The first-century congregation in the city of Corinth was dealing with a divisive spirit that had permeated the membership. A report had reached the apostle Paul that each member of the congregation was claiming allegiance to various ones—“I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or “I am of Cephas,” or I am of Christ” (1 Cor. 1:12). The inspired penmen…
Let's Go Back to the Bible
Let's Go Back to the Bible
Posts by David Sproule (Page 2)
There were some individuals in John 12 who believed in Jesus. Not everyone in Jesus’ day actually believed in Him, so these people were already in an elite group. However, note carefully what Scripture reveals about them: “Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue;…
How can you tell how much someone respects God’s Word? There may be a number of ways to answer that question, but one key measurement is to listen to his words. Consider the highest respect that two persons had for God’s Word—a respect that we must emulate. In John 12:49-50, Jesus stated, “For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father…
We are living in uncertain times. We are living in dangerous times. We are living in troubling times. It seems that everywhere we turn there is something disastrous happening. It is enough to get you down and to keep you down. With all that’s going on around us—from our families, to our local communities, to our nation, to the whole globe—what can…
Do the latest news reports have you worried about what’s going on? Are the stresses of your job becoming more unbearable? Is there family tension that is causing you to feel increased levels of anxiety? Are your personal finances not enough to meet increased expenses? Are you stressed, anxious, worried, overwhelmed, maybe even a bit panicked? For 60 seconds, take a pause. Take two deep breaths. Shut out…
41 times in the Old Testament, you will read the expression, “His mercy endures forever.” Perhaps not surprisingly, 33 of those 41 times are in the book of Psalms. And one of those psalms, which has 26 verses in it, contains that marvelous expression 26 times. At the end of every verse in Psalm 136, the psalmist exclaims, “For His mercy endures forever.” Is that…
Do you know anyone who always talks about the same things in every conversation? It gives you clear insight into what is most important to that person. What would you say that Jesus talked about continually and was most important to Him? It is not hard to figure out. After Jesus was baptized, the Bible indicates that He went out working miracles…
When Paul wrote his first letter to Timothy, he was very concerned about the spiritual condition of “some” brethren. He stated that “some” had “strayed” from “faith” in Christ (1 Tim. 1:6). More than once, he lamented that “some” had “strayed” and even “rejected” “the faith” (6:10, 21; 1:19). He not only looked at such in the recent past, but he pointed to the future…