What Does the Bible Say About...

Many religious people believe that the Bible forbids any use of alcoholic beverages. But this is a distortion of the Bible and of ancient history. Although the Bible does not forbid alcohol, it does mention the abuse of alcohol. It is a serious social problem, and this series of articles addresses alcoholism, how it is treated, how we can avoid it, and the special needs of women.

A series of articles about the differences between Old Testament worship and New Testament worship, and how that plays out in churches today, with different traditions and preferences.

In 2004, Grace Communion International began a thorough examination of women in church leadership positions, such as pastors. A careful study was done in Scripture, with special attention to certain key NT texts. Both complementarian and egalitarian scholars sometimes push the evidence further than is warranted. With a cautious approach, we concluded that women may serve as pastors.

A systematic examination of each scripture about the Sabbath, with careful attention to what it says and what it does not say. Special attention is given to Genesis 1, the teachings of Jesus, and the practice of Paul. The book concludes with a summary chapter addressing the most common arguments. Conclusion: Christians are not required to observe the seventh-day Sabbath.

Sometimes Jesus talked about the kingdom of God as if it were already here, and sometimes he talked as if it were far in the future. Which is it, and how does it affect life right now? Another way to approach the question is to observe that Jesus preached about the kingdom of God, but his disciples preached about Jesus. Why this difference in focus, and why does it matter for us today?

This collection of articles examines key biblical passages about the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues - Acts 2, 10, 1 Corinthians 14, and others. The Bible neither forbids nor requires tongues-speaking; tongues are sometimes inspired by God, and other times not. Suggestions are given as to how this unusual phenomenon may best be used. By Michael D. Morrison and Joseph Tkach and others.

Christians sometimes wonder why the Old Testament and New Testament are different. Some theologians stress similarity, but others stress differences. In this book, we examine every biblical occurrence of the Hebrew and Greek words for covenant. We also look at related subjects: "the law of Moses," whether tithing is commanded for Christians, and the role of the Ten Commandments in Christian ethics

Bible prophecy is an often-misunderstood and abused subject. How should we approach the topic - is there something that can give us an overview? What about the millennium, a topic that divides many scholars of equal ability and equal respect for Scripture? Is there any common ground for us all?

If God is all-powerful and all-loving, why doesn't he do something about the pain and sorrow being experienced by the people he supposedly loves? How can he wipe hundreds of thousands of people out in earthquakes, tsunamis, floods and famines? Why doesn't he stop war, terrorism, and child abuse? Why doesn't he do something about the evil that lurks in the hearts of all of us? Well, he has.

The Bible does not prohibit believers from using force to stop evil aggressors. Ralph Orr examines the biblical evidence that is sometimes used by pacifists. He has a detailed study of the Old Testament, the Sermon on the Mount, and other relevant texts.