Front Cover
WHAT IS THE BIBLE
"... By what authority are You doing these things ..." (Matthew 21:23)?
CAN I KNOW ABOUT GOD WITHOUT THE BIBLE?
"For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made ..." (Romans 1:20).
WHY THEN DO I NEED THE BIBLE?
"...the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus" (II Timothy 3:15)
HOW USEFUL IS THE BIBLE?
"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).
WHO IS THE AUTHOR OF THE BIBLE?
"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).
HOW DID GOD SPEAK THROUGH THE PROPHETS?
"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)
HOW HAS GOD SPOKEN THROUGH HIS SON?
"For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure" (John 3:34).
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WHAT AUTHORITY DOES CHRIST HAVE?
"... All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18).
WHERE DOES CHRIST'S AUTHORITY APPLY?
"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).
HOW FAR DOES CHRIST'S AUTHORITY GO?
"... teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you ..." (Matthew 28:20).
DOES CHRIST'S AUTHORITY STILL APPLY?
"... and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20).
WHAT DID CHRIST PROMISE HIS APOSTLES?
"... 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).
WHAT DID CHRIST'S APOSTLES DO?
"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).
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF CHRIST'S MESSAGE?
"... 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).
ARE THERE OTHER WAYS OF SALVATION?
"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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SHOULD PEOPLE CHANGE THE BIBLE MESSAGE?
"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).
WHAT IF I DON'T ACCEPT THE BIBLE?
"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).
HOW CAN I ACCEPT THE BIBLE?
"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).
WHAT IS THE CHURCH?
"... Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her" (Ephesians 5:25).
WHO FOUNDED THE CHURCH?
"... on this rock I will build My church (Matthew 16:18).
HOW IMPORTANT IS THE CHURCH?
"... the church of God which He purchased with His own blood" (Acts 20:28).
WHO IS ITS HEAD?
"... Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the [His] body" (Ephesians 5:23).
WHERE IS ITS HEADQUARTERS?
"Heaven is my throne" (Acts 7:49, 55).
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WHAT IS ITS CONSTITUTION?
"... He [Christ] is the Mediator of the new covenant ..." (Hebrews 9:15).
WHAT IS ITS MEMBERSHIP?
"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations ..." (Matthew 28:19).
WHAT ARE THESE DISCIPLES CALLED?
"... And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch" (Acts 11:26).
CAN ONE BE A CHRISTIAN OUTSIDE THE CHURCH?
"Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually" (I Corinthians 12:27).
WHERE IS THE REGISTER OF MEMBERS KEPT?
"... and church ... who are registered in heaven" (Hebrews 12:23).
CAN THERE BE NON-CHRISTIAN MEMBERS?
"... And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved" (Acts 2:47).
DOES ANYONE HAVE A CHOICE OF CHURCHES?
"The Lord added to the church ..." (Acts 2:47).
WHERE ARE THE BRANCHES OF THE CHURCH?
"For where two or three are gathered together in my name. I am there in the midst of them" (Matthew 16:20).
HOW ARE THESE BRANCHES DESCRIBED?
"Greet one another ... The churches of Christ greet you" (Romans 16:16).
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WHAT ARE THE CONDITIONS FOR MEMBERSHIP?
"Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them ..." (Matthew 7:24).
WHAT ARE THE ENTRY TERMS FOR MEMBERSHIP?
"He who believes and is baptized will be saved ..." (Mark 16:16).
WHAT COMMITMENT IS REQUIRED?
"... whoever of you who does not forsake all that he has cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:33).
WHAT ARE THE OBLIGATIONS OF MEMBERSHIP?
"... Be faithful until death ..." (Revelation 2:10).
WHAT ARE THE DUTIES OF MEMBERSHIP?
"... 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).
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP?
"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).
WHO ARE WE?
"The churches of Christ greet you" (Romans 16:16).
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CHRISTIANS ARE FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST
"... 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).
CHRIST BEGAN HIS CHURCH
"... and on this rock I will build My church ..." (Matthew 16:18).
CHRIST IS THE ONLY HEAD
"... 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).
THERE IS ONLY ONE CHURCH
"... for you [Christians] are all one in Christ Jesus ..." (Galatians 3:28).
"There is one body ..." (Ephesians 4:4).
THE CHURCH IS NON-DENOMINATIONAL
"... each of you says, 'I am of Paul,' .. or 'I of Cephas,' or 'I of Christ.' Is Christ divided" (I Corinthians 1:12-13).
THE BIBLE IS OUR ONLY GUIDEBOOK
"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).
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CHRISTIANS ARE FORGIVEN ALL PAST SINS
"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).
CHRISTIANS ARE RECONCILED TO GOD
"...we [Christians] were reconciled to God through the death of His Son..." (Romans 5:10).
CHRISTIANS WILL INHERIT ETERNAL LIFE
"... has begotten us again to a living hope ... to an inheritance ... reserved in heaven for you" (I Peter 1:3-4).
THE WAY TO BECOME A CHRISTIAN
"... 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).
WHAT IS SIN?
...He will save His people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21).
What Is Sin?
"... sin is lawlessness" (I John 3:4).
"All unrighteousness is sin ..." (I John 5:17).
IS EVERYONE A SINNER?
"... for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).
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WHAT IS THE RESULT OF SIN?
"... 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).
HOW DO WE KNOW ABOUT SIN?
"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)..
WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT SIN?
"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).
WHAT HAS GOD DONE?
"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).
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WHAT SHOULD WE DO?
"... 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).
WHAT FOLLOWS GOD'S FORGIVENESS?
"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).
WHAT IS GRACE?
"But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts 15:11).
WHAT IS GRACE?
"... it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8).
WHAT IS THE GIFT OF GOD?
"... the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23).
WHY DO I NEED GOD'S GIFT?
"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)
HOW CAN I BUY THIS GIFT OF GOD?
"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).
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THEN HOW DO I OBTAIN GOD'S GIFT?
"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).
WHAT IS FAITH?
"... blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed" (John 20:29).
WHAT IS FAITH?
"... faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not see" (Hebrews 11:1).
WHAT SHOULD I BELIEVE ABOUT GOD?
"... 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).
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WHY SHOULD I BELIEVE IN GOD?
"But without faith it is impossible to please Him [God] ..." (Hebrews 11:6).
WHAT SHOULD I BELIEVE ABOUT CHRIST?
"... 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).
WHY SHOULD I BELIEVE IN CHRIST?
"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).
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I BELIEVE IN CHRIST?
"... that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me" (Acts 26:18).
WHAT HAPPENS IF I DO NOT BELIEVE IN CHRIST?
"He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned" (Mark 16:16).
WHAT CAN HELP ME BELIEVE?
"... 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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WHAT IS REPENTANCE?
"... unless you repent you will all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3).
WHAT IS REPENTANCE?
"... 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).
IS IT IMPORTANT TO GOD?
"... 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).
IS IT IMPORTANT TO CHRIST?
"... '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).
WHAT SHOULD PERSUADE ME TO REPENT?
"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)?
IS REPENTANCE MERELY FEELING SORRY?
"Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow let to repentance" (II Corinthians 7:9)?
WHAT DOES REPENTANCE LEAD TO?
"For Godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation" (II Corinthians 7:10).
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"Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out ..." (Acts 3:19).
WHAT ELSE MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?
"... 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).
WHAT MUST I DO WHEN I AM SAVED?
"... that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance" (Acts 26:20).
WHAT IS CONFESSION?
"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).
WHAT IS CONFESSING?
"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).
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WHY SHOULD WE CONFESS JESS AS LORD?
"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).
IS THERE A BIBLICAL EXAMPLEOF SOMEONE CONFESSING JESUS?
"... '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).
WHAT CAUSES PEOPLE NOT TO CONFESSJESUS AS LORD?
"... 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).