Was Noah unconditionally predestined to salvation?

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Was Noah unconditionally predestined to salvation? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, October 14, 2009 at 2:54pm QUESTION: What is your perspective on the “election” of Noah as it relates to the Calvinism vs. Arminianism debate? According to the Arminian view it would seem that there was only one man (Noah) on the face of the earth with the faith for God to foreknow and choose for salvation. I suppose the Calvinist would say that God unconditionally chose one person from the mass of all people who were totally unable to come to faith. Both views seem to have serious … Continue reading →

WHY DO CHRISTIANS PRAY FOR FORGIVENESS?

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WHY DO CHRISTIANS PRAY FOR FORGIVENESS? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, October 14, 2009 at 8:37am SHOULD CHRISTIANS PRAY FOR FORGIVENESS? AN INQUIRER WRITES: “We are studying prayer in our small group. I remember a conversation that came up in one of our classes in Bible college. Since Jesus has already died for our sins, do we ask for forgiveness in a prayer, or do we simply just thank God for having already forgiven us of our sins? Do we make a request or just say ‘Thank you’?” MY REPLY: First, you would not say it this way: “Since … Continue reading →

Ananias and Sapphira: Saved or Lost?

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Ananias and Sapphira: Saved or Lost? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, October 8, 2009 at 7:37pm HERE’S AN INTERESTING QUESTION: “We are working through the book of Acts in our Sunday School class, and last week discussed Ananias and Sapphira. The question which hung a few of us was: ‘Did they go to heaven when they were struck dead?’ Most of us felt, assuming they were born again believers, they did. If all it took to banish a born again believer to Hell was sinning at the moment of death, Grace would seem less ‘graceful.’” MY REPLY: I vote … Continue reading →

“The Spirit’s Sword”: Resisting Temptation Through the Word

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“The Spirit’s Sword”: Resisting Temptation Through the Word by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, October 8, 2009 at 6:46pm THE SPIRIT’S SWORD Part of the “full armor of God” is “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph. 6:13, 17). An old hymn speaks of “overcoming daily with the Spirit’s sword.” The question here is this: how can we use the Word of God most effectively in our battle against temptation? For one thing, we must SEEK, KNOW, BELIEVE, and LOVE the truth of God’s Word. We know that when Jesus was tempted, he quoted Scripture … Continue reading →

Is 1 Tim. 2:12 a Concession to Culture?

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Is 1 Tim. 2:12 a Concession to Culture? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, October 8, 2009 at 3:05pm THIS IS A FOLLOW-UP to my recent note on women preachers. One respondent asks, “Would it not be appropriate to acknowledge the cultural context of Paul’s writing? Paul was writing in a time when it was culturally inappropriate to do as Paul said. However, in a cultural setting that would accept a woman’s wisdom and speaking ability, wouldn’t it be acceptable to allow a woman to preach? “I mean in 1 Corinthians 11 Paul says that it is disgraceful for a … Continue reading →

Is the Bible Revealed, Inspired, or Both?

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Is the Bible Revealed, Inspired, or Both? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, October 8, 2009 at 1:56pm A RECENT QUESTION: “I’m going through ‘The Holy Spirit’ with a church group right now. I realize that not all of the Word is given to us through special revelation. Would it be fair to say, however, that technically all of Scripture is revealed since revelation is both specific and general?” MY REPLY: First let me refer you to my book, “Power from on High: What the Bible Says About the Holy Spirit” (College Press, 2007, 506pp.), which has a long chapter … Continue reading →

Women Preachers

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Women Preachers by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, October 8, 2009 at 1:20pm A RECENT REQUEST: “I have a question about women preaching. I have always been taught that this is the man’s job. I guess what I do not understand is how some people feel so strongly one way about this issue, and others feel so strongly another way, but both feel that they are doing God’s will? Where do you draw the line?” MY REPLY: I draw the line where Paul draws it in 1 Timothy 2:12 – “But I do not allow a woman to teach or … Continue reading →

“Once Saved, Always Saved” & Luke 8:13

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“Once Saved, Always Saved” & Luke 8:13 by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, October 8, 2009 at 12:18pm A RECENT REQUEST: “I have been debating a Calvinist over necessary perseverance, and I was wondering your view on Luke 8:13. Do you believe this describes a true believer or a false believer? The Calvinist is arguing that Jesus shows that if someone falls away from the faith, they were never saved to begin with. He believes that his arguments for eternal security rise and fall based on the four soils of Jesus’ parable. If you could offer any advice or input, … Continue reading →

Is God Really Our Lord?

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Is God Really Our Lord? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Saturday, October 3, 2009 at 11:09am Here is a challenging quote from Kierkegaard that is making the rounds of the blogosphere: “The matter is quite simple. The Bible is very easy to understand. But we Christians are a bunch of scheming swindlers. We pretend to be unable to understand it because we know very well that the minute we understand we are obliged to act accordingly. Take any words in the New Testament and forget everything except pledging yourself to act accordingly. My God, you will say, if I do … Continue reading →