Aric Stickfort

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Sunday School Activities

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Fernando Medina

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Larry Perkins

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 Marriage and the Family - Dr. Sandy Higgins explores the roles of parents, raising children, abortion, courtship, the Basis of Christian Living in the Home, God's Pattern Under Pressure, Heartbroken Homes, Being Single, Failing Fathers and other topics from the Bible's point of view.

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The Moral Glories of Our Lord

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Free Online Bible Dictionary

The free online Bible dictionary section is part of the online bible program at Gospel Hall dot org.  In addition to the free online bible dictionary there are also free online Bible commentaries and online concordances.  The free online bible dictionary selection is available along with the concordances under the link to the left titled "Online Bible Search" or here.

Instructions for the Free Online Bible Dictionary

1. Select the link Online Bible Search.

2. You may ignore the top section of the page if you are interested only in the free online bible dictionary. 

3. In the section titled "Dictionary Search" type in a key name or phrase that is found in the bible.  For example, the online dictionaries are likely to have definitions for terms such as "Grace" or "Sin".  The online dictionary also has information regarding Bible places such as "Jerusalem" or "Egypt".

4. Select one of the online dictionaries from the dropdown list.  The list of free online bible dictionaries includes the American Tract Dictionary, Easton's Bible Dictionary, the International Bible Encyclopedia, Torreye's Topic Index, Thompson's Chain Reference Bible, and Vine's Greek Dictionary of New Testament Words.

5. Finally, click the "Go" button to search for your term.

6. You may also browse the online dictionaries by each letter of the alphabet in the last search box on the page.

About the Free Online Bible Dictionary (ies)

All of the free online Bible Dictionaries are in the public domain.  That is, they passed out of copyright protection after the 75 year period of time since original publish date.

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - The American Tract Society (ATS) is a publishing organization that publishes evangelistic Christian literature. It was founded on May 11, 1825 in New York City for the dissemination of Christian literature in leaflet form and was a strong supporter of the temperance movement. It soon took rank with the American Bible Society. By 1851 it had distributed about 5,000,000 temperance tracts. The ATS is currently headquartered in Garland, Texas. It produces tracts, e-tracts, digitracts, and books. Over the years, ATS has produced many millions of pieces of literature.

Easton's Bible Dictionary - Easton's Bible Dictionary generally refers to the Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition, by Matthew George Easton M.A., D.D. (1823-1894), published three years after Easton's death in 1897 by Thomas Nelson. Because of its age, it is now a public domain resource. Despite its name, many of the entries in Easton's are encyclopedic in nature, though there are short, dictionary-like entries. It contains nearly 4,000 entries.

The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915) is a public domain Biblical encyclopedia. This encyclopedia was published by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. Hailed for its authoritative explanations of every significant word, person, and place in the Bible and Apocrypha, it is the standard by which all other Biblical encyclopedias are measured. In contains articles by nearly 200 scholars about archaeological discoveries, the language and literature of Bible lands, customs, family life, occupations, and the historical and religious environments of Bible people.

Torrey's Topical Textbook is a reference book or concordance for topics found in the Holy Bible. It contains subject index guides to topics found throughout the scriptures. The work contains 628 entries and over 20,000 scripture references.  It was published long enough ago that the original edition is believed to be out of copyright, but the exact year of publication is not known from sources cited here.  Reverend R.A. Torrey was known for his prolific writings on religious subjects including Methods of Bible Study

The Thompson Chain-Reference system was devised by its namesake, Dr. Frank C. Thompson, in the early 1900s. Dr. Thompson was a young preacher in the late 1800s. He became dissatisfied with the reference Bibles that were then available to preachers.

Dr. Thompson believed the Bible should be presented in a simple, but scholarly way. He saw the need for a well-organized reference Bible that would be of practical use to the layman as well as a minister. In 1890, Dr. Thompson began the work he would continue for the rest of his life. He completed the "thought suggestions" opposite the verses throughout the Bible. These are what became the "chain-links" that are the heart of the Thompson system. Some of the men in Dr. Thompson's church saw his Bible and told him this would be a great help to them in their Bible study too. They encouraged Dr. Thompson to have his Bible, with marginal references, published so that everyone could enjoy the blessing of this helpful study tool.[1]
The first version of Thompson's study Bible was published in 1908 by the Methodists Book Concern of Dobbs Ferry, New York. Five years later, in 1913, Dr. Thompson was joined by B.B. Kirkbride, of Indianapolis, Indiana. The two men formed the Kirkbride Bible Company, in order to further improve and distribute Thompson's work.

The original Thompson Chain-Reference Bible, as well as several subsequent versions, were based on the King James Bible. Currently, editions based on the King James Version, New King James Version, New International Version and New American Standard Bible are available, as well as electronic versions that incorporate other features.

As of 2006, there have been more than 4,000,000 Thompson Chain-Reference Bibles sold.

Vine's Expository Dictionary is a reference guide to Old Testament Hebrew and New Testament Greek words for English readers. Some versions of the work only contain Greek word definitions. It explains King James Version words in an original Greek in context. It provides the meaning of the word in a proper context of Greek background. For example: In English Bible, there is only one word for "love" but in NT Greek, there are four (two being used the mostly). Therefore Vines fills the gap between English Bible and Greek NT nicely and effectively. It provides the definition of a word (KJV word) more accurately than the English dictionary because it uses Greek use of the word. For example: The word, "godliness (1Tim. 2:2)" TARGET="_blank">1Tim. 2:2)" in Merriam Webster Collegiate Dictionary is defined as "1: Divine 2: pious, devout -" but in Vines, it defines it as " 'to be devout,' denotes that piety which characterized by a Godward attitude, does that which is well-pleasing to Him." It provides fuller meaning of the word by explaining how the word is used in the NT. It can be used with Strongs concordance. Every word is numbered with Strong's number so you can use it more efficiently.

 WHEN U.S. WORKS PASS INTO THE PUBLIC DOMAIN

By Lolly Gasaway  University of North Carolina

 Definition:  A public domain work is a creative work that is not protected by copyright and which may be freely used by everyone.  The reasons that the work is not protected include: (1) the term of copyright for the work has expired; (2) the author failed to satisfy statutory formalities to perfect the copyright or (3) the work is a work of the U.S. Government.
 

1  Term of joint works is measured by life of the longest-lived author.
2  Works for hire, anonymous and pseudonymous works also have this term.  17 U.S.C. § 302(c).
3  Under the 1909 Act, works published without notice went into the public domain upon publication. Works published without notice between 1-1-78 and 3-1-89, effective date of the Berne Convention Implementation Act, retained copyright only if efforts to correct the accidental omission of notice was made within five years, such as by placing notice on unsold copies. 17 U.S.C. § 405.   (Notes courtesy of Professor Tom Field, Franklin Pierce Law Center and Lolly Gasaway)
 

LOLLY GASAWAY         Last updated 11-04-03
Chart may be freely duplicated or linked to for nonprofit purposes.No permission needed.
Please include web address on all reproductions of chart so recipients know where to find
any updates.

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EVOLUTION
Can a Christian believe in Evolution?

It is sad to think that anyone “naming the name of Christ” should forsake the clear testimony of God’s Word for the fable of “Evolution”— “Science falsely so-called.” The former declares that “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1;" TARGET="_blank">Genesis 1:1; see also Hebrews 11:3)." TARGET="_blank">Hebrews 11:3). Later we read, “And God said, Let there be light, and there was light” (v. 3); “Let the waters bring forth abundantly” (v. 20); “Let the earth bring forth the living creature” (v. 24); “God created man in his own image” (v. 27); and in chap. 2. 7, we have the detailed account of this; “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul.” Of course the most cursory reader of Gen. i, can see that God’s method in Creation was one of progression, from—the inorganic to the organic,— vegetation, fish, fowl, beasts, and lastly, man. We know, moreover, by experience of the things around us, that there is room within the species for the most wonderful variations (e.g., men, dogs, pigeons, etc.).

Ill-informed persons confuse this with “Evolution,” and they profess to be “evolutionists” because of such facts, which are undisputed. But “Evolution” properly so-called is supposed to account for the development of new species of plants or animals, either by mutation or by minute modification. Its teaching is that everything organic began with a cell (possibly more than one, but perhaps only one), and evolved by minute variations, into the myriads of “species” in the world, brought about by “natural selection,” securing “the survival of the fittest” during the course of “a struggle for existence.” Can anything be conceived more wildly improbable? It is only one more proof of “the Fall,” that otherwise sensible men can be found gullible enough to believe it. For such a process has never been proved to have taken place in nature.

Now, Science is something known, so that it is very unscientific to be an Evolutionist, seeing that evolu- tion is not something known; it has not even attained to the dignity of a theory, but is a mere hypothesis. The late Lord Kelvin, perhaps the greatest scientist since Newton, said in one of his last addresses, “I marvel at the undue haste with which teachers in our universities ‘ and preachers in our pulpits are restating truths in terms of Evolution, while Evolution itself remains an unproved hypothesis in the laboratories of Science” (my emphasis). Not only is Evolution a direct attack on the Creatorship of God, negativing the Scriptural account of the origin of things, but it denies the fall of man, and so inevitably the need of atonement and also, logically, the work of Christ. Shallow thinkers may profess to be able to believe the Scriptures and Evolution, but intelligent believers subject to the Word, and clear-headed agnostics, like Huxley, see clearly that the two are mutually incompatible. Evolutionists in the meanwhile continue to utter discordant cries hardly agreeing upon a single point, except that their pet hypothesis is true. Our choice simply lies between God as Creator and His Word for it, or everything its own creator and man’s word for it.

William Hoste

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The R.V. of Psalm 68:11" TARGET="_blank">Psalm 68:11: “The women that publish the tidings are a great host,” has been used in favour of public preaching of the Gospel by women. What is its real meaning?

Psalm 68" TARGET="_blank">Psalm 68 is primarily connected with the bringing up of the Ark by David to the “resting place” (Psalm 132:8," TARGET="_blank">Psalm 132:8, R.V.) which he had, in accordance with his boyhood’s vow, prepared for it; though, of course, prophetically it looks forward to events far beyond that. It begins in v. with the words uttered by Moses on the occasions when the Ark was being taken up to move onward through the wilderness (Numbers 10:35);" TARGET="_blank">Numbers 10:35); and in its earlier verses it recounts in few words the bright side of Israel’s past history, as connected with what the Ark symbolised—the presence and power of God with His people. Their march through the desert; their arrival in the promised inheritance; and their victories over the nations that dwelt there, and those others that surrounded it; are pictured as won by the Presence of God with them. On various occasions these were celebrated in song, especially by their women-folk; and it is to such celebrations that the words quoted in the question refer.

See examples of them, in Exodus 15:20, 21," TARGET="_blank">Exodus 15:20, 21, after the Red Sea crossing; in Judges 5:1-3," TARGET="_blank">Judges 5:1-3, after Barak’s defeat of the host of Sisera; and in 1 Samuel 18:6, 7," TARGET="_blank">1 Samuel 18:6, 7, after David’s own victory over Goliath. Also compare the rejoicing on this occasion of the bringing up of the Ark as described in 2 Sam. 6. 15-22." TARGET="_blank">2 Sam. 6. 15-22. It is worthy of note that in many respects our psalm may be compared with the above-mentioned Song of Deborah.  Those who advocate that women should do what in the New Testament they are forbidden to do, must be hard bestead for proof, if they have to come to Psalm 68:11" TARGET="_blank">Psalm 68:11 for it.

W.R.

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Question: I have a question re- the beheading reference in rev 20:4." TARGET="_blank">rev 20:4.

I am new to bible study, I had read the bible 4 times before but since June the words have different meaning to me. I do not now know if my new interpretations are in the correct direction or indicative of a misunderstanding. Or each person interprets the word differently, based on their experiences and stage in life.

I was studying Ephesians 1" TARGET="_blank">Ephesians 1 and was then drawn to the letters addressed to the churches in Revelation 2 and Revelation 3" TARGET="_blank">Revelation 3 the letters seem to represent a systematic progression towards the kingdom of God while on earth.
then i was led to read Revelation 20:4" TARGET="_blank">Revelation 20:4

I have quietly approached people during conversation at my church to gauge their abilities or interests in bible interpretation, but it is hard to ask in-depth questions to people of differing backgrounds, everyone has their own opinion.

rev 20:4" TARGET="_blank">rev 20:4 I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5(The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. 6Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.

Here are my questions -

1. “beheaded because of their testimony” - is this the when a person surrenders completely to God and have died in the flesh, to be reborn in the spirit. the word (sword) of God has severed the spiritual head from the physical body. the person has passed through the inner door to the kingdom that exists within. The person then arrives at the realization that the kingdom inside, outside and the kingdom of heaven are one and the same.
2. “They had not worshiped the beast” - is the beast our "flesh body" that the holy spirit lives within. We die in the flesh , meaning give up wants, desires, defects, …
3. “They came to life” - a person dies to the body of flesh and awakens to the spirit within. we still walk the earth but our perspective has changed. like when the blind are given sight, it is the people blind to the kingdom of God are given sight and not blind to the kingdom of Gd
4. “This is the first resurrection” - is this a reference that some people enter the kingdom of God while alive as they have surrendered fully without reservation to the will of Gd. the 2nd resurrection is for others who remain blind spiritually to the kingdom of Gd. These blind people do not enter the kingdom until they die physically and are buried.
5. “they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years” - a person that has entered the kingdom while alive in the physical body. This person while dead in the flesh but alive in the spirit is given tasks to perform. Tasks/functions/callings (refer to Ep 4:11) while completing the will of Gd. while some people remain blind to the kingdom. The thousand years refers to the rest of the physical life which will be a period of time.

Thank you for your time and consideration,
al

Answer:

The questions you pose appear can be answered with another question:

"How does one interpret the Bible, especially in regards to prophetic writings like Revelation? Literally? figuratively? Alegorically? Contextually? Culturally?

The best answer to the question of how to interpret the Bible is to view how the New Testament interprets the Old Testament.

OT prophecies and events were taken literally unless there were specific, clear, obvious reasons to do otherwise.
For example, in the Book of Daniel, there are dreams which carried figurative meanings (tall statue, tall tree cut down), yet actual supernatural events (fiery furnace, lion's den).  Daniel 3," TARGET="_blank">Daniel 3, Daniel 4," TARGET="_blank">Daniel 4, Daniel 5" TARGET="_blank">Daniel 5

The King had actual dreams and Daniel was thrown to real lions, the three friends walked in literal fire.
It is not as if the fire represented a trial and the Lions were a figure of Daniel battling Satan.
In the same way, your questions about the saints who were beheaded are literal believers who John sees in the future.
The beast is the world leader - known as the antichrist.
They are real people.

In Revelation, however, there is a lot of figurative language. Fortunately, we can tell when John is describing these images because he uses the words "like" or "as". Revelation 9" TARGET="_blank">Revelation 9: 7 "And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men."

I would recommend that you start your quest by determining how you should interpret the Bible. A good book to read on the subject is "Things to Come" by J. Dwight Pentecost. It's become a standard, comprehensive reference book on Bible prophecy. However, it is different from many other prophetic books in that the first 65 pages deal with the issue of how to interpret the Bible.

Specifically, the answers to your questions:

There is no indication in the chapter to say these bodies, resurrections and people are not real.  What they experience is a miracle.  While the "beast" is a name given to indicate a person's beastly character, he is a real human.

“beheaded because of their testimony” - is this the when a person surrenders completely to God and have died in the flesh, to be reborn in the spirit. the word (sword) of God has severed the spiritual head from the physical body. The person has passed through the inner door to the kingdom that exists within. The person then arrives at the realization that the kingdom inside, outside and the kingdom of heaven are one and the same.

 This means there will be believers in the Tribulation that will be executed for disobeying the antichrist's decree to worship his idol.
There is nothing in the context of Revelation about surrendering oneself to God.
This teaching is taught quite straightforwardly in Romans 12:1" TARGET="_blank">Romans 12:1

 “They had not worshiped the beast” - is the beast our "flesh body" that the Holy Spirit lives within. We die in the flesh, meaning give up wants, desires, defects, …

 This beast is a real person, a world leader who demands worship as a god.
Again, read the context of the chapter.

 “They came to life” - a person dies to the body of flesh and awakens to the spirit within. We still walk the earth but our perspective has changed. like when the blind are given sight, it is the people blind to the kingdom of God are given sight and not blind to the kingdom of God

 These believers are raised back to by physically alive again.

 “This is the first resurrection” - is this a reference that some people enter the kingdom of God while alive as they have surrendered fully without reservation to the will of Gd. the 2nd resurrection is for others who remain blind spiritually to the kingdom of Gd. These blind people do not enter the kingdom until they die physically and are buried.

 There are two literal resurrections - firstly for believers who will live in heaven.
They are saved eternally. The second resurrection is described Revelation 21" TARGET="_blank">Revelation 21 where the eternally lost are given a just sentence for their sins and condemned to a literal Lake of Fire.

“they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years” - a person that has entered the kingdom while alive in the physical body. This person while dead in the flesh but alive in the spirit is given tasks to perform. Tasks/functions/callings (refer to Ep 4:11) while completing the will of Gd. while some people remain blind to the kingdom. The thousand years refers to the rest of the physical life which will be a period of time.

 There will be a literal throne, a literal calendar that can mark of a literal thousand years and a literal group of people who will participate in the administration of the earth with Christ.

 Shad Sluiter

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THE BREAD

At the Lord’s Supper is the loaf a symbol of the human Body of the Lord, and also a symbol of His mystical Body—the Church?

When thus gathered, are we an expression of that Body on earth? It has been stated by a well-known teacher that “the Church which is Christ’s Body” (Ephesians 1:22-23)" TARGET="_blank">Ephesians 1:22-23) is spiritual, and spiritually discerned, lying altogether beyond the range of the natural senses and is without organisation or expression on earth.”
It has often been remarked that the order of things in 1 Corinthians 10" TARGET="_blank">1 Corinthians 10: differs from that of the following chapter, in that in the ioth the cup precedes the bread, whereas it is the bread which comes first in the i ith chapter, where we have the actual order of the celebration. In the former chapter, it is a question of communion which rests on the blood; in the latter, of remembrance, which views primarily the Person. Certainly in 1 Corinthians 11" TARGET="_blank">1 Corinthians 11: , the loaf represents the literal human Body of the Lord, according to His words: “This is My body, which is given for you.” How else could such words be understood, than as referring to His literal Body, which was crucified for us, and in which He bore our sins, and which the bread represents?

But in 1 Corinthians 10:17," TARGET="_blank">1 Corinthians 10:17, we read: “For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread,” or as the R.V. margin has it, more clearly and I judge, more correctly: “Seeing that there is one bread, we, who are many are one body.” I do not think it is necessary for us to assert that “we are an expression of the body on earth,” for this may, as it has too often done in the past, savour of pretension, but rather that the one loaf is the expression of the one mystical Body of Christ. I do not think that this is out of harmony with the statement quoted above by the “well-known teacher.” The one loaf does not define the unity of the Body, it affirms it and we say, “Amen”!

W.H.

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