Yearly Archives: 2012

HOMOSEXUALISM IN THE BIBLE

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HOMOSEXUALISM IN THE BIBLE by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Monday, June 11, 2012 at 1:31pm QUESTION: Can you summarize the Biblical data on homosexualism? ANSWER: The Bible is clear about God’s creation-intention for sexuality. The male-female, husband-wife sexual relationship is established in the creation (Gen. 1:27-28; 2:18-25) and is assumed everywhere else in Scripture. Jesus reaffirmed the divine plan in Matt. 19:4-6; Paul does the same in 1 Cor. 7:2. The Bible clearly teaches that homosexual behavior is sinful. (My practice is to refer to homosexual behavior, which is always sinful, as homosexualism. I refer to the homosexual condition as … Continue reading →

Are Biblically Divorced Persons Allowed To Remarry?

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Are Biblically Divorced Persons Allowed To Remarry? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Friday, June 8, 2012 at 10:29am QUESTION. I agree that the Bible permits divorce under certain circumstances, but it seems to me that it does not permit the divorced person to remarry. What do you think? ANSWER. I answered this question once, in a note from October 2010. I will answer it again here, and will include the material from Guy Duty’s book that was only mentioned in passing in the former note. For the sake of this question, we are assuming that there are two Biblical grounds … Continue reading →

Does Ephesians 1:1-11 Support Calvinism?

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Does Ephesians 1:1-11 Support Calvinism? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Friday, April 27, 2012 at 4:32pm QUESTION: Calvinists say that Ephesians 1:1-11 clearly establishes the absolute and all-inclusive sovereignty of God, including the unconditional predestination of the elect to salvation. How do you interpret this text? ANSWER: A right understanding of Ephesians 1:1-11 begins with the recognition that God’s purpose for Israel was from the beginning limited to preparing for the coming of the Messiah, namely, for the incarnation of God the Logos as the human person Jesus of Nazareth. Once the Messiah came, it was God’s eternal purpose to … Continue reading →

Does the Land of Canaan Belong to the Jews Forever?

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Does the Land of Canaan Belong to the Jews Forever? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, April 26, 2012 at 4:14pm QUESTION: How do you reconcile your view that national Israel (the Jewish nation) is no longer and never again will be the people of God, with the Old Testament promise that the land of Canaan (once known as Palestine, now known as Israel) will belong to the Jewish people FOREVER? ANSWER: You are referring to God’s promise to Abraham, first recorded in Genesis 12:7 and subsequently repeated to him and to the other patriarchs. In Gen. 12:7 God said … Continue reading →

How Can Unimmersed Persons Display the Fruit of the Spirit?

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How Can Unimmersed Persons Display the Fruit of the Spirit? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, April 18, 2012 at 8:52pm QUESTION: Is it possible for a person who does not have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to bear the fruit of the Spirit as named in Galatians 5:22-23? I know individuals who have not obeyed Acts 2:38, which connects receiving the indwelling Holy Spirit with baptism, and yet they seem to exhibit aspects of the Spirit’s fruit. How can we explain this? ANSWER: The reason for the frequent confusion on this issue is the false assumption that none … Continue reading →

In the Atonement, Did God the Father Suffer Along with the Son?

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In the Atonement, Did God the Father Suffer Along with the Son? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Friday, March 9, 2012 at 2:40pm QUESTION: We talk a lot about how Jesus suffered to accomplish atonement for our sins, but did not God the Father also share in this suffering? If Christ’s suffering was separation from the Father (Matthew 27:46 – “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”), did the Father not also experience the grief of this separation, this broken relationship? Thus it seems that not only did Christ pay for our sins, but so did the Father … Continue reading →

The Cross and the Resurrection

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The Cross and the Resurrection by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Friday, March 9, 2012 at 10:16am QUESTION: We talk a lot about Jesus’ death on the cross as the event that brings about our salvation from sin, but was not his resurrection from the dead just as important as the cross? Isn’t his resurrection part of the dying for the sins of the world? In his resurrection did he not take the keys of death and hell away from Satan? If there were no resurrection would we not still be in our sins? ANSWER: Without a doubt the resurrection of … Continue reading →

The Nature of Jesus’ Suffering in Our Place

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The Nature of Jesus’ Suffering in Our Place by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, March 8, 2012 at 4:08pm QUESTION: When Jesus took on Himself the sin of all humanity, His death was considered by God as appropriate and full payment. How is it that the penalty for sin, which is eternal Hell, was not eternal for Jesus? ANSWER: I have addressed this question in my book, What the Bible Says About God the Redeemer, pp. 434-435; and in my book, The Faith Once for All, pp. 267-268. (These are basically the same.) The basic issue is this: exactly what … Continue reading →

How Is Israel Related to the Church?

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How Is Israel Related to the Church? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, March 8, 2012 at 2:54pm HOW IS ISRAEL RELATED TO THE CHURCH? QUESTION: Does the nation of Israel still have a place in God’s plan, or has the church replaced Israel as “God’s people”? Is Bible prophecy being fulfilled by modern-day Israel? Will there be a mass conversion of all Jews sometime in the future, foreshadowing the second coming of Christ? ANSWER: These questions can be answered by looking at what Paul says about GOD’S TREE in Romans 11:13-26. In summary, around 4,000 years ago, God planted … Continue reading →

HOW DID JESUS FULFILL THE LAW?

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HOW DID JESUS FULFILL THE LAW? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Friday, February 10, 2012 at 3:13pm QUESTION: In Matthew 5:17-18 Jesus says, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished” (ESV). It is not too difficult to see how Jesus fulfilled the prophecies of the Prophets, but how did He fulfill the Law? ANSWER: First … Continue reading →