http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog Matt Postiff's thoughts on Biblical interpretation, theology, and random stuff (C) Matt Postiff, 2007-2011 CGFeedMaker 1.0.14 on CMS Made Simple postiffm@umich.edu (Matt Postiff) postiffm@umich.edu (Matt Postiff) http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/151/7/Guthrie-on-Church-Discipline/ In preparation for my sermon on 1 Timothy 1:18-20, I ran across this good paragraph by Donald Guthrie, The Pastoral Epistles in the Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, p. 69. The concluding clause 'that they may learn not to blaspheme'... Tue, 15 May 2012 14:17:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/151/7/Guthrie-on-Church-Discipline/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/150/7/The-Kingdom-Reoffered-in-Acts-3/ The question is basically this: does Acts 3-4 constitute a second offer of the kingdom, after Jesus' first offer during His public ministry? Alva McClain in his excellent work The Greatness of the Kingdom promotes the reoffer view (pages 403-406).... Mon, 14 May 2012 21:34:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/150/7/The-Kingdom-Reoffered-in-Acts-3/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/149/7/Bruce-on-Humdrum-Pastors-and-False-Teachers/ I noted this paragraph from F. F. Bruce when I was studying Hebrews 13:17: There would always be a tendency throughout the churches for visitors who came purveying new and esoteric doctrines to be regarded as much more attractive... Thu, 10 May 2012 16:17:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/149/7/Bruce-on-Humdrum-Pastors-and-False-Teachers/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/148/7/Is-it-OK-to-Give-on-a-Credit-Card-No/ Sometimes when I run into a topic for the third time or so, I have to write a post to "get it out of my system." Here's one such post. Should a church member give on a credit card?... Thu, 10 May 2012 11:30:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/148/7/Is-it-OK-to-Give-on-a-Credit-Card-No/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/147/7/Abortion-and-Maternal-Mortality-Ratio/ A common argument for keeping abortion legal is that if it were made illegal, many pregnant mothers would die from clandestine abortions, otherwise known as "coat hanger" or "back alley" abortions. A new study of the maternal mortality ratio... Thu, 10 May 2012 09:26:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/147/7/Abortion-and-Maternal-Mortality-Ratio/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/146/7/Martuneac-Bing-and-Apostasy/ Last month, Lou Martuneac re-posted an article by Charlie Bing entitled The Christian and Apostasy (original available here ). He then briefly pulled the post, wrote a clarifying post , and put the original back into place. The clarification... Tue, 08 May 2012 17:06:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/146/7/Martuneac-Bing-and-Apostasy/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/145/7/We-re-Still-in-Business/ Just over a year ago, there was a lot of news on Rob Bell's book Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived. In an opinion piece out at the time last... Tue, 08 May 2012 16:22:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/145/7/We-re-Still-in-Business/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/144/7/How-To-Do-a-Mailing-Part-2-update/ Back on April 6 I wrote about our mass mailing to homes in our neighborhood. Here's a bit of an update. As far as positive response, we had several visitors come out to the Easter worship service. One came... Thu, 26 Apr 2012 10:12:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/144/7/How-To-Do-a-Mailing-Part-2-update/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/143/7/Good-News-Bad-News/ Some thoughts on the the gospel: The bad news is that we are sinners; the good news is that Jesus died for our sins; the bad news is that the wages of sin is death; ... Thu, 26 Apr 2012 09:48:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/143/7/Good-News-Bad-News/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/142/7/Good-Friday-is-Not-an-Ordinance/ We normally have a Good Friday service at Fellowship Bible Church. Traditionally, we had it at noon. But work schedules are not as friendly to Good Friday as perhaps they used to be, so we shifted last year to a... Thu, 19 Apr 2012 12:21:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/142/7/Good-Friday-is-Not-an-Ordinance/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/141/7/Comment-on-Brandenburg-s-Opposition-to-Combs/ Kent, Regarding your post at The Actual History of King James Onlyism pt. 1 , I tried to post a comment around April 11, and again on the 13th, but perhaps they didn't make it to you. Below is... Wed, 18 Apr 2012 22:20:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/141/7/Comment-on-Brandenburg-s-Opposition-to-Combs/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/140/7/Archive-The-Episcopal-Church-and-Homosexuality/ August 6, 2003 News Summary Minneapolis, Tuesday, Aug 5, 2003: The Episcopalian Church yesterday elected Rev. Canon V. Gene Robinson to the New Hampshire Diocese. He is now the first openly gay bishop of that denomination. The vote... Wed, 18 Apr 2012 10:14:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/140/7/Archive-The-Episcopal-Church-and-Homosexuality/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/139/7/How-To-Do-a-Mailing-Part-2/ We tried again--our third iteration. This time, we wanted to try a 8.5 x 11 size on glossy card stock, color printed on both sides. We had an idea for a design that a man in our church turned into... Fri, 06 Apr 2012 16:18:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/139/7/How-To-Do-a-Mailing-Part-2/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/138/7/The-Lamp-the-Spirit-and-Hermeneutics/ I received a question via email as to what the lamp in the tabernacle represents (Leviticus 24:1-4). The inquirer suggested that it may represent the work of the Holy Spirit. My response was as follows: The lamp has... Wed, 21 Mar 2012 14:39:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/138/7/The-Lamp-the-Spirit-and-Hermeneutics/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/137/7/The-Preaching-of-Jesus-in-Acts/ Reading through the book of Acts lately, I have been struck by the preaching of the gospel in the early chapters. These first Christian sermons talk about sin and forgiveness and repentance (2:38, 3:19), but they focus even more upon... Fri, 16 Mar 2012 11:42:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/137/7/The-Preaching-of-Jesus-in-Acts/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/136/7/Easy-Believism-Reaches-into-the-PCA/ The Trinity Review had a good article by Timothy F. Kauffman critiquing what I would call a cheap grace or easy believism version of Reformed theology being promoted by some well-known PCA pastors. The article is entitled "Sanctification, Half Full:... Thu, 15 Mar 2012 12:21:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/136/7/Easy-Believism-Reaches-into-the-PCA/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/135/7/Extending-the-Logic-of-Abortion/ The UK Telegraph reported earlier today on a fresh rendition of an old idea: if abortion is OK, then so is killing young infants. The report covers an article in the Journal of Medical Ethics entitled "After-birth abortion: Why... Wed, 29 Feb 2012 22:00:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/135/7/Extending-the-Logic-of-Abortion/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/134/7/Cultivating-Humility-from-1-Peter-5-5-7/ I was invited a week ago to bring a message on "Cultivating Humility" for the seminary students at Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary . I enjoyed the visit and the opportunity to think on the subject of humility, though I am... Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:37:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/134/7/Cultivating-Humility-from-1-Peter-5-5-7/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/133/7/Church-Ministry-Seminar/ Tri-Lakes Baptist Church is hosting a Church Ministry Seminar on Saturday February 25 from 9am to 3pm. They have graciously invited our church, and a number of others as well. It is geared toward local church workers, such as Sunday... Thu, 09 Feb 2012 09:52:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/133/7/Church-Ministry-Seminar/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/132/7/Sexual-Abuse-Everywhere/ Some months back 20/20 did a report on so-called "IFB" churches (Independent, Fundamental, Baptist Churches) regarding allegations of sexual abuse and cover-ups by some leaders in those churches. The scandal in the Catholic church continues to rage on. Then there... Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:52:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/132/7/Sexual-Abuse-Everywhere/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/131/7/How-To-Do-a-Mailing/ Direct mailings are not a panacea marketing solution for churches. They lack a personal connection with the recipient, but they can serve well to introduce a church to a large part of the population in a city. That is what... Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:49:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/131/7/How-To-Do-a-Mailing/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/130/7/Common-Law-Members-Part-4/ Now, here comes a tough question. What about a common-law member who is errant in doctrine or practice? Can you exercise church discipline on such a person? The common answer I have heard is, "no" because they are not members,... Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:28:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/130/7/Common-Law-Members-Part-4/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/129/7/Common-Law-Members-Part-3/ Our local church membership process is quite simple. We essentially ask the candidate to publicly answer four questions: Are you saved? Have you been baptized by immersion since you believed? Do you agree to subscribe to the doctrine and constitution... Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:07:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/129/7/Common-Law-Members-Part-3/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/128/7/Common-Law-Members-Part-2/ In my experience, people have a few reasons (excuses?) for refusing church membership: 1) A desire not to commit or not to be subjected to certain restrictions or conditions in the church; 2) A bad experience with a previous church;... Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:26:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/128/7/Common-Law-Members-Part-2/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/127/7/Common-Law-Members/ What is a common-law member? When I came up with the term, the idea that I had was this: a common-law member is a person who regularly attends our church, who does not have another church, who supports the church... Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:35:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/127/7/Common-Law-Members/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/126/7/The-Privilege-of-Giving-Financial-Support-to-Missions/ It is still kind of amazing to me that believers can take money and turn it into ministry in their own church, or in global missionary efforts. Useless paper dollars can be transformed into the eternal salvation of human souls.... Tue, 31 Jan 2012 11:05:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/126/7/The-Privilege-of-Giving-Financial-Support-to-Missions/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/125/7/Churches-Must-Address-Political-Questions/ The first sentence of Dr. Bauder's article "Let Me Tell You How to Vote" certainly captured my attention. It said, "Churches have no business addressing political questions." After reading the article a couple of times, I still was perplexed. Perhaps,... Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:14:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/125/7/Churches-Must-Address-Political-Questions/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/124/7/Children-s-Ministry-Entertain-or-Teach/ For those thinking about children's programs in the church, the following by Ken Ham is a helpful reminder: Sadly, many churches today make the mistake that we disciple adults but only entertain children; they don’t teach our young people... Fri, 20 Jan 2012 20:19:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/124/7/Children-s-Ministry-Entertain-or-Teach/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/122/7/The-Great-Variety-in-the-Great-Commission/ Last weekend we had several missionaries in to speak to the church. It was a wonderful and refreshing time in which we could refocus on the Great Commission as the new year begins. We learned about missions work in... Wed, 11 Jan 2012 11:03:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/122/7/The-Great-Variety-in-the-Great-Commission/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/121/7/Bible-Reading-for-2012/ The Bible reading plans for 2012 are now available. There are three of them: Read the New Testament twice in 2012 Read the New Testament once in 2012 Read the Old Testament once 2012 Key... Sun, 01 Jan 2012 22:20:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/121/7/Bible-Reading-for-2012/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/120/7/Baby-Zygote-Take-2/ An esteemed theology professor contacted me with some concerns about my previous post. In particular, he questioned what I was saying about the beliefs of the believers at the Institute for Creation Research. It seemed that I should make a... Thu, 29 Dec 2011 20:55:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/120/7/Baby-Zygote-Take-2/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/119/7/ICR-Take-Down-That-Video/ The Institute for Creation Research has produced a series of neat little videos called That's a Fact! But the latest one, episode 7 ( Baby Zygote ), needs to be taken down and redone because it has a very serious... Tue, 20 Dec 2011 11:26:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/119/7/ICR-Take-Down-That-Video/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/118/7/The-Power-of-the-Question-Mark-10-17-22/ I assigned one of our men this past Wednesday evening to bring a message from God's Word after our corporate time of prayer. He spoke from Mark 10:17-22 about the rich young ruler. His message reminded me of the... Fri, 18 Nov 2011 16:32:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/118/7/The-Power-of-the-Question-Mark-10-17-22/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/117/7/A-Cheat-Sheet-for-Osteen/ I saw it too. The snippet of the Piers Morgan interview of Joel Osteen and his wife that was posted on Al Mohler's blog . Here is a cheat sheet that Osteen is welcome to borrow for the next... Thu, 13 Oct 2011 22:06:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/117/7/A-Cheat-Sheet-for-Osteen/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/116/7/Difference-between-the-Holy-Spirit-s-Ministry-OT-and-NT/ Another question posed to me: "How was the Holy Spirit that was with early believers like Abraham, Moses or David different than the Holy Spirit living in me?" There is not a clear consensus on the answer to the... Sat, 01 Oct 2011 17:10:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/116/7/Difference-between-the-Holy-Spirit-s-Ministry-OT-and-NT/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/115/7/Is-Theistic-Evolution-a-Dangerous-Error/ That is the question I received. Here is my reply: Theistic evolution is not eternally fatal, as are other deviations such as a denial of salvation by faith alone or the deity of Christ or His substitutionary work. Those... Sat, 01 Oct 2011 17:02:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/115/7/Is-Theistic-Evolution-a-Dangerous-Error/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/114/7/Art-Fair-Evangelism-Report/ Our church sent out a small crew to the Ann Arbor Art Fair last month to do some evangelistic work. The reports I received back were encouraging to me, and so I thought I would share them with you. Some... Sat, 20 Aug 2011 21:32:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/114/7/Art-Fair-Evangelism-Report/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/113/7/On-the-Making-of-Books-and-Blogs/ The Spirit of God tells us through Solomon: "And further, my son, be admonished by these. Of making many books there is no end; and much study is wearisome to the flesh. Let us hear the conclusion of the... Fri, 05 Aug 2011 19:50:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/113/7/On-the-Making-of-Books-and-Blogs/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/112/7/Marriage-and-Submission/ I had a conversation with some church members on the subject of marriage counseling and how submission fits into the picture. One of the gentlemen said that in some marriage counseling, there is no mention of the idea of submission.... Tue, 02 Aug 2011 18:07:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/112/7/Marriage-and-Submission/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/111/7/Abortion-is-Age-Based-Discrimination/ So says Mark Harrington at CreatedEqual.net . I couldn't agree more. Remember the SLED acronym - abortion is justified by its proponents by four main arguments: the baby's Size (small), Level of development (lacking certain capabilities), Environment (hidden away... Tue, 02 Aug 2011 17:58:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/111/7/Abortion-is-Age-Based-Discrimination/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/110/7/John-s-Gospel-and-Repentance/ I was recently asked this question: "How do you account for the total non-mention of repentance in John’s Gospel? Does this mean that believing includes repentance? Is repentance a requirement for salvation, or only for discipleship?" Here is my... Wed, 20 Jul 2011 06:15:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/110/7/John-s-Gospel-and-Repentance/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/109/7/Psalm-84-3/ Mon, 23 May 2011 10:22:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/109/7/Psalm-84-3/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/108/7/Some-Questions-for-Jehovah-s-Witnesses/ I've had several opportunities to talk to Jehovah's Witnesses lately. To help you in working with these folks, I'm going to list below a number of questions that you could pose to them. The idea of the questions is two-fold:... Mon, 16 May 2011 11:16:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/108/7/Some-Questions-for-Jehovah-s-Witnesses/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/107/7/Keller-on-Creation/ I recently received a question via email on my creation talk at last January's Preserving the Truth conference. The substance of the question was this: Where did you discover that Tim Keller holds to theistic evolution? Supposedly PCA churches hold... Mon, 02 May 2011 15:28:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/107/7/Keller-on-Creation/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/106/7/Separation-Everybody-s-Doin-It/ I've been interested to watch the debate on fundamentalism, conservative evangelicalism, and separation unfold over the past months. I have some thoughts on the subject that I hope will help us stay on the Biblical track that I would like... Mon, 02 May 2011 10:52:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/106/7/Separation-Everybody-s-Doin-It/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/105/7/The-Accusation-of-Bibliolatry/ Recently an anonymous person accused our church of being full of Bible-worshippers, by which I think they meant people who worship the Bible instead of the God of the Bible. But how they mean this is not very clear, since... Thu, 21 Apr 2011 20:51:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/105/7/The-Accusation-of-Bibliolatry/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/104/7/Present-Truth-Present-Error/ For some time I have been receiving a magazine called Present Truth from Life Research International . It took me some time to figure out exactly who these people were (I recall not being able to find them online some... Wed, 20 Apr 2011 22:50:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/104/7/Present-Truth-Present-Error/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/103/7/Non-Separatist-Separatists/ I've recently run into some examples of an odd situation. The basic form of it is that there is someone or some group who articulates or at least clearly practices a non-separatist position (NS). The NS then initiates some act... Mon, 11 Apr 2011 21:28:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/103/7/Non-Separatist-Separatists/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/102/7/Is-Biblical-Christianity-Unchristian/ Some people harbor notions that certain teachings of Christianity are somehow sub Christian. Such Biblical teachings are considered "too harsh" or "too unloving" or even "too lax" to be possible of the Christian God as He is understood by (say)... Sat, 09 Apr 2011 21:24:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/102/7/Is-Biblical-Christianity-Unchristian/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/101/7/Could-God-Have-Used-Evolution/ The question before us asks what God could do, but really the right question to ask is, "What did God do?" For that, we have to carefully exegete the text of Scripture to determine what it says. As I have... Sat, 09 Apr 2011 14:41:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/101/7/Could-God-Have-Used-Evolution/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/100/7/Romans-15-1/ Wed, 06 Apr 2011 08:35:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/100/7/Romans-15-1/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/99/7/Genesis-A-Science-Textbook/ The paleoevangelical blog has an entry titled Genesis 1-2: Before We Made It a Science Textbook . It raises the following point: "...it might be instructive to consider what people who were committed to the complete reliability and authority... Tue, 22 Mar 2011 22:07:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/99/7/Genesis-A-Science-Textbook/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/98/7/Essential-Literal-Hermeneutic-Part-3/ Tue, 22 Mar 2011 21:01:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/98/7/Essential-Literal-Hermeneutic-Part-3/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/97/7/Romans-10-9-10-and-Martuneac-s-Defense-of-the-Gospel/ Wed, 16 Mar 2011 09:20:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/97/7/Romans-10-9-10-and-Martuneac-s-Defense-of-the-Gospel/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/96/7/Principles-for-Bible-Believing-Churches-Changing-the-Membership-List/ Fri, 11 Mar 2011 17:19:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/96/7/Principles-for-Bible-Believing-Churches-Changing-the-Membership-List/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/94/7/Interesting-Commentary-Series-Forthcoming-in-Logos/ Thu, 10 Mar 2011 21:53:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/94/7/Interesting-Commentary-Series-Forthcoming-in-Logos/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/93/7/Principles-for-Bible-Believing-Churches-The-End-of-Discipline/ Thu, 10 Mar 2011 21:37:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/93/7/Principles-for-Bible-Believing-Churches-The-End-of-Discipline/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/92/7/Question-on-Separation-An-Answer/ In a previous entry, I asked the following question: In your view and considering 2 Thessalonians 3:14-15, how would Paul deal with professing believers who reject (1) a six-day creation; (2) a millennial reign of Christ; and (3) the... Tue, 08 Mar 2011 20:25:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/92/7/Question-on-Separation-An-Answer/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/91/7/Essential-Literal-Hermeneutic-Part-2/ Fri, 04 Mar 2011 21:55:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/91/7/Essential-Literal-Hermeneutic-Part-2/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/90/7/Genesis-12-1-3-as-the-Initial-Grant-of-the-Abrahamic-Covenant/ Thu, 03 Mar 2011 21:00:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/90/7/Genesis-12-1-3-as-the-Initial-Grant-of-the-Abrahamic-Covenant/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/89/7/Essential-Literal-Hermeneutic-Part-1/ Tue, 15 Feb 2011 21:42:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/89/7/Essential-Literal-Hermeneutic-Part-1/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/88/7/My-Vote-Read-the-Lines/ Tue, 15 Feb 2011 16:52:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/88/7/My-Vote-Read-the-Lines/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/87/7/Common-Ground--A-Clarification/ Dr. Kevin Bauder has just written a very helpful article on the proper use of common ground in the Christian's apologetic method. A statement in the opening paragraph caught my attention as one that could be further clarified. Bauder writes,... Fri, 04 Feb 2011 16:42:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/87/7/Common-Ground--A-Clarification/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/86/7/Essentials-of-Young-Earth-Creationism/ Fri, 14 Jan 2011 22:36:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/86/7/Essentials-of-Young-Earth-Creationism/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/85/7/Don-t-Be-Intimidated-by-Science/ Tue, 11 Jan 2011 21:10:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/85/7/Don-t-Be-Intimidated-by-Science/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/84/7/Preserving-the-Truth-Slides/ Tue, 11 Jan 2011 18:51:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/84/7/Preserving-the-Truth-Slides/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/83/7/Creation-What-the-Bible-Says-and-What-I-Believe/ Tue, 11 Jan 2011 17:15:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/83/7/Creation-What-the-Bible-Says-and-What-I-Believe/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/82/7/Question-on-Separation/ Mon, 10 Jan 2011 21:45:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/82/7/Question-on-Separation/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/81/7/Why-Does-the-Universe-Look-Old/ Thu, 06 Jan 2011 09:43:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/81/7/Why-Does-the-Universe-Look-Old/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/80/7/Hebrews-6-1-3/ I just got a copy of David L. Allen's Hebrews commentary in NAC. I was interested in his take on Hebrews 6:1-3 since that is where I am preaching on Sunday. What caught my interest was his interpretation of the... Wed, 05 Jan 2011 14:16:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/80/7/Hebrews-6-1-3/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/79/7/Non-Essentials-of-Creationism/ One of the main points of my talk at the Preserving the Truth Conference will be that there are certain "non negotiables" that must be believed for one to be a Young Earth Creationist. These are the sine qua nons... Wed, 05 Jan 2011 13:05:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/79/7/Non-Essentials-of-Creationism/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/78/7/Preserving-the-Truth-Conference/ Mon, 03 Jan 2011 19:54:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/78/7/Preserving-the-Truth-Conference/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/77/7/Philippians-2-14-15/ Wed, 29 Dec 2010 09:04:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/77/7/Philippians-2-14-15/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/76/7/Hebrews-5-1-10/ Tue, 28 Dec 2010 10:46:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/76/7/Hebrews-5-1-10/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/75/7/Two-Reasons-for-the-Incarnation/ Sat, 25 Dec 2010 09:00:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/75/7/Two-Reasons-for-the-Incarnation/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/74/7/Testimony-of-Jeremy-Wichert/ Fri, 24 Dec 2010 08:42:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/74/7/Testimony-of-Jeremy-Wichert/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/73/7/Bible-Reading-in-2011-Part-2/ Tue, 21 Dec 2010 23:56:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/73/7/Bible-Reading-in-2011-Part-2/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/72/7/Bible-Reading-in-2011/ Tue, 21 Dec 2010 23:12:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/72/7/Bible-Reading-in-2011/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/1/7/Until-You-See-the-Son-of-Man-Coming-in-His-Kingdom/ Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:26:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/1/7/Until-You-See-the-Son-of-Man-Coming-in-His-Kingdom/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/2/7/Love-and-Purity/ Thu, 16 Dec 2010 22:58:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/2/7/Love-and-Purity/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/3/7/Adultery-Lust-and-the-Radical-Removal-of-Sin/ Sun, 19 Sep 2010 16:19:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/3/7/Adultery-Lust-and-the-Radical-Removal-of-Sin/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/4/7/Death-and-Dying/ Mon, 30 Aug 2010 16:23:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/4/7/Death-and-Dying/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/5/7/Children-Obey-Your-Parents/ Fri, 27 Aug 2010 16:25:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/5/7/Children-Obey-Your-Parents/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/6/7/Knowing-the-Times/ Knowing the Times is a brief publication that we plan to offer about once a month in a bulletin-insert format. Its purpose is to inform Christians of some religious and cultural current events that are significant developments, threats, or weaknesses... Mon, 05 Jul 2010 16:27:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/6/7/Knowing-the-Times/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/7/7/Craig-s-Version-of-Causal-Determinism/ Mon, 28 Jun 2010 16:28:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/7/7/Craig-s-Version-of-Causal-Determinism/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/8/7/An-Insensitivity-Toward-Death/ In the Adult Bible Fellowship at our church, we are studying a series on death and dying which I've entitled "At the End of Life." A morbid subject, to be sure, but one that I think has some good application... Mon, 14 Jun 2010 16:29:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/8/7/An-Insensitivity-Toward-Death/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/9/7/How-God-Knows-Counterfactuals/ Last month, I finished the last requirement for the master of theology degree at Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary. It took six years, with a lot of Greek and Hebrew. The DBTS Th.M. program was quite substantial, as it required 13... Thu, 03 Jun 2010 16:30:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/9/7/How-God-Knows-Counterfactuals/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/10/7/What-Dispensationalism-Is-Not-Part-3/ Mon, 17 May 2010 16:33:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/10/7/What-Dispensationalism-Is-Not-Part-3/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/11/7/What-Dispensationalism-Is-Not-Part-2/ Almost two years ago (June 17, 2008), I posted a list of things that are not necessary to the dispensational system of belief. In this post, I add one more that I ran into and had forgotten to call out... Thu, 22 Apr 2010 16:34:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/11/7/What-Dispensationalism-Is-Not-Part-2/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/12/7/FBC-s-2010-Bible-Reading-Schedule/ Mon, 28 Dec 2009 16:36:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/12/7/FBC-s-2010-Bible-Reading-Schedule/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/13/7/What-are-False-Gods/ Sun, 22 Nov 2009 16:41:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/13/7/What-are-False-Gods/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/26/7/Acts-4-18-20-Compelled-to-Speak/ The early chapters of Acts record several persecutions against the church. In ch. 4, the apostles Peter and John were jailed and interrogated by the Sanhedrin. In ch. 5 the apostles were incarcerated again. After a miraculous release, they were... Sat, 21 Nov 2009 21:06:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/26/7/Acts-4-18-20-Compelled-to-Speak/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/25/7/Acts-7-51-53-Rejection-of-God/ Stephen's speech to the Sanhedrin contained several references to the Jewish people rejecting God and his messengers. The first is in v. 9 where the patriarchs sold Joseph into Egypt as a slave because they were jealous of him. The... Sat, 21 Nov 2009 21:05:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/25/7/Acts-7-51-53-Rejection-of-God/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/24/7/Acts-10-13-15-Neither-Common-Nor-Unclean/ Acts 10:1-11:18 is a crucial passage in the history of the gospel as it expanded to the Gentiles. Peter's vision of the large sheet with all kinds of animals was central in this. God gave the vision teach him something.... Sat, 21 Nov 2009 20:41:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/24/7/Acts-10-13-15-Neither-Common-Nor-Unclean/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/23/7/Acts-19-18-20-A-Book-Burning/ Ephesus had its share of trouble in the spiritual realm. There were men who had not heard of the gospel of Christ nor of the Holy Spirit (1-7); there were Jews who were hard-hearted (8-9); there were demon-possessed people (8:12);... Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:20:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/23/7/Acts-19-18-20-A-Book-Burning/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/22/7/Romans-1-19-20-Seeing-the-Obvious/ The apostle affirms that the gospel not only reveals the righteous standing available from God (1:17), but also the wrath of God (1:18). This wrath is directed toward mankind, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. The truth that is rejected... Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:19:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/22/7/Romans-1-19-20-Seeing-the-Obvious/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/21/7/Romans-4-3-How-You-Cannot-be-Justified/ This quotation comes from Genesis 15:6 which describes Abraham's reaction when God again confirmed the promises to Abraham which we call the Abrahamic covenant. The apostle Paul appeals to Abraham's "discovery" of this truth (Rom. 4:1) to bolster his conclusion... Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:18:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/21/7/Romans-4-3-How-You-Cannot-be-Justified/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/19/7/1-Corinthians-15-32-33-Resurrection-Implications/ If, in the manner of men, I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantage is it to me? If the dead do not rise, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!" Do not be deceived: "Evil company... Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:17:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/19/7/1-Corinthians-15-32-33-Resurrection-Implications/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/20/7/Romans-8-9-Who-is-Spiritual/ This devotional is a companion to Romans 8:5-9, "Two Kinds of People." The major point of those verses was to say that there are only two kinds of people: saved and unsaved. We saw there that the saved have certain... Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:17:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/20/7/Romans-8-9-Who-is-Spiritual/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/18/7/1-Corinthians-15-42-44-Sown-and-Raised/ The point of this section is to help us understand the nature of the new body that we will receive upon resurrection. Paul has already established that there is a resurrection. Now he turns to answer the foolish man who,... Sat, 21 Nov 2009 16:46:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/18/7/1-Corinthians-15-42-44-Sown-and-Raised/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/17/7/2-Kings-17-33-Fearing-the-LORD/ 2 Kings 17 records the final demise of the northern kingdom, the one called "Israel" after the split from Judah when King Solomon died. The Assyrian king took the people captive to Assyria, and re-populated the land of Israel with Babylonians and others (v.... Sat, 21 Nov 2009 16:45:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/17/7/2-Kings-17-33-Fearing-the-LORD/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/16/7/Leviticus-10-1-3-God-Honoring-Worship-Part-1/ This passage has a lot to teach us about the proper worship of God. First of all, worship must not be profane. This word carries the connotations of strange, foreign, unlawful, unauthorized, forbidden, and illegitimate. Nadab and Abihu took it... Sat, 21 Nov 2009 16:44:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/16/7/Leviticus-10-1-3-God-Honoring-Worship-Part-1/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/15/7/Leviticus-10-9-11-God-Honoring-Worship-Part-2/ As an outgrowth of what happened earlier that day to Aaron's sons (Lev. 10:1-3), God commanded Aaron to avoid wine or any intoxicating drink when performing priestly functions (v. 9). An implication of this is that Nadab and Abihu may... Sat, 21 Nov 2009 16:43:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/15/7/Leviticus-10-9-11-God-Honoring-Worship-Part-2/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/14/7/Romans-8-5-9-Two-Kinds-of-People/ God sets forth in this passage the extreme difference between two types of people. On the one hand is the carnal or fleshly person. They a) live according to the flesh; b) have a fleshly mindset; c) live a life... Sat, 21 Nov 2009 16:41:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/14/7/Romans-8-5-9-Two-Kinds-of-People/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/31/7/Does-our-doctrine-of-salvation-differ-from-the-Mormon-s-doctrine-of-salvation/ Yes, it most definitely does. In conducting evangelism around Ann Arbor, my wife and I have heard numerous times the Mormons say "We are saved by Jesus Christ after all that we can do. " This is a clever statement,... Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:15:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/31/7/Does-our-doctrine-of-salvation-differ-from-the-Mormon-s-doctrine-of-salvation/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/30/7/How-did-Jesus-fulfill-the-Law/ First, let us be sure we understand the term "Law." The Law (capital L) refers to the Mosaic Law given at Mount Sinai to Moses. It started with the 10 commandments in Exodus 20 and has many other elements to... Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:13:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/30/7/How-did-Jesus-fulfill-the-Law/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/29/7/Why-should-I-confess-my-sins-if-they-are-forgiven-already/ The issue of the forgiveness of sins is obviously dear to all Christians. But some believers have found it difficult to understand how a Christian's sins can be said to be completely forgiven (Col. 2:13, 1 John 2:12) and yet... Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:09:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/29/7/Why-should-I-confess-my-sins-if-they-are-forgiven-already/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/28/7/What-is-the-sin-leading-to-death-in-1-John-5-16/ Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:08:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/28/7/What-is-the-sin-leading-to-death-in-1-John-5-16/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/27/7/Who-is-the-restrainer-in-2-Thessalonians-2-6-7/ Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:07:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/27/7/Who-is-the-restrainer-in-2-Thessalonians-2-6-7/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/32/7/Review-of-Coming-to-Grips-with-Genesis/ Tue, 08 Sep 2009 21:16:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/32/7/Review-of-Coming-to-Grips-with-Genesis/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/33/7/Our-Bible-Reading-Plan/ At Fellowship Bible Church, we have been systematically reading through the New Testament. We are on our third time through, just now in the middle of Romans. It has been a great help to many of our people, and I... Fri, 14 Aug 2009 21:17:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/33/7/Our-Bible-Reading-Plan/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/34/7/Middle-Knowledge-and-Open-Theism/ I plan to work on a lengthy paper critiquing the doctrine of middle knowledge. A question that arose in my studies relates to the relationship of open theism to middle knowledge. One reason that this question arose is when people... Thu, 30 Jul 2009 21:17:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/34/7/Middle-Knowledge-and-Open-Theism/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/35/7/The-Strengths-of-Premillennialism/ Sam Storms provides an outline of the premillennial view here , though he is refuting it at each point because he is an amillennialist. But I thought a point-by-point response would be helpful for someone reading out there in web-land,... Thu, 16 Jul 2009 21:18:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/35/7/The-Strengths-of-Premillennialism/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/38/7/Dear-Pastor-Dever-Part-1/ Wed, 15 Jul 2009 21:23:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/38/7/Dear-Pastor-Dever-Part-1/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/37/7/Dear-Pastor-Dever-Part-2/ Dear Pastor Dever, Again regarding your statement on millennial views...It seems that with the judgment you judge, you could well be judged. Capitol Hill Baptist's statement of faith includes a couple of things that don't seem essential for church... Wed, 15 Jul 2009 21:22:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/37/7/Dear-Pastor-Dever-Part-2/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/36/7/Dear-Pastor-Dever-Part-3/ Dear Pastor Dever, Your statement on the sin of including millennial views seems to have an underlying assumption: that one holds views of eschatology in complete isolation from his other views. But no one is this way in practice.... Wed, 15 Jul 2009 21:21:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/36/7/Dear-Pastor-Dever-Part-3/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/39/7/A-Tip-for-Medicare-Part-D-Users-Prescription-Coverage/ Perhaps it seems a little out of character for me to comment on an issue like Medicare Part D. However, my soul is vexed when I hear misinformation and see elderly folks having difficulties with their medication because of shortcomings... Mon, 02 Feb 2009 21:24:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/39/7/A-Tip-for-Medicare-Part-D-Users-Prescription-Coverage/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/40/7/Religion-and-Morality/ Tue, 30 Sep 2008 21:25:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/40/7/Religion-and-Morality/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/41/7/Abortion-Funding/ I probably knew this before, but lately in the news I was reminded that the federal government is supporting Planned Parenthood with my tax money. I read in the "What in the World!" flyer from Bob Jones University, Volume 45,... Fri, 12 Sep 2008 21:26:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/41/7/Abortion-Funding/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/42/7/Light-Bulbs-and-Abortion/ Tue, 09 Sep 2008 21:27:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/42/7/Light-Bulbs-and-Abortion/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/43/7/MiniFlash-and-Rapid-Hebrew-Reading/ The Rapid Hebrew Reading class at DBTS requires the student to learn a large number of words (2,153). To help, I've put together a MiniFlash flashcard database for my Palm PDA. To download it, click here and save the file... Tue, 02 Sep 2008 21:27:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/43/7/MiniFlash-and-Rapid-Hebrew-Reading/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/44/7/The-Essentials-of-Dispensationalism/ Thu, 10 Jul 2008 21:28:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/44/7/The-Essentials-of-Dispensationalism/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/45/7/What-Dispensationalism-is-Not-Part-1/ In this post, I want to convey what is not entailed by the interpretive system called Dispensationalism. When I use the verb entail , I mean that there are certain things that do not follow from Dispensationalism as a logical... Tue, 17 Jun 2008 21:29:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/45/7/What-Dispensationalism-is-Not-Part-1/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/46/7/What-Dispensationalism-Is/ Our first order of business is to understand what Dispensationalism is. A good starting point in matters of definition is Charles C. Ryrie's book Dispensationalism . My discussion will largely reflect his text but will expand on it somewhat. There... Sat, 14 Jun 2008 21:30:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/46/7/What-Dispensationalism-Is/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/48/7/Suggested-Improvement-for-Thunderbird-Email/ This post is a little out of the ordinary for this blog, but a little frustration with Mozilla's Thunderbird software induced me to write. Hopefully someone "out there" will see it and get this suggestion to where it should go.... Thu, 12 Jun 2008 21:32:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/48/7/Suggested-Improvement-for-Thunderbird-Email/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/47/7/Is-Dispensationalism-Dead/ Ever since I talked to a pastor in Florida a few weeks ago, I have been thinking about the future of Dispensationalism. My title above was inspired by this pastor showing concern that the resurgence in popularity of Reformed theology... Thu, 12 Jun 2008 21:31:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/47/7/Is-Dispensationalism-Dead/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/49/7/Rodman-Illustrating-Church-Truth/ I heard an interesting interview yesterday on News Radio 760, WJR in Detroit. Frank Beckmann was interviewing former Detroit Pistons coach Chuck Daly ( mp3, between 08:26 and 9:16 ). The conversation turned to Dennis Rodman, a controversial player on... Tue, 10 Jun 2008 21:34:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/49/7/Rodman-Illustrating-Church-Truth/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/50/7/Already-Not-Yet-Part-2/ In my December 7 post, I said, "I cannot grasp something that is 'already' true and 'not yet' true at the same time and in the same sense." It seems to me that this is just another way of expressing... Sun, 17 Feb 2008 21:35:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/50/7/Already-Not-Yet-Part-2/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/51/7/Polygamy-Part-4/ In my September 14, 2007 post, I probably raised more questions than I answered with respect to the issue of polygamy and its practice in the Old Testament. One statement I made elicited some response from at least one reader.... Sat, 16 Feb 2008 21:36:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/51/7/Polygamy-Part-4/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/52/7/My-New-Pulpit-Bible/ One of our families brought some relatives with them to church on the weekend of February 2-3. On the Saturday, they were planning to visit the Bible display at the University of Michigan called "The Evolution of the English Bible:... Fri, 15 Feb 2008 21:37:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/52/7/My-New-Pulpit-Bible/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/53/7/What-is-The-Family/ I was in the parking lot of a store this afternoon and was approached by a young man who asked me if I would take some literature about God's love and Jesus. I looked at it--a full color brochure of... Sat, 29 Dec 2007 21:38:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/53/7/What-is-The-Family/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/54/7/More-on-the-Preterist-View-of-Revelation/ Mon, 10 Dec 2007 21:39:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/54/7/More-on-the-Preterist-View-of-Revelation/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/55/7/Not-Already-Not-Yet-Again/ Just thinking out loud here...I thought about entitling this entry "Enough Already Not Yet Enough" but I wondered if that would confuse the issue! I don't know about you, but the "Already/Not Yet" view of the fulfillment of prophecy has... Fri, 07 Dec 2007 21:40:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/55/7/Not-Already-Not-Yet-Again/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/56/7/Problems-with-the-Preterist-View-of-Revelation/ The preterist view of Revelation basically teaches that most, if not all, of the book of Revelation was fulfilled in 70 A.D. with the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans. There are several sources that the reader may visit to... Tue, 27 Nov 2007 21:41:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/56/7/Problems-with-the-Preterist-View-of-Revelation/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/57/7/Principle-of-First-Reference/ There is a proposed hermeneutical principle in the study of the Bible which its proponents call the principle of first reference. When a word or concept is encountered, the first reference in the Bible to that word or concept is... Mon, 26 Nov 2007 21:42:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/57/7/Principle-of-First-Reference/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/58/7/A-Great-Thanksgiving-Meeting/ Wednesday evening we had a combined meeting at Faithway Baptist Church in Ypsilanti. We sang some hymns, listened to a men's trio and ladies quartet sing, shared testimonies of salvation and of God's goodness in many other ways, and heard... Fri, 23 Nov 2007 21:43:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/58/7/A-Great-Thanksgiving-Meeting/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/59/7/A-Cross/ In yesterday's entry, I mentioned the issue of the cross as a decoration in our church. We do not have a cross upon the front wall or on the outside of the building. There are some historical reasons why this... Mon, 19 Nov 2007 21:44:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/59/7/A-Cross/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/60/7/A-Cult/ Lately I was reminded that some folks that have left Fellowship Bible Church have spread the word that we are a "cult." I wondered what that meant. When I inquired of the best source I could find for information on... Sun, 18 Nov 2007 21:45:00 -0500 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/60/7/A-Cult/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/61/7/Atheist-Alarmism/ I decided I should read Sam Harris' Letter to a Christian Nation to learn about the current state of the atheist community. One thing I learned by reading his initial "Note to the Reader" is that he believes we are... Thu, 25 Oct 2007 21:46:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/61/7/Atheist-Alarmism/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/62/7/Richard-Dawkins-Atheism/ Atheist and evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins wrote in a 1989 New York Times book review, "It is absolutely safe to say that if you meet somebody who claims not to believe in evolution, that person is ignorant, stupid or insane... Fri, 19 Oct 2007 21:46:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/62/7/Richard-Dawkins-Atheism/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/63/7/Elementary-Hebrew-Grammar-Audio/ When I taught elementary Hebrew at Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary during the 2006-2007 school year, I recorded some helps for the students regarding the vowel points. My Hebrew teacher, Dr. Robert McCabe , passed on the audio of a native... Fri, 05 Oct 2007 21:47:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/63/7/Elementary-Hebrew-Grammar-Audio/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/64/7/Polygamy-Part-3/ One of the tensions with my "no polygamy" stance is how to understand the Old Testament, where polygamy abounded. It is first mentioned in Gen. 4:19 where Lamech took for himself two wives. We see many men, including Abraham and... Fri, 14 Sep 2007 21:48:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/64/7/Polygamy-Part-3/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/65/7/Finding-a-Pastor-Part-2/ Thu, 13 Sep 2007 21:49:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/65/7/Finding-a-Pastor-Part-2/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/66/7/Babies-Added-to-the-Church/ Tue, 04 Sep 2007 21:50:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/66/7/Babies-Added-to-the-Church/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/67/7/Finding-a-Pastor-Part-1/ A church I know is searching for a new pastor after their former pastor was called to another ministry. I was considering what advice I might give to them. My first counsel is to "stick to your guns and get... Sat, 01 Sep 2007 21:50:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/67/7/Finding-a-Pastor-Part-1/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/68/7/Polygamy-Part-2/ I did get some feedback on the Polygamy entry from August 16. One query had to do with whether my use of Romans 7:1-3 is valid at all. That is, does Romans 7:1-3 really have any bearing on the issue... Fri, 31 Aug 2007 21:51:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/68/7/Polygamy-Part-2/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/69/7/Who-are-the-Christadelphians/ Today in the mail, I received a glossy trifold in the mail from the Christadelphians. I had to review what these folks believe (too many cults out there to keep track of.) But these folks are definitely a cult. Like... Mon, 27 Aug 2007 21:52:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/69/7/Who-are-the-Christadelphians/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/70/7/Five-New-Babies/ Fri, 17 Aug 2007 21:53:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/70/7/Five-New-Babies/ http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/71/7/Polygamy-Part-1/ For the inaugural entry in my blog, I thought what better than to tackle a tough theological issue like polygamy? There are many "sub issues" to this one, such as whether men with multiples wives can be members of a... Thu, 16 Aug 2007 21:53:00 -0400 http://www.fellowshipbibleannarbor.org/cms/MattPostiffBlog/71/7/Polygamy-Part-1/