The Cincinnati Church

Paul on Mars’ Hill (Acts 17:16-34)

I. This study should accomplish 4 primary things:
1. Show that many times God’s people are no different from the heathen.
2. Observe and relate to the nature and thinking of unconverted men.
3. Demonstrate how to successfully preach the gospel to heathen, unchurched men.
4. Demonstrate how preaching the gospel will sort out men and reveal what manner of spirit they are.

II. God’s people are often times no different than the heathen (v. 16-17).

Mystery, Babylon the Great
I.
The N.T. warns in various places that apostasy would come.
A.
Paul was concerned about believers being corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
2CO 11:3.
B.
Paul warned about believers forsaking sound doctrine for fables. 2TI 4:3-4.
C.
Paul warned about believers in the latter times departing from the faith. 1TI 4:1.
D.
Peter warned about false teachers arising who would draw away many. 2PE 2:1-2.
E.
Paul warned about a falling away (Gr. apostasia) that would precede the coming of
Christ. 2TH 2:1-3.
F.

The Order of Melchisedec

I.
A study of Melchisedec and his order of priesthood sets in sharp relief the deficient nature of the
Levitical priesthood which was set aside in favor of a better priesthood for a better testament.
HEB 7:21-22.
A.
In the book of Hebrews, Paul presents a powerful argument that would help the Hebrew
Christians come to grips with the fact that the traditional priesthood of their nation (the
Levitical priesthood) was set aside.
B.
The Levites' priesthood was appointed of God; it was according to a commandment.
C.

SELF-RESTRAINT

Sober: “Moderate, temperate, avoiding excess, in respect of the use of food and drink; not given to the
indulgence of appetite. Of demeanor, speech, etc.: Grave, serious, solemn, indicating or implying a
serious mind or purpose.”
Moderation: “Limitation, restriction; a fixed limit; a restricting provision or clause. Control, rule,
governance.”
Temperance: “The practice or habit of restraining oneself in provocation, passion, desire, etc.; rational
self-restraint.”
I.
There is a profound need in our society to be reminded of the value of self-restraint.

Conspiracy of the Ages (Part 8)

THE CONSPIRACY OF THE AGES

Conspire: “To combine privily for an evil or unlawful purpose; to agree together to do something criminal, illegal, or reprehensible."

(All English word definitions in this study taken from the Oxford English Dictionary)

I. Theories about conspiracy relative to human government are many and varied.
A. Of particular interest to many theorists is the specter of a world government that renders national boundaries irrelevant.

Giving (Part 2)

GIVING
I.
The way a Christian conducts his affairs in the area of finances says much about his character.
LUK 16:10-12.
II.
Everything that we possess should be viewed as ultimately belonging to God, Who created wealth
and the ability to acquire it. PSA 24:1; ACT 17:24-25; JOB 1:21; DEU 8:17-18.
A.
As such, God reserves the right to regulate the use of His resources which He has entrusted
to His creatures.
B.
Giving for righteous causes should be looked upon as a return of property to its rightful
owner. 1CH 29:11-16.
C.

Conspiracy of the Ages (Part 7)

THE CONSPIRACY OF THE AGES
Conspire: “To combine privily for an evil or unlawful purpose; to agree together to do something
criminal, illegal, or reprehensible."
(All English word definitions in this study taken from the Oxford English Dictionary)
I. Theories about conspiracy relative to human government are many and varied.
A. Of particular interest to many theorists is the specter of a world government that renders
national boundaries irrelevant.
B. This study assumes that a move towards world government is a fact because Scripture

The Ark of the Covenant (Part 2)

The Ark of the Covenant
I. Ark: “A chest, box, coffer, close basket, or similar receptacle; esp. a. in north. dial. a large
wooden bin or hutch for storing meal, bread, fruit, etc. 2. spec. in Jew. Hist. The wooden coffer
containing the tables of the law, kept in the Holiest Place of the Tabernacle. Also called Ark of the
Covenant, Ark of Testimony.
II. Principal passages that treat of the ark of the covenant are EXO 25:10-22; 37:1-9; DEU 10:1-5;
HEB 9:4-5.

The Ark of the Covenant (Part 1)

I. Ark: “A chest, box, coffer, close basket, or similar receptacle; esp. a. in north. dial. a large
wooden bin or hutch for storing meal, bread, fruit, etc. 2. spec. in Jew. Hist. The wooden coffer
containing the tables of the law, kept in the Holiest Place of the Tabernacle. Also called Ark of the
Covenant, Ark of Testimony.
II. Principal passages that treat of the ark of the covenant are EXO 25:10-22; 37:1-9; DEU 10:1-5;
HEB 9:4-5.
III. The ark of the covenant was central to Jewish worship and service under the Old Testament.

Psalm 65:4

“Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple.” (Psa 65:4).

Choose- (v.) 1. To take by preference out off all that are available; to select; to take as that which one prefers, or in accordance with one’s free will and preference. b) Of God: to elect for eternal happiness; to predestinate to life.

A Hard Saying of Jesus: Limited Atonement (or Particular Redemption)

Limited Atonement is logically deduced from the premises of Total Depravity and Unconditional Election. It is a truth explicitly stated in many portions of scripture. It is also the aspect of the doctrine of grace most likely to elicit a negative emotional response from those in the freewill camp.

For a review of Total Depravity and Unconditional Election see:
Unconditional Election (Pastor Timothy Boffey 12/21/09)

Objectives
Define Limited Atonement and explain how it differs from General Atonement

Luke 15

I.
These teachings of Christ encourage us to seek mercy when we go astray.
A.
We all have the tendency to get lost. PSA 119:10, 176.
B.
All three of these stories deal with something lost being found.
C.
All three of these stories show how ready God is to restore us.
D.
God delights in showing mercy to penitent sinners. MIC 7:18; EZE 33:11; 2PE 3:9.
II.
The murmuring of the Pharisees and scribes occasioned the parable of the lost sheep. vs.3-7.
A.
This narrative also occurs in MAT 18:11-14.
B.
Connect this with PSA 23:1-3.
C.

THE PARABLE OF THE GREAT SUPPER
I. This parable is recorded in MAT 22:1-14 and LUK 14:15-24.
II. This is a parable of the kingdom of heaven/God. It treats of circumstances that would pertain to
the government of Christ upon the heavenly throne of David, as Head over all things to the church.
EPH 1:22.
A. It treats of the rejection of Christ and His gospel by the Jews and their subsequent
judgment and loss of God's kingdom.
B. It treats of the incorporation of the unlikely elements of society and the Gentiles into the
church in the Jews' place.

THE ASSURANCE OF ETERNAL SALVATION
1. This is a matter of concern to Bible believers.
2. It should be a matter of concern.
A. All men are sinners and are deserving of eternal damnation. ROM 3:9, 23.
(1) Adam’s one sin was sufficient to damn the entire human race. ROM 5:18.
(2) Consider those who will be consigned to the lake of fire (REV 21:8). Have you
ever been guilty of these crimes?
B. Not all are the children of God. MAT 25:41; REV 20:15.
C. Relatively few are God’s children. MAT 22:14; LUK 13:23-24.
D. Many who think they are God’s children, are not. MAT 7:21-23.

The Creation Week and The Age of the Earth
I. There are four possibilities to explain the existence of the universe.
A. The universe spontaneously emerged from nothing. Nothing does NOT produce anything.
B. The universe is eternal. This is refuted by the law of entropy which affirms that all things
are wearing out.
C. The universe does not exist. This is insanity: the inability to cope with reality.
D. A force greater than the universe brought it into existence. In other words, “In the
beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (GEN 1:1).

The Creation Week and The Age of the Earth
I. There are four possibilities to explain the existence of the universe.
A. The universe spontaneously emerged from nothing. Nothing does NOT produce anything.
B. The universe is eternal. This is refuted by the law of entropy which affirms that all things
are wearing out.
C. The universe does not exist. This is insanity: the inability to cope with reality.
D. A force greater than the universe brought it into existence. In other words, “In the
beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (GEN 1:1).

Ruling and Training Children
I. We are living in times of a general disrespect of authority and also a lack of its proper exercise.
A. Police do not command the respect that they once did.
B. Civil leaders and magistrates are too often unfairly vilified.
C. The Supreme Law of the Land (Constitution) is trampled on by members of all three
branches of civil power.
D. Schoolteachers are too often mocked by students, unsupported by parents and hobbled in
their duties by ridiculous policies.

Hebrews 6:4-6
I. The key to understanding this controversial passage is the sole, once for all, sufficient sacrifice of
Christ which is never to be repeated. HEB 7:27; 9:25-28; 1PE 3:18.
II. In these verses Paul leaves the principles of the doctrine of Christ to go on to perfection.
HEB 6:1-3.
A. Christians must progress beyond the infant stage of the principles of the doctrine of Christ.
HEB 5:11-14.
B. Principle: “Origin, source; beginning; that from which something else takes its rise; a

THE IDENTITY OF TRUE FAITH AND PRACTICE
I. Error begins with accepting some other standard for faith and practice than the word of God.
GEN 3:1-6; 2CO 11:3.
II. Personal feelings and thoughts do not determine truth. PRO 28:26; 14:12.
A. It is possible to be completely convinced that one is doing right though in error.
JOH 16:2; ACT 26:9-10.
1. Dedication to an error does not justify the error.
2. Zeal is not necessarily be a good thing. 2SA 21:2; GAL 4:17-18.
B. It is possible to be in ignorance about wrongdoing. PSA 19:12; ACT 3:17.

1 JOHN 5:6-11
I . John is here setting forth the witnesses to Jesus Christ, the Son of God, both in heaven and in
earth.
A. The witness described in these verses is the witness that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
1JO 5:5, 9-10.
B. The faith with which John deals in the first five verses is based on this testimony or witness
to Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
II. The three that bear record in heaven are the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost.
A. The doctrine of the Trinity is plainly declared in v.7.

The Kingdom of God Is At Hand (Mark 1:15)
Kingdom: “Kingly function, authority or power; sovereignty, supreme rule; the position or rank of a king,
kingship.”
I. In the words of John the Baptist (MAT 3:2) and the Lord Jesus Christ, the kingdom of
heaven/God was “...at hand.”
A. The system of eschatology represented by the footnotes of the Scofield Reference Bible
affirms that the promised Messianic/Davidic king and kingdom which the Jews awaited
were thwarted by the Jewish rejection of the Messiah and so were reserved to a future
advent of Jesus Christ.

vs.6-8.
1. In these verses Paul anticipates his death (which was apparently imminent), reflects
upon the course of his ministry and rests in the hope of the believer: the Second
Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.
2. The word “for” suggests that it was in view of his death that Paul was here
especially exhorting Timothy to carry on the work of the ministry.
c/w DEU 31:14; 1KI 2:1-4.
3. Paul speaks with certainty about his end.
A. “...the time of my departure is at hand” (v.6).
B. “...I have finished my course...” (v.7).

Gethsemane
A. The Gethsemane experience of Jesus Christ is recorded in MAT 26:36-46; MAR 14:32-42 and
LUK 22:39-46.
B. Prior to His bodily sufferings climaxing in His crucifixion, Jesus entered into a garden (JOH 18:1)
called Gethsemane to acquaint His soul with grief.
1. Man consists of body, soul and spirit. 1TH 5:23.
2. The soul belongs to the inward parts. JOB 14:22.
3. The soul of Jesus Christ was included in His ordained sufferings. ISA 53:10-12.
4. Death's entrance into the world was first experienced in the inward man (GEN 2:17) and

Pastor Mott of the Detroit Church visited for a few days and preached this Bible study about Zacchaeus.

Unconditional Election
Election: “The action of choosing: in various specific applications. The formal choosing of a person for
an office, dignity, or position of any kind; usually by the votes of a constituent body. Theol. The exercise
of God's sovereign will in choosing some of His creatures in preference to others for blessings temporal or
spiritual, esp. for eternal salvation.”
I. Man is presented in three states in Scripture.
A. Man in a state of innocency but capable of falling. GEN 1:26-28, 31; 2:15-17.
B. Man in a state of sin and incapable of recovery.

9. Against the inevitability and the aftermath of apostates, Paul commands Timothy to
watch, endure, work, and prove his ministry. v.5.
A. Regardless of the waywardness of others, he must stay the course.
EXO 23:2.
B. Gospel work must go on in spite of desertions and disappointments.
(1) There is a tendency in ministry to think one is failing at the work if
some abandon the truth.
(2) That some saints abandon the truth is not so much a sign that the
minister is failing at the work as it is that he has been doing the work
properly! JOH 6:63-66.