Monthly Archives: October 2009

Women Preachers

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Women Preachers by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, October 8, 2009 at 1:20pm A RECENT REQUEST: “I have a question about women preaching. I have always been taught that this is the man’s job. I guess what I do not understand is how some people feel so strongly one way about this issue, and others feel so strongly another way, but both feel that they are doing God’s will? Where do you draw the line?” MY REPLY: I draw the line where Paul draws it in 1 Timothy 2:12 – “But I do not allow a woman to teach or … Continue reading →

“Once Saved, Always Saved” & Luke 8:13

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“Once Saved, Always Saved” & Luke 8:13 by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, October 8, 2009 at 12:18pm A RECENT REQUEST: “I have been debating a Calvinist over necessary perseverance, and I was wondering your view on Luke 8:13. Do you believe this describes a true believer or a false believer? The Calvinist is arguing that Jesus shows that if someone falls away from the faith, they were never saved to begin with. He believes that his arguments for eternal security rise and fall based on the four soils of Jesus’ parable. If you could offer any advice or input, … Continue reading →

Is God Really Our Lord?

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Is God Really Our Lord? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Saturday, October 3, 2009 at 11:09am Here is a challenging quote from Kierkegaard that is making the rounds of the blogosphere: “The matter is quite simple. The Bible is very easy to understand. But we Christians are a bunch of scheming swindlers. We pretend to be unable to understand it because we know very well that the minute we understand we are obliged to act accordingly. Take any words in the New Testament and forget everything except pledging yourself to act accordingly. My God, you will say, if I do … Continue reading →

Depravity: Total, Partial, or None at All?

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Depravity: Total, Partial, or None at All? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Friday, October 2, 2009 at 1:26pm A QUESTIONER ASKS, what Scriptures disqualify (I take this to mean disprove) Total Depravity in human beings? And if Total Depravity is ruled out, does that mean we are PARTIALLY depraved? MY REPLY: Depravity as such has to do with the sinfulness of our human nature, i.e., having a nature that has been infected with sin like the body can be infected with disease. It means having a sinful, evil, spiritually diseased or dead nature. The first issue is WHETHER a sinner’s … Continue reading →

The Difference between the Authority & the Applicability of Scripture (2 Tim. 3:16)

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The Difference between the Authority & the Applicability of Scripture (2 Tim. 3:16) by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Friday, October 2, 2009 at 9:43am ONE OF MY READERS sent the following (edited) query: In your book, “Set Free: What the Bible Says About Grace,” you say that Paul’s assertion that “we are not under law but under grace” (Rom. 6:14-15) means that we are not under the law SYSTEM of salvation. It does NOT mean, however, that we are no longer under a law CODE, i.e., a list of commandments we are obligated to obey. You say that everyone is … Continue reading →