For N.T. Character Study 2, Malchus (11 minutes), click on the play button below: To download the podcast, right click on “download” and select “save link as” or “save target… Read More
Q&A 1161—Lending money at interest
I would just like to know what the Bible says about lending money with interest in return.—a disciple in Manila The Old Testament absolutely forbids this form of exploitation (Exodus 22:25;… Read More
Q&A 1149 — Funeral viewings?
We presently have a situation in the church here in Monrovia and need all the biblical help and advice we can get. Is it wrong or right biblically to put… Read More
Q&A 1057 – House churches?
I have been a faithful (although far from perfect ) disciple for 11 years, and have experienced the highs and lows of the ICOC movement. I am fortunate to be… Read More
Q&A 1018 – Satan repenting?
Paul wrote, ”more than I can ask or imagine…" With this in view, is there any sense in praying for Satan? He is my enemy; should he be loved as… Read More
Q&A 0983 – Caught in a cycle of sin
Lately, I have literally insulted God in my thoughts, speech, and actions. I can’t control my thoughts! How can a disciple of Christ commit such sins? I pray God will… Read More
Serving the Poor
Serving the Poor: Second Thoughts (41 minutes), click on the play button below: To download the podcast, right click on “download” and select “save link as” or “save target as”… Read More
Q&A 0861 – Family Left Behind
Here in the GCC countries, we are facing a common situation: disciples who come here to work while leaving their spouse and children behind. These situations vary tremendously. Sometimes the… Read More
Q&A 0859 – John present at the Crucifixion?
Was John present during Jesus Crucifixion? Where is it in the Bible? After Jesus was arrested in Gethsemane, where did James and John go? Can you give me book, chapter… Read More
Q&A 0846 – Greed
I was wondering if you could please instruct me in the biblical/Greek definition of greed, specifically as it appears in 1 Corinthians 5:10-11 and Ephesians 5:3 and 5:5. How would… Read More
Q&A 0821 – Mary Magdalene
Has there been any biblical or historical research done on Mary Magdalene that you would recommend reading? Do you know of any "legend has it" or "theories" (ones that make… Read More
Q&A 0806 – Hebrews 6:4
Hebrews 6:4 says falling away is permanent. I know a disciple who decided, after studying the Old Testament, that Jesus is not the Messiah, and is in the process of… Read More
Q&A 0793 – Egg donation
I have been asked to forward to you the following questions from a dating couple regarding an egg donation from the sister to her biological sister who is not a… Read More
Q&A 0789 – Advertising & Christian responsibility
I have recently read your paper “Television and the Media,” and I have also read the book Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger by Ronald Sider. It seems that… Read More
MATTHEW 8
1 When he came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. 2 man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can… Read More
MATTHEW 11 – B
20 Then he began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent: 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to… Read More
MATTHEW 27 – B
32 Now as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. Him they compelled to bear his cross. 33 And when they had come to a… Read More
MATTHEW 28
1 Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. 2 And behold, there… Read More
MARK 1 – B
9 At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptised by John in the Jordan. 10 As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw… Read More
MARK 10 – A
1 Jesus then left that place and went into the region of Judea and across the Jordan. Again crowds of people came to him, and as was his custom, he… Read More
MARK 15
1 Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin, reached a decision. They bound Jesus, led him away… Read More
Q&A 0655 – Clearing debt
I’d love to see something posted on clearing debt. During my 19 years as a disciple, I’ve allowed contribution pressures to influence my financial decisions. I have a good bit… Read More
Q&A 0625 – Recovering alcoholics
I heard a sister say, "Hi, I’m a recovering alcoholic." I understand that the point of this is to keep one humble by reminding oneself one is still an addict… Read More
Q&A 0620 – Is the church really the answer?
I’ve been a disciple now for 12 years — and I think I have a pretty inquisitive spirit. I always question and analyze…..to some extent this is good, and to… Read More
Q&A 0594 – Communion — a Jewish Look
Your answer to the question of communion really intrigues me. I was neither a Catholic nor a Protestant prior to making my decision for Christ; I am (and was) a… Read More
Q&A 0591 – Disciples moving?
My question is about disciples moving between cities or countries. Recently a disciple asked me for advice on moving to another city in the United States, one in which the… Read More
Q&A 0590 – Witchcraft
Before becoming a disciple, I used to practice witchcraft. I could, and still can, meet people for the first time and pretty much know their life story. I use this… Read More
Q&A 0587 – Romans 9:10-24—Predestination, Calvinism
I’ve been reading Romans and am finding it very difficult to understand some of the concepts I find there. For example, does God create people to be destroyed in order… Read More
Q&A 0558 – 1 Corinthians 7:36-37
I am a disciple in the Middle East and I just wanted to ask about 1 Corinthians 7:36-37. Was Paul talking about a man who decided not to marry because… Read More
Q&A 0556 – Hard times for Christians
Is it more difficult for some people to live as disciples than for others? I realize that all of us need to die every day which is a sobering fact…. Read More
Q&A 0494 – Battered Women?
As a disciple and a physician, I have wrestled for many years with the advice to give battered women about staying in their marriage or leaving to protect themselves and/or… Read More
Q&A 0489 – The Day of the Lord
I am a disciple in Jerusalem. I study the Old Testament in university and now I’m writing a paper about the day of the Lord, based on such verses as… Read More
Q&A 0485 – “Our” disciples
Can you explain Matthew 10:24 and Luke 6:40? Sometimes in the fellowship we throw the term around that those whom we disciple are our "disciples." I always thought that we… Read More
Q&A 0478 – “Grieving” after dissolving a homosexual relationship?
I was reading Coming Out of Homosexuality, by Bob Davies and Lori Rentzel. The fifth chapter, I believe, mentions that we should grieve for a period of time when we are… Read More
Q&A 0459 – Self-righteousness… and baptism
When we say things like, "We believe that an individual is not a candidate for baptism and, therefore, salvation, unless he or she is ready to repent of sin and… Read More
Q&A 0426 – The Jethro Principle and Discipling
I have heard Exodus 18 taught as the biblical basis for having everyone in the church in a discipling tree. What do you say? In Exodus 18, Moses’ father-in-law gives… Read More
Q&A 0425 – Dating non-Christians? (Dave Eastman)
Is it necessarily wrong for a Christian to date a non-Christian? Where do you stand on this issue? — Various The Bible does not address the dating issue directly –… Read More
Q&A 0424 – Christians in denominations?
If a person is a believer, one who is striving with all his heart to follow Jesus (and Him only), then does it matter what denomination he belongs to? Is… Read More
Q&A 0408 – The seal over Jesus’ tomb (Matthew 27)
As a former agnostic/atheist, I now take great comfort in the evidence for the resurrection. One question that I have never heard even raised in my 27 years as a… Read More
LUKE 4 – A
1 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, 2 where for forty days he was tempted by the… Read More
LUKE 8 – B
26 They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is across the lake from Galilee. 27 When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the… Read More
LUKE 9 – A
1 When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to… Read More
LUKE 10 – A
1 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. 2 He… Read More
LUKE 10 – B
25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 “What is written in… Read More
LUKE 23 – B
39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear… Read More
Q&A 0324 – Antarctica?
How come we do not hear about vibrant churches in Antarctica? Doesn’t the great commission mean we should go to every continent? — Various queries Quite simply, the reason you… Read More
Q&A 0314 – Baptism because of or for the forgiveness of sins
A dear friend of mine who has been a disciple for ten years is about to leave the Lord. She e-mailed me this question in an effort to resolve an… Read More
Q&A 0301 – Joking around
I am one of those who analyze every little thing, and I was curious to see if the Bible talked about joking around with one another. I didn’t see anything… Read More
Q&A 0291 – Easter origins
Where does Easter come from? Should Christians celebrate it? Following is an article I wrote on the subject of Easter in 1986. If you prefer to listen to a podcast… Read More
Linguistic Insight: terms for the Lord’s Supper
The following has been excerpted from my 1992 paper on the Lord’s Supper. There are five Greek terms employed in describing this sacred meal. As my paper argues, the early… Read More
Linguistic Insight: Fight the Good Fight of the Faith
What does it really mean "to fight the good fight?" To understand this idea (1 Timothy 1:18, 6:12; 2 Timothy 4:7), we first need to identify the "fight" to which… Read More
Linguistic Insight: the Choices God Gives Us – by Dan Demshar
When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his… Read More
Linguistic Insight: peace, by Dan Demshar
"Grace and PEACE to you…" (Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:3; 2 Corinthians 1:2). Ephesians 2:8 reveals an astounding truth that Christians have salvation by grace and therefore peace with God. There… Read More
Q&A 0213 – Once Saved, Always Saved
What is your best answer to counter the "Once Saved, Always Saved" argument? The strongest statement I have seen in the Bible to support the idea of eternal security is… Read More
Q&A 0211 – Luke 6:38 in the Chinese Bible
I have a question. I read the Chinese Bible. In a morning Quiet Time I came to Luke 6:38, where the word "funnel" is used, whereas "good measure" is used… Read More
Q&A 0209 – Islam and Bible purity
I’m a former Muslim, now a disciple of Christ. I recently got into a bit of a theological argument with Muslims, who argued that God does not have a son,… Read More
Q&A 0173 – Smoking
What scriptures would you share with someone who is seriously struggling with smoking cigarettes–someone who knows it’s not good for you but needs to be spiritually convicted? Also, will a… Read More
JOHN 1 – A
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came… Read More
JOHN 1 – B
19 This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 He confessed and did not deny… Read More
JOHN 7 – B
32 The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about Him, so the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple police to arrest Him. 33 Then Jesus said, “I am… Read More
JOHN 8 – C
31 Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; 32 and you will know the truth,… Read More
JOHN 9
1 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”… Read More
JOHN 11 – A
1 Now a man was sick, Lazarus, from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and… Read More
JOHN 13
1 Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own… Read More
Q&A 0165 – Tithing on non-salary income
I have been studying out the difference or lack of difference between tithing from my firstfruits (I equate this with my income) and honoring God with my wealth (created by… Read More
Q&A 0164 – John’s baptism
In Acts 19:1-7, the men Paul spoke to were disciples. Where were those men standing with God if they had repented and been baptized and forgiven of their sins? What… Read More
Q&A 0110 – Apocrypha: Second Thoughts
Do you still hold to your position that the Apocrypha does not belong in the Bible? The Apocrypha: Second Thoughts (2000) Perhaps you have heard of Tobit, Judith, or Ecclesiasticus…. Read More
Q&A 0101 – Mark 11:24
In converting people, where is the line drawn between your faith (believing they will become disciples) and their own personal decision? I have been told that if I believe someone… Read More
Q&A 0067 – Did God create evil?
Since God created everything, did He create evil? I refuse to believe that, but I am left with no other thoughts; I am not a struggling disciple, and no matter… Read More
Q&A 0036 – Who’s reporting?
When the New Testament talks about what happens and explains people’s heart and motives is it because that a disciple was there with them or what? For example take Matthew… Read More
Report: Accra, Ghana, by Ope Babalola
Dr. Douglas Jacoby was in Accra, Ghana, from January 5th – January 10th [2004] to conduct a teaching workshop. This was his first trip to West Africa. The sessions were… Read More
Q&A 0007 – The Trinity
Can you recommend reading material about ‘Trinity’ theology? — Joel Hughes, Triangle, North Carolina Many works – thousands of pages! – have been written about the Trinity. Because this is… Read More
Q&A 0004 – Saved or Not?
On the one hand, the Bible urges Christians to be fully confident that we are saved, and on the other, to work out our salvation with “fear and trembling.” Yet… Read More
ACTS 16
1 He came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was a Jewess and a believer, but whose father was a Greek. 2… Read More
ACTS 18
1 After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 2 There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his… Read More
Believing Children, by Kelly Petre
Introduction: A. God has provided the church with “everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness” (2… Read More
The Bible Unearthed: An Introduction to Biblical Archaeology
The Bible Unearthed: An Introduction to Biblical Archaeology for the Disciple in the United Kingdom. It is written by Jon Yorke. Click here to open the pdf file.
Biblical Errors?
Muslims commonly claim that the Bible has been "changed," and that there are over 100,000 "errors" which occurred through the transmission process. What can the disciple of Jesus Christ respond… Read More
Baptism with the Holy Spirit
Introduction In 1976 after I my “conversion experience “1 I began attending charismatic prayer meetings. I continued to go because there were lots of food nice girls and a high… Read More
Gnosticism, by Andrew Kitchen
The word “gnosticism” comes from gnosis, Greek for “knowledge.” Esoteric or secret knowledge is meant. The Gnostics believed that only an elite few enjoyed special enlightenment. The Gnostic view of… Read More
ROMANS 7
1 Or do you not know, brethren (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives?… Read More
ROMANS 14
1 Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. 2 One man’s faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats… Read More
ROMANS 16
1 I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church in Cenchrea, 2 that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy… Read More
GALATIANS 6
1 Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. 2 Carry each other’s… Read More
2 TIMOTHY 1
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God according to the promise of the life which is in Christ Jesus, 2 To Timothy, my beloved child:… Read More
2 TIMOTHY 3
1 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of stress. 2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient… Read More
JAMES 1 – A
1:1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings. 2 My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of… Read More
1 JOHN 4
1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2… Read More
3 JOHN
1 The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth. 2 Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as… Read More
40 Days of QTs
40 Days of QTs Scroll all the way down for the introductory podcast and notes explaining the 40-day series. You can listen to the podcasts later, even after the series “disappears,” by… Read More