From experience, Paul had learned what is most destructive to the plant of love that binds hearts in a Christian assembly. One of the most malignant congregational diseases that Paul admonished Timothy to remedy was that of talebearing…

Readily regaining popularity is the first-century heresy that the second coming is past already
(2 Timothy 2:17-18). This false doctrine was revamped by the Jesuits during the counter-reformation in response to the Protestant identification of the papal antichrist. Known as preterism, the teaching claims that along with the second coming, the first resurrection took place in 70 AD…

Consisting of three main peaks, the mountain cluster of Hermon marked the northern boundary of the Israelite territory conquered by Joshua. With a maximum elevation of 2814 metres (9232 feet), Hermon is the highest mountain range in Israel and Syria. Even today, Hermon’s lofty peaks are renowned for the abundance of dew, rain, and snow descending upon them, in a region that is largely arid…

According to Talmudic Judaism, there are seven heavens. Islam and Hinduism likewise speak of a seven-layered heaven. These traditions, however, are not supported by Scripture. The mythological concept of seven heavens appears to trace back to Babylonia…

When we hear the word ‘church’, we may think of a building filled with pews, or an organisation formed by policy and leaders. Yet neither of these are the true application of the word as it is found in the scriptures…

When God speaks audibly in the Scriptures, His words are usually few. By far the longest speech of Jehovah is when He corrects His servant Job. Over four consecutive chapters, God responds to the unwise questions Job has uttered regarding the dealings of his Maker. Yet God does not directly answer the misrepresentations made against Him…

The Book of Enoch is probably best known for its imaginative take on the events recorded in Genesis 6, the chapter of the Bible that details the chain of events leading up to the deluge. As the chapter reveals, the degeneracy of this period rapidly increased after one particular act of apostasy mentioned in the opening verses…

The Bible showcases the valour of many fearless warriors. Jehu, the intimidating captain of Israel, was proverbial for the fury in which he drove his men into battle. Joab and his two brothers were similarly regarded for their dauntlessness in war. Yet among such fierce fighters as these, faith and goodness usually failed to balance the great strength and courage they possessed…

Fresh from its maker’s hand, the entire face of the newly created earth would be considered a garden by our standards. Even her remotest gully would have been beyond comparison with the most exquisite garden planted today. Across earth’s gorgeous mountains, valleys, and lakesides, the lower creatures happily roamed in abundance and safety. But God had something greater in store for man…

Alongside his brothers Abishai and Joab, Asahel was reckoned among the 37 mighty men of David. Regarding this young man’s prowess, we are told that ‘Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe’ (2 Samuel 2:18). With its quick turns to the right and the left, the roe, or gazelle, consistently evades even the fastest land animal on earth. Like the roe, Asahel was distinguished for his agility, which he had evidently demonstrated by dodging many a spear and sword thrust. But this great strength would be his undoing…

The orderly courses of the sun, moon, and stars have been tracked by man since time immemorial. As we may depend upon a grandfather clock to chime at midday, so the ancients knew when the sun or moon would enter an eclipse, even hundreds of years in advance. As punctual as these heavenly lights are, their luminescence is not without deviation…

The order in which God’s laws were given is not random. Upon the first table of stone, which deals with our obligations towards God, a sequence is clearly observed. If, as per the first commandment, we have no other gods before Jehovah, it follows that we will not bow down to the idols set up against Jehovah…In like manner, God has placed a hierarchy in the remaining six commandments….

It is difficult to imagine how life on Earth could continue to flourish without the seven seas. Given the environmental catastrophe that would result if these seas were deleted from our present world, how can it be that creation will thrive more abundantly on the new Earth when there is ‘no more sea’?

In addition to a set number of gears, motor vehicles have a neutral position which allows the engine to turn over while the wheels remain still. The human mind was not designed to idle in neutral, even if it can be hacked by engaging in occult practices such as meditation. Our Creator placed the desire to roam in our minds that we might grow in grace, and advance in truth and virtue as the wise man declared…

Throughout his career as Moses’ minister, Joshua displayed distinguished valour and unwavering loyalty. Yet before his death, Moses still had a message for his most trusted officer. In the sight of all Israel, Moses charged Joshua: ‘Be strong and of a good courage…

According to First and Second World War veteran Bernard Montgomery, ‘the morale of the soldier is the most important single factor in war’. The celebrated field marshal states that ‘[the soldier’s] home, his upbringing, and his historical tradition’ are of immense importance, being ‘fundamental factors which affect the morale of the soldier and lead to success in battle’…

As his father’s sheep grazed among the rocky hillsides and villages of the Judean mountains, David no doubt interacted with the youth of the families of Bethlehem. These neighbours would have been acquainted with the many trials met by the young shepherd in his work…

The Greek word 'hypokrites' means ‘an actor’ – someone who pretends to be someone or something they aren’t before an audience. As a depraved Hollywood movie star might play the role of a virtuous hero on the silver screen, the scribes and pharisees assumed the roles of pious spiritual guides. While they failed miserably in their job description, these religious leaders were adept meteorologists…

The English words ‘emotion’ and ‘motion’ both stem from the Latin root ‘movere’, meaning to move. As oxygen is necessary to vitalise blood and muscle, emotion is vital to rouse a man to action and spur him on with zeal to accomplish the task at hand. Indeed, man has been granted a broad spectrum of emotions that he may be animated for every circumstance. And these emotional endowments would be deficient without the essential quality of anger…

Roman scholastics of the Middle Ages were steeped in heathen philosophy. These doctors of theology justified their predilection for paganism by the maxim that ‘philosophy is the handmaid of theology’. Romish schoolmen did not originate this sentiment but had received it as an inheritance from the schools of Alexandria…