Posts by Burleson Church of Christ (Page 17)
Luke 6: Why do you call me “Lord, Lord?”
One mistake that is often made is to teach truth using a text that seems to support the point, but in its context really doesn’t. For example, all my life I heard Psalm 111:9 used as a proof text not to refer to men as “Reverend.” The argument was that the only time that term was used in the Bible (we all used the KJV) was in Psalm 111:9, and there it was used in respect to the name of…
Luke 5: Don’t play with him. He’s not cool.
I remember hearing this from a friend of mine concerning another friend of mine when I was in the 5thor 6thgrade. My “uncool” friend was over to spend the night with me, and we gathered for some basketball with some other guys, all friends of mine, but guys who ran in a different circle than my other friend. I remember being hurt over that statement. I loved my friend (and still do 40 years later though we are not as…
Luke 4: Jesus and the Power of the Spirit
Luke 4 is an interesting text as we consider the humanity and divinity of Jesus. The Bible is clear that Jesus was a partaker and participant in both human and divine nature (John 1:1-4, 14; Heb 2:14). Being a man meant the ability to be tempted with and succumb to sin (Heb 2:18, 4:15). Being a man also in some way meant sacrificing his equality with God, seeing as He also had the ability to die (Phil 2:5-8). Our text,…
Luke 4: Peter, the Married Pope
Of course, I don’t believe Peter was the first Pope, because the Bible doesn’t teach or even imply it. But the Bible DOES teach that Peter was married. In the interest of fairness, the Catholic Church did not formally forbid the clergy to marry until the Lateran councils of the early 12thcentury. So using Peter as an example against the demanded celibacy of the Catholic hierarchy is not proper. But the Catholic Church magnifies Peter as the greatest of all…
Luke 3: The Spirit and Power of Elijah
Today’s title is found in Luke 1:17, spoken by Gabriel to Zachariah about his son who would be born and known as John the Baptizer. In today’s text we see it brought to fruition. Elijah was a powerful preacher, one who was unafraid of the kings and rulers of Israel (1 Ki 18:17-18; 21:20-24). In today’s language, some might say, “He spoke truth to power.” Though powerful in his preaching, Elijah was not without compassion. Through him God raised the…
Luke 2: I Can Die Now
Today’s title is a phrase often used when someone experiences some great event which they longed to see or participate. It is used after one meets some great athlete, author, or respected person. It is used after one makes a great journey, perhaps to see the land of his birth, Normandy, or climbs Mount Everest. Most people have no idea the phrase is a paraphrase of a statement made in today’s text. In Luke 2:25-35 we are introduced to Simeon.…
Luke 1: The babe leaped in her womb.
This is the statement made concerning yet to be born John when his mother Elizabeth heard the greeting of her cousin Mary, the mother of Jesus. For believers, Luke 1:39-45 is very important given America’s current social and moral climate. As of this writing (March 4, 2019), there are 6 US Senators who have declared themselves as candidates for the Presidency in 2020. Recently ALL SIX declared their willingness not only to allow unborn babies to be murdered all the…
The Two Witnesses to Your Salvation: by Dan Jenkins
The apostle Paul made an astounding affirmation when he said, “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God” (Rom. 8:16). How can I know that I am saved? How can I have confidence that I am pleasing to God? Paul’s words said it all—the Holy Spirit bears witness with my spirit. There is a Biblical concept that should be remembered in all matters, but especially in this one about my salvation. There must…
How Did God Harden Pharaoh’s Heart?
Concerning free will, one of the more perplexing texts is the account of Pharaoh in Exodus. Ten times in this account we find some statement that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart (cf 4:21, 7:3, 14:4). However, there are also ten instances where the text says that Pharaoh hardened his own heart (cf 8:15, 32, 9:34-35). Calvinists have attempted in vain to reconcile the statements to their own disgrace and the derision by skeptics. Others struggle with the apparent discrepancy in free…
Baptism in the New Testament
In his classic sermon, “There’s Water in the Plan,” iconic gospel preacher Marshall Keeble used to say, “There’s so much in the Bible about baptism that I can wring water out of it.” That great brother certainly had a way with words, but I want us to consider the veracity and validity of his statement. As one reads through the New Testament, he ought to note the consistency with which the text speaks of baptism and more notably baptism’s relationship…