Front Cover
"... By what authority are You doing these things ..." (Matthew 21:23)?
"For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made ..." (Romans 1:20).
"...the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus" (II Timothy 3:15)
"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable ... for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work: (II Timothy 3:16-17).
"God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by his Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds" (Hebrews 1:1-2).
"Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came at the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit" (II Peter 1:20-21)
"For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure" (John 3:34).
1
"... All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18).
"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19).
"... teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you ..." (Matthew 28:20).
"... and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20).
"... the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name. He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrances all things that I said to you (John 14:26).
"And they [disciples] went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen" (Mark 16:20).
"... and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard him" (Hebrews 2:2-3).
"Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).
2
"But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you that what we have preached to you, let him be accursed" (Galatians 1:8).
"He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day" (John 12:48).
"But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized (Acts 8:12).
"... Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her" (Ephesians 5:25).
"... on this rock I will build My church (Matthew 16:18).
"... the church of God which He purchased with His own blood" (Acts 20:28).
"... Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the [His] body" (Ephesians 5:23).
"Heaven is my throne" (Acts 7:49, 55).
3
"... He [Christ] is the Mediator of the new covenant ..." (Hebrews 9:15).
"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations ..." (Matthew 28:19).
"... And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch" (Acts 11:26).
"Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually" (I Corinthians 12:27).
"... and church ... who are registered in heaven" (Hebrews 12:23).
"... And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved" (Acts 2:47).
"The Lord added to the church ..." (Acts 2:47).
"For where two or three are gathered together in my name. I am there in the midst of them" (Matthew 16:20).
"Greet one another ... The churches of Christ greet you" (Romans 16:16).
4
"Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them ..." (Matthew 7:24).
"He who believes and is baptized will be saved ..." (Mark 16:16).
"... whoever of you who does not forsake all that he has cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:33).
"... Be faithful until death ..." (Revelation 2:10).
"... worship the Father in spirit and in truth" (John 4:23-24).
"... love the Lord your God with all your heart ... and love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:37-39).
"... Be careful to maintain good works ..." (Titus 3:8).
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation ..." (II Corinthians 5:17).
"... you will find rest for your souls" (Matthew 11:28-30).
"... they will reign forever and ever" (Revelation 22:5).
"The churches of Christ greet you" (Romans 16:16).
5
"... the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch" (Acts 11:26).
"Yet, if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter" (I Peter 4:16).
"... and on this rock I will build My church ..." (Matthew 16:18).
"... as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body" (Ephesians 5:23).
"And He is the head of the body, the church ..." (Colossians 1:18).
"... for you [Christians] are all one in Christ Jesus ..." (Galatians 3:28).
"There is one body ..." (Ephesians 4:4).
"... each of you says, 'I am of Paul,' .. or 'I of Cephas,' or 'I of Christ.' Is Christ divided" (I Corinthians 1:12-13).
"God ... has in these last days spoken to us by His Son ..." (Hebrews 1:1-2).
"Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God ..." (II John 9).
"... that you may learn in us not to think of men above that which is written ..." (I Corinthians 4:6).
6
"He [Jesus] will save His people from their sins ..." (Matthew 1:21).
"Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him ..." (Hebrews 7:25).
"...we [Christians] were reconciled to God through the death of His Son..." (Romans 5:10).
"... has begotten us again to a living hope ... to an inheritance ... reserved in heaven for you" (I Peter 1:3-4).
"... know assuredly [believe] that God has made this Jesus ... both Lord and Christ" (Acts 2:36).
"Repent [change your mind] ..." (Acts 2:38).
"... be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins ..." (Acts 2:26-28).
...He will save His people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21).
"... sin is lawlessness" (I John 3:4).
"All unrighteousness is sin ..." (I John 5:17).
"... for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).
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"... the wages of sin is death ..." (Romans 6:23).
"... death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned" (Romans 5:12).
"Your iniquities have separated you from your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear" (Isaiah 59:2).
"But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe ..." (Galatians 3:22).
"... I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, 'You shall not covet'" (Romans 7:7)..
"Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be" (Romans 8:7).
"God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).
"Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed" (I Peter 2:24).
"For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God" (I Peter 3:18).
"... God was ... reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them ..." (II Corinthians 5:19).
"In this is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins" (I John 4:10).
8
"... repent [turn around in our minds and toward God] ... and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins ..." (Acts 2:36-38; see also Acts 10:43; Luke 24:47; Acts 22:16).
"There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus ... for the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death" (Romans 8:1-2).
"But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts 15:11).
"... it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8).
"... the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23).
"The soul who sins shall die" (Ezekiel 18:20).
"... all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).
"For the wages of sin is death ..." (Romans 6:23)
"But Peter said to him, 'Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money'" (Acts 8:20).
... the gift of God is eternal life" (Romans 6:23).
9
"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you" (Matthew 7:7).
"... Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord" (Acts 22:16).
"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness ..." (Matthew 6:33).
"Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open for us;' and He will answer and say to you, 'I do not know you, where you are from'" (Luke 13:24-25).
"The Lord preserves the faithful" (Psalm 31:23).
Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life" (Revelation 2:10).
"... blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed" (John 20:29).
"... faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not see" (Hebrews 11:1).
"... for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6).
"By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God ..." (Hebrews 11:3).
10
"But without faith it is impossible to please Him [God] ..." (Hebrews 11:6).
"... but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God ..." (John 20:31).
"... believe that Jesus died and rose again ..." (I Thessalonians 4:14).
"But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved ..." (Acts 15:11).
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).
"... that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me" (Acts 26:18).
"He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned" (Mark 16:16).
"... faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17).
"... these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name" (John 20:3).
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"... unless you repent you will all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3).
"... repentance toward God ..." (Acts 20:21).
"Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out ..." (Acts 3:19).
"... that they should repent, turn to God ..." (Acts 26:20).
"... God ... now commands all men everywhere to repent" (Acts 17:30).
"... but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance" (II Peter 3:9).
"... 'Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer ... and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem'" (Luke 24:46-47).
"Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance" (Romans 2:4)?
"Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow let to repentance" (II Corinthians 7:9)?
"For Godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation" (II Corinthians 7:10).
12
"Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out ..." (Acts 3:19).
"... repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord" (Acts 20:21).
"So they said, 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved'" (Acts 16:31).
"... that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus ... and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Romans 10:9-10).
"... 'Repent and let every one of you be baptized, in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins ...'" (Acts 2:38).
"There is also an antitype which now saves us, namely baptism ..." (I Peter 3:21).
"... that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance" (Acts 26:20).
"That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9).
"Now Thomas, ... one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said to him, 'We have seen the Lord.' ... 'Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails ... I will not believe' ... And Thomas answered and said to Him, 'My Lord and my God'" (John 20:24-28).
13
"Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, A Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did though Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know" (Acts 2:22).
"Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ" (Acts 2:36).
"... 'See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?' Then Philip said, 'If you believe with all your heart, you may.' And he answered and said, 'I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God'" (Acts 8:36-37).
"... they feared the Jews, for the Jews had agreed already that if anyone confessed that He was Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue" (John 9:22).
"... and when they had called for the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus ..." (Acts 5:40).
"Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things ... who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen" (Romans 1:22-25).
"He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy" (Proverbs 28:13).
14
"... Repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins ..." (Acts 2:38).
The fact that one is baptized for the forgiveness of sins would demand that he would have already acknowledged or confessed his sins.
"But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 10:33).
"... 'arise, and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord'" (Acts 22:16)
"... 'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you ...'" (Matthew 28:18-20).
"Peter said to them, 'Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins ...'" (Acts 2:38).
15
"He who believes and is baptized will be saved ..." (Mark 16:16).
"... which now saves us, namely, baptism ..." (I Peter 3:21).
"... 'Repent, and let every one of you be baptized ..." (Acts 2:38).
"Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them ... both men and women were baptized" (Acts 8:5, 12. See also Acts 2:5-41; 8:26-39; 10:1-48; 16:1-33; 18:1-8; Romans 1-7; 6:3-4; Galatians 1:2; 3:27; Colossians 1:2; 2:12; I Peter 1:1; 3:21).
"... both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. Now when they came up out of the water ..." (Acts 8:38-39).
"... buried with him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead ... so we also should walk in newness of life" (Romans 6:4).
"You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only" (James 2:24).
"... He [Christ] became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him" (Hebrews 5:9).
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father in heaven ... everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man, who built his house on the sand ..." (Matthew 7:21-27).
16
"... He answered and said to them, 'Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition' ... 'Hypocrites' ... 'And in vain they worship Me teaching as doctrines the commandments of men'" (Matthew 15:1-9).
Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God" (John 12:42-43).
"But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him [John]" (Luke 7:30).
These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so" (Acts 17:11).
"... And the eunuch said, 'See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?' Then Philip said, 'If you believe with all your heart you may' ... went down into the water, and he baptized him" (Acts 8:36-38).
"... that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief" (I Timothy 1:15).
"For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (I Timothy 2:3-4).
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"And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call his name Jesus ... for He will save His people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21).
"... our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works" (Titus 2:13-14).
"And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day" (John 12:47-48).
"... through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time" (I Peter 1:3-5).
"Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).
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"For by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).
"For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe" (I Corinthians 1:21).
"And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him" (Hebrews 5:9).
"... yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls" (I Peter 1:8-9).
"For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death" (II Corinthians 7:10).
"... if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation" (Romans 10:9-10).
"There is also an antitype which now saves us, namely baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ" (I Peter 3:21).
"Then Peter said to them, 'Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit'" (Acts 2:38).
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"Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them" (Acts 2:41. See also Acts 8:12, 36-40; 10:34-48; 11:14; 16:14-15, 25-34; 18:8; 19:1-7; 22:1-16).
"... behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation" (I Corinthians 6:2).
"But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6. See also John 3:16; 20:30-31).
When the Bible speaks of believers being saved, it means obedient believers and not disobedient ones (Acts 16:34; 2:44; Galatians 5:6). Faith alone will not save (James 2:24).
To repent means to change one's mind and conduct (Matthew 21:28-29).
"Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 10:32-33; Romans 10:9-10; Acts 8:37).
One is not to confess that he is taking Jesus Christ as his personal Savior, or that God for Christ's sake has pardoned his sins, but that "... Jesus Christ is the Son of God" (Acts 8:37).
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"Repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins" (Acts 2:38; 22:16; Mark 16:15, 16; I Peter 3:21; Galatians 3:27).
Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life" (Romans 6:4; 6:17; Colossians 2:12; Acts 8:37-39).
"There is therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the spirit" (Romans 8:1; 8:13; Galatians 5:19, 23; I Corinthians 9:27).
"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldy lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age" (Titus 2:11-12; Colossians 3:5, 12; Revelation 21:8; 21:27).
And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved" (Matthew 10:22; Revelation 2:20; I Corinthians 10:1, 12).
When one departs from the commands of Christ, it is worse than if he had never known them (II Peter 2:20, 22; Hebrews 6:4, 6; 10:26, 29).
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"But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love ... for if you do these things you will never stumble" (II Peter 1:5-10; John 15:1-6).
When we sin we must repent of it, confess it, and pray to God that we may be forgiven. "Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you" (Acts 8:22; I John 1:8, 10; James 5:16, 19).
No where in the New Testament can you read of men joining a church. The New Testament church is the spiritual family of God, and men are born into it (I Timothy 3:15; John 3:5).
Then those who gladly received his word were baptized and that day about three thousand souls were added to them" (Acts 2:41).
"And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved" (Acts 2:47; I Corinthians 12:18). Thus, it is impossible to become a Christian or be saved and stay out of the Lord's Church.
"I will build My church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18). No where in the New Testament can we read of any church except the Lord's (Ephesians 5:23, 27).
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"And he put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fulness of Him that fills all in all" (Ephesians 1:22-23; Colossians 1:18).
"There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling" (Ephesians 4:4;I Corinthians 12:12; 12:20). This one body is the Lord's one Church which is the one spiritual family of God into which all men are born when they become Christians. No one should ever have any desire to be a member of any other church
Division is condemned in the Bible (I Corinthians 1:10, 13; John 17:20-21).
"Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching" (Hebrews 10:25; Acts 2:42). God is not pleased when we let weeks go by without worshipping him.
"To Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever" (Ephesians 3:21). All worship must be directed to God through Christ and in His name [by His authority] (Ephesians 2:18; Colossians 3:17).
God is Spirit; and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:24). To worship in spirit means to worship sincerely and earnestly. Our worship must be free from all hypocrisy and pretension (Matthew 6:1-6; 15:8).
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To worship in truth means to worship according to the teaching of God's word (John 17:17; John 4:24; Matthew 15:9).
1. Prayer: I Timothy 2:8; Romans 12:12.
2. Lord's Supper: Acts 20:7; I Corinthians 11:23,27.
3. Bible Study: II Timothy 2:15; Acts 2:42.
4. Contribution: I Corinthians 16:1-2, II Corinthians 9:7.
5. Singing: Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16.
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