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April 6, 2019 by Jeff Jones
Since, as we’ve seen, the elders are responsible to initiate and guide the process of a deacon’s nomination and examination by the congregation, as well as to make the final decision on whether they will be appointed, it means deacons are, in the final analysis, subject to the elders of the local church. That’s why deacons are, at the end of the process, appointed by the elders....
March 29, 2019 by Jeff Jones
So churches need to try and test the character and maturity of their deacon nominees prior to their appointment by the elders, a process that requires time and familiarity. That’s the deacon’s examination....
March 22, 2019 by Jeff Jones
Biblical deacons, then, are to be examined by the assembly. That’s at the heart of the deacon’s nomination for office....
March 15, 2019 by Jeff Jones
Deacons, again, are to guard the unity of the church and the ministry of the elders from the demands of practical problems. Appreciating such problems requires the careful definition of each deacon’s role....
March 8, 2019 by Jeff Jones
There is only one qualification Paul mentions to Timothy that is not found in Acts 6, and it is that qualification we now turn to examine: the deacon’s purity....
February 28, 2019 by Jeff Jones
This combination of a practical, nuts-and-bolts focus and a separation from doctrinal and pastoral oversight ministry might tempt a church to overlook the piety and conviction of a candidate. That would be a grave mistake....
February 22, 2019 by Jeff Jones
The very fact that this responsibility requires dedicated attention should tell us that it may not come easily, and that not just anyone will be able to fulfill it. It’s no surprise, then, that the third qualification emphasized by the apostles in Acts 6 is wisdom......
February 15, 2019 by Jeff Jones
Having seen last week that the first qualification of a potential deacon is a solid reputation, we now turn to look at the second qualification found in Acts chapter 6: being “full of the Spirit.” Of all the qualifications, this one is perhaps most at risk of being misunderstood in the present day. What does “filled with the Spirit” mean?...
February 8, 2019 by Jeff Jones
Now that we’ve looked at the intent, mission, and objective of the New Testament deacon, it’s time to look at what kind of Christians fill this office. What are the qualifications of those called to be deacons?...
February 1, 2019 by Jeff Jones
We see in Acts 6 that even in the earliest church the temptation to be distracted from this ministry is strong. The apostles put it in blunt terms: “it is not right that we should give up the preaching of the Word of God to serve tables.”...
August 3, 2018 by Rob Snyder | Tags: Hope, Evangelism, Compassion, expectation
So, what is hope? Well, hope has to do with expectancy doesn’t it? If you are hoping for a raise at work or a good mark on your test you have a hopeful expectancy that those things will come to pass. So, hope has a way of making us keep going in our lives with the hopeful expectation of a desired outcome. The problem is that with deceived minds, idolatrous hearts and ho...
Keep ReadingJuly 27, 2018 by Rob Snyder | Tags: Sin, enmity, God, Salvation
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ- by grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:3b-5)......and..... “But now in Christ Jesus you who were once far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” (Ephesians 2:13) ...
Keep ReadingJuly 26, 2018 by Rob Snyder | Tags: Idolatry, false gods, burden, Money, Security, Comfort
Lost humanity has forsaken their Creator and now worship and trust anything else other than Him. One can see this in the trial of the false god’s of Isaiah 40-48 where the utter futility of idolatry is exposed....
Keep ReadingJuly 18, 2018 by Geoff Meadows | Tags: Studies, God, Trinity, Church, History, Word
Although I was initially apprehensive about going back to school, the depth of Bible teaching offered through Union has blessed me in the following three ways....
Keep ReadingJuly 13, 2018 by Rob Snyder | Tags: deceived, Truth, light, God
We need to persevere in it trusting the sovereign Creator of the universe to act in his time. Just as he spoke the universe into existence with his powerful words, he speaks into dark, deceived hearts as the gospel is proclaimed. If you're a Christian this is what he has done to you. “'For God, who said, Let light shine out of darkness,' has shone in our hearts to gi...
Keep ReadingJuly 6, 2018 by Rob Snyder | Category: Life Application
Delighting in the salvation of the lost in missions is synonymous with delighting in seeing the lost come to delight in God....
Keep ReadingJuly 6, 2018 by Jeff Jones | Tags: Jesus, study
given the Bible’s long track record of withstanding critical scrutiny, it certainly deserves the benefit of the doubt from those wondering about those issues that do still await complete answers....
Keep ReadingJuly 6, 2018 by Jeff Jones | Tags: Bible reading plans, Meaning, Context, larger story
Take the time, then, to read all of Scripture. If you’ve never read the entire Bible from cover to cover, then do so! ...
Keep ReadingJuly 6, 2018 by Jeff Jones | Tags: Word, Law, Heart, understanding, light
Therefore, another lesson we can draw from difficult biblical passages is that the Bible not only demands, but also rewards, hard work in study....
Keep ReadingJuly 6, 2018 by Jeff Jones | Tags: Genealogy, twenty-first-century life
The age of the Bible has practical implications for how we read it. Its books were written using literary rules and conventions that were different, thousands of years ago, than they are today. When we encounter biblical difficulties, one of the very first things we need to ask is whether the sheer distance in time and culture between ourselves and the biblical writer is c...
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