Tag Archives: Cross

Should the Emblems of the Lord’s Supper Be Taken by Christians Only?

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Should the Emblems of the Lord’s Supper Be Taken by Christians Only? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Friday, April 2, 2010 at 10:09am QUESTION: Our small group has been discussing communion, and what it means when we partake of the Lord’s Supper each week. We were always taught that you do not partake of communion until you are a baptized believer. Does that come from Scripture or from tradition? Does “partaking in a worthy manner” (1 Cor. 11:27) mean that you must first be able to understand baptism and its meaning? ANSWER: I take it that your main question is … Continue reading →

Who Are the “Elect Angels” in 1 Timothy 5:21?

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Who Are the “Elect Angels” in 1 Timothy 5:21? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, March 10, 2010 at 2:55pm QUERY: Today I came across 1 Timothy 5:21, which refers to “the elect angels.” This seems to say that angels are elect. How does this tie in with elect humans in regards to Calvinism? Are there any verses that say that angels had/have free will and made their own decisions? ANSWER: We know relatively little about angels in general, but we do know that there is an invisible and a visible creation (Col. 1:16), which probably refer to this physical … Continue reading →

Were Old Testament Saints Truly Forgiven?

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Were Old Testament Saints Truly Forgiven? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, March 10, 2010 at 12:34pm QUESTION: I have heard it said that God could not truly forgive sins until Jesus died on the cross; therefore the Old Testament saints were in a real sense “put on hold” and were not actually forgiven and allowed into Paradise until after Jesus died. Until that time, according to this view, they were in a kind of neutral “holding pen,” or state of limbo called the “limbus patrem,” the “limbo of the fathers,” where (as one writer says) “the just of the … Continue reading →

Grace, Law, and the New Covenant

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Grace, Law, and the New Covenant by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, January 13, 2010 at 9:39pm QUESTION: What is the connection between the New Covenant and the “grace system,” to which you refer in your book, “Set Free! What the Bible Says About Grace” (pp. 50-51)? I have been taught by Restoration Movement teachers that grace is a New Covenant reality, i.e., that the New Covenant has replaced the Old Covenant with its legal requirements, and that we are now saved under the New Covenant by grace. In other words, to be under the New Covenant is synonymous with … Continue reading →

What Is the Trinity?

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What Is the Trinity? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Monday, January 11, 2010 at 6:48pm QUERY: I have a relative who is a Jehovah’s Witness. He accepts that Jesus is the son of God but denies that he (Jesus) is God. How would you explain the triune God? ANSWER: For details, see chapter 3 of my book, “What the Bible Says About God the Redeemer” (pp. 117-174). Here I will summarize a section of my book, “The Faith Once for All” (pp. 70-73): God is ONE, but he is also THREE. He is one and three at the same time. … Continue reading →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →