Category: Subject Index

We sometimes play a game at parties called “Gossip.” It is not only true at parties, but in real life that facts are often misunderstood and repeated to someone totally different from the first time told. We should be very careful when passing information on to another person, especially if we don’t have firsthand knowledge of the facts.

In describing the dispensations, we sometimes give the impression that the patriarchal period ended at Sinai when the Law of Moses began. Since the law given by Moses was for the Jews, what about the Gentiles? As God had dealt with man before the law of Moses, he continued to deal with the Gentile world. The focal point of the OT is the story of the nation through whom the seed would come. The camera of the OT focuses on the Jews and the law given to them. However, God was still dealing all the while with the Gentile world.

The “rest” of Hebrews 4:1-11 is a promise to be enjoyed, not a command to be kept, or observed. In this, it is parallel to Holy Spirit baptism. The baptism of the Spirit was never a command to be obeyed. Rather, it was a promise which certain ones were to receive (Acts 1:4-8). So, likewise, Hebrews 4:1-11 deals with a promise to be received by certain ones.

The sad part about the current state of affairs in the church of our Lord is that we have raised up a generation of people who know not the nature of the controversy that continues to divide the church. Even worse, we have a multitude of preachers who refuse to deal with these issues any more. Brethren, the fight with the evil influence of the Devil in dividing God’s people is not over. The war rages on.

One of the biggest lies ever told by the Devil (and used by false teachers) is that it is a lack of love that motivates every person that opposes error! But one thing is sure: I love my brethren too much to keep my mouth shut and let them teach error without hearing about it. I love truth to much to keep silent. I love the church too much to allow it to be led into digression without some effort on my part.

What we have observed in our study is that God fulfilled the covenant He made with Abraham. The last part of that covenant was the promise to bless all nations of people on earth with the offer of salvation through Christ Jesus our Lord! Have you submitted to the call of our Lord? He still stands with open arms and calls.

The Bible presents Jesus as the Mediator of a new and better covenant. He is also presented as the testator of His new testament. We must not deprive the gospel of its testamentary attributes, since Hebrews 9:15-17 ascribe such traits to it. We must be content to allow God to depict the covenant of Christ as He sees fit. He has described the new covenant as a testament which contains an eternal inheritance when the conditions of His will are met.

Brethren, if the priesthood did not change and Christ did not give a new covenant, how are we going to look to the New Testament as a pattern for our worship, organization or work? This theory is indeed the “new hermeneutics” in different attire, and like any other rejection of New Testament authority will result in total departure from God’s pattern.

The seventh chapter of Hebrews completely demolishes the false doctrine of those who advocate the “one covenant theory”.

Observance of the Sabbath is not commanded in the New Covenant which was sealed by the blood of the Son of God. The “rest” to which we look is eternal in nature. Let us not turn back into denominational error by accepting the erroneous idea that there has only been “one covenant” and Jesus did not nail the old law to the cross, thus leading us to accept the old testament as binding.

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Our awareness of who it is that is accursed should not only help keep us from falling from our own steadfastness, but it should also help to motivate our evangelistic efforts.

“Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men …” (2 Cor. 5:11).

“Him (Christ) we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.” (Col. 1:28-29).

Let’s all do what we can to make those who are living “accursed” before their Creator, “accepted” in Christ Jesus!

Does man have a free will to choose to come to Christ, or must God perform a direct operation of the Spirit on the heart of the sinner to enable him to receive and believe on Christ?

God orchestrated an event in Abraham’s life to symbolize what He intended to do with His own Son some two thousand years later: He created a living parable. He then saw to it that this event was recorded in writing, so that we could look back and see that what He accomplished in Christ, He had planned all along. “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!” (Romans 11:32). Amen.

When you see how clearly the conditions of salvation are set forth by Jesus, I hope that you will promptly render the “obedience of faith” for which the gospel was preached (Rom. 1:5; 16:26).

Nowadays, we have men who are supposed to be New Testament Christians turning back into hybrid Christianity. They are espousing the idea that God has not given two covenants, but that He has always only had one (contra Heb. 8:6-7). The result is that these men are being led–or will be led–into other error. Some have even admitted that they see nothing immoral about polygamy! What will end up happening is they will go right back into the denominational error from which others so desperately fought to escape.

In the words of Jesus, don’t say four months…the fields are white unto harvest. Pray for more workers! And when you find the workers, how can they go except they be sent? Brethren, don’t forget the lost millions while you are enjoying the fellowship of a hundred or more Christians in your home congregation. Look unto the fields!

Pero le ruego que no acepte lo que digo yo, sino que Ud. mismo haga un estudio detallado de la Palabra de Dios, especialmente estas escrituras, averiguando personalmente estas cosas para ver si son así (Hch 17:11). ¡Que Dios nos bendiga y que nos conceda un buen entendimiento de Su Palabra!

God views marriage as a covenant which is holy. He created it in the beginning of time. We must approach this covenant carefully knowing its rules and binding nature. Women carry some special responsibilities in marriage including managing the house, loving their husband and children, and submission to their own husband. Christian women should choose carefully who they marry: looking for a faithful Christian man upon whom to place their affections.

God gave His pattern for marriage in the beginning. Under Moses, God allowed man to deviate from His original intent. Jesus makes it clear that God will no longer tolerate that deviance. Jesus’ Law on divorce and remarriage is different than Moses because it goes back to what God wanted all along.