Tips for Preparing Lord’s Supper Meditations

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Tips for Preparing Lord’s Supper Meditations by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Saturday, December 26, 2009 at 4:55pm QUERY: Can you give some suggestions on how to prepare meditations for the Lord’s Supper? I hear many meditations that somehow do not seem to relate to the subject at hand. MY REPLY: It is important that the meditation have just ONE MAIN IDEA, and that this idea be related in some way to the CROSS or DEATH of Christ. It is also important that the meditation be brief (usually no more than four or five minutes). In preparing meditations, we must remember … Continue reading →

Thoughts on Judas’ Field

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Thoughts on Judas’ Field by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Saturday, December 26, 2009 at 4:01pm AN INQUIRER HAS ASKED about the field purchased with Judas’ thirty pieces of silver, and how to harmonize the data about it in Matthew 27:3-10 and Acts 1:18-19. The following is my reply. In Matthew, Judas tries to return the 30 pieces of silver which he was paid for betraying Jesus, but the priests (hypocritically) refused it. Judas threw the money into the sanctuary, and went and hanged himself (no details are given). The priests gathered up the money, which technically still belonged to Judas … Continue reading →

Is Multiculturalism Wrong?

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Is Multiculturalism Wrong? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, December 24, 2009 at 1:39pm A RECENT INQUIRY: I was surprised to see you include multiculturalism in the category of (possible) wicked precursors to the second coming of Jesus in your book, “The Faith Once for All,” p. 534. One of my professors teaches that multiculturalism is a matter of social justice and human dignity, as in the case of the civil rights movement. This sounds like a good thing. Why do you associate it with wickedness? MY REPLY: This question refers to my discussion of the “the nature of the … Continue reading →

Is It Wrong To Eat Blood (Acts 15:29)?

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Is It Wrong To Eat Blood (Acts 15:29)? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, December 16, 2009 at 1:54pm A RECENT QUESTION: Does Acts 15:28-29 forbid the eating of blood? In our culture cooked blood is one of our dishes and is very popular. What is the point here? REPLY: Acts 15:28-29 is part of the letter sent out to Gentile Christians by the Jerusalem council, for the purpose of reducing conflict between Gentile Christians and Christians from the Jewish background. These verses read, “For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you … Continue reading →

HOW Should One Study the Bible?

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HOW Should One Study the Bible? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Friday, December 11, 2009 at 4:31pm A FOLLOW-UP QUESTION: How can a Christian who has no formal training in Bible backgrounds and Bible languages get the most out of studying the Bible? An earlier note addressed the question of WHY study the Bible; now the question is, what are some practical suggestions on HOW to study the Bible? MY REPLY: We acknowledge that Bible study is not necessarily easy; that’s why it is called a “spiritual DISCIPLINE.” It takes discipline and effort to pursue it. Here are some suggestions … Continue reading →

Why Should a Christian Study the Bible?

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Why Should a Christian Study the Bible? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Friday, December 11, 2009 at 4:26pm QUESTION: Why should a Christian STUDY the Bible? ANSWER: Someone might say, “I read my Bible every day!” But is simply reading the Bible the same as Bible STUDY? Not necessarily. Bible study certainly involves careful reading of Scripture, but it is more. In Bible study we are not just reading the text of Scripture. We are also asking two basic questions about the text: (1) What does it mean? I.e., when the original writer (e.g., Moses, David, Matthew, or Paul) wrote … Continue reading →

Should Non-Members Participate in Our Church Activities?

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Should Non-Members Participate in Our Church Activities? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Friday, December 4, 2009 at 9:24am A RECENT REQUEST: Please give me your thoughts regarding individuals serving in the body (church) who have not understood and/or obeyed the Biblical Gospel. Do you think that such individuals should be singing and/or playing instruments (some being paid) during the traditional Sunday worship services – with the idea that this is a form of “service evangelism”? Should those that have not obeyed the gospel due to ignorance, reluctance and/or defiance serve alongside those that have followed the Biblical pattern? Please do … Continue reading →

Does Jesus Have “the Same Body” from Birth Throughout Eternity?

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Does Jesus Have “the Same Body” from Birth Throughout Eternity? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, December 3, 2009 at 10:45am AN INTERESTING QUERY: I was just reading a Christmas message by Leith Anderson, and I’m not completely sure about it. He says, “Never think that [Christ’s] body was only for the one generation from Bethlehem’s manger to Calvary’s cross. This was permanent. God became human forever. . . . It was the same body that ascended up into heaven and is there now. It is the same body that the Bible predicts, and Jesus promises, will come back to … Continue reading →

Fully God and Fully Man: The Incarnation and Philippians 2:5ff.

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Fully God and Fully Man: The Incarnation and Philippians 2:5ff. by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, December 2, 2009 at 9:10pm QUERY: We speak of the dual nature of Christ, i.e., His divinity and His Humanity; and how when He walked upon the earth, He was fully God and fully man. This raises the question of Philippians 2:6-7, which says that “although He existed in the form of God,” He “did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.” How can … Continue reading →

Must Deacons Have Children?

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Must Deacons Have Children? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, December 2, 2009 at 2:42pm A RECENT QUERY: I was recently nominated at my home church to serve as a Deacon. However, my wife and I have no children and we do not see any in the near future. But 1 Tim. 3:12 says, “Deacons must be husbands of only one wife, and good managers of their children and their own households.” Having no children of my own leaves me with a lack of life experience when dealing or ministering to other Christians with families. What should I do? Should … Continue reading →