Can a single person be an elder?

Yes. If the Spirit has developed shepherd care in the heart of a single brother and the brother expresses that care in a character consistent with 1 Timothy 3:1-7," TARGET="_blank">1 Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:6-9," TARGET="_blank">Titus 1:6-9, and 1 Peter 5:13," TARGET="_blank">1 Peter 5:13, God apparently has called him to that work.

This question stems from the words, "the husband of one wife" (1Tim. 3:3;" TARGET="_blank">1Tim. 3:3; Titus 1:6)." TARGET="_blank">Titus 1:6). Three considerations clarify this statement: the context; a comparison; a construction. The context in 1 Timothy 3:2" TARGET="_blank">1 Timothy 3:2 describes moral character. The overseer’s character must be blameless, vigilant, sober, of good behavior. Dealing with hospitality, Paul doesn’t say he must show hospitality (that would describe acts), but that he must be given to hospitality (describing a characteristic). "Apt to teach," judging by its only other usage (2 Timothy 2:24)," TARGET="_blank">2 Timothy 2:24), likewise appears to describe character. The following verse also deals with character and that seems to be the emphasis through verse 6.

By comparison, the expression in 1 Timothy 5:9" TARGET="_blank">1 Timothy 5:9 is "the wife of one husband." The description of the woman here and of the man in 3:2 is consistent. First, this can hardly apply to polygamy, since that doesn’t involve a woman’s being married to more than one man. It hardly seems fair for Paul to state that a true widow who will receive financial support from the assembly can only have been married once. Five verses later, he advises younger widows to marry. If, in later life, they were again widowed, by obeying God’s Word to remarry they became ineligible for financial assistance, even though they otherwise qualified. The expression then must describe her as a woman who was obviously faithful to her husband before her widowhood and retained that dignity when she became widowed. The overseer, by comparison, must be above reproach in relating to women.

The construction of Titus 1:6" TARGET="_blank">Titus 1:6 and 7 is instructive. Verse 7 insists on the irreproachable character of an overseer. Verse 6 is a conditional clause, "if any be blameless" in family life. If married, he must evidently be faithful; if a parent, the respect in which his children hold him supports his character.

D. Oliver
Other pages in this section

About this site

Is the expression "the whole assembly receives and the whole assembly puts away" scriptural?

Is the expression "the whole assembly receives and the whole assembly puts away" scriptural?

Reception to and removal from an assembly are not merely earthly decisions; they are administrative actions. The assembly administers on earth the will of God in heaven. The Lord teaches this in Matthew 18:18," TARGET="_blank">Matthew 18:18, "Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." The assembly administers a case by either applying heaven's discipline or releasing from it. The assembly thus acts in its character as the "House of God" (1 Timothy 3:15;" TARGET="_blank">1 Timothy 3:15; Genesis 28:17)." TARGET="_blank">Genesis 28:17). When the assembly carries out the Word of God, His will in heaven and the assembly's action on earth are the same.

God views the assembly as a unit when it prays (Acts 4:24)," TARGET="_blank">Acts 4:24), responds (11:22), worships (1 Corinthians 10:17)," TARGET="_blank">1 Corinthians 10:17), and acts (Matthew 18:17)." TARGET="_blank">Matthew 18:17). Whether or not every believer in the assembly moves in harmony with the whole, the assembly has the character of a body (1 Corinthians 12:27)" TARGET="_blank">1 Corinthians 12:27) and moves as a single unit. Therefore, administering for God, the assembly receives and the assembly puts away. Seen by God as a unit, "the whole assembly receives and the whole assembly puts away."

D. Oliver
Other pages in this section

About this site

How can we deal with in-law problems?

It is important always to remember that you and your in-laws are all children of God and loved by Him so much that He gave His Son for each of you. We are commanded in 1 John 4:11," TARGET="_blank">1 John 4:11,12 to love one another, thus proving the reality of our salvation. If problems have developed between believers, the Lord Jesus taught in Matthew 18:15" TARGET="_blank">Matthew 18:15 that we should discuss and clear up the problems privately. If that doesn't work (verse 16), then one or two brethren with spiritual wisdom and experience should be invited to give unbiased advice. Every effort should be made to avoid involving others in the assembly.

Sometimes the problem is that parents have been so accustomed to the subjection of their children in the home that they forget that their married "child" is now a member of a new family with the husband as the head. The situation should never be left to fester and become worse, or it can develop into strife not only within the family but also in the assembly

A. Joyce

Other pages in this section

About this site

Is the living bread from heaven, the same as the bread of the church communion?

Is Paul’s reference to the body and blood of Christ related to John 6:53-56" TARGET="_blank">John 6:53-56?

In John 6:53" TARGET="_blank">John 6:53 and 54, eating the flesh of the Son of Man and drinking His blood are necessary and sufficient conditions for having eternal life. That is describing what took place once; at the moment of conversion, we took the death of Christ to ourselves and received all its benefits. In verse 56, feeding on Christ and His death is characteristic of all who are saved. This, linked by some to Israel’s initial and continued eating of the Passover, is individual. "Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us" (1 Corinthians 5:7)." TARGET="_blank">1 Corinthians 5:7). Our redemption is individual, as is our appropriation of the Lamb. The annual Passover shares the feature of remembrance with the Lord’s Supper, but, although instituted at the Passover, it does not replace the Passover or fulfill it.

At the Lord’s Supper, the assembly unitedly blesses and partakes of the cup and bread, thus expressing the blessings they share. Being a corporate act, it is therefore distinct from what the Passover expresses and from the personal communion of which the Lord speaks in John 6:56." TARGET="_blank">John 6:56.

In addition, John 6" TARGET="_blank">John 6 speaks of eating in a spiritual sense, 1 Corinthians 10" TARGET="_blank">1 Corinthians 10 of eating physically.

D. Oliver
Other pages in this section

About this site

Is Bible prophecy literal or figurative?

What starting point enables us to put prophecy into perspective?

The prophets "searched diligently" to understand what "the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify" (1 Peter 1:11)." TARGET="_blank">1 Peter 1:11). We also need to search diligently to know who is speaking, what is spoken, to whom, and for what purpose. The time frame of the fulfillment is also vital. Prophecy has three themes: Christ, His suffering and glory; Israel's future and the nations' destiny.

The New Testament is an infallible guide in the way it interprets Old Testament prophecy. Two facts are plain: Christ is the Key to all prophecy (2 Corinthians 3:14)," TARGET="_blank">2 Corinthians 3:14), and interpretation is literal. A virgin did bear a Child in Bethlehem, who grew up in Galilee, was rejected, spit upon, His hands and feet pierced, His face and form marred. He died for sin, but His body could not see corruption and He rose from the dead. These are only ten of hundreds of literal fulfillments. We have no authority to allegorize prophecy; it is to be taken literally.

N. Crawford

Other pages in this section

About this site

Does a husband guide or lead his wife apart from a right example?

Does a husband guide or lead his wife apart from a right example?

Whether a husband or wife, a parent, a Sunday School teacher, a preacher or elder, or a brother or sister in Christ, none of us has the ability to bring greater spiritual help to others than what we practice ourselves (1Ti 4:12, 16)." TARGET="_blank">1Ti 4:12, 16). Can a husband who finds fault with the other believers in the assembly hope to help his wife feel comfortable in the company of those believers? Will an elder expect his wife to submit to the teaching of the elderhood (namely, the teaching of the Word of God) if she sees that his life is not spiritually consistent with the Word of God? Does a husband who will not submit to the Scriptures in one aspect of his life have any "weight" in helping his wife to obey the Lord? She could easily sense that his interest in her obedience is only for the sake of appearance, since reverence for the Lord hardly characterizes him.

Examples of humbly submitting to the Lord and delighting in His will and Word are the strongest influence for good in any believer’s life. Our steps provide much better guidance than our words, no matter how loud, strong, persuasive, or apparently sanctimonious they are (Mat 23:3, 13)." TARGET="_blank">Mat 23:3, 13).

D. Oliver
Other pages in this section

About this site

Bible Search for MySpace or FaceBook

Using Bible Search Dialog Box on MySpace

MySpace allows you to insert HTML text into your profile to add links, images and portals to other online programs. Below, you will find HTML text that you can copy and paste directly into your online MySpace profile.

This is what the form looks like.

This is how you add it to your MySpace profile.

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

<form action="http://www.gospelhall.org/bible/bible.php" method="GET" target = "new">
<table width="160" border="1" bordercolorlight="#000000" bordercolordark="#000000" bgcolor="#F0DFB9" bordercolor="#000000">
<tr bgcolor="#CCCCCC">
<td><font face="Arial,Helvetica"><b><font size="+1">Online Bible</font></b></font></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p> <font size="1" face="Arial,Helvetica">Show a passage: e.g. "<b>John
3:1-5</b>" <br>
<input type="text" size="25" name="passage" value="John 3:1-5" TARGET="_blank">John 3:1-5">
</font> <font size="1" face="Arial,Helvetica"><br>
Search word(s) in the bible: e.g. "heaven hell"<br>
<input type="text" size="25" name="search">
<br>
Bible Version:
<select name="ver1" size="1">
<option value="kjv" selected >King James Version</option>
<option value="asv" >American Std Version</option>
<option value="bbe" >Bible in Basic English</option>
<option value="dby" >Darby Translation</option>
<option value="esv" >English Standard Version</option>
<option value="gfr" >The Gospels for Readers</option>
<option value="web" >World English Bible</option>
<option value="ylt" >Youngs Lit. Translation</option>
</select>
</font>
<input type="submit" name="submit" value="Search">
<br>
<font face="Arial,Helvetica" size="-3"><a href="http://www.gospelhall.org">Online Bible at GospelHall dot Org</a></font> </p>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</form>

Other pages in this section

About this site

What does the Bible mean "He that endures to the end shall be saved"?

What is the meaning of our Lord’s words, “He that shall endure unto the end the same shall be saved” (Matthew 24:13)" TARGET="_blank">Matthew 24:13)? Why was this promise made? To what time does it apply?

In interpreting words of Scripture it is very important, before attempting any general application, to understand the original intention of the speaker, that is, first to interpret the words in their context. What then is the “end” spoken of here, and what did the Lord mean by being “saved”?

We notice that the disciples’ question was, “What shall be the sign of thy coming and of the end of the age?” This word (sunteleia) is much the same as is used in the other occurrences of the chapter for “end” (telos), and seems to include the general winding up of things. It occurs before in Matthew 13:39-40" TARGET="_blank">Matthew 13:39-40 and 49 as “the end of the age.” The Lord in His reply warns against mistaking for the end of the coming storm, its premonitory rumblings—”wars and rumours of wars.” “But the end is not yet,” He says (v. 6), for wars, famines, pestilences and earthquakes are only “the beginning of sorrows” (v. 8).

Before that “end” there must intervene terrible persecutions against the disciples of the Lord (of whom those addressed were the living representatives), and all will not pass through these unscathed: “many shall be offended,” and shall even apostatise from the faith. “And many false prophets shall arise, and shall deceive many. And because inquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure to the end” (i.e. of this great tribulation)—that is, shall not apostatise—”shall be saved,” in the sense, I believe, of being preserved alive.

Apostasy will not be the means of safety, but standing firm. This sense of physical preservation we find in other places. “God is the Saviour of all men, specially of them that believe,” “Eight souls were saved by water” (i.e. Noah and his family); and in this chapter also at verse 22 we read: “Except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved, but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened”—reminding us of Paul’s words on the ship in Acts 27:31" TARGET="_blank">Acts 27:31 “Except these (the sailors) abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.”

We may notice in closing that the scene of these happenings will be Judaea; the temple will be rebuilt, and when a special sign spoken of by Daniel the prophet is seen, let all the disciples “flee into the mountains” (v. 16). It will be “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7)." TARGET="_blank">Jeremiah 30:7). Let them pray that their flight be not on the Sabbath day. Before the end, the Gospel of the Kingdom will be proclaimed everywhere as a witness. No doubt, the words we are considering may be used by extension to-day.

The best proof of reality is continuance in the faith. “Enduring to the end” is the outward and visible effect of the new-birth. It is those who are most truly in Christ who will feel most their need of being kept by the power of God, and consequently their faith will be in exercise. There were false professors in the early churches, who forsook the assembling of themselves with their brethren, and it is to be feared that such exist to-day. Jude speaks of them. They may boast of their correct knowledge of God, but alas their works sometimes seem to give the lie to their profession. The prayer of the true believer will be increasingly and to the end, “Hold Thou me up and I shall be safe!”

W.H.

Other pages in this section

About this site

Bible Verse Search

The Bible Verse Search program will help you find a Bible verse by searching a keyword or a Bible reference.

Bible Verse Search

The Bible verse search program at Gospel Hall provides a free way search for a Bible verse or phrase. The Bible verse search is available along with the dictionary under the link titled "Online Bible Search" or here.

Instructions for the Bible verse search

1. Select this link Bible Verse Search.

2. Choose a Bible version in which to search for your verse (ASV -American Standard Version, BBE - Bible in Basic English, DBY - Darby "New Translation", GFR - God's Word for Readers, KJV - King James Version, WEB - World English Bible, YLT - Young's Literal Translation, or the ESV - English Standard Version)

3. Click "Go" to launch the finder.

The results of your bible verse search will be different with each Bible version since the language in each Bible version is slightly different.

About the Bible Versions

The King James or Authorised Version of the Bible is an English translation of the Christian Bible first published in 1611. The New Testament was translated from the Textus Receptus (Received Text) edition of the Greek texts, so called because most extant texts of the time were in agreement with it. The Old Testament was translated from the Masoretic Hebrew text.

(Modern English Bibles such as the New American Standard Bible and the English Standard Version decline to use the Textus Receptus, opting instead for what many modern scholars feel are more reliable critical editions.)

The King James Version has had a profound effect on English literature. The works of famous authors such as John Milton, Herman Melville, John Dryden, and William Wordsworth are deeply inspired by it.

The Bible In Basic English (also known as BBE) is a translation of the Bible into Basic English. The BBE was translated by Professor S. H. Hooke using the standard 850 Basic English words. 100 words that were helpful to understand poetry were added along with 50 "Bible" words. The New Testament was released in 1941 and the Old Testament was released in 1949.

The American Standard Version (ASV) of the Holy Bible was first published in 1901. It has earned the reputation of being the Rock of Biblical Honesty. Although the English used in the ASV is somewhat archaic, it isn't nearly as hard to understand as some passages of the King James Version of nearly 3 centuries earlier. This translation of the Holy Bible is in the public domain, since its copyright has expired. You are encouraged to download, copy, publish, and use this translation freely.

John Nelson Darby Version

First published in 1890 by John Nelson Darby, an Anglo-Irish Bible teacher associated with the early years of the Plymouth Brethren. Darby also published translations of the Bible in French and German.

The English Standard Version (ESV) was Published in 2003 as a translation to bridge the gap between the accuracy of the NASB and the readability of the NIV.

The ESV is an “essentially literal” translation that seeks as far as possible to capture the precise wording of the original text and the personal style of each Bible writer. As such, its emphasis is on “word-for-word” correspondence, at the same time taking into account differences of grammar, syntax, and idiom between current literary English and the original languages. Thus it seeks to be transparent to the original text, letting the reader see as directly as possible the structure and meaning of the original.

In contrast to the ESV, some Bible versions have followed a “thought-for-thought” rather than “word-for-word” translation philosophy, emphasizing “dynamic equivalence” rather than the “essentially literal” meaning of the original. A “thought-for-thought” translation is of necessity more inclined to reflect the interpretive opinions of the translator and the influences of contemporary culture.

For example,

Other pages in this section

About this site

Why does the Bible say that Christ was an angel?

Is the Lord Jesus sometimes spoken of as an angel?

How can this be, seeing He is the Son of God, higher than the angels, and the Object of their worship?

We cannot be too jealous for the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. The first chapter of Hebrews establishes His superiority over the angels in various ways, which we need not recapitulate. He has a place, a relation, prerogatives, and glory far transcending those of the highest of angelic beings. But the Hebrew word, “malak,” from a root “to depute,” and the Greek word, “angelos,” from a root meaning, “to announce,” both usually translated “angel,” are also frequently translated “messenger,” e.g., Genesis 33:3;" TARGET="_blank">Genesis 33:3; Numbers 20:14;" TARGET="_blank">Numbers 20:14; 1 Kings 19:2;" TARGET="_blank">1 Kings 19:2; 2 Kings 5:10;" TARGET="_blank">2 Kings 5:10; Haggai 1:13;" TARGET="_blank">Haggai 1:13; Isaiah 42" TARGET="_blank">Isaiah 42: 19 (presumably of Christ Himself); and in N.T., Matthew 9:10," TARGET="_blank">Matthew 9:10, referring to John Baptist; Luke 7:24," TARGET="_blank">Luke 7:24, messengers of the Baptist; Luke 9:52;" TARGET="_blank">Luke 9:52; 2 Corinthians 7:7;" TARGET="_blank">2 Corinthians 7:7; James 2:25." TARGET="_blank">James 2:25.

So that when we affirm that there are places where the words “malak” and “angelos” represent the Lord Himself, we are not bringing him down to the level of His own creatures, the angels, but emphasising the fact that He was the MESSENGER OF JEHOVAH. There is indeed a number of O.T. passages where we are obliged to understand the angel mentioned as a Divine Being. In Genesis 48:16," TARGET="_blank">Genesis 48:16, for instance, could it be a mere angel of whom Jacob speaks as His Redeemer, whose blessing he invokes on his grandsons? Is not this to place an angel on the level of God?

Then in Exodus 3:2," TARGET="_blank">Exodus 3:2, “the angel of the Lord” becomes “God” in v. 4. Later on Jehovah speaks of sending an angel before Israel, and adds, “Beware of him and obey his voice; provoke him not, for he will not pardon your transgressions, for My Name is in him” (Exododus 23:21). Could all this apply to a mere angelic being? In the case of Manoah, how could anyone but a Divine Person dare to identify Himself with the burnt offering? Certainly Manoah and his wife believed they had seen God (Judges 13:20-22)." TARGET="_blank">Judges 13:20-22). To assert that God made Himself known by merely angelic beings is a flagrant denial of the truth of the words, “The only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father, HE hath declared Him” (John 1:18)." TARGET="_blank">John 1:18). He did not cease to dwell there. When thus revealing God, the Son of Man was in heaven, though on earth (John 3:13)." TARGET="_blank">John 3:13). Blessed paradoxes! Human reasonings stumble at them; faith bows to God’s word and adores.

To close I would refer to Malachi 3" TARGET="_blank">Malachi 3: , where the word “malak” is translated twice “messenger”—(1) as applying to John the Baptist, (2) to the Son of God manifest in flesh as the Messenger of the covenant,” exactly the same Hebrew expression as is used in the rest of the O.T. for the “angel of the covenant.” Is it not conclusive then that this Being is Divine, and represents Him whom we know to-day as the Lord Jesus Christ?

W.H.

Other pages in this section

About this site

Main Menu

Using Bible Search Dialog Box on MySpace

This is how you add it to your MySpace profile.

Bible Verse Search