Pine Bluff Church of Christ

11/01/2026

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8BEAowZjm6U&pp=ygUbUGluZSBibHVmZiBjaHVyY2ggb2YgY2hyaXN0&ra=m

The Wisdom that Biulds a Life.Proverbs 14:1-18

10/24/2026

10/18/2026

The Two Gates, Two Ways, and Two Eternal Destinations
Matt 7:13-14

10/18/2026

What if Jesus were Coming Back Next Week? Matt 24:45-51

10/15/2026

TWENTY PROOFS FOR THE DEITY OF CHRIST
By Jason Hilburn
1. It was against God’s Law to
worship anyone but God (Exod.
20:3-5; Deut. 6:13-14; 2 Kings
17:35; Matt. 4:10); therefore, either
Christ is divine, or Christ sinned by
accepting worship on many occasions
(Matt. 2:11; 8:2; 9:18; 28:9,17; cf. Acts
12:23; Heb. 4:15; Rev. 22:8-9). We
know Christ never sinned (Heb. 4:15;
1 Peter 2:22), so it must have been
God’s will for Jesus to be worshiped.
In fact, God the Father commanded
the angels to worship Jesus at His
birth (Heb. 1:6)! Although Peter, Paul,
Barnabas, and angels all refused to be
worshiped because they knew that
would be wrong, Christ did not (Acts
10:25-26; 14:12-18; Rev. 19:10; 22:8-9).
2. Jesus forgave men’s sins while
He was on earth, and the Jews said,
“Who can forgive sins, but God alone”
(Luke 5:20-21)?
3. Jesus was “equal with God” in
His glorious form before He became a
man (Phil. 2:5-8).
4. When Jesus claimed to be the
Son of God, the Jews rightfully un-
derstood that Jesus was claiming to
be divine, like His Father (John 5:18).
5. In Exodus 3:14-15 God said, “I
AM THAT I AM” ... YHWH [Yahweh /
Jehovah GOD]. That is God’s name,
which implies His eternal self-existence.
Jesus said, “if ye believe not that I
AM, ye shall die in your sins” (John
8:24). In John 8:58, “Jesus said unto
them, Verily, verily I say unto you,
before Abraham was, I AM.” The Jews
understood what Jesus implied and
sought to kill Him for it. YHWH God
is the I AM (Exod. 3:14-15); Jesus is
the I AM (John 8:24,58); therefore,
Jesus is divine, eternally existent. The
Father and Son are both eternally ex-
istent Beings, so they can both be
called YHWH (existing one, e.g., “I
AM”), although they are not the same
Person. An earthly father and son
may wear the same name, but that
does not mean they are the same per-
son.
6. YHWH was repeatedly called
the Rock who took care of His people
(Deut. 32:3-4; 1 Sam 2:2; 2 Sam 22:32;
Psa. 18:46); and Paul called Christ
the Rock who followed the Israelites
and helped them (1 Cor. 10:4; cf. Exod.
17:6).
7. Exodus 13:21 says YHWH was
in the pillar, and Paul says it was
Christ who was with the Israelites (1
Cor. 10:4).
8. Psalm 102 states that YHWH
laid the foundations of the earth, and
the heavens are the work of His hands
(102:21, 25-27). The Hebrews writer
applies that passage to Jesus (Heb.
1:10-12).
9. Isaiah saw YHWH (Isa. 6:5),
but no man hath seen God (the Father)
at any time (John 1:18; 1 John 4:12).
John said Isaiah saw Jesus (YHWH)
in His glory (John 12:41).
10. Christ was called “Emmanuel,”
which literally means “God with us,”
and Christ is often referred to as “God”
in the Scriptures (Isa. 7:14; Matt. 1:23;
John 1:1,14; 20:28; Acts 20:28; Rom.
9:5; 1 Tim. 3:15-16; Titus 2:13; Heb.
1:8).
11. YHWH was called a stone of
stumbling and a rock of offense (Isa.
8:13-14), but Paul directly applied this
to Jesus (Rom. 9:33; 10:9-11).
12. Isaiah said the Messiah would
be called “the Mighty God” (Isa. 9:6).
When Jesus claimed to be the Messiah
(John 4:25-26), He was claiming to be
“the Mighty God.”
13. John was preparing the way
for YHWH (Isa. 40:3; Matt. 3:3). John
was preparing the way for Jesus; there-
fore, Jesus is called YHWH. John re-
ferred to Jesus as the one coming
after him. John was preparing the
way for Jesus by baptizing, and Christ
would later command people to be
baptized for the remission of sins
(John 1:23; 29-31; Mark 16:16; Acts
2:38). John went before Christ, who is
here described as the Lord their God:
“And many of the children of Israel
shall he turn to the Lord their God.
And he shall go before him in the
spirit and power of Elias, to turn the
hearts of the fathers to the children,
and the disobedient to the wisdom of
the just; to make ready a people pre-
pared for the Lord” (Luke 1:16-17; cf.
John 20:28).
14. “The first and the last” is
YHWH (Isa. 41:4; 44:6), and Jesus re-
peatedly referred to Himself as “the
first and the last” (Rev. 1:11, 17-18;
2:8; 22:12-13, 16).
15. YHWH said He would not
share His glory with another (Isa.
42:8); yet the Father shares His glory
with His divine Son (John 17:1,5; Heb.
1:3; Rev. 5:12).
16. YHWH says every knee will
bow to Him (Isa. 45:21-23), but every
knee will bow before Jesus on the Day
of Judgment (Rom. 14:10-11; Phil.
2:10-11). Apparently the wicked will
never see the Lord God the Father in
all His glory (Matt. 5:8; Heb. 12:14);
but all will kneel before Jesus (YHWH),
whom everyone will see on the last
day when He appears (Matt. 25:31-
33; 1 Thess. 4:13-5:3; 2 Thess. 1:7-9;
Titus 2:13).
17. Joel said that whosoever calls
on the name of YHWH will be saved,
or delivered (Joel 2:32), yet the New
Testament clearly applies these words
to Jesus (Acts 2:21,38; Rom. 10:9-13).
18. The Branch of David is obvi-
ously King Jesus, born of the seed of
David, and that Branch is called
YHWH: “Behold, the days come, saith
the LORD, that I will raise unto David
a righteous Branch, and a King shall
reign and prosper, and shall execute
judgment and justice in the earth. In
his days Judah shall be saved, and
Israel shall dwell safely: and this is
his name whereby he shall be called,
THE LORD [YHWH] OUR RIGHT-
EOUSNESS” (Jer. 23:5-6; cf. Zech.
6:12-13).
19. Revelation 1:8 says, “I am the
Alpha and the Omega saith the Lord
God, who is, who was, and who is to
come, the Almighty.” Revelation 22:13-
16 says, “I am the Alpha and the
Omega, the first and the last, the be-
ginning and the end...I Jesus.” The
Lord God Almighty is the Alpha and
the Omega (Rev. 1:8). Jesus is the
Alpha and the Omega (Rev. 1:11,18;
22:13,16); therefore, Jesus can right-
fully be called the Lord God Almighty.
20. Because of this evidence and
much more, Thomas was completely
justified in saying to Jesus, “My Lord
and my God” (John 20:28). Although
Jesus rebuked Peter for his words in
Matthew 16:22, saying that Peter did
not savor the things that be of God,
Jesus did not rebuke Thomas for his
words in John 20:28. What Thomas
said must have been “of God.” Jesus
is our divine Lord and God, and “the
God of Jesus” is God the Father, who
is “above all” in authority (John 20:17;
1 Cor. 3:23; 8:4,6; 11:3; Eph. 1:3,17;
4:6; Heb. 1:8-9; 1 Peter 1:3).

10/01/2026

One of the Most Powerful Videos I have Ever Watched.

https://video.wvbs.orgThe day the Lord returns and the Earth is de...

09/28/2026

SUCH WERE SOME OF YOU

A Study of 1 Corinthians 6:9–11

1 Corinthians 6:9–11 KJV
“Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”

Paul gives both a warning and a message of hope.

The warning is unmistakable:

“The unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Be not deceived.”

But verse 11 shows that none of the people in Paul’s list had to remain what they had been.

What Were They?

Paul identifies several sinful practices:

Fornicators — Greek pornoi, those practicing sexual immorality.

Idolaters — those giving worship or devotion belonging to God to something else.

Adulterers — those violating the marriage covenant through sexual immorality.

Thieves — those taking what belongs to others.

Covetous — those characterized by greed and an improper desire for what belongs to another.

Drunkards — those characterized by drunkenness.

Revilers — those characterized by abusive, insulting, or slanderous speech.

Extortioners — those who exploit, defraud, or take advantage of others.

But two Greek words in verse 9 deserve closer examination.

⸻

“Effeminate” — Malakoi

The Greek word translated “effeminate” in the KJV is:

μαλακοί — malakoi

Its basic meaning is “soft.”

Jesus used the same word when speaking of “soft clothing” in Matthew 11:8. The same word group also appears in Luke 7:25.

So malakos does not automatically have a sexual meaning. Context determines its sense.

In 1 Corinthians 6:9, however, it appears in a list of immoral practices and immediately beside another word concerning male sexual activity.

Ancient Greek and Roman society commonly distinguished between active and passive roles in male-male sexual relations. The passive role was often regarded as feminized because the male occupied the sexual position culturally associated with a woman.

For this reason, major lexical and historical interpretations understand malakoi here as having a sexual sense, commonly associated with the passive or feminized male participant in male-male sexual relations.

This is more specific than simply condemning a man for being gentle or having mannerisms someone considers feminine.

⸻

“Abusers of Themselves with Mankind” — Arsenokoitai

Paul’s next word is:

ἀρσενοκοῖται — arsenokoitai

It is formed from Greek elements associated with:

arsēn — “male”

and

koitē — “bed,” including sexual in*******se

Thus the construction carries the idea of:

MALE + BED

The word occurs twice in the New Testament.

1 Corinthians 6:9 — “abusers of themselves with mankind”

1 Timothy 1:10 — “them that defile themselves with mankind”

There is also strong evidence that Paul’s terminology reflects the Greek Old Testament.

Leviticus 18:22

“Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.”

Leviticus 20:13

“If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman…”

The Greek Septuagint uses the words for “male” (arsēn) and “bed/lying” (koitē) in these passages—the same basic elements appearing together in arsenokoitai.

This is one major reason arsenokoitai is understood as referring to male-male sexual in*******se.

Paul therefore places together:

MALAKOI
The “soft” or passive/feminized male sexual role in this context.

ARSENOKOITAI
Males engaging sexually with males, with strong linguistic connections to Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13.

Lexicons and scholars differ somewhat over precisely how narrowly these terms should be defined, but the sexual context and the connection of arsenokoitai with male-male in*******se are well established.

⸻

“And Such WERE Some of You”

This is where Paul’s message becomes especially powerful.

He doesn’t say:

“Such ARE some of you.”

He says:

“SUCH WERE SOME OF YOU.”

Some Christians at Corinth had actually practiced the sins Paul just listed.

But something had changed.

Their past did not have to remain their present.

We actually know how many Corinthians responded when Paul preached the Gospel:

Acts 18:8
“…and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized.”

They:

HEARD

↓

BELIEVED

↓

WERE BAPTIZED

Paul could later tell these same Corinthians:

“BUT YE ARE WASHED.”

Compare Paul’s own conversion:

Acts 22:16
“Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.”

They had been stained by sin.

Now they were washed.

⸻

“But Ye Are Sanctified”

To be sanctified means to be set apart for God.

Paul had already called them:

1 Corinthians 1:2
“…them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus…”

God did not merely forgive their former lives and leave them unchanged.

They now belonged to Him.

⸻

“But Ye Are Justified”

Notice the contrast:

Verse 9 — UNRIGHTEOUS

Verse 11 — JUSTIFIED

They had been guilty.

Now they had been brought into a right standing with God.

UNCLEAN → WASHED

LIVING IN SIN → SANCTIFIED

GUILTY → JUSTIFIED

⸻

“In the Name of the Lord Jesus”

Paul says this happened:

“…in the name of the Lord Jesus…”

“In the name of” carries the idea of authority.

Colossians 3:17
“…whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus…”

Their salvation was not accomplished by their own goodness.

It was possible because of Jesus Christ and His saving work.

This also connects with baptism:

Acts 2:38
“Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins…”

They responded under the authority of Christ.

⸻

“By the Spirit of Our God”

The Holy Spirit also had a part in their salvation.

The Spirit revealed the Gospel that Paul preached.

1 Corinthians 2:10
“But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit…”

The Spirit revealed the message.

Paul preached it.

The Corinthians heard it.

They believed it.

They obeyed it.

And Paul could then say:

“YE ARE WASHED.”

“YE ARE SANCTIFIED.”

“YE ARE JUSTIFIED.”

⸻

The Godhead and Salvation

Notice all three in verse 11:

GOD — The Father

LORD JESUS — The Son

SPIRIT — The Holy Spirit

Compare:

Matthew 28:19
“…baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”

The Father provided the plan.

The Son provided the sacrifice and possesses the authority.

The Spirit revealed God’s saving message.

Man hears, believes, and obeys the Gospel.

⸻

The Greatest Word May Be “WERE”

The fornicator could change.

The idolater could change.

The adulterer could change.

Those involved in immoral sexual practices could change.

The thief could change.

The greedy could change.

The drunkard could change.

The reviler could change.

The extortioner could change.

Paul did not deny their sins.

Neither did he allow their sins to define them forever.

His message was:

“SUCH WERE SOME OF YOU.”

Their sins were real.

BUT they were washed.

Their old lives were real.

BUT they were sanctified.

Their guilt was real.

BUT they were justified.

And it was all:

“IN THE NAME OF THE LORD JESUS,

AND BY THE SPIRIT OF OUR GOD.”

The Gospel does not teach us that sin does not matter.

It teaches something far more hopeful:

Through Jesus Christ, we do not have to remain what we once were.

09/24/2026

One Generation Shall Praise Thy Works to Another

“One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.” — Psalm 145:4

Every generation faces different challenges. Times change, cultures change, and technology changes, but God’s Word does not change.

The church does not belong to the older generation or the younger generation. The church belongs to Christ. Instead of allowing age to divide us, we should recognize that God has given each generation responsibilities toward the other.

What Will We Hand Down?

Israel learned a painful lesson in the wilderness. Because of unbelief and rebellion, the older generation would die before entering Canaan. God told them:

“Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness… from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me… But your little ones… them will I bring in.” — Numbers 14:29–31

The younger generation would eventually enter the Promised Land.

This reminds us of an unavoidable truth: No generation remains forever. Today’s young people become tomorrow’s older generation, and another generation follows behind them.

The question is not whether another generation is coming. The question is: What will we hand down to them?

The Older Generation Has Something to Give

“The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness.” — Proverbs 16:31

Older Christians possess something younger Christians cannot obtain overnight—experience.

They have faced trials, raised families, endured losses, watched congregations experience good times and difficult times, and learned lessons through years of serving God.

Titus 2 teaches that older Christians should use that experience to help those who are younger.

If you are older, never believe that your usefulness in God’s kingdom has ended. You can still teach, encourage, pray, serve, and demonstrate what lifelong faithfulness looks like.

Psalm 145:4 describes exactly what should happen:

“One generation shall praise thy works to another.”

One generation must be willing to teach, and another must be willing to listen.

The Younger Generation Has a Responsibility

Paul told Timothy:

“Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers…” — 1 Timothy 4:12

Young Christians are not merely the “church of tomorrow.” They are part of the church today.

They should learn God’s Word, serve others, develop wisdom, and prepare themselves to carry the gospel to another generation.

But younger Christians must also remember that something is not wrong simply because it is old.

Truth does not have an expiration date.

“For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.” — Psalm 119:89

Methods of communication may change. Technology may change. Society may change. But the gospel must not change.

We Need Each Other

Sometimes older Christians look at younger people and think, “They don’t care anymore.”

Sometimes younger Christians look at older people and think, “They’re stuck in the past.”

Neither attitude strengthens the church.

Older Christians should remember that they were once young. Younger Christians should remember that, Lord willing, they will one day be old.

God did not establish separate churches for separate generations.

“There is one body, and one Spirit… One Lord, one faith, one baptism.” — Ephesians 4:4–5

We need the energy and enthusiasm of youth, but we also need the wisdom and experience that come with age.

The older generation needs the younger generation.
The younger generation needs the older generation.
And both generations need God.

A Generation That Knew Not the Lord

One of Scripture’s saddest statements appears in Judges 2:10:

“And there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.”

How could a generation arise that did not know what God had done?

Somewhere along the way, God’s truth was not successfully handed from one generation to another.

We cannot allow that to happen among us.

Teach your children the Bible. Explain why we worship according to Scripture. Teach them why baptism matters. Teach them why the church matters. Tell them about faithful Christians who came before them.

Instead of looking at the generational gap and saying, “Somebody needs to do something,” perhaps we should say:

“Maybe our family can help change that.”

The Goal Is Faithfulness

The church must never change God’s truth simply to keep an older generation comfortable.

Neither should the church change God’s truth simply to keep a younger generation interested.

Our standard is not old versus new.

Our standard is truth.

To the older generation: Let us teach them.

To the younger generation: Let us learn from them.

To every generation: Let us follow God.

“One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.” — Psalm 145:4

The church doesn’t need to be OLD or YOUNG.

It needs to be FAITHFUL.

09/24/2026

Lesson notes for Last 2 Sundays on the Godhead

09/06/2026

Join us for Homecoming 2026