Tag Archives: Faith Once for All

CAN ONE BE “SPIRITUALLY ALIVE” WITHOUT BAPTISM? (PART ONE)

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CAN ONE BE “SPIRITUALLY ALIVE” WITHOUT BAPTISM? (PART ONE) by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, April 18, 2013 at 8:47am QUESTION: When I was a young adult I learned that baptism was important for my salvation, so I was immersed. My problem is that this did not seem to result in the death to sin and rebirth to new spiritual life described in Romans 6:1-4 and Colossians 2:12 as happening in baptism. At another time, however, quite separate from my baptism, I went through a particularly strong life event when I did die to self and begin to live for … Continue reading →

ARE WE BORN SINNERS?

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ARE WE BORN SINNERS? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, October 31, 2012 at 7:08pm QUESTION: Are we human beings born sinners? What effect, if any, did the sin of Adam and Eve have on all their offspring? Did it affect our ability to choose whether or not to sin? ANSWER: This question is about the doctrine of original sin, which in one form or another is held by a large portion of Christendom. This doctrine says that Adam’s sin did indeed affect all of his descendants in serious ways. As early as the third century Christian writers began to … Continue reading →

WHAT HAPPENED TO OLD TESTAMENT SAINTS WHEN THEY DIED?

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WHAT HAPPENED TO OLD TESTAMENT SAINTS WHEN THEY DIED? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, October 31, 2012 at 2:02pm QUESTION: I know that we Christians go to Paradise to be with Jesus when die. But what about OT saints? What happened to them when they died? Did they go to Paradise? How could they, since Christ had not yet died for their sins? What does the Bible say? ANSWER: I answered a similar question a couple of years ago, but I will do it here again and include a couple of extra thoughts. A common idea has existed in … Continue reading →

WHAT HAPPENED TO OLD TESTAMENT SAINTS WHEN THEY DIED?

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WHAT HAPPENED TO OLD TESTAMENT SAINTS WHEN THEY DIED? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, October 31, 2012 at 1:55pm QUESTION: I know that we Christians go to Paradise to be with Jesus when die. But what about OT saints? What happened to them when they died? Did they go to Paradise? How could they, since Christ had not yet died for their sins? What does the Bible say? ANSWER: I answered a similar question a couple of years ago, but I will do it here again and include a couple of extra thoughts. A common idea has existed in … Continue reading →

WHAT HAPPENED TO OLD TESTAMENT SAINTS WHEN THEY DIED?

Jack Cottrell Posted on by

WHAT HAPPENED TO OLD TESTAMENT SAINTS WHEN THEY DIED? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, October 31, 2012 at 1:52pm QUESTION: I know that we Christians go to Paradise to be with Jesus when die. But what about OT saints? What happened to them when they died? Did they go to Paradise? How could they, since Christ had not yet died for their sins? What does the Bible say? ANSWER: I answered a similar question a couple of years ago, but I will do it here again and include a couple of extra thoughts. A common idea has existed in … Continue reading →

WHAT IS CENTRAL TO OUR LIVES?

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WHAT IS CENTRAL TO OUR LIVES? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Tuesday, September 11, 2012 at 10:56am QUESTION: In my understanding and in my experience as a Christian, Jesus is the center of everything we do. Yet in your note about Jesus and the Biblical world view, you say Jesus is not the center. How can this be? ANSWER: Several of my readers were confused and/or upset by my Facebook note on how Jesus relates to the Biblical world view. They were disturbed that I said that God’s work of creation is the fundamental, foundational, central element of our world … Continue reading →

WAS IT POSSIBLE FOR JESUS TO SIN?

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WAS IT POSSIBLE FOR JESUS TO SIN? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, July 19, 2012 at 9:13am QUESTION: In a book I read recently, the author says that since Jesus was God in the flesh he was incapable of sinning. Obviously, Jesus was really tempted by Satan. Doesn’t this mean that he was actually capable of sinning? What are the implications for the Godhead had he sinned? ANSWER: In answer to this question, I am reprinting below a section called “The Sinlessness of Jesus,” from chapter 13 of my book, The Faith Once for All, (pp. 228-229). Scripture testifies … Continue reading →

HADES: WHAT IS IT?

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HADES: WHAT IS IT? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, July 4, 2012 at 3:14pm QUESTION: I have seen the word “Hades” in the New Testament several times, but I am not sure what that means. Can you explain it? ANSWER: I can try. First, the OT equivalent to Hades is Sheol, which appears about 65 times in OT writings. The Greek OT (the Septuagint) translates this word with Hades almost every time. The NT then uses Hades ten times (or 11 if 1 Cor. 15:55 is counted). The main thing to remember is that these words are always connected … Continue reading →

The Cross and the Resurrection

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The Cross and the Resurrection by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Friday, March 9, 2012 at 10:16am QUESTION: We talk a lot about Jesus’ death on the cross as the event that brings about our salvation from sin, but was not his resurrection from the dead just as important as the cross? Isn’t his resurrection part of the dying for the sins of the world? In his resurrection did he not take the keys of death and hell away from Satan? If there were no resurrection would we not still be in our sins? ANSWER: Without a doubt the resurrection of … Continue reading →

The Nature of Jesus’ Suffering in Our Place

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The Nature of Jesus’ Suffering in Our Place by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, March 8, 2012 at 4:08pm QUESTION: When Jesus took on Himself the sin of all humanity, His death was considered by God as appropriate and full payment. How is it that the penalty for sin, which is eternal Hell, was not eternal for Jesus? ANSWER: I have addressed this question in my book, What the Bible Says About God the Redeemer, pp. 434-435; and in my book, The Faith Once for All, pp. 267-268. (These are basically the same.) The basic issue is this: exactly what … Continue reading →