SPECIAL SERIES: "THE CROSS OF CHRIST"

The Exton Church of Christ will be hosted a weekend Gospel Meeting on "The Cross of Christ" and the sermons were recorded and can be found by click on the Sermons Link above.

In the Roman Empire of the first century, crucifixion was a gruesome punishment reserved for criminals who did not have rights as Roman citizens. Jesus of Nazareth, a man reckoned by the Jewish populace as their long awaited Messiah, was put to death by means of crucifixion ordered by a Roman governor at the instigation of leaders in the Jewish community who were threatened by Jesus’ teaching and popularity.

However, Jesus’ death on a cross did not bring his influence to an end. Instead, 2000 years later the whole world marks time in relation to the life of this man. When we reckon this to be the year 2009, we do so with reference to the approximate time that has passed since Jesus’ birth.

Jesus' profound impact on world history is explained by the victory which he achieved over the death. His resurrection was the foundation of the proclamation of his message. Had he not been raised from the dead, his followers would not have multiplied in the face of persecution and his name would have been lost to history.

Even the cross itself has become a symbol of victory rather than defeat. Some twenty years after Jesus’ crucifixion, the apostle Paul wrote, “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” Mr. Hutto will develop five ideas in connection with the theme of The Cross of Christ.

  1. * What Happened to Jesus on the Cross?
  2. * What Did Christ Accomplish on the Cross?
  3. * What the Cross Teaches Us About God
  4. * Take Up Your Cross
  5. * The Hope of the Cross

The Bible Story in 90 Minutes!

Would you like to have an understanding of the Bible as a whole? Maybe you aren't certain in your own mind as to the origin of the Bible. Maybe you are open to the idea that it's from God, but aren't really sure how much of it is from God. Maybe you aren't ready to become part of a church, but you would like to know a little more than you do about the Bible itself.

If you are such a person, and if you live in or near Chester County, PA, I'd like to talk with you. In one 90 minute one-on-one session, I can give you the big picture, showing you how what you already know fits into the overall story of the Bible. After that, if you aren't interested in any further study, you have no obligation to me.On the other hand, if you'd like to go a bit further and understand a bit more, we can meet a 2nd time, a 3rd, or more. It's up to you. Interested?

Please enter your contact information below, or call me, Jeff Smelser, at (571) 214-9328

GOD'S LIGHT IN THIS WORLD

11/05/2008

WCOJ, one-time home of my favorite local radio broadcast, Ron O'Neil's "Swap Shop," has been sold and now features all Catholic programming all the time. Last week or so, I heard someone on one of its programs, perhaps a nationally syndicated program, explaining the Catholic doctrine that says one must accede to the Roman Church's interpretation of scripture.

The Catholic speaker (I don't recall his name or title) had a little sentence which he used to make his point. It was, "I never said you stole money." A quick Google search yields a Catholic web site that makes exactly the same argument, using exactly the same sentence. It goes like this:

The writer of that sentence might have meant,

"I never said you stole money", implying someone else said it.

Or perhaps he meant "I never said you stole money." He thought it, he suspected it, but he never said it.

Or maybe "I never said you stole money." He said your neighbor stole it.

Or, "I never said you stole money." He means that you lost it, or squandered it, or did something else with it that he didn't approve of, but you didn't steal it.

Or, "I never said you stole money." Maybe you stole his horse, or shoes, not his money.

This shows how easy it is to derive several legitimate but very different meanings from this short, six word sentence. Think how easily the Bible can be misinterpreted. We can't just assume we have the correct understanding of Scripture. We need an authority to guide us, and the only true authority on the Bible is the Catholic Church.

Well, of course all of those meanings are possible. But you know, in real life, when someone says, "I never said you stole money," there's a context that helps me understand what he means. What he says is part of a larger conversation, and within the context of that conversation, I can discern his meaning. I certainly don't go looking for some institution headquartered in Rome to tell me what that someone meant.

So it is with the Bible. Yes there are phrases, sentences, even paragraphs that could be understood in different ways without sufficient knowledge of the context. But the solution is not to have some organization, whether it be a church or anything else, tell you what is meant. The solution is to become sufficiently familiar with the Bible yourself that you understand the context of the particular passage, and then you can understand its meaning.

We don't "need an authority to guide us." The scriptures themselves are the authority. They are the word of God. We just need to know them.

It takes effort. It takes time. But if your employer wrote out some instructions for you to follow and your paycheck depended on your following them, you would put the effort into understanding them, wouldn't you? Even if they were a bit complicated. What if your Creator, your eternal Savior, left you some instructions? Well, He did.

And they are light in this world, not more darkness in need of being illuminated by a religious organization.

ARCHIVES

 

Your Name:


Your Email:

Your Number (optional):

  

 

 

 Want to chat about the Bible? 
           Have a question that's been on your mind? 
   Drop in for a chat!  

Of course, if you call ahead, you can make sure I'll be available. But sometimes calling ahead just seems like too much of a commitment, especially when you don't know what you're getting into. Sometimes, it's just easiest to act when the mood hits.

So if you're driving along Whitford Rd. during business hours, and the mood hits you, stop in! If I'm in the office, I'll eagerly do my best to make time for you!

Verse of the Day

All Rights Reserved 2006 ExtonChurchofChrist.org