Monthly Archives: October 2010

More on Remarriage after a Non-Biblical Divorce

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More on Remarriage after a Non-Biblical Divorce by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Friday, October 15, 2010 at 2:10pm QUESTION: You have said that in a new marriage after a non-Biblical divorce, the new spouses initially commit the sin of adultery, but that this is not an on-going sin. The new marriage is a valid marriage, and the husband and wife are not “living in adultery,” even though Matt. 19:9 uses the present tense for “commits adultery.” Therefore this marriage should not be broken up so that this couple may attempt to return to their original spouses. But does not the … Continue reading →

The Preterist View of Christ’s Second Coming

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The Preterist View of Christ’s Second Coming by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, October 13, 2010 at 8:48am QUESTION: Can you give a brief evaluation of the view of the end times known as preterism? ANSWER: Preterism is a particular approach to prophecy concerning the end times. Some preterist views are more moderate than the more popular one, which I will discuss here. The following material is mostly from my book, “The Faith Once for All,” pp. 541-543. The prefix “preter-” means “beyond,” and in a grammatical context it refers to the past, as in “past tense.” In eschatology “preterism” … Continue reading →

When Was Satan Created?

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When Was Satan Created? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Friday, October 8, 2010 at 12:48pm QUESTION: When do you think Satan was created? Some say that since God created ALL things within the six days of creation described in Genesis 1, this means that all angelic beings must have been created within this time frame, probably on the sixth day. Is there any basis for this idea? ANSWER: The answer, of course, depends on who Satan, demons, and angelic beings in general are. As to his identity, the first point to emphasize is that Satan is indeed a created being, … Continue reading →

Can the Guilty Party Remarry after a Divorce?

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Can the Guilty Party Remarry after a Divorce? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Friday, October 8, 2010 at 11:02am QUESTION: In a Christian marriage which dissolves due to marital unfaithfulness, is the guilty party not allowed to remarry? And would this be the case even if the guilty party under the leadership of the elders tried everything possible to save the marriage? In view of 1 Cor. 7:9, would remarriage in such a case—even if it is a sin—be the “lesser of two evils”? ANSWER: First, let’s get this straight: 1 Cor. 7:9 does not apply to this issue in … Continue reading →

Divorce and Church Leadership

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Divorce and Church Leadership by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Friday, October 8, 2010 at 8:58am QUESTION: What is the meaning of the expression, “one-woman man” (“mias gunaikos andra”), as it applies to elders and deacons, in 1 Timothy 3:2, 12 and Titus 1:6? This phrase is often translated, “the husband of one wife.” Does it mean that a divorced man can never hold one of these church offices? ANSWER: There are several different views of this phrase. Some have said that it simply requires than an elder be married. (I will speak only of elders, understanding that the phrase is … Continue reading →

Is Genesis One a Poem?

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Is Genesis One a Poem? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, October 7, 2010 at 3:13pm QUESTION: I showed a video by Rob Bell to my youth group. In the video Bell says that Genesis 1 is a poem written to set up the Sabbath. Some parents objected to my showing the video. They assume that since Bell says Genesis 1 is a poem, he must be saying that it is not an actual historical account of creation. What do you think? Could this crucial passage be poetry? And if it is, how does this affect our interpretation of it? … Continue reading →

Salvation and “the Church of Christ”

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Salvation and “the Church of Christ” by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Friday, October 1, 2010 at 10:12am QUESTION: Is it true that only members of the Church of Christ will be saved? ANSWER: The answer to this question depends on what is meant by “the Church of Christ.” To clarify what I mean, I will first distinguish between the “church universal” and local congregations. The church universal is the worldwide body of Christ, the total number of people who are under the saving blood of Jesus. Paul often uses the word “church” in this sense, especially in Ephesians 5:22-32. Here … Continue reading →