Questions and Answers
In recent years, we have seen a spate of allegations and revelations We may recall that in the America’s first The Dutch theologian Before addressing 1 Corinthians 11:1-2, we need to give a brief Many Actually, Christ spoke at least twice about the body attracting eagles. His words are recorded in Matthew 24:28 and in Luke 17:37. In both cases, He spoke about His return to this earth. However, we might note a few distinctions, as we look at His statements more carefully. Let us review His sayings one at a time. In Matthew 24:26-28, Christ says: “‘Therefore if they say to you, “Look, He is in the desert!” do not go out; or “Look, He is in the inner rooms!” do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.'” The Greek word for “carcass” is, “ptoma,” which “denotes, lit. a fall (akin to pipto, to fall); hence, that which is fallen, a corpse” (W. E. Vine, Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words). The Nelson Study Bible comments to Matthew 24:28: “This sweeping statement conveys an image of the horrible carnage that will take place in the judgment at the coming of the Son of Man.” The Broadman Bible Commentary offers a similar explanation for Matthew 24:28. It says: “When the Son of Man comes at the end of the age there will be no… As a general rule of understanding, there is a difference between teaching and preaching in Church–preaching can be, and often is more of a corrective nature. Preaching, in that sense, should be left to the ministry, whereas non-ordained men can of course teach during Church services, if asked by the ministry to do so. We should also note that the task of “preaching” includes proclaiming the gospel or good news to the world. The responsibility of preaching the gospel in all the world is reserved for the ministry or to be undertaken under the direction, guidance or supervision of the ministry. Matthew 28:19-20 points out that the Church is to first “go… and make disciples of all nations (verse 19).” This summarizes the Church’s responsibility of preaching the gospel in all the world (Romans 10:14-17), including the need of repentance, faith and baptism. Before a person is to be baptized, he or she must repent of his or her sins and accept, in faith, the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins (Acts 2:36-38). The Church’s ministry will baptize those who respond correctly to the preaching of the gospel (Mark 16:15-16; compare Luke 24:46-47). At the time… It is true that the Bible teaches that the roles of men and women in Christ In order to fully comprehend what Paul is referring to with his Most Proverbs 22:6 has caused many righteous parents, over the years, to However, a First of all, let us briefly rehearse a few Samuel was a righteous prophet of God. But his sons did not walk in God’s ways (1 Samuel… The word Zion first appears in the Bible as the name of the ancient The hill upon which Solomon built the Tracing the The short answer is, No. We read in 1 Corinthians 6:18 that we are Regarding this last passage, the Ryrie We must be very careful that we don’t fall into the trap of trying “My He fell into the trap of “cherry picking” The problem with theDoes it matter what a political leader does in private as long as he does his "public" job effectively?
about the behavior of certain leading political figures and other high
profile leaders, both in the UK and the USA, as well as in Western
Europe. While this is not a new phenomenon, public attitudes seem to
have changed to a more liberal and tolerant, if not accepting approach.
This is because of moral and ethical barriers being lowered as society
adopts a much more permissive attitude.
US presidential election in the late 1990’s, the public re-elected
their President in spite of his behavior. As long as the President gave
the American people a good standard of living it didn’t matter, as one
commentator put it, “what happened after dark.”
President, George Washington, wrote a letter in 1790 to his nephew. He
said that “ a good moral character was essential in a man.”
But today’s prevailing attitude in the Western world is that “we have
moved on”–which means that “anything goes.”
and historian philosopher Hugo Grotius (1583-1645) said that “A man
cannot govern a nation if he cannot govern a city; he cannot govern a
city if he cannot…Some state that the Church of God must not change any of the teachings established by Herbert W. Armstrong prior to his death in 1986. It is further stated that his doctrinal understanding has the weight of uncanonized Biblical truth! As a basis for this position, 1 Corinthians 11:1-2 is quoted. Our answer to this belief is set forth in the following response.
background on Herbert W. Armstrong and the Biblical teaching about
“apostles.” Herbert W. Armstrong (1892-1986) was led by God to
establish the Radio Church of God in the early 1930’s–later to be
renamed the Worldwide Church of God. This powerful work focused on the
Biblical guidelines that characterize the true followers of Jesus
Christ. Mr. Armstrong’s ministry was based on the understanding given
to him, and he often spoke of his personal growth in understanding. He
even mentioned in his old age that he had been learning more within the
last year than ever before–and as it occurred, this was the last year
of his life. He continually taught what the Bible records in 2 Peter
3:18: “…but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.”
who were members of the Worldwide Church of God recognized the
tremendous zeal and the obvious fruits of Mr. Armstrong’s leadership in
his service to God. Based on this and the Biblical examples, many also
came to believe that Mr. Armstrong fulfilled the office of an apostle.
Beyond…Please explain Christ’s saying, "Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together."
In Update #230, you stated that only ordained men should preach in Church. Some men give sermonettes or even sermons in the Church who are not ordained to the ministry. Would you please explain this apparent inconsistency?
How important is it for a woman to study deeply into the "hidden secrets" of the Bible? After all, isn't a woman perceived to be quite inferior to a man in the Bible? Isn't a wife supposed to ask her husband about Biblical truth? A man can teach spiritual things to others, but a woman is not supposed to teach. So, what good does it do for her to obtain deep spiritual insight, just for herself–as she can't share it with anyone else?
this day and age are different, whether it is in a marriage
relationship, or insofar as teaching or preaching in Church is
concerned. The Bible says that the husband is the “head” of his wife (1
Corinthians 11:3), and it is stated in God’s Word that a woman is to be
silent during Church services (1 Corinthians 14:34-35). But the
different roles and responsibilities assigned by God to men and women
IN THIS DAY AND AGE do not make women in any way inferior to men!
Please note that not only a woman, but also a man, unless he is
ordained, is not to preach to others in Church. This task is reserved
for the ministry (Romans 10:14-15)–but again, this does not make
ministers in any way “superior” to non-ordained members–men or women,
alike. [For more information on the different roles and
responsibilities of men and women, and especially husbands and wives,
please be sure to read or re-read our free booklet, “The Keys to Happy Marriages and Families!”]
said that God the Father is greater than He (John 14:28). So, there is
different…Would you please explain the two covenants, as mentioned in Galatians 4:21-31? Doesn't this passage teach that the Old Covenant with all of its Old Testament laws was abolished and is no longer in force and effect?
symbolism or allegory (compare Galatians 4:24), we must carefully
review the context. We should note, first of all, to whom Paul is
writing. The letter is addressed to “the Galatians” — non-Jewish
peoples who had come to the faith. These peoples never were part of the
Old Testament relationship between God and the ancient nation of
Israel. They were never part of the Old Covenant. IF Paul had in mind
to address the so-called “Old” and “New” Covenants in Galatians 4, then
his concluding statement in Galatians 5:1 would make little sense.
There, he says: “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ
has made us free, and do not be entangled AGAIN with a yoke of bondage.”
commentaries say that Paul used his allegory to show that the Old
Testament laws were abolished. They reason that Christ came to set us
free from the “bondage” of the Old Testament law. However, as we prove
in our booklet, “And Lawlessness Will Abound,”
Christ did not do anything of the kind. He did NOT come to do away with
the Ten Commandments, and the statutes and judgments…Why do so many children of Godly parents depart from God's Way of Life, even though Proverbs 22:6 says that they will not depart from it when they are old?
question their righteousness, or even their conversion, when their
children who had been trained in the way of righteousness and truth
later departed from it. They concluded that it must have been their
fault that their children did not stay loyal to God.
close look at Proverbs 22:6 might reveal that the righteous parents
caused unnecessary grief for themselves in this matter (Of course, we
must also realize that many parents who thought that they were
converted Christians might not have been converted at all, which might
be evidenced by the fact that they later left the Way of Truth, compare
1 John 2:19).
examples from the Biblical record of righteous parents and
less-than-righteous children. For instance, we know that David was a
righteous man who will be in the kingdom of God. But his son Absalom
rebelled against his father and God. David’s son Amnon violated his own
sister. And even David’s son Solomon departed from God’s way of
life–at least temporarily.What does Zion refer to?
Jebusite fortress called the city of Jebus which was situated on a hill
within the subsequent boundaries of Jerusalem. 2 Samuel 5:7 states:
“Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion (that is, the City of
David).” Note that from this original conquest, the area was enlarged:
“Then David dwelt in the stronghold, and called it the City of David.
And David built all around from the Millo and inward” (2 Samuel 5:9;
also, 1 Chronicles 11:4-9).
temple was Mount Moriah — a different location than that of the
original City of David. David purchased from Ornan the Jebusite the location on which the
temple of God would later be built by Solomon
(Compare 1 Chronicles 21:18-30 and 2 Chronicles 3:1).
earlier history of the site, we find that Israel’s two tribes of Judah
and Benjamin were given this as a part of their inheritance in the land
God promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Benjamin’s share included the
city of Jebus — which is part of what became the city of Jerusalem
(Compare Joshua 18:28). Judah’s boundaries also included…Does the Bible permit adultery, when the non-involved mate consents; or premarital sex when the involved parties subsequently marry?
to “flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the
body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.”
Members of God’s Church are also told not to “make provisions for the
flesh, to fulfill its lusts (Romans 13:14).” Further, they are
commanded to “abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should
know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in
passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God” (1
Thessalonians 4:3-5).
Study Bible comments that this “means either mastery over one’s own
body, keeping it pure (1 Cor. 9:24-27),” or that it “refers to an
honorable marriage (vessel = wife, as 1 Pet. 3:7).” A third possibility
is a warning for a man not to try to “obtain” for himself a
vessel–that is, a future wife–“in passion of lust.” The Nelson Study
Bible explains: “Paul strongly urged the Thessalonians not to
participate in any sexual activity outside of marriage… Sexual
involvement outside of marriage dishonors God, one’s marriage partner
or future spouse, and even one’s own…In the Bible, God gives specific instructions and commandments. But weren’t Paul’s writings driven by the prevailing culture at that time?
to say that what Paul taught was just an instruction for his time, some
2,000 years ago–and that it is not necessarily binding for us today.
This wrong understanding was epitomized by an Anglican Bishop who, when
challenged on a particular issue a few years ago, wrote:
disagreement stems partly from my understanding of the way in which I
read the Bible, praying that the Holy Spirit will enlighten my
understanding of what statements are unchangeable and what are
conditioned by social and cultural norms of the time in which God spoke
to those involved.”
those portions of Scripture that suited his particular stance and
ignoring those which he considered no longer applicable. This is a very
dangerous thing to do because God clearly states that “ALL
Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped
for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
“social and cultural norms of the time”-approach is that it allows…
