ought to reflect His character. Throughout the New Testament we have instructions and patterns set forward for the assembly to have collections where funds can be gathered and used in the service of the Lord. […]

The Government of God. There is scarcely a more practical and foundational subject in that Word of God than the subject of God’s government in the lives of sinners and saints. The basic principle is this: because God is righteous and sovereign over all things, He generally rewards people on earth according to their deeds, […]

Circumcision. As we find in Genesis 17, circumcision was the sign of God’s covenant with Abraham, just as the rainbow was the  sign of God’s covenant with Noah. Circumcision itself did nothing inward for the soul. It was an outward sign of God’s covenant pertaining to outward blessing. The sign was consequent on God’s unconditional […]

Chastening. We have been brought into relationship with God as our Father. In that relationship, God is watching over us, taking care of our every need, and seeking to conform us to the image of His Son. Just as with natural fathers, discipline or chastening is needed often for our blessing. Discipline is not always […]

Homosexuality in the Bible. The Word of God expressly condemns homosexual behavior. Whether in the Old Testament (Genesis 19; Leviticus 18:22; 20:13) or the New Testament (Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9), homosexual behavior is labeled by God as an abomination, a shame, and self-abuse. Under the law of Moses, it was punishable by death. The […]

Related: The House of God; The Body of Christ; The Bride of Christ   What is the Church or Assembly? One of most important subjects for the Christian to understand is that of the Church or Assembly. Man has an idea of what the church is, and he has built upon those ideas in the […]

Related: Sanctification; Godliness   Holiness. The word ‘holy’ is used in scripture in two different ways. It can refer to the character of a nature, or to an objective state. In the first sense, holiness is the character of God’s own nature. It is the love of good and the hatred of evil. As we […]

Related: The Intermediate State; The Father’s House   Three Heavens. In 2 Cor. 12:2 we read that Paul was caught up to “the third heaven”, which indicates that there are three “heavens”. The first, or physical heaven. The first heaven would be that which we immediately observe above us. We read of this heaven in the […]

The Judgment Seat of Christ. In John 5, the Lord Jesus explained that God the Father has chosen to give up His right to judge men, so that the Son of man will have that place exclusively. Judgment as a whole, and in all its forms, is committed to the Son; “that man whom he hath ordained” (Acts […]

Main article: The Sufferings of Christ   Christ’s Interpersonal Sufferings are what Christ endured in an emotional, social, or interpersonal way. These sufferings are not so much connected with His office of King, but with His Person as rejected, despised, etc. by fellow men. These interpersonal sufferings were felt by the Lord all through His life […]

Crucifixion. Crucifixion was a method of execution used by the Romans for slaves, pirates, and enemies of the state. It was considered a most shameful and disgraceful way to die (Phil. 2:8). Condemned Roman citizens were usually exempt from crucifixion except for major crimes against the state, such as high treason. The victim was either […]

Related: The Assembly; The Body of Christ; The Bride of Christ; Office   The House of God. The term ‘House of God’ basically means the “dwelling-place” of God. In a greater sense, the universe is the house of God (Heb. 3:4; Acts 7:48-50; Isa. 66:1). But on earth, God had a physical house in the […]

Dispensational Days. There are three time periods referred to in scripture as “days”. They provide a simple yet helpful way to organize world history: not only past and present, but future as well. The “day of man” (1 Cor. 4:3) began in Genesis, either with Adam when he fell, or (more likely) with Cain, who went out from the […]

Judgment of the Quick. “The judgment of the quick” (Acts 10:42; 2 Tim. 4:1; 1 Peter 4:5). The judgment of the “quick” or living is when the Lord will deal with the living persons on earth, at the START of the Millennium. It includes: The Harvest Judgment (Rev. 14:14-16, Matt. 13:39-43), The Vintage or Winepress Judgment (Rev. 14:17-20; Isa. […]

Redemption has more to do with our condition than our standing. Redemption means to be “bought back and set free” from (1) sin, (2) the world, and (3) Satan for the purpose of doing the will of God in worship and in service. “Let My people go, that they may serve Me” (Ex. 8:1). There are four aspects […]

Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. “For this reason I say unto you, Every sin and injurious speaking shall be forgiven to men, but speaking injuriously of the Spirit shall not be forgiven to men. And whosoever shall have spoken a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but whosoever shall speak against […]

Main article: The Prophetic Week Related: The Great Tribulation   The Beginning of Sorrows. The first 3 1/2 years of Daniel’s seventieth week is called “The Beginning of Sorrows” (Matt. 24:8). During this period the first six seals of Revelation are unfolded. It begins when The Beast makes a covenant with Israel, and ends when “the […]

Related: Pharisees; Sadducees   The Sanhedrin (the Council, Acts 23:1) was made up of both Pharisees and Sadducees. The word sanhedrin or sanhedrim means ‘a sitting together’, and is most often translated “the council”. The word comes up an number of times in scripture; e.g. Matt. 5:22; Matt. 26:59; Mark 14:55; Mark 15:1. The Sanhedrin was […]