Monthly Archives: March 2026

BIBLE QUESTIONS, CHURCH

HOW ARE THE CHURCH AND THE KINGDOM RELATED? — BOB PRICHARD

The burning question in the hearts of the early Jews was the question of when the Messiah would establish His kingdom on earth and reign upon David’s throne. Most misunderstood the issue, and even the disciples were caught up in misconceptions of the nature of the Lord’s kingdom. Just before His ascension, they asked Jesus, “Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6). They just did not understand the true nature or identity of the kingdom of God.

The word “kingdom,” as used in the New Testament, means “royal power, kingship, the territory subject to a king, the reign of the Messiah,” with primary reference to the rule, reign, and authority of God. New Testament writers used it in several senses. Paul spoke of the eternity of the kingdom: “And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom” (2 Timothy 4:18). Jesus used kingdom in another sense when He told the Pharisees, “behold, the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21), meaning that the kingdom, or rule of God was in their midst through His ministry as the Son of God. The primary use of the term “kingdom,” however, is in reference to the church.

After Peter confessed that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, Jesus blessed Peter, saying, “upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 16:18-19). Jesus here used the phrases “my church” and “kingdom of heaven” interchangeably. Writing later, Paul rejoiced with the Colossian Christians that God “hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son” (Colossians 1:13). Just a few verses later he identified the kingdom as “the body, the church” (Colossians 1:18).

John the Baptizer, Jesus, and the apostles all preached that the kingdom was “at hand,” or near. “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2). “Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17). 

The New Testament church surely fulfills the Old Testament prophecies of the kingdom. Daniel declared that “in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed” (Daniel 2:44). The “kings” referred to the Roman Empire, the fourth kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream image, the kings who controlled first century Judaea when the church was established. 

Jesus Himself predicted that the kingdom would be established within the lifetime of the apostles. “Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power” (Mark 9:1). The kingdom surely came with power on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2).

People become citizens of the kingdom of God, the church, by the new birth, being born of the water and the spirit. “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5).

CHURCH, JESUS CHRIST, MATTHEW

I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH — BOB PRICHARD

“When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:13-19).

When Jesus asked, “Who do men say that I am?” the answers of men were wrong! Only Peter had the right answer, and it makes a difference Who we believe Jesus is. Can anyone be saved by believing He was John? Of course not!

Jesus said, “Upon this rock” not to emphasize the rock, but the One upon whom the belief is placed. Jesus was not promising to build his church on Peter, but on faith that He is the Messiah. But what did Jesus have in mind when He made this promise?

WHEN WOULD HE BUILD HIS CHURCH?

We know clearly that it was not built by John. “Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he” (Matthew 11:11). John was never in His kingdom, the church.

Daniel prophesied the beginning of the church: “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever” (Daniel 2:44).  A church built any other time would not be His church.

Jesus told the apostles, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

This was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost. “But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel” (Acts 2:14-16). At the conclusion of his sermon, as he invited all to repent and be baptized (Acts 2:38), “they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls” (Act 2:41). “And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved” (Acts 2:47b).

HOW MANY CHURCHES DID HE SAY HE WOULD HE BUILD?

Did Jesus envision thousands of denominational divisions? Did He envision a time when men would say “Join the church of your choice”?

John 17 records the prayer of Jesus as he prepared for the cross, praying first for his disciples, and then He added, “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me” (John 17:20-23).

He did not say “I will build my churches.” He envisioned one church, not many denominations. Among the great unities of Ephesians 4:4-6, Paul said “There is one body,” meaning there is one church.

WHAT WOULD HE CALL HIS CHURCH?

Names are important, and He would want His church associated with Him. The church at Corinth was divided, and Paul asked them to be united, speaking the same thing, and wearing the name of Christ. “For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?” (1 Corinthians 1:11-13).

There are no exclusive names, but descriptive names given for the church in scripture, It is called “the church of God” (1 Corinthians 1:2), “the church of the firstborn” (Hebrews 12:23), “churches of Christ” (Romans 16:16), “body of Christ” (Colossians 1:24), “bride” (Revelation 21:2), and “the house of God” (1 Timothy 3:15). These are not different churches, but the one church He established.

WHAT WOULD GUIDE HIS CHURCH?

God has always given His people a pattern (Exodus 25:40 Hebrews 8:5). In the parable of the soils, Jesus explained, “Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God” (Luke 8:11). If the seed, the word of God is properly planted and cultivated, the seed will produce the church. Church history is marked by men deviating from the Bible pattern to make the denominations what they desire. You could never find the churches or their doctrines in the Bible alone. But if you have the seed, you can produce the church of the New Testament. If you wanted Georgia watermelons in Texas, you wouldn’t need to run a vine from Georgia to Texas. You would just need the seed.

HOW WOULD PEOPLE ENTER HIS CHURCH?

The pattern established on Pentecost. “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:36-38).

The same pattern was followed as Phillip taught the Ethiopian eunuch. “And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him” (Acts 8:34-38).

You can be a member of the same church as those on Pentecost, the eunuch, Peter and Paul, if you will obey the gospel as they did.

BIBLE, BIBLE QUESTIONS, MATTHEW

DOES MATTHEW 24-25 TELL US OF THE SIGNS TO WATCH FOR CONCERNING THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST? — BOB PRICHARD

One of the most popular areas of speculation in our religious world today is in the area of setting the date for the second coming of Christ. Many point to the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948, the arrival of the computer age, or even the introduction of the social security number, to say that the “signs” show Jesus is coming “soon.” The scriptures are very clear, however, that there will be no special signs of His second coming. Time after time men and women have set dates for the Lord’s second coming, only to be proved wrong. No particular date can be set!

At the beginning of Matthew 24, Jesus showed the temple to the disciples, and said, “There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down”  (Matthew 24:2). In response, they asked, “When shall these things be?” and “What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” (vs. 3). Notice that the disciples asked about two separate events: the destruction of the temple, and the Lord’s second coming. Jesus first answered concerning the signs before the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple, and then He spoke of His second coming at the end of the world.

Beginning in verse four, Jesus described a number of signs to the disciples, including the coming of false Christs, wars and rumors of wars, famines and earthquakes, apostles being killed, and the preaching of the gospel to the whole world. He warned them that men would have to flee to the mountains (vs. 16). He warned the disciples, “When ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors” (vs. 33). These signs were fulfilled in the events leading up to and including the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in the year a.d. 70 by the Roman army. Verses 29-31 describe the upheaval of the Jewish world with the end of Jewish worship in the Jerusalem temple. History records that many Christians understood the signs, and fled Jerusalem. They could flee the Roman armies, but no one will be able to flee when the Lord returns.

Jesus said in verse 34, the key verse, “This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” In other words, Jesus said that the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple would occur before the generation hearing His words passed away. (A generation is thirty to forty years.) Then, speaking of His second coming, Jesus said, “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only” (vs. 36). No man knows the day or hour!  Jesus emphasized the contrast between the destruction of Jerusalem in 70, and His second coming.

The signs before the destruction of Jerusalem were evident, but as for His second coming, “be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh” (vs. 44). The disciples asked for a sign of his coming, but the Lord gave none. If people could know the exact date of His coming, they would wait until the last minute to be prepared. We should be ready always. Be prepared today, because there will be no signs!

ACTS, BIBLE, SALVATION

ACTS—THE BOOK OF CONVERSIONS — BOB PRICHARD

Where should we turn in the Bible to learn what we must do to become Christians? Matthew, Mark, Luke and John all describe the life and ministry of Jesus. As Jesus was with the disciples at Caesarea, He promised “I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). Since the church was not built until after His death, it is the book of Acts which describes what we must do to become Christians, or members of His church.

Acts begins with the ascension of Christ, and His promise to the apostles, “Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8). From its beginnings at Jerusalem, the church of Christ spread to Judaea, to Samaria and to the uttermost part of the world. Luke shares example after example of people obeying the gospel of Christ as the church began and spread. From its explosive beginning at Jerusalem as recorded in Acts 2, the church grew rapidly.

THE JEWS AT PENTECOST. Just as Jesus had promised, the apostles, filled with the Holy Spirit, preached the gospel at Jerusalem. Peter’s sermon, recorded in Acts 2, climaxed with the words, “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36). The people, moved by his message, asked, “Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” (Acts 2:37-38). “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls” (Acts 2:41). With His promised church established, “the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved” (Acts 2:47). Note: these were very religious people, but they still needed to repent and be baptized.

THE SAMARITANS. Because of persecution that came upon the church after Stephen was martyred, Christians were scattered, going everywhere preaching the word. Among those was the evangelist Philip, who preached the gospel to them, even as Simon the Sorcerer led them astray. “But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women” (Acts 8:12). Note: the Samaritans were following the inadequate religion of the Samaritans, and needed to believe and be baptized.

THE ETHIOPIAN EUNUCH. The treasurer of the queen of Ethiopia had been to Jerusalem to worship, but was returning home without understanding who Jesus is. As he read the book of Isaiah, he needed Philip to explain the passage. “Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus” (Acts 8:35). Notice that the Ethiopian understood the necessity of being baptized into Christ. “And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him” (Acts 8:36-38).

SAUL OF TARSUS. Saul of Tarsus, later known as the apostle Paul, met Jesus on the road to Damascus, where the Lord told him, “Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do” (Acts 9:6). After spending three days in prayer and fasting, a Christian friend, and fellow Jew came to him and said, “And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16). Notice: Saul was still in his sins until he called on the name of the Lord by being baptized into Christ.

CORNELIUS THE CENTURION. Cornelius, a devout man who feared God, although a Gentile (Acts 10:1), called Peter to preach to his household. So that the Jews would understand that the Gentiles also were supposed to be Christians, God allowed the Gentiles of Cornelius’ household to speak in tongues as they had at Pentecost. Then Peter “commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord” (Acts 10:48). Note again: these were religious people but still needed to be baptized into Christ.

LYDIA. Lydia, a seller of purple from Thyatira, a woman “which worshipped God,” heard Paul and Silas preach the gospel, and she was immediately baptized (Acts 16:14-15). Note: she was a religious woman who chose to obey God’s command to be baptized, and thus became the first Christian in Europe.

THE JAILER OF PHILIPPI. Paul and Silas found themselves in jail, where they “prayed, and sang praises unto God” at midnight. When God sent an earthquake, the jailer was ready to take his own life when Paul stopped him. The jailer asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” At this point he knew little or nothing about Jesus, so “they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway” (Acts 16: 25, 28-33). This man who was probably a pagan, understood the need to be baptized the same hour of the night straightway.

THE CORINTHIANS. When Paul came to Corinth, he reasoned in the synagogue, but many of the Jews “opposed themselves.” But “Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized” (Acts 18:4-8). 

If you will examine these conversion accounts, you will find one common denominator. The text does not always tell us directly that they believed, although we know they did. The text does not always tell us directly that they repented or confessed their faith in Chris, but we know that they did. What every account tells us, however, is that they obeyed the Lord by being baptized. “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:16).

CHRISTIAN LIVING

THE WORLD’S MOST BEAUTIFUL BUILDING — BOB PRICHARD

Many consider it the most beautiful building in the world. 20,000 workers spent seventeen years building it at a cost of millions of dollars. Built primarily of white marble, more than 28 types of precious and semi-precious stones were used as well, gathered from all over Asia. It was built out of love by Shah Jahan for his wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth to her fourteenth child. Although “Taj Mahal” means crown palace, it is not a palace. It is a tomb.

Expanses of green grass and neat tombstones give a certain beauty to our cemeteries. It helps us forget, perhaps, that the mortal remains of our loved ones are buried there. Even a nice monument, with the names and birth and death dates inscribed, cannot convey much about the one who is gone. Every cemetery we see indicates nothing but heartache, unless those asleep are asleep in Jesus.

“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

“Comfort one another with these words!” For those in Christ, this life is not all there is. Hallelujah!