Roots in the Bible bring fruit in the saints. And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the Word of His grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.” Such were Paul’s parting words to the elders at Ephesus (Ac. 20:32). […]
Their spiritual growth was evident to all. Is ours? Paul the apostle wrote the first letter to the Thessalonian church while he was in Corinth. According to Acts 17, Paul spent approximately three weeks with the fledgling church. After his success in depleting the ranks of the synagogue by exposing them to the light of […]
The fledgling saints at Thessalonica show us the way. What makes a local church a model to be admired or even emulated? Most would look at the visible signs of growth. For many Christians, the number of people meeting would be proof that the right things are happening. They would conclude that the programs would […]
Learning to draw lines. To fathom, even to a limited degree, the depths of God’s wisdom and savor the beauty of His ways, the Bible student must “rightly divide” the Word. If we fail to do so, our view will be distorted, our position unbalanced, and our interpretation faulty. What do we mean by the […]
Time to check our resumes. What if the elders in our local assembly ran an ad in the newspaper that read something like this: “Help Wanted: seeking qualified Christians to prayerfully share in exacting work to edify others. Must be willing to submit to godly authority.” Would we apply for the job? Elders seldom talk […]
Principle Number Three: The Good Shepherd volunteers to shepherd (Jn. 10:16-18). This third principle is first suggested in John 10:16: “And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring…” The word for “must” (dei) carries the idea of an unavoidable and urgent necessity based on the very nature […]
Living in the light of His coming. We were greeting one another in the parking lot after meeting when a family pulled in to make a drive-by inquiry about what we believe. I was glad to tell them that we believe the Bible and preach the gospel. I went on to explain the gospel as […]
Armies call being prepared “a state of readiness.” Here’s our checklist. My dictionary gives the following meaning of “ready”: “in a suitable state for an activity, action or situation; fully prepared.” When I was a little fellow playing Hide and Seek in the fading light between supper and bedtime, I couldn’t have given you the […]
Cleanliness is part of godliness. In an unholy world, the Christian gospel stands out for the dramatic change it makes in the lives of its adherents. Like the contemporary world, ancient Thessalonica was a depraved den of iniquity, but the liberating glad tidings of Christ effected a great change in the lives of the first […]