Divorce, Remarriage, and Church Offices

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Divorce, Remarriage, and Church Offices by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, December 2, 2009 at 12:48pm ANOTHER QUESTION ON DIVORCE: How does Scripture apply to a man who was married and divorced as a non-believer, then has married again as a believer? How this would apply to his qualifications for church leadership as defined in 1 Timothy 3:2, 12? MY ANSWER: If a man was BIBLICALLY divorced as a non-believer, then he was morally free to remarry (regardless of who was the guilty party), either before or after becoming a Christian. Thus his present marriage is the only legitimate and … Continue reading →

Divorce and Remarriage in Light of 1 Cor. 7:10-16

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Divorce and Remarriage in Light of 1 Cor. 7:10-16 by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, December 2, 2009 at 10:37am QUESTION: I am trying to help two believers who are in marriage counseling. She wants a divorce, but he does not. He wants to know what he is supposed to do if she divorces him. I told him that the Scripture that applies best to this situation is 1 Cor. 7:10-15. I suggested that even though she claims to be a believer, she is making a lifestyle choice that is contrary to God’s Word and therefore acting as if she … Continue reading →

Patriotic Songs in the Church?

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Patriotic Songs in the Church? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Friday, November 27, 2009 at 2:13pm HERE IS A RECENT REQUEST: I am wrestling with whether or not it is okay to sing patriotic songs during the church service. I personally do not want to sing anything doctrinally unsound. So far I find it difficult to find any patriotic song that is doctrinally correct. For instance, in “God Bless America,” I mainly have trouble with the pledging allegiance part: “Let us swear allegiance to a land that is free.” I can see the idea of the song being a prayer, … Continue reading →

“A Church That Fits”

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“A Church That Fits” by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Friday, November 27, 2009 at 12:51pm HERE’S A RECENT REQUEST: I’d like your comments on the following: “Find a church that fits. Do not go into Christ’s Church and expect to change it to fit you. People of faith need others of like faith to worship with in order to grow and seek a relationship with God. Find a church that fits, so together you can better seek God’s purpose for your life.” This was written in a church’s newsletter, and it has caused quite an uproar. MY REPLY: This statement … Continue reading →

Baptism and Calling upon His Name

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Baptism and Calling upon His Name by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Friday, November 27, 2009 at 10:54am QUESTION: Is it possible to correlate the Scripture that exhorts us to “call upon the name of the Lord” with 1 Peter 3:21, where Peter says that baptism is our “appeal” to God? In other words, is the exhortation to call upon the name of the Lord, in essence, baptism? MY REPLY: The closest thing to an exhortation to call upon the name of the Lord is Acts 22:16, where Ananias addresses the repentant Saul of Tarsus, “Now why do you delay? Get … Continue reading →

Can Satan Cast Out Satan?

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Can Satan Cast Out Satan? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Friday, November 27, 2009 at 9:24am A RECENT QUESTION: By what authority did those in Matthew 7:21-23 and Luke 9:49 apparently succeed in removing demons apart from Christ, if it is also true that “Satan cannot cast out Satan” as the Lord said? MY REPLY: In Matthew 7:22-23 Jesus says, “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never … Continue reading →

Is Baptism Essential for Salvation?

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Is Baptism Essential for Salvation? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, November 19, 2009 at 3:21pm A READER HAS ASKED the straightforward question, “Is baptism essential for salvation?” My straightforward (but qualified) answer is this: “Under normal circumstances, since the Day of Pentecost, YES.” In my book, “Baptism: A Biblical Study” (College Press, 2 ed., 2006) I have shown that the 12 NT texts that say anything at all about the purpose of baptism all testify to its saving significance. Water baptism is clearly described as the time or occasion during which God bestows salvation upon the one being baptized. … Continue reading →

God Hates the Sin AND the Sinner

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God Hates the Sin AND the Sinner by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, November 19, 2009 at 12:20pm A RECENT QUESTION: We have all heard the saying, “God loves the sinner but hates the sin.” But is that the whole story? Would it be fair to say, at least as far as the unbeliever is concerned, that God both loves the sinner and hates the sinner? MY REPLY: I have answered this question in my book, “What the Bible Says About God the Redeemer,” in the chapter on “The Holiness of God,” in the discussion of wrath. Here is the … Continue reading →

What About Tithing?

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What About Tithing? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, November 19, 2009 at 10:37am THE QUESTION: Does the Bible say anywhere that all of one’s tithe has to go to the local church, or can it go to other organizations? MY REPLY: First, I have some reservations about the view that the tithe is a requirement in this NT era (see below). But assuming for the sake of the question that the tithe is the standard, I will answer thus: nowhere does the NT say that all of our offering (10% or otherwise) must go to the local congregation. In … Continue reading →

More on the Christological Fallacy

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More on the Christological Fallacy by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, November 11, 2009 at 3:10pm I. HERE ARE REFERENCES to the Christological fallacy taken from my systematic theology, “The Faith Once for All.” The first is from the section on “The Normative Source for Theology” (pp. 24-25): The WHOLE Bible is our norm for theology, and not just the life and teachings of Jesus. It was never Jesus’ purpose simply to be a source and norm for truth, knowledge, ethics, or theology. The main purpose of Christ’s incarnation and work was to redeem mankind from sin through the atonement … Continue reading →