Tongues Have Ceased
(This answer represents my personal views and not necessarily those of everyone at Thirdmill). Introduction Perhaps no other issue has so divided the modern church more than the gift of speaking in…
What is the meaning of God inhabiting the praises of his people in Psalm 22:3?
Psalm 22:3: Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel ("his people" replaces "Israel" in the KJV). Psalm 22 is a Messianic Psalm. The cross and the death of Jesus are portrayed throughout…
Apostolic Succession and Denominationalism
First, I'd be careful about how much weight you hang on apostolic succession by laying on of hands. Depending on how we define it, it is a valid concept. And ordination is normally accompanied by it.…
Protestant Transubstantiation (History of)
The use of grape juice began during the American Temperance Movement, which began in the early 1800s and culminated in Prohibition in the early 1900s. The motivations for switching to grape juice…
From Dualism to Postmodernity
This sounds remarkably like an essay topic assigned to a class by someone who has recently read A Primer on Postmodernism by Stanley J. Grenzà As I'm sure you are aware, there are many forms of…
Southern Baptist Catholics?
As it is most commonly used today, the term "Protestant" refers to any church that has descended from the tradition of the Reformation, and to some that are closely associated with those churches.…
Apostolic Succession?
I have heard conflicting accounts of Calvin's ordination in the Roman Catholic Church, but to my mind his lack of ordination in a Protestant church is good evidence that he was ordained as a…
Pantheism
Pantheism is any system of belief which includes the teaching "god is all, and all is god." It is the view that god is everything and everyone and everything is god: every tree is god, every star is…
What is Sedevacantism?
The words sedevacantist and sedevacantism come from the Latin meaning “the chair is empty.” These terms relate to the Catholic Church and not Protestantism. Though most Catholics believe there will…
"Heaven is For Real"
In general, I do not see such "accounts" (i.e. "Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back," by Todd Burpo; "90 Minutes in Heaven," by Don Piper; "23 Minutes…
PCA Diaconate
Well, I should clarify that a bit. The PCA believes that it has given deacons "authority", and this is one of the arguments it uses against ordaining deaconesses. What is "inappropriate" is the…
Should we commune with other Christians with different beliefs than ours?
Thanks for your question. Let’s answer this question in several different units of thought. Feeding the Hungry Feeding the hungry is biblical (Isa. 58:10; Psa. 146:7; Matt. 25:35-37; Jas. 2:15-16…
What is Advent?
Advent is what we call the season leading up to Christmas. It begins four Sundays before December 25. What do we look back to during this time? At Christmas, Christians look back to Christ's birth…
What is Reformation Wall?
Reformation Wall is a monument located in Geneva, Switzerland. It honors many of the main individuals who were part of the Protestant Reformation. The Wall is in the grounds of the University of…
When should children participate in the Lord's Supper?
The Lord’s Table is a distinct and matchless meal. It is special and unique. It’s a precious spiritual meal with physical elements and is meant to be eaten with great humility, reverence, respect…
D-Day From a Biblical Perspective?
Our website essentially handles biblical theological issues, not issues regarding certain wars that the U.S. may have been involved in. The Bible though mentions many wars, battles, etc. So, your…
History of Pentecostalism
The Pentecostals come primarily from the Wesleyan Methodist tradition. Most are Wesleyan Arminian in their doctrines of salvation: Christ atoned for all men; all men are able to respond positively to…
Should we celebrate Mother's Day? Galatians 4:10
There is nothing wrong with properly celebrating Mother's Day. We should honor our fathers and mothers (Ex. 20:12) - always. There can be great joy in setting aside a day each year (or more often)…
Home Bible Study Groups
Some home bible study groups (HBSGs) would be fine and others would not, depending upon a host of circumstances. The book of Acts had them (chapters 2 and 4). Pastors or elders are responsible to…
What is Dispensational Premillennialism
As a premillennial system, dispensational premillennialism holds that Jesus will return and believers will be resurrected before the millennium. Jesus will reign physically on earth during the…
Precursors to Christ’s Return
Even though we can’t know when Jesus will arrive, Scripture does mention several circumstances that are precursors to his return. Generally speaking, these precursors aren’t absolute. Just as a…