There is something extra special about happily married couples. I do not refer simply to their longevity together but to that they truly belong together. Many of us have seen the beauty of couples who are rarely seen apart and who look out of place if they are apart. God designed marriage to be just like that, so that two people will grow closer together throughout their lives, that they will learn to depend on one another, and that through this “togetherness” they will have a home in the truest sense rather than only on paper or in the mundane chores of daily living. After God performed the first “wedding ceremony,” Moses records, “And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh” (Genesis 2:23-24). God intended marriage to foster togetherness, to build interdependency and to create the proper environment of unity for training children. Many couples fill their lives with so many things that they forget to fill their lives with God and one another, but this is what marriage is supposed to be about.

Providence is one of the hardest concepts to understand in the Bible, yet it is taught, without any doubt. When Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery, they did not have anything in mind other than ridding themselves of a “nuisance” and making a little extra money. Though Joseph handled the situation very well, working in Potiphar’s house, rising to importance in prison and eventually coming to be second in the kingdom, he did not — at the moment his brothers sold him — have a grand plan for saving his brothers from a future famine. But after all of these things had passed and Joseph could look back on it all, he told his brothers, “Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life” (Genesis 45:5). Joseph did not mean to excuse the wrong that his brothers committed, but he did see the bigger picture — that events had turned out well in the long run, despite what had appeared to be a situation from which nothing good could come. Providence does not interfere with nature. It is God using natural means to accomplish his will. Though we can never know for sure when something is providential, even in hindsight, we should always look back upon events to see the good that came from them instead of dwelling on the bad.

The word diakonos is translated “minister” 20 times and “servant” 7 times in the New Testament. It is translated “deacon” 3 times, in Philippians 1:1; 1 Timothy 3:8, 12. In the passages where it is translated “deacon” [e.g., KJV, ASV, NKJV but not RSV], it is speaking of the specific office in the church, not simply a servant. It is the purpose of this lesson to examine the passage of 1 Timothy 3:8-13 with respect to the qualifications of a deacon. Restrictions (v. 8-9) A deacon must be grave — he must be honorable and dignified. This word also implies that a deacon is worthy of the same honor and reverence that he exemplifies. He must not be double-tongued. This may be stating that to be a deacon, one must not be a gossip. More accurately, though, it disallows one who speaks one thing to one person and yet speaks the opposite to another person. He is not to be given to much wine. This statement does not allow for any consumption of alcohol, as some would say. Ecclesiastes 7:17a says, “Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish.” This does not allow one to be a little wicked. The word here given is the Greek word prosecho, otherwise translated to give attention to something. It would be more accurate to say that the candidate for the office of deacon should not ever be attentive or desirous of wine. The text then continues by saying a deacon must not be greedy of filthy lucre. We know …

Many people today do not understand what it means to be an elder in the Lord’s church. Many have heard how certain denominations use the terms bishop or elder, and suppose that this is the biblical usage of the terms. It may be the case also, that some do not understand the full scope of the work of an elder or bishop. The purpose of this article is to clarify the Bible’s instruction on how to choose an elder, and once in office, what the elder’s responsibilities are. We must first make some important distinctions in the names given for elders in the New Testament. Presbuteros is translated elder sixty-four times in the New Testament, old man once in Acts 2:17 and eldest once in John 8:9. This word basically refers to an older man. It is mainly used when age is under consideration for eligibility for the office. The word episkopos is translated bishop four times (Philippians 1:1; 1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:7; 1 Peter 2:25) and overseer once (Acts 20:28) in the New Testament. This word denotes “a man charged with the duty of seeing that things to be done by others are done rightly, and curator, guardian, or superintendent” (Edward C. Wharton, The Church of Christ, 75). It is mainly used when work is to be considered for the office. Poimein is translated shepherd fifteen times in the Gospel records, twice as Shepherd (Hebrews 13:20; 1 Peter 2:25) and once as pastor (Ephesians 4:11). This word when applied to the office of an elder basically comments on the serving nature of the elder to his flock …

Solomon observed, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21). The pen is mightier than the sword! Our words reveal a great deal about us. What comes out of the mouth reveals what is in the heart. If you have listened carefully, you are aware of some serious heart problems. Vulgarity, profanity, lying and racial and sexual slurs seem to be the order of the day. Hollywood has filled the big screen with foul-mouthed men and women. Television has not done much better. Filthy and profane language floods the work place, the classroom and the schoolyard. Children pick up the filthy talk from the media, from their peers and from their parents. They think it’s cool to talk that way. They do not understand that adults, who spew forth a fountain of filth, do so because they lack the intelligence to express themselves in a decent and civil manner. Intelligent men and women do not need to resort to filthy and profane language to get their message across. Christianity demands that we watch our words. The Bible is very clear. Paul admonished: “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (Ephesians 4:29). “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone” (Colossians 4:6). “Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak …

Few would dispute the fact that marriage, home and the family have been under assault of late. The breakdown of the home is one of the most significant problems we face. There was a time in our history when family ties were close and solid, but that time has passed for many families. This is a problem we cannot afford to ignore. What has caused the disintegration of the American family? Several factors are involved. Among them are: 1) the high divorce rate, 2) acceptance of alternate lifestyles (living together outside of marriage, homosexual unions), 3) rampant sexual immorality, 4) the mobility of society (the average family moves once every five years), 5) materialism (the belief that we need to have more has pulled young mothers out of the home and into the workforce), 6) the breakdown of traditional religious values. These factors and others are combining to destroy the traditional American family. Can anything be done? The only solution is a return to the biblical framework for marriage and family. The home was the first institution ordained by God, and it was meant to be lasting (Genesis 1:28; Matthew 19:9). The home should be the center for spiritual, emotional and physical growth. It should be the place where love is nurtured and cultivated. It is the place where values are instilled. It is in the home that respect for God, country and fellow human beings is learned. Home is the heart of society. The ties that bind us to …

DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid), the “stuff of life” as it is sometimes called, is the most powerful information transmitting method known to man. It carries the blueprint for how each living thing is to be made. This information is carried on structures that we call chromosomes. A typical human chromosome contains about half a billion (5 X 108) units (nucleotides) of DNA. The amount of information one chromosome contains would fill about 2,000 printed books of 1,000 pages each, with each page containing about 500 words. Indeed, marvelous are the works of him who made us!

This was the text on the sign at a denominational church building in the area recently. I believe that it speaks more truth than the individual who put it on the sign intended! It also got my mind to thinking of some Scriptures that clearly show this to be so, yet so many religious people want to ignore the truth of these passages. Sadly, sometimes, even members of the body of Christ can be guilty of the same. Let us note some verses. First, let us look at Mark 16:16, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be.” Many want this to simply say, “He that believeth shall be saved” and completely ignore the conjunction “and” and what follows. It is very clear that Jesus is teaching that both are necessary. Then to speak of belief alone, without baptism is the equivalent of being “half-saved” and therefore “totally lost.” Again, let us look at Acts 2:38, “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” Here we see that “Repent” is joined by the word “and” with “be baptized.” Again, it is clear that Peter is teaching that both repentance and baptism are essential. One cannot have the remission of sins by simply repenting. Thus to speak of repentance alone, without baptism, is the equivalent of being …

With thorns scratching bloody marks on Jesus’ head, with lacerations on his naked back, with nails in his hands and feet, and with loud railing in his ears, he did not respond with ugly words (1 Peter 2:23). Instead he prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). What a response! That kind and caring reaction apparently changed some hearts on crucifixion day. I. A Penitent Thief Two robbers, dying on each side of Jesus, did what the mob was doing: they “cast upon him the same reproach” (Matthew 27:44). However, as the time passed, one of the thieves no doubt noticed that Jesus, though he “was cursed, did not reply with a curse”; though “he suffered, he did not threaten” (1 Peter 2:23). The heart of that thief had been touched by Jesus, and he rebuked his fellow-robber: “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same condemnation? We indeed justly, for we are receiving just payment for the things we have done; but this man has done nothing wrong” (Luke 23:40-41). That penitent thief apparently had heard Jesus preach about his coming kingdom, but had paid no attention to the idea. Now, however, after his change of heart on the cross, he recalled what Jesus had preached, and he begged the Lord, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom” (Luke 23:42). Jesus, knowing there was sincerity back of the thief’s prayer, granted him forgiveness of his railing …

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 …

Our society and the church have been totally mesmerized by the field of psychology. No action or inaction occurs without some reference to psychological factors or lack of counseling. Every evil is seen as a form of mental psychosis. Those with degrees in psychology and counseling are seen as having a higher understanding of what motivates and drives mankind. Any stress is seen as a crisis that needs the reassuring hand of a psychologist or counselor. “While in the past the common reference point was the Bible and its commentaries and commentators, the common reference today is a therapeutic language …”1 “People today hunger not for personal salvation … but for the feeling, the momentary illusion of personal well-being, health and psychic security.”2 “Today the church is being destroyed from within by ‘Christian psychology’ that interprets Scripture on the basis of a bankrupt, atheistic philosophy, which at best turns Christ into a heavenly pyschiatrist.”3 One of the ways that this psychologizing demonstrates itself in the church is through the ideas of self-actualization, self-esteem and self-love. These three concepts have become so accepted that to speak against them is paramount to heresy. What is sad is that most do not understand that these are rooted in humanism. Man is most important. Man is the ultimate. Man has the answers for man. Since man is the center of things, it is obvious that man must be made happy. This begins with the individual person making himself happy. Everything is self-fixated. Mixing this philosophy with Scripture …

We should begin by pointing out that it was a violent death. The probability is great that those of us living in America some twenty centuries after the death of Christ have a great deal of difficulty understanding the violent treatment that Jesus endured at the hands of his enemies. Imagine, if you can, just what it would be like to be laid on a cross made of rough timber, and have long hard nails driven through your hands and your feet. Imagine the type of hot searing pain that would flash through your body as all of a sudden that cross is dropped into a hole in the ground and your bruised and bloody hands and feet must begin to bear the whole weight of your body. Jesus suffered in that way. So violent was his death that it is difficult for us to even describe it for others. There is no more violent way to die than by crucifixion! But this violent death, which was suffered by the Son of God to make salvation possible for the masses of this earth, was a voluntary death. It was a part of the plan for the redemption of the world that God the Father, and the Son worked out before the foundation of the world. While the humanity of Jesus did not want to die, yet his divine nature knew that he must, and that he must give himself upon the cross for us. In John 10:17-18, Jesus speaking of the fact that his …

(South Green Street Biblical Studies, Vol. 13, Issue 3, March 2002, pgs. 1-2.) The American Heritage Dictionary defines “adultery” as the “voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and a partner other than the lawful spouse.” Ezekiel 16:32 similarly defines it: “You are an adulterous wife, who takes strangers instead of her husband.” Although this passage is not literally describing a wife, its definition is accurate. We understand from the Old and New Testaments that adultery is sinful and harmful. We comprehend from the many biblical warnings the consequences of infidelity. However, do we fully grasp the devastation adultery has on the innocent spouse and children? For twenty-two years as a husband, I understood the verses that condemned adultery and explained its consequences. I faithfully honored my marriage vows — “forsaking all others.” However, I never really grasped the ravaging effects of adultery until it happened to me! The betrayal of one’s partner in a marriage is probably the most devastating event that can occur in life. Few other forms of treachery touch us as deeply. Love is shattered, trust is destroyed, families are torn apart, and spouses and children bear the pain. The most difficult decision I ever made was putting my wife away for adultery (Matthew 19:9) when reconciliation was impossible due to her impenitence. I still believe in the sanctity and beauty of marriage and look forward to being married again, but I abhor adultery with a greater passion than ever imagined. It is important that we sense the …

Adults sometimes discuss very important topics. When discussing important topics, a person should make sure that he has some understanding of what he is talking about. But sometimes a person will discuss something that he really does not understand much about. He will just keep saying the same thing over and over. He may change the wording but he really never changes the content of what he is saying. This is sometimes referred to as talking in circles. At other times, a person may know much more about the topic than the other person. The person who knows much more can discuss the topic from many different angles. He can bring many things connected to the topic into the discussion, which the other person can neither answer nor even discuss. This is known as talking circles around someone. In Titus 2:15, we read, “These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.” The Greek word translated ‘despise’ means ‘talking around’. We should make sure that we know the Scriptures well enough that we will not let those who do not know the Scriptures just talk in circles and confuse us. We should also know the Scriptures well enough that we do not let others talk circles around us. We should keep studying our whole lives so that we will always know how to answer those with false biblical arguments. [Also, studying God’s Word will help us know how to obey God and live like …

2 Peter 1:3 We hear today of the “crisis of character” which we face as a nation. It seems that America is abandoning almost wholesale the very principles of religion, morals and ethics which once made this nation great. Is it true? Should it concern us that in the upper ranks of our government there is an obvious deficiency of character from the least to the greatest? It is owing to concerns for such a deficiency that Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee is currently pushing for a character-based education in our public schools. He wants to restore the kind of character base which many of us had while growing up which is now almost a thing of the past. In the days when McGuffey’s readers were a standard teaching tool in public schools, the character of our nation was elevated by the repeated use of these textbooks over a number of generations. That was due to the solid scriptural basis of these readers. In more recent years, it was the eroding character base of our nation which prompted William J. Bennett to write his well-known work The Book of Virtues. Bennett penned this book to help grownups help children attain the traits of character we most admire. He wrote: Where do we go to find the material that will help our children in this task? The simple answer is we don’t have to reinvent the wheel. We have a wealth of material to draw on — material that virtually all schools and …

To Forgive or Not Forgive The teachings of the Lord with respect to forgiveness raise a rather challenging question when couched in the context of a marriage in which adultery has occurred. Must the innocent spouse forgive his/her spouse and keep the marriage intact? If the innocent spouse decides to divorce, does he/she jeopardize his/her own standing before God? These are good questions to which I believe the Bible provides answers. Jesus’ command to forgive must be understood in the light of other statements that he made regarding the subject of forgiveness. In Luke 17:3-4 as well as Ephesians 4:32, the Lord exhorts us to forgive, but the forgiveness is conditioned upon the sinner’s repentance. So, in answer to the first question, the innocent spouse must forgive his/her spouse who has repented of his/her adultery. However, does that then mean that the innocent spouse would sin if he/she pursued divorce? Is the spouse who is guilty of adultery, exempted from all the consequences of his/her sin because of his/her repentance? Again, let the Bible answer that question. When the Israelites showed their lack of faith by listening to the ten spies who gave a bad report about Canaan, Moses pleaded with God saying, “Pardon the iniquity of this people, I pray” (Numbers 14:19). And God immediately responded by saying, “I have pardoned, according to your word” (Numbers 14:20). However, did the Lord’s forgiveness exempt those guilty of sin from the consequences of their sin? Not at all. God said he pardoned, but …