Introduction The doctrine of hell refers to the future place of punishment for the enemies of God, namely Satan, his minions, and the unregenerate dead. The concept of hell is mentioned throughout the Bible. In some cases the word hell is used to describe the concept, but this is not always true. Other words and…
Introduction II Corinthians chapters 8 and 9 are often used to argue that Christians are no longer required to tithe, that is, give one tenth of their income to the house of God for the maintenance of worship facilities and for the costs of ministry, which include salaries for paid ministers. The apostle Paul, however,…
INTRODUCTION This article will review the book Israel and the Nations: The History of Israel from the Exodus to the Fall of the Second Temple, by F. F. Bruce (Revised by David F. Payne). This book is a revision of a work originally published in 1963.[1] The author F. F. Bruce (1910-1991) was Professor of…
Introduction The word “goel” is defined in Strong’s Hebrew Lexicon as kinsman.[1] However, in ancient Jewish life, the term took on significant additional meaning. The Jewish Encyclopedia states that the concept of goel “was based on the solidarity of the interests”[2] of the individual tribes of the nation of Israel and God. “Any duty which…
SUMMARY Alfred Poirier’s The Peacemaking Pastor: A Biblical Guide to Resolving Church Conflict seeks to “ground peacemaking on a solid biblical and theological foundation.”[1] The book is divided into thirteen chapters with an introduction. In chapter one Poirier somewhat tongue-in-cheek claims to be a heretic who holds to the heresy of Docetism – “the belief…
Summary Part One This book is divided into two sections. Part one, which includes three chapters, deals with “Key Issues in Studying the Life of Christ.” In chapter one, Stein argues that any investigation of the life of Christ is doomed to an outcome which is directly related to the presuppositions held by the investigator…
GENESIS 9:20-27 “Noah became a tiller of the ground and planted a vineyard. He drank of the wine and became drunk, and uncovered himself inside her tent. Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it upon…
CHAPTER 1: AN HONORABLE AMBITION Summary In chapter one of this book, the author introduces the notion that the ambition to lead can be either noble or self-serving and that one should guard against the latter (pp. 14-15). Motives in leadership can either limit or enhance the results to be produced in ministry. Ultimately, the…
Primary Thesis of the Book The primary thesis of the book is the defense of the doctrine of salvation through faith alone, solo fide. A secondary thesis is the attack on the false doctrine of salvation through faith and works. The book is presented as something of a commentary on Martin Luther’s Heidelberg Disputation, though…
CHAPTER 1: PREPARING TO THINK AND ACT Summary Chapter one of this book lays a foundation for developing a strategic plan for the life of a church with emphasis on guiding a church through a major change in direction. The first step in developing a strategic plan for a church is assessing whether or not…