Posts by Todd Clippard (Page 8)
Can Elders be Paid from the Church Treasury?
The Bible teaches that each congregation of the Lord’s church is autonomous and is to be overseen by elders (Titus 1:5; Acts 14:23; Phil 1:1), men who meet the qualifications of 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. The elders are elsewhere called “overseers” (Acts 20:28), “bishops” (1 Timothy 3:1-2), “pastors” (Eph 4:11). The word translated “pastors” in Ephesians 4:11 is the Greek poimaine (Strong’s #4166). It appears 18 times in the New Testament and is translated “shepherd” 17 of the…
The Innuendo Of Apostasy
An article in the August, 29, 1999, edition of Nashville’s Tennessean newspaper told of David Lipscomb University’s dismissal one of its Bible professors because the congregation where the professor served as a minister had begun to use instrumental music in its worship services. Doug Varnado, professor of Bible for 17 years and director of a campus missions program, was forced to resign after the Community Church of Christ (CCC) in Hendersonville, Tennessee, began using recorded instrumental music earlier this year.…
Am I Really Promoting Undenominational Christianity?
(Editor’s Note: The following was written by Steve Waller, a missionary whom we help to support in Indonesia. Steve has been a trusted friend for nearly 10 years. Please consider the following and examine your attitude toward promoting undenominational Christianity. JTC) While reading the various posts on a couple of Internet discussion groups, the thought came to me (as it has from time to time); Am I (are we) supporting, preaching and defending undenominational Christianity (the faith once delivered unto…
The Plumb Line
Horrible injustices thrived in Jeroboam’s northern kingdom. God would wink no more. Judgment was coming: “Thus He showed me: Behold, the Lord stood on a wall made with a plumb line, with a plumb line in His hand. And the Lord said to me, ‘Amos, what do you see?’ And I said, ‘A plumb line.’ Then the Lord said: ‘Behold, I am setting a plumb line in the midst of My people Israel; I will not pass by them anymore‘”…
That’s Your Opinion
Many religious discussions concerning the oneness of the church or the necessity of baptism have ended with, “Well, that’s your opinion.” Many sermons on divorce and remarriage, social drinking, immodest dress, or the necessity of attended each service, have been dismissed with a careless (or couldn’t care less- JTC), “Well, that’s just his opinion.” There is a difference between opinion and application. The Bible is a book of commands, principles, and examples. It does little good to learn the Bible’s…
What Do the Scriptures Say About the Millennium?
With the year 2000 just around the corner, speculation regarding the Bible and the onset of the new millennium is well underway. This speculative teaching is based upon various interpretations of the books of Revelation, Daniel, and Ezekiel. Do these books, or any others in the Bible, make reference to the coming millennium? The short answer is no; they do not. However, let’s take a moment to understand why taking such a view of the scriptures is incorrect. According to…
Why I Don’t Follow the Ten Commandments (and why you shouldn’t either)
For more than a year, our state has made national news because of Chief Justice Roy Moore and his Ten Commandments monument. Without going into detail, it should be said that Roy Moore is wrong. His refusal to follow the laws of the land, when not in contradiction to God’s law (Acts 5:29), is a violation of Romans 13:1-7. However, the thrust of this article is seen in its title. But the question comes, “Why not?” I am not a…