Perrydox.com is devoted to the pursuit of truth, whether plain or paradoxical, whether simple or sublime, or simply absurd yet absolute.
PHall | December 18, 2018
Etiology, Genesis, and “Issues” – Ever wonder why the Genesis writer includes pericopes on the origin of Moab and Ammon through Lot’s incestuous daughters? Or why any time is spent on Ishmael’s descendants or Esau’s? After all, Genesis was written for the Israelites. Etiology is the study of why something is written about the past, […]
PHall | January 27, 2018
A fish fry for mission work was recently advertised. Churches having yard sales, or pumpkin sales around Halloween is common. Is this biblical? One way to approach is asking if such has biblical authority. Can we find a command, example, or necessary implication from the inspired text. The answer is we can’t. But let’s go […]
PHall | October 11, 2016
Monday’s Message – On Being Denominational – In our Young Adult Class studying “Is the Church a Denomination?” we spent several weeks defining words because words are important because they form ideas. This was part of the process of biblically beginning with and understanding the words “congregations”, then “heresies” being taught, “sects” being formed, and […]
PHall | October 6, 2016
People ask if a congregation is “sound.” Maybe learning about “sound” synagogues might help. In Mark 1:21 Jesus went to the synagogue and started teaching. The congregants were amazed because He taught as one having authority (1:22). A demon-possessed man interrupted their service and Jesus threw out the demon in the man (1:27). Mark 1:39 […]
PHall | August 13, 2015
Did Peter and John lie? A good argument that the church treasury is for saints only might come from a passage that isn’t normally used. In Acts 2 and 4, even 5, we have several scriptures detailing the treasury being used for saints. In Acts 3 when a poor person, an unbeliever, asks for alms, […]
PHall | November 21, 2014
Matthew 26:6-13 – Just because a religious act is good, does not make it right. While in Simon’s house, a woman approached Jesus and anointed Him with an alabaster jar of very expensive fragrant oil. When the disciples saw it, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they ask. “This might have been sold for a […]
PHall | July 21, 2013
Matthew 12 makes a good study in how to establish authority. Three essential truths found within the text is: 1) Authority is found within Scripture; 2) Scripture must be applied for it to have any meaning; 3) Truth can be found, understood and applied. Authority is established by four means: 1) Command – You have […]
PHall | January 22, 2013
If you are the parent, teacher, boss or organization leader, isn’t its aggravating when you tell someone how you want and need something done, but they decide you didn’t really mean what you said so they change or ignore it? Plus, in everyday life, isn’t it frustrating when someone says you said something when you never did? I am responsible for […]
PHall | December 23, 2012
Why local church autonomy? Implied within the command to elders to shepherd the flock among them is church autonomy (1 Pt 5.1-3). Add that to the silence of the scriptures and we learn God’s design that each church is autonomous, separated from other local congregations in government. This is a Biblical concept that is lost […]
PHall | April 21, 2012
There is a recurring theme found within the history of the Southern Kingdom of Judah; that is, the temple became the personal bank account of the king. Time and again, when threatened by outside armies, the king robs the temple of its gold and silver. This is done to bribe the invading king, or to […]