Sam I wanted to follow up on the letter I sent you the other day about Jeremiah’s prophecy of 70 years of desolation for Judah. Jeremiah also prophesied 70 years of servitude for Judah. The technique that you developed for determining the duration of prophetic periods can also be used in analyzing the prophecy of … Continue reading Letter to Sam: Jeremiah’s 70 Years of Servitude
Author: B. Waggoner
Letter to Sam: Powerful Example of Prophecy Fulfillment in Scripture
Sam, We corresponded briefly in the spring of 2021, and you kindly answered some questions. Recently, I started studying Jeremiah’s prophecy of 70 years of desolation for Judah and tried to determine when the prophecy was fulfilled. I used your technique for calculating the duration of a prophetic era; the prophecy was fulfilled (not surprisingly) … Continue reading Letter to Sam: Powerful Example of Prophecy Fulfillment in Scripture
Things I’ve Learned From Fifty-five Years of Being a Christian
Below are some principles that have helped me enormously. I can't say that I have mastered them, but I do think they lead to a good life. Be generous. You can never out-give God. What you give to God (or to others in His name) you will always have plenty of. “You cannot do a … Continue reading Things I’ve Learned From Fifty-five Years of Being a Christian
Time for a Mental Workout!
Sam A. Smith Below is a thought-provoking quiz. On a sheet of paper number 1-33 and mark each statement as either true or false (or you can just remember your answers). When you've completed the quiz you can read the answers and discussion for each proposition. If you are unfamiliar with some subjects just skip … Continue reading Time for a Mental Workout!
Recent Creationism and the Bible, Part 5: A Brief History of Creation Views
Sam A. Smith [This is an addendum for the reader who would like more information, and perhaps a little historical perspective on creation views. Some readers will undoubtedly ask, “If Recent Creationism isn’t true, what other options exist?” Hopefully this information will help clear the fog.] A brief history of biblical cosmology In the past, … Continue reading Recent Creationism and the Bible, Part 5: A Brief History of Creation Views
Recent Creationism and the Bible, Part 4: Please, Stop Crippling Your Kids!
Sam A. Smith In writing this series of articles I have repeatedly stated that I am a Bible-believing Christian with over forty-five years of Bible teaching experience and twenty-two years in Christian education (Bible and science). I believe every word of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. I believe that the six days of Genesis … Continue reading Recent Creationism and the Bible, Part 4: Please, Stop Crippling Your Kids!
Recent Creationism and the Bible, Part 3: Recent Creationism—Astronomy Tells a Different Story
Sam A. Smith [Note to the reader: If you haven’t read the first two articles in this series, you are urged to do so; some of what is said here presupposes a familiarity with that material. This article is not intended to be a defense of the Christian worldview against naturalism; that would require a … Continue reading Recent Creationism and the Bible, Part 3: Recent Creationism—Astronomy Tells a Different Story
Recent Creationism and the Bible, Part 2: Why Recent Creationism is Illogical
Sam A. Smith The misapplication of “creation science” While Recent Creationism claims to be a biblical view, its support is almost entirely from creation science. The following are examples of the kind of scientific information used: 1) Decay of the Earth’s magnetic field indicates it is less than ten thousand years old. 2) The amount … Continue reading Recent Creationism and the Bible, Part 2: Why Recent Creationism is Illogical
Recent Creationism and the Bible, Part 1: The Bible Does NOT Teach a Recent Creation!
Sam A. Smith If I may set the stage for my comments, let me say that I am a Christian, with a firm commitment to the full verbal inspiration of the Bible, including the opening chapters of the Book of Genesis. As well as being a Bible teacher for the past forty-five years, I have … Continue reading Recent Creationism and the Bible, Part 1: The Bible Does NOT Teach a Recent Creation!
The Biblical Doctrine of Apostasy -Part 2: Personal Apostasy
This is Part Two of a two part series by Sam A. Smith. If a saved person can’t lose their salvation (see the previous article in this series), then how do we explain all the warnings in the New Testament about departing from the faith? The answer lies in understanding the New Testament's teaching on … Continue reading The Biblical Doctrine of Apostasy -Part 2: Personal Apostasy
The Biblical Doctrine of Apostasy -Part 1: The Case for Eternal Security -Sam A. Smith
This is article is Part One of a two part series. To skip to Part Two, tap or click here. When a person exercises genuine faith in Christ, the process of salvation that is begun is irreversible; it is impossible for a person, once redeemed and regenerated, to ever be lost again. The two views … Continue reading The Biblical Doctrine of Apostasy -Part 1: The Case for Eternal Security -Sam A. Smith
Calculating Daniel’s Seventy Weeks Prophecy (Daniel 9:24-27) and the Length of the Tribulation Period
Sam A. Smith An Overview of Daniel’s Seventy Weeks (Daniel 9:24-27) The prophecy of the seventy weeks (Dan. 9:24-27) is perhaps the most important prophecy of all in understanding tribulation chronology. This prophecy was given for the purpose of conveying specific chronological information concerning God’s future plans for the Jewish nation, which was then in … Continue reading Calculating Daniel’s Seventy Weeks Prophecy (Daniel 9:24-27) and the Length of the Tribulation Period
Were the Old Testament Saints Regenerated and Indwelt by the Holy Spirit Prior to Christ’s Death on the Cross?
Sam A. Smith According to the Bible, there has never been but one means of eternal salvation: salvation by grace, through faith in Christ. However, that should not be interpreted to mean that the temporal relations in the application of the various elements of salvation (justification, regeneration, indwelling, sanctification, etc.) are uniform in redemptive history. … Continue reading Were the Old Testament Saints Regenerated and Indwelt by the Holy Spirit Prior to Christ’s Death on the Cross?
The Inspiration of the Bible
Sam A. Smith This brief article is not intended as an apologetic directed at skeptics of biblical inspiration; that line of reasoning would need to be quite different. This information is for those who are already committed to some form of biblical inspiration; it seeks to document the Bible’s own claims about itself, and the … Continue reading The Inspiration of the Bible
The Non-Christian, Anti-cosmic Roots of Amillennialism (Realized Eschatology)
Sam A. Smith (Due to the length of this article, only a brief introduction appears here; to read the entire article, click or tap HERE.) As the Church expanded into the Greek and Roman world, Christianity was, over time, quite literally transformed into a non-Jewish and somewhat anti-cosmic religion. While some modern religious scholars seem … Continue reading The Non-Christian, Anti-cosmic Roots of Amillennialism (Realized Eschatology)
Part 2: How Do We Know the Bible Is the Word of God?
In Part One of this two part article we asked the question, “How can we know the Bible is true.” That was a theological question. The question we will address here, “How and where did we get our Bible?” is a historical question, so it gets a historical answer. Basically there are six steps in … Continue reading Part 2: How Do We Know the Bible Is the Word of God?
Were the “Lost Gospels” Really Lost, or Simply Rejected?
By Sam A. Smith For all of the attention currently being given to the subject of “lost gospels,” there simply are no lost gospels. There are of course, numerous post-New Testament writings that purport to be gospels. Almost all of those documents were composed between the mid-second century and the close of the third century … Continue reading Were the “Lost Gospels” Really Lost, or Simply Rejected?
The Relationship Between Law and Grace, Part 4: The Superiority of Grace to Law as Seen in Romans 3:21-10:15
Click here to go to the first article in this series. Paul fought a running battle with legalistic thinking within the early church; they too had those within their number who thought that righteousness could be produced through the keeping of the Law, and this conflict shows through clearly in his epistle to the Romans. … Continue reading The Relationship Between Law and Grace, Part 4: The Superiority of Grace to Law as Seen in Romans 3:21-10:15
The Relationship Between Law and Grace, Part 3: The Superiority of Grace to Law as Seen in Galatians 2:11‑5:26
Click here to go to the first article in this series. In this letter Paul addressed what he termed a “desertion” (NASB) from God to a different gospel (1:6). This was a serious theological matter and quickly brought with it a forceful response from the Apostle (1:8). Those who introduced their heretical teaching of Christian … Continue reading The Relationship Between Law and Grace, Part 3: The Superiority of Grace to Law as Seen in Galatians 2:11‑5:26
The Relationship Between Law and Grace, Part 2: The Superiority of Grace as Seen in Hebrews 7-9
Click here to go to the first article in this series. Hebrews chapters 7-9 were written to address the obsolescence of the Law and its replacement by the New Covenant. Let’s step through these three chapters and see what they have to say about the present applicability of the Law. Hebrews 7:1-10 Melchizedek was a … Continue reading The Relationship Between Law and Grace, Part 2: The Superiority of Grace as Seen in Hebrews 7-9
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