This is the second in a two-part series on the whereabouts of Jesus between His death and resurrection. In the previous column we addressed different views about where Jesus went between His death and resurrection. Now, we briefly examine five New Testament passages that in some way touch on the subject. Keep in mind the most biblically faithful view: Jesus neither went to hell (Gehenna) nor to Hades (the temporary abode of the dead) but to heaven after His death. Acts 2:27 – “Because … [Read more...]
Student embraces comic book evangelism
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP) – Late at night in his kitchen – or whenever the father of four can spare a moment between fulltime employment and doctoral studies – Chad Nuss is sketching, weaving his epic worldview adventure “The Silence.” He launched the first issue in June 2016 after a successful Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for publishing and distribution. Set in the fictional Prolegomenon System – consisting of 12 planets that each manifest specific worldviews like existentialism, … [Read more...]
Did Jesus descend into hell?
This is the first in a two-part series on the whereabouts of Jesus between His death and resurrection. One of the more puzzling questions about the redemptive work of Christ is where His soul went between death and resurrection. The Gospel writers confirm that Jesus’ body was placed in a tomb after His death, and remained there until His resurrection. But what about the immaterial part of Jesus – namely His soul and / or spirit? One view is stated in the Apostles’ Creed: “He [Jesus] … [Read more...]
Should you believe in ghosts?
This is the last in a series of columns on the afterlife and the unseen realm. Ghosts are everywhere. They star in major motion pictures from The Shining to Scary Movie 2. Some ghosts are friendly (Casper) and some are frightening (Bloody Mary). Popular television shows like Ghost Adventures use the latest technologies to “prove” that spirits of the dead are all around us – and want to make their presence known. But is this true? The short answer is no. As Christians, we must gauge all … [Read more...]
New heavens, new earth
This is the ninth in a series of articles on biblical terms that describe the afterlife and the unseen world. In the previous column we saw how Scripture describes heaven as the intermediate state between death and resurrection for followers of Jesus as they await future resurrection and glorification. Now, we look in more detail at heaven as well as the new heavens and new earth. What about heaven? The New Testament reveals many truths about this intermediate state for followers of … [Read more...]
Atheist, Baptist to debate God’s existence, Nov. 8
Does human suffering make belief in God unreasonable? That’s the topic of an upcoming debate sponsored by the Clay-Platte Baptist Association and hosted at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City. James Morgan, a former pastor in St. Joseph, who says he lost his faith and is now an atheist, takes the position that human suffering does indeed make belief in God unreasonable. Morgan is a member of the Clergy Project, which was established in 2011 “to provide a safe haven … [Read more...]
Is heaven our final home?
This is the eighth in a series of articles on biblical terms that describe the afterlife and the unseen world. Is heaven the final destination of all who rest in Jesus? Or do we spend eternity someplace else? In 2 Corinthians 5, the apostle Paul describes two different and mutually exclusive states of existence for the Christian. While we are on earth, “at home in the body,” we are “away from the Lord.” And when we are “out of the body” we are “at home with the Lord” (5:6, 8). The New … [Read more...]
Engaging the culture without losing Christ
We live in a time when fewer and fewer Americans are self-identifying as Christians, and more and more Americans are explicitly rejecting Christian values. Christian understandings of sexuality, marriage, the sanctity of life, gender, and religious liberty are increasingly seen as outdated, if not dangerous. Younger people especially are rejecting religion in general and Christianity in particular as lifestyles of intolerance and even oppression. The idea of America as a Christian nation, … [Read more...]
Heaven can’t wait
This is the seventh in a series of articles on biblical terms that describe the afterlife and the unseen world. In the last column we defined the Roman Catholic doctrine of purgatory and argued that this long-held teaching finds no support in Scripture. Perhaps the strongest argument against the doctrine of purgatory is that it undermines the sufficiency of Christ. Just before His death on the cross, Jesus declares triumphantly, “It is finished!” (John 19:30). Among other things, this … [Read more...]
FBC Buffalo to host apologetics confab
BUFFALO, Mo. – Ted Cabal, general editor of The Apologetics Study Bible, is the keynote speaker at the “Shield of Faith” Apologetics Conference Oct. 7-9 at First Baptist Church of Buffalo. Cabal, professor of applied apologetics at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, has collaborated with such renowned apologists as Norman Geisler, Ravi Zacharias, and Lee Strobel. He has engaged in numerous campus talks and debates with atheist philosophy professors, and currently he is completing a … [Read more...]
Observatory earth
A stunning astronomical event next year will shed light on our world’s intelligent design. How? By leaving us in darkness. In Mark Twain’s classic story, “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court,” a denizen of nineteenth-century New England named Hank Morgan mysteriously finds himself thrown back into sixth-century England. The resourceful Hartford man, taken for a magician and sentenced to burn at the stake, recalls reading about a total solar eclipse that took place on that date in … [Read more...]
Does the Bible teach Purgatory?
This is the sixth in a series of articles on biblical terms that describe the afterlife and the unseen world. Do some Christians undergo purification from the stain of sin between death and entrance into heaven? Many who answer yes to that question embrace the doctrine of purgatory, which became official Roman Catholic dogma in A.D. 1438. Simply stated, purgatory is a place or state of suffering where the dead bound for heaven achieve the holiness necessary to enter into the presence of … [Read more...]
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