Tag: Questions

The commandment in Exodus 20:8-11 states that the seventh day of the week, Saturday, is the day which the Lord selected as the day of rest and worship. However, in the New Testament the Christian church began to worship and rest on the first day of the week, Sunday. Are Christians violating the Sabb...

Jesus is well known for His continued emphasis on love, forgiveness, and "turning the other cheek." It is therefore surprising to find Jesus advising the disciples to buy a sword in Luke 22:36: "But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and ...

Martin Luther had a number of ideas for things that people could do at home to teach the catechism to their children. He certainly didn’t invent the wreath itself, because that goes back to ancient Roman times, and probably even earlier. People used wreaths as an Advent decoration long before Luther...

In John 14:12 Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father." Does this mean you and I can do even more amazing miracles than Jesus performed while He was on earth. No way! In ...

In Luke 22:31-32, Jesus said to the disciple Peter: "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers." As a backdrop to understanding this passage, wheat in ancient times was s...

These are my personal suggestions for Protestant ministers whose denominations don’t give them guidance on what to wear while they conduct worship. I am following the general ecumenical practice in the United States. Presbyterians can use these suggestions; however, if they wish to wear the distinct...

These instructions are for clergy only. If you are a lay person, talk to your pastor. Acquiring, Consecrating, and Storing the Oil Check with your judicatory to find out the proper procedure for obtaining oil, the type of oil that you must use, whether or not you are authorized to consecreate it, th...

Scripture is clear that one of the ministries of the Holy Spirit is to illumine the minds of Christians so they can understand Scripture (1 Corinthians 2:13-14). This being the case, why do spirit-filled Christians sometimes have different understandings as to what certain Bible verses mean? In answ...

In Luke 18:18-23 Jesus answered the question, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" by telling the rich young ruler to keep the commandments (v. 20). Does this statement support the idea of salvation by grace plus works? No. There is no evidence here or elsewhere that Jesus taught that good work...

It is customary to cross oneself when invoking the Trinity, before and after prayer, and at other times, which you can learn by observing other people in your church. You can also cross yourself when you need to pray but you are at a loss for words. If you are a Protestant, don’t get all huffy and s...

In 1 Corinthians 10:14 we read, "Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry." The Jehovah's Witnesses argue that the command against idolatry in this verse represents a command not to wear a cross. To wear a cross, they say, is a form of idolatry. It is certainly true that Christians must avoid ...

I believe they did. Let us consider the apostle Paul as an example. In 1 Corinthians 2:13 the apostle Paul said he spoke "not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words." In this passage, Paul (who wrote a huge portion of the ...