Category: Questions and Answers

  • bible-questions

    Would you Please Explain Romans 4:15 and 5:13?

    Paul does not say there was no law in the day of Abraham or even before that. That is not his point at all.  He merely says that where there is no law then there is no transgression.  What then is the point?  His point is that when God gave the promise to Abraham, that promise was given without law.  Hence that promise was made to Abraham upon the condition of faith, not upon the condition of law. 

  • bible-questions

    How Do Missionaries Work?

    How do missionaries work? The word “missionary” means “a person sent by a church into an area to carry on evangelism or other activities, as educational or hospital work” (dictionary.com). The word stems from a Latin word meaning “one who is sent.” In the New Testament, we can identify several missionaries. Philip seems to be the first of these.

  • bible-questions

    Where was the Church before it was restored?

    The point is this: the assumption of restoration does not necessarily imply non existence of that which needs to be restored as the question seems to imply. We recognize that restoration means that that which needs to be restored has deteriorated badly. In what sense? In the sense that not very much of the original is left. But that means that SOME of the original is still there. How can it be restored? By following the pattern for the original. In the case of the church, where do we find that pattern? In the New Testament.

  • faith

    Does God Give Us Faith Directly?

    God has supplied for us His word with all the things in it that we need to believe and know saving truth.  When we know and believe these God-given truths, then we have faith in our life.  So, we develop our own personal faith from hearing God's word, understanding it, believing it, and applying it.  In that way, God is responsible for our faith because it is only through his word that we can have that faith; at the same time, we are responsible for accepting God's message and believing it. 

  • hoplite with sword

    Is Capital Punishment the Same Thing as Taking Up the Sword?

    Man's unique position in relationship to God affords him special status regarding his life; neither beast nor other men may so take man's life except they forfeit their own for their crime.  This is not to say that the one who deserves such punishment cannot be punished by other men.  Certainly, if God commanded men to kill the one who murders, then men may so carry out God's command without offense to God.

  • What Makes Heaven So Glorious?

    http://newbostoncoc.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/why-is-heaven-so-glorious.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSSWhat makes heaven so glorious? The word glorious is an adjective that means delightful; wonderful; completely enjoyable, entitled to great renown, brilliantly beautiful […]

  • sword

    Did Jesus Come to Bring Peace or a Sword?

    The section of scripture with which we are concerned falls within the sundry warnings that Jesus is giving to his disciples regarding the lost sheep of the house of Israel.  Jesus words to them are basically this.  Don't expect that you will receive a warm welcome out of the unfaithful.  When you preach the gospel, people are going to become your enemies.  In this sense, Jesus' came to bring a sword.  The warning of Micah describing the unfaithful holds true here.  Even among families, there will be division.  This is the typical response of the unfaithful.

  • angels

    Were All Angels Male?

    The Bible does not reveal that angels are either male or female in an anatomical sense. Jesus suggests that angels are without such gender in Matthew 22:30 when he says: “For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven.” If angels do not marry one another, then that seems to imply that they are without gender.

  • What is the First Resurrection? What is the Thousand Year Reign?

    This means that the saints that reign with Christ for 1000 years are people who have been come into the likeness of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ; these are the saved. It is the saved that reign with Christ for 1000 years. Consider what Peter says in 1 Peter 2:9, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”

  • What Does It Mean to Quench the Spirit?

    When you quench a fire, you put out the fire. When you quench your thirst, your thirst goes away. The word “spirit” here could refer to the Holy Spirit, or one’s own personal spirit. Either way, spirit is the source of all things spiritual. So the basic meaning of the command is not to put out the source of all things spiritual.

  • high priest

    Who or What is a High Priest?

    http://newbostoncoc.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/who-or-what-is-a-high-priest.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSSWho and what is a high priest? The Bible speaks of many different kinds of priests.  In Genesis 14:18 we read of the […]