1st Century Christianity in the 21st Century.

By and large, Americans know so little about sheep, yet the Bible is filled with references to shepherds and their flocks. My nearly ten years of living in New Zealand allowed me to be around them. When I went to New Zealand, there were three million people living in that beautiful land and there were eighty million sheep! I remember driving to conduct a Bible study at a residence on one of the large sheep farms (in New Zealand they…

(Editor’s note: Adair Chapman was the oldest brother of our dear Forrest Chapman, and was a great source of encouragement in Forrest’s decision to preach the gospel. Also a gospel preacher, Adair “emigrated” to Dallas, Texas early in his preaching career, where he became both wellknown and well-loved for his great work in the kingdom.) Members of the church will often ask, “Is it necessary for me to attend church services?” No intelligent person would ask, “Must I eat every…

In Matthew 18:15-17 Jesus discusses right relationships among His disciples. His words (seemingly) prompted Peter’s thoughts and his questions led to the parable Jesus presented (vs. 21). Rabbis of that time commonly taught that one who sinned against another was to be forgiven three times; after that, the wronged person was not obligated to forgive (he had “done his duty”). Peter seems to display a degree of pride in suggesting that he would go farther than required, offering to forgive…

(Matthew 7:24-27, Luke 6:46-49) This parable is Jesus’ conclusion to the “sermon on the mount.” The Master used three comparisons to show the necessity of obeying His words; two ways (Matthew 7:13), two trees (and their fruit, vs. 17), and two builders and their houses, vv. 24f. The last comparison makes it plain that what “counts” with God is what a person does – not merely what one professes. The hill country of Judæa has many gullies and dry washes…