Tag Archives: Jesus

WAS JESUS OMNISCIENT?

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QUESTION: Did Jesus’ divine nature include omniscience? Was Jesus all-knowing? If so, how do we explain Matthew 24:36? ANSWER: Many crucial Christian beliefs are involved in the answer to such questions, e.g., the immutability (unchangeableness) of God, the nature of the incarnation, and especially the divine nature of Jesus, which is the presupposition for the substitutionary atonement. Unless Jesus was fully divine and thus infinite in nature, He could not have been the propitiation for our sins, suffering the equivalent of eternity in hell for the entire human race in the finite event of the cross. (See my book, What … Continue reading →

WAS MARY MARRIED WHEN JESUS WAS BORN?

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WAS MARY MARRIED WHEN JESUS WAS BORN? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Sunday, December 25, 2011 at 3:11pm QUESTION: Luke 2:5 says that when Mary and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem where Jesus was born, Mary was only “engaged” or “betrothed” to Joseph. Does this mean Jesus was born to an unwed mother? ANSWER: Some think we cannot really answer this question for sure, but there are considerations that lead us to conclude that Mary and Joseph were indeed married when Jesus was born. One problem is the meaning of the Greek word (verb) used in this verse, i.e., mnēsteuō, which … Continue reading →

Did Jesus’ Power To Work Miracles Come from the Holy Spirit?

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Did Jesus’ Power To Work Miracles Come from the Holy Spirit? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, April 14, 2011 at 10:13am QUESTION: I have a question about Jesus’ ability to perform miraculous deeds. Do you think that He had this ability of His own accord, or did He need the Spirit’s empowerment to be able to do such things while on earth? Is this a “false choice” question? I know that Jesus surrendered some of His divine prerogatives (Phil. 2:5ff.), but He certainly didn’t cease being God. While on earth, though, did He need the Spirit’s empowerment to do … Continue reading →

Why Was Jesus Filled with the Holy Spirit?

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Why Was Jesus Filled with the Holy Spirit? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, July 1, 2010 at 2:55pm QUESTION: Why was Jesus filled with the Holy Spirit (Luke 3:22; 4:18; John 3:34)? Is it possible that Jesus received the Holy Spirit at His baptism in much the same way WE receive the Holy Spirit at our baptism (Acts 2:38), for the same reason? ANSWER: The relation between Jesus and the Holy Spirit is an interesting but somewhat elusive subject. I have discussed it in quite some detail in my book, “Power from on High: What the Bible Says About … Continue reading →

Did Jesus Go to Hell To Pay for Our Sins?

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Did Jesus Go to Hell To Pay for Our Sins? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, May 26, 2010 at 3:37pm QUESTION: Recently I heard a man say, “Jesus went to hell so you wouldn’t have to.” Where does this idea come from? Didn’t Jesus imply that he was going to Paradise when he died (Luke 23:43)? Does it not border on blasphemy to say that Jesus went to hell to pay for our sins? His atoning blood is what paid for our sins, not His suffering three days in hell “so we wouldn’t have to.” Have you heard of … Continue reading →

Does Col. 1:15 Say That Jesus Is a Created Being?

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Does Colossians 1:15 Say That Jesus Is a Created Being? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, January 28, 2010 at 3:10pm QUESTION: Do NT references to Jesus as “firstborn” (e.g., Colossians 1:15) and “begotten” (e.g., Heb. 5:5) imply that he is a created being? ANSWER: It is true that the human aspect of Jesus of Nazareth, and thus the human being, Jesus of Nazareth, had his beginning (came into existence for the first time) in the womb of Mary when the angel’s promise in Luke 1:35 was fulfilled. In that same moment the divine aspect of Jesus, namely, the second … Continue reading →

What is the Age of Accountability?

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What is the Age of Accountability? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Saturday, October 31, 2009 at 12:21pm QUERY: How can we tell when a child reaches the “age of accountability”? ANSWER: The word “accountability” raises two questions: a) Accountable FOR WHAT? and, b) Accountable TO WHOM? The obvious answers are: accountable FOR SIN, and accountable TO GOD. Thus the age of accountability is that point when a child comes to the understanding that he or she is a sinner before God and faces the penalty of eternal punishment. The key word is “understanding.” For there to be sin, four things … Continue reading →

The Wonders of Christmas: 1 Timothy 1:15

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The Wonders of Christmas: 1 Timothy 1:15 by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Friday, October 16, 2009 at 9:58am [This note sheds some light on a previous note, “Can Christians Be Called Sinners?” Also, this note is not addressing any specific issue. It is just a Christmas devotional thought. It also works as a sermon outline!”] THE WONDERS OF CHRISTMAS: 1 TIMOTHY 1:15 To children,Christmas abounds with wonders. How can reindeer fly? How does Santa know if they’ve been good or bad? How can he visit the whole world in one day? How can a fat man come down skinny chimneys? … Continue reading →

Why Demonic Works in a Christian Context?

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Why Demonic Works in a Christian Context? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, October 15, 2009 at 10:35am A SERIOUS QUESTION (edited), asked in a good spirit: “At the end of chapter 15 in “The Faith Once for All” you affirm that miraculous gifts from the Holy Spirit were temporary and are not being given today. What most concerns me is your statement that miraculous or supernatural phenomena today, which many take to be miraculous gifts from the Holy Spirit, actually are demonic in origin. It also concerns me that during the Cane Ridge meetings 1000’s of people had wonderful … Continue reading →

Martin Luther on Immersion

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Martin Luther on Immersion by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, September 30, 2009 at 8:43am A RECENT QUESTION: Was Martin Luther himself immersed? The question came up at church yesterday in a discussion about Martin Luther’s high view of baptism. MY REPLY: I do not know the answer to your question. I do know that Luther strongly defended the practice of immersion. E.g., in his treatise, “The Babylonian Captivity of the Church,” printed in “Three Treatises” (Fortress 1960), he says, “The second part of baptism is the sign, or sacrament, which is that immersion in water from which it derives … Continue reading →