What Does The Bible Say?

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We begin this episode completing our discussion of Total Depravity which is the T in the acronym TULIP which describes Calvinism. This false teaching is found in most denominations and begins when people are taught that we inherit sin from our parents which began with Adam and Eve. We talk about Paul telling the Christians in Ephesus that we are created for good works, the Hebrew writer says that sin is something that one does willfully and finally, Peter says we will all be judged for not obeying the gospel and living faithfully...

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We note from our last session that a Christian can fall away from grace and be lost. We also noted that a fallen Christian can be restored to that state of grace by repenting and confession one's sins to God and He will forgive him. We noted that Paul told the Christians in Ephesus to take up the whole armor of God in order to withstand Satan's fiery darts and we pointed out that if there was no danger of falling away because of Satan's attacks, that passage would not be needed.  We m...

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We begin this episode by continuing our discussion of whether a Christian can fall from grace and be lost. We discuss Galatians 5 chapter 1 through 4 where Paul tells the Christians to stand fast. We talk about the implication that a Christian may not stand fast. We move on to notice that Peter warns Christians not to get entangled in the pollutions of the world. This is a clear indication that it is possibility of doing so. We take some time to look at a few of the passages that are used by those who...

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Arnie, Fred and Glenn continue to discuss what Peter said about how important God's word is, noting that within it is contained all things that pertain to life and godliness. We look at Second Peter chapter two verses 2 through 11, noting how many times knowledge is mentioned, and the actions Peter says that if a Christian does, he will never fall. Paul told Timothy that the scriptures are profitable for doctrine and a number of other things that the man of God may be complete. Consequently, we talk about the need for new Christians...

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In this episode, we continue our discussion about faith and works that James relates to us in Chapter 2. In verse 16 James tells us that the demons believe and tremble. We talk about why this is important for us to know and how that relates to faith and works. James then tells us what makes faith dead. He tells us this important fact a number of times in chapter 2. We note the example he uses of Abraham and what he did in offering his son as a sacrifice that James uses to illustrate faith...

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Arnie, Fred and Glenn begin this episode by looking at what Paul said about his conversion and specifically what Ananias told him about his baptism. We look at a number of other passages that say something about baptism that tell us how important it is. We briefly look at hearing the gospel and believing it and what believing entails. We encourage our listeners to compare what the Bible says with what the church you are a member of teaches, with the purpose ultimately to follow what the Bible says because it is the...

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In this episode, Glenn, Arnie and Fred continue discussing Acts chapter 8 where Philip was sent by the Holy Spirit to go near the chariot of the Ethiopian eunuch who was returning from worshipping God in Jerusalem. We discussed how Philip did that and was able to preach Jesus to him from Isaiah chapter 53. We note how the eunuch learned about baptism, belief and confession. We then note that there is one more thing that one must do to be saved according to Jesus, and we talk about that. We move on to a...

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We begin this episode by continuing our discussion of the importance to understand that the Bible is complete and we cannot add anything to it or remove anything from it. It is our guide for everything we do in our lives as well as what the church does, how to be saved and what we are to teach. Consequently, we need nothing else to guide us, particularly any man-made documents to specify what the church does like most denominations have. We note that even if the sign says "church of Christ" one must...

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In this episode, we continue our discussion about the old law, the law of Moses where the Hebrew writer said it was a shadow of good things to come but not the real thing which is the law of Christ. We talk about a number of things relating to His law and how that pertains to us today. We note that the word of God was preached throughout the whole world and continues to be available to all people today. We discuss the fact that the credibility of the word of God is...

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In this episode, we continue or discussion of the division of the old law and the new law of Christ, in particular what Paul wrote in Galatians chapter 3, verses 5 through 29. The promise that God made to faithful Abraham is an important part of our discussion and we look at that in depth. We look at what was said about the purpose of Moses Law, how long it would last and how it was connected to the law of Christ. Two covenants are mentioned in our discussion of these two laws. We note what...

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In this episode, we continue our discussion of rightly dividing the word of truth, God's word, understanding that it is inspired and within it, God has supplied all things that pertain to life and godliness. Consequently, we do not need to come up with our own ideas about the church, how to be saved, how to worship and what the church is and does. We noted that the church Jesus built, the church of Christ is not a denomination. We note Paul's warning to the elders of the local church in Ephesus about...

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Arnie, Fred and Glenn continue the discussion of why am I a member of the Church of Christ? We ran out of time before we completed our discussion of the term saint that we find in the New Testament. We complete that in this episode. We move on to talk about denominations and some important facts about them that we should know. We begin by looking at some of the titles that are used in them and what Jesus says about that. We talk about how important teaching the word of God is...

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In this episode, we continue to discuss the structure or pattern of the church. We noted in the last episode that Paul had told Timothy to hold fast the pattern of sound words. We noted that part of that pattern was to appoint elders in each local church and we also noted that there was always a minimum of two elders appointed. There are specific qualifications that a man must meet in order to be an elder in the church. We discuss those. We then look at what the elders were responsible for...

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In this episode, we continue to look at what the Bible says about why am I a member of the Church of Christ. We have looked at what the local churches of Christ did in their worship of God and were discussing the last item, preaching, when we ran out of time in the last episode. So, we begin by completing our discussion of preaching in the New Testament church. We noted several passages where Paul said that the gospel was preached throughout the whole world in the first century by following the...

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We begin this episode by noting that in the church of Christ in the first century, we are told that singing was a part their worship. We noted that there were no passages that told us that any local church of Christ ever used any instrument of music in their worship. Consequently, the silence of the scriptures must be respected. Instruments of music were not introduced into the worship of the church until many centuries later. History tells us that the first instruments of music were introduced in the Catholic Church in the 7...

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In this episode, we continue to look in the Bible to find out what it says about why I am a member of the Church of Christ. We have discussed who built it and is its foundation, what it should be called, how a person gets into the church, and where and when it was established. We noted the scriptures that are recorded in God's word that answered all of these questions. We noted that Jesus said His words would never pass away and consequently we still have those words that guide us...

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In this episode, we continue to discuss why am I a member of the Church of Christ by looking at more passages that mention baptism as well as repentance and confession. Glenn noted what Mark said in chapter 16 and pointed out that to understand what he said is as simple as reading the passage. Luke recorded what Jesus said about repentance and Fred noted that. Eric read what Philip said when an angel sent him to talk with the Ethiopian eunuch who was reading what Isaiah wrote in chapter 53. Philip began, as Acts 8...

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We have established in previous episodes, that the Bible is God's word, inspired by God and is the standard which we must follow. If we do not follow what it says, we cannot please God. We noted that there are over 2,000 denominations that claim to be Christians yet teach something different from what the bible says. We noted that Jesus prayed that his followers would be united. We noted Paul's criticism of the Christians in Corinth who had divided up into different groups in the church. We learned that the church is a...

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Arnie, Fred and Glenn continue their discussion of why am I a member of the Church of Christ. We begin this episode by looking at a few passages that help us to determine where and when the Lord's Church would be established or started beginning in the Old Testament. We learn that it would be in what are described as the latter days and in Jerusalem. We move to the New Testament and talk about what both John the Baptizer and Jesus said when they expected the church or kingdom would come. We...

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In this second episode of why am I a member of the Church of Christ, Glenn begins by noticing the warning Paul gave to the elders of the local church at Ephesus about how there would be those among them who would seek to draw away disciples to follow them. Jesus gave the same warning, and we discuss that situation as well as the specific name Jesus gave them. Jesus discussed certain ones who thought they were following what God said but were in fact not doing so. We discuss what Jesus said...

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We begin this episode by noting that Peter says that we as Christians should be able, willing and ready to give answers to those who ask us about our belief and faith. So, we begin here. We discuss the use of blueprints and patterns that are used to build buildings and make clothes. If the blueprint or pattern isn't followed, that which is built or made is different from what the blueprint or pattern showed. By the same principle, Jesus provided a pattern in the New Testament for His church. If we vary...

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In this episode, Arnie, Glenn, Eric and Fred continue their discussion about marriage according to what the Bible says about it. Glenn begins by finishing the reference to the wife being the weaker vessel, why she is to be submissive to her husband as well as her and the husbands family responsibilities. There is a reminder that we must respect God's word and His authority when He established marriage. We next look at a couple of passages that tell us how long God intends for marriages to last. We move on to look...

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In this episode, Arnie, Fred and Glenn begin discussing what the Bible says about marriage. We start by noticing what Isaiah says about the attitude of a newly married couple, their excitement and how they present one to the other. It is noted what Malachi says to a husband about how he treated the wife of his youth and what God thought about that. We move on to what God said to Adam and Eve in the beginning and how Jesus went back to this time in correcting the Pharisees in what they...

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Arnie, Eric, Fred and Glenn continue their discussion about immorality and what the Bible says about it. We begin by looking at what Jude said about the wicked Biblical cities of Sodom and Gomorrah whose people were engaged in immorality. Peter had even more to say about them and we look at what he said. Sodom and Gomorrah stand as the prime example of immoral behavior and how God looks at it. Eric looks at what Paul says about marriage and how that God-given institution avoids sexual immorality. We discuss several sections of...

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In this episode, Arnie, Eric, Fred and Glenn begin a discussion about immorality as revealed in the Bible. Glenn begins by noting what morality is and its source. He notes that we will look specifically at sexual immorality. We note what Paul said to the Christians in Galatia and show that in the list of the works of the flesh he includes several sexual immoralities. There are a number of sexually immoral activities listed in the Old Testament and we look at them. Of course, this shows us that immorality has been forbidden...

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In this final episode about being justified by grace, Arnie, Eric, Fred and Glenn look at man's condition before God established His grace. Sin was common to the human race. We note the disastrous consequences of sin and what those are. We discuss Bible passages that explain how God's grace saves. One passage mentions the washing of regeneration. We look at what this is and note that Jesus discussed this with Nicodemus at one point in His ministry. We look at baptism again using several passages that clearly explain what Bible baptism is...

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In this episode, Arnie, Glenn and Eric continue the discussion of what the Bible says about being justified by grace. Glenn begins by reviewing what we discussed in the last session. We move to looking at some of the doctrinal errors concerning justification by grace. We note that there are some who believe and teach that grace is extended unconditionally to all people contrary to the fact that the Bible teaches that God requires both faith and obedience. We look at a couple of passages that relate to this point. Eric takes a...

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In this episode, we begin our discussion on what the Bible says about how we are justified by grace. Paul writes to Titus noting our sinful behaviors, God's love of us and what He did for us, mentioning our topic for this episode. We discuss what grace is, how it manifests an attitude of friendly disposition from which a gift, kindly act, mercy, charity or lenience proceeds. We look at what Jesus said in Matthew 5 concerning what God does for all and how we ought to follow His example. Again, God's love of...

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In this episode, Arnie, Fred and Glenn take a look at some of the passages we have discussed in the last 2 episodes. We note that some of them do not contain the word "saved" in them. We talk about why what is said in these passages must be done in order to be saved.  Jesus points out the need to hear and be taught in order to come to God. Paul has a lot to say about that to the Christians in Rome. We look at those passages. We also discuss some passages t...

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In this second episode, Arnie, Fred and Glenn continue the discussion of what the Bible says about how to be saved. Glenn and Fred review some of the things discussed in the last episode. We continue this episode by looking at what Peter did when the Holy Spirit sent him to a Roman Centurian named Cornelius in Caesarea. We go over what the Bible says about this encounter, what Peter taught and what Cornelius and his family did. Next, we find Paul in Philippi where a businesswoman heard his preaching and responded to...

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In this episode, Arnie and Fred begin a look at what the Bible says an individual must do to be saved. We start out by noting what Jesus directed the apostles to do upon His departure. We note Mathew and Mark's account of what Jesus said to them right before He ascended to heaven. We begin in Acts chapter 2 when Peter preached the first gospel sermon. We read the record of that occasion and note that the people asked what they needed to do, and Peter gave them specific instructions that were in...

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In this last episode on this subject, Arnie and Fred finish their discussion of some men who were part of the Protestant Reformation, John Calvin, John Knox and John Smyth. We noted that most Protestant churches resulted from the Reformation Movement and have roots in those major denominations. We discuss five other non-Catholic religious bodies, who established them and the date they were established. We note that all Protestant denominations are less than 700 years old. We go back to the Bible to again, see what it says about Christ's Church and when He...

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Arnie, Fred and Glenn continue their discussion of the apostacy or falling away from the New Testament pattern that occurred and, in this episode, continue to look at its history. We reviewed some of the departures we noted last week, in baptism and the Lord's Supper. Some began to worship men and women in the Catholic church, and we note that. Priests in the Catholic church also began hearing people confess their sins to them and we look at what this meant. We also discuss what was added to all the Bibles for...

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Arnie, Fred and Glenn continue their discussion of the apostacy or falling away that Paul said would occur from the original pattern for Christ's Church. We discussed some of the small changes that began in the early 2nd century in the last episode. Beginning with Constatine, pagans were granted church membership which changed a number of church practices. Constatine had himself sprinkled as baptism on May 22nd in 337AD right before he died. We discuss again the pattern of baptism in the New Testament and examine a number of changes that appeared after...

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Fred and Glenn begin this episode noting that Paul predicted that there would be a falling away or apostacy that was a departure from the original gospel soon after the death of the apostles. We note that God has always provided a pattern for His people to follow. Noah was given specific instructions on how to build the ark. We note that Moses was given a pattern for building the tabernacle and those implements in it. We also talk about the pattern for the temple that God gave to David and the fact...

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Arnie, Fred and Glenn continue their discussion of what the Bible says about Christ's Church or men's churches. In this episode, we begin our discussion about the membership of Christ's Church. We begin by noting what Peter said about the saved when he preached the first gospel sermon on Pentecost in Acts chapter 2. We next look at what Jesus said that individuals who heard the gospel were required to do. We return to Acts chapter 2 to note that some of those who heard Peters sermon that were convicted of having Jesus crucified, wanted...

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In this third episode, Arnie, Fred and Glenn continue their discussion of the various characteristics that identify Christ's Church. We begin by looking at the worship His Church engages in. Glenn begins by noting passages that mention singing as a part of that worship. He notes that this singing comes from the heart of the worshipper. Part of the apostle's doctrine mentioned that occurred on Pentecost when the saints first began worshipping was prayers. We briefly look at that. We next note that Paul instructed Timothy to not neglect the reading of scripture...

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In this episode, Arnie, Fred and Glenn continue to discuss Christ's Church and begin with the fact that Christ ordained or prescribed certain things relating to His Church. First, we note that Christ named His church using a number of terms. Some relate to His ownership, and some relate to certain characteristics of His church. We note that there are some names that relate to the location of local churches or assemblies of the Lord. We take some time to discuss where these names are mentioned in the Bible. We next talk about...

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In this episode, Arnie, Fred and Glenn begin by briefly tracing the establishment of the Lord's Church. In later episodes we will look at the beginnings of various religious bodies existent today. We begin by noting that Jesus promised to build His Church.  We note the meaning of the word "Church" and also point out that it is also called His Kingdom. We move on to discuss the fact that Christ did establish His church as He promised. Our discussion notes that the Bible tells us when it was established and how it w...

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Arnie, Fred and Glenn continue their discussion of suicide and how one's faith defeats it. We begin by noting that Paul had reminded the brethren at Corinth how God had delivered him and those who were with him from a certain death they were threatened with in Asia, illustrating God's faithfulness and ability to do so.  Paul continued to discuss with them that we are all subject to death and we don't like that because we desire the eternal body promised us in heaven. He also challenges them to examine themselves whether they a...

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Arnie, Fred and Glenn continue the discussion about suicide and what the Bible says about it. We begin by looking at more passages in the Old Testament that relate to one's faith and how that defeats suicide. David is the first faithful individual we look at and he questions why he is cast down and disquieted when he has hope in God. Solomon first discusses the trust he has in God and then asks the question of why would one die before his time? Next Isaiah tells God's people not to be dismayed...

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Arnie and Fred begin this episode by looking at what the Bible says about suicide. We note that everyone faces some kind of discouragement from time to time. If we consider it to be unfixable, our thinking may lead us to hopelessness and despair and ultimately to harmful behaviors and even to suicide. The Bible records a number of people who resorted to this. We begin by noting 5 individuals. The first is Abimelech who was engaged in battle and became disabled. The Bible record of this is in Judges chapter 9. We talk about...

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In this final episode, Arnie and Glenn discuss that John sent his disciples to Jesus while he was in prison for their benefit. The miracles that Jesus performed and the fact that the poor heard the gospel provided them the evidence that Jesus was the Messiah. A couple of passages were next noted that showed how John closed out the Old Testament period of prophesy. It was also mentioned that there was a lot of violence that occurred whenever the kingdom was discussed. The fact that John saw the kingdom at hand but...

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Arnie and Glenn begin this episode with a discussion of the preeminence of Christ because John was asked a number of times if he was the Christ, the Messiah. Glenn notes an interesting fact in the context of Colossians 3:18 which tells us of the preeminence of Christ. A discussion of this context ensues. We next note the problem of few receiving Christ even though John pointed to Him as the Messiah and His message was God given. We next talk about the fact that eternal life demands that one believes and obeys the...

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In this fourth episode, Arnie and Glenn continue their discussion about John the Baptizer. The discussion begins with a look at the prophesy that John's father Zacharias stated about him which first appeared in the Old Testament. Johns' youth was spent in the desert, and he continued this life up until the time he came to the public. We note this. An Old Testament prophecy by Malachi said one like Elijah would return at some point. We look at numerous occasions in the New Testament that people discussed this prophecy and how it...

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In this third episode, Arnie and Glenn continue discussing what the Bible says about John the Baptizer. We begin by noting that John, according to Jesus, was come to fulfill all righteousness. Part of that work was to identify Jesus as the Christ or Messiah. There are two sections of scripture that tell us of the duration of John's baptism. We discuss both of those sections which is very important to know. John's background, his birth and early life is what is noted next. John had righteous parents, and it is noted that...

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Arnie and Glenn continue to discuss what the Bible says about John the Baptizer in this second episode. We begin by noting that John always performed his mission faithfully. We look at John the apostles record of the occasion the priests and Levites questioned John the Baptizer and note his answers using Old Testament prophecies concerning him. John had tremendous influence with the inhabitants in Jerusalem, Judea, the Jordan Valley and all Israel. We discuss the scriptures that relate that to us. We note that the record tells us that even the most...

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Arnie and Glenn begin this episode on John the Baptizer or Immerser, by first noting that his ministry began just before Jesus' work did and lasted only a year or two. Even though he worked such a short time, John was one of the most important and best-known men influencing 1st Century Palestine. Unfortunately, much of his importance is overlooked by many disciples today. As far as we can tell, John began his work about AD 27. His mission was to prepare the way for the Messiah or Christ. We look at the prophesy...

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Arnie and Glenn begin this final episode on the Bible being literal or figurative by reviewing some of what they said in the last episode. They note that sometimes people make up their minds prematurely about what a passage says without considering the complete case. It is important to note if the writer identifies which figure of speech is being used. It is also important to see how other writers or speakers treat a particular Bible event. Finally, it is noted that Bible events should be considered literal unless being so forces them...

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Arnie is joined by Glenn Landrum to continue the discussion of the literal and figurative aspects of the Bible. This episode begins by noting some helpful hints on how to distinguish between literal and figurative expressions in the Bible. We shouldn't make up our minds prematurely on a particular subject without considering the context of it. The time that the Pharisees misrepresented Moses as commanding divorce is discussed at length. Sometimes Jesus or one of the writers tells us which figure of speech is being used, whether it is a parable or an...

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In this episode, Arnie and Fred continue their discussion of examples of other figures of speech. We begin by talking about similes. We note that similes are words or phrases that compare two things. We look at two examples that have the words like or as in them. Next is a discussion of similitudes. We explain what they are and look at two Bible examples where this figure of speech occurs. Hyperboles are looked at next. They are obvious and intentional exaggerations indicating excitement or used to make a point. Jesus used them a...

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In this second episode, Arnie and Fred continue to discuss the literal and figurative aspects of the Bible. We begin here by noting that Jesus and the apostles understood that some of the historical and literal Bible accounts contained figurative language, since they supplied the words. We note the words that Abraham received Isaac from the dead, the passages that appears in, and why it is important to understand it properly. We discuss Parables, noting that they are realistic stories conveying a moral thought as contained in the parable of the Sower.  We l...

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In this episode, Arnie and Fred begin a discussion of what some people think of the Bible. Some Bible student's regard everything the Scriptures say to be literally true, for instance trees talked and chose a king. Others think the entire Bible is figurative, that everything symbolizes something else, and no one can understand it except a special few. Neither view is correct. We begin by noting that Paul mentioned using a figure of speech in one of his letters to the Christians in Corinth. Arnie discusses what is recorded in Judges chapter 9...

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Arnie and Fred continue to discuss what the Bible says about Jesus' birth and the timeline of it. We begin this episode by noting what Luke said about the requirement in the law of Moses that all male children were to be circumcised and when that was to occur. We noted that Luke also recorded Jesus' presentation at the Temple and purification requirements for Mariam recorded in Leviticus. Matthew records the visit of the wisemen, and notes that this occurred when Jesus was a young child. In Matthew's account, much is recorded of...

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In this episode, Arnie and Fred discuss Jesus' birth and try to establish a timeline of it based on what the Bible says. We begin by noting that of the four gospels, Mark is the only one who says nothing about Jesus' birth. We discuss the phrase, "the fulness of time" that Paul refers to in his letter to the Christians in Galatia. We look at the first reference to Jesus in the scriptures. John only refers to Jesus' birth in one verse. We note that verse. Luke records the angel Gabriel's visit w...

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In this final episode on morality, Arnie and Fred begin by discussing the fact that immorality is the same as sin. We note that James discusses what happens when an individual knows what is good to do but decides not to do it. John in two passages identifies what sin is. We look at what he says there. Paul has a discussion in Romans 14 relating to one that has doubts about what he is doing and what the result is if he continues to do it. We discuss this situation. Paul also has...

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In this episode, we follow up on our last episode where we concluded with the fact that God is the Author and Determiner of morality. Arnie and Fred begin by noting that moral character is unique to mankind. We discuss the human spirit which was created by God when He created mankind in His image. We look at several passages in Genesis which tell us this. Jesus notes that God is a Spirit which identifies us as spiritual beings as Moses said, made in His image. Both Paul and Peter discuss our conscience...

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Arnie and Fred begin this episode on what the Bible says about morality, by noting that morality is not determined by philosophers and their philosophizing. So-called deep thinkers in every culture possess the same human desires and emotions as other people. So, they tend to approve or condemn moral principles according to their own interests. We move on to discuss the fact that morality is not religiously decreed. Canaanite religion in the Old Testament offered human sacrifices as part of their worship. Abortion today is seen in much the same light as being...

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Arnie and Fred begin a new episode by discussing what the Bible says about morality. We begin by looking at what Paul went through while he was in protective custody by a Roman garrison and his discussion with the Roman official in charge of the area where he was imprisoned. We find out that the Roman official was totally unprincipled and rather immoral. This was not unusual for Roman officials. We then note that in large measure, modern day America is not much different as is much of the world. We discuss the...

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In this final episode of why the Bible was written, Arnie and Fred note that it teaches how to live as a Christian. We discuss the fact that all of the New Testament epistles were written to and for Christians. In the second chapter to Titus, Paul said that God's grace teaches us what we must deny and also specifies how we should live. In the second chapter of Peter's first epistle, he describes God's people in verse 9. We discuss that description. We talk about what Paul said about the Christians at Rome...

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Arnie and Fred continue to discuss why the Bible was written. We pick up where we left off in the last episode by noting that the Bible explains how people become Christians. We look at what Luke says in Acts about when the disciples were first called Christians. We note that there was a prophesy that discussed this in the Old Testament. We move on to look at various passages that tell us how to obey the gospel, that is, how to become a Christian. Jesus and Paul both note why it is...

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In this fourth episode, Arnie and Fred begin by noting that the Bible produces faith in Jesus Christ. It does this by providing the words and deeds of Jesus Christ. We look at Luke's Gospel account first and note that it was addressed to a high-ranking Roman official with the intended purpose of providing the eye-witness accounts of what they believed. We also point out that Luke wrote Acts and addressed it to the same official. We discuss the fact that the Bible contains and provides the evidence needed for the belief that...

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Arnie and Fred begin this episode where they left off, that is, the Bible reveals the identity of the Messiah. Jesus criticized the Jewish leaders in John 5 for refusing to accept that He was the Messiah even though the Old Testament scriptures that they studied identified Him as the Messiah. We look at 2 other scriptures in the New Testament that identify Jesus as the Christ. We move on to talk about how the Bible reveals the source of our salvation. We note that man cannot save themselves from their sins. God made salvation...

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Arnie and Fred continue their discussion on why the Bible was written by looking again into more of the scriptures that reveal the purpose of man, why we are here. Jesus, Solomon and Micah all provide us with some of that information. We discuss what they say. We move next to how the Bible reveals the nature of sin to us. We note that without God telling us, we would not know we were violating God's laws. We look at what Paul said about that. We finish this point by discussing some of...

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Arnie and Fred begin this new episode on what does the Bible say by discussing why the Bible was written. We suspect that most people have given little thought to the reasons the Bible was written. They don't seem to realize that it is the total revelation of God's will - that it really is the Word of God. Many it seems regard it as just containing the opinions of religious men - men that they may or may not hold in especially high regard, for one reason or another. Only a few...

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Arnie and Fred begin this last episode about New Testament worship by discussing the reading of scripture that we find was done during that time. Paul wrote to Timothy about this practice. Luke records in Acts about scripture that was written to the church at Antioch which they read during their worship. In looking at these six elements of New Testament worship, we have noted that if there are items added to them or if any of these items are excluded, the worship engaged in would not be "in spirit and in truth...

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Arnie and Fred continue their discussion of New Testament Worship and begin with the memorial to Christ known primarily as the Lord's Supper. We note at length what Paul said to the Christians in Corinth concerning the proper way to remember the Lord's death as a part of their worship. We look at the day that was specified and the fact that it was confirmed by a miracle. We move on to note that it was on the same day that a collection was taken up. We discuss again, what Paul said to...

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Arnie and Fred continue to discuss New Testament worship according to what the Bible says. We begin by noting what Jesus said according to John on why we must worship correctly. This led us to begin to look at the elements of worship that are mentioned in the New Testament. The New Testament mentions music but specifies singing or Acapella music which is without mechanical instruments. We look at a number of passages that discuss that kind of music which the saints in the first century engaged in during their worship. We look...

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In this new episode, Arnie and Fred look at what the Bible says about the worship we find in the New Testament. We begin by noting a discussion about worship that Jesus had with a Samaritan woman that He met at the Sychar well. Jesus told the woman that there was a time coming that people would not worship in the mountain that she mentioned, nor would they worship in Jerusalem. He told her that The Father seeks true worshippers who would worship Him in spirit and truth as He requires. We talk...

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In this final episode on how the Holy Spirit works today, Arnie and Fred begin discussing the source of our understanding of what the Bible says. We look at both Old and New Testament passages to see what some scriptures say about this. We find the New Testament mentioning sanctification in a number of places. We talk about this word, what it means and how this is done. We note that the Holy Spirit even though He is God, He can still be resisted. How this is done is looked at. Some are...

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In this episode, Arnie and Fred continue to discuss how the Holy Spirit works today and begin with the comfort He provides and how He accomplishes this. We talk about the comfort that Paul mentioned related to what was written in the Old Testament and how that was received. The grace of God is a popular subject we hear a lot about. We look at some passages that tell us what this is and where it is found. We talk about how the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by...

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In this second episode on how the Holy Spirit works today, Arnie and Fred begin with item eight on our list. We note that the apostles desire that all be filled with spiritual knowledge. Paul discusses this in several passages and mentions how the Holy Spirit accomplishes this. We next talk about the word of God dwelling in the Christian and the Christian being filled with the Spirit. Again, Paul addresses how this is done. We look at a couple of passages in the Old Testament that tell us how God leads us...

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Arnie and Fred begin this new episode by discussing how the Holy Spirit works today. We note that many will tell you that they understand what the Bible says based on something that the Holy Spirit does to reveal the true meaning to them apart from what the words actually say. Since they believe the Holy Spirit leads them directly, they think they cannot be wrong in their understanding, no matter what someone might show them. They will even deny a plain Bible verse. We discuss where this erroneous belief comes from. We...

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In this episode, Arnie and Fred begin by discussing the parables that Jesus used to clarify and illustrate points in His lessons. We note that these parables appear over 50 times in the New Testament. The first one we look at has to do with repairing an old garment and Jesus relates this to the Old Testament and the New Testament. He then talks about new wine in old bottles, applying this to His teaching. He talks about a master who took a trip and gave responsibility to his servants to take care of...

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In this episode, Arnie and Fred continue discussing the fact that Jesus had no formal training as a speaker but was successful in moving multitudes with His teaching. His teaching was centered on what the Old Testament scriptures said that He was immersed in as He was growing up. Consequently, his teaching did not include the human traditions that the Scribes and Pharisees demanded to be followed. Jesus' teaching and the miracles He performed convinced a number of people that He was a teacher sent from God. We look at several of those...

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Arnie and Fred continue their discussion of Jesus being the master teacher and the Bible passages that teach this. In the last episode we ended with what Jesus said about Christians being the light of the world. Our light, our righteous actions, must be seen, not just heard of. We looked at what Peter said about the suffering that we go through sometimes because of our faithful living. John notes how we ought to walk, and we discussed what he meant by that. Paul pointed out to both the brethren in Corinth and...

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In this episode, Arnie and Fred begin a series of discussions of Jesus being the master teacher. We begin by noting that Jesus taught as one with power and authority and the common people recognized this. We note that Jesus' life illustrated His teaching. We note that it was the truth that He taught, and we look at what John said about that when Jesus was talking with Thomas. Jesus had a discussion with the religious teachers of His time, and there is a great contrast made with Him. We look at the...

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In this final episode of what the Bible says about the church that Jesus built, Arnie and Fred discuss first the fact that the Lord's church teaches only the doctrine of Christ. There are numerous passages that teach this. We focus in on three passages from what the apostles Peter, John and Paul say about this subject. We note that the "social gospel" is not included in the doctrine of Christ. There are no conventions to decide what will be taught or practiced. We find no manuals, disciplines or creeds included in the...

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In this episode, Arnie and Fred discuss the worship that God directs the church that Jesus built to offer. We begin by noting that Jesus specified the kind of worship this must be. We note that the scriptures describe this worship in detail. We talk about the worship that the church at Jerusalem engaged in on Pentecost according to Acts chapter 2 which included prayer and when that was. Paul taught the church at Corinth about both singing and praying. We discuss what he said to them. Singing is also mentioned by Paul when...

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In this fourth episode about the church that Jesus built, Arnie and Fred discuss the fact that the Bible says the Lord's church has no earthly organization except the local congregation. We note that Jesus says He has all authority in heaven and in earth and thus He is the only central authority. Consequently, there is no such thing as a diocese or similar organization in the Lord's church. We talk about the local congregations which represent the only earthly organization that the Lord set up. We note that each local church is...

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In this third episode about the church that Jesus built, Arnie and Fred begin by discussing the fact that it was revealed in the gospel of Christ. Jesus had told His followers the Parable of the Sower. This parable was about the kingdom and church of the Lord. He told of the seed of the kingdom and the condition of the various hearts of men that it is sowed in. We look at what Peter said about this seed and what it does. We note that the scriptures are the only place that...

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Arnie and Fred continue to discuss the church that Jesus built according to what the Bible says. We begin this episode by looking at passages where Jesus discusses the church He was going to build. We learn from one of the Bible passages that He also refers to His church as His kingdom. We also learn when this would occur as well as the place it would happen at. We discuss the passage where Jesus tells us the people who would be involved as well. Jesus is also specific as to the doctrine...

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In this episode, Arnie and Fred begin a series of discussions about the church that Jesus built and what the Bible says about that. We begin by looking at the fact that the Old Testament prophets foretold that the Lord would build His church. We talk about what Isaiah said in the second chapter of his book. He tells us what would be established, the time, place, people, doctrine and builder. Jesus and Paul refer to these facts. We next look at what Zechariah had to say and note he mentions some of...

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In this last episode of how God's word was authenticated, Arnie and Fred begin by looking at the time Paul raised Eutychus to life after he had died from falling from a third-floor window. We talk about what makes this occasion so important to us today. Paul was at Corinth preaching the gospel and demonstrated it with the Holy Spirit and power. This confirmed a number of truths for us. We note what they were by looking at a number of passages relating to them. There was a time when Peter and John...

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In this episode, Arnie and Fred begin by looking at what Paul said about his apostleship and what the signs were of it. We look at a couple of situations that necessitated providing benevolence to the saints and how these efforts were confirmed. It became necessary to provide daily subsistence to some of the widows in the large congregation in Jerusalem. There was a problem in doing so and the apostles gave guidance on how to alleviate it. We look at that occasion and the means God provided to approve what was done...

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Arnie and Fred continue their discussion of what the Bible says about how God's word was authenticated. We begin this episode by looking at Philip's teaching of the Ethiopian eunuch about confession and immersion in water. When Paul came to Ephesus, he met some disciples who were baptized by John.  A discussion ensued about immersion in the name of the Lord and the authentication method is noted. We look at the time Paul was on his way to Damascus to persecute Christians and what happened to him during that trip. Again, his experience a...

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In this episode, Arnie and Fred continue their discussion on how God's word was authenticated in the first century. We begin by discussing the word translated mighty deeds. This is the Koine Greek word we get our word dynamite from.  We look at a number of passages where this word is used. These are acts of power that accomplish seemingly impossible outcomes not successfully performed by anyone else. We note that these miracles were accomplished at the prayer or command of the person through whom they were worked. The usual order of events i...

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Arnie and Fred begin a series of episodes on how the word of God was authenticated according to the Bible record. We discuss what miracles are and how important they are in the confirmation of the word of God and the purpose they served. We note that they were never used for propaganda, profit, entertainment or convenience. Sometimes there were people who were sick, but the miracles were not used to heal them.  We look at a number of instances where miracles were performed to authenticate the spoken word. We note that Jesus a...

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In this final episode on the empty tomb, Arnie and Fred begin by discussing the promises Jesus made concerning His resurrection as He talked with His apostles. We talk about the various plans Jesus' enemies developed, including to be rid of him and making sure the tomb could not be opened. We discuss the consequences of Jesus' resurrection, what it means to those who have obeyed Him. For instance, the declaration it provides concerning Jesus' being the Son of God. We note how we are affected as those who are guilty of sinning...

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Arnie and Fred continue to discuss some of the theories that have been proposed to explain away Jesus' resurrection. We begin this episode by looking at the last theory called the swoon theory originally proposed by German philosopher Karl Venturini who died in 1849. He proposed that Jesus merely fainted on the cross, either from drug induced stupor or wounds, was revived in the cool, damp tomb and escaped. We discuss what the Roman soldier did to ensure that Jesus was dead according to one of the witnesses. We discuss Jesus' condition on the...

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Arnie and Fred continue to discuss the empty tomb and some of the theories to explain it away. We begin by looking at the Stolen Body Theory. We discuss who proposed this theory and why it was so preposterous. Some have suggested the False Account Theory. The suggestion is made that the disciples lied about the resurrection. We note several Bible passages that show why this theory is also wrong. There have been those who say the Romans stole Jesus' body. We ask several questions and look at a couple of Bible passages...

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In this episode, Arnie and Fred discuss two of the theories skeptics have proposed over the years to explain the empty tomb Jesus' body had been in. We begin by looking at a number of passages written by the witnesses that show that Jesus' body had in fact been in Joseph of Arimathea's new sepulcher. The apostles who wrote the accounts and others mentioned therein had witnessed that fact. The first theory we look at was proposed by a Dr. who taught at the Harvard Divinity School in 1907.  His theory was that those i...

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In this last episode about those who watch after the flock, Arnie and Fred finish up discussing passages where the word elder appears. Some of those passages were not referring to elders in the local church. We note that every church that has qualified men must appoint elders. We discuss the plural form of the word elder which is sometimes translated presbytery, elderhood or eldership, referring to the same plurality of those men in the local church. We talk about the fact that all elders are of equal "rank".  Peter shows this when h...

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In this episode, Arnie and Fred complete their discussion on overseers in the local church. We note that Christ is the overseer of men's souls, and no human archbishop or chief bishop ever appears in the Scriptures. We begin talking about those who are referred to as elders in the local church. We note that these two terms are referring to the same individual. We look at the term elder and what it indicates and implies of the individual seeking to serve the assembly in that capacity. The term elder appears throughout the...

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In this episode, Arnie and Fred look at what the Bible says about those who are responsible to watch over the Lord's local flock. We begin by reading where Paul tells Timothy about these people. We discuss the terms used for these men and note that there are some translated words that are not as good in describing them. We talk about several passages that show that there is no hierarchy, clergy, laity or titles of honor used in the Lord's local assembly. We focus in on the term overseer and the other...

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Arnie and Fred begin this final episode about the church of Christ at Philippi by noting how they first dedicated themselves to God and consequently were involved in aiding God's saints in Jerusalem. We talk about how they abounded in the knowledge of the truth and how they attained that knowledge. Paul noted that they were genuine and blameless, and we discuss what he said. It is said that they produced the fruit of the Spirit. We talk about what that means and how they attained it. It is said also that they...

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In this episode, Arnie and Fred continue their discussion of the church of Christ at Philippi. We begin by noting that the church had to combat local prejudices from the start. We look at one of those situations, but also notice that in spite of this they were able to grow rapidly and continually, both spiritually and numerically. They were successful a number of important areas. They were self-supporting, they helped support Paul as well as others that were named as Paul's helpers. Additionally, they participated in helping the needy saints in Jerusalem...

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In this episode, Arnie and Fred begin their discussion about the local church of Christ that was established at Philippi which was a prominent city in North East Macedonia. It was about nine miles North of the coast of the Aegean Sea. This was the first European city that Paul preached in on his second missionary journey in about AD 52.  Paul was at Troas and received a vision in which a man said to "come to Macedonia and help us". When they arrived at Philippi after a few days they met a woman n...

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In this final episode of Who Is This Jesus, Arnie and Fred begin by revisiting Jesus' interaction with His twelve apostles at the Last Supper. Specifically, we look at His lesson to them about serving others. We move on to Pontius Pilate and his extensive discussions while Jesus stood before him in judgment. We note Pilate's doubts concerning the Jews charge against Him. We then talk about John and Mark's record of several women who visited the sepulcher after Jesus was raised from the dead. We end this episode by talking about what...

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Arnie and Fred continue to discuss some of other people who through various circumstances had close contact or unusual experiences with Jesus, who recognized the special attributes that were unique to Him. They became witnesses which were led to distinctly different conclusions regarding His identity.  In this episode we pick up the record John wrote of the Levitical police officers that were sent to arrest Jesus. We note their impression of Jesus which they related to the religious leaders after they refused to arrest Him.  We next look at John's record of the bl...