Tag Archives: Trinity

HOW CAN JESUS BE AMAZED?

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HOW CAN JESUS BE AMAZED? JACK COTTRELL, APRIL 2019         QUESTION:  My King James Version says in Mark 14:33 that when Jesus entered the Garden of Gethsemane the night before His death, He “began to be sore amazed.”  My 1901 American Standard Version likewise says He “began to be greatly amazed, and sore troubled.”  How could Jesus, who is God the Logos as well as a human being, be AMAZED?  Does not God foreknow everything?  How could anything “amaze” Jesus?        ANSWER:  This is indeed an interesting question.  Mark is the only Gospel writer who puts it this way, but … Continue reading →

“YAHWEH IS HIS NAME” — Exodus 15:3

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“YAHWEH IS HIS NAME” – Exodus 15:3 A sermon by Jack Cottrell – CRA Bible Conference – Kissimmee FL – January 2018 INTRODUCTION. A. In most Old Testament translations, when you see God referred to as “the LORD” (with LORD all capitals), in the original Hebrew this is actually the divine name YAHWEH (which used to be pronounced “Jehovah”). What does “Yahweh” mean? (It does NOT mean “Lord.”) B. Where can we go to find the meaning of Yahweh? We find it in EXODUS 3:1-18. [READ] C. But then a puzzling statement appears in Exod. 6:2-3 – “God spoke further … Continue reading →

THE HOLY SPIRIT’S ROLE IN CHRIST’S SUFFERING

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THE HOLY SPIRIT’S ROLE IN CHRIST’S SUFFERING A Communion Meditation by Jack Cottrell In my previous meditation I pointed out that Jesus the SON of God was not the only one suffering at the cross. God the FATHER was also suffering, but in a different way. Jesus as the Son of God was the one who was actually suffering the infinite wrath of God in our place, making our salvation possible. But it was God the Father who, with feelings of deepest agony, was responsible for pouring out that wrath upon his own Son (Rom. 8:32). But here we shall … Continue reading →

SUFFERING AT THE CROSS

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SUFFERING AT THE CROSS — A Communion Meditation Jack Cottrell – Greendale First Church of Christ – October 2017 [Author’s note: I gave this meditation on the same Sunday when I preached a sermon dealing in part with the subject of the Trinity. In the sermon I was pointing out that it was necessary to reveal the fact that God is a Trinity of persons at the beginning of this New Covenant age, because that was the time when God was carrying out the mighty works of redemption (incarnation, atonement, resurrection, ascension, outpouring of the Holy Spirit). The necessity for … Continue reading →

Reconciling Prophecies About John the Baptist

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RECONCILING PROPHECIES ABOUT JOHN THE BAPTIST Jack Cottrell – June 2017 QUESTION: There seem to be some discrepancies between the two OT prophecies about John the Baptist (Isaiah 40:3 and Malachi 3:1), and Mark’s citation of them in Mark 1:2-3. Can you shed some light on this? ANSWER: The texts in view here are as follows (ESV translation): Isaiah 40:3 – A voice cries; “In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” Malachi 3:1 – “Behold I send my messenger and he will prepare the way before me. And … Continue reading →

MUST ONE BELIEVE JESUS IS GOD IN ORDER TO BE SAVED?

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QUESTION: Does true saving faith in Jesus Christ necessarily include believing that he is God in the flesh? Must one believe that Jesus is God in order to be saved? Can one deny his deity and still be saved? ANSWER: True saving faith is indeed faith in Jesus Christ. When the Philippian jailer asked of Paul and Silas, “’Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved’” (Acts 16:30-31, NASB). Jesus himself had already made this clear: “’Whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life…. He … Continue reading →

IS JESUS GOD?

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QUESTION: Where in the Bible does it say that Jesus is God? ANSWER: Let’s be clear about what we mean by saying “Jesus is God.” This does not mean that Jesus of Nazareth and God are the exact same being. The eternal, infinite divine being who is the one true and living God has existed forever as the three persons of the Trinity. We know them as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit (see Matt. 28:19). The eternal God the Son, also known as the Logos (John 1:1), at a specific time in history entered … Continue reading →

Do Muslims and Christians Worship the Same God?

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DO MUSLIMS & CHRISTIANS WORSHIP THE SAME GOD? JACK COTTRELL (composed NOVEMBER 14, 2015) Islam is the world’s second largest religion, with around two billion adherents. This is nearly one-fourth of the world’s population. Fifty countries are mostly Muslim. Europe has around 50 million Muslims, and the USA around 7 million. These numbers are increasing rapidly. But isn’t that a good thing? Aren’t Muslims a religious people, and isn’t Islam similar to Christianity? Don’t we both trace our faith back to the Old Testament, to Abraham? Don’t Christians and Muslims worship the same God? In 2007 George W. Bush said, … Continue reading →

IN WHAT SENSE IS JESUS ETERNAL?

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QUESTION. What does the Bible teach about the eternality of Jesus, and especially his eternal sonship? ANSWER. In answering this question it is necessary to remember that Jesus had (has) TWO natures; he is fully human and fully divine. His divine nature is the Logos, the second person of the Trinity (as we think of him). His human nature is the man Jesus of Nazareth. These two natures are combined into one person with one center of consciousness and one will. Here I will make three points, taking material mostly from chapter 13 (“The Person of Christ”) in my book, … Continue reading →

Saved by Grace #8 — SAVED BY GRACE, SAVED IN BAPTISM

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We are now ready to explain how baptism and grace are related. First, I will state several basic principles to keep in mind when studying baptism. (A) Every doctrine, including baptism, is based on Scripture first, not on experience. (B) We cannot draw our conclusions about the meaning of baptism from non-Biblical sources, such as the Latin word sacramentum (which often meant “oath, pledge, covenant”). (C) Christian baptism began on the Day of Pentecost. Thus we must not try to base our understanding of it on pre-Pentecostal practices, such as OT circumcision or John’s baptism. (D) There is only ONE … Continue reading →