Is Jesus the Successor of David? We know that Israel’s Old Testament kings had queen mothers. The exceptions were when a king started a new dynastic line, such as Saul and David. That’s why both Saul and David did not have queen mothers. So, the question before us is this: Did our Lord start a […]
James, Lesson 3 (Chapter 2): Faith is impartial
May 17, 2012 by
This section of James differs from what we have seen so far. This section begins with words of censure, which James further develops. Read James 2:1 – What is James calling Jesus? Galatians 3:28: [Concerning salvation] There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you […]
James, Lesson 2: Faith’s Response
May 14, 2012 by
James: Lesson 2 Book’s Theme and Faith’s Response Read James 1:9-11 – James tells the rich man to exalt in his humiliation. What is the source of this humiliation? – The poor man is to exalt in his exaltation. What is the source of his exaltation? – So what is James doing when […]
The Queen Mother: The Old Covenant
May 12, 2012 by
The Monarchy in the Old Covenant Even before Israel had kings, we find the Law of Moses anticipating that God’s people would become a monarchy like its neighbors: “When you enter the land that the Lord your God is giving you, take possession of it, and settle in it. Then you will say, ‘I will […]
James, Lesson 1: Introduction and Theme
April 30, 2012 by
James: Lesson 1 Introduction and Theme Among the books of the New Testament, James has suffered much because it was one of the disputed books of the New Testament. It also suffered because of its content (for example, does it teach that works save us?). When Martin Luther was translating the Bible into German, he […]
Didache, Lesson 15: Apostles and Prophets, Pt. 2
April 21, 2012 by
Prophets In the last lesson, we saw the Didache link the Apostles to Jesus (11:4.) But today, we will see the Didache link prophets to the Holy Spirit. Although, at first, this seems a hair-splitting distinction, it simply shows the worldview of those who put together the Didache. It shows that the Apostles were directly […]
Remaining Firm in the Faith, Even When Your Feelings are Hurt
April 19, 2012 by
What would you think of a medical doctor who watched someone suffer a heart attack, but did nothing to help? What would you think of a police officer who walked past someone committing a crime but didn’t even care enough to raise an eyebrow or report the crime? You would probably despise such doctors and […]
The Didache, Lesson 14, The Apostles and Prophets, Part 1
March 31, 2012 by
Lesson 14: (Chapter 11:1-6) After going over the epicenter of the New Covenant, the Lord’s Supper, the Didache, tackles a most-practical issue in its day. It deals with those who would visit, claiming to be an apostle, prophet, or pastor (remember this was still early enough when the Apostles were still alive). Knowing the Truth […]
The Deforming of Christianity
March 29, 2012 by
This is our pastor’s article for the April 13th, 2012 edition of the Stone County Gazette. The Deforming of Christianity By Pr. Rich Futrell Recently at a Christian bookstore, I saw shelf after shelf with books on every topic and fad that has passed through modern Christianity. Books were there on how to be a […]
The Didache, Lesson 13: The Agape Meal
March 25, 2012 by
The Didache, after going over what brought one into the New Covenant and the spiritual disciplines for one in the New Covenant, now delves into epicenter of the New Covenant itself–the Lord’s Supper (Matthew 26:28). However, what we find different is the context of the Lord’s Supper: It takes place within what is called an […]
