One reason some religious groups baptize babies instead of those who are old enough to be taught and then to believe is because they believe baptism is–in the New Testament–what circumcision was in the Old Testament.

They believe those born into Jewish households could be circumcised in anticipation of the Jewish faith in which they would be raised, therefore those in the New Testament, those born in Christian households, can be baptized (sprinkled) in anticipation of the Christian faith in which they will be raised.

One biblical text that certain advocates of infant baptism frequently cite to support this position is Colossians 2:10-12: » Continue reading “Does Infant Baptism Replace Circumcision?”

First, it is important to recognize that the term “age of accountability” is not used in the Bible. The age of accountability is not an age at all, but a level of readiness and maturity. However, what the Bible teaches about personal responsibility for sin and the nature of salvation compels us to define this concept. Basically, the age of accountability is that time in the development of a person when he or she can and invariably does sin against God and thus stands in need of personal redemption through Jesus Christ.

Calvinism teaches that all humans have inherited a corrupt spiritual nature due to the sin of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Due to this marred and perverse nature, the human heart is desperately deceitful, and man’s nature is therefore » Continue reading “Is There An Age Of Accountability?”

The term “abomination” means anything that offends the spiritual, religious, or moral sense of a person and causes extreme disgust, hatred, loathing, and that which is deserving to be abhorred. There are five different words translated abomination in the Bible. The predominant meaning is, “to stink, to be loathsome, uncleanness” (Old Testament Word Studies by Wilson, pg. 3). The original words are expressive of the greatest disdain on the part of God.

When you come into the land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the LORD, and because of these abominations the LORD your God drives them out from before you. You shall be blameless before the LORD your God. For these nations which you will dispossess listened to soothsayers and diviners; but as for you, the LORD your God has not appointed such for you. –Deuteronomy 18:9-14 NKJV

» Continue reading “What Does The Term “Abomination” Mean?”

The doctrinal system known as Calvinism forms the foundation for much of the teachings of Protestant denominationalism. This system is named after the French theologian and reformer John Calvin who was born in 1509. A great deal of Calvin’s thoughts originated from and is an enlargement of the thoughts of Augustine (354-430 AD).

Calvinism has been popularized under the acrostic “T-U-L-I-P.” Let’s look at each point carefully.

1. T – Total Depravity: Calvin taught, like Augustine, that man by virtue of the Fall of Adam and Eve in Genesis chapter 3 has a depraved and sinful nature from the point of conception. This doctrine holds that the entire human race has inherited the guilt of Adam’s sin, and this guilt is passed on to succeeding generations at birth. All are “born sinners” – “hereditarily, totally depraved.” Inherent in this doctrine is the idea of the total inability to do good toward their own salvation. Some » Continue reading “What Is Calvinism?”

Jehovah promised through Isaiah, near the close of his great book, the following: “For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind” (Isa 65:17 KJV). The Lord then had Isaiah to repeat this prophecy: “For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain” (Isa 66:22 KJV). The same terminology also appears twice in the New Testament (2 Pet. 3:13; Rev. 21:1).

Isaiah’s prophecy is declaring that the coming of the Messiah would introduce a new spiritual and moral order or arrangement. Paul speaks of this new order: “that in the dispensation (arrangement) of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth– in Him” (Eph 1:10 NKJ). Isaiah’s new heavens and new earth are the new arrangement to which Paul refers, and before which all old dispensations must pass away. The entire system of Judaism, » Continue reading “What is the New Heavens and New Earth?”

And I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is {the book} of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one {of them} according to their deeds. And death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. –Rev 20:11-15 NAS

Having shown how God would bring the church through her trials and persecutions, John then turns to show that at the final judgment the Lord’s people will be ushered into heaven where they » Continue reading “What is the Great White Throne of Judgment?”

The doctrine advocating the return of Jesus Christ to earth to establish an earthly kingdom over which He will reign for a 1000 years from Jerusalem is known as Premillennialism. This doctrine rests primarily upon the misunderstanding and misapplication of Revelation 20:1-7. While the entire Book of Revelation is difficult, some people read into the passage more than is there, and build a theory which is at variance with plain truth taught throughout the Bible.

Please notice first what is NOT mentioned in this passage that is so vital to the Premillennial theory: » Continue reading “What is the 1000 Year Reign of Revelation 20?”

The doctrine of Premillennialism advocates that Jesus Christ will return to this earth and establish an earthly kingdom over which He will reign for 1000 years from Jerusalem. The doctrine rests primarily upon the misunderstanding and misapplication of Revelation 20:1-7. Will Christ reign upon earth? We respond with a resounding “no” for the following reasons.

First, God never promised an earthly reign for Christ! It is true that prophecies of the promised Messiah were interpreted by materialistic-thinking Jews to mean that the Christ would rule the world upon David’s earthly throne (John 6:14-15), but the Jews totally misunderstood the prophecies and the nature of the kingdom of the Messiah.

This is obvious when we consider that all prophecies concerning the Messiah necessarily had » Continue reading “Will Christ Reign for 1000 Years On The Earth?”

The rapture theory is the belief that when the Lord comes He will come suddenly and secretly in the air and He will resurrect the righteous dead from their graves and along with the living saints they will be caught up somewhere in the air for some seven years. The people left on the earth will not know where all these have gone. They will not be able to account for their totally unexpected disappearance. They will not have an adequate answer for the open graves once occupied but no longer inhabited by bodies once placed there. While the righteous saints are with the Lord somewhere in the air there will be a time of tribulation on earth never experienced previously. Does the Bible teach there will be a Rapture? Is there a Biblical basis for all this popular propaganda? Absolutely not! The word rapture is not even in the Bible. This false theory contradicts plain Bible teaching.

The primary passage used to support the idea of a “rapture” is found in a statement Paul » Continue reading “Does the Bible Teach There will be a Rapture?”

Through the years, Premillennialists have differed on many points. However, they all agree on one major theme. They all deny that the establishment of the church fulfilled the kingdom prophecies of the Old Testament. This denial of the fulfillment of the kingdom prophecies has in turn spawned the myriad of complex false doctrines held by all varieties of Premillennialists.

It is important to recognize that Old Testament prophecies harmonize. They do not contradict one another. We must accept the New Testament interpretation of prophecy. We must not interpret prophecies, which are not directly interpreted in the New Testament, so as to contradict any New Testament teaching.

Premillennialists teach that Christ came to earth the first time for the express purpose of setting up an earthly kingdom in Jerusalem to reign on David’s throne. They claim that when the Jews did » Continue reading “Is the Church the Fulfillment of the Premillennial Kingdom?”