Teaching Archives - Page 2 of 7

Posted on April 17, 2021June 20, 2021 by Michael Reilley

Foundations of the Faith, Part 1: God

Foundations of the Faith is a series where we will look at the basic teachings and beliefs of our faith in YHWH as recorded in the Bible. This series is intended to be a summarized overview of the faith, which we hope will guide new disciples in the beginning of their study. Throughout this series, we will address such fundamental issues as:

Who is God and how do we relate to Him?

What is Torah (God’s teachings and commandments)?

What is sin and the penalty of sin?

How can the penalty of our sins be resolved?

What do we do after receiving salvation?

Posted on April 5, 2021April 5, 2021 by Michael Reilley

Grappling With Doctrine

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

This is a very well-known, and often quoted, piece of scripture. But, this piece of scripture creates a logical conflict with popular doctrine.

Popular doctrine teaches that most of the Bible is null and void. We’re told “The Law” is no longer applicable, and this argument comes in several forms such as follow:

Jesus ‘fulfilled” The Law, meaning he brought it to an end so it’s now defunct.
Jesus obeyed The Law for us, meaning he did it so now we don’t have to.
The Law was only ever given to The Jews, meaning if you’re not a biological Jew you never had to obey it.

There are other doctrinal arguments against The Law, but they all work towards the same aim…to convince Christians that God’s Law is void, non-binding, and we are under no obligation to obey it. And therein lies the logical conflict.

Posted on March 25, 2021March 25, 2021 by Michael Reilley

Drink of the Fourth Cup

Many say salvation is obtained by:
Belief, belief, and nothing but belief
So help us God

But, demons believe
More so than most humans
     They know exactly who Jesus is
          What authority Jesus wields
               What Jesus will accomplish through the end of the age
Yet, they have no salvation…

Continue reading Drink of the Fourth Cup

Posted on February 14, 2021February 23, 2021 by Michael Reilley

What was Finished?

What was finished? We have to understand Jesus’ stated purpose to understand what he accomplished.

After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, in order that the Scripture would be fulfilled, said, “I am thirsty.” A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a branch of hyssop and brought it up to His mouth. Therefore, when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.

(John 19:28-30)

People present this verse to me as a proof-text that Jesus “finished the Law” or “finished the Old Testament” on the cross. Their reasoning is the passage states everything was accomplished and Jesus proclaimed it was all finished. Out of this interpretation, the following argument is given: Continue reading What was Finished?

Posted on February 6, 2021February 7, 2021 by Michael Reilley

Picking Cherries and Spitting Pits

We continue looking at reasoning and testing as they relate to our study method. Today, we are considering the fallacy of cherry picking. This is possibly the biggest and most frequently occurring fallacy in the church.

It’s important to understand what cherry picking is, how it works, and how to recognize it in ourselves and others. If we recognize cherry picking in others, we can effectively refute their position and defend ours. If we recognize cherry picking in ourselves, we can eliminate it from our study and improve our understanding of scripture. Continue reading Picking Cherries and Spitting Pits