Monthly Archives: October 2009

Why Demonic Works in a Christian Context?

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Why Demonic Works in a Christian Context? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, October 15, 2009 at 10:35am A SERIOUS QUESTION (edited), asked in a good spirit: “At the end of chapter 15 in “The Faith Once for All” you affirm that miraculous gifts from the Holy Spirit were temporary and are not being given today. What most concerns me is your statement that miraculous or supernatural phenomena today, which many take to be miraculous gifts from the Holy Spirit, actually are demonic in origin. It also concerns me that during the Cane Ridge meetings 1000’s of people had wonderful … Continue reading →

The Levirate Law in Ruth

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The Levirate Law in Ruth by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, October 15, 2009 at 9:08am HERE’S A QUESTION: “We’re studying Ruth in our SS class. I need some insight into the Levirate law. Did this cause a man to commit polygamy? Was it only the firstborn son who belonged to the dead brother/relative? If so, why is Boaz mentioned as Obed’s father?” MY FEEBLE ATTEMPT TO ANSWER: This sort of question drives me to my handy Bible dictionaries, from which I have gleaned a few facts. First, “levirate” has nothing to do with Levi; this word comes from a … Continue reading →

The Cane Ridge Phenomena

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The Cane Ridge Phenomena by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, October 14, 2009 at 3:27pm I RECEIVED THIS QUESTION: One of the first events in the history of the Restoration Movement was the Cane Ridge [KY] Meeting in the early 1800s, where about 20,000 people gathered for revival. During this revival many strange and possibly frightening activities took place, described as “exercises” in various forms. Witnesses describe people fainting, barking, dancing, laughing, and ultimately “jerking.” This last exercise involved individuals with feet planted on the ground moving in strange ways, making large 180-degree “jerks,” i.e., touching the forehead and then … Continue reading →

Was Noah Unconditionally Predestined to Salvation?

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Was Noah Unconditionally Predestined to Salvation? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, October 14, 2009 at 2:56pm QUESTION: What is your perspective on the “election” of Noah as it relates to the Calvinism vs. Arminianism debate? According to the Arminian view it would seem that there was only one man (Noah) on the face of the earth with the faith for God to foreknow and choose for salvation. I suppose the Calvinist would say that God unconditionally chose one person from the mass of all people who were totally unable to come to faith. Both views seem to have serious … Continue reading →

Was Noah unconditionally predestined to salvation?

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Was Noah unconditionally predestined to salvation? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, October 14, 2009 at 2:54pm QUESTION: What is your perspective on the “election” of Noah as it relates to the Calvinism vs. Arminianism debate? According to the Arminian view it would seem that there was only one man (Noah) on the face of the earth with the faith for God to foreknow and choose for salvation. I suppose the Calvinist would say that God unconditionally chose one person from the mass of all people who were totally unable to come to faith. Both views seem to have serious … Continue reading →

WHY DO CHRISTIANS PRAY FOR FORGIVENESS?

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WHY DO CHRISTIANS PRAY FOR FORGIVENESS? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, October 14, 2009 at 8:37am SHOULD CHRISTIANS PRAY FOR FORGIVENESS? AN INQUIRER WRITES: “We are studying prayer in our small group. I remember a conversation that came up in one of our classes in Bible college. Since Jesus has already died for our sins, do we ask for forgiveness in a prayer, or do we simply just thank God for having already forgiven us of our sins? Do we make a request or just say ‘Thank you’?” MY REPLY: First, you would not say it this way: “Since … Continue reading →

Ananias and Sapphira: Saved or Lost?

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Ananias and Sapphira: Saved or Lost? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, October 8, 2009 at 7:37pm HERE’S AN INTERESTING QUESTION: “We are working through the book of Acts in our Sunday School class, and last week discussed Ananias and Sapphira. The question which hung a few of us was: ‘Did they go to heaven when they were struck dead?’ Most of us felt, assuming they were born again believers, they did. If all it took to banish a born again believer to Hell was sinning at the moment of death, Grace would seem less ‘graceful.’” MY REPLY: I vote … Continue reading →

“The Spirit’s Sword”: Resisting Temptation Through the Word

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“The Spirit’s Sword”: Resisting Temptation Through the Word by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, October 8, 2009 at 6:46pm THE SPIRIT’S SWORD Part of the “full armor of God” is “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph. 6:13, 17). An old hymn speaks of “overcoming daily with the Spirit’s sword.” The question here is this: how can we use the Word of God most effectively in our battle against temptation? For one thing, we must SEEK, KNOW, BELIEVE, and LOVE the truth of God’s Word. We know that when Jesus was tempted, he quoted Scripture … Continue reading →

Is 1 Tim. 2:12 a Concession to Culture?

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Is 1 Tim. 2:12 a Concession to Culture? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, October 8, 2009 at 3:05pm THIS IS A FOLLOW-UP to my recent note on women preachers. One respondent asks, “Would it not be appropriate to acknowledge the cultural context of Paul’s writing? Paul was writing in a time when it was culturally inappropriate to do as Paul said. However, in a cultural setting that would accept a woman’s wisdom and speaking ability, wouldn’t it be acceptable to allow a woman to preach? “I mean in 1 Corinthians 11 Paul says that it is disgraceful for a … Continue reading →

Is the Bible Revealed, Inspired, or Both?

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Is the Bible Revealed, Inspired, or Both? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, October 8, 2009 at 1:56pm A RECENT QUESTION: “I’m going through ‘The Holy Spirit’ with a church group right now. I realize that not all of the Word is given to us through special revelation. Would it be fair to say, however, that technically all of Scripture is revealed since revelation is both specific and general?” MY REPLY: First let me refer you to my book, “Power from on High: What the Bible Says About the Holy Spirit” (College Press, 2007, 506pp.), which has a long chapter … Continue reading →