Tag Archives: Original sin

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 →

Is Infant Immersion a Valid Baptism?

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Is Infant Immersion a Valid Baptism? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, January 7, 2010 at 5:00pm A SERIOUS QUERY: In our congregation we accepted a member by transfer upon his testimony that he had been previously immersed. We have only recently discovered that he was indeed immersed, but as an infant in a Greek Orthodox church. He assumed that this was sufficient; and no one is questioning the genuineness of his faith or his salvation, because he is certainly displaying the fruit of the Spirit. But now that we have the facts, we are not sure what to do. … Continue reading →

Can a Person Display the FRUIT of the Spirit without the INDWELLING of the Spirit?

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Can a Person Display the FRUIT of the Spirit without the INDWELLING of the Spirit? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, January 7, 2010 at 4:54pm QUESTION: I have seen a good many unimmersed persons living pious lives and apparently displaying the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23). How can a person produce the fruit of the Spirit without being baptized and receiving the indwelling of the Spirit? MY REPLY: I have addressed this issue in my book, “Power from on High: What the Bible Says About the Holy Spirit” (College Press, 2007, pp. 374-375). The following is quoted from … Continue reading →

Two Questions about Free Will

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Two Questions about Free Will by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Sunday, December 27, 2009 at 2:22pm TWO RELATED QUESTIONS: One reader has asked whether those who are saved still have free will in heaven. Another has asked a related question: how could Jesus be fully human and not be able to choose to sin? (This latter question assumes that Jesus could not sin, a view that I espouse.) MY REPLY: The common assumption of these two questions is that a certain kind of free will is part of the essence of humanness. The free will assumed here is the ability … Continue reading →

My Book about the Ten Commandments

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My Book about the Ten Commandments by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Saturday, December 26, 2009 at 5:23pm So far in my lifetime God has enabled me to write 20 books (“Set Free! What the Bible Says About Grace” being the last one). My first book was a small one (95 pp.), published by Standard Publishing in 1973, on the subject of the Ten Commandments. Its title was “His Way.” It is no longer in print in English, though it is published in the Polish and Spanish languages. About two years ago (Jan. 2008), on the occasion of a reprint edition … 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 →

Why Should a Christian Study the Bible?

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Why Should a Christian Study the Bible? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Friday, December 11, 2009 at 4:26pm QUESTION: Why should a Christian STUDY the Bible? ANSWER: Someone might say, “I read my Bible every day!” But is simply reading the Bible the same as Bible STUDY? Not necessarily. Bible study certainly involves careful reading of Scripture, but it is more. In Bible study we are not just reading the text of Scripture. We are also asking two basic questions about the text: (1) What does it mean? I.e., when the original writer (e.g., Moses, David, Matthew, or Paul) wrote … 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 →

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 →