Wine Drinking in the Days of the New Testament

The following quote is borrowed from the lesson outline of Bob Buchanan on Timothy and Titus. He quotes from an article entitled “Wine-Drinking in New Testament Times” written by Robert H. Stein. Here is a part: “What is important for us to note is that before wine was drunk it was mixed with water  x x x x x  The ratio of water to wine varied. Homer (Odyssey IX, 208f.) mentions a ratio of 20 to 1, twenty parts water to one part wine. Pliny (Natural History XIV, vi, 54) mentions a ratio of eight parts water to one part wine … Sometimes the ratio goes down to 1 to 1 (and even lower), but it should be noted that such a mixture is referred to as ‘strong wine.’ Drinking wine unmixed, on the other

How to Teach a Lesson on the Great Commission Baptism

Problems: Many people teach and believe that baptism in water is not necessary for the remission of sins. Another group of people feel that the Great Commission Baptism is not immersion in water. Still another group believe that their baptism in their respective religious groups are sufficient and therefore there is no need to repeat this ceremony that involves water.

Training School Announcements

Cebu Bible College announces the availability of limited scholarship slots for new students entering the training program in June. Interested persons may contact the following addresses: marvwhitt@pldtdsl.net

 

Jun Patricio writes: “Some alumni of PBC and other preachers initiated the oorganization of ASIAN INSTITURE OF CHURCH PLANTING & CHURCH GROWTH which will open classes in June this year. The program includes two years of classroom work and two years of intership. Scholarship is available. We are looking around for additional sponsors and we are enrolling students. Land for the school has been donated. It is located in an area that is overlooking scenic Taal Lake. We need a school building. If able and interested, please call/text June Patricio at 09196302635.”

A  committee within the PBC Alumni Association chaired by Santiago B. Sameon II, Ed.D. has formulated an initial curriculum for a graduate level program at Philippine Bible College.      

Evangelism Notes

• Brethren Jack Belo, Reuel Belo and Samson Octobre continue to lead evangelistic activities in the provinces of Leyte and Souther Leyte.
• Santiago “Dodoy” Sameon II left behind his family in Baguio and will conduct evangelistic meetings, lectures, leadership training in his home province of Negros Oriental visiting more than 40 congregations. He went there about the middle of March and will stay thro the middle of May.
• Brother Daniel Lauro baptized a couple, Mr/Mrs Valdez, residents of Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte on February 20. This occasion was witnessed by Warner Macusi, M/M Jun Macusi, M/M Abel Mariano, Eusebio Tanicala and other Ilocos brethren.
• Brother Emilio Panday, evangelist based in Mangatarem, Pangasinan, reports that in areas where he and his co-workers affiliated with the ministries of the Open Door Ministries and Philippine Theological College, for the month of February they’ve baptized 30 souls. During the first three weeks of March, 20 baptisms have been recorded.
• Brethren Jhun Ma and Oscar Manangan texted their report of the obedience and immersion into Christ of Don & Jenelyn Ramos in Tuao, Cagayan province on March 21.
• Brother Marcial Agustin, likewise, reports of the baptism on March 17 of Jonie Gilo and Jingky Intong in Agusan del Norte.   
• Missionary Ken Wilkey is scheduled to hold gospel meeting with the church in Tuao, Cagayan in the second week of April.
• The new congregation meeting at San Julian Central, Agoo, La Union is gaining more adherents and the brethren are looking around for a lot where a chapel could be built.
• Evangelist Abel Mariano and the brethren in Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte are set to start work on their chapel in the second week of April. Eusebio Tanicala will go there to witness cornerstone burial.    

Fellowship to be held in Calasiao, Pangansinan

 PANGASINAN SPEAKING CHURCHES:  To make stronger the tie that binds the churches in the central and western part of Pangasinan province, and to deepen Bible knowledge, a quarterly fellowship is held. Calasiao was the host in the last meeting on March 3.

Preacher Training Schools

• Philippine International Bible Institute: Seven young men were awarded certificates during the February 28 ceremony at the Clark Church chapel, Angeles City. Five were trained in Angeles and two in Olongapo. Administrators in the two campuses are Higato Tulan, Sr. and Rudy Gonzales, Sr. Contact cp#0928276115 if you want to know more about PIBI program.

April and May Activities

• Church Leaders Seminar. The Rabon Church in San Fabian, Pangasinan will be the site of a one day seminar on April 7. Resource person is Eusebio Tanicala, our moderator.
• National Youth Camp. Baguio Church hosts this activity at 18 Rimando Road on April 2-6.
• Panagkakadua ’07-Ilocos. Churches of Christ in the northwestern Luzon area (Ilocos Region) will converge at the San Fernando National High School April 4-6 for this annual fellowship. Contact persons are Dr. John Quiniones and Ismael Gurtiza. Theme for the occasion is “The Church in a Changing World.”
• Panagkakadua ’07-Valley. Cagayan Valley or northeastern Luzon area congregations will also hold their fellowship from April 4-7 in Quezon, Isabela. Contact persons are Edward Tangunan, Rostum Ortiguero and Dick Baguioen. “The Christian Family” is the theme of this event.        
• PBC Alumni Reunion. April 30, 2007 has been set as PBC Alumni Reunion Day in Baguio. The annual general assembly for members of the PBCAlumni Association will be held, seminar on livelihood and entrepreneurship will be offered to the alumni. Alumnus Engineer Ismael Gurtiza who works with the DOST provincial office will introduce livelihood modules. For the first one hundred registrants who have paid at least three months current membership fee, one Tshirt and one reading glass will be given as a gift.
• PBC Alumni & Church Leaders Forum. On May 1, a forum will be conducted at 18 Rimando Road. Lectures on the theme: “Improving Attitudes and Lesson Presentation Methods on Church Giving” will be given. Resource speakers are Gilbert Trani, Arnold Zambrano, Edwin Valencia and Eusebio Tanicala.
• National Ladies Retreat. This ladies annual national event is hosted by the Midtown congregation of Baguio City on April 24-27. Venue is at the Riverview Resort which is located along northwest Asin Road some 16 kilometers from downtown Baguio. 

God’s Part – [FORGIVENESS of SINS] – Man’s Part

Bible Study Lesson: There’s God’s Part and There’s Man’s Part in the Forgiveness of Sins

Objective: After the lesson, every member should be able to

a) list down God’s part as well as man’s part in the forgiveness of sins before born again, and;

b) be able to tell at what specific point in time or in what specific step in the process of obeying God that a truth seeker obtains forgiveness of sins before being born again.

The Lord God Is My Savior

By Eusebio Tanicala

There are several persons, acts, mental states, provisions through whom and by which forgiveness of sin and salvation from damnation is effected. Please analyze the following passages:

Instruments of Music in Worship In Old Testament Times

By Eusebio Tanicala

Lev.23:23-25, “The LORD told Moses to give these instructions to the Israelites, ‘On the appointed day in early autumn, xxxxx You will call the people to a sacred assembly – the Festival of Trumpets – with loud blasts from a trumpet. You must do no regular work on that day. Instead, you are to present offerings to the LORD by fire.” (New Living Translation. Following quotes are from the same version.)

Num. 10:10, “Blow the trumpets in times of gladness, too, sounding them at your annual festivals and at the beginning of each month to rejoice over your burnt offerings and peace offerings. The trumpets will remind the LORD your God of his covenant with you. I am the LORD your God.”

Call for Congregational Histories

Bro. Erwin Oliva, who writes for a national daily suggested that local congregations should have a way of remembering their beginnings. I couldn’t agree more. Although, by word of mouth, we have heard how congregations started and flourished. However, we do not have written accounts to preserve these memories. While exchanging e-mails, Bro. Erwin and I agreed to start researching how our own home congregations started and have asked some brethren to do the same. The following are some of the reasons why we should be writing our congregational histories.

The Restoration Movement

There are a number of movements that have greatly affected large masses of people and shaped circumstances that would dictate the future, either for the better or worse. A Dark Age in our history was when Catholicism reigned. Catholicism personified the great falling away prophesied in scripture (2 Thes. 2: 1-12; I Tim. 4: 1-3). During a period of about one thousand years, the Catholic Church enjoyed unchallenged domination (Ad 590-1517). However the Renaissance encouraged people to think for themselves (AD 1350-1650). The Renaissance served as impetus, in part, for the great European Reformation Movement (Ad 1517-1648). As a result of people thinking, they began to realize all the atrocities and scripture perversions of Catholicism. Hence, men such as Martin Luther (Germany), John Calvin, and Ulrich Zwingli (Switzerland) led the way toward the attempted reform of the Catholic Church. During the period between 1517 and 1784, a number of denominations were begun. ¹ However, instead of attempting to reform Catholicism or start their own religions, it was realized that the goal should be to re-establish pristine New Testament Christianity.

Debt of Gratitude to Mr. and Mrs. Henry G. Cassell

I am an avid student of church history. For many years, there were missing links as we tried to trace the spiritual genealogy of many Philippine brethren. Cotabato brethren told us of Pedro Asada who visited Antonio Villanueva before the outbreak of the Pacific War in 1941. That Pedro influenced Antonio to see the scriptural basis of not eating blood and other issues that eventually led the latter to severe ties with the Samahang Tagapagpalaganap ng Ebanghelio, the registered association of Christian Church/Churches of Christ preachers.

Saved by Grace – Bakit hindi nagkakaintindihan?

Sa diskusyon ng anumang isyu, upang magkaintindihan ang magkabilang panig at upang maliwanag ang konklusyon, kailangan ang pagpapaliwanag ng mga termino sa proposition. Kaya sa pagaaral ukol sa kaligtasan ng kaluluwa mula sa kapahamakan ng kasalanan (salvation by grace) kailangan mayroon definition of terms.

The New Testament Cup

By Charlemagne Garces, Sr.

INTRODUCTION

There are various beliefs and practices the world over in relation to the Lord’s Supper celebration. One practice is the use of one cup for the whole congregation and only the priest celebrant drinks from it during the mass. Another group places so much emphasis and importance on the cup-container saying that the one cup-container represents the singularity of the New Testament.

Pagangkin ni Felix Manalo ng kanyang pagka-anghel hindi tugma sa historia

Note: The article is written in the Filipino language.

Walang halong malisya ang sanaysay na ito. Ilalahad lang natin ang mga pangyayari sa historia ng mundo. Ang bumabasa ay siyang humusga kung ano ang katotohanan. Buhay na walang hanggan ang mapapala ng makatunghay ng katotohanan, ngunit kaparusahang kamatayan ang resulta ng kamalian.

Evangelistic Ministry started in North Cotabato

Another activity participated in by preachers and church leaders in the province of North Cotabato is called “evangelistic ministry.” It is a cooperative effort of brethren with the sole purpose of sharing the good news of salvationl, to various communities. Participants knock on doors and talk with people. They also enroll students to the World Bible School.

New address for the Church in Cainta, Rizal

The church in Cainta, Rixal has moved into a new meeting place: #25 L.Santos Street, San Juan, Cainta. Brother Raj M.Buo ministers to this congregation. Contact him at (63) 09192185730.

 

Fellowships in Northern Luzon

Congregations in Region 1 and the Cordillera Administrative Region will hold their annual fellowship from April 4-6 in San Fernando City, La Union. Contact persons of the La Union host church are Dr. John Quiniones and Engineer Ismael Gurtiza.

Southern Mindanao Bible College to hold closing rites April 1

Brother Gabriel Valdez, present director of this training school that is located in Kisante, Makilala, North Cotabato, has announced that their graduation program will be held on April 1. This school is operated by the church in Kabacan, North Cotabato.

PBCAA to hold get together on April 30, 2007

April 30, 2007 has been set as Philippine Bible College alumni homecoming day as well as general assembly meeting for the current year. In the evening of this day, a graduation program shall be held to certify those who are finishing their two-year classroom program. The first one hundred alumni who shall register and will pay at least three months of membership fee will be given some gifts On May 1, the PBC Alumni Association will sponsor a forum intended for church leaders and preachers.

National Ladies Retreat slated for April 24-27, 2007

The 2007 National Ladies Retreat will be held at the River View Resort which is situated along Asin Road, Tuba, Benguet some 15 kilometers from downtown Baguio. Date is 24-27 April. Host for this year is the Midtown Church of Christ.

Philippine Internation Bible Institute Graduation

Seven young men were given the two-year classroom certification during a graduation program in the afternoon of February 28 at the auditorium of the Clark Church of Christ. Confirmed graduates of the two-year program were: Terrence Corpuz of Camarines Sur; Efren Esteban of Pangasinan; Rodrigo Moral, Jr of Zambales; Sherwin Ravelo of Ilocos Norte; June Rico of Tarlac, Julius Jones of Batangas; and Darwin Supremedo of Isabela.

Brother Jun Fuentes gave the commencement address. Brother Higato Tulan, Sr., administrator of the Angeles City program, gave the confirmation and handed out the certificates.

The Philippine International Bible Institute conducts classes in Angeles City, Olongapo City and in Naga City under the direction of Charles T. Smith.

Philippine Mission Workshop 2007

A Philippine Mission Workshop with the theme: “Unify to Glorify” was held at the Clark Church of Christ, Josefa Subdivision, Malabanias, Angeles City,Pampanga on February 26-28. Speakers were Jun Fuentes, Jun Patricio, Fred Angangan, Marlow Garlitos, Art Madlaing, Solomon Devera, Darryl Darden, Santiago Sameon II, and Tholomew Mapalo.

A brainstorming to strategize Philippine gospel mission, capped the workshop. The group was reminded that the thrust of the present gospel mission in the Philippines should be the empowerment of local congregations, individual ministers and all active members to promote the growth of the church. Also it was recognized that to accomplish this work of empowerment there should be a sharing of resourcesthrough a networking system.

Items were identified under four major categories:

1. CELBBRATION: The Church, Knowledge based, Cooperation, Training Institutions, Support Ministries,Common Goal.
2. CHALLENGES: Funding, Unempowered Personnel, Lack of Ownership, Communication, Unifying Factor (Kanya-kanya should not prevail).
3. CONSIDERATION: Church-based Training, Inter-congregational Relationship (Regional, National, International), Consider the example of the congregations in Cavite, Zambales and MetroManila. May use The Word Ministry (currently paper based) but which goes on line starting this March to promote communications. A directory is also needed.
4. COMMITMENT: The following committed themselves to work and promote some identified undertakings: Marlow Garlitos, Chito Cusi, Eusebio Tanicala and JunFuentes.