Tag Archives: Resurrection

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 →

IS FAITH A GIFT? CALVINISM VS. THE BIBLE

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IS FAITH A GIFT? CALVINISM VS. THE BIBLE by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, July 5, 2012 at 3:57pm QUESTION: In defense of his belief in total depravity and irresistible grace, my Calvinist friend quotes Biblical passages that seem to say that faith and repentance are sovereign gifts of God, e.g., 2 Tim. 2:25, which says that “God may perhaps grant them repentance.” How may we understand such passages? ANSWER: Calvinism teaches that all human beings (except Christ) are born totally depraved as a result of Adam’s sin. This means that no one has the free will to decide to … 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 →

IS CREMATION MORALLY PERMISSIBLE?

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IS CREMATION MORALLY PERMISSIBLE? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Wednesday, July 4, 2012 at 9:52am IS CREMATION MORALLY PERMISSIBLE? QUESTION: Is it wrong to cremate the body of a deceased person? Does this practice in some way violate the Christian belief in the resurrection of the dead? ANSWER: I have a book called “The History of American Funeral Directing,” written by Robert Habenstein and William Lamers (1955). On page 4 the authors point out the cultural diversity regarding the choice of methods of disposing of bodies: “Assume that we are confronted with the dead body of a man. What disposition … 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 →

HOW DID JESUS FULFILL THE LAW?

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HOW DID JESUS FULFILL THE LAW? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Friday, February 10, 2012 at 3:13pm QUESTION: In Matthew 5:17-18 Jesus says, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished” (ESV). It is not too difficult to see how Jesus fulfilled the prophecies of the Prophets, but how did He fulfill the Law? ANSWER: First … Continue reading →

IS REBAPTISM EVER NECESSARY?

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IS REBAPTISM EVER NECESSARY? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Tuesday, August 16, 2011 at 3:17pm QUESTION: Is it ever a good idea, or even necessary, for a person to be rebaptized, i.e., baptized a second time? ANSWER: My approach to this question assumes that sometimes what is considered to be a baptism is indeed a valid baptism, but sometimes it is not. If a person has been baptized once with a valid baptism, there will never be a need for rebaptism. This is true even if a baptized person has fallen from grace and has now decided to return to … Continue reading →

DEGREES OF REWARD IN HEAVEN

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DEGREES OF REWARD IN HEAVEN by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Tuesday, August 16, 2011 at 10:47am QUESTION: It seems clear that on the day of final judgment, all works (good and bad) of all people (saved and lost) will be brought up. But if we as Christians are justified by faith apart from a consideration of our works of obedience and disobedience to our law code (Rom. 3:28), and if, even in the moment of our death, we have assurance of our salvation, what then is the PURPOSE of having to face our sins on Judgment Day? ANSWER: Please refer … Continue reading →

Is Substitutionary Atonement a Calvinist Doctrine?

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Is Substitutionary Atonement a Calvinist Doctrine? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Monday, August 1, 2011 at 11:50am QUESTION: There are some who say that Jesus was in no way a substitute for our sins because this is Calvinism. I have your book, God the Redeemer, and have read your chapter dealing with the atonement. I believe that Jesus in some way “took our place” as in Gal. 3:13 (substitution does not have to be used), but I am not a Calvinist and would fight Calvinism rigorously. Can you offer any more help especially in locating materials that would support Jesus … Continue reading →

What Happens to Us When We Die?

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What Happens to Us When We Die? by Jack Cottrell (Notes) on Thursday, July 28, 2011 at 12:25pm QUESTION: What happens to us when we die? Do believers go directly to heaven at the moment of death? What is the relation between our death, on the one hand; and Christ’s second coming, the resurrection, and the final judgment, on the other hand? ANSWER: The answers to these questions require a lot more space than is available here. I have discussed them fully in my College Press books, The Faith Once for All (see the final chapters) and Bible Prophecy and … Continue reading →