Standard Jet DBnb` Ugr@?~1y0̝cßFN{a7)(,`{6i߱nCS53y[/|*|w4mf_Љ$g'DeFx -bT4.0dv Y h/ h/ S  Y   Y Y  Y Y  Y  Y  Y  r Y s Y E Y a Y  Y 2Y  Y   Y  Y ConnectDatabaseDateCreateDateUpdate FlagsForeignNameIdLvLvExtraLvModule LvPropName OwnerParentIdRmtInfoLongRmtInfoShortTypenroYYIdParentIdName        OYS Y Y Y  Y 2ACMFInheritableObjectIdSID  AtYObjectId Y   SY  Y Y Y  Y   Y Y  Y AttributeExpressionFlagLvExtra Name1 Name2ObjectId Ordernzf edY"ObjectIdAttribute -Y   SY Y Y  Y   Y   Y  Y  Y  ccolumn grbiticolumnszColumnszObject$szReferencedColumn$szReferencedObjectszRelationship   YYYszObject$szReferencedObjectszRelationshipYv1b N  : k & W  C t/ @@X  @@OJmJLJkQkiQ^JmYdbkWYfkmJL^Qk`kvkJMQk`kvkdL[QMmk`kvkhoQiYQk`kvkiQ^JmYdbkWYfkmdfYMbdmQk`kvkOL  @~  @ @           d k f  紨|S@ |S@Topic NotesLՒ@DDD88888886 @Z|S@Z|S@MSysRelationshipsMDDDDDDDDDDB Z|S@Z|S@MSysQueriesM88888888886 Z|S@Z|S@MSysACEsM22222222220 Z|S@Z|S@MSysObjectsM88888888886 Z|S@Z|S@MSysDbL.........., Z|S@Z|S@RelationshipsM<<<<<<<<<<: Z|S@Z|S@DatabasesM44444444442 Z|S@Z|S@TablesM.........., jYNY Y d YID TitleCommentsYYIDPrimaryKeyHv1b|LVALY{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0{\fonttbl{\f0\froman\fprq2\fcharset0 Times New Roman;}{\f1\fnil\fcharset0 Georgia;}{\f2\fnil\fcharset2 Symbol;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue255;\red0\green0\blue0;\red0\green128\blue0;} {\stylesheet{ Normal;}{\s1 heading 1;}{\s2 heading 2;}} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\sb400\sa60\qc\lang1033\kerning28\b\f0\fs60 CHRISTIAN \line BASIC TRAINING \par \pard\sb60\sa60\qc\kerning0\b0\fs24 by \line Charles T. Buntin \line mainto4@lld.net \line SDG Ministries \line 727 State Route 945 \line Mayfield, KY 42066 \line 1996\par \fs20\page\b\scaps\fs22 Trademark and Copyright Information\par \pard\sb60\sa60\b0\fs20 Copyright \'a9 1996 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. and the authors. All rights reserved. For free usage information, please read the BSF Website Copyright Statement for fair use statements.\fs24 \par Electronic Access to this Material\par \pard\sb60\sa60\qc\fs20 This Material is available for use on the internet via an agreement with the Biblical Studies Foundation, a non-Profit Foundation at:\line\fs24{\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK "www.bible.org"}}{\fldrslt{\ul\cf1 www.bible.org}}}\f0\fs24\par \pard\sb60\sa60\fs20 Biblical Studies copyrighted by individual authors and the Biblical studies Press are not shareware or public domain and may not be duplicated without permission.\par \pard\sb60\sa60\qc\b\fs24 BSF Website Copyright Statement\par \pard\sb60\sa60\b0\fs20 From our website at {\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK "www.bible.org"}}{\fldrslt{\ul\cf1 www.bible.org}}}\f0\fs20 , you may download the information and print it for yourself and others as long as you give it away and do not charge for it. In this case, free means free. It cannot be bundled with anything sold, nor can you charge for shipping, handling, or anything. It is provided for personal study or for use in preparation of sermons, Sunday school classes, or other non-commercial study. This release does not apply to other media than paper printed distribution. \par For FrLVALee distribution of more than 100 copies, you must obtain written permission and comply with reasonable guidelines of content control and include currently valid BSP copyright and organizational acknowledgments. \par For permission, inquire by E-Mail to \ldblquote head@bible.org\rdblquote or call 800/575-2425.\par \pard\sb60\sa60\qc\b\scaps0\fs32 Contents \par \pard\lang3082\b0\fs20\par Foreword\tab\par \i Regula Fidei\i0 (The Rule of Faith) What Distinguishes a Christian from a Pagan?\tab\par Chapter 2 \ldblquote Thy word is Truth\rdblquote The Inspiration, Inerrancy, and Authority of the Bible\tab\par Chapter 4 The Trinity\tab\par Chapter 5b The Work of Christ\tab\par Chapter 7 The Necessity of a Consistent Christian Life\tab\par Appendix 2 A Good Tool Chest\tab\par Appendix 4 Study Questions and Projects for Chapter Two\tab\par Appendix 6 Study Questions and Projects for Chapter Four\tab\par Appendix 8 The Empty God\tab\lang1033 F\lang3082 GOTOBUTTON _Toc411315532 61\par \cf2\lang1033\par \pard\keepn\s1\sb240\sa60\qc\cf0\lang3082\kerning28\b\fs28 Dedication\par \pard\sb60\sa60\qc\lang1033\kerning0\b0\fs20 to\line my wife, who put up with 20 years of military life,\line to\line Rev. Tom James and Shirley James,\line the Brothers on Guam at Country Church and Grace Chapel, and\line Bob Knight who discipled me in the Faith Once Delivered to the Saints\line to\line Dr. Jim McColl, Rev. Barry Horner, Dr. Gary Long,\line Dr. John Grove, Rev. Mike Garrigan, and Dr. Tom Branson\line who taught me the deep things of the gospel,\line to\line Rev. Jim McCay, now with the Lord, and\line to\line A. W. Pink, a giant unknown in his time,\line but mostly to the Glory of God \par \page\pard\keepn\s1\sb240\sa60\qc\lang3082\kerning28\b\fs28 Foreword\par \pard\fi720\sb60\sa60\qj\cf2\lang1033\kerning0\b0\fs20 The Lord Jesus Christ came into my life in 1973, while I was serving in the U.S. Air Force on the island of Guam. I was no stranger to religion--in fact, I had been raised in a churchgoing LVALfamily. However, the church in which I had been raised was a mainline Protestant church that taught \ldblquote liberal\rdblquote theology. By liberal theology, I mean the church and its spokesmen in my childhood denomination tended to deny some or all of the elements of Biblical faith. They thought there were errors in the Bible, they questioned the literal truth of some or all of the miracles of the Bible, and Jesus to them was not the Sovereign Lord which the Bible says He is. Their version of the Savior was something less than fully divine. The result of growing up in such a church was predictable, and was shared by the overwhelming majority of mainline Protestant children of my generation--by the time I was 16, I was a confirmed skeptic, and by the time I was 18, I was more-or-less a pagan. To me, religion was a joke, and churches were social clubs where people came to see who was there and what they were wearing. I was familiar with some Bible-believing Christians, but I considered them ignorant fanatics.\par I went to college for a couple of years, and had some association with students who were Bible-believers. For awhile, I even professed conversion, but \ldblquote the root of the matter\rdblquote was not yet in me--it was not real and it did not hold. I re-adopted a religion of sorts, a kind of deal with God for some Hell insurance (in case there was a hell), but it was all just playing church--my life did not change. Then came Guam. I did not want to go to Guam, but the Air Force sent me anyway. I could not take my young wife, then pregnant with our first child, because I did not have sufficient rank to qualify for government travel and housing for my family. So, it was as a single, alone, and unsaved man that I arrived on the island. \par Soon after arriving in Guam in January 1973, I attended a chapel service called \ldblquote Country Church.\rdblquote That name seemed safe enough, and I went expecting a good, down-home singing. What I got was something else. There was a large crowd oLVALf mostly young, mostly men there--like me, these were mostly lower-ranking personnel, so only a few of us had our wives with us on the island. There was an Air Force Staff Sergeant preaching like no one I\rquote d heard before, and saying things I\rquote d never heard before. I was captivated, convicted, and overcome with wonder. I was not really sure what was happening to me at the time, but God was opening my heart and mind to understand the gospel and believe in His Son for salvation. It was the beginning of an experience that would dominate the rest of my life, even to eternity. The preacher, that Air Force Staff Sergeant, his wife, and the dozens of young believers there on Guam took me under their wing and discipled me in \ldblquote the faith once delivered to the saints,\rdblquote (Jude 3 ). Though my Christian life took many turns, twists, ups, and downs over the years since that 15-month period on Guam, the Lord has delivered me from all snares, and He has guided my path. The foundation for steady growth and progression in my life as a believer, however, was the discipleship given to me by those wonderful people on Guam.\par Many years ago, as I was teaching Sunday School classes and Bible studies, I noticed that there were large doctrinal gaps in the understanding of many believers--sometimes even in believers who had walked with the Lord for years! I realized that the 20th century American churches were not thoroughly teaching new believers the basic doctrines of the faith. Now, there are many teaching ministries that do a good job of teaching--about finances, prophecy, life issues, marital relations, etc. These are all worthy areas for our study and attention--but how many of the believers studying through these ministries can discuss the basic issues of the Christian faith with any degree of authority? How many of the believers in your congregation can discuss the doctrine of the Trinity, for instance? How many members of your congregation can explain the vital doctrine of JustificationLVAL by Faith Alone, which Martin Luther called the doctrine upon which a church stands or falls? As I realized the need for believers to come to know the basics, I felt a burden from God to teach those doctrines, and I was obedient to that leading. This little book is the result of over ten years of studying and teaching the basics of the Christian Faith to believers from all types of backgrounds. \par To the skeptic, the cynic, the cultist, the existentialist, and any other nonbelieving \ldblquote ist\rdblquote that might be out there--you are welcome to read this book; I implore you to read this book--but it is not addressed to you. However, I pray that if you do read it, God may open your eyes to the Truth and bring you to Himself--but that is not my purpose in writing. This book is not meant to convince anyone; I seek to prove nothing to the unbeliever. However, God has often used broken reeds to fell mighty oaks, so read on. \par To the believer--this one\rquote s for YOU! This is a book written to build up the family of God, all truly purchased by and washed in the blood of Christ, that we may all arrive at the maturity and unity of the faith that God desires of us.\par \pard\keepn\s1\sb240\sa60\qc\cf0\lang3082\kerning28\b\fs28 Preface\par \pard\fi720\sb60\sa60\qj\cf2\lang1033\kerning0\b0\fs20 What is Truth? This is an age-old question, but in late 20th century Western civilization, it has become an accepted fact among most \ldblquote learned\rdblquote people that we can know \ldblquote truth\rdblquote (with a small \ldblquote t\rdblquote )--but that we cannot know \ldblquote Truth\rdblquote (with a big \ldblquote T\rdblquote ). We can identify pieces of data, events, conditions, etc., as being real and factual--but the big questions of the universe, ultimate Truth, are impossible to answer. In the mundane, important, tragic, comic, or happy events of everyday life, the sages of our age will allow us to perceive little bits of reality, without admitting the possibility or at least the knowaLVALbility of Reality. This has been somewhat changed in the past decade by the growing popularity of so-called New Age thinking, which takes in various forms of mysticism and superstition, and which is no \ldblquote newer\rdblquote than ancient Babylon or Egypt. But the mushy, all-inclusive concept of Truth prevalent among these groups of neo-pagans is no closer to the real thing than the secular version. \par Christianity--that is, real, Biblical, evangelical, orthodox, born-again Christianity--has the only answer to the quandary of modern men and women as they face an uncertain future with either no foundation, a false foundation, or a foundation of sand. The problem is that our churches and our professing believers (at least in America) have been so influenced by materialism, \ldblquote touchy-feely\rdblquote psychology, and existentialism that we are in danger of becoming a non-factor as the world plunges headlong into a great abyss. We organize politically, we write our legislators, we demonstrate, boycott, rally, and vote, but what are we accomplishing? Where is the revolutionary effect that the church had on the world of the first four centuries of the modern era? The early church revolutionized three continents without the benefits of modern communications or democratic rights, and in the face of great personal danger--where is that power today? Where is the radical, society-challenging and changing power that our spiritual forebears exercised in the Reformation, the Puritan Revival, and the Great Awakening? Has the Holy Spirit abandoned us? Or, have we abandoned His way? Oh, there are those who speak of real revival--we often hear it prayed for. There have been tiny moves of the Spirit in various places. And, there are voices popping up to urge us on to excellence. There is smoke--but where is the fire? Some polls have claimed that 60 million people in the U.S. claim to be born-again Christians. I wish it were so. If there were 60 million true believers in the U.S. consistently following ChriLVALst, abortion, the drug culture, rampant poverty in a land of richness, physical and sexual abuse, pornography, and many of our other evils would be ground into powder! \par Only the Holy Spirit of God can bring the revival of true Christianity that this evil age calls for. This is not a day for the weak, apathetic, or uncommitted. This is a day for God\rquote s people to arise and follow Him (John 10:27). \par There is no magic equation that will fix the 20th century American churches--there is no computer program that we can load, start, and then forget about it while it runs. What is required is what the first church did--and it has nothing to do with controversial gifts, extraordinary phenomena, or any of the organizational ideas of the first church. The four things the first church excelled in are listed in Acts 2:42 \ldblquote and they continued steadfastly in the apostles\rquote doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.\rdblquote The results? Thousands (eventually millions) were saved, and the church grew to worldwide proportions! Did extraordinary phenomena take place? Yes, the Spirit was pleased to grant such things. Were gifts in evidence? Yes, once again, the Holy Spirit was pleased to give gifts to the churches. These things, however, were by-products of revival--they followed the church\rquote s obedient, steadfast devotion to the basics. We in the 20th century American church are sadly lacking in these areas, especially in the areas of teaching and prayer--and without these two legs, the table falls, however strong the other two.\par We are woefully inadequate in the area of teaching the truths of the gospel to our people, in equipping them for ministry, for being salt and light in our world. \ldblquote But,\rdblquote someone says, \ldblquote there are so many wonderful teachers, so many books, video tapes, and other materials available.\rdblquote True, and that only increases our guilt--for we have done little with such riches. Simply put, we may know a loLVALt about end-times prophecy, we may be well-schooled in denominational positions on Baptism, the gifts of the Spirit, Eternal Security, etc., but are our members well-versed on the fundamentals of the faith? We may have a social outreach program of some sort to all different groups in our community, but what do we do with those we reach? How long does it take for a new believer in our congregation to become well-versed in the doctrines of Christianity? If our new believers do know essential doctrines, have they \ldblquote internalized\rdblquote them--do the teachings affect the way they live? \par The goal of this book is for local churches to awaken to their need to teach and live the basic doctrines of the Faith Once Delivered to the Saints, and to provide a supplemental textbook for that purpose. (Only the Bible can be the main text). This book is not written for scholars, but for students. It is not written to evangelize the lost, but to build up the saints. It is not written to convince the agnostic or the cynic, but to confirm the seeker and comfort and edify the believer. May God\rquote s Holy Spirit aid in that task. \i Soli Deo Gloria\i0 (To God Alone Be the Glory).\par \pard\f1\fs22\par \pard\keepn\s1\sb240\sa60\qc\cf0\lang3082\kerning28\b\i\f0\fs28 Regula Fidei\i0 (The Rule of Faith)\line What Distinguishes a Christian from a Pagan?\par \pard\keepn\s2\sb180\sa60\kerning0\fs24 Introductory Thoughts\par \pard\fi720\sb60\sa60\qj\cf2\lang1033\b0\fs20 What is a Christian? Is Christianity defined by ethnic heritage, a particular political allegiance, by living according to a set of rules, or attendance at particular rituals? Are you a Christian just because you call yourself one? Many people in the world identify themselves as Christians, or are identified by others as Christian, because of ethnicity, politics, lifestyle, or worship choice. Are these valid reasons for assigning the label \ldblquote Christian\rdblquote ? Still others claim the designation \ldblquote Christian\rdblquote baLVALsed on some existential experience with very indefinite boundaries or meaning. \ldblquote I saw a light, and a great peace came over me. After that, I knew I was a Christian.\rdblquote \par These accounts vary greatly, but they usually find their meaning in subjective feelings, and communicate nothing about repentance, faith in Christ, or subsequent dedication to holy living. Many of the people who have these feelings would be difficult, if not impossible, to identify as believers by any other measure than their own testimony of a mystic experience. Others have had an experience only slightly removed from the existential--these responded to an evangelical appeal of some kind. The appeal may have been person-to-person, part of an evangelistic crusade, or by way of a television ministry of some kind, but other than that initial experience, or perhaps some minimal activity, that is as far as it went. \par The two examples given have much in common The people in both categories know little about the Savior or the life of faith, they are not part of any corporate worship body, and they are not following Christ. To use a common evangelical clich\'e9, if they were charged with being Christian, there would be little evidence to convict them.\par Back to our original question, then--\rdblquote What is a Christian?\rdblquote The Bible has a definitive answer to this question, as it does with most others. According to the Scriptures, Christians are those who have come to realize their own sinfulness before God and their inability to save themselves, have turned to Jesus Christ in faith and repentance, and have begun following and worshipping Christ, usually in some kind of corporate community of believers. We must also expand the definition a bit to include that to be considered a Christian, a person\rquote s faith and life must conform to what the church has historically called the Regula Fidei, or The Rule of the Faith.\par \ldblquote Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ, and the brother of James,\rdblquote LVAL(Jude 1) wrote to the church at large with this purpose: \ldblquote Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.\rdblquote (Jude 3). Very early in the history of the church, God\rquote s servants had to write to defend the Regula Fidei. Paul was amazed to find the Galatian Christians, only a short time after the preaching of the gospel to them, had been turned aside into \ldblquote a different gospel.\rdblquote (\cf3\ul Gal_1:6\cf2\ulnone ) Paul also had to caution the Colossian believers against both philosophy and legalism (\cf3\ul Col_2:8-10\cf2\ulnone ; 16-23), and had similar cautions in most of his other writings. Very early church tradition tells us that John the apostle wrote his gospel to correct the heresy we now know as Gnosticism, and he warns against false teachers in his letters (\cf3\ul 1Jo_2:18-23\cf2\ulnone ; \cf3\ul 1Jo_4:1-6\cf2\ulnone ; 2 John 7-11), as does the apostle Peter (2 Pet 2). \par The apostles viewed the essence of Christianity to be the Person and Work of Christ made alive in the hearts of repentant sinners awakened by the Spirit of God through the preaching of the Word of God--but this was not viewed by them as merely a subjective existential experience. There was certainly the subjective, individual experience of faith in Christ, but there was also The Faith, a set of doctrines handed down as a sacred trust to be taught, believed, and defended. This set of doctrines is the core of Christianity; absolute, finite, authoritative for eternity, unchanging, and not subject to review by either the individual believer, the church, or society. \par Over the centuries, this list of doctrines became encrusted with the barnacles of Greek and Roman paganism and philosophy, Imperial Byzantine and Roman law, and with ecclesiastical dogma separate from the Scriptures--but the core remained intact. The WaldensiLVALans, St. Francis, Wycliffe, the Hussites, the Reformers, the Puritans, the preachers of the great awakening, and other great Christian saints over the centuries have periodically broken the barnacles off and emphasized the core, the heart of the faith. The time has come for this to be done again. We need to answer a question, and act on the answer: What constitutes true Christian doctrine?\par Like the age of the Apostles of our Lord, the Church today is overrun with apostles of a new \ldblquote Christianity\rdblquote that is not true Christianity at all. It is not a denomination--it is interdenominational. It is not a just a new doctrinal perspective. It is not about culture, or preference, or any such thing. This heresy is nothing less than a denial of historic Christianity, teaching a new faith in its place. This is a Collective heresy--not centrally organized at this point, but there are many common threads. Some parts of this heresy are at odds with one another, but they tend to cooperate, and they have one central underlying theme--a denial of orthodoxy. \par This new heresy is characterized by:\par \pard{\pntext\f2\'B7\tab}{\*\pn\pnlvlblt\pnf2\pnindent360{\pntxtb\'B7}}\fi-360\li720\sb60\sa60 Man-centeredness\par {\pntext\f2\'B7\tab}Worldliness--the concerns are all about health, wealth, self-esteem, and worldly well-being and possessions, or perhaps it is centered in some political identity of the left or the right.\par {\pntext\f2\'B7\tab}Ignorance of, neglect of, or downright denial of, the historic Christian faith\par {\pntext\f2\'B7\tab}An exaltation of the person and role of the \ldblquote believer,\rdblquote and a denigration and lessening of the person and work of the Redeemer. This exaltation of man and denigration of God is sometimes evidenced by distinctive doctrines which refer to people as \ldblquote little Gods,\rdblquote and which deny the historic teaching of the Trinity. It is also evidenced by a concentration on therapeutic concerns, a \ldblquote touchy-feely\rdblquoteLVAL faith, and a neglect of the doctrines of sin and redemption.\par {\pntext\f2\'B7\tab}This modern heresy neglects the Scriptures, and twists the ones it does use, preferring to rely on modern-day \ldblquote prophesies\rdblquote by the leaders of the heresy, or by inserting secular psychology or left/right politics into the faith. \par {\pntext\f2\'B7\tab}This heresy will accept almost anyone or group as genuine if they exercise \ldblquote the gifts of the spirit\rdblquote under some veneer of Christianity or if they emphasize healing of the mind or body. (These last two items are not intended as criticisms of the charismatic movement, but only \ldblquote where the shoe fits.\rdblquote )\par {\pntext\f2\'B7\tab}The teachers of this new heresy who are aptly described by Scripture:\par \cf3\ul{\pntext\f2\'B7\tab}Php_3:18-19\cf2\ulnone For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things. \line\line\cf3\ul 1Ti_4:1-2\cf2\ulnone Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron. \par \pard\li720\ri720\sb60\sa60\qj\cf3\ul 1Ti_3:1-5\cf0\ulnone ; \cf3\ul 1Ti_3:7\cf0\ulnone But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God--having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. . . . always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth. (NIV)\par \pard\fi720\sb60\sa60\qj\cf2 In reality, the teachers of the new heresy,LVAL and their followers, are little more than another species of pagans. They have baptized what Paul calls the \ldblquote rudiments\rdblquote of the world--they are worshipping a false \ldblquote god\rdblquote of their own imaginations, and they are foreign to the reality, the knowledge, and the community of The Faith Once Delivered to the Saints.\par The problem is not just the existence, or even the growth and prosperity of the false teachers. The problem today is that many, if not most, professing Christians in mainline and evangelical churches are ignorant of even the most basic doctrines of the faith. Furthermore, as these church members have been educated and enculturated by the pagan way of thinking prevalent in society today, they are doubly weakened, and are easy prey for the heresies and cults that are growing swiftly. What is largely missing in American Christianity is a knowledge and appreciation of what doctrines distinguish Christianity from sheer paganism--what constitutes the absolute rule of the faith.\par \pard\keepn\s2\sb180\sa60\cf0\lang3082\b\fs24 What should we be teaching? \fs22\par \pard\fi720\sb60\sa60\qj\cf2\lang1033\b0\fs20 The doctrines of central importance have several things in common. First, they are rooted in the Scriptures. The Bible is our only acceptable source book for doctrine and practice. Church traditions, church history, and the work of God\rquote s servants in the past can help instruct us in the Scriptures, but all must be submitted to the Bible for judgment. \par The central core of the faith is non-denominational. Forms of church government, style of worship, differing views on the end times, and even divergent views on the gifts of the Spirit are important issues, but they are peripheral to the faith. We are not saved or lost by our views on these matters. The central core doctrines of the faith are largely those that have been recognized by Christians since apostolic times. Some might object that the principles of Justification by Faith and SalvationLVAL by Grace Plus Nothing are innovations of more recent times, but they were plainly taught by the apostles. Furthermore, throughout history, there were minority groups and individuals that maintained the witness of the Scriptures to these things. The Reformation of the church in the 16th century was a reawakening and renewal of apostolic teachings that had been neglected. \par The teachings of the \i regula fidei \i0 are accompanied in Scripture with strong warnings--whether it is the warning of John not to add to or take away from God\rquote s completed revelation (\cf3\ul Rev_22:18-19\cf2\ulnone ), the same apostle\rquote s warning against deviations in Christology (\cf3\ul 1Jo_4:2\cf2\ulnone ; 2 John 7-11), or Paul\rquote s anathema against Judaizers (\cf3\ul Gal_1:1-9\cf2\ulnone ), there are warning signs all along the way in the Bible to let us know that God is deadly serious about the heart of the Faith. \par The central teachings of the Rule of Faith are all concerned with God\rquote s redemption plan in some way--they involve the Cross of Christ.. \par Finally, the core doctrines of Bible Christianity are practical. These are not doctrines that you put up on a shelf to admire--they are doctrines that you can and must use in your everyday walk.\par \pard\keepn\s2\sb180\sa60\cf0\lang3082\b\fs24 Overview of the Book\fs22\par \pard\fi720\sb60\sa60\qj\cf2\lang1033\b0\fs20 Briefly, the doctrines this book will examine are the following:\par \pard{\pntext\f0 1.\tab}{\*\pn\pnlvlbody\pnf0\pnindent360\pnstart1\pndec{\pntxta.}} \fi-360\li720\sb60\sa60 The Essential Christian Worldview--We all have a worldview, whether we realize it or not. This section asks and answers two questions--this set of questions and answers constitute the Christian Worldview. (a) What is Truth? and (b) Why are we alive? \par {\pntext\f0 2.\tab}The Inspiration, Inerrancy (which means \ldblquote without error\rdblquote ), and Authority of the Scriptures--This is the most basic of doctrines for the believer. If we do not unLVALderstand that the Scriptures are our final authority, then we can never be certain about the other teachings of the faith.\par {\pntext\f0 3.\tab}The Nature of God--What kind of God do YOU worship? The modern \ldblquote god\rdblquote is too small, he has no definite doctrines, his plans and providence are subject to man\rquote s whims and desires, he is a cosmic wimp. The God of the Bible is The Absolute God, who is Sovereign, Holy, Just, Wrathful, Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent, Immutable, Merciful, and Loving.\par {\pntext\f0 4.\tab}The Doctrine of the Trinity--the doctrine of the Trinity is the historic faith of Bible Christianity: no Trinity--no Christianity. No Trinity--No salvation!\par {\pntext\f0 5.\tab}The Person and Work of Christ--\rdblquote What think ye of Christ . . .Who do men say that I am?\rdblquote The answer to this question is the heart of hearts of the faith. Christ is Pre-existent, God Incarnate, Crucified, Risen, Coming Again.\par {\pntext\f0 6.\tab}Salvation: (a) By Grace, through faith, plus nothing. This is one of the major teachings that distinguishes Biblical Christianity from all other religions--Man cannot work his way to God, God must do it all. (b) Justification by Faith, plus nothing. The corollary to 6a--we contribute nothing to our salvation, and even our faith is a gift.\par {\pntext\f0 7.\tab}The necessity of a consistent Christian life (sanctification). \ldblquote My Sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me \'85\rdblquote (\cf3\ul Joh_10:27\c