Bryon Meyers

• About this site

A mini coloring book and small posters to help the Sunday school teacher tell the story of Elijah ascending to heaven in a chariot of fire.

• About this site

• About this site

Fernando Medina

• About this site

101 Ways to Teach a Memory Verse

• About this site

 Dennis Stickfort

• About this site

Online Bible Search on Your Web Site

If you manage a website or have a profile on MySpace, you can provide your viewers with a Bible search form like the one below directly from your page. Their search results will appear in a pop-up window so your web page stays on their computer screen.  They can easily return to your site once their Bible search request is finished.

This is what the form looks like.

This is how you add it to your website.

Copy the following code and paste it into the HTML code for your web page. This will provide a link to the Online Bible.

See also How to link directly to a single verse or chapter.

• About this site

• About this site

• About this site

• About this site

FORGIVENESS
Is there to be forgiveness without acknowledgment of wrong?

There are various categories of forgiveness in the Scriptures, which must be distinguished—God’s forgiveness of sinners; the Father’s forgiveness of His children; ecclesiastical forgiveness; and personal forgiveness.

As to the first named, though it is a mistake to apply to the conversion of the sinner, the words of 1 John 1:9" TARGET="_blank">1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, etc.,” which have to do directly with God’s children, yet it may be confidently affirmed that no sinner ever received divine forgiveness without acknowledgment of sin in one form or another, tacit or explicit, leading on to faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, when revealed. But here it is not so much a confession of particular sins, as of sinnership—”God be merciful to me a sinner.” This corresponds with “repentance unto life,” the result of the Holy Spirit’s work in conviction, without which there can be no true conversion to God.

In the case of the Father’s forgiveness to His erring children, it is conditional on confession of sins; then “He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” It is perfectly true that God’s forgiveness has already covered the sins in question, but His forgiveness as Father is needed, if communion with Him is to be restored. The confession should be real and full, and at once forgiveness and cleansing follow, though not often realised to the full at once. David was forgiven the instant he confessed his sin in the presence of Nathan, but later he wrote the 51st Psalm. This may correspond to the application of “the water of separation” on the third and seventh days (Numbers 19: 12, 19)." TARGET="_blank">Numbers 19: 12, 19).

As for ecclesiastical forgiveness, this is that which is referred to in Matthew 18:18" TARGET="_blank">Matthew 18:18 and John 20:23" TARGET="_blank">John 20:23—the “binding or loosing,” the remitting or retaining, of sins, not by ecclesiastical officials, the pretended priests of Christendom, but by the local church. Nothing is said in these passages of the condition attaching to the forgiveness, but the case that arose in the Corinthian Church (see chap. . i), throws light on this, for in the second epistle, the restoration of the offender is recommended by the apostle on the ground of his repentance—”lest perhaps such an one should be swallowed up with over-much sorrow”—and if they forgive him, he (Paul) will forgive also (2 Corinthians 2: 7-10)." TARGET="_blank">2 Corinthians 2: 7-10). Paul does not appeal to some leaders in the Corinthian Church, but to the Church as a whole. This ecclesiastical forgiveness has been perverted into what is known as auricular confession, and priestly absolution, things, as we believe, totally foreign to the New Testament and Christianity. As for individual forgiveness, there should be from the first a forgiving spirit on the part of the offended person; he must not bear a grudge or count the offender as an enemy, but be ready to forgive (Matthew 18: 15, 21, 22)," TARGET="_blank">Matthew 18: 15, 21, 22), but he must not express his forgiveness until the offence is acknowledged. To do so would be a subtle way of putting your opponent in the wrong, and be an insult rather than a favour. “If thy brother tresspass against thee rebuke him, and if he repent forgive him” (Luke 17:3, 4)." TARGET="_blank">Luke 17:3, 4).

William Hoste

• About this site

• About this site

• About this site

Joshua 7:21." TARGET="_blank">Joshua 7:21. What would the “Babylonish garment and two hundred shekels of silver and the wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight” represent? What is the teaching in this verse?

I think they would stand for what most attracts the eye and fills the heart of the natural man; for what is more desirable to the flesh than fine clothes to deck oneself withal, and gold and silver, which will purchase “everything except peace of mind, and entrance anywhere except to heaven”! “Babylonish garment” is literally “a garment of Shinar,” the locality where Babylon was built, renowned, it is said, for its beautiful robes. The word for “garment,” is from a root meaning, “wide,” hence an ample covering, a cloak. It is used of Elijah’s mantle and also of the royal robe the King of Nineveh doffed in sign of repentance (Jonah 3: 6)." TARGET="_blank">Jonah 3: 6). Gesenius says these “cloaks of Shinar” were “variegated with figures, or interwoven with various colours, having the figures of men and beasts,” reminding one of the great copes worn by ecclesiastics to-day at their religious ceremonials—true “cloaks of Shinar” those! Let all see to it, lest fine clothes, ministering to the pride of life, or silver and gold, ministering to its “many foolish and hurtful lusts,” occupy our hearts! “But thou, 0 man of God, flee these things, and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.”

W.H.

• About this site

Did Samuel really come back when Saul consulted the witch of Endor (1 Samuel 28" TARGET="_blank">1 Samuel 28: )?

Attempts have been made to prove the contrary, in order to avoid even the appearance of justifying the practice of Spiritism. But this is a weak argument. We must not manipulate the Word of God even on the plea of defending the truth. That is doing evil that good may come. It is a poor heresy that cannot allege some fancied support in Scripture.

I have not the slightest doubt that Samuel did really come back and hold intercourse with Saul by the sovereign permission of God. Really, the reappearance of Samuel does not touch the question of Spiritism or justify men in seeking intercourse with the dead. This is implicitly condemned earlier in the very chapter when Saul, as we are told, cut off those who had dealings with familiar spirits—and yet so hardened was he that “he sware to the witch by the Lord saying, As the Lord liveth there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing.” He obeyed God, as long as it suited him. When Saul had overcome the witch’s fears, he told her to call up Samuel. She was in no way perturbed at that, for she knew her familiar spirit would be there to impersonate whomsoever was called up, with greater or less accuracy. Samuel being so widely known, would not be a difficult subject for deception. But when she saw the real Samuel rising out of the earth in a spirit-form, rendered visible to her eyes, she cried out. This was something outside her experience and beyond her ken. (1 Samuel 28:12)." TARGET="_blank">1 Samuel 28:12).

It is interesting to note her description—”I see gods (‘elohim_. mighty ones—sometimes according to Gesenius, used in the singular)— ascending out of the earth.” Clearly the spirit of the departed prophet had taken on a grandeur and majesty befitting a Paradise-dweller, but for purposes of identification, he was seen as he had been known for many years in the days of his flesh, as an old man, clad in his prophetic mantle, and it was in this latter guise that she described him. There was no trickery about this, as there must always be in spiritism whether in the familiar spirit—or in the medium. She was sure what appeared to her was not her familiar spirit. Saul was sure by the description it was truly Samuel. The spirit of Samuel spake like Samuel, going back to the very judgment, which he had been charged to pass on Saul, for his disobedience in the case of Arnalek. What is more, the words of Samuel came true.

God did not let his servant’s words fall to the ground now, any more than when he was alive in the flesh. It really is surprising that otherwise well-taught Christians should be found to question all this.

This consultation of the witch by Saul was the consummation of Saul’s disobedience. He is reproved for enquiring of the witch and not God. He did ask of God in a formal way, but not in the earnest way in which he sought the witch (see 1 Chronicles 10: 13, 14," TARGET="_blank">1 Chronicles 10: 13, 14, where distinct words for the two “enquires” mark this).

W.H.

• About this site

Should a pastor scare his congregation by preaching about Hell?

That depends on why he is doing it and what he is preaching.  Hell is definitely worth preaching about, because it is real.  God's great salvation made possible through the death of Christ on the Cross is a salvation to rescue guilty sinners from going to hell.  If there is no hell to preach, then salvation has no meaning. Thank God that the awfulness of hell is balanced by the wonder of God’s love for us and the miracle of Jesus’ sacrifice for us on Calvary.  Preach one without the other and you have heresy.

Some preachers like to promote their own agenda using the fear of hell to bring their point home.  A great crime is committed by anyone who, for example, would suggest that not attending a certain church or not paying a certain amount of money, or even committing a certain sin the preacher does not like will guarantee that a person will go there.  

When a person says, “Go to hell!”, they are doing exactly that, seeking to make whatever bothers them about someone else worthy of God’s ultimate judgment.  This is called “taking the name (authority) of the Lord in vain”, and God says in the 10 Commandments that that sort of carelessness will not go unpunished (Exodus 20:7)." TARGET="_blank">Exodus 20:7).

The fear of the Lord who can “destroy both body and soul in hell” (Matthew 8:28)" TARGET="_blank">Matthew 8:28) should sober us up so much that we are most afraid to misrepresent God in the matter.  So let us preach it faithfully, but also fearfully, with reverence and balance and complete biblical accuracy.

Alfred Corduan

• About this site