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Biblical Foundations
Book #1
Chaplain Mark Stevens, ThD
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New Jersey Institute of Theological Studies

NJITS

New Jersey Institute of Theological Studies

Suite 160
440A Whitehorse Pike
Atco, NJ 08004
CORRESPONDENCE SCHOOL OF BIBLICAL STUDIES
ACCELERATED BIBLICAL TRAINING SERIES
The Correspondence School of Ministry is a new spiritual, educational
training track of the New Jersey Institute of Theological Studies. This
condensed, correspondence format will allow many of the basic courses of
NJITS to be offered in a time frame better suited to the demands and time
constraints of busy adults; particularly many of whom are already actively
involved in ministry.
COORESPONDANCE format
The Correspondence Manual is to be read and the test at the end of the lesson
book is to be taken and mailed back to the School for grading. The test can be
2

taken with an open Bible. Some answers to the questions are NOT found in
the manual but require the taker to study the scriptures for the answer.
Challenging studies
The goal of this course is to challenge the student to study the Word with
intensity and diligence. There will be other study books coming out in the near
future.

Affordable and bible based

Practical, anointed, and insightful spiritual training at an extremely
reasonable amount.
The total cost for the manual and the certificate is $50.00

The material is packed with Bible based doctrine that will enable youre
the student to be the man or woman of God you need to be. This is
NOT a replacement for the training you SHOULD receive in your local
church BUT it WILL enhance it greatly.

The Dean of the New Jersey Institute of Theological Studies

Scriptures from King James Version

New American Standard
And The NIV

Mark H. Stevens, ThD

New Jersey Institute of Theological Studies
Jan.2004
Suite 160
440A Whitehorse Pike
Atco, NJ 08004

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reviews, without permission from the publisher of the author.

Cover: Theocentric Graphics

CHAPTER ONE Basic Biblical Theology (Page 5)

CHAPTER TWO The Doctrines of Salvation and Baptism (Page 27)
CHAPTER THREE Evangelism (Page 50)
CHAPTER FOUR The Holy Spirit (Page 94)
Chart Timeline of Old Testament History
Final examination

Chapter One
BASIC BIBLICAL THEOLOGY

Where did God come from?

We can only partially comprehend the notion of God's
existence. To do so, we must use human concepts to speak of
God: "without beginning or end"; "eternal"; "infinite", etc. The
Bible says that He has always existed: " . . . even from
everlasting to everlasting, thou art God" (Psalm 90:2). And,
"Your throne is established from of old; Thou art from
everlasting" (Psalm 93:2). Quite simply, God has no beginning
and no end. So, where did God come from? He didn't. He
always was.
To us, the notion of time is linear. One second follows the
next, one minute is after another. We get older, not younger and
we cannot repeat the minutes that have passed us by. We have
all seen the time lines on charts: early time is on the left and
later time is on the right. We see nations, people's lives, and
plans mapped out on straight lines from left to right. We see a
beginning and an end. But God is "beyond the chart." He has no
beginning or end. He simply has always been.
Also, physics has shown that time is a property that is the
result of the existence of matter. Time exists when matter
exists. Time has even been called the fourth dimension. But God
is not matter. In fact, God created matter. He created the
universe. So, time began when God created the universe. Before
that, God was simply existing and time had no meaning (except
conceptually), no relation to Him. Therefore, to ask where God
came from is to ask a question that cannot really be applied to
God in the first place. Because time has no meaning with God in
relation to who He is, eternity is also not something that can be
absolutely related to God. God is even beyond eternity.
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Eternity is a term that we finite creatures use to express the

concept of something that has no end -- and/or no beginning.
Since God has no beginning or end, He has no beginning. This is
because He is outside of time.

Who is God?
1. God
2. God
3. God
4. God
5. God
6. God
7. God
8. God
9. God
10. God
11. God
12. God
13. God
14. God
15. God
16. God
17. God
18. God
19. God
20. God
21. God
22. God
23. God
24. God
25. God
26. God
27. God
28. God
29. God
30. God
31. God
32. God
33. God
34. God
35. God

Is One - Deut. 6:4; 1 Cor. 8:4

Is Truth -Psalm 117:2; Jer. 10:10
is Light - 1 John 1:5
is Love - 1 John 4:8,16
Is Infinite - Jer. 23:24; Psalm 147:5
is All Knowing - 1 John 3:20
is Everywhere - Psalm 139:7-12
is All Powerful - Jer. 32:17,27
is Unequaled - Isaiah 40:13-25
Is Perfect - 1 Kings 8:27; Psalm 139
Is A Most Pure Spirit - John 4:24
Is Invisible - 1 Tim. 1:17
Does Not Have A Human Body - Luke 24:39; Deut. 4:15-16
Does Not Change - Num. 23:19; Mal. 3:6; James 1:17
Is Without Limit - 1 Kings 8:27; Jer. 23:23-24
Is Eternal - Psalm 90:2; 1 Tim. 1:17
Is Incomprehensible - Rom. 11:33; Psalm 145:3
Is The Almighty One - Rev. 1:8, 4:8
Is Most Wise - Rom. 16:27; Jude 25
Is Most Holy - Isaiah 6:3; Rev. 4:8
Is Most Free - Psalm 115:3
Is Most Absolute - Isaiah 44:6; Acts 17:24-25
Works According To His Will - Eph. 1:11; Rom. 8:28
Receives Glory - Rom. 8:36; Rev. 4:11
Is Most Loving - 1 John 4:8-10
Is Gracious - Exodus 33:19; 1 Pet. 2:3
Is Merciful - Exodus 34:6; Psalm 67:1; James 5:11
Is Long-suffering - Psalm 86:15; 2 Pet. 3:15
Abounds In Goodness - Psalm 31:19; 52:1; Rom. 11:22
Is Forgiving - Dan. 9:9; Eph. 1:7; Psalm 86:5
Rewards Those Who Seek Him - Heb. 11:6
Is Just In All His Judgments - Neh. 9:32-33; 2 Thess. 1:6
Hates Sin - Psalm 5:5-6; Hab. 1:13
Is the Creator - Isaiah 40:12,22,26
Is Shepherd - Gen. 49:24

What is the Trinity?

The word "trinity" is a term used to denote the Christian doctrine that God exists as a
unity of three distinct persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each of the persons is distinct
from the other, yet related in essence. Each is divine in nature, but each is not the totality
of the Godhead. Each has a will, loves, and says "I", and "You" when speaking. The Father
is not the same person as the Son who is not the same person as the Holy Spirit who is not
the same person as the Father. Each is divine, yet there are not three gods, but one God.
There are three persons individual subsistences, or persons. The word "subsistence" means
something that has a real existence. The word "person" denotes individuality and self
awareness. The Trinity is three of these, though the latter term has become the dominant
one used to describe the individual aspects of God known as the Father, the Son, and the
Holy Spirit.
Included in the doctrine of the Trinity is a strict monotheism which is the teaching that
there exists in all the universe a single being known as God who is self-existent and
unchangeable (Isaiah 43:10; 44:6,8). Therefore, it is important to note that the doctrine of
the trinity is not polytheistic as some of its critics proclaim. Trinitarianism is monotheistic by
definition and those who claim it is polytheistic demonstrate a lack of understanding of what
it really is.

The Trinity
God is three persons
Each person is divine
There is only one God.

Many theologians admit that the term "person" is not a perfect word to describe the
three individual aspects/foci found in God. When we normally use the word person, we
understand it to mean physical individuals who exist as separate beings from other
individuals. But in God there are not three entities, nor three beings. God, is a trinity of
persons consisting of one substance and one essence. God is numerically one. Yet, within
the single divine essence are three individual subsistences that we call persons.
Each of the three persons is completely divine in nature though each is not the
totality of the Godhead.
Each of the three persons is not the other two persons.
Each of the three persons is related to the other two, but are distinct from them.
The word "trinity" is not found in the Bible. But this does not mean that the concept is
not taught there. The word "bible" is not found in the Bible either, but we use it anyway.
Likewise, the words "omniscience," which means "all knowing," "omnipotence," which
means "all powerful," and "omnipresence," which means "present everywhere," are not
found in the Bible either. But we use these words to describe the attributes of God. So, to
say that the Trinity isn't true because the word isn't in the Bible is an invalid argument.
Is there subordination in the Trinity?
There is, apparently, a subordination within the Trinity in regard to order but not
substance or essence. We can see that the Father is first, the Son is second, and the Holy
Spirit is third. The Father is not begotten, but the Son is (John 3:16). The Holy Spirit
proceeds from the Father (John 5:26). The Father sent the Son (1 John 4:10). The Son
and the Father send the Holy Spirit (John 14:26; 15:26). The Father creates (Isaiah
44:24), the Son redeems (Gal. 3:13), and the Holy Spirit sanctifies (Rom. 15:16).
This subordination of order does not mean that each of the members of the Godhead are

not equal or divine. For example, we see that the Father sent the Son. But this does not
mean that the Son is not equal to the Father in essence and divine nature. A wife is to be
subject to her husband but this does not negate her humanity, essence, or equality. By
further analogy, a king and his servant both share human nature. Yet, the king sends the
servant to do his will. Jesus said, "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own
will, but the will of Him who sent Me" (John 6:38). Does this mean that the one sent must,
therefore, be of different nature than the one who sent him? Of course not.
Critics of the Trinity will see this subordination as proof that the Trinity is false. They
reason that if Jesus were truly God, then He would be completely equal to God the Father in
all areas and would not, therefore, be subordinate to the Father in any way. But this
objection is not logical. If we look at the analogy of the king and in the servant we certainly
would not say that the servant was not human because he was sent. Being sent does not
negate sameness in essence. Therefore, the fact that the Son is sent does not mean that He
is not divine any more than when my wife sends me to get bread, I am not human.
Is this confusing?
Another important point about the Trinity is that it can be a difficult concept to grasp.
But this does not necessitate an argument against its validity. On the contrary, the fact that
it is difficult is an argument for its truth. The Bible is the self revelation of an infinite God.
Therefore, we are bound to encounter concepts which are difficult to understand -especially when dealing with an incomprehensible God who exists in all places at all times.
So, when we view descriptions and attributes of God manifested in the Father, the Son, and
the Holy Spirit, we discover that a completely comprehensible and understandable
explanation of God's essence and nature is not possible. What we have, however, done is
derive from the Scripture the truths that we can grasp and combine them into the doctrine
we call The Trinity. The Trinity is, to a large extent, a mystery. After all, we are dealing
with God Himself.
It is the way of the cults to reduce biblical truth to make God comprehensible and
understandable by their minds. To this end, they subject God's word to their own reasoning
and end in error. The following verses are often used to demonstrate that in the doctrine
of the Trinity is indeed biblical.
Matt. 28:18, Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
1 Cor. 12:4-6, Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5And there are
varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. 6And there are varieties of effects, but the
same God who works all things in all persons.
2 Cor. 13:14, The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the
fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.
Eph. 4:4-7, There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one
hope of your calling; 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6one God and Father of all
who is over all and through all and in all. 7But to each one of us grace was given
according to the measure of Christs gift.
1 Pet. 1:2, "according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying
work of the Spirit, that you may obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood:
May grace and peace be yours in fullest measure."
Jude 20-21, "But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith;
praying in the Holy Spirit; 21keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for
the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life."
The doctrine of the Trinity has often caused confusion among Christians. Some people
have mistakenly seen the Trinity as a Triad. What is the difference?
The Trinity is the teaching that there exists only one God in all the universe, none

10

before and none after Him (Isaiah 44:6,8) and that God consists of three persons: Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit. The Father is not the same person as the Son who is not the same
person as the Father, who is not the same person as the Holy Spirit. Yet, there are not
three gods, but one.
In contrast to the trinity, a Triad is three separate gods. Each is a god. Therefore, in
the doctrine of the triad, the Father is a god, the Son is a god, and the Holy Spirit is a god.
This is not the doctrine of the Trinity and it is not biblical.
Mormonism holds to the doctrine of a Triad, not a Trinity. Even though it claims the word
Trinity as its teaching, it does not hold to the doctrine of the Trinity. In Mormonism, the
Father has a body of flesh and bones and used to be a man on another world who became a
god and came to this world. Jesus is the first-born between god and his goddess wife.
Jesus has become a god. And, the Holy Ghost is a god as well. Note: In Mormonism, the
Holy Spirit is god's emanating presence by which he is able to be omnipresent. This is not
a Trinity. This is a Triad. They are not the same.
The Jehovah's Witness organization very often misrepresents the Trinity doctrine by
replacing it with the Triad teaching. They often are taught that Trinitarians believe in three
gods. This is not true.
An Illustration
Basically, the universe consists of three elements: Time, Space, and Matter. Each of
these is comprised of three 'components.'
Time

Past

Present

Future

Space

Height

Width

Depth

Matter

Solid

Liquid

Gas

As the Trinity doctrine maintains, each of the persons of the Godhead (Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit) is distinct, yet they are all each, by nature, God.
With time, for example, the past is distinct from the present, which is distinct from the
future. Each is simultaneous. Yet, they are not three 'times,' but one. That is, they all share
the same nature: time
With space, height is distinct from width, which is distinct from depth, which is distinct
from height. Yet, they are not three 'spaces,' but one. That is, they all share the same
nature: space.
With matter, solid is not the same as liquid, which is not the same as gas, which is not
the same as solid. Yet, they are not three 'matters,' but one. That is, they all share the
same nature: matter.
Note that there are three sets of threes. In other words, there is a trinity of trinities. If
we were to look at the universe and notice these qualities within it, is it fair to say that
these are the fingerprints of God upon His creation? I think so. Not only is this simply an
observation, but it is also a good source for an analogy of the Trinity.

Is God's nature changed by Jesus being divine and

human?
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The Christian doctrine concerning Jesus' two natures is called the hypostatic union. It is
the teaching that the Divine Word of God (John 1:1) "became flesh and dwelt among us,"
(John 1:14). Therefore, Jesus is both divine and human in one person (Col. 2:9); He has
two natures: human and divine. But some who oppose the Trinity and Jesus' incarnation
(the Divine Word becoming a man), say that if Jesus is God in flesh this must mean that
God's nature changed because God added a human nature to His divine nature. This would
violate Malachi 3:6 which says that God does not change. But, the union of the two natures
of Jesus in one person does not constitute a change in the nature of God.
Since the hypostatic union teaches that in the one person of Jesus there are two
natures, the divine nature of Jesus is not affected by union with the human nature because
there is no fusion of the two natures. That is, the divine nature is not combined with the
human nature to make a third thing. This would be the error known as monophysitism.
Jesus is not a new third thing with a fused-together new nature. Instead, it is a union. An
example of a union is marriage between a man and a woman. Each is separate, but in
marriage "...they shall become one flesh," (Gen. 2:24), yet they remain two distinct
individuals. They are not blended into a new third thing. Fusion, on the other hand, can be
illustrated by the combining copper and Zinc that can be fused together to form a new third
thing called brass. In this case, the two elements loose their identity and are merged
together into something new. But in a union, the elements do not loose their identity or
nature. The hypostatic union is not a hypostatic fusion and the two natures of Jesus do not
lose their distinction and they are not altered.
Furthermore, within the union of the two natures in the one person of Christ, the divine
nature is still divine and the human nature is still human. One is not altered by the
presence of the other anymore than my spirit in me is altered in nature by its indwelling a
physical body. Likewise, the divine Word is not altered by indwelling human flesh.
Finally, the doctrine of the Trinity is that God is three persons: Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit. This does not mean three gods. There is only one God. The Trinitarian nature of
God is not altered by the union of the Word with humanity since it was the divine Word that
humbled Himself to become a man (John 1:1,14; Phil. 2:5-8), not the Father or the Holy
Spirit. Therefore, by definition the Trinity is unaffected by the union of the Word with
humanity in the incarnation of Jesus.

Three Gods or One?

By definition the Trinity doctrine teaches that there is only one God. Nevertheless, there
are those who assert that the Trinity is really teaching three separate gods. They claim it is

12

either impossible for God to exist in three persons and/or that the Trinity is really borrowed
from pagan three-god figures. Many add that a person is by necessity an individual being.
Therefore, they conclude, that the Trinity really teaches three gods.
The problem with this criticism is that it denies the very nature of the doctrine. First of
all, Trinitarianism by definition denies that there is more than one God. It is clearly
monotheistic in spite of what the critics want to claim.
Second, there is a word used to describe a unity of three separate gods. It is the word
"triad." A triad is not a trinity. A triad is three separate gods -- as in Mormonism. A Trinity
is one God in three persons. A triad is polytheistic. A trinity is monotheistic.
Third, there is no logical reason to deny the possibility that three persons can exist in
one God. Critics may not like it, but it is not a logical impossibility. God is infinitely complex
and we cannot understand His vastness nor simply claim He can't exist in three persons.
Instead, we should look at the Bible to see what it says about God and see if the Trinity is
taught. But, that is another subject.
Theologians admit that the word "person" is not the perfect word to use because it
carries with it the idea of individuals who are different beings. This is what we are familiar
with and this is one of the problems with using the term "person" when describing the
Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. But this is what we must use when we see that when
the Bible speaks of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, each are called God, each
speak, and each have a will. They exhibit attributes of personhood. In describing what we
observe, we are forced to use words that we are familiar with. "Person" is just such a word.
But it does not necessitate here that each person is an individual being.
And fourth, trinities are known and accepted by people as observed in nature. By
analogy we see that creation itself is Trinitarian. Time is past, present, and future. There are
not three times. Each part of the whole of time is by nature time yet there are not three
times but one. Likewise, space is height, width, and depth. Matter is solid, liquid, and
gas. The Bible says that God's invisible attributes are made known in creation
Rom. 1:20: "For since the creation of the world His invisible
attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been
clearly seen, being understood through what has been made."
When the critics of Trinitarianism say it really teaches three gods, they demonstrate their
lack of understanding of the doctrine and they either purposefully or mistakenly confuse it
with something it is not. Trinitarianism denies and opposes the idea that there is more than
one God. It is by definition, monotheistic.

The word Trinity is not in the Bible

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Some critics of the Trinity doctrine claim that since the word "trinity" is not found in the
Bible, it isn't true. Furthermore, some assert that if God wanted us to believe in the Trinity
He would have stated the doctrine clearly.
First of all, it is illogical to claim that since the word "Trinity" is not found in the Bible
that its concept is not taught therein. This kind of objection usually demonstrates a
prejudice against the teaching of the Trinity. Instead, the person should look to God's word
to see if it is taught or not.
Second, there are many biblical concepts that people believe in that are not found in the
Bible. For example, the word "bible" is not found in the Bible, but we use it anyway.
Likewise, the words "omniscience," which means "all knowing," "omnipotence," which
means "all powerful," and "omnipresence," which means "present everywhere," are not
found in the Bible either. But we use these words to describe the attributes of God.
Following are other words that the Bible does not use but the concepts are mentioned.
Atheism is the teaching that there is no God. "The fool has said in his heart, "There is
no God" (Psalm 14:1).
Divinity which means divine quality or godlike character. Yet, we speak of the godlike
quality of the Lord God. See Psalm 139.
Incarnation which means the word (God) who became flesh. Yet, this is definitely
taught in the Bible (John 1:1,14).
Monotheism is the teaching that there is only one God (Isaiah 43:10; 44:8).
Rapture is the teaching that the Christians who are alive when Jesus returns will be
caught up to meet Him in the air (1 Thess. 4:16-18).
So, to say that the Trinity isn't true because the word isn't in the Bible is an invalid
argument. Furthermore, to say that if God wanted us to believe in the Trinity He would
have clearly taught it in scripture, is also an invalid argument. Something does not have to
be clearly formulated in the Bible to be valid. Not all things taught in the Bible are perfectly
clear. Take a look at the book of Revelation. It contains many things that are cryptic that
must be interpreted after examining all of the Bible. Even then, there are disagreements as
to what some things mean. Yet, we know that the truths there are true whether or not we
discover them.
Nevertheless, there are scriptures that demonstrate a Trinitarian aspect.
Matt. 28:18, Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
2 Cor. 13:14, The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the
fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.
Eph. 4:4-7, There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one
hope of your calling; 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6one God and Father of all
who is over all and through all and in all. 7But to each one of us grace was given
according to the measure of Christs gift.
Jude 20-21, "But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith;
praying in the Holy Spirit; 21keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for
the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life."

14

If Jesus is God, then who did He pray to?

This is a very common question and the answer is found in understanding the Trinity and
the incarnation of Jesus.
The Trinity is the doctrine that there is only one God in all existence. This one God exists
as three persons: The Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit. They are not three gods, but one
God. Each is a separate person, yet each of them is, in essence, divine in nature.
A close analogy of the Trinity can be found by looking at the concept of time. Time is
past, present, and future. There are three "aspects" or "parts" of time. This does not mean
that there are three "times," but only one. Each is separate, in a sense, yet each shares the
same nature, or essence. In a similar way, the Trinity is three separate persons who share
the same nature.
The Incarnation
The doctrine of the incarnation in Christian teaching is that Jesus, who is the second
person of the Trinity, added to himself human nature and became a man.
The Bible says that Jesus is God in flesh, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word
was with God, and the Word was God.....and the word became flesh and dwelt among us"
(John 1:1, 14); and, "For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form" (Col. 2:9).
Jesus, therefore, has two natures. He is both God and man.
Jesus is completely human, but He also has a divine nature.

GOD

MAN

He is worshiped (Matt. 2:2,11; 14:33; 28:9)

He is prayed to (Acts 7:59; 1 Cor. 1:2)
He was called God (John 20:28; Heb. 1:8)
He was called Son of God (Mark 1:1)
He is sinless (1 Pet. 2:22; Heb. 4:15)
He knew all things (John 21:17)
He gives eternal life (John 20:28)
The fullness of deity dwells in Him (Col. 2:9)

He worshiped the Father (John 17)

He prayed to the Father (John 17:1)
He was called man (Mark 15:39; John 19:5).
He was called Son of Man (John 19:35-37)
He was tempted (Matt. 4:1)
He grew in wisdom (Luke 2:52)
He died (Rom. 5:8)
He has a body of flesh and bones (Luke
24:39)

As a man, Jesus needed to pray. When He was praying he was not praying to Himself,
but to God the Father.

Is Jesus the same person as the Father?

15

No, Jesus is not the same person as the Father. In the doctrine of the Trinity there are
three persons in the Godhead: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We use the term "person" to
describe each of the three because each displays attributes of personhood. Each has a will,
speaks, loves, is self aware, and is aware of others. Yet, the Bible teaches that there is only
one God (Isaiah 43:10; 44:6,8; 45:5,14,18,21,22). Therefore, the person of the Son is not
the same person as the Father. They speak to each other and have their own wills.

Matt. 3:17, "and behold, a voice out of the heavens, saying, 'This is My beloved Son,
in whom I am well-pleased.'
Luke 22:42, "Father, if Thou art willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will,
but Thine be done.

There are, however, Oneness Pentecostal groups who claim that there is only one person
in the Godhead: Jesus. They erringly state that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are
all the same person, only different in manifestation. This is an error.
The correct doctrine is that there is only one God who is three persons: The Father, the
Son, and the Holy Spirit. Each is not the same person as the other. Yet, there are not three
gods, only one.

What did Jesus come to do?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.
7.

8.

9.

To reveal the Father (Matt. 11:27)

o "All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son
except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to
whom the Son chooses to reveal him."
To be a ransom for many (Matt. 20:28)
o "just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give
his life as a ransom for many."
To serve (Matt. 20:28)
o "just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give
his life as a ransom for many."
To save the world (John 3:17; Luke 19:10)
o "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to
save the world through him."
To preach the good news of the kingdom of God (Luke 4:43)
o "But he said, "I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the
other towns also, because that is why I was sent."
To bring division (Luke 12:51)
o "Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division."
To do the will of the Father (John 6:38)
o "For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of
him who sent me."
To give the Father's words (John 17:8)
o "For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew
with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me."
To testify to the truth (John 18:37)

16

"You are a king, then!" said Pilate. Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I
am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the
world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me."
To die and destroy Satan's power (Heb. 2:14)
o "Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so
that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death -- that
is, the devil."
To destroy the devil's works (1 John 3:8)
o "He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning
from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the
devil's work."
To fulfill the Law and the Prophets (Matt. 5:17)
o "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not
come to abolish them but to fulfill them."
To give life (John 10:10,28)
o "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they
may have life, and have it to the full...I give them eternal life, and they shall
never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand."
To taste death for everyone (Heb. 2:9)
o "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned
with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God
he might taste death for everyone."
To become a high priest (Heb. 2:17)
o "For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order
that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God,
and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people."
To atone for sin (Heb. 2:17
o

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.
)

"For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order
that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God,
and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people."
To proclaim freedom for believers (Luke 4:18)
o "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good
news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and
recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed."
To proclaim the year of the Lord's favor (Luke 4:19)
o "to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."
To bring judgment (John 9:39)
o "Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will
see and those who see will become blind."
To take away sin (1 John 3:5)
o "But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in
him is no sin."
To preach
o

17.

18.
19.

20.

21.

(Mark 1:38)
o "Jesus replied, 'Let us go somewhere else -- to the nearby villages -- so I can
preach there also. That is why I have come.'"
22. To call sinners

17

(Mark 2:17)
o "On hearing this, Jesus said to them, 'It is not the healthy who need a doctor,
but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.'"
23. To know who is true
(1 John 5:20)
o "We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us
understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who
is true -- even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life."

Essential Doctrines of Christianity

The Bible itself reveals those doctrines that are essential to the Christian faith. They are
1) the Deity of Christ, 2) Salvation by Grace, and 3) Resurrection of Christ, and 4) the
gospel. These are the doctrines the Bible says are necessary. Though there are many other

18

important doctrines, these four are the only ones that are declared by Scripture to be
essential. A non-regenerate person, or a cultist (i.e., Mormon or Jehovah's Witness), will
deny one or more of these essential doctrines. Please note that there are other derivative
doctrines of scripture that become necessary also, the Trinity being one.
1. The Deity of Christ
A. Jesus is God in flesh (John 8:58 with Exodus 3:14). See also John 1:1,14;
10:30-33; 20:28; Col. 2:9; Phil. 2:5-8; Heb. 1:8
i.
1 John 4:2-3: "This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every
spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is
from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not
from God. This is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard is
coming and even now is already in the world."
a. The above verse needs to be cross referenced with John 1:1,14
(also written by John) where he states that the Word was God
and the Word became flesh.
b. 1 John 4:2-3 is saying that if you deny that Jesus is God in
flesh then you are of the spirit of Antichrist.
ii.
John 8:24, "I said, therefore, to you, that you will die in your sins. For
if you do not believe that I am, you will die in your sins."
iii.
Jesus said here that if you do not believe "that I am" you will die in
your sins. In Greek I am is 'ego eimi,' which means I am.' These are
the same words used in John 8:58 where Jesus says "...before
Abraham was, I am." He was claiming the divine title by quoting
Exodus 3:14 in the Greek Septuagint. (The Septuagint was the Hebrew
Old Testament translated into Greek.)
B. Jesus is the proper object of faith
i.
It is not simply enough to have faith. Faith is only as valid as what it is
put in. You must put your faith in the proper object. Cults have false
objects of faith; therefore, their faith is useless--no matter how sincere
they are.
ii.
If you put your faith in a vacuum cleaner, then you will be in a lot of
trouble on the day of judgment. You might have great faith, but so
what? It is in something that can't save you.
C. The Doctrine of the deity of Christ includes:
i.
The Trinity - There is one God who exists in three persons: The Father,
the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They are all coeternal, and of the same
nature.
ii.
Monotheism - There is only one God in all existence (Isaiah 43:10;
44:6,8; 45:5,14,18,21,22; 46:9; 47:8). Mormons believe that many
gods exist though they serve and worship only one. Therefore, they
are polytheists which excludes them from the camp of Christianity.
D. The Hypostatic Union - That Jesus is both God and man.
i.
The sufficiency of the sacrifice of Christ - The sacrifice of Christ is
completely sufficient to pay for the sins of the world
ii.
As God - Jesus must be God to be able to offer a sacrifice of value
greater than that of a mere man.
a. He had to die for the sins of the world (1 John 2:2). Only God
could do that.
iii.
As man - Jesus must be man to be able to be a sacrifice for man.
a. As a man He can be the mediator between God and man (1
Tim. 2:5).

19

2. Salvation by Grace
A. "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this not from
yourselves, it is the gift of God -- not by works, so that no one can boast"
(Eph. 2:8-9, NIV).
B. "You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ;
you have fallen away from grace" (Gal. 5:4).
i.
This verse and its context plainly teach that if you believe that you are
saved by faith and works then you are not saved at all. This is a
common error in the cults. Because they have a false Jesus, they have
a false doctrine of salvation. (Read Rom. 3-5 and Gal. 3-5).
ii.
you cannot add to the work of God. Gal. 2:21 says, "I do not set aside
the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law,
Christ died for nothing!" (NIV)
C. "Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law;
rather, through the law we become conscious of sin" (Rom. 3:20).
i.
"However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies
the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness" (Rom. 4:5).
ii.
"Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely
not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then
righteousness would certainly have come by the law" (Gal. 3:21).
3. The Resurrection of Christ
A. "And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your
faith" (1 Cor. 15:14). "And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile;
you are still in your sins" (1 Cor. 15:17).
B. To deny the physical resurrection is to deny Jesus' work, sacrifice, and our
resurrection.
C. These verses clearly state that if you say that Jesus did not rise from the dead
(in the same body He died in -- John 2:19-21), then your faith is useless.
4. The Gospel
A. "But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than
the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have
already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel
other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!" (Gal. 1:8-9,
NIV).
Verses 8 and 9 here in Galatians are a self declarative statement that you
must believe the gospel. The gospel message which in its entirety is
that Jesus is God in flesh, who died for sins, rose from the dead, and
freely gives the gift of eternal life to those who believe.
i.

Furthermore, it would not be possible to present the gospel properly

without declaring that Jesus is God in flesh per John 1:1,14; 10:30-33;
20:28; Col. 2:9; Phil. 2:5-8; Heb. 1:8.
B. 1 Cor. 15:1-4 defines what the gospel is: "Now, brothers, I want to remind
you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you
have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the
word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I
received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our
sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on
the third day according to the Scriptures" (NIV).

20

Within these verses are the essentials: Christ is God in flesh (John 1:1,14;
10:30-33; 20:28; Col. 2:9); Salvation is received by faith (John 1:12;
Rom. 10:9-10), therefore it is by grace; and the resurrection is
mentioned in verse 4. Therefore, this gospel message automatically
includes the essentials.

Christian Doctrine
The following is an outline of basic Christian Doctrine. It's brief, accurate, and
informative. As with any venture into learning you must first begin with the basics. The
basics are the foundation of your Christian life. If you learn what is here, you will be well
informed and knowledgeable. All you need to do is get grounded in the fundamentals and

21

from there cultivate your Christian walk: "Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings
about Christ and go on to maturity" (Heb. 6:1). A building is only as strong as its
foundation.
1. The Bible
A. The Bible consists of 66 books: 39 in the OT and 27 in the new. (Note: 3 x 9
= 27).
1. The OT has 23,214 verses. The NT has 7,959 verses.
B. The Bible took about 1600 years to write.
1. It was written in three languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek) by
about 40 authors and is internally consistent throughout.
2. It was written on three continents: Africa, Asia, and Europe.
3. It was written by a variety of people: prophets, priest, cupbearer, a
king, judges, fishermen, etc.
C. The first translation of the English Bible was initiated by John Wycliffe and
completed by John Purvey in A.D. 1388.
D. The first American edition of the Bible was perhaps published some time
before A.D. 1752.
1. The Bible has been translated in part or in whole as of 1964 in over
1,200 different languages or dialects.
E. The Bible was divided into chapters by Stephen Langton about A.D. 1228.
1. The Old Testament was divided into verses by R. Nathan in A.D. 1448
and the New Testament by Robert Stephanus in A.D. 1551.
F. Old Testament -- a total of 39 books and has 5 main divisions:
1. Pentateuch (Genesis to Deuteronomy), Historical (Joshua to Esther),
Poetic (Job to Song of Solomon), Major Prophets (Isaiah to Daniel),
Minor Prophets (Hosea to Malachi).
G. New Testament -- a total of 27 books and has 4 main divisions
1. Gospels (Matthew to John), History (Acts), Epistles (Romans to Jude),
Prophetic (Revelation).
H. Reliability of the biblical documents.
1. The Bible is 98 percent textually pure. This means that through all
the copying of the Biblical manuscripts of the entire Bible, only 1%
has any question about it. Nothing in all of the ancient writings of the
entire world even approaches the accuracy of transmission found in
the biblical documents.
2. The 1 percent that is in question does not affect doctrine. The areas
of interest are called variants and they consist mainly in variations of
wording and spelling.
3. The OT does not have as many supporting manuscripts as the NT but it
is, nevertheless, remarkably reliable.
a. The Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Hebrew OT done
around 250 B.C., attests to the reliability and consistency of the
OT when it is compared to existing Hebrew manuscripts.
b. The Dead Sea Scrolls discovered in 1947 also verify the
reliability of the OT manuscripts.
c. The Dead Sea Scrolls were ancient documents that were hidden
in a cave in Israel about 2000 years ago. The scrolls contained
many OT books, one of them being Isaiah.
1. Before the Dead Sea scrolls, the earliest existing
manuscript of the OT was dated around 900 A.D. called
the Masoretic Text. The Scrolls contained OT documents

22

1000 years earlier. A comparison between the

manuscripts revealed an incredible accuracy of
transmission through copying, so much so that critics
were silenced.
4. The NT has over 5000 supporting Greek manuscripts existing today
with another 20,000 manuscripts in other languages. Some of the
manuscript evidence dates to within 100 years of the original writing.
There is less than a 1% textual variation in the NT manuscripts.
5. Estimated time of writing of the NT documents
a. Paul's Letters, 50-66 A.D.
b. Matthew, 70-80 A.D.
c. Mark, 50-65 A.D.
d. Luke, early 60's
e. John, 80-100 A.D.
f. Revelation 96 A.D.
6. Some of the supporting manuscripts of the NT are:
a. John Rylands MS written around 130 A.D., the oldest existing
fragment of the NT
b. Bodmer Papyrus II (150-200 A.D.)
c. Chester Beatty Papyri (200 A.D.), contains major portions of
the NT
d. Codex Vaticanus (325-350 A.D.), contains nearly all the Bible.
e. Codex Sinaiticus (350 A.D.), contains almost all the NT and
over half of the OT
f. No other ancient writing can boast of having copies so close to
the original time of writing. With the Bible, the difference is
about 50 years. With Plato and Aristotle, for example, the
difference is measure in hundreds of years.
I. Prophecy and mathematical odds of fulfillment.
1. The odds of Jesus fulfilling 48 of the 61 major prophecies concerning
Him are 1 in 10157; that is a one with 157 zeros behind it.
2. By comparison, the estimated number of electrons in the entire known
universe is about 1079; that is a one with 79 zeros behind it.
J. Inspiration and Inerrancy - The Bible is inspired by God. Inspiration means
that God, through the Holy Spirit, caused the writers of the Bible to write the
accurate and authoritative revelation of God. It is God breathed (2 Tim. 3:16)
through the instrumentation of the apostles and prophets (2 Pet. 1:21).
1. It is without error in the original manuscripts and absolutely reliable
and true in all areas it addresses.
2. Every true Christian accepts the inspiration and authority of the Bible.
K. Scientific Accuracies in the Bible.
1. The spherical shape of the earth (Isaiah 40:22).
2. The earth is suspended in nothing (Job. 26:7).
3. The stars are innumerable (Gen. 15:5).
4. The existence of valleys in the seas (2 Sam. 22:16).
5. The existence of springs and fountains in the sea (Gen. 7:11; 8:2;
Prov. 8:28).
6. The existence of water paths (ocean currents) in the seas (Psalm 8:8).
7. The water cycle (Job. 26:8; 36:27-28; 37:16; 38:25-27; Psalm 135:7;
Ecc. 1:6-7).
8. The fact that all living things reproduce after their own kind (Gen.
1:21; 6:19).

23

9. The nature of health, sanitation, and sickness (Gen. 17:9-14; Lev. 1214).
10. The concept of entropy, that energy is running down (Psalm 102:26).

2. God
A. God is the only Supreme Being. He is Holy (Rev. 4:8), Eternal (Isaiah 57:15),
Omnipotent (Jer. 32:17,27), Omnipresent (Psalm 119:7-12), Omniscient (1
John 3:20); etc.
B. He is Love (1 John 4:8,16); Light (1 John 1:5); Spirit (John 4:24); Truth
(Psalm 117:2); Creator (Isaiah 40:12,22,26), etc.
C. He is to be worshiped (Gen. 24:26; Exodus 4:31; 2 Chron. 29:28; 1 Cor.
14:25; Rev. 7:11).
D. He is to be served (Matt. 4:10; 1 Cor. 6:19; Phil. 3:7; 1 Thess. 1:9; Heb.
9:14).
E. He is to be proclaimed (Matt. 28:19f.; John 14:15f.; Acts 1:8)
1. "To worship God is to serve and proclaim Him; to serve God is to
proclaim and worship Him; to proclaim God is to worship and serve
Him."
2. The name of God is Jehovah, or Yahweh. It is comprised of the four
Hebrew consonants . The precise pronunciation of God's name has
been lost. In Exodus 3:14 God proclaims His name to be "I AM." "God
said to Moses, I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the
Israelites: I AM has sent me to you.'" (NIV)
F. God is a Trinity - One God who exists simultaneously in three persons. Each is
coequal, copowerful, and coeternal with the other. Each person, Father, Son
and Holy Spirit, is not the other. Without either there is no God; all comprise
the one God.
1. The Doctrine of the Trinity is opposed to:
a.
Modal Monarchianism, also known as Jesus Only - There is one
person in the Godhead who took three consecutive forms or modes.
First there was the Father who then became the Son who then became
the Holy Spirit.
Present groups are the United Pentecostal and United
Apostolic churches. This doctrine is incorrect. It denies
the true doctrine of the Trinity.
Dynamic Monarchianism - Only one person in the Godhead, the
Father. Jesus and the Holy Spirit are not God.
Present groups are the Jehovah's Witnesses, World Wide
Church of God, Christadelphianism, and The Way
International. This doctrine is incorrect. It denies the
Trinity, the deity of Christ, and the deity of the Holy
Spirit.
Tritheism the teaching that the godhead is three separate gods:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Christianity is monotheistic - Only one God in existence, anywhere, anytime. See
Isaiah Isaiah 43:10; 44:6,8; 45:5,14,18,21,22; 46:9; 47:8; John 17:3; 1 Cor.
8:5-6; Gal. 4:8-9 for verses that teach monotheism.

24

Christianity is opposed to:

Polytheism - Belief in many Gods.

2.
3.
4.
5.

a. Monolatry - Belief in more than one God but serve and worship
only one, i.e. Mormonism.
a. Henotheism - Belief in one God without denying the existence
of others.
Pantheism - This is an identification of the universe with God. God is
the universe. God is creation.
Panentheism - The belief that God is in the universe. It differs with
pantheism which states that God is the universe and all that it
comprises.
Deism - God exists, but is not involved in the world.
Theism - God exists, and is involved in the world.

3. Creation
A. God created the physical and spiritual universe out of nothing (Gen. 1:1f;
Psalm 33:6; John 1:3; Rom. 4:17; 1 Cor. 1:28).
1. He did not make the world out of part of Himself.
2. He did not make the world out of a substance called "nothing."
B. Specifically it was Jesus, the firstborn (Col. 1:15), second person of the
Trinity, who created all things (Col. 1:16-17; Isaiah 44:24).
C. Because God created all things, He is before all things and beyond all things.
Therefore, the entire universe is under His control.
D. Because God created all things, He is able to provide for His creation through
the means of His creation, i.e. weather, rain, plants, animals, sunshine, etc.
E. Opinions on the duration of creation differ. Some say six days; others say six
long periods.
4. Man
A. Creation of man
1. Man is not only the crown of creation, but also the object of God's
special care.
2. Man was originally made pure, without sin.
3. "Then God said, Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and
let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the
livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along
the ground.' So God created man in his own image, in the image of
God he created him; male and female he created them" (Gen. 1:2627; see also, 2:7,21-23).
"Let us make man..." is a disclosure of the divine counsel before
the creation of man, "us" being the Trinitarian counsel. See also
Gen. 11:7.
Man was created different than the animals. He had the breath of
life breathed into him from God (Gen. 2:7). The animals did
not. Also Man was given dominion over the animals. Man can
know God, worship Him, and love Him. Animals cannot.
Is Man made of two or three "parts"?

25

Dichotomy is a term which signifies a division into 2 parts: Body

and Soul. The words "spirit" and "soul" are often used
interchangeably.
"Mary said: My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices
in God my Savior,'" (Luke 1:46-47).
"My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my
spirit longs for you...," (Isaiah 26:9).
For the term "Body and Soul" see Matt. 6:25; 10:28.
For the term "Body and Spirit" see 1 Cor. 5:3,51.
Trichotomy is a term which signifies a division into 3 parts: Body,
Soul, and Spirit.
"May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through
and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be
kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ"
(1 Thess. 5:23).
"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any
double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul
and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and
attitudes of the heart," (Heb. 4:12).
There is no official orthodox position on the number of parts of
man.
The Origin of the soul
Traducianism: "The souls of men are propagated along with the
bodies by generation, and are therefore transmitted to the
children by the parents." (Berkhoff, Systematic Theology. p.
197.)
Creationism: "The soul is a creation of God, owing its origin to a
direct creative act." (Berkhoff, p. 199).
Except for Adam, the Bible makes no clear remark regarding the
origin of the soul.
Man was created in the image of God.
This means that Man has moral and intellectual abilities similar to
God though not as perfect and vast.

26

"God said, Let us make man in our image, in our

likeness...'" (Gen. 1:26).
"...and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in
knowledge in the image of its Creator" (Col. 3:10).
Man is above the animals in "rational ability, moral awareness,
pursuit of beauty, use of language, and spiritual awareness."
Man before the Fall.
The Law of God was written in their hearts. Adam and Eve were without
sin and "endued with knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness
after God's own image, with the ability to keep the Law of God."
(Westminster Confession of Faith, 4:2.)
In this state man had free and unhindered access to God. This is
exemplified in the account in Gen. 3:8 where God was walking in the
Garden.
Man, the Fall, and its effects
Adam and Eve rebelled against God and sinned by eating the forbidden
fruit.
"Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and
death through sin, and in this way death came to all men,
because all sinned" (Rom. 5:12, NIV).
What was their sin?
They listened to Satan and ate of the fruit that was forbidden by
God (Gen. 3:1-13).
What was the consequence of their sin?
Death (Rom. 6:23) and separation from God's presence (Isaiah
59:2)
Transmission of the sin nature to their (and our) children (Psalm
51:5).
Creation also fell (Gen. 3:17; Rom. 8:22).
How did their sin affect God?
They became unfit for the presence of God (Isaiah 59:2).
They became unable to do God's will (Rom. 6:16; 7:14).

27

They became subject to the curse of the Law and death (Deut.
27:26; Rom. 6:23).
Original Sin - The doctrine that we inherit our sin natures from Adam
(Rom. 5:12-21).
Adam was the Federal Head of all humanity; that is, he
represented all people in the Garden of Eden.
"For as in Adam all die..." (1 Cor. 15:22).
The phrase "in Adam" indicates our relation to Adam, that
he represented us in the garden. In the same way, our
being "in Christ" indicates our relation to Jesus, that He
represent us on the cross (Rom. 5:18; 6:11; 8:1; 1 Cor.
1:2; 15:22; 2 Cor. 5:19).
Our sin with Adam: "Therefore, just as sin entered the world
through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death
came to all men, because all sinned" (Rom. 5:12). See also
Rom. 5:18; 1 Cor. 15:22.
Man after Death and before the resurrection.
The intermediate state
This is the condition of the soul between the death of the body and
the resurrection.
There is little spoken of it in the Bible, but it is a state of
consciousness (2 Cor. 5:5-8; Luke 16:19-31).
We are self aware and, apparently, with the Lord (Phil. 1:21-23).
For the righteous this is a time of blessedness and joy (Luke
16:19-31).
For the unrighteous this is a time of suffering (Luke 16:1931) as is exemplified in the account of Lazarus and the
rich man.

28

Chapter Two
THE DOCTRINE OF BAPTISM
1-INTRODUCTION
The word "baptize" appears in the Bible 9 times.
The word "baptized" appears in the Bible 61 times.
The word "baptizest" appears in the Bible 1 time.
The word "baptizeth" appears in the Bible 2 times.
The word "baptizing" appears in the Bible 4 times.
This totals 77 times.
In addition, there are many other verses related to being baptized in
which these actual words do not appear.
2-CONFUSION REGARDING BAPTISM
Some churches today believe a person does not have to be baptized,
while others believe it is required for salvation. Some baptize by total
immersion, and others believe this is not necessary. The answer lies not
in a denomination, not in the traditions of men, but in Gods Word only.
Jesus warned us that the traditions of men make Gods Word of none
29

effect. In other words, Jesus was saying, the traditions that you are
doing are not from Gods Word, but are only of men; and being only of
men, you are sending people to hell by your traditions.
3-THE AUTHORITY MUST BE GODS WORD
The authority we stand on MUST always be the Bible. The authority we
stand on must not be made up of stories we create from events of the
Bible, but solely upon the Bible itself. It is only by the Word that we
shall be judged; not by mans opinion of what they think the Word
indicates because of this or that event. Satan is the originator of
causing people to say that Gods Word does not mean exactly what it
says. Eve believed Satans word over Gods, and fell into sin. God had
said she would surely die if she ate of the fruit of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil. Satan first caused doubt in her mind, and
then told her directly she would not surely die by eating of the fruit.
Then Satan put her in a position that her own emotions prompted her
to eat of the fruit of the tree. She sinned by disobeying Gods Word.
There are many excellent preachers today that have fallen into the
traditions of men and unknowingly have not been teaching Gods Word
exactly as Jesus and the apostles taught.
There are even some that speak or fight against water baptism or
water baptism by immersion. There are some that speak against being
baptized a second time, yet they themselves, if they would travel to
Israel and have the chance to be baptized in the Jordan River, may run
to be baptized a second or even a third time.
4-THERE IS NO GRACE WITHOUT BELIEVING ON JESUS
THERE IS NO GRACE WITHOUT REPENTANCE
Is there grace without baptism?
5-FAITH DOES NOT SAVE, IF TRUE REPENTANCE DOES NOT
TAKE PLACE
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In Eph 2:8 we are told, FOR BY GRACE ARE YE SAVED THROUGH

FAITH; AND THAT NOT OF YOURSELVES: IT IS THE GIFT OF
GOD.
Gal 3:2-RECEIVED YE THE SPIRIT BY THE WORKS OF THE LAW, OR
BY THE HEARING OF FAITH?
Gal 3:14-THAT THE BLESSING OF ABRAHAM MIGHT COME ON THE
GENTILES THROUGH JESUS CHRIST; THAT WE MIGHT RECEIVE
THE PROMISE OF THE SPIRIT THROUGH FAITH.
Eph 3:17-THAT CHRIST MAY DWELL IN YOUR HEARTS BY FAITH.
We are saved by faith. Does this mean we are saved by faith without
repentance? Not at all. We must repent of our sins, or there is no
salvation. For it is written, EXCEPT YE REPENT, YE SHALL ALL
LIKEWISE PERISH-Lk 13:3. Does this mean that we are saved by
grace through faith only, and we never need to confess Jesus publicly?
Not at all, we should confess that Jesus is (the only Hope) of our
salvation to everyone that asks us. If we are ashamed of Jesus, He will
be ashamed of us at the judgment. So we may ask, "What about
baptism?"
6-BAPTISM IS BY FULL IMMERSION
The word baptism in the New Testament is bap-tid-zo and bap-tis-mos.
These words mean "fully wet;" technique of the ordinance of Christ; to
wash away; to immerse or dip under water. Jesus was baptized fully
wet. The disciples were baptized fully wet. It is safe to say, if you have
not been baptized by full immersion, you have not been baptized by
the technique of the ordinance of Christ. In baptism, we are
identifying with Christs death and resurrection.
Note the words in Ro 6:4-THEREFORE WE ARE BURIED WITH HIM
BY BAPTISM INTO DEATH: THAT LIKE AS CHRIST WAS RAISED
UP FROM THE DEAD BY THE GLORY OF THE FATHER, EVEN SO WE
ALSO SHOULD WALK IN NEWNESS OF LIFE.
Note the words: "BURIED WITH HIM BY BAPTISM," or "BURIEDBY
BAPTISM." Most preachers would agree that baptism and water go
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hand in hand. The word "water" may also be correctly substituted in

place of the word "baptism." Note the meaning that comes forth when
read this way: "buriedby water." The word "by" indicates the method
whereby we identify with Christ. How? - by baptism.
Col 2:12 gives us an almost identical wording. BURIED WITH HIM IN
BAPTISM, WHEREIN ALSO YE ARE RISEN WITH HIM THROUGH
THE FAITH OF THE OPERATION OF GOD, WHO HATH RAISED
HIM FROM THE DEAD.
Note the words: "BURIEDIN BAPTISM" or "buriedin water."
Biblical baptism is by being buried in the water. In other words,
baptism is by going into the water and then being immersed. The word
"in" distinguishes the point in time that we are identifying with Christ.
When?in baptism.
Sprinkling baptism is no baptism at all. It is Satans counterfeit. Every
time water baptism was done in the New Testament, it was done by
immersion. There is no other way.
7-BAPTISM IS TO BE DONE IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER,
AND OF THE SON, AND OF THE HOLY GHOST
Not only are you under commandment to be baptized, but Jesus said
these words as He was about to go to be with His Father. Mt 28:19,20GO YE THEREFORE, AND TEACH ALL NATIONS, BAPTIZING THEM
IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, AND OF THE SON, AND OF
THE HOLY GHOST: TEACHING THEM TO OBSERVE (obey) ALL
THINGS WHATSOEVER I HAVE COMMANDED YOU.
By this commandment from Jesus to be baptized in the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, the believer is
identifying with the Triune God. FOR THERE ARE THREE THAT BEAR
RECORD IN HEAVEN, THE FATHER, THE WORD (Jesus), AND THE
HOLY GHOST: AND THESE THREE ARE ONE (or united in one
accord)-1 Jn 5:7.
In these last days, many new doctrines have come along. One of them is
the false doctrine that there is no Trinity. This false doctrine
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proclaims there are not three Persons of the Trinity. This cult can
sometimes be identified in that they baptize in the name of Jesus only.
Beware. Do not be led away with the error of these new doctrines that
are springing up in this blind, Laodicean church age. More information
regarding this false doctrine and the Trinity is available in the message
"the Trinity."
8-BAPTISM IS A COMMANDMENT FOR THOSE WHO BELIEVE
In Acts 22:16 we read-AND NOW WHY TARRIEST THOU? ARISE,
AND BE BAPTIZED, AND WASH AWAY THY SINS, CALLING ON
THE NAME OF THE LORD. Here it is clear, that water baptism after
believing on Jesus is a commandment.
Jesus began His earthly ministry by being baptized. Mt 3:13-15-THEN
COMETH JESUS FROM GALILEE TO JORDAN UNTO JOHN, TO BE
BAPTIZED OF HIM. BUT JOHN FORBADE HIM, SAYING, I HAVE
NEED TO BE BAPTIZED OF THEE, AND COMEST THOU TO ME?
AND JESUS ANSWERING SAID UNTO HIM, SUFFER IT TO BE SO
NOW: FOR THUS IT BECOMETH US TO FULFILL ALL
RIGHTEOUSNESS. Note, John the Baptist made the statement, "I
HAVE NEED TO BE BAPTIZED." All who believe on Jesus have a need
to be baptized by full immersion in the name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
We see in Acts 16:30-33 that as soon as they believed, HE TOOK
THEM THE SAME HOUR OF THE NIGHT... AND WAS BAPTIZED. You
are not to be baptized unless you believe on Jesus and repent; but as
soon as you do, you are to be baptized.
The Bible tells us of Saul (also known as Paul) in Acts 9:18-HE
RECEIVED SIGHT FORTHWITH, AND AROSE, AND WAS BAPTIZED.
He did not delay, but got baptized as soon as he was able.
We see a great baptism in Acts 2:41 as-THEY THAT GLADLY
RECEIVED HIS WORD WERE BAPTIZED: AND THE SAME DAY
THERE WERE ADDED UNTO THEM ABOUT THREE THOUSAND
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SOULS. Again, we note there was no delay. Once they believed, they
got baptized.
Gods Word gives us the example of Philip and the eunuch. Philip would
only baptize him if he confessed he believed on Jesus with all his
heart. Some people believe on Jesus with a head knowledge, but faith
or trust is not present. Believing with all your heart is necessary
before water baptism means anything.
Acts 8:35-38-THEN PHILIP OPENED HIS MOUTH, AND BEGAN AT
THE SAME SCRIPTURE, AND PREACHED UNTO HIM JESUS.
AND AS THEY WENT ON THEIR WAY, THEY CAME UNTO A
CERTAIN WATER: AND THE EUNUCH SAID, SEE, HERE IS WATER;
WHAT DOTH HINDER (or prevents) ME TO BE BAPTIZED? He was
asking, what was preventing him from being baptized.
AND PHILIP SAID, IF THOU BELIEVEST WITH ALL THINE
HEART, THOU MAYEST. Philip shows clearly, believing with all his
heart was an absolute necessity before he would allow him to be
baptized. AND HE ANSWERED AND SAID, I BELIEVE THAT JESUS
CHRIST IS THE SON OF GOD.
AND HE COMMANDED THE CHARIOT TO STAND STILL: AND THEY
WENT DOWN BOTH INTO THE WATER, BOTH PHILIP AND THE
EUNUCH; AND HE BAPTIZED HIM. AND WHEN THEY WERE COME
UP OUT OF THE WATERHE WENT ON HIS WAY REJOICING. We
see the words WENT DOWN BOTH INTO THE WATER, and COME UP
OUT, clearly depict immersion baptism. Again, it may be noted there
was no delay. The eunuch believed and immediately baptism followed.
Many people go to be baptized, but they have so little knowledge of the
Bible and of Jesus that they cannot understand or believe on Jesus
with all their heart. In some countries, people may gather in great
numbers to be baptized; yet when each one is questioned, "Who is
Jesus?", many do not know Who He really is. To many, He is nothing
more than a name and a person they sing about. They have no saving
knowledge or faith. They are not ready for baptism.
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Mk 16:16-HE THAT BELIEVETH AND IS BAPTIZED SHALL BE

SAVED; BUT HE THAT BELIEVETH NOT SHALL BE DAMNED. Note,
"BELIEVING" must be in place before water baptism is done; and
"believing" is to be WITH ALL THINE HEART. A person cannot believe
on or be baptized into One in whom they know nothing about. Many
preachers and elders wrongly baptize these people without ever
discerning if they believe on Jesus and understand who He is, and what
He did.
9-WE ARE COMMANDED TO BE BAPTIZED, BUT REPENTANCE
MUST COME FIRST
Gods Word tells us we are saved by grace through faith, yet we are
under commandment to be baptized; as we read Peters words in Acts
2:38-REPENT, AND BE BAPTIZED EVERY ONE OF YOU. This verse is
addressing people who after having heard Gods Word, believe on
Jesus, and are under conviction for their sins. They now want to know
what to do. The people are told first to repent. Then following
repentance, baptism is to take place. Also note the verse tells us that
EVERY ONE is to do this.
John the Baptist was baptizing by full immersion in the water. The
disciples of Jesus baptized when they were with Him. After Jesus
went to be with His Father, they continued to baptize believers. As we
should see from Gods Word, a person was not considered a follower
of Christ, if they would not get baptized after believing.
True faith in Jesus and true repentance should lead to being baptized
in accordance with the Scriptures. A wrong attitude may lead a person
to argue and contend with the Scriptures.
10-INFANT BAPTISM FORBIDDEN
The Bible commands that all men should repent. The baptism of John is
called the baptism of repentance in Acts 13:24,and 19:4.
The Scripture tells us in Mt 3:6-AND WERE BAPTIZED OF HIM IN
JORDAN, CONFESSING THEIR SINS. Verse 8-BRING FORTH
THEREFORE FRUITS MEET FOR REPENTANCE. Infant or baby
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baptism, or any baptism that is done prior to the person believing on

Jesus and repenting, is contrary to Gods Word and of no meaning.
A baby or a very young child cannot be baptized according to Gods
Word, as we read, Acts 8:36,37-WHAT DOTH HINDER (or prevents)
ME TO BE BAPTIZED? Philip had preached unto him Jesus and it
appears also about baptism. The eunuch wanted to be baptized, but
Philip refused unless one condition was met. Look at Philips reply. AND
PHILIP SAID, IF THOU BELIEVEST WITH ALL THINE HEART,
THOU MAYEST. The eunuch then said in verse 37-I BELIEVE THAT
JESUS CHRIST IS THE SON OF GOD. The Scriptures are clear.
A baby cannot repent. A baby cannot believe. A baby is not to be
baptized. Baby baptism means nothing. It is a deception created by the
adversary.
11-JESUS PLACED GREAT IMPORTANCE ON WATER BAPTISM
We seem to have a picture that the disciples of Jesus spent much time
baptizing, as we read in Jn 4:1,2-WHEN THEREFORE THE LORD
KNEW HOW THE PHARISEES HAD HEARD THAT JESUS MADE
AND BAPTIZED MORE DISCIPLES THAN JOHN, (THOUGH JESUS
HIMSELF BAPTIZED NOT, BUT HIS DISCIPLES). This shows the
importance Jesus placed on baptism.
12-WATER BAPTISM IS A COMMANDMENT ALSO FOR THOSE
THAT HAVE RECEIVED THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY GHOST
Baptism is a command for every person. Those in Acts 10:45-48, that
had received the gift of speaking in tongues were also commanded to
be baptized in water; as we read-AND HE COMMANDED THEM TO BE
BAPTIZED IN THE NAME OF THE LORD. Note the word
"commanded." In Acts 2:38, we are told, REPENT, AND BE BAPTIZED
EVERY ONE OF YOU. Will you receive Gods Word with a good and
honest heart?
13-CONFUSION IS NOT FROM GOD
It is written, GOD IS NOT THE AUTHOR OF CONFUSION-1 Cor
14:33.
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There are many religions and traditions that contradict Gods Word. It
was the same in the days of Jesus. Do not place your hope in a religion,
but place it in the Bible. Do not follow stories that some people tell,
which may cause you to err from the truth.
Some say that you do not have to be baptized, because the prisoner
that hung on the cross next to Jesus was not baptized. We note the
command to be baptized, given in Mk 16:16 and Acts 2:38 and others,
came after Jesus rose from the dead. The prisoner died before Jesus
rose from the grave. How could he have been baptized into the death
and resurrection of Jesus, when Jesus had not yet been buried or risen
from the dead? He also died before the Holy Ghost was given. It is
written: THE HOLY GHOST WAS NOT YET GIVEN-Jn 7:39; ref
20:22.
Some say that Paul was not sent to baptize, and this is true; but his
followers did the baptizing. Some might say because Mk 16:16 does not
repeat the word baptize in the second part of the verse that it means
it is not mandatory. Lets read Mk 16:16-HE THAT BELIEVETH AND
IS BAPTIZED SHALL BE SAVED; BUT HE THAT BELIEVETH NOT
SHALL BE DAMNED. Some have asked why Jesus did not say, "He that
believeth not and is baptized not?" The answer is, because we are
baptized into the death and resurrection of Jesus. You cannot be
baptized into One in whom you do not believe. Thus, to say HE THAT
BELIEVETH NOT, "and is baptized not" would be incorrect. For if you
do not believe on Jesus, it is not possible to be baptized into His death
and resurrection. Therefore, if a person does not believe, no biblical
baptism exists.
Some churches, such as the Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist,
Lutheran, Episcopal, and others, traditionally say that sprinkling
baptism is OK. The Scriptures very clearly show their understanding of
the Bible is wrong, and what they do is wrong.
Some would say that water baptism is symbolic only; thus, it is not
necessary. It is far more than symbolic as the Scriptures are
37

showing us. This is why Satan fights so hard against baptism. This
is why Satan tries to cause so much confusion about water baptism
and is succeeding.
Some say that water baptism is not necessary as it is a form of works.
The next heading should cover this topic.
Satan is a liar. Do not let him deceive you. Obey Gods Word.
14-IS WATER BAPTISM NECESSARY? WHAT IS WATER
BAPTISMS RELATIONSHIP TO SALVATION, IF ANY?
We have already seen that believing on Jesus is an absolute essential
for salvation.
We have already seen that repentance is an absolute essential for
salvation.
Now the question, "What about water baptism?"
There is much debate on this subject.
One of the main subjects to be considered in this discussion is that
salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ apart from all works. This
statement is absolutely true.
It is written, Eph 2:8,9-FOR BY GRACE ARE YE SAVED THROUGH
FAITH; AND THAT NOT OF YOURSELVES: IT IS THE GIFT OF
GOD: NOT OF WORKS, LEST ANY MAN SHOULD BOAST.
Now the questions arise: "Is calling on the name of the Lord classified
as works?" "Is repentance classified as works?" "Is water baptism
classified as works?"
The answer to all three of these questions is no. No where in the Bible
is calling on Jesus, repentance, water baptism, or reading the Bible
classified as a form of works. Those that relate these things to works
or the works of the Law appear to be greatly misled.
One might say that repentance can certainly be very hard work, or very
difficult. There are certain things or areas in each of our lives where
the flesh does not want to repent, but never does the Bible classify
repentance as works.
It is the same for baptism. Water baptism is a command for all that
38

repent and believe. It is not classified as "works."

Hearing or reading the Bible might be considered as work or a chore by
some, yet it is never classified as "works" in relation to working or
earning your way into heaven. We need to hear and read Gods Word to
learn more about God. Faith comes by hearing Gods Word.
However, it needs to be emphasized againwater baptism prior to
repenting and believing on Jesus means absolutely nothing at all.
15-DOES THE BIBLE SAYBY REJECTING WATER BAPTISM, WE
HAVE REJECTED JESUS?
One might ask the question, "Does the Bible actually say we have
rejected Jesus by refusing to be baptized by water?" The answer to
this question is YES.
It is written, Lk 7:29,30-AND ALL THE PEOPLE THAT HEARD HIM,
AND THE PUBLICANS, JUSTIFIED GOD (or acknowledged Gods
justice, or Gods way was right), BEING BAPTIZED WITH THE
BAPTISM OF JOHN. BUT THE PHARISEES AND LAWYERS
REJECTED THE COUNSEL OF GOD (or Gods purpose or Gods plan)
AGAINST THEMSELVES, BEING NOT BAPTIZED OF HIM (or by not
letting themselves be immersed by him-JNT).
Let us look at this verse more closely.
The first part clearly states that ALL THE PEOPLE
ACKNOWLEDGEDGODS WAY WAS RIGHT (NIV) BEING BAPTIZED
WITH THE BAPTISM OF JOHN-KJV.
The second part clearly states, THE PHARISEES AND LAWYERS
REJECTED THE COUNSEL OF GOD. What is the "counsel of God?" It
is the Word. It is Gods Word. It is the Bible. What is Gods Word?
The Bible clearly tells us in Jn 1:1 and 1:14 that Jesus is the Word.
Thus, the verse very clearly states, that the Pharisees and lawyers
rejected the Word, which is Jesus. They rejected God.
The next question arises, "How did they reject Jesus?" The verse
clearly states, by BEING NOT BAPTIZED.
Note carefullyJUSTIFIED GOD (or acknowledged Gods way was
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right), BEING BAPTIZED. REJECTEDJesusBEING NOT BAPTIZED.

By their refusal to be baptized by going into the water, they rejected
Jesus. They rejected God. They REJECTED Gods WordBEING NOT
BAPTIZED.
Lk 18:17-VERILY I SAY UNTO YOU, WHOSOEVER SHALL NOT
RECEIVE THE KINGDOM OF GOD (or we might say, Gods Word) AS A
LITTLE CHILD SHALL IN NO WISE ENTER THEREIN.
This would definitely appear to make it necessary to be baptized, by
being immersed in the water, after repentance and believing on Jesus.
16-WHY ARE WE TO GET BAPTIZED?
We read in Ro 6:3-6,8-KNOW YE NOT, THAT SO MANY OF US AS
WERE BAPTIZED INTO JESUS CHRIST WERE BAPTIZED INTO
HIS DEATH? THEREFORE WE ARE BURIED WITH HIM BY
BAPTISM INTO DEATH: THAT LIKE AS CHRIST WAS RAISED UP
FROM THE DEAD BY THE GLORY OF THE FATHER, EVEN SO WE
ALSO SHOULD WALK IN NEWNESS OF LIFE (born-again). FOR IF
(please note the word "if") WE HAVE BEEN PLANTED TOGETHER IN
THE LIKENESS OF HIS DEATH, WE SHALL BE ALSO IN THE
LIKENESS OF HIS RESURRECTION. Note the words, IFPLANTED
TOGETHER. How are we planted together with Him? It says, BURIED
WITH HIM BY BAPTISM. If we have not been buried with Him
through baptism, how can we expect to be in the likeness of His
resurrection? KNOWING THIS, THAT OUR OLD MAN IS
CRUCIFIED WITH HIM (as Jesus went into the grave, we go into the
water), THAT THE BODY OF SIN MIGHT BE DESTROYED....NOW IF
WE BE DEAD WITH CHRIST (this is through being buried with Him in
baptism, by going into the water), WE BELIEVE THAT WE SHALL
ALSO LIVE WITH HIM.
Please note Acts 2:38 againREPENT, AND BE BAPTIZED EVERY
ONE. Note, the word repent precedes baptism. The verse goes on, IN
THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST. We are baptized into the death and
resurrection of Jesus; thus, we must believe first. The verse goes on,
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FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS (Jesus took our sins upon Him);
AND YE SHALL RECEIVE THE GIFT OF THE HOLY GHOST. The Holy
Ghost descended and lighted upon Jesus like a dove as He went up out
of the water.
Ro 6:9-11-KNOWING THAT CHRIST BEING RAISED FROM THE
DEAD DIETH NO MORE; DEATH HATH NO MORE DOMINION OVER
HIM.
FOR IN THAT HE DIED, HE DIED UNTO SIN ONCE: BUT IN THAT
HE LIVETH, HE LIVETH UNTO GOD.
LIKEWISE RECKON YE ALSO YOURSELVES TO BE DEAD INDEED
UNTO SIN, BUT ALIVE UNTO GOD THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR
LORD.
What might be a good definition of being "born-again?" It might be
said that being born-again involves putting off the old man, and putting
on the new man: our "old man is crucified;" we "are dead with Christ;"
and we begin to walk in the newness of life.
These things are exactly what Romans 6:3-11 has told us occurs in
relation to being baptized.
Note the following items from Romans chapter six and other verses.
17-WERE BAPTIZED INTO JESUS CHRIST (Ro 6:3)
WERE BAPTIZED INTO HIS DEATH-Ro 6:3
*1
ARE BURIED WITH HIM BY BAPTISM-Ro 6:4
*2 IF WE HAVE BEEN PLANTED TOGETHER IN THE LIKENESS
OF HIS DEATH-Ro 6:5
*3 OUR OLD MAN IS CRUCIFIED-Ro 6:6
*4 THE BODY OF SIN MIGHT BE DESTROYED-Ro 6:6
*5 IF WE BE DEAD WITH CHRIST-Ro 6:8
*6 DIED UNTO SIN-Ro 6:10
*7 WASH AWAY THY SINS-Acts 22:16
*8 TO FULFILL ALL RIGHTEOUSNESS-Mt 3:15

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*9 THE BAPTISM OF (or as a result of) REPENTANCE-Mk 1:4

All of these above things are related to water baptism, but they also
relate to being born-again.
18-THE RESULTS AFTER WATER BAPTISM SHOULD BE: (IF WE
BELIEVE ON JESUS AND HAVE REPENTED)
*10 WE...SHOULD WALK IN NEWNESS OF LIFE-Ro 6:4
*11 WE SHALL BEIN THE LIKENESS OF HIS RESURRECTION-Ro
6:5
*12 HENCEFORTH WE SHOULD NOT SERVE SIN-Ro 6:6
*13 IS FREED FROM SIN-Ro 6:7 (under grace, sin no longer has
authority over us unless we yield to it)
*14 WE BELIEVE THAT WE SHALL ALSO LIVE WITH HIM-Ro 6:8
*15 DEATH HATH NO MORE DOMINION OVER HIM-Ro 6:9
*16 LIVETH UNTO GOD-Ro 6:10
*17 RECKON (or consider)YOURSELVES TO BE DEADUNTO SINRo 6:11
*18 We are ALIVE UNTO GOD THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR
LORD-Ro 6:11
*19 EVEN BAPTISM DOTH ALSO NOW SAVE US (NOT THE
PUTTING AWAY OF THE FILTH OF THE FLESH, BUT THE ANSWER
OF A GOOD CONSCIENCE TOWARD GOD,) BY THE
RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST-1 Pe 3:21
Very clearly, these Scriptures are showing us the relationship of
baptism to being born-again. Once again, it must be emphasized that
water baptism means absolutely nothing if a person does not have faith
in Jesus Christ and has not repented of their sins.
Twice the word "if" appears in these verses (Ro 6:5,8). In other words,
"if" a person has not been baptized then none of these things are in
place.
He has not been planted together in the likeness of the death of
Jesus. The old man has not been crucified, neither is reckoned to be
dead unto to sin.
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If a person has not been baptized after believing and repenting, then
he is not walking in the newness of life after baptism as stated in Ro
6:4.
Jesus paid our sin debt in full at Calvary.
Our salvation was completely and totally accomplished at the cross and
by His resurrection. Without Jesus, there is absolutely no salvation.
Apart from Jesus, we are dead in our sins.
Jesus sacrificed Himself to put away our sins-ref Heb 9:26.
Jesus was offered to bear the sins of many-ref Heb 9:28.
Jesus bore our sins in His body-ref 1 Pe 2:24.
He died for our sins-ref 1 Cor 15:3.
His blood was shed for the remission of sins-ref Mt 26:28.
We are washed from our sins in His blood-ref Rev 1:5.
We are cleansed from all sin by the blood-ref 1 Jn 1:7.
We are saved by His life-Ro 5:10; and saved through Him-ref Ro 5:9.
As a result of what Jesus did, we having believed on Jesus as our only
possible hope of salvation; and having by faith responded to His call
by repenting of our sins, we are then to obey God by being baptized
afterward as He commanded. Once we come out of the water we should
be dead unto sin and alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Henceforth, we should not serve sin. We should walk in newness of life
by the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit.
In Acts 22:16 we read-AND NOW WHY TARRIEST THOU? ARISE,
AND BE BAPTIZED, AND WASH AWAY THY SINS, CALLING ON
THE NAME OF THE LORD.
Thus, now the two questions are answered, 1. "When are our sins
washed away?" What conclusion do you draw from the Scriptures? 2.
"What washes away our sins?" The answer is faith in the shed blood of
Jesus Christ.
When are we born again? How do you understand the Scriptures? If
both faith in Jesus Christ (we might receive the promise of the Spirit
through faith-Gal 3:14) and repenting of our sins have taken place,
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could it be when we come out of the water of baptism? Could it be as

Acts 2:38 tells us: REPENT, AND BE BAPTIZED EVERY ONE OF YOU
AND YE SHALL RECEIVE THE GIFT OF THE HOLY GHOST?
It is written, FOR THUS IT BECOMETH US TO FULFILL ALL
RIGHTEOUSNESS-Mt 3:15.
We note the words for Johns baptism (being baptized by water) was
the "baptism of repentance" or baptism as a result of repentance.
True water baptism is a result of believing on Jesus. True baptism is a
result of repentance.
It is written, Mk 1:4-JOHN DID BAPTIZE IN THE WILDERNESS,
AND PREACH THE BAPTISM OF (or as a result of) REPENTANCE
FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS.
Lk 3:3-AND HE CAME INTO ALL THE COUNTRY ABOUT JORDAN,
PREACHING THE BAPTISM OF (or as a result of) REPENTANCE
FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS.
Acts 13:24-WHEN JOHN HAD FIRST PREACHED BEFORE HIS
COMING THE BAPTISM OF (or as a result of) REPENTANCE TO
ALL THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL.
Acts 19:4-THEN SAID PAUL, JOHN VERILY BAPTIZED WITH THE
BAPTISM OF (or as a result of) REPENTANCE.
Once we say a sinners prayer, we may appear to be saved, but are we?
Once we believe on Jesus, we may appear to be saved, but are we?
Once we have repented, we may appear to be saved, but are we?
Many preachers throughout the world would answer yes to these
questions.
There are Scriptures that could lead a person to believe that only
saying a prayer will save us.
There are Scriptures that could lead a person to believe that only
believing will save us.
There are Scriptures that could lead a person to believe that only
repenting will save us.
There are Scriptures that could lead a person to believe that only
44

being baptized will save us.

There is even a Scripture that could lead us to believe that only hoping
will save us. It is written, Ro 8:24-WE ARE SAVED BY HOPE.
Yet do the Scriptures show us that a person may be biblically bornagain at the time of coming out of the water of water baptism by
immersion, but only IF a person has repented and only IF a person has
put their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ of the Bible?
This needs to be stressed, for many cults believe and attempt to
portray that Jesus is not the Messiah come in the flesh. They believe
that He is not Deity. They say and believe that Jesus is something that
is not in accordance with Gods Word.
Jesus Christ is THE WORD. JESUS CHRIST IS COME IN THE
FLESH. Jesus Christ is LORD. FOR BY HIM (and for Him) WERE ALL
THINGS CREATED. Jesus Christ is KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF
LORDS.
19-THE EVIDENCE OF SALVATION IS FRUIT
But even then, whether or not a person is truly converted cannot be
determined until the evidence of his fruit comes forth. For it is
written, WHEREFORE BY THEIR FRUITS YE SHALL KNOW THEM-Mt
7:20.
Nevertheless, be not deceived. Satans ministers look like the ministers
of righteousness-ref 2 Cor 11:15 and deceive many. They look like they
are of God, but they are not. Many Pharisees and religious leaders in
the days of Jesus looked like they were of God, and many people
thought they were; but Jesus clearly showed they were not saved.
Yes, a person may believe on Jesus. He may repent. He may call on the
name of the Lord. He may thereafter go forth and witness, and
through the WORD, others may come to Jesus. Yet, the Scriptures
have shown us, if believing, repentance, and faith are in place, that at
the time of coming out of the water, we should be born-again. The
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Scriptures have also shown us clearly that by rejecting water baptism,

we reject Gods Word which is Jesus.
20-WHEN DOES A PERSON RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT?
Mt 3:16,17-AND JESUS, WHEN HE WAS BAPTIZED, WENT UP
STRAIGHTWAY OUT OF THE WATER: AND, LO, THE HEAVENS
WERE OPENED UNTO HIM, AND HE SAW THE SPIRIT OF GOD
DESCENDING LIKE A DOVE, AND LIGHTING UPON HIM: AND LO A
VOICE FROM HEAVEN, SAYING, THIS IS MY BELOVED SON, IN
WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED. The Holy Ghost descended upon Jesus
in bodily form like a dove, when He came up out of the water after
baptism. The Lord chose this event, water baptism, to illustrate when
the Holy Ghost is given.
This is in harmony with Acts 2:38. REPENT AND BE BAPTIZED EVERY
ONE OF YOUAND YE SHALL RECEIVE THE GIFT OF THE HOLY
GHOST. Note what it did not say. It did not say one would receive the
gift of the Holy Ghost upon repenting. Rather, two things are
mentioned together. First repenting, and then baptism, and the gift of
the Holy Ghost would be received.
In Gal 3:2 we read-RECEIVED YE THE SPIRIT BY...FAITH? The Holy
Spirit is received and dwells in us by faith. Thus, "when" we are
baptized, if we do not have faith in Jesus Christ, water baptism means
absolutely nothing. The Holy Spirit cannot be received, if faith is not
present. We cannot be baptized into Jesus Christ, if we do not believe
in Jesus Christ.
When does Acts 2:38 say we receive the Holy Spirit? It is when we
repent and are baptized. When does Mk 16:16 say we are saved? It is
written, HE THAT BELIEVETH AND IS BAPTIZED SHALL BE SAVED;
BUT HE THAT BELIEVETH NOT SHALL BE DAMNED.
The Scriptures seem clear that, biblically, we receive the gift of the
Holy Ghost at the time we come out of the water from being baptized.
We are biblically born-again when we come out of the water. Our sins
are washed away at the time we come out of the water.
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In 2 Kings chapter 5, when Naaman the leper was told by the prophet
Elisha to dip in the Jordan River seven times and he would be healed of
his leprosy; there was no special power in the water to heal. Rather, it
was his obedience to what the Lord had said to do. And so it is with
water baptism. There is no power in the water or in the act by
itself; but we receive the Holy Spirit at baptism by our faith
(trust-grounded obedience) in the operation (or working) of God.
21-SAVED BY WATER: BAPTISM DOTH ALSO NOW SAVE US
Now that the Bible has shown us both how to be baptized and why, the
following Scriptures should be more easily understood.
The Bible tells us in 1 Pe 3:20,21-THE LONG-SUFFERING OF GOD
WAITED IN THE DAYS OF NOAH, WHILE THE ARK WAS A
PREPARING, WHEREIN FEW, THAT IS, EIGHT SOULS WERE
SAVED BY WATER. THE LIKE FIGURE WHEREUNTO EVEN
BAPTISM DOTH ALSO NOW SAVE US (NOT THE PUTTING
AWAY OF THE FILTH OF THE FLESH, BUT THE ANSWER OF A
GOOD CONSCIENCE TOWARD GOD,) BY THE RESURRECTION OF
JESUS CHRIST. Some people might tell you this verse does not mean
quite what it says. The Bible warns us about being led astray through
peoples error. Let us take Gods Word exactly as it is written, and
believe it. Beware. Remember, baptism apart from first believing on
Jesus and repentance means absolutely nothing.
It is written, 1 Jn 5:8-AND THERE ARE THREE THAT BEAR
WITNESS IN EARTH, THE SPIRIT, AND THE WATER, AND THE
BLOOD: AND THESE THREE AGREE IN ONE. The Spirit is that which
God gives. You must have His Spirit, or you are none of His. The water
is the water of baptism that you are under commandment to do after
you believe on the name of Jesus. The blood is that which Jesus shed
for you at Calvary, which redeems you through your faith. These three
bear witness as a testimony in earth. There are also other opinions as
to what the water represents among some institutions.
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22-CAN OR SHOULD A PERSON BE BAPTIZED A SECOND TIME?

There are some that speak in hostility against being baptized a second
time, yet they themselves, if they travel to Israel and have the chance
to be baptized in the Jordan River may run to be baptized a second
time or even a third time.
If a person was baptized by sprinkling, he was never baptized
according to Gods Word. Yes, he needs to get baptized Gods way.
If a person was baptized before repentance, then he was not baptized
according to Gods Word. Yes, he needs to get baptized Gods way.
If a person was baptized as a baby, then he was not baptized
according to Gods Word. Yes, he needs to get baptized Gods way.
If a person was baptized before believing on Jesus, he was not
baptized according to Gods Word. Yes, he needs to get baptized Gods
way.
If a person was baptized
*20 by a cult,
*21 or by any church or organization that does not believe that
Jesus Christ is the Word, Who became flesh,
*22 or by any that does not believe in the three Persons of the
Trinity,
*23 or by any who believe that salvation is by works rather than by
grace through faith alone; yes, that person needs to get baptized Gods
way.
If a person was baptized correctly, however, afterward loses his
faith in Jesus; if he later repents and returns to Jesus, he needs to
again be baptized correctly. It is written, BY FAITH YE STAND-2 Cor
1:24. Should our faith be overthrown, and we depart from the faith,
then we are no longer standing by faith. In such cases, yes, we have
need to be baptized, if we repent and return to faith in Jesus.
If a person was baptized correctly, but he went back into intentional,
willful wickedness, such as sex outside of marriage, fornication, or
total rebellion against God; yes, he needs to be rebaptized. It is
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written, Ezek 3:20-AGAIN, WHEN A RIGHTEOUS MAN DOTH TURN

FROM HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND COMMIT INIQUITY,HE
SHALL DIE IN HIS SIN, AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS WHICH HE
HATH DONE SHALL NOT BE REMEMBERED. If he was baptized
(baptism, which is to fulfill all righteousness-ref Mt 3:15), it shall not
be remembered.
Ezek 18:21-22-BUT IF THE WICKED WILL TURN FROM ALL HIS
SINS THAT HE HATH COMMITTED,AND DO THAT WHICH IS
LAWFUL AND RIGHT, HE SHALL SURELY LIVE, HE SHALL NOT DIE.
ALL HIS TRANSGRESSIONS THAT HE HATH COMMITTED, THEY
SHALL NOT BE MENTIONED UNTO HIM:HE SHALL LIVE.
Again in Ezek 18:24-we see the same thing. When a person turns FROM
HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND COMMITTETH INIQUITY, AND
DOETH ACCORDING TO ALL THE ABOMINATIONS THAT THE
WICKED MAN DOETH, SHALL HE LIVE? ALL HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS
THAT HE HATH DONE SHALL NOT BE MENTIONED. The only
righteousness we have is Jesus. When a person turns from Jesus, all
his righteousness shall not be remembered. This includes water
baptism.
Ezek 18:25-YET YE SAY, THE WAY OF THE LORD IS NOT EQUAL.
HEAR NOW, O HOUSE OF ISRAEL; IS NOT MY WAY EQUAL? ARE
NOT YOUR WAYS UNEQUAL?
Ezek 18:27,28-AGAIN, WHEN THE WICKED MAN TURNETH AWAY
FROM HIS WICKEDNESS THAT HE HATH COMMITTED, AND
DOETH THAT WHICH IS LAWFUL AND RIGHT, HE SHALL SAVE
HIS SOUL ALIVE.
BECAUSE HE CONSIDERETH, AND TURNETH AWAY FROM ALL HIS
TRANSGRESSIONS THAT HE HATH COMMITTED, HE SHALL
SURELY LIVE, HE SHALL NOT DIE.
This is again repeated in Ezek 33:13,14,16-20. These subjects are dealt
with in much more depth under the topic, CAN SALVATION BE LOST?
23-TO CONSIDER
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It is a very common thing among people in this blind generation to make

a comment such as, "I saved ten people" or "ten people got saved when
I led them in a sinners prayer." This statement is neither correct or
biblical as the Scriptures have clearly shown us.
The correct way to say it, is the truth of what actually happened. "I
led ten people in a sinners prayer." Many people say a sinners prayer
because it just seems like the right thing to do, or because of fear, or
some other feeling; but there is no faith, no repentance, and no water
baptism. To say, ten people got saved, would not be true. Sometimes
these statements are made to impress people. We need to be careful
of what we say.

24-BAPTISM IS NOT
Though many denominations have their own traditions, baptism is not a
ceremony for membership into a certain church or denomination.
Biblical baptism involves being baptized into Christ; putting on Christ.
We identify with Christ. We become part of His body. As it is written,
AND HE (Jesus) IS THE HEAD OF THE BODY, THE CHURCH-Col 1:18;
and again, THE CHURCH, WHICH IS HIS BODY-Eph 1:22,23.
25-THE CONCLUSION
The Scriptures clearly show that we are saved by faith in Jesus Christ,
apart from all works.
The Bible does not classify a sinners prayer, repentance, confessing
Jesus, hearing and reading Gods Word, and water baptism as a form of
works. Water baptism is a command to fulfill all righteousness, and as
the answer of a good conscience toward God by the resurrection of
Jesus Christ.
Biblical baptism is to be done by full immersion in the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. In the Bible, water
baptism, confessing ones sins, and calling on the name of the Lord
were interwoven in Mt 3:6 and Acts 22:16.
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Sprinkling baptism and infant baptism are counterfeits. They are

actually no baptism at all.
Water baptism is a commandment; however, water baptism before a
person repents and before a person believes with all their heart on
Jesus, is no baptism at all. Water baptism comes as a result of
repenting and believing on Jesus. If a person went into adultery,
fornication, any sex outside of marriage, or total rebellion against God
after water baptism; it may be a good indication that true repentance
before water baptism was false. Thus, the water baptism meant
nothing.
Some people may want to be baptized just for the sake of being
baptized; yet there is no evidence of repentance or saving knowledge
of Jesus from Gods Word in the person to produce faith. This is not
biblical. The baptism has no meaning.
A person is not to be baptized, if they do not believe on Jesus with all
their heart and repent first.
The Bible clearly shows that a person does reject Gods Word (or
Jesus), if they are not baptized.
The Scriptures clearly indicate that a person may be born-again when
they come up out of the water, if they truly believe on Jesus with all
their heart and have repented. They come out into the newness of life.
The Scriptures appear to show that a person receives the Holy Ghost
upon coming out of the water of baptism, but only if believing and
repentance precede baptism.
The Bible also tells us that baptism doth also now save us (not the
putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good
conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
And we are told, THERE ARE THREE THAT BEAR WITNESS IN
EARTH, THE SPIRIT, AND THE WATER, AND THE BLOOD: AND
THESE THREE AGREE IN ONE.
The Bible also gives us very clear indications regarding water baptism:
when it can and if it should be done again.
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And finally, it is written, in Gal 3:27-FOR AS MANY OF YOU AS HAVE

BEEN BAPTIZED INTO CHRIST HAVE PUT ON CHRIST. How do we
put on Christ? Note, it does not say baptized, but baptized "into
Christ."
26-THE FINAL PROOF
The final proof or evidence of salvation is a persons fruit after
repenting, believing on Jesus, and water baptism.

Chapter Three
EVANGELISM
Why Should We Witness?
Have you ever asked yourself, "Why should I witness?" Several
reasons should come to mind. First, because Jesus commands you to:
"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit," (Matt.
28:19). Also, Ezek. 3:11 says, "and go to the exiles, to the sons of your
people, and speak to them and tell them, whether they listen or not..."
Second, you must witness because you love the unsaved (if you
don't, you should). The most loving thing you can do is present the
gospel in hopes of bringing others to salvation. Galatians 5:22 lists love
as one of the fruit of the Spirit. It is love's nature to give. Take for
example John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only
begotten Son..." Love gives, and if you have only a small portion of His
52

love, you will want to give to others.

Third, witness because it is a wise thing to do. Prov. 11:30 says,
"...he who is wise wins souls." Now, I know I am not a very wise person.
But, since God says I'll be wise to win souls, or try to, then great, let
me at it. I want to be wise in God's sight.
Fourth, witness to keep people out of hell. Hell is a terrifying place
of utter anguish and eternal separation from God. Those who are not
saved go there. Witnessing is an attempt to keep them out of hell.
Fifth, witness because it pleases God and brings glory to His name.
And finally, witness so they may find the love and fellowship of God
(1 John 1:3), the greatest of all treasures. I can think of no greater
gift than salvation. It frees the sinner from sin, it delivers the lost
from damnation, and it reveals the true and living God to those who
don't know Him.
The angels of heaven rejoice greatly when anyone passes from
judgment into salvation (Luke 15:10). Shouldn't we as Christians rejoice
too? Shouldn't we weep over the lost? Shouldn't we ask the Lord of
the field to send laborers into His harvest (Luke 10:2)? Certainly! The
salvation of others is the goal of your efforts. The love of God is your
motive. Is there anything greater? So, give. It is time for the church
to MOBILIZE and go outside of the safety of the four walls! If we
are as filled with the Holy Ghost as we say we are we should
WITNESS!

"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who

does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth" (2
Tim. 2:15).
Without a proper foundation, buildings don't stand, civilizations
53

don't last, and Christians don't witness well. The foundation I am

talking about is the foundation of basic Christian doctrine. Do you know
what the Trinity is? How many natures does Jesus have, one or two?
Are we saved by grace through faith or by grace and works? For what
purpose did Jesus die? Did He rise from the dead? If so, why?
Perhaps you do not believe that knowing doctrine is important.
Maybe you think that we should just tell people about Jesus and let
them choose to accept Him or not. Unfortunately, witnessing isn't
always that simple. Knowing what and why you believe is essential. For
example, if someone says he wants to receive Jesus as Savior but
doesn't believe that He is God in flesh, is that important? If someone
says that the Trinity is not biblical, what would you say? Is the Holy
Spirit a force or God? Doctrine is important because it defines who
you put your trust in. It is not simply that you have faith, it's who
you put your faith in.
What are you called to do?
You are called by God to accurately know His word, "Be diligent to
present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to
be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth" (2 Tim. 2:15).
You are called by God to grow in your walk with Him, "Therefore,
leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to
maturity..." (Heb. 6:1).
You are called by God to search the scriptures daily, "Now these
were more noble minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received
the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily, to see
whether these things were so" (Acts 17:11).
How good is your foundation?
Are you like the people in that church? Are you weak in your basic
Christian foundation? Can you defend the Trinity biblically? Can you
54

show someone in the Bible that Jesus is God in flesh or that salvation
is by faith only and not by our works? Do you know if Jesus rose from
the dead in the same body He died in or was it a different spiritual
body? These questions are crucial and you need to have the correct
answers. Do you?
If your foundation is weak, then you need to strengthen it. Without
a good foundation you won't be able to stand against a breeze of
opposition. That is why you must first establish your foundation: you
must witness in the strength of truth, not the weakness of error.

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Three Important Verses in Witnessing

"So shall My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it shall not
return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without
succeeding in the matter for which I sent it" (Isaiah 55:11).
If you only study one page on this section on evangelism, this page is
it. Why? Because here is where you will learn three of the most
important verses of evangelism: Isaiah 55:11; Rom. 1:16; and John
12:32.
Isaiah 55:11
Isaiah 55:11 says, "So shall My word be which goes forth from My
mouth; it shall not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I
desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it."
God's word is unique. It was by His word (speech) that God created,
"God said, Let there be light'; and there was light" (Gen. 1:3). "By
faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the Word of
God..." (Heb. 11:3). Jesus is called the Word, "In the beginning was the
Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God... and the
Word became flesh and dwelt among us..." (John 1:1,14).
When Jesus was on the earth, He taught. He taught with words and
His words had a very strong effect on people. They angered some and
broke others. But when Jesus spoke, things happened.
Jesus forgave sins by speaking, "And seeing their faith, He said,
Friend, your sins are forgiven you'" (Luke 5:20). He raised the dead by
speaking, "Lazarus, come forth" (John 11:43). He calmed the wind and
sea with words, "Then He arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea;
and it became perfectly calm" (Matt. 8:26). He cast out demons by
speech, "And He said to them, Begone!' And they came out..." (Matt.
8:32). He healed by speech, "And He stretched out His hand and
touched him, saying, I am willing; be cleansed.' And immediately his
56

leprosy was cleansed" (Matt. 8:3,13). God's words are powerful.

The Word (the Bible) is described as having many qualities:
"All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for
It is
teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in
inspired:
righteousness" (2 Tim. 3:16).
It is
"The sum of Thy word is truth" (Psalm 119:151).
truth:

"...If you abide in My word, then you are truly

It makes
disciples of mine; and you shall know the truth, and
free:
the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32).
It "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the
produces word of Christ" (Rom. 10:17)
faith:

"For the word of God is living and active and sharper

than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as
It judges: the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and
marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and
intentions of the heart" (Heb. 4:12).
The Word of God is a mighty weapon. That is why you should
memorize!
Romans 1:16
Rom. 1:16, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power
of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and
also to the Greek." What is the Gospel? 1 Cor. 15:1-4 says it is the
sacrificial death and physical resurrection of Jesus for sins. It is the
powerful message of salvation to sinners. If you know that the Word of
57

God will accomplish what God wants it to and if you know that the
gospel has power to save, then it should ease your mind to know that in
witnessing you are using two very powerful weapons: God's Word and
God's Gospel. The Word of God is the Bible. The Gospel of God is His
revelation or redemption.

John 12:32
John 12:32, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all
men to Myself." Here Jesus speaks specifically about His crucifixion.
It is He who draws to Himself all who are to be saved. When you
present the gospel (1 Cor. 15:1-4), the sacrificial death and
resurrection of Jesus for sins, Jesus draws the sinner to Himself. He
does the work, not you.
As a Christian, you are to witness with truth, honesty, and integrity.
As the Lord provides the opportunity, you should respond in a humble
and gentle spirit (2 Tim. 2:24). And in that, you should point people to
Jesus. It is He alone who saves.
If you know that God's Word will accomplish what God desires,
that the gospel is powerful to save, and that it is Jesus who draws all
men to Himself, then you should realize that the responsibility of
salvation does not rest on you, but on God. You are the teacher, the
deliverer of good news. "How shall they believe in Him who they have
not heard?" (Rom. 10:14). You help them hear!
These three verses should help you to gain confidence. You witness;
God saves. You plant the seeds; God waters. He uses you. It is His
Word that accomplishes salvation. It is His gospel that is powerful. It
is His Son Jesus who draws. You witness in power when you witness
with the Word of God.
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Salvation is God's work

"Salvation belongs to the Lord" (Psalm 3:8).

When someone appeals to God and seeks forgiveness in Jesus, his
sins are removed, he is cleansed, his relationship with God is restored,
and he is made a new creature (2 Cor. 5:17). All of this is the work of
God, not man.
The Bible has a phrase that describes the non-Christian. It is
'natural man'. In 1 Cor. 2:14 Paul says, "But a natural man does not
accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him,
and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually
appraised."
Our human condition can be compared to a drop of poison in a glass
of water: all the water is poisoned but it is not as bad as it could be.
The water is incapable of being good. We, too, are incapable of really
being good.
When Jesus' disciples asked Him who can be saved, He replied,
"With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible"
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(Matt. 19:26). That is why salvation rests in God alone by grace through
faith (Eph. 2:8-9).
About now you are probably wondering what this has to do with
witnessing. Why do you need to know all this? I am glad you asked. It is
helpful to know because you must realize it is God who saves people.
Specifically, it is the Holy Spirit who convicts the sinner of sin -- not
you. "And He [the Holy Spirit], when He comes, will convict the world
concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgment" (John 16:8).
Remember, the gospel is preached after sin is made known. Because
the sinner cannot come to God on his own, he must be convicted of his
sin, and thus be made aware of his need for salvation. The conviction of
sin is beyond our control. It is the work of the Holy Spirit (John 16:8).
Prayer is essential in witnessing
It is, then, vital that you pray and request God to convict as well as
save. Prayer is an essential part of witnessing. When you witness you
must pray. Then you are free to spread the gospel as effectively as you
want and to trust God to give the increase (1 Cor. 3:6-7). Ask Him to
send the Holy Spirit; ask Him to convict the world of sin. The work of
the Holy Spirit is essential in salvation.
The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit works in two types of people during witnessing: the
saved and the unsaved. In the saved, He dwells within (Rom. 8:11),
teaches (John 14:26), anoints (1 John 2:27), guides (John 16:13), and
sanctifies (1 Pet. 1:2). Without the Holy Spirit we would be like ships
without rudders, unable to live as Christians and certainly unable to
witness effectively.
In the unsaved, He convicts of sin (John 16:8). Sinners come to
Jesus to have their sins cleansed. They do this after they discover
their guilt before God. This too is the work of the Holy Spirit.
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Since the natural man is separated from God because of his sin
(Isaiah 59:2), the Holy Spirit uses the Scriptures (that you quote) to
convict him of his sinfulness, convince him of his need for salvation,
and convert him through the Word. When a natural man (or woman) is
aware of his sinful condition then the gospel message of deliverance
from sin is preached and becomes effectual.

Sin
Sin does two things: it offends God and it kills man. How? It
offends God because it is His law we break. It kills us because of the
nature of Law. Have you ever heard of a law without a punishment? A
law without a punishment is only a slogan. Since God is just and laws
have punishments, then God must punish the lawbreaker. But that is
not the end of the story. God is also merciful and gracious. His justice
fell upon Himself -- on the cross. His mercy falls upon us -- by grace
through faith.
Justice, Mercy, and Grace
Imbedded in the relationship of Law and Gospel are the concepts
of justice, mercy, and grace. One of the best ways you can show the
difference between them is to use illustrations that show their
differences and relationships. For example, Justice is getting what we
deserve. Mercy is not getting what we deserve. Grace is getting what
we don't deserve.
Let's suppose you have a bicycle and I want it. So, one night I
sneak over to your house and steal it. You catch me and I go to jail.
(Jail would be where I "pay" for my crime of breaking the law.) The
penalty is met and that is justice. I get what I deserve.
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Let's change it a little. I sneak over to your house and steal your
bike. You catch me. But you don't send me to jail. Instead, you tell me
to forget about it. The penalty, jail, is not met. That is mercy. I did not
get what I deserved.
One more change. I sneak over to your house and steal your bike.
You catch me. You don't send me to jail. In fact, you give me the bike
plus a hundred dollars. That is grace. The penalty is met (by you paying
the 'damages') and I was given what I did not deserve (the bike and
money).
Justice, which demands payment, does not meet the requirement of
mercy, which seeks forgiveness. Mercy does not meet the requirement
of justice. Grace meets both.

The Lamp Analogy1

Let's say I am at your house or apartment with my wife. We are
talking about church and in my zeal I accidentally knock over your lamp.
Now, this lamp is special. A dear friend gave it to you and it has great
sentimental value, and besides, you need a light in your room. After a
moment or two you realize that the damage is done and decide to
forgive. You say to me, "That is alright, Matt. I forgive you for
breaking the lamp, but give me ten dollars."
Is asking for ten dollars after you've just forgiven me, true
forgiveness? Certainly not! When God forgives our sins, He says He will
remember them no more (Jer. 31:34). Forgive and forget are similar in
spelling and similar in meaning. If you forgive me can you demand
payment from the one forgiven? No, because a forgiven debt does not
exist.
Let's say that instead of asking me for ten dollars you turn to my
wife and say, "Matt broke my lamp. You give me ten dollars for it."
I ask you again. Is that true forgiveness? No. You are simply
62

transferring the debt to someone who was not involved in the original
offense.
But, we have a problem. The lamp needs to be replaced. In true
forgiveness, then, who pays for its replacement? (Think about this a
bit before you go on to read the answer.) Who pays? You do! You're the
only one left. Remember, if you've forgiven me the debt, how can you
demand payment?
Now, who was my offense against? You. Who forgives? You do. Who
pays? You do.
When we sin, who do we sin against? God. Who forgives? God. Who
pays? God! Did you get that? God pays! How does He do that? Simple.
2000 years ago on a hill outside the city of Jerusalem He bore our sins
in His body and died on the cross (1 Pet. 2:24). He took our punishment:
"Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried... He
was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our
iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him..." (Isaiah
53:4-5).
God is just. God is merciful. God is gracious. In the justice of God,
He took our place. In the mercy of God we don't get punished. In the
grace of God, He gives us eternal life.
Even though we are unworthy of salvation, even though we are
unworthy of God's love, even though we are unworthy of mercy, even
though we are worthy of wrath, God saved us. He did so not because of
who we are, but because of who He is, not because of what we do, but
because of what He did. God is love (1 John 4:16). God is holy (1 Peter
1:16). God is good (Psalm 34:8). We could never fathom the depths of
His purity and kindness (Rom. 11:33). We could never, through our own
efforts, attain Him. There is only one thing left for us. We must
worship Him, love Him, and serve Him. He alone is worthy. Blessed be
the name of the Lord.

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__________________
1. I do not remember where I read the lamp analogy, but I have been
using it for many years. Someone contacted me and mentioned that it
was used by Josh McDowell. If that is the case then he received the
credit for the analogy.

How to Memorize Scripture

Many people don't think they can memorize their way out of a new
shopping mall let alone remember a verse in the Bible. I've spoken with
dozens of people about Scripture memorization who say the same
thing: "I have a terrible memory." My answer to them is, "Nonsense!"
Everyone memorizes all the time. You've learned to speak, haven't you?
You've memorized thousands of do's and don't's in life, right? You
know your social security number, your phone number, your address,
how many brothers, sisters, or children you have, how to get to work
and what to do when you get there. The problem is not that people
can't memorize, it's that they won't memorize.
The Bible is the foundation for witnessing and you must memorize
verses to be able to use it -- this applies to your devotional life as well
as witnessing. One serious problem I've found is that most people have
memorized fewer than seven verses. The average Jehovah's Witness
has committed many more to memory and, given the opportunity, could
make the average Christian feel about as knowledgeable as banana
bread. What I would like to do is help you memorize better.
Four easy steps to memorization
There are four easy steps to Scripture memorization. Let's use 1
Peter. 2:24 as an example: "and He Himself bore our sins in His body on

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the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by his
wounds you were healed" (NASB).
Step 1: Location
The first step is to memorize the location, not the verse. The
reason for this is if you forget the verse, but you've memorized the
location, you can always go look it up.
First, memorize the location: "1 Peter 2:24." Say "1 Peter 2:24"
over and over again. Don't worry about what it says at first, just
memorize the location. Make sure that when you say 1 Peter 2:24 it
flows smoothly off your lips. Say 1 Peter 2:24 emphasizing different
syllables. Say 1 Peter 2:24, or 1 Peter 2:24 or 1 Peter 2:24 or even 1
Peter 2:24. But say 1 Peter 2:24 enough times that when you say 1
Peter 2:24, it is as natural as breathing.
Step 2: Gist
The second step is to learn the gist of what the verse is. In this
case it is very simple, "Jesus bore our sins in His body on the cross."
Say, "Jesus bore our sins in His body on the cross" in different ways.
Say, "Jesus bore our sins in His body on the cross," or "Jesus bore our
sins in His body on the cross," and "Jesus bore our sins in His body on
the cross," etc. But say "Jesus bore our sins in His body on the cross"
enough times that when you say, "Jesus bore our sins in His body on
the cross," it is as natural as saying 1 Peter. 2:24. (Kind of repetitive,
isn't it?)
Step 3: Association
The third part is more fun. This is where you associate the two
together. Say, "1 Peter 2:24 is Jesus bore our sins in His body on the
cross. Jesus bore our sins in His body on the cross is 1 Peter 2:24. 1
Peter 2:24 is Jesus bore our sins in His body on the cross..." Say this
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over and over again, about ten times. In no time, if you do this, you will
memorize.
This association part is important because it helps you to think of
one part whenever you think of the other. For example, if someone
asked you "Where does it say that Jesus bore our sin in his body?",
you'd immediately reply with "1 Peter. 2:24." It works.
Step 4: A piece of paper
The fourth and final part is to take a piece of lined paper, 8 1/2"
by 11", and draw a vertical line about one inch from the left hand side.
Write the verse location in the left column on your paper and on
the right side simply write the verse. Do this with each verse you want
to remember. Fold it up, put it in your pocket or purse, and carry it
with you everywhere you go. When you forget a verse or its location
simply pull out the paper and refresh your memory. In no time at all,
you'll have over one hundred verses committed to memory.
Memorization is like exercise. The more you do it, the easier it
gets; the less you do the harder it gets. So do it. If you follow this
procedure your mind will become like a sponge, you'll end up memorizing
all sorts of stuff with the greatest of ease, like how many socks are in
your drawer, everything that is in your refrigerator, and even where
your car keys are.
And one more thing. You will be amazed at how the Lord uses what
you've memorized.

The Importance of Prayer in Evangelism

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"The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech
the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest" (Matt.
9:37-38).
Prayer is essential in the Christian's life. Without it your witness
will be far less effective and you will be far more vulnerable to the
enemy. When you witness, you need the blessing and support of the
Lord. You need to be in fellowship with Him. Prayer makes this all
possible.
When you witness you plant the seeds of the Gospel, but it is God
who causes the growth (1 Cor. 3:6-7). In prayer you ask God to give
that growth. In prayer you ask God to convict the unrepentant of their
sin and by that awaken in them the need for salvation. In prayer you,
"...let your requests be made known to God" (Phil. 4:6). Think back to
your own conversion. Were there people praying and requesting your
salvation?
Jesus prayed frequently (Matt. 14:23; 26:36; Mark 6:46; Luke 5:16;
John 17). Paul prayed (Rom. 1:9; Eph. 1:16). Stephen prayed (Acts 7:5560). You must pray. God wants you to pray to Him and have fellowship
with Him (John 1:1-4). Why? One reason is that our battle is not
against flesh and blood but against powers and the spiritual forces of
darkness (Eph. 6:12). That is where the real battle is, in the spiritual
realm. You need prayer. Prayer is one of God's ordained means for you
to do spiritual warfare and sharing the Gospel is definitely spiritual
warfare.
Another reason to pray is that you can actually influence God with
your prayers. If you are doubtful then look at 2 Kings 20:1-7. King
Hezekiah was told by the prophet Amoz that he should set his house in
order because he was surely going to die (v. 1). Hezekiah prayed
earnestly (v. 2,3). The Lord heard his prayers and said, "I have heard
your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I will heal you. On the
third day you shall go up to the house of the LORD. And I will add
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fifteen years to your life" (v. 5).

Hezekiah's prayer made a difference. That is why you, as a
Christian, can be an effective witness, because you have influence with
God and because you can ask God to save. Prayer is a vital part of
witnessing.
What should you pray for?
Pray for more people to witness. Jesus specifically asked you to
pray to the Father and ask Him to send workers into the field (Matt.
9:37-38). What is the field? It is the world of sinners. Who are the
workers? They are people like you. Jesus wants people to find salvation
and enjoy eternal fellowship with Him. He wants you to preach the
Gospel. He has given the command "Go therefore and make disciples of
all the nations..." (Matt. 28:19). Your witness for God may or may not be
verbal. But either way, you need to pray and ask God to give you
strength, love, and insight.
Pray for compassion for the lost. Compassion is a necessary
element in witnessing. It motivates you to speak, to teach, and to pray
for others to come into the kingdom of God. Compassion helps you to
cry over the lost and to come to God in humble request for their
salvation. Paul said, "Brethren, my heart's desire and by prayer to God
for them is for their salvation" (Rom. 10:1).
Pray for the desire to witness. Pray this regularly and watch the
Lord change you and give you a desire to reach out and tell people
about Jesus. God will grant your prayers and joy will fill your heart as
you fulfill the command of God by witnessing.
Pray for boldness. Pray for the courage to step out in faith and
speak up when needed. Many Christians are timid because speaking a
word for the sake of the Lord can be risky and frightening. Boldness
gives you the courage to risk ridicule and to endure the scorn. Ask God
for it. "For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and
love and discipline. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of
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our Lord" (2 Tim. 1:7-8).

Pray to the Lord to bind Satan and his angels . There is a hierarchy
of demons seeking to hinder your witness and steal the seeds of the
Gospel that you plant. You cannot fight spirits with reason or flesh and
blood, but you can ask the Lord to fight. With prayer you can assault
the camp of the enemy and weaken his false kingdom. Prayer is a
mighty tool, a powerful tool. You need it if you are going to witness.
Pray for your needs. Do you have a close walk with God? Do you
need a deeper fellowship with Him? Do you have sins you need to
confess and forsake? If so, then pray. Enjoy your privilege of coming
to the Creator of the universe who meets your every need. He loves
you. He wants to hear from you and He wants you to make your needs
known to Him. "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God"
(Phil. 4:6).
Hindrances to prayer
Prayer is important for many reasons, especially for witnessing. But
prayer can be hindered. So that your prayers and witnessing might be
as affective as possible, a discussion of the hindrances of prayer is
necessary. Do any of the following apply to you?
Sin hinders prayer. "If I regard wickedness in my heart, the Lord
will not hear" (Psalm 66:18). We all sin, but do you have unconfessed
and unrepented sin in your life? If so, confess your sin, repent from it
as you are commanded in Acts 17:30, and continue in witnessing and
prayer.
Selfishness hinders prayer. "You ask and do not receive, because
you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your
pleasures" (James 4:3). Examine yourself. Make sure your prayers are
not motivated by selfish desires. If you find that selfishness is a
factor then confess it and repent.
Doubt hinders prayer. "But let him ask in faith without any
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doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and
tossed by the wind" (James 1:6). We all doubt. We all fail. But when you
doubt be reminded of the man who said to Jesus, "Lord I believe, help
my unbelief" (Mark 9:24). He believed and yet doubted and Jesus
granted his request. Remember that God has given a measure of faith
to every man (Rom. 12:3). Trust God, even when you have doubts. It
does not matter necessarily how much faith you have as much as who
your faith is in. Put what faith you have in Jesus. Trust Him. Watch
Him be faithful to you.
Pride hinders prayer. Jesus spoke of the Pharisee and the taxgatherer who both were praying. The Pharisee boasted about himself
while the tax-gatherer asked for mercy from God. Jesus said in Luke
18:14 regarding the tax-gatherer, "I tell you, this man went down to
his house justified rather than the other." Jesus shows us that pride is
sin and that it hinders prayer (James 4:6). Have the same attitude
that Jesus had in heaven in His full glory as He had on Earth as a man.
He was humble. If you are prideful, confess it as sin, repent, and
continue in humility.
A poor husband and wife relationship hinders prayer. This may
seem a little out of place here, but it isn't. A proper relationship with
your spouse is very important. If there are problems because of
selfishness, pride, argument, anger, unforgiveness, or any of the other
multitudinous obstacles that can develop in marriage, then your prayers
will be hindered. How are you doing with your mate? Are you witnessing
while there is anger between you two? In Matt. 5:23-24 Jesus said,
"If therefore you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there
remember that your brother has something against you, leave your
offering there before the altar, and go your way; first be reconciled
to your brother, and then come and present your offering." Are you
reconciled to your wife or husband (for that matter, anyone you know
with whom there is strife) before you offer sacrifices of witnessing
and prayer to the Lord? If not, then be reconciled, so your prayers
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won't be hindered. 1 Pet. 3:7 says, "You husbands likewise, live with
your wives in an understanding way, as with a weaker vessel, since she
is a woman; and grant her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so
that you prayers may not be hindered."

Prayer is a privilege
Prayer is a privilege. It is a powerful tool. Without it you will be a
foolish worker in the fields of the dead. Pray and ask the Lord of the
harvest to raise the dead to life. Bend your knees in fellowship with
your Lord. Let Him wash you in His presence and fill you with the Holy
Spirit. Prayer is where you meet Him. Prayer is where you are shaped.
Pray.

The Do's and Donts of Witnessing

"Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of

the opportunity. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned, as it
were, with salt, so that you may know how you should respond to each
person" (Col. 4:5-6).
Like most things in life, witnessing has guidelines. Following is a list
of 20 Do's and 12 Don't's. They should aid you while witnessing and
help prevent serious errors. If, however, you choose to ignore them,
witnessing will be difficult and awkward.
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Do's
1. Do Pray.
2. Do speak to please God.
3. Do read your Bible.
4. Do start with a positive witness for Christ.
5. Do keep things simple.
6. Do share your salvation experience with them.
7. Do know what you believe.
8. Do have a genuine love.
9. Do be simple and define your terms.
10. Do memorize appropriate Scriptures if possible.
11. Do be ready to learn from the people you witness to.
12. Do be patient and gentle.
13. Do listen attentively.
14. Do answer their questions.
15. Do ask questions.
16. Do let him save face.
17. Do bring him, if possible, to a decision about Jesus.
18. Do encourage him to study the Bible by itself.
19. Do use Scripture in context.
20. Do remember that greater is He that is in you than he that is in
the world (1 John 4:4).
Don'ts
1. Don't attack directly or make fun of someone.
2. Don't jump from one subject to another.
3. Don't expect too much from him.
4. Don't have a spiritual chip on your shoulder.
5. Don't lose patience.
6. Don't come on too strong.
7. Don't debate peripheral issues or doctrines.
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8. Don't get sidetracked defending your denomination.

9. Don't be uptight.
10. Don't assume.
11. Don't argue.
12. Don't speak too fast or unclearly.

I hope these do's and don't's have brought to your attention areas
that would improve your witnessing. If some of them have struck you
as being particularly applicable then I would suggest you think them
over and in prayer ask God to work on your heart and teach you the
right way to witness. He will bless you. All you need is to trust Him and
go witness.

Is Baptism Necessary for Salvation?

One of the most nagging questions in Christianity is whether or not
baptism is necessary for salvation. The answer is a simple, "No." But
you might ask, "If the answer is no, then why are there verses that say
things like . . .baptism that now saves you . . . (1 Pet. 3:21, NIV) and
. . . Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus
Christ for the forgiveness of your sins . . ." (Acts 2:38, NIV)? This is
an honest question and it needs a competent answer. But, before I
tackle this I need to lay a foundation of proper theology, then I'll
address some of those verses that are commonly used to support the
idea that baptism is necessary for salvation.
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God Works Covenantal

First, you need to understand that God works covenantal. A
covenant is a pact or agreement between two or more parties. The New
Testament and Old Testaments are New and Old Covenants. The word
"testament" comes from the Latin testamentum which means covenant.
So, the Bible is a covenant document. If you don't understand covenant
you cannot understand, in totality, the issue of baptism because
baptism is a covenant sign.
If you don't think that God works covenantal then look at Heb
13:20 which says, "May the God of peace, who through the blood of the
eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that
great Shepherd of the sheep" (NIV). The Eternal Covenant is the
covenant between the Father and the Son before the creation of the
world, whereby the Father would give to the Son those whom the
Father had chosen. That is why Jesus says things like, "All that the
Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never
drive away" (John 6:37, NIV). And, "And this is the will of him who
sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise
them up at the last day" (John 6:39, NIV). And, "I pray for them. I am
not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they
are yours" (John 17:9, NIV).
If you fail to understand that God works covenantally and that He
uses signs as manifestations of his covenants (rainbow, circumcision,
communion, etc.) then you will not be able to understand where baptism
fits in God's covenant system.
Second, you need to know what baptism is. It is an outward
representation of an inward reality. For example, it represents the
reality of the inward washing of Christ's blood upon the soul. That is
why it is used in different ways. It is said to represent the death of
the person (Rom. 6:3-5), the union of that person with Christ (Gal.
3:27), the cleansing of that person's sins (Acts 22:16), the
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identification with the one "baptized into" as when the Israelites were
baptized into Moses (1 Cor. 10:2), and being united in one church (1 Cor.
12:13). Also, baptism is one of the signs and seals of the Covenant of
Grace that was instituted by Jesus. It is in this sense a sacrament. A
sacrament is a visible manifestation of something spoken. It is also said
to be a visible sign of an inward grace. For example, the communion
elements of bread and wine are called the sacrament of communion.
When we take communion we are partaking of the sacrament.
The Covenant of Grace is the covenant between God and Man where
God promises to Man eternal life. It is based upon the sacrifice of
Jesus on the cross and the condition is faith in Jesus Christ. As the
Communion Supper replaced Passover, baptism, in like manner, replaces
circumcision. "They represent the same spiritual blessings that were
symbolized by circumcision and Passover in the old dispensation"
(Berkhoff, Lewis, Systematic Theology, 1988, p. 620.).
Circumcision was the initiatory rite into the Abrahamic covenant; it
did not save. A covenant is a pact or agreement between two or more
parties and that is exactly what the Abrahamic covenant was. God said
to Abraham, "I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant
between me and you and your descendants after you for the
generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants
after you" (Genesis 17:7, NIV). God later instructed Abraham to
circumcise not only every adult male, but also 8 day old male infants as
a sign of the covenant (Gen. 17:9-13). If the children were not
circumcised, they were not considered to be under the promissory
Abrahamic covenant. This is why Moses' wife circumcised her son and
threw the foreskin at Moses' feet. (Ex. 4:24-25). She knew the
importance of the covenant between God and her children. But at the
same time we must understand that circumcision did not guarantee
salvation to all who received it. It was a rite meant only for the people
of God, who were born into the family of God (who were then the
Jews).
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An important question here is how is it possible for an infant to be

entered into a covenant with God. There could be a lot of answers given
but the point remains: it was done; infants were entered into a
covenant relationship with God -- through their parents.
In the New Testament, circumcision is mentioned many times. But
with respect to this topic it is specifically mentioned in Col. 2:11-12:
"In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful
nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the
circumcision done by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism
and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised
him from the dead" (NIV). In these verses, baptism and circumcision
are related. Baptism replaces the Old Testament circumcision because
1) there was a New Covenant in the communion supper (Luke 22:20),
and 2) in circumcision there was the shedding of blood but in baptism
no blood is shed. This is because the blood of Christ has been shed.
If you understand that baptism is a covenant sign, then you can see
that it is a representation of the reality of Christ circumcising our
hearts (Rom. 2:29; Col. 2:11-12). It is our outward proclamation of the
inward spiritual blessing of regeneration. It comes after faith which is
a gift of God (Rom. 12:3) and the work of God (John 6:28).
Third, the Bible says that it is the gospel that saves. " By this
gospel you are saved..." (1 Cor. 15:2). Also, Rom. 1:16 says, "I am not
ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation
of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. "
What is the Gospel?
It is clearly the gospel that saves us. But what exactly is the
gospel? That too is revealed to us in the Bible. It is found in 1 Cor.
15:1-4: "Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached
to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By
this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to
you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed
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on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins

according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on
the third day according to the Scriptures." The gospel is defined as
the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus for our sins. Baptism is not
mentioned here.
Paul said that he came to preach the gospel, not to baptize: " I am
thankful that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, so
no one can say that you were baptized into my name. (Yes, I also
baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don't remember
if I baptized anyone else.) For Christ did not send me to baptize, but
to preach the gospel..." (1 Cor. 1:14-17). If baptism is necessary for
salvation then why did Paul downplay it and even exclude it from the
description of what is required for salvation? It is because baptism
isn't necessary for salvation.
Additionally, in Acts, Peter was preaching the gospel, people got
saved, and then they were baptized. Acts 10:44-46 says, " While Peter
was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard
the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were
astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even
on the Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising
God. Then Peter said, Can anyone keep these people from being
baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we
have.' So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus
Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days " (NIV).
These people were saved. The gift of the Holy Spirit was on the
Gentiles and they were speaking in tongues. This is significant because
tongues is a gift given to believers, see 1 Cor. 14:1-5. Also, unbelievers
don't praise God. They can't because praise to the true God is a deep
spiritual matter that is foreign to the unsaved (1 Cor. 2:14). Therefore,
the ones in Acts 10 who are speaking in tongues and praising God are
definitely saved and they are saved before they are baptized. This
simply isn't an exception. It is a reality.
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Let's Suppose...
Another way of making this clear is to use an illustration. Let's
suppose that a person, under the conviction of the Holy Spirit (John
16:8), believed in Jesus as his savior (Rom. 10:9-10; Titus 2:13), and has
received Christ (John 1:12) as Savior. Is that person saved? Of course
he is. Let's further suppose that this person confesses his sinfulness,
cries out in repentance to the Lord, and receives Jesus as Savior and
then walks across the street to get baptized at a local church. In the
middle of the road he gets hit by a car and is killed. Does he go to
heaven or hell? If he goes to heaven then baptism isn't necessary for
salvation. If He goes to hell, then trusting in Jesus, by faith, isn't
enough for salvation. Doesn't that go against the Scriptures that say
that salvation is a free gift (Rom. 6:23) received by faith (Eph. 2:8-9)?
Saying that baptism is necessary for salvation is dangerous because
it is saying that there is something we must do to complete salvation.
That is wrong! See Gal. 2:21; 5:4.
All right, so this sounds reasonable. But still, what about those
verses that seem to say that baptism is part of salvation? I'll address
those now. But, because this subject can become quite lengthy, in fact,
sufficient for a book in itself, I'll only address a few verses and then
only briefly.
John 3:5, "Jesus answered, I tell you the truth, no one can enter the
kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.'"
Some say that water here means baptism. But that is unlikely since
Christian baptism hadn't yet been instituted. If this verse did mean
baptism, then the only kind that it could have been at that point was
the baptism of repentance administered by John the Baptist (Mark
1:4). If that is so, then baptism isn't necessary for salvation because
the baptism of repentance is no longer practiced.
It is my opinion that the water spoken of here means the water of
the womb referring to the natural birth process. Jesus said in verse
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three that Nicodemus needed to be born "again." This meant that he

had been born once--through his mother. Nicodemus responds with a
statement about how he can't enter again into his mother's womb to be
born. Then Jesus says that he must be born of water and the Spirit.
Then in verse 6 He says that "flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit
gives birth to spirit.." The context seems to be discussing the contrast
between the natural and the spiritual birth. Water, therefore, could
easily be interpreted there to mean the natural birth process.
I would like to add that there are scholars who agree with the
position and some who do not. Some believe that the water refers to
the Word of God, the Bible, and others claim it means the Holy Spirit.
You decide for yourself.
Acts 2:38, "Peter replied, Repent and be baptized, every one of you,
in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you
will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
This verse is a tough one. It seems to say that baptism is part of
salvation. But we know, from other scriptures that it isn't, lest there
be a contradiction. What is going on here is simply that repentance and
forgiveness of sins are connected. In the Greek, "repent" is in the
plural and so is "your" of "your sins." They are meant to be understood
as being related to each other. It is like saying, "All of you repent,
each of you get baptized, and all of you will receive forgiveness."
Repentance is a mark of salvation because it is granted by God (2 Tim.
2:25) and is given to believers only. In this context, only the
regenerated, repentant person is to be baptized. Baptism is the
manifestation of the repentance, that gift from God, that is the sign
of the circumcised heart. That is why it says, repent and get baptized.
1 Pet. 3:21, "and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you
also -- not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good
conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus
Christ."
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This is the only verse that says that baptism saves. But, the NIV
translation of the verse is unfortunate. A better translation is found in
the NASB which says, "and corresponding to that, baptism now saves
you." The key word in this section is the Greek antitupon. It means
"copy," "type," corresponding to," "a thing resembling another," "its
counterpart," etc. Baptism is a representation, a copy, a type of
something else. The question is "Of what is it a type?", or "Baptism
corresponds to what?". The answer is found in the previous verse,
verse 20: "who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept
waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in
which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the
water. 21And corresponding to that, baptism now saves you" (NASB).
What does baptism correspond to? Is it the flood? Or, is it the
ark? What was it that saved Noah and his family? Was it the water or
the ark? Obviously, it was the Ark. Noah built and entered the ark by
faith and was saved (Heb. 11:7). The flood waters destroyed the
ungodly. Peter, when referring to the flood waters, refers to them as
the means of destruction of the ungodly (2 Pet. 2:5; 3:6). It was the
Ark that saved. Noah entered the ark by faith. Baptism here, in my
opinion, refers to the Ark, not the waters. That is why the rest of the
verse says, "not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a
good conscience toward God" which is consistent with what Paul said in
Col. 2:11-12 where He equates baptism with being circumcised of heart.
Acts 22:16, "And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized
and wash your sins away, calling on his name."
Is the washing away of sins done by baptism, the representation of
the circumcised heart (Col. 2:11-12) which means you are already saved,
or is it by the blood of Christ (Heb. 9:14; Rom. 5:9; Eph. 1:7)? Obviously
it is the blood of Jesus and the washing here refers to the calling on
Jesus' name.

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Rom. 6:4, "We were therefore buried with him through baptism into
death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through
the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life."
Because the believer is so closely united to Christ it is said that
the symbol of baptism is our death, burial, and resurrection. Obviously
we did not die--unless, of course, it is a figurative usage.
Titus 3:5, "he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done,
but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth
and renewal by the Holy Spirit."
The washing of rebirth can only be that washing of the blood of
Christ that cleanses us. It is not the symbol that saves, but the reality.
The reality is the blood of Christ.
Gal. 3:27, "for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed
yourselves with Christ."
This is speaking of the believer's union with Christ. It is an
identification with, a joining to, a proclamation of loyalty to, etc. In 1
Cor. 10:2 the Israelites were baptized into Moses. That means they
were closely identified with him and his purpose. The same thing is
meant here.
Conclusion:
Baptism is not necessary for salvation. It is the initiatory sign and
seal into the covenant of grace. As circumcision referred to the
cutting away of sin and to a change of heart (Deut. 10:16; 30:6; Jer.
4:4; 9:25,26; Ez. 44:7,9) baptism refers to the washing away of sin
(Acts 2:38; 1 Pet. 3:21; Tit. 3:5) and to spiritual renewal (Rom. 6:4; Col.
2:11-12). The circumcision of the heart is signified by the circumcision
of the flesh, that is, baptism (Col. 2:11-12).
One last thought: If someone maintains that baptism is necessary
for salvation, is he adding a work, his own, to the finished work of
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Christ? If the answer is yes, then that person would be in terrible risk
of not being saved. If the answer is no, then why is baptism maintained
as being necessary the same way as the Jews maintained that works
were necessary?

Essential Doctrines of Christianity

The Bible itself reveals those doctrines that are essential to the
Christian faith. They are 1) the Deity of Christ, 2) Salvation by Grace,
and 3) Resurrection of Christ, and 4) the gospel. These are the
doctrines the Bible says are necessary. Though there are many other
important doctrines, these four are the only ones that are declared by
Scripture to be essential. A non-regenerate person, or a cultist (i.e.,
Mormon or Jehovah's Witness), will deny one or more of these
essential doctrines. Please note that there are other derivative
doctrines of scripture that become necessary also, the Trinity being
one.
The Deity of Christ
Jesus is God in flesh (John 8:58 with Exodus 3:14). See also
John 1:1,14; 10:30-33; 20:28; Col. 2:9; Phil. 2:5-8; Heb. 1:8
1 John 4:2-3: "This is how you can recognize the Spirit of
God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ
has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit
that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This
is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard is
coming and even now is already in the world."
The above verse needs to be cross referenced with
John 1:1,14 (also written by John) where he
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states that the Word was God and the Word

became flesh.
1 John 4:2-3 is saying that if you deny that Jesus is
God in flesh then you are of the spirit of
Antichrist.
John 8:24, "I said, therefore, to you, that you will die in
your sins. For if you do not believe that I am, you will
die in your sins."
Jesus said here that if you do not believe "that I am" you
will die in your sins. In Greek I am is 'ego eimi,' which
means I am.' These are the same words used in John
8:58 where Jesus says "...before Abraham was, I am."
He was claiming the divine title by quoting Exodus 3:14
in the Greek Septuagint. (The Septuagint was the
Hebrew Old Testament translated into Greek.)
Jesus is the proper object of faith
It is not simply enough to have faith. Faith is only as valid
as what it is put in. You must put your faith in the
proper object. Cults have false objects of faith;
therefore, their faith is useless--no matter how
sincere they are.
If you put your faith in a vacuum cleaner, then you will be
in a lot of trouble on the day of judgment. You might
have great faith, but so what? It is in something that
can't save you.
The Doctrine of the deity of Christ includes:
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The Trinity - There is one God who exists in three

persons: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
They are all coeternal, and of the same nature.
Monotheism - There is only one God in all existence
(Isaiah 43:10; 44:6,8; 45:5,14,18,21,22; 46:9; 47:8).
Mormons believe that many gods exist though they
serve and worship only one. Therefore, they are
polytheists which excludes them from the camp of
Christianity.
The Hypostatic Union - That Jesus is both God and man.
The sufficiency of the sacrifice of Christ - The sacrifice
of Christ is completely sufficient to pay for the sins
of the world
As God - Jesus must be God to be able to offer a
sacrifice of value greater than that of a mere man.
He had to die for the sins of the world (1 John 2:2).
Only God could do that.
As man - Jesus must be man to be able to be a sacrifice for man.
As a man He can be the mediator between God and man (1
Tim. 2:5).
Salvation by Grace

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and

this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -- not by
works, so that no one can boast" (Eph. 2:8-9, NIV).

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"You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated

from Christ; you have fallen away from grace" (Gal. 5:4).
This verse and its context plainly teach that if you
believe that you are saved by faith and works then you
are not saved at all. This is a common error in the
cults. Because they have a false Jesus, they have a
false doctrine of salvation. (Read Rom. 3-5 and Gal. 35).
you cannot add to the work of God. Gal. 2:21 says, "I do
not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness
could be gained through the law, Christ died for
nothing!" (NIV)

"Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by

observing the law; rather, through the law we become
conscious of sin" (Rom. 3:20).
"However, to the man who does not work but trusts God
who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as
righteousness" (Rom. 4:5).
"Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God?
Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could
impart life, then righteousness would certainly have
come by the law" (Gal. 3:21).
The Resurrection of Christ

"And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless

and so is your faith" (1 Cor. 15:14). "And if Christ has not
been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins" (1
Cor. 15:17).
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To deny the physical resurrection is to deny Jesus' work,

sacrifice, and our resurrection.
These verses clearly state that if you say that Jesus did not
rise from the dead (in the same body He died in -- John
2:19-21), then your faith is useless.
The Gospel

"But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel

other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally
condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If
anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you
accepted, let him be eternally condemned!" (Gal. 1:8-9, NIV).
Verses 8 and 9 here in Galatians are a self declarative
statement that you must believe the gospel. The
gospel message which in its entirety is that Jesus is
God in flesh, who died for sins, rose from the dead,
and freely gives the gift of eternal life to those who
believe.
Furthermore, it would not be possible to present the
gospel properly without declaring that Jesus is God in
flesh per John 1:1,14; 10:30-33; 20:28; Col. 2:9; Phil.
2:5-8; Heb. 1:8.
1 Cor. 15:1-4 defines what the gospel is: "Now, brothers, I
want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which
you received and on which you have taken your stand. By
this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I
preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For
what I received I passed on to you as of first importance:
that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
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that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day

according to the Scriptures" (NIV).
Within these verses are the essentials: Christ is God in flesh (John 1:1,14;
10:30-33; 20:28; Col. 2:9); Salvation is received by faith (John 1:12;
Rom. 10:9-10), therefore it is by grace; and the resurrection is
mentioned in verse 4. Therefore, this gospel message automatically
includes the essentials.

Justification and Sanctification: What is the Difference?

Understanding the difference between justification and
sanctification can be as important as understanding the difference
between salvation and damnation. Rightly dividing between the two is of
crucial importance. When you understand what they are, you can then
draw a line in the sand and say, "This is what saves. This is not what
saves."
Justification is the work of God where the righteousness of Jesus
is reckoned to the sinner so the sinner is declared by God as being
righteous under the Law (Rom. 4:3; 5:1,9; Gal. 2:16; 3:11). This
righteousness is not earned or retained by any effort of the saved.
Justification is an instantaneous occurrence with the result being
eternal life. It is based completely and solely upon Jesus' sacrifice on
the cross (1 Pet. 2:24) and is received by faith alone (Eph. 2:8-9). No
works are necessary whatsoever to obtain justification. Otherwise, it
is not a gift (Rom. 6:23). Therefore, we are justified by faith (Romans
5:1).
Sanctification, on the other hand, involves the work of the person.
But it is still God working in the believer to produce more of a godly
character and life in the person who has already been justified (Phil.
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2:13). Sanctification is not instantaneous because it is not the work of

God alone. The justified person is actively involved in submitting to
God's will, resisting sin, seeking holiness, and working to be more godly
(Gal. 5:22-23). Significantly, sanctification has no bearing on
justification. That is, even if we don't live a perfect life, we are still
justified.
Where justification is a legal declaration that is instantaneous,
sanctification is a process. Where justification comes from outside of
us, from God, sanctification comes from God within us by the work of
the Holy Spirit in accordance with the Bible. In other words, we
contribute to sanctification through our efforts. In contrast, we do
not contribute to our justification through our efforts.
Does this mean that those justified by grace can sin as much as
they want?
Romans 6:1-2 says, "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in
sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to
sin, live any longer in it?"
1 Thess. 4:7 says, "God has called us not for the purpose of
impurity, but in sanctification."
The Scriptures teach us that we are to live holy lives and avoid sin
(Col. 1:5-11). Just because we are saved and eternally justified before
God (John 10:28), that is no excuse to continue in the sin from which
we were saved. Of course, we all sin (1 John 1:8). But the war between
the saved and his sin is continuous (Rom. 7:14-20) and it won't be until
the return of Jesus that we will be delivered from this body of death
(Rom. 7:24). To continually seek sin and use God's grace to excuse it
later is to trample the blood of Christ underfoot (Heb. 10:29) and to
reveal the person's true sinful, unsaved nature (1 John 2:4; 2:19).
(Other verses worth checking out are: Heb. 12:14; 1 Pet. 1:14-16; and 1
Pet. 2:21-22.)
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What the cults do with justification and sanctification

The cults consistently blur the meanings of the two terms and
misapply the truths taught in God's word. The result is a theology of
works righteousness, of earning their salvation which only leads to
damnation. This is because by the works of the Law shall no flesh be
justified (Gal. 2:16). Man cannot contribute to his salvation (Gal. 5:1-8).
Because man is sinful even his best deeds are stained and filthy before
God (Isaiah 64:6). Therefore, making a person right before God can
only be God's work (Gal. 2:20).
Typically, in cult theologies, a person is not justified (declared
righteous in God's eyes) until the final day of judgment when his works
are weighed and a reward is given or he is found worthy of his place
with God. Thus, a person with this errant theology can not claim 1 John
5:13 as their own which says, "These things have I written unto you
that believe on the name of the Son of God; that you may know that
you have eternal life, and that you may believe on the name of the Son
of God."
Contextually, "These things" refers to loving God, being obedient
to Him, belief in Christ, and eternal life in Jesus. Therefore, 1 John
5:13 can be considered a test. If you are believing and doing the right
things, then you will know if you have eternal life. Can a cultist know he
has eternal life? No. He cannot. But a Christian can.
People in cults don't understand the difference between
justification and sanctification. Therefore, they must depend upon a
cooperative effort with God to have their sins forgiven which is,
essentially, combining the filthy works of man (Isaiah 64:6) with the
holy work of God. They don't mix. They can't. Hence, salvation is by
grace through faith, alone. To believe anything else is to miss salvation.

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Verses showing justification by faith.

Justification is the legal act where God declares the sinner to
be innocent of his or her sins. It is not that the sinner is now sinless,
but that he is "declared" sinless. This declaration of righteousness is
being justified before God. This justification is based on the shed
blood of Jesus, "...having now been justified by His blood..." (Rom. 5:9)
where Jesus was crucified, died, was buried, and rose again (1 Cor.
15:1-4). God imputes (reckons to our account) the righteousness of
Christ. At the same time our sins were imputed to Christ when he was
on the cross. That is why it says in 1 Pet. 2:24, "and He Himself bore
our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to
righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed." Also, 2 Cor. 5:21
says, "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we
might become the righteousness of God in Him." Additionally, we are
justified by faith (Rom. 5:1) apart from works of the Law (Rom. 3:28).
To be saved means that God has delivered us (saved us) from His
righteous wrathful judgment due us because of our sins against Him. It
means that we will not be judged for our sins and be sentenced to
eternal damnation. To be saved means that we are justified before
God. Only Christians are saved. Only Christians are justified. The
issue at hand is whether or not this salvation, this justification, is
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attained by faith or by faith and something else.

Following is a list of verses that show that salvation/justification is
by faith. Bold references are particularly pointed.
John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only
begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish,
but have eternal life."
Rom. 3:22, "even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus
Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction."
Rom. 3:24, "being justified as a gift by His grace through the
redemption which is in Christ Jesus;"
Rom. 3:26, "for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at
the present time, that He might be just and the justifier of the
one who has faith in Jesus."
Rom. 3:28-30, "For we maintain that a man is justified by faith
apart from works of the Law. 29Or is God the God of Jews only?
Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30since
indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the
uncircumcised through faith is one."
Rom. 4:3, "For what does the Scripture say? "And Abraham believed
God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness."
Rom. 4:5, "But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him
who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness,"
Rom. 4:11, "And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the
righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised,
that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they
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are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them

also,"
Rom. 4:16, "Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to
grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only
to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the
faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all."
Rom. 5:1, "therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace
with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,"
Rom. 5:9, "Much more then, having now been justified by His blood,
we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him."
Rom. 9:30, "What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not
pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the
righteousness which is by faith."
Rom. 9:33, "just as it is written, Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of
stumbling and a rock of offense, And he who believes in Him will
not be disappointed.
Rom. 10:4, "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to
everyone who believes."
Rom. 10:9-10, "that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord,
and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you
shall be saved; 10 for with the heart man believes, resulting in
righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in
salvation."
Rom. 11:6, "But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works,
otherwise grace is no longer grace."

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Gal. 2:16, "nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the

works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have
believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in
Christ, and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of
the Law shall no flesh be justified."
Gal. 2:21, I do not nullify the grace of God; for if righteousness
comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.
Gal.3:5-6, "Does He then, who provides you with the Spirit and
works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by
hearing with faith? 6Even so Abraham believed God, and it was
reckoned to him as righteousness."
Gal. 3:8, "And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the
Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham,
saying, "All the nations shall be blessed in you."
Gal. 3:14, "in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham
might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promise
of the Spirit through faith."
Gal. 3:22, "But the Scripture has shut up all men under sin, that the
promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who
believe."
Gal. 3:24, "Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to
Christ, that we may be justified by faith."
Eph. 1:13, "In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth,
the gospel of your salvationhaving also believed, you were
sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise."

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Eph. 2:8, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that
not of yourselves, it is the gift of God."
Phil. 3:9, "and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of
my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in
Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of
faith."
1 Tim. 1:16, "And yet for this reason I found mercy, in order that in
me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect
patience, as an example for those who would believe in Him for
eternal life."
James 2:24, not by faith alone
The scriptures clearly teach that we are saved (justified) by faith
in Christ and what He has done on the cross. This faith alone saves us.
However, we cannot stop here without addressing what James says in
James 2:24, "You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith
alone."
There is no contradiction. All you need to do is look at the context.
James chapter 2 has 26 verses: Verses 1-7 instruct us to not show
favoritism. Verses 8-13 are comments on the Law. Verses 14-26 are
about the relationship between faith and works.
James begins this section by using the example of someone who
says he has faith but has no works, "What use is it, my brethren, if a
man says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him?"
(James 2:14). In other words, James is addressing the issue of a dead
faith, that is nothing more than a verbal pronouncement. It is empty
of life and action. He begins with the negative and demonstrates what
an empty faith is (verses 15-17, words without actions). Then he shows
that that type of faith isn't much different from the faith of demons
(verse 19). Finally, he gives examples of living faith that is words
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followed by actions. He writes of Abraham and Rahab as examples of

people who demonstrated their faith by their deeds.
In brief, James is examining two kinds of faith: one that leads to
godly works and one that does not. One is true, and the other is false.
One is dead, the other alive; hence, "Faith without works is dead,"
(James 2:20).
Also, notice that James actually quotes the same verse that Paul
uses to support the teaching of justification by faith in Rom. 4:3.
James 2:23 says, "and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, and
Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.'"
If James was trying to teach a contradictory doctrine of faith and
works than the other New Testament writers, then he would not have
used Abraham as an example.

Conclusion
Justification is by faith. True faith results in regeneration of the
sinner which, in turn, results in good works. But it is not these works
that earn our place with God nor keep it. Jesus accomplished that on
the cross. All that we need, we have in Jesus. All we need to do to be
saved, to be justified, is to truly believe in what God has done for us in
Jesus on the cross. This true belief with justification before God and
regeneration in the new believer, results in good works.

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Chapter Four
HOW THE HOLY SPIRIT HELPS US

When we receive Jesus into our lives, the Holy Spirit comes and
resides in our hearts as a guest - a guest who is with us forever (John
14:16-17 and Ephesians 1:13, 14), available to help us when we face
difficulties. He fulfils this ministry in a number of ways. We have an
advantage over the Old Covenant saints in that they didnt have the
Holy Spirit as a constant companion. Only Judges, Priest, Prophets, and
King were anointed for service, but not born of the Spirit as we are
through the work of Jesus Christ on Calvary. We have both the fruit
of the Spirit (Gods character) and the Gifts of the Spirit (Gods
power) available to us through faith in Jesus Christ. (See John 14:26
and John 15:26). God will fill anyone that is thirsty for His presence! I
dont care what denomination you are with, Jesus wants to fill you with
His Spirit! Being Spirit-filled means being SPIRIT CONTROLLED!
This handbook was created for Christians that want study the Holy
Spirit without being intimidated or ashamed to ask questions in Bible
Study. I have found there are two topics in scripture that people run
from, The Book of Revelations and The Holy Spirit! Put on your seat
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belts and get ready to learn the truth of scripture. How does the Holy
Spirit help us? So often believer act like the Holy Spirit is too
mysterious to study or understand. Or they act like just saying I am
spirit-filled is enough!
1. The Holy Spirit testifies of our relationship with God

''Those who obey his commands live in Him and He in them.

And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by
the Spirit he gave us'' 1 John 3:24 (see also 4:13; Galatians
4:6).
When we were born into God's family as His sons, the Holy Spirit came
and fused with our spirit in an everlasting relationship. Now the Holy
Spirit ''testifies with our spirit" (Romans 8:16) concerning our new
relationship with God. Even when we go through difficult times, we still
have God's Spirit as a ''guarantee'' (Ephesians 1:14). The Holy Spirit
gives us the confidence that we belong to the Father based on His love.

''This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and

how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our
hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and
he knows everything" 1 John 3:19-20.

2. The Holy Spirit teaches

''But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will
send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you
of everything I have said to you" John 14:26.
God has sent into our hearts His very own Spirit - the Spirit who
''knows everything'' (1 John 3:20; Hebrews 4:13) and who "searches all
things, EVEN THE DEEP THINGS OF GOD'' (1 Corinthians 2:10). Thus
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the Holy Spirit helps us by teaching us - and in times of spiritual

attack, He helps us recall parts of His own Word, making it alive to our
hearts (see Luke 12:11-12; Nehemiah 9:20). God NEVER wants us to be
taken unaware by demonic doctrines, so The Holy Spirit leads us in
accordance with His Word!

''This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human

wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit... 1 Corinthians
2:13 (read also verses 9-16; 1 John 2:27).
3. The Holy Spirit guides

''... Because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons
of God" Romans 8: 14.
As an expression of the Father's loving heart, the Holy Spirit is ever
present to help God's children follow the right path. The Book of Acts
gives many accounts of, the direct guidances of the Holy Spirit (see
10:19-20; 13:2; 16:6). Whenever we are faced with a decision that we
can't handle by ourselves, we can ask for help from the Holy Spirit for He is in us to express the mind of Christ so that we can fulfill the
will of God.

''O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no

more. How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon
as he hears, he will answer you . . . Whether you turn to the
right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you,
saying, 'This is the way; walk in it' '' Isaiah 30: 19,21 (see
also 42:16; 48:17).
4. The Holy Spirit helps us live a life pleasing to God

''So l say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the
desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires
what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is
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contrary to the sinful nature . . . Since we live by the Spirit,

let us keep in step with the Spirit'' Galatians 5:16-17,25.
The Holy Spirit gives us the ability to live a righteous life. If we strive
to do this in our own strength, we will fail - but with the Spirit's help,
backed by the full legal work of the Cross, we have a God-given formula
for success. This success is described as the ''fruit'' of the Holy
Spirit's own character, and that fruit can begin to grow in our lives
only when the Holy Spirit is allowed to express Himself.

''But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience,

kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and selfcontrol. Against such things there is no law" Galatians 5:2223.
5. The Holy Spirit helps us in prayer

''In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weaknesses.

We do not know what we ought to pray, but the Spirit
himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot
express" Romans 8:26.
Because of our human limitations, we often don't know exactly how to
pray, but the Holy Spirit knows exactly what needs to be expressed.
When we lean on the Holy Spirit in prayer, we can have full confidence
that our prayer will be answered - because we are in teamwork with
God Himself!

"And the Father who knows all hearts knows, of course,

what the Spirit is saying as he pleads for us in harmony with
God's own will'' Romans 8:27 (TLB).
6. The Holy Spirit gives power to witness

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''But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on
you; and you will be my witnesses . . . to the ends of the
earth'' Acts 1:8.
The Holy Spirit is not only our power to live the Christian life, but is
the power to tell others about the Good News of what God has done
for us! God has given us a Commission (Matthew 28:18-19) that is far
too big for us to fulfill in our own strength, but when we allow the Holy
Spirit to demonstrate His power through us, we are enabled to fulfill
the call.

'' . . . And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke
the word of God boldly . . . With great power the apostles
continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus,
and much grace was with them all'' Acts 4: 31,33 (see also 1
Thessalonians 1:5).
7. The Holy Spirit gives life

''And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead
is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also
give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives
in you'' Romans 8:11.
The Holy Spirit works on every level of our lives. He has brought life to
our:
SPIRIT

''Jesus answered, 'I tell you the truth, unless a man is

born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the
kingdom of God. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the
Spirit gives birth to spirit'' John 3:5-6.
SOUL: MIND, EMOTIONS AND CHARACTER

''And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the

Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness
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with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the

Lord, who is the Spirit" 2 Corinthians 3:18.
And now the marvelous truth is that the Holy Spirit is also the agent
for bringing life and dynamic power into our physical bodies. We can
look to the Holy Spirit for physical strength when we have to face
situations that would normally wear us down (see Ephesians 3:16; John
6:63).

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all

we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work
within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus,
throughout all generations for ever and ever! Amen''
Ephesians 3:20-21.
The Holy Spirit's work is not limited solely to the believer; He is also
very much at work in the world, and His ministry is fulfilled in five
ways:

THE FRUIT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

''But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience,

kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and selfcontrol. Against such things there is no law'' Galatians
5:22-23 (see also Romans 7:4; Ephesians 5:9; Philippians
1:11; Colossians 1:10; James 3:17).
All the fruits mentioned in this verse are NOT just the natural
products of circumstances around us. Even when things are going
wrong, the life of the Holy Spirit inside can well up in an overflowing
expression of these fruits (see John 7:38-39).
THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS LOVE
Love is the giving of you for the good of another. The greatest
expression of love is found in the Lord. John 3: 16 says, ''For God
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so loved the world that he gave. '' The fruit of love is an

expression through the Holy Spirit of God's own nature of love,
and the quality of that love is described beautifully in 1
Corinthians 13:4-7:

''Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does

not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not selfseeking, and it is not easily angered. It always
protects, always trusts, always hopes, always
perseveres'' (see also v.1-8; John 13:34-35; 1 John
4:7-21).
THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS JOY

''If you obey my commands, you will remain in my

love... I have told you this so that my joy may be in you
and that your joy may be complete'' John 15:10-11.
The joy that comes from the Holy Spirit is not dependent on
happy situations, but on the character of God. People in the world
are searching for happiness, but the answer is found only in the
supernatural joy of the Holy Spirit (see Nehemiah 8:10; Psalm 16:
11; 132: 16; Isaiah 12:3; 35; 10; Romans 14:17; Philippians 4:4).
THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS PEACE
Peace is that quality which everyone desires but only the child of
God can truly experience. It is the peace of God Himself - ''the
God of peace'' (Romans 15:33) - that has been given to us, and is
designed to operate even in times of turmoil (see John 14:27).

''And the peace of God, which transcends all

understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds
in Christ Jesus'' Philippians 4:7 (see Colossians 3:15).
THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS PATIENCE

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" . . . Being strengthened with all power according to

his glorious might so that you may have great
endurance and patience . . . '' Colossians 1:11.
Patience is that ability given by the Holy Spirit to wait with
confidence for the result promised by God. It is not a passive
emotion, but is in actual fact an expression of faith and of the
inner strength that comes by the Spirit. The fruit of patience
comes when we begin to see things the way God sees them (2
Peter 3:8-9; see also Ephesians 4:2).
THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS KINDNESS
This fruit is expressed in the loving acceptance of those around
us. An attitude of intolerance leads to broken relationship. The
word "kindness" comes from the same root word that "kindred"
comes from- and points to a quality of relationship similar to that
found in a close-knit, loving family.

''Be kind and, compassionate to one another, forgiving

each other, just as in Christ God forgave you''
Ephesians 4:32.
THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS GOODNESS

''The good man brings good things out of the good

stored up in his heart . . . For out of the overflow of
the heart his mouth speaks" Luke 6:45 (see also
Ephesians 5:8-10).
Goodness, as a fruit of the Spirit, is that purity of heart which
produces virtuous behavior. The child of God has received,
through the Holy Spirit, a new heart (Hebrews 8:10). The fruit of
goodness in our daily dealings with people can be maintained by
keeping our heart pure before God.
THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS FAITHFULNESS
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Faithfulness is one of the most important aspects to Christian

life. It begins in our relationship with God, and then overflows
into our relationship with others. God is absolutely faithful (Psalm
36:5; 1 Corinthians 1:9; 2 Timothy 2:13), and it is His desire that
through the Spirit that faithfulness will become a part of our
character also.

''They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb
will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and
King of kings - and with him will be his called, chosen
and faithful followers'' Revelation 17:14.
THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS GENTLENESS
The two men renowned most for the fruit of gentleness were the
Lord Jesus and Moses (see Numbers 12:3; 1 Peter 2:21-23). Both
were great deliverers - Moses for the nation of Israel, and Jesus
for the whole world. This shows that gentleness is not weakness
but CONTROLLED STRENGTH. The world's attitude toward
strength is to aggressively defend yourself, but real strength is
found in a gentle spirit - an attitude of being able to receive a
wrong without fighting back and demanding your rights.

''Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am

gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for
your souls'' Matthew 11:29 (see also Psalm 37:11).
THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS SELF-CONTROL

''Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who

lacks self-control'' Proverbs 25:28.
This is the fulfillment fruit of the Spirit because it is the
evidence of a Spirit-controlled life. The Holy Spirit's ministry is
to help us regain the control we lost to Satan and sin, so that we
might live the way that God created us for.
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''For those who are according to the flesh and

controlled by its unholy desires, set their minds on and
pursue those things which gratify the flesh. But those
who are according to the Spirit and controlled by the
desires of the Spirit, set their minds on and seek
those things which gratify the Holy Spirit" Romans
8:5 (Amp) (see also Galatians 5:16-17;Titus 2:11-13).
"The righteous . . . planted in the house of the Lord . . . will
flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in
old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, 'The
Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in
him'" Psalm 92:12-15.
''Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, l do not want you to
be ignorant" 1 Corinthians 12:1.
The Apostle Paul placed an immense amount importance on the
operation of ''spiritual gifts'' endowed by the Holy Spirit, and so we
will be looking at this vital part of the Holy Spirit's ministry, through
the individual believer, to the Church and to the world. Our first step
is to see the gifts of the Spirit in their setting.

THE BODY OF CHRIST and GIFTS

''The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and

though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is
with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one
body . . . and we were all given the one Spirit to drink'' 1
Corinthians 12:12-13 (see also Romans 12:4-6).
All believers are part of the Body of Christ - the Church (Ephesians
1:22-23), and ''God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of
them, just as he wanted them to be'' (1 Corinthians 12: 18). Christ is
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the Head of the Body, and God's design is that ''from him the whole
body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and
builds itself up in love, AS EACH PART DOES ITS WORK" (Ephesians
4:16).
That means that, for this to happen, every believer must have a part to
play, and it is with in this framework that the gifts of the Holy Spirit
are revealed. The Body of Christ is the physical expression of Christ on
earth, and just as the FRUIT of the Spirit is the expression of
Christ's character to the world, so now the GIFTS of the Spirit are
the expression, through the Holy Spirit, of Christ's power and will.
These gifts are not given for ourselves, but so that others in the Body
may be built up and encouraged, and as a witness to the world.
SPIRITUAL GIFTS

''There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit.

There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.
There are different kinds of working, but the same God
works all of them in all men'' 1 Corinthians 12:4-6.
There are nine gifts of the Spirit actually mentioned in the Bible, and
God has distributed them evenly amongst different members of the
Body, so that each member is dependent on the other. The gifts are
not natural talents, but supernatural - given by the Holy Spirit for a
specific purpose.
"Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given
for the common good. To one there is given through the
Spirit THE MESSAGE OF WISDOM, to another THE
MESSAGE OF KNOWLEDGE by means of the same Spirit,
to another FAITH by the same Spirit, to another GIFTS
OF HEALING by that one Spirit, to another MIRACULOUS
POWERS, to another PROPHECY, to another THE ABILITY
TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN SPIRITS, to another THE
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ABILITY TO SPEAK IN DIFFERENT KINDS OF

TONGUES, and to still another THE INTERPRETATION
OF TONGUES. All these are the work of one and the same
Spirit, and he gives them to each man, just as he
determines" 1 Corinthians 12: 7-11.
The gifts fall naturally into three categories:
GIFTS OF REVELATION
These gifts embrace the message of wisdom, the message of
knowledge, and the ability to distinguish between different
spirits - all three involve special revelation knowledge straight
from the Holy Spirit. The revelation gifts are often used when we
minister and win souls. Remember Jesus and the woman at the
well? He was able to see into this womans life and tell her things
only she knew. This knowledge enabled Jesus to convince her HE
was the Messiah.
GIFTS OF POWER
The gifts of power include faith, gifts of healing and miraculous
powers - they are an expression through the Holy Spirit of the
power and earthly ministry of Jesus. Remember Philip the
Deacon? He walked in the power gifts, he healed the sick and cast
out devils (Mark 16:20). Nothing activates the Gifts of the Spirit
like SOUL-WINNING!
GIFTS OF DIVINE COMMUNICATION
These three gifts include prophecy, the ability to speak in
different kinds of tongues, and the interpretation of those
tongues - these are all divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit and are
an expression of Christ's will and direction.

THE ENEMY'S PLAYGROUND

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The three chapters of 1 Corinthians 12-14 are totally devoted to a

proper understanding of spiritual gifts. In chapter 12, the Apostle Paul
defines the gifts, and places them in the context of the Body of
Christ. Then chapters 13 and 14 are respectively devoted to:
BALANCE
''And now I will show you the most excellent way. If I
speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have
not love, l am only a resounding gong or a clanging
cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom
all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith
that can move mountains, but have not love, l am
nothing'' 1 Corinthians 12:31 -13:2 (read also verses 813).
Spiritual gifts, says Paul, are nothing without love - for that is
their whole reason for existence. The church in Corinth was
moving in the area of spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 1:7), but had
obviously become unbalanced in its understanding of the use of
those gifts, and this needed to be corrected. In 1 Corinthians
14:1, Paul encourages the Corinthians to "follow the way of love
and eagerly desire spiritual gifts . . .
ORDER

"For you can all prophecy in turn so that everyone may

be instructed and encouraged. The spirits of prophets
are subject to the control of prophets. For God is not
a God of disorder, but of peace . . . Therefore, my
brothers, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid
speaking in tongues. But everything should be done in a
fitting and orderly way'' 1 Corinthians 14:31-33,39-40.
The Corinthian church had obviously got into areas of difficulty
with those misusing the gifts. We must understand that when we
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enter the realm of spiritual gifts we enter the arena of the

supernatural - where the enemy also works. For this reason it is
important for the gifts to operate under the covering of
experienced ministries - those mature in the gifts themselves for leadership is a God-given safeguard in the Body against the
misuse of gifts.

THE BASIS OF OPERATION (The Bottom Line)

''What then shall we say, brothers? When you come

together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a
revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. ALL OF THESE
MUST BE DONE FOR THE STRENGTHENING OF THE
CHURCH" 1 Corinthians 14:26 (see also Colossians 3:16).
The reason for the gifts given by the Holy Spirit and the basis for
their operation must be to build the Body of Christ up in love, so that
all may grow into a deeper relationship with the Lord. And so, for this
reason, it is the Holy Spirit's desire that we:

" . . . Eagerly desire the greater gifts . . . '' 1 Corinthians

12:31.
Gifts of Revelation
1. The Message of wisdom
''Keeping close watch on him, they sent spies, who
pretended to be honest. They hoped to catch Jesus in
something he said so that they might hand him over to the
power and authority of the governor. So the spies
questioned him, 'Teacher, we know that you speak
and teach what is right, and that you do not show partiality
but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it
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right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?' He saw through

their duplicity and said to them, 'Show me a denarius.
Whose portrait and inscription are on it?' 'Caesar's,' they
replied. He said to them, 'Then give to Caesar what is
Caesar's, and to God what is God's.' They were unable to
trap him in what he had said there in public. And astonished
by his answer, they became silent'' Luke 20: 20-26.
Jesus Himself, the source of all revelation, provides the best examples
of the message of wisdom (see Luke 4:1-13; 10:25-37; 20:19-39; John
8:3-11). The message of wisdom operates in circumstances where we
may be faced with a problem that we don't know the solution to. The
Holy Spirit can prompt our hearts, and suddenly we find ourselves with
a wise answer. This gift is particularly useful in counseling or
witnessing to others.

''If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives
generously to all without finding fault; and it will be given to
him . . . the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all
pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of
mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere" James 1:5;
3:17.
2. The Message of Knowledge

"When Jesus saw Nathaniel approaching, he said of him,

'Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false.'
'How do you know me?' Nathaniel asked. Jesus answered, 'I
saw you while you were still under the fig-tree before Philip
called you' '' John 1:47-48.
The Holy Spirit inspires the message of knowledge, like the message of
wisdom. It is not natural, acquired learning, but a bit of knowledge that
could not have been received by any other means than supernaturally.
Once again, this is a gift of the Spirit which can help when we talk to
others about the Lord - we can ask the Lord to isolate for us the key110

problem in their lives so that we can speak right to the heart (see
Matthew 9:1-8; 17:27; John 4:18; Acts 9:11-12; 2 Kings 6:8-12). God is
all knowing - He has a complete knowledge of things past, present and
future (Psalm 147:5; Hebrews 4:13) - and in the operation of a message
of knowledge, the Holy Spirit gives the believer a portion of specific
knowledge straight from the Throne of God.

'' . . . That they may know the mystery of God, namely,

Christ, in who are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and
knowledge'' Colossians 2: 2-3.
3. The Ability to distinguish between Spirits

''From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples

that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the
hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law,
and that he must be killed and on the third day raised to
life. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 'Never,
Lord!' he said. 'This shall never happen to you!' Jesus
turned and said to Peter, 'Out of my sight, Satan! You are a
stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of
God, but the things of men' '' Matthew 16:21-23.
This gift is the God-given ability to identify the difference between
good or evil spirits, between right and wrong attitudes of the heart,
and between the Holy Spirit's work and that of the spirit of Satan
(see Matthew 23:13-36; Luke 9:51-56; Acts 5:3; 8:9-24). The gift of
distinguishing between spirits comes into crucial use when on the
outside it is impossible to tell whether something that is said is from
God or from the enemy (see Acts 16:16-18). Like the first two gifts of
revelation, this gift can be used particularly in witnessing and
counseling, and is designed to help us perceive the spiritual powers and
forces we are dealing with (see also 1 John 4:1-3,6; 1 Corinthians 12:3).
The Gifts of Power
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1. The Gift of Faith

The gift of faith is NOT saving faith - the faith we put in Jesus when
we are born again. Nor is it the daily trust we place in God's character
when we need His help. It is a dynamic, direct inspiration from the Holy
Spirit related to the boldness which many Old Testament heroes
experienced and which the early Church was birthed in (see Joshua
10:12-13; 1 Kings 17:1; 2 Kings 1: 1-15; Daniel 6:16-23; Mark 4:35-41;
Acts 3:2-7; 27:22-25).

" . . . I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a

mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from
here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible
for you' '' Matthew 17: 20.
2. The Gifts of Healing
This gift is one of the "signs and wonders" gifts, which confirms for
the world the reality of the Gospel, and is an extension of the ministry
of Jesus when He was upon the earth. It is one of the ways that the
Holy Spirit "bears witness" that Jesus is alive (see Acts 5:32) (see also
Matthew 4:23-24; 11:4-5; John 9:6-7; Acts 3:6; 5:14-15; 8:5-8; 10:38).
Jesus promised of the believer:

''I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do
what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than
these, because I am going to the Father" John 14:12.
3. The Gift of Miraculous Power
The Bible is full of miracles, displaying God's power over all
circumstances of life. The gift of miracles involves a special
endowment of the creative power of the Holy Spirit over natural laws
for a specific time and purpose, and can include everything from
miraculous provision to the casting out of evil spirits (see Exodus 7:10;
10:21-22; 1 Kings 18:31-39; 2 Kings 2:13-14; 4:1-7; Matthew 8:23-27;
17:27; Mark 6:41-51;John 2:1-11;Acts 8:39-40; 19:11-12).
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''And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my

name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new
tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when
they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they
will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well''
Mark 16:17-18.
In all these gifts, because it is "the same Spirit'' working them, there
is considerable overlap and dependence on other gifts. There are
special ministries that the Lord has endowed specifically with one gift
or another, but it is the Holy Spirit's desire that every believer
operate in some or all of His gifts when the need arises.
The Greater Gifts
That there is far more teaching in the Word of God on these three
gifts than on all the rest put together. This is because they are vitally
important for the building up of:
The individual believer (tongues) (1 Corinthians 14:4). The Body of
Christ (prophecy, and tongues with interpretation) (1 Corinthians
14:4-5).
The Gift of Prophecy
Prophecy is a gift straight from the Holy Spirit, and comes from the
Greek word meaning ''to bring forth". It can be a message of
encouragement from the Lord, a word of direction or warning, or even a
message telling about something that will happen in the near future
(see Luke 1:46,67; Acts 11:27-30; 21:10-11; 1 Corinthians 14:3).
Safeguards

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"Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should

weigh carefully what is said'' 1 Corinthians 14:29 (read also
verse 32).
There are different realms of prophecy requiring different measures
of safeguard. There is prophesying which:
Strengthens, encourages and comforts (1 Corinthians 14:3).
Brings direction to a person's life (1 Timothy 1:18; 4:14).
Foretells future events (Acts 11: 27-30; 21: 10-11). Reveals sin
and brings a warning from God (1 Corinthians 14:24-25).
With each of the four realms of prophecy there is a lesser or greater
need for ''weighing carefully what is said'' by experienced ministries.
''For we know in part and we prophesy in part'', Paul says in 1
Corinthians 13:9 (read also verses 10-12), and so there is needed the
gift of distinguishing between spirits. The very first principle for
judging a prophecy is whether or not it is based on the Word of God
(see 2 Peter 1:19). The reason for these safeguards is because there is
such a thing as a false prophet (1 John 4:1-3,6).
All may prophesy
Paul encourages a desire for the ''greater gifts'' (1 Corinthians 12:31)
- of which he puts the gift of prophecy at the top of the list because it
builds up the Body (14:1,12). In the realm of encouragement and
building up the Body, Paul says:

"For you can ALL prophesy in turn so that everyone may be

instructed and encouraged . . . Therefore, my brothers, be
eager to prophesy . . . '' (1 Corinthians 14:31,39; see also
verses 24-25; Acts 19:6; Romans 12:6; 1 Thessalonians
5:20).
The Gift of Tongues

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''I would like every one of you to speak in tongues . . . I

thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you'' 1
Corinthians 14:5,18.
Tongues (and its accompanying gift of interpretation) is the only gift
not operating in the Old Testament - although it is foretold in
Deuteronomy 28:49 and Isaiah 28:11 (see 1 Corinthians 14:21). It acts
as one of the signs of the accompanying presence of the Holy Spirit
(Mark 16:17; Acts 2:4), and is specifically designed by the Lord for the
building up of the believer:

"He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself . . . " 1

Corinthians 14:4.
According to 1 Corinthians 13:1, the gift of tongues appears to fall into
two main classifications:

The Tongues of Men

These tongues are natural languages that the Holy Spirit can
supernaturally enable a believer to speak.

"All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to
speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them . . . a
crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one
heard them speaking in his own language. Utterly amazed,
they asked, 'Are not all these men who are speaking
Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in his
own native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites;
residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus
and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of
Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and
converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs - we hear them
declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!' " Acts
2:4,6-11.
The Tongues of Angels
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These tongues are not the natural languages of men, but heavenly
languages. As opposed to the tongues of men, the purpose of these
tongues is for the edification of the believer as his spirit
communicates with God's Spirit (see 1 Corinthians 14:14-18).

"For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men

but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters
mysteries with his spirit" 1 Corinthians 14:2.
Some sections of the Body do not fully understand the gift of tongues,
but the Scripture clearly says: " . . . do not forbid speaking in tongues"
(1 Corinthians 14:39), provided things are done in an orderly way (verse
40).
The Gift of Interpretation of Tongues
Tongues, by themselves, only build up the believer who is speaking, not
the rest of the Body, but the gift of interpretation takes a message in
tongues and makes it intelligible for other believers. It elevates the
gift of tongues from individual edification to Body-edification, so that
everyone can be encouraged and built up by what is said. The gift of
tongues CAN be used in the church when it comes to individual or
corporate worship, because worship is simply between the individual
believer and God. But when it comes to a message to the Body, then
''the man who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret
what he says" (1 Corinthians 14:13).

''He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who

prophesies edifies the church. I would like every one of you
to speak in tongues, but I would rather you prophesy. He
who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues,
UNLESS HE INTERPRETS, so that the church may be
edified" 1 Corinthians 14:4-5 (see also verses 6-19).
Those who exercise in the gifts must remember that the giving of
those gifts by the Holy Spirit is for the purpose of building up the
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lives of God's people in a framework of love and concern for one

another.

"Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts,

especially the gift of prophecy... Since you are eager to
have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the
church"1 Corinthians 14:1,12.
The Promise of the Father
Right throughout the Old Testament, the Bible reveals one major
problem in man that God continually came up against:
''The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure . . .
'' Jeremiah 17: 9.
In all his dealings with mankind, people would inevitably rebel against
God, and through Jeremiah and many of the other prophets. God
identified the root cause of this as the heart of man - his nature of
sin. But God also gave a special promise that would remedy the problem
forever:
''I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will
remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of
flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow
my decrees . . . '' Ezekiel 36,26-27.
God's Power Within

''I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but

stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from
on high'' Luke 24:49.
When the Holy Spirit was outpoured on the Church, He fulfilled every
detail of the Father's promise in Ezekiel 36. The Spirit's infinite
power was given to the believer so that he could live a life pleasing to
God. This Spirit does by:
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1. Setting Us Free from Sin's Power

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who

are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law
of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and
death'' Romans 8:1-2.
2. Making Us Clean in God's Sight
'' . . . He saved us through the washing of rebirth and
renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us
generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having
been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having
the hope of eternal life' ' Titus 3: 5-7 (see also 2
Corinthians 5:21; 2 Thessalonians 2:13).
3. Giving Us Instant Access to the Father
''For through him we both have access to the Father by one
Spirit" Ephesians 2:18 (see also Hebrews 4:16).
4. Empowering Us
"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen
you with power through his Spirit in your inner being . . .
that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of
God . . . who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask
or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us''
Ephesians 3:16,19-20 (see also 1:19-20; Colossians 1:10-11; 2
Timothy 1:7).
Now, with the Holy Spirit living inside, the believer has ALL power out of the treasure house of God's vast "riches'' - to live the way God
wants him to live (2 Corinthians 4:7). But there is also something
required of the believer to do: We are encouraged to APPROPRIATE
what the Holy Spirit has given us.
''You were taught, with regard to your former way of life,
to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its
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deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your

minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God IN
TRUE RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HOLINESS" Ephesians
4:22-24 (see also Romans 12:2).
Walking in the Spirit
''So l say, live by the Spirit and you will not gratify the
desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires
what is contrary to the Spirit and the Spirit what is
contrary to the sinful nature . . . '' Galatians 5:16-17.
We have been given the Holy Spirit, but He is only released to do His
work in our lives as we allow Him to. We are not only to "receive the
Holy Spirit" (John 20:22), but are to ''walk in the Spirit'' (Galatians
5:25, KJV) - to live under His canopy and allow Him to have full
influence over our daily lives. This ''walk" in the Spirit is also
described as:
1. Walking in the Light
''If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the
darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk
in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one
another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from
every sin'' 1 John 1: 6-7 (see also Ephesians 5:8-10).
2. Walking in Love
''Therefore be imitators of God . . . And walk in love . . . as
Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us . . . " Ephesians 5:
1-2 (Amp).
3. Walking in Faith
"For we walk by faith . . . not by sight or appearance'' 2
Corinthians 5:7 (Amp).
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''Those who live according to the sinful nature have their

minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in
accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the
Spirit desires. The mind of the sinful man is death, but the
mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace" Romans 8:56 (read also verses 7-8; Galatians 6:8).
The Holy Spirit works in the believer by prompting and encouraging him
toward the kind of life He wants him to live (1 Thessalonians 2:12; 4:18). If we respond, the Holy Spirit is released to do a work of change in
our lives, so that we grow to be more like Him (2 Corinthians 3:18). If,
however, a person deliberately chooses to resist the Spirit's
prompting, he can, in successive stages, end up:
Grieving the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30).
Quenching the Holy Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19).
Insulting the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 10:29).
God said in Genesis 6:3: "My Spirit will not contend with man for
ever . . . ", and if, after continual pleading on the Holy Spirit's part, a
person still refuses Him, He will then ''give him over'' to what he
really wants (Romans 1:24,26,28; 1 Corinthians 5:5; 1 Timothy 1:20 - in
the hope that he will eventually ''come to his senses'' and return to
the Lord (read Luke 15:11-32; 2 Timothy 2:26).
''For the grace of God . . . teaches us to say 'No' to
ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled,
upright and godly lives . . . to purify for himself a people
that are his very own, eager to do what is good'' Titus 2:1112,14.
Life in the Spirit
The Holy Spirit birthed us into a new life in God, and now it is the
Spirit who helps us live that life. As we live in Him we experience the
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"life and peace'' (Romans 8:6) that we were created for, and it is as we
walk under his covering that the fruits of the Spirit, as well as His
gifts, begin to operate. The secret to the Christian life is found in the
Holy Spirit, for He is:
" . . . able to keep you from falling and to present you before
his glorious presence with out fault and with great joy . . . ''
Jude 24.

What is speaking in tongues?

Definitions: Tongues: "ecstatic, usually unintelligible utterance
accompanying religious excitation" Ecstasy: "a state of
overwhelming emotion; especially: rapturous delight" (both from
Webster's Dictionary)
Speaking in tongues is a unique way of communicating with God, and
edifying oneself and/or others (1 Corinthians 14:4-5). It is most
often used in prayer and worship.
Tongues and interpretation are gifts of the Holy Spirit (1
Corinthians 12:28, 1 Corinthians 12:4-11).
Tongues speak to God through "mysteries" of the spirit (1
Corinthians 14:2). Similarly, praying in tongues is praying with
the spirit and singing in tongues is singing in the spirit. The
natural man will not understand these manifestations unless
interpretation is given (1 Corinthians 14:2,14).

Why speak in tongues?

We receive edification needed for spiritual warfare (1 Corinthians
14:4). Tongues are like "spiritual battery charging. Spiritual
warfare often weakens faith and hope, and tongues can help
rebuild them. Paul spoke more in tongues than many Christians
did (1 Corinthians 14:18), and it is likely that he used tongues to
edify himself during his many tribulations and trials (2
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Corinthians 11:22-31).
The effectiveness of our intercessory prayer is increased: When
we don't know how to pray, tongues directly engages the
intercession of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:26).
Our communication and worship of God is carried to a deeper
spiritual level (1 Corinthians 14:2)
It is an opportunity to yield ourselves to God in humility. Speaking
in tongues surrenders our human desire for control and
understanding to God.

Points about tongues and interpretation:

1 Corinthians 14 is a key reference chapter for tongues. See 1
Corinthians 12-13 for helpful information on all the gifts of the
Spirit.
Tongues may take the form of an unknown (1 Corinthians 14:2 , 2
Corinthians 12:2-6) or known language (Acts 2:8-12)
As with all Spirit's gifts, tongues and interpretation should be
grounded in love (1 Corinthians 13:1,4-7)
Tongues should be exercised in a peaceful, organized manner, not in
confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33)
A person speaking in tongues should pray that he may interpret (1
Corinthians 14:13)
Tongues in a worship service are best done with interpretation, so
that all people present are edified (1 Corinthians 14:26-28). Paul
explained that there should be two or at most three people
speaking in turn; one person (at least) should interpret; if there is
no one to interpret, the speaker should keep silent, speaking to
himself and God (1 Corinthians 14:27-28).
People should not ascribe tongues or other works of the Spirit to
the work of Satan (Matthew 12:22-32), nor should they forbid
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speaking in tongues (1 Corinthians 14:39).

The Apostle Pauls comments on tongues: Paul wrote the majority of

Bible's guidance on tongues. Paul mentioned in 1 Corinthians 14:18 that
he spoke in tongues more than any of the Corinthians. He also
witnessed a form of tongues ("inexpressible words" NKJV) during a
miraculous revelation in heaven (2 Corinthians 12:2-6). His comments
provide expert guidance on the subject:
Paul desired that all the Corinthian Christians would have spoken in
tongues (1 Corinthians 14:5).
People who spoke in tongues should pray for interpretation of the
tongues (1 Corinthians 14:14)
Paul found it best to engage his mind when he prayed or sang with
the spirit in case interpretation might be given (1 Corinthians
14:15).
For group gatherings, he preferred to speak in plain language so that
all present could be edified (1 Corinthians 14:19).

Examples of tongues in the early church: The accounts of speaking in

tongues in the New Testament coincide with special moves of the Holy
Spirit, when the believers received a "filling" of the Holy Spirit:
Acts 2:1-13 - Jews at Pentecost are filled with the Spirit and speak
in tongues
Acts 10:45-47 -- Gentiles receive the Spirit at Cornelius house and
speak in tongues
Acts 19:5-7 - Ephesians Christians filled with the Spirit and speak in
tongues
What if I dont want to pray in tongues? It is not mandatory that
every Christian speaks in tongues! And his/her salvation certainly
does not depend on it. God will not force His gifts on anyone, as
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He is gentle and patient. If you dont feel comfortable praying in

tongues, then don't! You can still pray effectively with confidence
that God will hear and intercede in your prayers.

Pray in the Spirit

"Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being
watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the
saints" Ephesians 6:18 NKJV
Why pray in the Spirit?
Allows God to search the depths of your spirit and soul. (I Cor.
14:4)
Builds faith (Jude 20,21) Allows Holy Spirit to pray Gods
perfect will for you. (Romans 8:26-28) Helps you be a more
effective intercessor. (Romans 8:27) Helps you overcome the
weaknesses of the flesh (Romans 8:26-28)
It is a Spiritual Gift (I Cor. 12)
Aids you in worship (I Cor. 12)
Encourages you (Jude 20,21)
How it works: The Bible tells us that God's Spirit intercedes for us
when we pray. God perfects, directs and projects our prayers to the
areas where they are needed:
In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know
how to pray as we should. But the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with
groaning too deep for words and He who searches the hearts knows
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what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints
according to the will of God. Romans 8:26-27 NIV
How to pray in the Spirit: Paul's command to the Ephesians "praying
always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit" (6:18) captures
the "how to" part for us. The definition of supplication is "asking for
humbly or earnestly, as by praying" (American Heritage Dictionary).
Every time we go to God, we should be doing so earnestly in humility,
inviting the Holy Spirit to work in the situation as God wills. It is
really that simple. God's Spirit does the difficult part from there by
deciding the best course of action and doing it according to God's will
(Romans 8:26-27). He may let us know what He is doing and He may
not, as many of God's ways are "too deep for words." If a thundering
voice acknowledged the receipt of our prayer every time we prayed, we
might not be as attuned to the other forms of confirmation and
guidance that God uses. God can use many ways to speak to us. Some
ways God speaks include a clear quiet voice in our mind, a "knowing," a
situation, a word from another person, a Bible scripture, a vision, a
trance and yes, even an audible voice. No matter how God chooses to
work with us, we can have faith that we will hear Him and recognize His
voice if we are abiding in Him (John 10:4).
What about "speaking in tongues?"
Speaking in tongues is a gift of
the Holy Spirit that can add new dimensions to one's prayer, worship
and ministry in the church. Some people refer to tongues as a special
"prayer language." Tongues can be an integral part of praying in the
Spirit.
When to Pray: Always! (2 Timothy 1:3, 2 Thessalonians 1:11) Getting
into the habit of constant prayer is a difficult thing to do. It must be
consistently practiced and requires a change in control of life. Prayer
is an acknowledgement that "I am not in control and that I need God to
intervene." This attitude opens the door for communication with God,
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who can direct and apply my prayers in ways far beyond my own
understanding and imagination.

Time Line of Old Testament History

Old Testament 10,000 BCE - 800 BCE

10,000 8000

The Natufian culture appeared in modern-day

Israel - some of the first known human
settlements in the world.

8000

Agriculture began in Near East as people

started using "digging sticks" to plant the
seeds of wild grasses which would eventually
become the domesticated wheat we know
today.

c. 6750

Pigs are domesticated in modern Iraq.

6500 6300

Wheel was invented by Sumerians who lived

in the Tigris-Euphrates river basin.

c. 6000

Chickens were domesticated in southern Asia.

5508

Year of Creation, as calculated in seventhcentury CE Constantinople and used by

Eastern Orthodox Church until 18th century
CE.

5490

Year of Creation, as calculated by Syrian

Christians.

c. 5000

The earliest known cities were founded as

increasing numbers of people began to gather
in villages scattered around the Fertile

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Crescent.
4004
(October
23)

Date of Creation, as calculated by Irish

theologian James Ussher in 1650 CE.

c. 4000

Horses were domesticated.

c. 4000

Sumerians in southern Mesopotamia

developed the boat for water transportation.

3760

Year of Creation, as calculated by the Hebrews

and used since the 15th century CE.

3641
(February
10)

Date of Creation, as calculated by the

Mayans.

3500

Sumerian society developed in the TigrisEuphrates river basin. The Sumerians made
use of many agricultural advances, such as
domestic animals to pull plows, irrigated
desert, drained marshlands and more in order
to create a large, cosmopolitan civilization.
The increased output of food allowed for the
further development of a "leisure class" that
did not have to work for food, allowing them
to become priests, artists, merchants,
scholars, etc. The Sumerians also developed
oar-powered ships, animal-drawn wheeled
chariots and other, similar vehicles, bronze
objects, and the written cuneiform alphabet.

c. 3400

Early form of hieroglyphic writing started

being used in Egypt.

3100

The first Egyptian Dynasty united the southern

and northern kingdoms under the rule of
Menes, founder of the city of Memphis which
would become the center of his authority.

c. 3000

First human settlements were established on

the site of modern-day Athens.

c. 3000

Stonehenge was built in England.

c. 29802950

Life of Imhotep, famed Egyptian physician.

He was worshiped as a medical demigod in
ancient Egypt because of his work on medical
methods for treating diseases rather than
simply religious methods. Imhotep was also
responsible for the construction of the pyramid
of Zoser (the Step Pyramid at Sakkara), the
first large stone structure in the entire world.

c. 2800

Egyptians began wearing wedding rings,

127

believing that the circular bands symbolized

eternity.
2613

The Great Pyramid of Cheops at Giza was

constructed by Cheops, son of the founder of
Egypt's 4th Dynasty, Snefru.

c. 2600

The first recorded seagoing voyage carried

Egyptian sailors to Phoenicia in search of
cedarwood.

c. 2600

Chinese began cultivation of silkworms.

2560

Great Sphinx at Giza, a 189-foot long

monument to King Khafra (Khafre), the third
king of the 4th Dynasty, was carved.

2500

Sumerian cuneiform script was simplified

from an earlier version consisting of thousands
of ideograms.

2350

Sargon I founded the Akkadian empire, which

ruled Mesopotamia for the next couple of
centuries.

2349

The Great Flood occurred (according to

fundamentalist sources).

2247

The Tower of Babel was constructed

(according to fundamentalist sources).

2200

Indo-European invaders, speaking the

earliest forms of Greek, entered the mainland
of Greece, and the Mycenaean Civilization
(named after the leading Greek city on the
peninsula from 1600-1200 BCE) emerged.

2100

Ziggurat of Ur was built by Sumerian king

Ur-Nammu. Sumerians called it temen, from
which the later word temple was derived.

2000 1500

Minoan Civilization (named after the Cretan

ruler Minos) reached its height with its central
power in Knossos on the island of Crete. This
culture may have been more female-oriented
and peaceful than others at the time.

c. 20001700

Abraham left Ur in Chaldea (according to

traditional sources). This is often called the
age of the "patriarchs" (Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob).

c. 2000

Domestic bathroom plumbing appeared in

Crete.

c. 2000

Babylonians replaced Sumerians as the

128

dominant power in the Middle East, creating a

decimal system notation.
c. 1800

Babylonians are believed to have initiated the

custom of the handshake. It began with
grasping the hand of a statue of the god
Marduk in order to receive his power
symbolically and it later came to symbolize
good will.

c. 17921750

Hammurabi ruled Babylon and created his

famous legal code.

1750

The Babylonians began using windmills to

pump water for irrigation.

1700 1500

Possible dates for when Joseph could have

been in Egypt.

1660 1550

The Hyksos, a Semitic tribe, invaded Egypt

and dominated the Nile Delta for about a
century. The Hyksos were successful because
they were superior archers and rode horses
and chariots at the same time.

c. 1650

Cult of Yahweh, earliest form of Judaism,

may have been created by Abraham and
carried on by his sons.

1568

The Hyksos, a semitic tribe which had

dominated the Nile Delta, was finally driven
out by Egyptian leader Ahmose I, who then
founded the 16th Dynasty.

1523 1027

Shang Dynasty in China.

1491

Date of the Exodus of the Hebrews out of

Egypt. (according to fundamentalist sources)

1491

Ten Commandments were received.

(according to fundamentalist sources)

c. 1479

Egyptian armies under Pharaoh Tuthmosis III

defeated a confederation of Palestinian states
and captured a fortress on the hill of
Meggido. Christian theology predicts a final
battle between good and evil on this spot
(Armageddon = Hill of Megiddo). The first use
of the title "Pharaoh," which means "Great
House," is found here applied to Tuthmosis.

1470

A massive volcanic eruption at Thera

destroyed the Minoan civilization on Crete.

129

Because of huge waves rising up to 160 feet,

the water levels along the eastern shores of
the Mediterranean at first dropped, but then
the Egyptian cost was flooded by large
amounts of seawater, resulting in famine due
to the loss of arable farmland.
1451

Hebrews arrive in Canaan (according to

traditional sources)

1400

Iron Age began in Asia Minor when methods

for smelting iron ore were developed

1400

Mycenaean Civilization replaced Minoan

Civilization after the destruction of Knossos.
Bronze weapons, war-scenes on art,
Cyclopean defense walls, and the fact that
male warriors were buried with their weapons
provide evidence for the claim that the
Mycenaeans were militaristic. The horse-drawn
chariot emerged around this time and the
Mycenaeans would dominate the Aegean world
for about 200 years.

1349-1334 Amenhotep IV, aka Akhenaten, ruled Egypt

and developed the first recorded strict
monotheism. He was succeeded by his nineyear-old son Tutankhamen, who eliminated his
religious reforms
1300

In Babylon they developed a new alphabetic

script which was a further simplification of the
cuneiform writing.

1305

Accession of Ramses II, the Great, of Egypt

to pharaoh.

c. 1250

Possible date of the Exodus of the Hebrews

out of Egypt. (according to modern scholars)

1232

Israelites of some sort were definitely in

Canaan - Ramses II's son Merneptah
defeated them in battle. They were not
necessarily the same Israelites as those who
left in the Exodus - they might have been from
earlier emigrations.

12001020

Period of the Judges in Israel.

1200

Gilgamesh epic, recorded in cuneiform script,

is the first known such written legend.

1193

Traditional date set for the city of Troy being

destroyed by besieging Greek armies.

130

1146

Nebuchadrezzar I reigned as King of

Babylon for 23 years.

1141

According to biblical accounts in Samuel,

Israelite armies suffered massive losses to the
Philistines.

1050

Philistines conquered Israel.

1027 - 771

Zhou Dynasty in China.

1020 922

Period of the United Kingdom of Jews.

1020

Samuel, last of the Israelite Judges, anointed

Saul as the first King of Israel. Saul led a
successful rebellion against Philistines.

c. 1000

Earliest Old Testament documents were

created from older and highly developed oral
tradition.

1000

Saul was killed at the Battle of Gilboa and was

succeeded by David, first as King of Judah
and then later as King of Israel. David later
captured Jerusalem and made it his capital.

c. 1000950

Biography of David may have been composed,

eventually becoming a written narrative of
David's life later included in I and II Samuel
and IKings.

c. 1000

Iberians invaded the region of modern Spain,

giving the Iberian Peninsula its name.

961

David died and was succeeded by his son,

Solomon.

953

Dedication of the Temple of Jerusalem, built by

Solomon.

c. 950 900

Composition of the "Yahwistic" (J) document,

one of the four major sources believed to have
been the basis of the Pentateuch (Books of
Moses): Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers,
Deuteronomy.

922

Death of Solomon, who was succeeded by his

son, Rehoboam. Rebellion against Rehoboam
was led by Jeroboam, leading to a split of the
kingdom into two halves: Judah in the south
under Rehoboam and Israel in the north under
Jeroboam.

c. 900

Assyrian war chariots were equipped with

metal tires (copper or bronze) for greater
durability.

131

884

Ashurnasirpal II, Assyrian king, began a 24year reign during which he defeated Babylon
and ensured Assyrian dominance throughout
the Near East.

854

Ahab of Israel joined with Ben Hadad of

Damascus and Irkhuleni of Hamath in an allied
army to halt Shalmaneser III. Egypt and
Jehoshaphat of Judah lent support, but the
alliance failed to stop the onslaught.

c. 850

Traditional date for the probable composition

of Homer's epic poems The Illiad and The
Odyssey.

c. 850

Traditional date for when Elijah lived and

prophecized.

c. 850 800

Composition of the "Elohistic" (E) document,

another major source of the Pentateuch.

842

Jehu, an Israelite soldier, led a rebellion

against Jehoram, Ahab's son, and founded a
new dynasty in Israel. By the next year,
however, he was paying tribute to the Assyrian
leaders.

814

Phoenicians founded Carthage (literally: "New

Town") near their North African colony of
Utica.

801

Indians began to venerate cows and dairy

products.

800

Increase in trade and the establishment of

governmental defense fortifications allowed for
the emergence of Greek city-states from
tribal communities. These grew up around
marketplaces and included Athens, Thebes and
Megara on the Greek mainland. The Greek
city-states were considered the most famous
units of Greek political life to develop in this
society.

800 - 500

This period, often referred to as the Archaic

period, marked the developments of literature
and the arts, politics, philosophy and science.
The Peloponnesian city of Corinth, Sparta and
cities along the coast of the Aegean Sea
flourished. For the most part, the Greek citystates were similar in their political evolution,
with the exception of Sparta's elite
dictatorship.
Most began their political histories as

132

monarchies, evolved to oligarchies, were

overthrown during the age of the tyrants
(650-500 BCE) and eventually established
democracies in the sixth and fifth centuries. Of
the Greek city-states, Athens and Sparta were
the two most important.

Continue reading about Biblical history with the second timeline about the Old
Testament: 800 BCE - Year 0.

The Final Examination

133

FINAL EXAMINATION
All Biblical quotations have been taken from the KJV
1. The Ten Commandments are recorded in which two books?
a. Genesis and Numbers
b. Exodus and Numbers
c. Exodus and Deuteronomy
d. Numbers and Deuteronomy
2. When Moses asked for a successor, who was named?
a. Aaron the brother of Moses
b. Caleb the son of Jephunneh
c. Eleazar the priest
d. Joshua son of Nun
3. By what means were the Israelites guided through the wilderness after they
left Egypt?
a. Jethro and his family
b. Moses' knowledge of the area
c. The pillars of cloud and of fire
d. The reconnaissance of the twelve spies
4. Abraham was called by God to go out of what place?
a. Arabia
b. Canaan
c. Egypt
d. Haran
5. When Abram and Sarai went to Egypt, he asked her to say she was his sister.
What resulted?
a. Abraham repented and tried to change Sarai's course.
b. Pharaoh married Sarai, and she bore a son.
c. Pharaoh was glad because Sarai was very beautiful, and he asked Abraham to
oversee his estates.
d. The Lord afflicted Pharaoh, and Abraham departed with great wealth.
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6. When Abraham divided the land with him, what land did Lot choose?
a. the hill country
b. the plain of the Jordan
c. the Negev
d. the plain of Esdraelon
7. According to Deuteronomy, what will be the result of God's blessings toward
Israel?
a. faithfulness
b. prosperity
c. purity
d. righteousness
8. Who was the child of Hagar and Abraham?
a. Dinah
b. Esau
c. Isaac
d. Ishmael
9. When God told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, what did Abraham do?
a. He cursed the day of his birth.
b. He pleaded for God to relent.
c. He sacrificed his younger son instead.
d. He took Isaac to the land of Moriah.
10. Whose story involved the following: the city of Nahor, a water jar, and Isaac?
a. Hagar's
b. Leah's
c. Rebekah's
d. Sarah's
11. Which of these events is not from the life of Abraham?
a. the defeat of a coalition of kings
b. the promise of a son in old age
c. the "sacrifice" of Isaac
d. working seven years for a wife
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12. Which person does NOT appear in the stories about Abraham?
a. Isaac
b. Ishmael
c. Joseph
d. Melchizedek
13. To which tribe did Moses belong?
a. Dan
b. Judah
c. Levi
d. Simeon
14. Who sang, "Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; horse and rider
he has thrown into the sea?
a. Aaron
b. Balaam
c. Joshua
d. Miriam
15. Israelite law demanded scrupulous care in the treatment of the blood of slain
animals. What reason for this is given in Leviticus?
a. Blood is holy
b. Blood is inedible
c. Blood is life
d. Blood is the choicest part of the animal
16. When John's Gospel says, "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness...,"
to what story in Numbers is it referring?
a. The destruction of a pagan idol
b. The divine protection of Moses
c. The healing of the Israelites from serpent bites
d. Moses' rod
17. Who asked her husband to take a concubine and later demanded that he cast
the concubine out?
a. Leah
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b. Lot's wife
c. Rachel
d. Sarah
18. Where did Joshua send two men as spies?
a. Gilgal
b. Jericho
c. Lebanon
d. Shittim
19. Which of the following was a judge?
a. Deborah
b. Miriam
c. Naomi
d. Ruth
20. What were Shamgar, Gideon, and Jephthah?
a. Judges
b. Priests
c. Princes
d. Singers
21. Who said to Nathan the prophet, "See now, I am living in a house of cedar, but
the ark of God stays in a tent"?
a. David
b. Hezekiah
c. Saul
d. Solomon
22. The boy Samuel served God under which of the following leaders?
a. Eli
b. Hophni
c. Phineas
d. Saul
23. The commands "Bring me a sword" and "Divide in two" occur in a story that
illustrates which of the following?
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a. Abner's desire for revenge

b. Benaiah's loyalty to Solomon
c. Joab's blood-thirstiness
d. Solomon's wisdom
24. What was Nehemiah's role in Susa?
a. ambassador from Judah
b. cupbearer to the king
c. eunuch
d. scribe of the Lord
25. Who said, "Sun, stand still at Gibeon"?
a. Elisha
b. Jephthat
c. Joshua
d. Moses
26. Where does the following quotation appear: "Choose this day whom you will
serve...but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord"?
a. Exodus 15
b. Numbers 6
c. Deuteronomy 6
d. Joshua 24
27. Why was Gideon's fighting force reduced to 300 men before they fought the
Midianites?
a. Gideon could not count on the allegiance of his men
b. God did not want Israel to be able to say that "my own hand has delivered me."
c. The Midianite army was very small.
d. The rest of Gideon's army had fled away.
28. Who brought down the house in Gaza?
a. Deborah
b. Ehud
c. Gideon
d. Samson

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29. Which heir to the throne of David was supported by Nathan and Zadok?
a. Absalom
b. Adonijah
c. Jeroboam
d. Solomon
30. King Hiram was most closely associated with which of the following?
a. Babylon
b. Israel
c. Judah
d. Tyre
31. Which two prophets proclaimed that in the future "[T]he mountain of the
Lord's house shall be established as the highest of the mountains... [and]
people shall stream to it"?
a. Amos and Hosea
b. Haggai and Zechariah
c. Hosea and Jeremiah
d. Micah and Isaiah
32. When some of the people exiled to Babylon returned to Jerusalem during the
Persian period, who urged them to rebuild the temple?
a. Haggai
b. Jonah
c. Malachi
d. Micah
33. In Isaiah 7, what is Ahaz's response to the Lord's demand to ask for a sign
"deep as Sheol or high as heaven"?
a. To challenge Isaiah
b. To refuse to ask for a sign
c. To request a sign
d. To walk away in anger
34. Which prophet was thrown overboard by shipmates in order to calm a stormy
sea?
a. Jeremiah
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b. Ezekiel
c. Hosea
d. Jonah
35. Which prophet was in prison during the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem?
a. Isaiah
b. Jeremiah
c. Hosea
d. Joel
36. ". . . yet he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors"
is a quotation from which book?
a. Isaiah
b. Jeremiah
c. Ezekiel
d. Amos
37. Who said: "As I was among the exiles by the river Chebar, the heavens were
opened and I saw visions of God."
a. Isaiah
b. Ezekiel
c. Daniel
d. Amos
38. "For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: In returning and rest you
shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength" is found in
which book?
a. Isaiah
b. Ezekiel
c. Daniel
d. Jonah
39. Which prophet was in Judah at the time of the fall of Jerusalem?
a. Amos
b. Isaiah
c. Jeremiah
d. Ezekiel
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40. Which prophet was brought in a vision to Jerusalem during the exile?
a. Amos
b. Isaiah
c. Jeremiah
d. Ezekiel
41. "Woe is me, my mother, that you ever bore me, a man of strife and contention
to the whole land" was said by whom?
a. Jeremiah
b. Ezekiel
c. Hosea
d. Amos
42. "Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf
unstopped" is found in which of the following?
a. Isaiah
b. Lamentations
c. Daniel
d. Amos
43. When did Ezekiel's visions occur?
a. Before the Babylonian invasion
b. During the Babylonian exile
c. Immediately following the fall of Samaria and the northern kingdom
d. Shortly after Solomon's death, when the kingdom was divided
44. Which book contains the following: "As I watched in the night visions, I saw
one like a human being coming with the clouds of heaven. And he came to
the Ancient One and was presented before him"?
a. Ezekiel
b. Daniel
c. Hosea
d. Amos
45. This quotation appears in which prophetic book: "Then the Lord said, 'Name
him Loammi, for you are not my people and I am not your God.'"?
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a. Amos
b. Ezekiel
c. Hosea
d. Jonah
46. What interpretation is given to Ezekiel's vision of the valley filled with dry
bones?
a. A new covenant will be written on the heart.
b. The exiles will be brought back to the land.
c. The armies led by Gog will be totally destroyed.
d. This is the valley of decision.
47. Amos prophesied during the reign of which king of Israel?
a. David
b. Jeroboam II
c. Manasseh
d. Solomon
48. "If our God, whom we serve, is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing
fire and out of your hand, O kind, let him deliver us" is found in what book?
a. Esther
b. Ezekiel
c. Daniel
d. Joel
49. Which of the following completes the quotation from Proverbs: "A soft answer
turns away wrath, but a harsh word..."?
a. "...accomplishes much."
b. "...captures attention."
c. "...enjoys obedience."
d. "...stirs up anger."
50. Which theme characterizes Psalm 91?
a. God's law
b. The establishment of covenant
c. The folly of human sin
d. The power and protection of God
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51. Which two female figures appear in the book of Proverbs?

a. Wisdom and the "loose woman"
b. Wisdom and Righteousness
c. Zion and Righteousness
d. Zion and Babylon
52. God answers out of the whirlwind in response to which individual?
a. David
b. Job
c. Lemuel
d. Solomon
53. "Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations" is found in which
book?
a. Job
b. Psalms
c. Ecclesiastes
d. Lamentations
54. "My child, keep your father's commandment, and do not forsake your mother's
teaching" is found in which book?
a. Job
b. Proverbs
c. Ecclesiastes
d. Song of Solomon
55. "One day the heavenly beings came to present themselves before the Lord, and
Satan also came among them." In which book are these words written?
a. Job
b. Psalms
c. Proverbs
d. Ecclesiastes
56. Which saying does NOT appear in the book of Ecclesiastes?
a. "Vanity of vanities! All is vanity."
b. "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven."
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c. "Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?"

d. "It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting."
57. "How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity!" is found
in which book?
a. Job
b. Psalms
c. Proverbs
d. Ecclesiastes
58. Which subject is NOT discussed in the book of Proverbs?
a. Behavior toward fools
b. Behavior in the temple
c. Behavior in the king's house
d. Behavior toward the poor
59. Who was the passerby forced to carry Jesus' cross?
a. Caiaphas of Jerusalem
b. Joseph of Arimathea
c. Lazarus of Bethany
d. Simon of Cyrene
60. Where was Jesus baptized?
a. In the Dead Sea
b. In the Jordan River
c. In the Mediterranean Sea
d. In the Sea of Galilee
61. Which two of Jesus' disciples were sons of Zebedee?
a. James and John
b. Peter and John
c. Simon and Andrew
d. Simon and James
62. What is the major theme in John 10?
a. Jesus as bread of life
b. Jesus as good shepherd
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c. Jesus as Son of Man

d. Jesus as true vine
63. In what town or city did Jesus grow up?
a. Bethlehem
b. Capernaum
c. Jerusalem
d. Nazareth
64. In which Gospels are the beatitudes found?
a. Matthew and Luke
b. Mark and Luke
c. Mark and John
d. Luke and John
65. According to the Gospel of John, why was the Gospel written?
a. So that "you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and
that through believing you may have life in his name."
b. So that "your joy may be complete."
c. To present "an account of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David,
the son of Abraham."
d. To set down "an orderly account...so that you may know the truth concerning the
things about which you have been instructed."
66. Which title appears most frequently in Mark?
a. Son of David
b. Messiah
c. Son of God
d. Son of Man
67. Who, upon dying, was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham?
a. John the Baptist
b. Lazarus
c. Sarah
d. Simon Peter
68. Which of these figures is NOT an element in Jesus' parables of the kingdom?
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a. A grain of mustard seed

b. A pearl of great value
c. Yeast
d. Living water
69. Who said: "I have not come to bring peace, but a sword?
a. Herod
b. Jesus
c. John the Baptist
d. Pilate
70. The Gospel according to Matthew contains:
a. "And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church."
b. "...baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit."
c. "When the Son of Man comes...he will separate people one from another as a
shepherd separates the sheep from the goats."
d. All of the above
71. To whom did Jesus address this statement: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon
me"?
a. Inner circle of disciples
b. John the Baptist
c. Synagogue audience
d. The Sanhedrin
72. Which of the following phrases continues the story beginning with the words:
"And a woman in the city, who was a sinner..." (Luke 7:37)?
a. "began to bathe his feet with her tears."
b. "begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter."
c. "came up behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak."
d. "put in two small copper coins."
73. In the Gospel of John, when did Jesus say, "Father the hour has come; glorify
your Son so that the Son may glorify you"?
a. After his baptism by John the Baptist
b. After his farewell discourses with his disciples
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c. After his trial before Pilate

d. On his way to Golgotha
74. What was Thomas's response when Jesus offered to let him touch his hands
and side?
a. "My Lord and my God."
b. "Our Lord and Savior."
c. "You are the Christ, the Son of God."
d. "You are the King of Israel."
75. Stories about Mary and Martha appear in which two Gospels?
a. John and Matthew
b. Matthew and Luke
c. Mark and John
d. John and Luke
76. Which of Paul's letters maintains that "the day of the Lord will come like a
thief in the night"?
a. Romans
b. Ephesians
c. Colossians
d. 1 Thessalonians
77. In Galatians, what does Paul claim is the source of his gospel?
a. A revelation of Jesus Christ
b. An event on the Damascus road
c. Personal reflection
d. The apostles in Jerusalem
78. When Paul responds to the problem created by some Christians who ate meat
that had been offered to idols, offending the consciences of others, what does
he advise?
a. That both sides ignore the problem since it was unimportant
b. That both sides pray for guidance
c. That the meat-eaters refrain from eating meat for the sake of weaker brothers
and sisters

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d. That the meat-eaters ignore the complaints of their weaker brothers and
sisters
79. Paul writes, "Do not be overcome by evil, but..."
a. "be wise as serpents and innocent as doves."
b. "become all things to all people."
c. "overcome evil with good."
d. "overcome the evil one."
80. Where does Paul cite these words as being "of first importance": "that Christ
died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried,
and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures"?
a. 1 Corinthians
b. Galatians
c. Philippians
d. Colossians
81. Fill in the blank: "Since, then, we have such a hope, we act with great boldness,
not like Moses, who put _________ to keep the people of Israel
from gazing at the end of the glory that was being set aside."
a. a veil over his face
b. blindness in the eyes of his people
c. boundaries about the mountain
d. his staff to the rock
82. Which of these themes may be said to be characteristic of Ephesians?
a. Defense of Paul's authority
b. Dissension in the church
c. Explanation of the Second Coming
d. Unity in Christ
83. The epistle to the Colossians describes Christ as which of the following?
a. The first-born from the dead
b. The first-born of all creation
c. The image of the invisible God
d. All of these

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84. Which of the following concerns does 1Timothy address at length?

a. Children
b. Drunkards
c. The rich
d. Widows
85. In which letter does Paul say that "the greatest of these is love"?
a. Galatians
b. 1 Corinthians
c. Romans
d. 2 Corinthians
86. In which letter does Paul maintain that "all have sinned and fall short of the
glory of God"?
a. Romans
b. 1 Corinthians
c. 2 Corinthians
d. Galatians
87. In which letter does Paul maintain, "There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is
no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in
Christ Jesus"?
a. Philippians
b. Galatians
c. Romans
d. Ephesians
88. What issue does Peter's vision address prior to his visit to Cornelius in
Caesarea?
a. Gentiles receiving the word of God
b. The stoning of Stephen
c. The appointment of a new disciple
d. The preaching of the Gospel
89. In the first chapter of Acts, what words complete Jesus' commission to the
apostles: "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon
you: and ..."?
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a. lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age."

b. peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you."
c. this is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you."
d. you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends
of the earth."
90. Paul's argument in Romans regarding the advantage of Jews over Gentiles
emphasizes which of the following?
a. That they are circumcised
b. That they are entrusted with the oracles of God
c. That they are judged by the law
d. That they are justified by works
91. The example of Melchizedek is used by the author of Hebrews in discussing
what?
a. Christian tithing
b. Jesus' death as a sacrifice
c. The messiahship of Jesus
d. The priesthood of Jesus
92. In which letter is the following question central? "What good is it, my
brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can
faith save you?"
a. Galatians
b. Ephesians
c. Hebrews
d. James
93. According to 1 Peter, what is the appropriate response when one suffers as a
Christian?
a. To endure
b. To pray
c. To rejoice
d. To boast in one's suffering
94. Which of the following New Testament books warns: "Children, it is the last
hour! As you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists
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have come. From this we know that it is the last hour"?

a. 1 John
b. Revelation
c. James
d. Hebrews
95. In the book of Revelation, what does John say will happen to the souls of
those who have been beheaded for their testimony to Jesus and for the word
of God?
a. They will be caught up in the clouds
b. They will wash their robes and make them white in the blood of the Lamb.
c. They will come to life and reign with Christ a thousand years.
d. They will hunger and thirst no more.
96. According to Hebrews, why is Jesus able to sympathize with our weakness?
a. Because he has been tested as we are
b. Because he was poor as some of us are
c. Because he was rejected as we are
d. Because he was born in human likeness
97. To whom is the book of Revelation addressed?
a. Seven churches in Asia
b. The church in Jerusalem
c. The church in Rome
d. The Roman emperor
98. In what way does the book of Hebrews describe faith?
a. "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not
seen."
b. "Since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus
Christ...."
c. "So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead."
d. "...that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith."
99. Which of the following completes this quotation from Revelation: "And I saw
the holy city, the new Jerusalem..."?
a. "all the nations shall stream to it, many peoples shall come."
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b. "coming down out of heaven from God."

c. "exalted among the nations, exalted in the earth."
d. "founded upon the rock of our salvation."
100. Hebrews describes which of the following as "living, and active, sharper than
any two-edged sword"?
a. The tongue of a woman
b. The word of God
c. The wiles of the devil
d. The truth of Christ

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