Monthly Archives: March 2017

MUST ONE BELIEVE JESUS IS GOD IN ORDER TO BE SAVED?

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

QUESTION: Does true saving faith in Jesus Christ necessarily include believing that he is God in the flesh? Must one believe that Jesus is God in order to be saved? Can one deny his deity and still be saved? ANSWER: True saving faith is indeed faith in Jesus Christ. When the Philippian jailer asked of Paul and Silas, “’Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved’” (Acts 16:30-31, NASB). Jesus himself had already made this clear: “’Whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life…. He … Continue reading →

IS JESUS GOD?

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

QUESTION: Where in the Bible does it say that Jesus is God? ANSWER: Let’s be clear about what we mean by saying “Jesus is God.” This does not mean that Jesus of Nazareth and God are the exact same being. The eternal, infinite divine being who is the one true and living God has existed forever as the three persons of the Trinity. We know them as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit (see Matt. 28:19). The eternal God the Son, also known as the Logos (John 1:1), at a specific time in history entered … Continue reading →

CALVINISM IN A NUTSHELL

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

QUESTION: Can you give me a concise summary of what is meant by “Calvinism”? Also, can you tell us briefly why these teachings are erroneous? What Bible verses would show this? ANSWER: Okay, this is a challenge; but here I will identify the main doctrines of Calvinism, and identify the key Bible passages that refute them. ONE. The OMNICAUSAL SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD. In Calvinism, divine sovereignty means that God CAUSES everything, to the smallest detail. Whatever happens is simply the outworking of the DIVINE DECREE (essentially a nearly-infinite computer program or blueprint), defined as eternal, comprehensive, unconditional, and efficacious. The … Continue reading →

THOUGHTS ON PREACHING

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

QUESTION: I know you taught in a seminary classroom for nearly 50 years, but have you done much preaching over the years? If so, what have you learned about preaching that might help the rest of us? ANSWER: Actually I have been preaching for over 60 years. Since grade school my career ambition was to be a preacher; I enrolled in Bible College with that goal. I preached my first sermon when I was 18 years old, at Corinth Christian Church (referred to then as the Skullbuster church) in Scott County, Kentucky. My text was James 4:7-8, which gave me … Continue reading →

SIN-EATER — OR SIN-BEARER? A COMMUNION MEDITATION

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

SIN-EATER – OR SIN-BEARER? A Communion Meditation – Jack Cottrell QUESTION: Do you think it is acceptable for someone giving the communion meditation to just read or otherwise relate what someone else has written? ANSWER: Of course it is! That is why someone like me goes to the trouble of writing and publishing such meditations! In fact, here is one I just prepared and shared with my congregation recently: From time to time in modern fiction we see a character called the “sin-eater.” One story that many remember is a 1972 episode from “The Night Gallery” called “The Sins of … Continue reading →