Posts by Midtown Church of Christ

Corinth was located in the midst of the Grecian world characterized by orators and philosophers. Rome had conquered the Grecian world, but its culture in some ways had not changed at all. This magnifies the importance of what Paul said in his first letter to this city. “I was determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2). The power of the gospel to change the world is not determined by the skill…

Is there any way that you can really know that God exists? Is believing there is a God like a wish? A wish is something we would like to happen, but there is little chance that it will. Is faith more like a dream that has nothing to do with reality? Or is faith more than an idle dream but there is some level of expectation that the dream likely will become a reality? We live our lives serving God,…

If we ONLY had the Bible, what would we know about the church? Ponder that for a moment. If we ONLY had the Bible, what would we know about baptism? Ponder that for a moment. A third question, is everything being taught and done in the name of Jesus today in true accordance with Scripture? That just cannot be answered in the affirmative. So, when it comes to matters of faith, matters of truth, matters of doctrine, matters of righteousness,…

How do you pay for something that you purchase today? Who do you pay? When do you pay? Where do you pay? The answer, I suppose, depends on what the product or service is and who is making the purchase. Consider how much variation there is in paying for something today. WHO do you pay? You might pay one person at a restaurant window, and then another person gives you what you paid for. You might pay a bank for…

There are some Scriptures that clearly state, “No one has seen God at any time” (John 1:18; 1 John 4:12; cf. 1 Tim. 6:16 1 John 4:20). But there are other verses that indicate Moses and company “saw the God of Israel” (Ex. 24:10), Jacob saw “God face to face” (Gen. 32:30), and Moses spoke with God “face to face” (Num. 12:8). How can some Scriptures say that no one saw God and other Scriptures say that people saw God?…

You know the trick. A magician fans a deck of cards out in your direction and bids you to, “Pick a card, any card.” There are so many choices. They basically all look the same, until you take one and look at the other side of it. While that card bears some similarities to others in the deck (maybe the same suit, or maybe the same number), it is still a unique card among many. But, in the game of…

Modern culture has created a mold for today’s young men and young women, and too many are allowing themselves to be poured right into it. Young people are depicted as self-absorbed, ungrateful, anti-social, materialistic individuals, who are given to a lifestyle of instant satisfaction, sexual abandonment and irresponsible behavior. (Notice, that is not my view, but how young people are often depicted by others in today’s society.) In the home, they are portrayed as “running the show”—knowing more than the…

Paul saw Christians as being athletes for Jesus. They were competing in the arena while they were surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses (Heb. 12:1). They were individuals in a race which must be run according to rules (2 Tim. 2:5). They were fighters/boxers who were not just “punching into the air” but had precise blows planned for the enemy (1 Cor. 9:24). Like Paul, they intended to run the race and finish the course, knowing that a crown…

How many times in the last few days have you heard these words, “Happy New Year”? Probably far more than you can remember. These words may have various meanings depending on one’s background and their own personal values. Have you ever considered the spiritual aspects and implications of this phrase? Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount can so easily help us to see that the Bible speaks of happiness, not just at the beginning of a year, but…

There may be certain parts of Scripture that we think only applied to first-century Christians and we just skip over them. But, perhaps we should take a closer look. Consider for a moment the numerous times that Christians were directed to “Greet one another.” That still applies today. First, think about the word, “Greet.” The Greek word literally means, “to draw to oneself.” It is defined as, “to engage in hospitable recognition of another through word or gesture, welcome, express…

When it comes to the Bible, one must be able to answer the question, “Is the Bible the complete revelation of God, or are there verbal revelations from God outside of and subsequent to God’s revelation of His will in the Bible?” The Bible clearly teaches that it is the complete revelation of God. “All Scripture is given by the inspiration of God” (2 Tim. 3:16). No part of Scripture was ever the result “of any private interpretation, for prophecy…

Can I ask you a question that you’ll just think about for moment? Step back, consider this, and formulate in your mind an answer to this question. “Where did the denominations come from?” Have you ever really thought about that? Depending on what researchers you trust, at the very least it can be stated that there are thousands of denominations in the world. (Let’s not quibble about the exact number but state it generally as “thousands.”) Where did they come…