After struggling for some time with the meaning of Christ’s words in Matthew 5:39, “Resist not an evil man” I finally came to realize that they meant, “Resist not an evil man.” I had always understood the words but now I was shocked at the way I had understood them. It is no mystery […]
Tag: gospel
I have had the opportunity to speak on the topic of violence the last couple of Sundays. I endeavored to communicate that as far as the listeners sympathized with the spirit of violence that there exist a fault in their understanding of Christ’s mission and spirit. Violence is the same as committing murder. This idea […]
Violence A View From the Wall Introduction Can anyone read the news and not come across a headline that announces some act of violence somewhere in the world. Whether conflict between nations, civil wars, terrorism, or some mixture of both, the twenty-first century has seen no decrease in war, terrorism, and bloodshed. Why is […]
The social club that many people belong to, known as the “Church,” has a few unwritten rules. The top rule and most important to remember, if you want to keep your membership active, is to never touch on the sins of other members, even incidentally. It is quite okay to enumerate the sins of those […]
To my Christian brothers and sisters: I have put two links here for you to read concerning your involvement with the things of this world, and at this particular season that would include politics and voting. There is a lot at stake, not with the leading of this country, but with the things we have […]
VIOLENCE! The primary Christian message in any age should be to respond to those things that are paramount at that particular time. In this era, that thing which is topmost, is violence: family violence, national violence, violence against the unborn, racial violence, and religious violence. The truth is that unregenerate man loves violence, his books, […]
STEVE BLACKWELL·SUNDAY, JULY 31, 2016 Everywhere I turn in the New Testament I find confirmation to the doctrine of non-resistance to evil. Paul in his writings confirms non-resistance in many places, but I never expected to find confirmation in his epistle of joy, the letter to the Philippians. How many times do we do […]
The Prototype of the Pilgrims/Puritans Jesus never addressed the idea of the colonization of other nations in any of His teachings. What Jesus spoke a lot about was how Christians were to treat and interact with other people. One of the simplest and most poignant of His commands is the “Golden Rule”, “Do unto other […]
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The Lesson of the Lamb
Christ’s example to us is richly illustrated, demonstrated, and exemplified by way of His many teachings and in His genius and spirit. He could have easily commanded armies and defeated every corrupt ruler and coercive power on earth, if it pleased Him. But He did not avail himself of such power. Christ yielded Himself, as […]
The behavior and character upon which Christ pronounced His sincere blessings, i.e. The Beatitudes, in Matthew 5, are exceedingly remarkable. They are these: 1. Poor in spirit, 2. Sorrow and mourning, 3. Humility or meekness, 4. Hungering and thirsting for righteousness, 5. Mercy, 6. Pureness of heart, 7. Peacemaking, and 8. Persecution for righteousness sake. […]