Jesus pointed out, “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher” (Luke 6:40). True spirituality and godliness are revealed by and in our actions. This will inevitably influence other people, and we are responsible for setting the example needed to encourage and uplift those with whom we come in contact. It seems we have a “natural” tendency to shy away from this responsibility and reality, but the Bible is clear in affirming that God holds us accountable for the example we set, even when we are not trying to set any example! Paul commanded the Christians in Corinth, “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). With much thankfulness, the apostle commended the disciples in Thessalonica with these words, “And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe” (1 Thessalonians 1:6-7). In the Greek text “imitate” is the noun mimetes, which refers to one who mimics another and intentionally imitates the actions of someone else. The teaching and the example of Paul and his collaborators along with the afflictions they faced were the tools God used to produce spiritual growth and transform people. Imitation, according to the New Testament context, is not merely a matter of external conformity, but it is a change from the inside out by means of the …

“One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all!” are the final few phrases of the United States Pledge of Allegiance. The Pledge highlights our ideals, one of which is justice. Our nation has always held justice in high regard – and so it should! God loves justice. Through Isaiah, God called upon the Israelites to, “Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the poor” (Isaiah 1:17 NKJV). God’s concern for “justice” becomes even more apparent when we consider the vast number of times the word occurs in the Bible. In the NKJV, the term “justice” occurs 130 times. The most common Hebrew term for “justice” is mishpat, occurring 421 times in the Old Testament. The most common Greek word for “justice” is krisis, occurring 49 times in the New Testament. Both terms are most often translated as “judgment,” which, of course, has a very close connection with justice. God is obviously concerned with justice, and, consequently, we should be too. As a nation, however, we have not always consistently applied our ideals in general and regarding justice in particular. Historically, we have advocated justice for all, but many times we have fallen short. This is not a new problem, but it is something that every generation faces. Previous generations confronted various issues of justice: slavery, capital punishment, women’s rights, workers’ rights and many others. One specific issue in the past was the nation’s dealings with the Native American population. Certainly, we want to …

In Bible class, I asked whether or not barbeque sauce on hotdogs was good or bad. One of my children loves barbeque sauce on hotdogs; the other finds it repulsive. You may hear people say, “What is true for you is not true for me,” or “You have your truth, and I have my truth.” Well, no further proof of the validity of such statements was needed than the facial expressions of my two children as to which one accepted this truth. This is the nature of subjective truth. Subjective truth varies from person to person. Subjective truth is variable and can cease to be true under various circumstances. Objective truth is different from subjective truth. Objective truth is true for all individuals, always. Objective truth does not change under varying circumstances. Some may prefer the terms “absolute truth” and “relative truth,” but the concepts remain the same. Objective truth, or absolute truth, is true across individuals, circumstances and other variables. If one can grasp the definitions, differences and implications of objective and subjective truths, then one can easily see that the same applies to the religious world as well. People say, “Join the church of your choice” with the authority of subjective truth that “One church is as good as another.” One fundamental principle needs to be understood that is often dismissed – subjective truth never trumps objective truth. In fact, the only time that subjective truth truly rules is when there is no objective truth to contradict it. In this …

He is only mentioned in one chapter (Leviticus 16), but I regard him as one of the most significant considerations of the Bible. This may seem especially strange since he is a goat. The word “Azazel” is attached to this goat either as a name or in reference to his destination. More commonly and specifically, he is referred to as the “scapegoat,” and he played his role on the Day of Atonement. On this day, two goats were selected, one as a sacrifice and the other as “the goat of removal.” They were chosen by casting lots. After the first goat had been sacrificed, Aaron (the High Priest) placed his hands on the head of the second goat and confessed all of the sins of the entire congregation of Israel. This goat was then led into the wilderness and released. The one who led him there was required to wash and change garments when he returned. The significance of this becomes immediately clear; it is God’s way of demonstrating how completely He removes our sins from us. I always associate this with a passage in the Book of Psalms: “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:11-12). It is absolutely wrong to think of God as one who nurses grudges. I imagine we think of Him this way …

The insights shared with the reader in this article are not to be construed as criticism of anybody, but hopefully received as kind suggestions to all brothers in Christ everywhere who are called on to serve at the Lord’s Table. [Editor’s Note: At the risk of hurting someone’s feelings, it is more important to amend where needed this aspect of Christian worship. ~ Louis Rushmore, Editor] Throughout the brotherhood, I sincerely believe there is a great need for more thoughtful and meaningful expressions of thanks as assemblies of worship are being led in prayer before partaking of the emblems representing the body and blood of Jesus. It is spiritually deflating if such prayers are not scriptural and meaningful, and if they do not convey depth of understanding as to the significance of the great sacrifice Jesus made for us. To illustrate, a brother once prayed: “Thank you, God, for this bread and bless it to the nourishment of our bodies.” Obviously, either he was nervous and did not even realize what he was saying, or else he knew nothing of what the Lord’s Supper is all about. Either way, it detracted a great deal from the spiritual mood of the moment. Prayers are frequently offered that never thank God for that for which we should be thankful as we partake of the Lord’s Supper. Some brothers, in their prayers at the Lord’s Table, thank God for most everything imaginable while never even making reference to the sacrifice of Christ. This is …

Paul’s inspired writings in 2 Corinthians 11:12-15 are somewhat scary on the surface. If Satan and his servants can disguise themselves as apostles of Christ and angels of light, how can we ever know when we have encountered one of them? If their disguise is so good, does it not stand to reason that we are surely going to be led astray? As we look into the subject and the particulars a little further, the situation is not so hopeless, and we are not so helpless as it might appear. Verse 15 records, “whose end shall be according to their deeds.” That sounds very much like Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:21-23 to some people of great reputation for they at least claimed to have cast out demons, prophesied in Jesus’ name and performed many miracles in Jesus’ name. Jesus said they had practiced lawlessness and were shown the way of departure from His presence. This “snapshot” is in context of Matthew 7:15-20 where Jesus warned of false prophets and how their disguises of sheep’s clothing could be unveiled by noticing their works. We see a very similar scenario in Paul’s second letter to Corinth as he spoke about the brethren being deceived like Eve had been (11:3) and this by “most eminent apostles” of some degree of reputation (11:5 – in the Greek, it is literally “super apostles”). Paul continued in v. 12-15 to refer to them as “false apostles,” “deceitful workers” and “transforming themselves into apostles of righteousness” (NKJV). …

One man, given a job cutting potatoes for planting, quit because he just couldn’t stand making decisions about where to cut the potatoes to leave at least one eye in each piece! Decision-making is difficult, and carrying out one’s decision after it is made is probably even harder, but life is full of decisions. Some decisions are momentous, making all the difference in our lives, as Robert Frost pointed out in his 19l5 poem, “The Road Not Taken.” Some choices made all the difference for Bible people. Joshua set the stage for all decision makers when in Joshua 24:15 he set forth the options and chose for himself and his family to serve Jehovah rather than other gods. Moses made a choice that changed his life dramatically (Hebrews 11:24-26). One alternative could have led to his becoming a mummy like Ramses whose remains people viewed in the USA some years ago. Instead, he is known as the deliverer of Israel, a converser with Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration and the first in a whole line of prophets who were “like unto Moses” (Deuteronomy 18:15, 19). Ruth chose to cast her lot with Naomi’s people in Israel (Ruth 1:15-18). Staying in Moab would have been more comfortable, and going to Bethlehem meant hard work gleaning, but it made all the difference – she is listed in Matthew’s genealogy of Christ (1:5). Many other Bible people made choices that have resulted in all the difference for themselves, for their people and …

Paul’s last epistle was the Book of Second Timothy. When we come to Chapter Four of this wonderful epistle, we are faced with the reality that these are the last words that would come from the pen of the great apostle. Paul was confined to a Roman prison while under the constant threat of death. He came to Rome with his mind set on preaching the Gospel (Romans 1:15-16), and that thought was still on his mind. That is clearly seen as Paul said to Timothy, “I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the Word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching” (2 Timothy 4:1-2). He seemingly wanted to impress upon the mind of Timothy that the world’s greatest need will always be to “preach the Word.” What does it mean to “preach the Word?” Let us use W-O-R-D as an acrostic to observe four things that are essential to preaching the Word. Whole Counsel of God At Paul’s final meeting with the Ephesian elders, he rehearsed how he had openly served among them, “and how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house” (Acts 20:20). A few verses later he explained, “For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God” (v. 27). Here we learn …

Unity is desirable, and yet, it is often an elusive quality. Disagreements concerning the means to unity can ultimately render the end impossible to achieve. Unfortunately, doctrine itself has become a casualty, caught in the crossfire of increasingly polarized opponents. In the postmodern world, doctrine is often considered a secondary matter and an obstacle to religious unity. The apostle Paul addressed the connection between doctrine and unity in the epistle to the Ephesians. The Book of Ephesians may be divided into two sections. Chapters 1-3 are focused on what Christ has done for the church, while chapters 4-6 are focused on what the church, in return, should do for Christ. In this context, Ephesians 4:1-6 is a sort of transitional passage linking the two sections. In Christ, men are called into the unity of the Spirit, a perfect fellowship fully realized in God’s eternal plan of redemption. Christians are charged to walk worthy of this calling, “endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3). As indicated by this passage, true unity is the product of God, not man. In one sense, unity might be described as the proper response to God’s grace, which both requires and results from walking in a manner worthy of a Christian. Such a walk involves two elements, the disposition of a servant and the doctrine of the Master. First, Paul listed a series of Christ-like qualities that must be cultivated in the life of every disciple. These are …

A lifetime of ministerial labors has brought me face to face with the reality that congregations fail and splinter apart mainly because of internal matters other than doctrinal considerations. Yes, doctrinal concerns can cause and have caused divisions in the body of Christ. Yet, so often the root cause may be something that could have been avoided if we as brethren both knew and applied biblical principles that govern Christian relationships on a very personal level. I have observed that the strength of congregations of the churches of Christ and that of our religious neighbors does not seem to be in identical contexts. Though exceptions exist, our congregations, at least in the past, exhibited exceptional strength doctrinally, while congregations of our religious neighbors had a greater strength in “Christian” relationships. Assuming this observation to be true, this may partially account for the growth patterns that have been observed and measured in recent years for churches in America. The question that draws my attention is this, “Do members of the body of Christ have a biblical obligation to be pure in doctrinal teaching and to also recognize an equal biblical mandate to faithfully govern our Christian relationships with the same biblical standard?” Can either directive be forfeited by the disciples of our Lord without losing divine approval? If you were to ask this scribe to identify the responsibilities that Christians have one to another, a somewhat lengthy list could be provided. Consider the probable impact upon the body of Christ if all of …

You remember Jeroboam. When the kingdom of Israel divided, he became king of the ten northern tribes. God promised him many wonderful things if he would only be faithful to God’s commands. However, he would have none of what God said. No sooner had he ascended the throne than he began to make changes that suited him, but which were in direct conflict with God. In 1 Kings 12, we learn of four of those changes. 1. He changed the object of worship – golden calves instead of God. 2. He changed the place of worship from Jerusalem to Bethel and Dan. 3. He changed the priesthood from the Levites to base and coarse men. 4. He changed the time of worship. The people gladly accepted and followed each change. Of at least 14 of the 19 kings of Israel, it is stated “and he did evil in the sight of the Lord as did Jeroboam, the son of Nebat.” Now, friend, take your New Testament and see just how many changes the religion of which you are a member has made. Does God look with better favor on these changes than He did on those of Jeroboam? Shouldn’t you and I just stay with God and His Word?

In 1 Peter 2:4, Jesus Christ is depicted as a “living stone” that was rejected (“disallowed”) of men but selected and deemed precious by God. When one rejects Jesus Christ, spiritual ruin is certain, it is sure (1 Peter 2:8). Yet, all men had not rejected Jesus, and by coming to Him would not be ashamed (1 Peter 2:6). Instead, Jesus had given them a new identity and an extraordinary responsibility in Christ. This new identity and extraordinary responsibility continues to be bestowed today. Jesus Christ, the living stone, transforms those who come to Him into “lively stones” built up as a “spiritual house.” Peter understood that Jesus Christ possessed the “words of eternal life” (John 6:68-70), and it is obedience to His words that allow men to possess a “newness of life” (Romans 10:17; 6:4; Mark 16:16). When one obeys the Gospel, the Lord adds that individual to His “spiritual house,” the church (1 Timothy 3:15; Acts 2:47). As part of God’s spiritual house, the Christian has a great responsibility to serve within His house. Peter, inspired of God, proclaimed that Christians had become “a holy priesthood” (1 Peter 2:5). When one comes to Jesus by obeying the Gospel, the blood of Christ cleanses that individual of his sin and makes him “holy,” separated for His service (Acts 20:28; Colossians 1:14). Christians, as a “holy priesthood,” are granted access to God, but they must maintain holy living (1 Peter 1:15-16). Holy living is a challenge for everyone. Often there …

In his book, The Hermeneutical Spiral, Grant Osborne mentions an interesting point about personal Bible study. The big problem with Bible study today is that we think it should be easier than other things we do. We study recipes for quality meals, how-to books for all kind of things – carpentry, plumbing, automobile maintenance and so on – and read vociferously for our hobbies. Why do we think the Bible is the only subject we should not have to study?!… What if we spent as much time and money on Bible study as we do our hobbies? What if we took the same amount we spend on golf clubs and courses or on skiing equipment and skiing trips, and put it into Bible study? Yes, encyclopedias, commentaries and other reference materials are expensive. But so is everything we do. The question is about priorities: what is important enough for our time and money? (25) Mr. Osborne’s words may be pretty harsh, but are they true? How much time, money and resources do we invest in the study of God’s Word? Consider some benefits as to why we should invest in studying God’s Word: (1) to know truth (Acts 17:11; John 8:31-32), (2) to be blessed (Psalm 1:1-2), (3) to keep from sin (Psalm 119:11), (4) to promote a healthy and peaceful life (Proverbs 3:1-2), (5) to receive guidance (Psalm 119:105), (6) to know Christ and the way to eternal life or making one wise to salvation (John 5:38-39; 2 Timothy 3:14-17), …

Many days of clinging winter and hesitant spring, one could step outside and feel the physical winds of change. The temperature would be warm one day, only to be replaced that evening by a drastically cooler one. The winds often blow from west to east, bringing in a new front, inevitably in stark contrast to the one that has prevailed for a few days (or a few hours). As many places in the country colloquially and sarcastically say, “If you don’t like the weather here, just wait an hour or two.” Sometimes the winds are more subtle and sometimes they are violent. In any case, the wind blows to bring in the change. The Lord employed man’s universal understanding of meteorological basics to engrain spiritual lessons for all time. Jesus pointed out hypocrisy to Pharisees and Sadducees who could discern the face of the weather but not the signs of the end of Mosaic times (Matthew 16:1-4). Paul warned that Christians not be “tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine” (Ephesians 4:14). Common speech employs the use of weather patterns to refer to non-physical phenomena. “The winds of change” might refer to a shift in a nation’s electoral mood, an alteration of governmental policy or even the personal modification of one’s religious or philosophical beliefs. The winds of change affect religious bodies. Those with governing hierarchies often issue statements (of differing titles) claiming an authoritative nature, and these statements claim to make changes as if …

God has given man the Bible; it is a great gift. “The Bible alone is the Bible only, in word and deed, in profession and practice; and this alone can reform the world and save the church,” wrote Alexander Campbell nearly 200 years ago (The Christian System, preface, x). However, many do not think this way of God’s Word. Muhammad scornfully called Christians, “People of the Book.” Joseph Smith, founder of Mormonism, in defense of the Book of Mormon, spoke in derision of those who put their trust solely in the Bible, “A Bible! A Bible! We have got a Bible and there cannot be any more Bible… Thou fool, that shall say: A Bible, we have got a Bible, and we need no more Bible” (B of M, 2 Nephi 29:3, 6). Many false religions say they believe the Bible, but it is the Bible plus their sacred writings, and the Bible takes a backseat to their books! When we look at the subject, “The Christian and His Bible,” we must remember that there are consequences for not studying the Bible. With five alliterated words we offer some thoughts on Bible study. Priority Profitable Bible study calls for a place of priority. The Bible is not a book to be relegated to last place in our reading. The Bible must have priority over all other writings of men – books, newspapers, magazines, even those written about the Bible, such as commentaries, reference works, theologies, etc. They are the lesser, the Bible …

The etymology of the word “opportunity” is interesting. It is a compound of “before” and “port” or “harbor.” Originally this nautical term signified ships poised before a harbor, waiting their turn to enter. We may liken our lives to a sea voyage, and periodically we find ourselves at the mouth of a port of call. We each pilot our own vessels. The decision to take advantage of various opportunities is ours to make. Some opportunities should wisely be rejected, while others are golden. The late A.G. Freed wrote, “The secret of all success is pre-pared-ness.” He also quoted Lincoln as having said, “I’ll prepare myself and maybe the opportunity will present itself.” We can readily pamper ourselves when the chance arises. However, spiritually mature people look beyond themselves. “So then, as we have opportunity, let us work that which is good toward all men, and especially toward them that are of the household of the faith” (Galatians 6:10). When was the last time you took advantage of an opportunity to help someone else? Mr. Freed wrote of a legendary story to illustrate a point. A fair maiden was standing at the edge of a large cornfield in the early morn. A genie came and gave her these instructions. Your journey across the field is one day. As you pass along you may pluck but one ear of corn. The size of the ear you pluck will determine the amount of special power you will receive. You cannot stop and may …

Perhaps many of us are familiar with the parable of the city fathers who were concerned about the large number of persons who kept falling over a cliff to the rocks below. So, they had a meeting and voted to spend several thousand dollars to provide ambulance service to carry the injured to the hospital. After several years of wailing and spending money for ambulance and hospital services, a young lad suggested to the aged fathers that they build a fence at the edge of the cliff to keep people from falling, rather than being so concerned with keeping the ambulances ready to pick them up after they had fallen. The story appealed to me. I have seen elders who seemed more concerned with providing help for those who have fallen than doing the things necessary to prevent them from falling in the first place. First Corinthians 10:12 says, “Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” It is also true that after one is fallen, Galatians 6:1 says, “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of meekness.” As I was meditating on that, another thought occurred to me that might be worth our consideration. Although it is good to be concerned with the welfare of those who are fallen, perhaps it is better to be concerned with the means that we can use to keep persons from falling. It is possible that in focusing on …

And He told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. And he said to the vinedresser, look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground? And he answered him, Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.” (Luke 13:6-9 ESV) This vividly spoken parable speaks loudly to all who will hear it. To the Jews, the meaning must have been poignant and should have been understandable. The fig tree is considered to be the most valuable of the trees in and around Palestine. It was very productive, carrying its fruit for 10 months out of the year, bearing three crops of figs. Its value is also seen in that it was more dependable in its yield than grapes; therefore, it was common for such trees to be planted inside of vineyards. The patience of the owner of this particular tree had finally run out; the tree must be cut down. The vinedresser, who had undoubtedly spent time and effort with this very tree pled for an additional year for the tree to bear fruit. His efforts would be intensified with the hope of the sought after crop. If, however, …

By definition, the word “covenant” means an agreement or promise, usually under seal between two or more parties, especially for the performance of some action. In times past, one could attend a marriage ceremony and hear how the couple had “covenanted” together. It refers to their coming together as husband and as wife, and being faithful to keep the promises made to each other as such. The concept of “covenant” is prevalent in the pages of Scripture as well. There are covenants where God is solely responsible for the conditions of the covenant, as in His covenant with Noah not to destroy the world with a flood anymore. The Law of Moses, however, carried conditions on both parties, where God promised to bless the Israelites as His people if they were faithful in keeping the conditions of the covenant. It is expressed in the phrase, “I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be My people” (Leviticus 26:12). When we come in obedience to the Gospel, we enter a covenant relationship with God through the blood of Christ. Christ’s covenant is far better than that of the Law (Hebrews 12:24). The terms of this covenant contain God’s promises to us as His people. “In the same way He also took the cup after supper and said, ‘This cup is the new covenant established by My blood; it is shed for you’” (Luke 22:20). “By His own choice, He gave us a new birth by the message …

It was reported on a segment of the CBS News that an unbelievable amount of wife beating occurred. Every 15 seconds in America, a wife is beaten by her husband. Friend, any man who would strike a woman is a coward! The January 18, 1994 edition of Time magazine had an article entitled, “Till Death Do Us Part.” It was about women who, after years of abuse, kill their husbands. Take for instance, Rita Collins, whose husband was a military recruiter. She reported he said to her, “You are old, fat, crazy and have no friends, and I will take care of you.” His care included “threats with a knife, punches, a kick to the stomach that caused a hemorrhage.” She said, “He’d slam me up against doors. He gave me a black eye, bruises. Winter and summer, I’d go to work like a Puritan, with long sleeves.” Mr. Collins must have hated himself very much to have treated his wife with such brutality. The articles says, “She tried to get out. She filed for divorce, got a restraining order, filed an assault and battery charge against him, forced him from the house they had bought with a large chunk of her money when they retired to Florida. Yet still, she says, he came night after night banging on doors trying to break the locks.” She says she remembers her husband’s face, the glassy eyes and a knife in his hands. “To this day I don’t remember pulling the trigger.” Rita Collins …

We worship God because He is worthy (Revelation 4:11; 5:12). Man is not worthy of worship nor are the things man invents deserving of worship. Yet, man invents many things that occupy his time and energy in praise, love and affection. Man must worship the right object. What are the types of worship, either right or wrong, revealed in the New Testament? Vain Worship When we follow the commandments of men instead of God’s instructions, our worship becomes vain. Vain worship is empty, hollow and useless; it will do us no good. If it is vain, it would be as though we had not worshipped God at all, and we will be lost. When we worship in the way “we want,” then God is dishonored and insulted (Matthew 15:7-9; Mark 7:7). The word “vain” is an adverb from maten, meaning, “fruitlessly.” Vain worship is unacceptable. Ignorant Worship When the apostle Paul was in Athens, he encountered people who were worshiping all kinds of false gods, as well as One whom they called “the Unknown God.” He took the opportunity to tell them about “the One whom you worship without knowing” (Acts 17:16-31). While preaching to them, he let them know that “these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent” (v. 30). Ignorant worship is unacceptable. Creature Worship The Creator is self-existent, unconditioned and unlimited in power and knowledge. The creature owes its very existence to the Creator. To substitute the worship of the creature for that of …

The headline was shocking. “More than 5,000 Mississippi third-graders could be held back this year for low reading scores” (Skinner). There is nothing trivial about this problem. Virtually everything we do in life requires the skill of reading. The church may well be facing a reading problem of its own. Teachers urging students to turn to a particular book, chapter and verse are far too often met with blank stares. This is sad when one considers that even some four-year-olds can memorize the books of the Bible. The problem is not in a general lack of ability. Young people and adults easily learn the vital statistics for each player on their favorite teams, full recipes for dishes and intricate shortcuts for reaching that special fishing hole or getting to another level in their favorite game. The real causes must be found elsewhere. True growth in knowledge of the Bible begins at home. Paul commanded, “And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4 NKJV). The word translated “and” at the beginning of this verse “suggests that both children and fathers have God-given responsibilities in the relationship” (Lockhart 308). Children are to obey and honor, while fathers are responsible for training. Timothy’s grandmother and mother must have felt this was a similarly important task for mothers (2 Timothy 1:5). Teaching at home needs to be subsidized by solid Bible classes. The spread of the church to …