Fortify Your Faith in an Age of Doubt

Paul's Two-Year Roman Imprisonment

Author: Wayne Jackson

By weaving together the data found in Paul's prison epistles, one can get some feeling for how things fared for the apostle in Rome before being imprisoned again and finally departing to be with the Lord in his heavenly kingdom.

It was an amazing series of events that brought Paul to Rome, the great capital city of the empire. One archaeological source suggests that the population of the imperial city in the first century was in excess of four million people, about three... Read more

A Survey of the Major Prophets

Author: Wayne Jackson

The Major Prophets represent the books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, and Daniel.

There is a collection of five Old Testament books that are commonly designated as the “Major Prophets.” This appellation is not intended to suggest a superior character; rather, these documents are major in size, compared to the twelve books of... Read more

A Feud Among Evolutionists

Author: Wayne Jackson

Stephen J. Gould of Harvard University was probably the most militant opponent of Christianity in the nation in the late 1990s. But his popular combative rants against creation got him in hot water from his evolutionary companions, a modern-day feud among friends.

Stephen J. Gould of Harvard University was probably the most militant opponent of Christianity in the nation during the late 1990s. He was rabid in his hostility toward biblical creation. When the Kansas Board of Education decided to eliminate the... Read more

The Christian and the Workplace

Author: Wayne Jackson

More and more, it appears, Americans are finding that materialism isn't what it's cracked up to be. Without some sort of spiritual flavor, there is a void in life--an aching of the soul that longs for a greater satisfaction.

More and more, it appears, Americans are finding that materialism isn’t what it’s cracked up to be. Without some sort of spiritual flavor, there is a void in life—an aching of the soul that longs for a greater satisfaction. In 1999, Business... Read more

The Tower of Babel: Legend or History?

Author: Wayne Jackson

The book of Genesis is a narrative dealing with "beginnings," as the title of the document indicates. One of the beginnings in Genesis is the record of how human beings came to speak different languages.

The book of Genesis is a narrative dealing with “beginnings,” as the title of the document indicates. One of the beginnings in Genesis is the record of how human beings came to speak different languages. According to the Bible, originally “the... Read more

A Response to: "Yes, We Baptize Babies"

Author: Wayne Jackson

All loving parents want their children to be saved. But is infant baptism helping our children reach that goal? Or is it a dangerous and unscriptural practice that should be abandoned?

The Christian News is a weekly journal published by some nice (though misguided) folks associated with the Lutheran Church (Missouri Synod). A couple of years back (June 30, 1997, p. 22) the paper published the reproduction of an article by... Read more

Is the Bible True?

Author: Wayne Jackson

The October 25th edition of _U. S. News & World Report_ carried a sensational cover story titled "Is The Bible True?" The most significant thing about Jeffrey Sheler's article, perhaps, is this: it reveals the telling concessions that even the most left-leaning thinkers are forced to make.

The October 25th edition (1999) of U. S. News & World Report carried a sensational cover story titled “Is The Bible True?” The sub-caption declared: “New discoveries offer surprising support for key moments in the Scriptures.” The article was... Read more

Immanuel -- God Is With Us

Author: Wayne Jackson

The name "Immanuel" in Hebrew means "God is with us," and the prophecy finds its fulfillment in the birth of Jesus Christ.

Names are of great importance in the Bible. Some names have historical significance. “Adam,” for example, may derive from the Hebrew adama, “the red soil”—thus suggesting something of his physical origin (Gen. 2:7). And “Eve” (“living,” “life”)... Read more

Are the Dead Conscious?

Author: Wayne Jackson

There is an ongoing controversy in the religious community as to whether or not human beings, after death, exist in a state of consciousness.

There is an ongoing controversy in the religious community as to whether or not human beings, after death, exist in a state of consciousness. The Watchtower movement claims: “The dead are shown to be ‘conscious of nothing at all’ and the death... Read more

The Roman Catholic - Lutheran Peace Treaty

Author: Wayne Jackson

On October 31, 1999 in Augsburg, Germany, representatives of Roman Catholicism and Lutheranism met to sign a "peace treaty" of sorts.

The formal beginning of the Protestant Reformation, as generally fixed by historians, was October 31, 1517. On that day, Martin Luther went to the Cathedral in Wittenberg, Germany and nailed a parchment to the door containing ninety-five “theses”... Read more

Elisha and the Lads of Bethel

Author: Wayne Jackson

The incident in 2 Kings 2:23-24 of Elisha, the bears, and the mocking lads has been cited by atheists in an attempt to involve the Bible in moral difficulty.

In the book of 2 Kings, there is an intriguing narrative that has generated considerable controversy. Concerning the prophet Elisha, the text reads as follows: And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came... Read more

The Big Bang Theory vs. God's Word

Author: Wayne Jackson

John Clayton has virtually made a career of lecturing most weekends of the year to churches across the country. His knowledge of science is woefully skewed with ideas of evolution; unfortunately, his acquaintance with the Bible is even more deficient.

“We have tried over and over again to point out to readers that the big bang theory is not at odds with the Bible nor with the concept of God as Creator.” So wrote John N. Clayton, of South Bend, Indiana, in the September-October, 1999 issue of... Read more

Our Amazing Zip Code System

Author: Wayne Jackson

With every advancement in our understanding of life, especially our own bodies, the fingerprint of an all-powerful, all-wise Creator is even more clearly seen.

A thousand years before the birth of Jesus, David, king of Israel, exclaimed: “I will give thanks unto thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14). Truly, the human body is a masterpiece of design. The late George G. Simpson of... Read more

Help Me, Doctor!

Author: Jared Jackson

Perhaps the most amazing thing about this procedure is the floodlight it casts upon the "person" inside the womb.

On August 19, 1999, Dr. Joseph Bruner operated on little Samuel Armas to repair a diagnosed fatal case of spina bifida at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. What was unusual about this surgery was that it was performed while Samuel was... Read more

False Ideas Regarding Death

Author: Wayne Jackson

False notions about death permeate society's thinking. Is death just an illusion? Is reincarnation a reality? Will we recognize each other after death? What about purgatory or speaking with the dead? What does the Bible say about these common beliefs about the dead?

Each day of our existence we are reminded of the grim reality of death. It haunts us. We know so little about it. In fact, we know almost nothing regarding this ultimate physical experience, except for what is revealed in the Bible. But the... Read more

The Growing Trend of Performance Worship

Author: Wayne Jackson

Does the Bible *specifically* address the issue of the growing practice of "worship-drama"?

Acceptable worship is a God-centered phenomenon. It involves not only an attitude but also a submission to certain prescribed acts. Through worship, Christian people, grateful for divine redemption, pour out their souls in adoration to deity. When... Read more

What About Those After Death Visits to the Other Side?

Author: Wayne Jackson

Psychiatrist Elisabeth Kubler-Ross ventured far afield from her area of expertise in speculating about human immortality.

Increasingly there are news reports concerning those who have had “mystical” experiences in which they claim to have visited the “other side,” i.e., they died for a short period of time during some health crisis, and then returned to tell all... Read more

The Silence of the Scriptures: Permissive or Prohibitive?

Author: Wayne Jackson

Some allege that whatever is not expressly forbidden is allowed in religious practice. Others contend that anything not authorized is not permitted. Is there any validity to the argument from silence?

One of the controversies that has raged in the world of “Christendom” for centuries is the matter of whether or not the “silence” of the Scriptures must be respected or ignored. Some allege that whatever is not expressly forbidden is allowed in... Read more

The Falwell-Gay Alliance

Author: Wayne Jackson

Jerry Falwell is calling for a more charitable view, he says, towards the "gay" community.

Falwell, extending an “olive branch” to about two hundred homosexuals who attended the meeting (together with some two hundred “straight” denominationalists), insisted he has not altered his basic view that homosexual conduct is sinful. Rather, he... Read more

A Study of Biblical Types

Author: Wayne Jackson

One of the most fascinating areas of Bible study is that of typology--the study of Scripture "types."

One of the most fascinating areas of Bible study is that of typology—the study of Scripture “types.” Few Christians have made any sort of in-depth investigation of biblical types. As a matter of fact, this field of study has fallen into disrepute... Read more