Basic Bible Doctrine
BASIC BIBLE DOCTRINES
CONTENT PAGE
Content Page ……………………………………………………. 1
Chapter 1 Human Life …………………………………….. 2
Chapter 2 The True God …………………………………….. 4
Chapter 3 Jesus …………………………………………….. 8
Chapter 4 Salvation ………………………………………… 14
Chapter 5 The Holy Spirit …………………………………. 20
Chapter 6 The Sacrament of Foot Washing ………………… 26
Chapter 7 Holy Communion ……………………………… 29
Chapter 8 The Holy Sabbath ………………………………. 31
Chapter 9 The Church ……………………………………. 35
Chapter 10 Prayer …………………………………………... 39
Chapter 11 The Holy Bible …………………………………. 42
Chapter 12 Spiritual Discipline ……………………………. 44
Chapter 13 Christian Living ……………………………….. 46
Chapter 14 Serving the Lord ……………………………….. 49
Chapter 15 The End Time ………………………………….. 52
CHAPTER 1
HUMAN LIFE
I. Life is short and miserable (Gen 47:9)
A. Transitory
1. Like a runner (Job 9:25)
2. Like a swift boat (Job 9:26)
3. Like a shadow (Eccl 6:12)
4. Like a mist (Jas 4:14)
5. Like a breath (Job 7:7; Ps 144:4)
6. Like a traveller (Heb 11:13)
7. People are not certain as to when life will come to an end (Prov 27:1)
B. Miserable
Sickness and infirmities (Job 7:4-5)
Toil (Gen 3:17-19)
Poverty (Lk 16:20)
Rich but worried (Eccl 5:12)
Mental burdens (Prov 18:14)
Ageing and frail (Eccl 12:2-7)
A succession of toil, trouble and vanity (Ps 90:10; Eccl 1:13)
II. Life is empty (Eccl 1:2)
A. Learning
King Solomon had a great learning (1 Kgs 4:29-34)
Learning could not satisfy him (Eccl 1:17-18)
B. Wealth
King Solomon was exceedingly prosperous (1 Kgs 10:23, 14-15)
Wealth could not satisfy him (Eccl 5:10-12)
C. Enjoyment
1. Clothes (Mt 6:29; 1 Kgs 10:5)
2. Food (Eccl 2:25)
3. Houses (1 Kgs 7:1; 10:21)
4. Others (1 Kgs 11:3)
5. All enjoyment of life could not satisfy King Solomon (Eccl 2:10-11)
III. Judgement after death (Heb 9:27)
A. Everyone must die
Methuselah died at the age of 969 (Gen 5:27)
No one can escape from the battle of death (Eccl 8:8)
B. Judgement comes after death
At the last day the Lord will judge the whole world (Jn 12:48)
Those who are qualified for salvation will enter eternal life in the kingdom of heaven (Mt 25:31-39)
Sinners will be condemned to eternal punishment in hell (Mt 25:40-46)
C. Everyone needs salvation
1. One cannot deliver himself (Jer 13:23)
2. One cannot save others (Rom 7:24)
3. All humanity needs the true God and the Saviour (Gen 3:7-21; Rom 7:25)
CHAPTER 2
THE TRUE GOD
I. God is the Creator (Gen 1:1)
A. How He created the universe
According to His divine will (Rev 4:11)
According to His word (Heb 11:3; Gen 1:3, 6, 9, 14, 20, 24)
By His spirit (Gen 1:2; Ps 104:30)
He created all things from nothing (Heb 11:3)
God alone is the creator (Isa 44:24; Job 9:8)
B. The process of His creation
The first day – light (Gen 1:3-5)
The second day – air (Gen 1:6-8)
The third day – vegetation (Gen 1:9-13)
The fourth day – sun, moon, stars (Gen 1:14-19)
The fifth day – sea animals and fowls (Gen 1:20-23)
The sixth day – land animals and man (Gen 1:24-31)
The seventh day – creation completed, God instituted and blessed the Sabbath (Gen 2:1-3; Ex 20:8-11)
* Remember the Creator while you are still young and strong (Eccl 12:1)
II. God is Omnipotent (Gen 17:1)
A. The manifestation of His Almightiness in the universe
In the past He created all things (Gen 1:1; Heb 11:3)
At present He sustains the universe (Ps 119:91)
He once commanded the sun and the moon to stop (Josh 10:12-14)
He caused a donkey to speak (Num 22:28-30)
B. The manifestation of His Almightiness in mankind
He cleansed Naaman of his leprosy (2 Kgs 5:14)
The Syrian army became blind at Dothan (2 Kgs 6:18-20)
He revived the dead child of the Shunammite woman (2 Kgs 4:32-37)
Enoch and Elijah were changed and ascended to heaven (Gen 5:24; 2 Kgs 2:11)
* The divine power is unsearchable (Job 11:7-11)
* We must trust Him in everything (Jer 17:7-8)
III. God is Omniscient (Rom 16:27)
A. God knows men’s behaviour (Ps 139:3)
He knew the sin of Achan committed in the dark (Josh 7:10-12, 16-26)
He knew Cornelius’ good deeds (Acts 10:1-4)
* The eyes of God are in every place keeping watch over on the evil and the good (Prov 15:3)
B. He hears everyone’s words (Ps 139:4)
God knows the secret message in the Syrian king’s bed chamber (2 Kgs 6:8-12)
Your word will justify or condemn you at the final judgement (Mt 12:36-37)
* Liars and scoffers cannot be saved (Rev 21:8; 1 Cor 6:10; Jas 3:2-6)
C. He detects men’s hearts (Ps 139:2)
God discerned Sarah’s secret laughter (Gen 18:10-15)
God knew Abimelech’s integrity (Gen 20:6)
* Lust is a sin in the sight of God. Everyone must purify his heart (Mt 5:28; Prov 4:23)
* God is greater than what we can imagine. He knows everything (1 Jn 3:20)
IV. God is love (1 Jn 4:8, 16)
A. The manifestation of the divine love
Providential care
a. He cares for us and brings us up (Gen 48:15; Ps 23:1)
b. He protects us (Gen 48:15; Ex 14:19-20)
2. Deliverance
a. He gave us His only begotten son (Jn 3:16)
b. He died for our sins (Rom 5:6-8)
c. He opened for us a new and living way (Heb 10:19-20)
B. Whom does God love?
God loves those who fear Him (Ps 147:11)
He loves those who keep His commandments (Ex 20:6)
He loves all mankind (1 Tim 2:4; Ps 145:9)
He loves sinners (Lk 6:35; Mt 5:45)
His love covers all the creation (Ps 145:9, 15-17)
V. God is the just Judge (Ps 98:9)
A. He punishes all the sinners (Ex 34:7)
1. Adam and Eve (Gen 3:16-19)
2. The wicked city of Sodom (Gen 18:20, 32; 19:24-25)
3. At the Last Day, the wicked will be condemned (Mt 25:46; Rev 21:8)
B. He rewards the righteous (1 Kgs 8:32)
1. He delivered Noah and his family (2 Pet 2:5; Gen 7:1)
2. He blessed filial Ruth (Ruth 1:15-18; 4:13-17)
3. The righteous will be rewarded – eternal life (Mt 25:46; 2 Pet 3:9-11)
* Never feel disheartened in doing good deeds, for God will reward the righteous (Gal 6:9-10)
VI. The relationship between man and God
A. God begot us
God created Adam, our first parent (Gen 1:26-27)
We are born of Him (Ps 139:15; Acts 17:28)
B. God raises us
1. He is our Shepherd (Ps 23:1; Gen 48:15)
2. He gives timely rain to the crops and provides us with food (Mt 5:45; Acts 14:16-17)
C. God makes us alive
1. Life and death are in the hands of God (Deut 32:39)
2. He added 15 years to the life of King Hezekiah (Isa 38:4-5)
3. He resurrected the son of the woman at Zarephath (1 Kgs 17:21-22)
D. Marriage is also made possible by God (Mk 10:7-9)
1. A virtuous and competent wife is a gift from God (Prov 19:14)
2. God arranged Eve, a helper for Adam (Gen 2:18-22)
3. He prepared Rebekah for Isaac (Gen 24:7, 12-27)
E. Children are from God (Ps 127:3)
1. God granted Isaac to the ageing Abraham (Gen 18:10-14)
2. He gave children to Isaac (Gen 25:21-24)
3. He gave Hannah a son (1 Sam 1:10-20)
F. Material abundance comes from God (1 Chron 29:12)
1. He made Abraham prosperous (Gen 24:34-35)
2. He caused Isaac to have hundredfold harvest (Gen 26:1-13)
3. Blessed by God, Solomon was rich and prosperous (1 Kgs 3:13; 10:14-15,21, 27)
G. God gives people position and power (1 Sam 2:7)
1. Joseph became a minister (Gen 41:25-43)
2. Daniel was promoted to chief prefect over all the wise men (Dan 2:36-48)
3. God establishes kings and emperors (Dan 4:17, 25, 32)
H. Man’s entire life is in His hands (Ps 31:15; Prov 20:24)
1. God predestined the future of Esau and Jacob (Gen 25:21-23; 27:38-48)
2. By dreams God directed Joseph’s future (Gen 37:5-11)
3. He has absolute power and authority over mankind (Eccl 7:13; Rom 9:16)
* God is the heavenly Father of mankind. Everyone ought to fear and love Him (Eccl 12:13; Mal 1:6)
VII. The proof for the existence of God
A. The created world
1. The creatures prove the existence of the Creator (Rom 1:20)
2. Animals and birds of the air would tell people about the creation of God (Job 12:7-10)
3. Monuments and houses are built by men, but the Creator of the world and everything on it is God (Heb 3:4)
B. Jesus Christ is the proof for the existence of God
1. Jesus is God manifested in the flesh (1 Tim 3:16; Jn 10:30)
2. The words and deeds of Jesus Christ prove that He is God -
a. He restored sight to the blind (Mt 9:27-30)
b. He cast out demons (Mk 5:1-13)
c. He resurrected the dead (Lk 7:11-15)
d. He calmed the tempest (Mt 8:23-26)
e. He multiplied five loaves of bread and two fish to feed 5,000 people (Mt 14:16-21)
C. The Holy Spirit proves the existence of God
1. The Holy Spirit which we have received proves that there is God (1 Jn 3:24; 4:13)
2. When one receives the baptism of the Holy Spirit, he will speak in tongues (Acts 2:4; 10:44-46)
3. To receive the Holy Spirit is a matter of experience, which can be visible and heard by others. The spiritual experience is a miracle (Acts 19:1-7; 2:13; Mk 16:17)
D. Miracles prove the existence of God
1. Without God there cannot be miracles (Jn 3:2)
2. The Israelites knew and worshipped God through miracles (1 Kgs 18:38-39)
3. The gentiles believed in Jesus through miracles (Rom 15:18)
4. The Lord Jesus promised that miracles would follow the disciples and confirm the true message (Mk 16:17-20)
5. The major categories of miracles –
a. Healing (Mk 2:1-12; 5:25-34)
b. Exorcism (Mt 15:21-28; Mk 9:16-27)
c. Reviving the dead (Jn 11:39-44; Mk 5:35-43)
d. Peace and blessing will come to those who know and fear God (Job 22:21)
CHAPTER 3
JESUS
The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners (1 Tim 1:15)
I. Jesus came into the world to save mankind
A. The angel instructed Mary that Jesus would be the King of the spiritual Israelite (Lk 1:30-33)
B. The angel told Joseph that Jesus would save the people from sin (Mt 1:20-23)
C. The angel disclosed to the shepherds that a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord, was born that very night (Lk 2:8-11)
* Christ would be born of a virgin (Isa 7:14; Mt 1:18-25)
* Christ would be a descendant from David (Jer 23:5; Mt 22:41-42)
* Christ would be born in Bethlehem (Mic 5:2; Mt 2:4-6)
II. Jesus worked for the salvation of mankind (Lk 9:56)
A. He proclaimed the gospel of the kingdom (Mt 4:23)
1. He began the ministry at the age of 30 (Lk 3:23)
2. He verified the existence of the kingdom of heaven (Jn 14:1-3; Mt 25:34)
3. He pointed out the glory of the heavenly kingdom (Mt 13:43; Lk 22:30)
4. He revealed the way to the heavenly kingdom (Jn 14:6)
5. He showed how to go to the heavenly kingdom (Jn 3:5; Mt 7:21)
6. He told us about the rewards in the kingdom of heaven (Mt 19:29; Lk 19:15-19)
B. He healed a variety of diseases (Mt 4:23)
1. He healed the lepers (Lk 17:11-19)
2. He healed the paralytic (Mk 2:1-12)
3. He restored the sight of the blind (Jn 9:1-11)
4. He cast out demons from the possessed (Mk 5:1-13)
5. He raised the dead (Jn 11:39-44)
C. He performed miracles and wonders
1. He calmed the rough sea (Mt 8:23-27)
2. He delivered Peter from sinking (Mt 14:22-23)
3. He fed 5,000 people with five loaves and two fish (Mt 14:15-21)
III. He became poor for us (2 Cor 8:9)
A. He was born in a manger (Lk 2:6-7)
B. He grew up in a carpenter’s house (Mt 13:55)
C. He led an impoverished life (Lk 9:57-58)
IV. He suffered for our deliverance (Isa 53:4-6)
A. He was rejected in different places (Mk 5:17; Lk 9:53)
B. People plotted to kill Him (Jn 7:1; 11:53, 57)
C. He was delivered to the evil men for our sins (Rom 4:25; Mt 26:47-57)
D. He was spat on (Mt 26:67)
E. He was smitten (Mt 26:67)
F. He was whipped (Mt 27:26)
G. A crown of thorns was forced upon His head (Mt 27:28-29)
H. He was mocked (Mt 27:28-31)
I. He was crucified (Mt 27:33-35)
V. The cross fulfilled the salvation
A. Jesus died for us
1. Sinners will be judged after death (Heb 9:27)
2. The holy one died for sinners and sin thus was forgiven (Heb 9:22)
3. The blood of the bulls and lambs can never take away sins (Heb 10:1-4)
4. Jesus, the lamb of God, died for our sins (Jn 1:29; 1 Cor 15:3)
B. The effects of the Lord’s death on the cross
1. The law is fulfilled (Heb 10:1-4; Gal 3:13)
2. Salvation is fulfilled (Mt 27:50-51; Jn 19:30; Heb 10:19-20)
3. He becomes a propitiation (expiation) (1 Jn 2:2; Rom 3:25)
4. He defeats Satan (Heb 2:14; 1 Cor 15:55-57)
5. Our sins are washed away by His blood (Heb 9:13-14; Acts 2:38)
6. We are made righteous – justified (Rom 5:9; 2 Cor 5:21)
7. We are reconciled with God (Eph 2:13-14; Rom 5:10)
8. We have the prospect of entering the heavenly kingdom (Col 1:13-14; Jn 3:5)
VI. The Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus Christ
A. Jesus resurrected
1. The Lord said that He would resurrect on the third day (Mt 16:21; 12:40)
2. Mary witnessed the resurrection of Jesus (Mt 28:1-10; Jn 20:1-2)
3. Apostles bore witness that He had risen (Jn 20:3-8; 1 Cor 15:3-8)
4. The angels testified that the Lord had risen (Mt 28:5, 7; Lk 24:5-8)
5. Some soldiers confirmed that Jesus had resurrected (Mt 28:4, 11-15)
* The resurrection of the Lord Jesus verifies His promise that those who believe in Him will be resurrected (1 Cor 15:12, 14; 1 Thess 4:13-17)
B. Jesus ascended
1. Jesus ascended to heaven after He had appeared to the disciples for forty days (Acts 1:1-3)
2. He ascended to heaven after He had given benediction to His disciples (Lk 24:50-51)
3. The angels confirmed that Jesus had ascended (Acts 1:9-10)
4. The Holy Spirit has come and verified the ascension of Jesus (Acts 1:5; 2:33; Jn 16:7)
VII. Jesus Christ is the True God
A. Jesus has the divine attributes of God
1. Omnipotent
a. He healed the sick (Mt 9:27-30)
b. He raised the dead (Lk 7:14-15)
c. He subdued the demons (Mt 12:22)
d. He controls the universe (Mt 17:24-27)
e. He sustains the universe (Heb 1:3)