Category: What do you think?

The eternal nature of hell and what Jesus actually taught about it

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JEFF TURNER

Jesus spoke more about hell than almost any other topic, and what he said in Matthew 25 makes it clear that punishment is not a one-time event that ends in annihilation. He described the fire as eternal, meaning it never consumes what it burns, which is precisely why it lasts forever. This doesn’t appear to be figurative language being stretched to make a point; it lines up with what other passages of scripture say as well.

Passages throughout the New Testament describe this judgment as unquenchable, everlasting, and inescapable. Second Thessalonians 1:9 speaks of everlasting destruction, and the imagery of the undying worm and the unending fire appears more than once. Those who suggest that the ungodly simply go out of existence at judgment have to work around a large body of scripture that points in the opposite direction.

The consistent witness of the Bible is that the punishment of the wicked has no end. And it’s a punishment no one need endure because Jesus paid the price.

 And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.”

Revelation 14:11

Head coverings in 1 Corinthians 11: what the passage really teaches

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TEXAS GOSPEL VOLUNTEER

1 Corinthians 11:5 states that a woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonours her head. This verse has prompted longstanding debate: does it require women to wear a physical covering in church today, or was it a specific instruction for first-century Corinth?

The answer is not simple, and sincere believers have held different views for centuries.

At the heart of the passage is a theological truth about order and distinction. Scripture teaches a clear structure of headship: God over Christ, Christ over man, man over woman (1 Corinthians 11:3). This order is meant to govern both the home and the church.

Within this structure, women express their honouring of God’s design in particular ways. Some of these expressions are cultural; others are rooted in creation itself. Paul notes, for instance, that a woman’s longer hair is a natural covering, a gift from God reflecting this distinction.

Head coverings, in certain cultural settings, have served as a visible symbol of this order. Whether that specific practice is universal or contextual is where Christians disagree. What is not in dispute is the underlying principle: men and women are distinct by design, and that distinction carries meaning in worship.

The outward practice may vary across cultures and eras, but the call to honour God’s created order, in both attitude and action, does not.

But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ.

1 Corinthians 11:3

What are spiritual gifts and how do they work in the church today?

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JEFF TURNER

Every believer receives a gift from the Holy Spirit. It is not earned, but given with purpose. As 1 Corinthians 12:7 reminds us, the Spirit’s work in each person is meant to benefit others. No one is left out, and no gift is meant to be kept to oneself.

Passages like Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12 describe gifts such as teaching, serving, giving, leadership, and faith. Rather than fitting neatly into one category, most people find their gifting is a blend of several of these , expressed in a way that’s uniquely their own.

These gifts aren’t given for personal recognition. Their purpose is always outward: to strengthen and support the body of Christ as a whole.

Discovering your gift doesn’t have to be complicated. As you continue to serve faithfully, the shape of your gift becomes clearer over time. The goal isn’t a perfect definition, it’s availability and a willing heart. When each person offers what they’ve been given, the whole community grows stronger together.

As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the multifaceted grace of God.

1 Peter 4:10

A warning about turning away from the truth

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JEFF TURNER

Hebrews 10:26 may trouble Christians who struggle with sin and fear its warning applies to them. It doesn’t. But understanding why requires knowing who it was written for.

The book of Hebrews addresses Jewish people connected to the early church who had heard and intellectually accepted the gospel but never truly embraced it. They remained loyal to their old religious system. The entire letter urges them toward one thing: stop hesitating and fully trust Christ.

The “sinning” in verse 26 isn’t about everyday failure or moral weakness. It describes a sustained, deliberate rejection of Christ, choosing to turn away from His death and resurrection after knowing what they mean. This matters because Christ’s sacrifice is the only provision for sin that exists. Reject it, and nothing else covers you. What remains is judgment.

This is the warning’s point: the gospel demands more than intellectual agreement. It requires trust and commitment. For the person who has genuinely received Christ, this passage isn’t a threat, it’s a reminder of what’s at stake for those still holding back.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.

John 14:6

Why Jesus Told Mary Not to Hold On

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TEXAS GOSPEL VOLUNTEER

Mary Magdalene had watched Jesus die. She knew he had done nothing wrong, and yet she stood by as he was killed. That kind of loss leaves a mark that goes deep. So when she saw him again after the resurrection, her reaction was not simply surprise or joy. It was the response of someone who had already lost him once and could not bear the thought of losing him again.

In John 20, Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father.” At first, this seems like a hard thing to say to someone who had been so faithful to him. Other followers touched Jesus after the resurrection without any such warning. Thomas was even invited to reach out and touch his wounds. So why was Mary’s situation different?

The answer lies in what she was actually doing. The word used in the original Greek text points to more than a simple touch. It describes holding on, clinging, refusing to let go. Mary was not merely reaching out to confirm that Jesus was real. She was trying to keep him from leaving.

But holding on was not going to be possible. Jesus had not returned simply to resume life as it had been before. He was on his way back to the Father, and his physical presence among them was coming to an end.

Jesus had promised that after he left, he would send the Holy Spirit. That Spirit would not visit from time to time or appear briefly and then vanish. He would take up a permanent place inside every person who believed. Mary Magdalene, along with every follower who came after her, would carry the presence of Christ within her from that point on.

The Holy Spirit is described as the Spirit of Christ himself. This means that what Mary feared losing, the closeness, the presence, the relationship, would not be gone at all. It would simply change form.

However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.

Romans 8:9