2000-Year-Old Seeds and the Bible

Some people believe the Bible is not relevant today because it was written 2000 years ago. Others think we need to trace a history of religious organizations through the centuries to find the right church. What can seeds teach us about the power of Scripture?

Causes of Religious Confusion, Division, and Disagreement

Why is there so much disagreement, confusion, and division in religion? Even "Christian" denominations often disagree and contradict one another. Does Jesus approve of such division, or does He want religious unity?

Does division occur because the Bible contradicts itself or cannot be understood? Is it caused by ignorance, lack of Bible study, human religious authority, and man-made creeds? What does God's word say?

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The Sovereignty of God and Human Free Choice

Does God's sovereignty mean people have no choice about salvation? Calvinist creeds say God determined to save individuals eternally or to condemn them regardless of their choice, conduct, or character. Is this what the Bible says or does God choose to give people the free will power to choose to meet the conditions of salvation? Did Jesus die to offer forgiveness to all people and then invite us to choose to accept that salvation by obeying His teaching?

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Where Did Denominations Come From? Why So Many?

Many denominations exist that differ in origin, authority, doctrine, and organization. Where did they come from and why are they here? How do they compare to the church built by Jesus Christ in the New Testament? What does God's word say about their existence?

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The Picket Fence: Measuring Our Service to God

Religious people often conclude they are pleasing to God by comparing themselves to other people: the religion of their family, past traditions of the church, or a succession of past church leaders. What is the proper way to determine whether our service pleases God?

Caterpillar Churches and Creeds: Blind Leading the Blind?

Some caterpillars blindly follow one another in procession. Do religious people often do the same? Do denominations blindly follow church traditions, manmade doctrines, and creeds? Do members blindly follow seminary-trained preachers? Do people assume "all these people can't be wrong"? Are you and I "Caterpillar Christians"?

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Why Is Bible History Important to You?

What claims do Bible writers make about the accuracy of their history? Did they write myths and legends or historical events? Did they record eyewitness testimony? How important is this history to our evidence for God, Jesus, and the Bible? Is Bible history essential to our understanding of our purpose in life and salvation from sin?

Consensus Thinking: Right / Wrong Based on Mainstream / Majority

People often determine what they believe in religion and morality based on the consensus, majority, or "mainstream" thinking, especially experts, scholars, or scientists. This occurs in government, media, education, denominations, etc. Is truth determined by polls and surveys or by the Bible?

The Gnostic Gospels and Bible Preservation and Canon

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Many people claim the Gnostic gospels teach true religious doctrine. Some even claim they belong in the Scriptures. They are often used to justify modern beliefs and practices. Has the Bible canon been properly identified and preserved?

The Authority of Scriptural Reasoning

Introduction:

   Most Bible believers admit that God teaches directly by means of direct commands and direct statements. We sometimes say: "Commands constitute binding authority"; so, people are expected to obey, and those who do not obey in error.

   

    [Examples: Acts 10:48; Matthew 22:37-39; 1 Corinthians 11:23-25; 14:37; John 14:15,21-24; 15:14; 1 John 2:3,4; 5:3; Matthew 28:18-20]

   

    But besides direct, explicit statements, the Bible also teaches by indirect methods. These methods include examples and "necessary inferences" (or "logical conclusions"). Some people say we are obligated to follow only commands. They deny that example and necessary inference are valid, binding ways to determine God's will. They may even say that using such methods constitutes a man-made creed or a human tradition. (Some even have a name for this view. They call it a "new hermeneutic.")

   

    The purpose of this study is to examine whether or not "necessary inference" constitutes a Scriptural method to learn God's will.

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Humanism and the Bible

Introduction:

Few people were aware of, or concerned about, the Humanist philosophy until recently. As it has become more influential, it has become better known. Yet still few people really understand it or realize the depth of its influence on society.

The purposes of this study are to acquaint people with the major doctrines of Humanism, to demonstrate the influence it is having in our society, and to compare its teachings to those of the Bible.

Hatred, Hate Speech, and Hate Crimes

How many times have you heard people say things like the following?

"Hate has no place in our society."

"We need to learn to love, not hate."

When people speak out against some practice, they are accused of being full of hate or using hate speech or a hate crime.

People often act and speak as though love is always good and hate always bad.

What Must We Believe?

Introduction:

Many Scriptures teach that we are saved by faith.

But does it follow, just because a person claims to have "faith," that he will be saved? Is it possible to have a faith that does not save?

[Hebrews 10:39; 11:1,4-8,17,30; Romans 1:16; 4:19-21; 5:1,2; 10:9,10,13-17; Galatians 5:6; 2 Corinthians 5:7; James 2:14-26; John 1:12; 3:15-18; 8:24; 20:30,31; Mark 16:15,16]

There are different kinds of faith.

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Many people think they are saved because they "believe," with little restrictions on what they believe. This is especially confusing with those who claim we are saved by "faith alone."

* Some think its enough to "believe in god": some concept of a Supreme Being or some "force" that operates the universe.

* Others claim Hindus and Buddhists will be saved because they "believe in god": many gods, worshiped by images, etc.

* Others claim Jews and Muslims will be saved because "they believe in the same God you do."

* Many liberal, modernists don't believe in Jesus' miracles or Deity or resurrection, yet claim they "believe in Jesus": He existed and was a great teacher, maybe even a prophet.

* Many denominationalists disbelieve much of what Jesus taught yet think they will be saved because they believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, who died to save them from their sins.

The purpose of this study is to consider what the Bible says we must believe to be saved.

Mormonism, Latter Day Saints, and the Bible

Introduction:

Many Scriptures instruct us that, to determine what is true, we should compare doctrines and practices to the Bible.

2 Timothy 3:16,17 - The Scriptures are inspired by God, instruct us in righteousness, and provide us to every good work. [2 Tim. 2:15; 1 John 2:3-5]

1 John 4:1,6 - However, there are many false prophets, so we must put them to the test. We do this by comparing their teachings to the teachings we know are from God. [Cf. 1 Cor. 1:13]

Galatians 1:8,9 - Any man, even an angel, must teach the same gospel taught by inspired men. Any who teach different gospels are accursed. See 2 John 9-11.

Acts 17:11,12 - The Bereans were able to determine what was or was not true by searching the Scriptures daily.

God intends for us to determine the validity of any doctrine we hear by comparing it to what we know to be His revelation. If it does not agree, then it cannot be from God, and those who teach it are not pleasing to God.

True teachers will encourage listeners to compare their teaching to Scripture. If teachers belittle Scripture and object when people compare their teachings to Scripture, you can know those teachers are not from God.

The purpose of this study is to examine some particular teachings and compare them to Scripture, as the above passages teach.

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The doctrines we will examine are those taught by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (the Mormons). Mormons claim to agree that the Bible is from God (Article of Faith #8). We do not accept their claim that their Mormon "Scriptures" are from God, but we agree that the Bible is from God. Since Mormons and we agree that the Bible is from God, then we can determine the truth of Mormon teaching by comparing it to the Bible.

Modernism, Miracles, and the Bible

Introduction:

The purpose of this study is to examine the teaching of modernism about miracles and to consider how Christians should respond.

I. A Description of Modernism

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A. A Definition of Modernism

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Modernism, as a religious philosophy, is believed to some extent by many (probably most) denominational preachers who claim to be Christians. Its adherents may differ widely in viewpoint, but we define its major concepts as follows:

Modernism is the belief that the Bible is not infallible but may contain errors or inaccuracies. It generally begins by claiming the Bible contains inaccuracies in history, geography, or science; then it expresses doubt about Bible accounts of miracles and prophetic predictions; then it ends by denying or questioning fundamental doctrines such as the Deity of Jesus, the sacrificial death of Jesus, the nature of God, etc.

Marxism-Leninism (Communism) Compared to the Bible

Introduction:

If we had lived before WWII, what should Christians have done about Nazism?

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Assume we knew or could have known basically what Nazism was like.

Should we have kept quiet and overlooked it because:

* It involved political and economic issues and we are concerned about religion?

* It controlled governments and Christians should not criticize rulers?

* Speaking out might lead to persecution?

* It was mainly a problem in foreign nations, not here (we didn't know any Nazis)?

Or, should we have spoken out to express opposition because:

* It was based on fundamental religious errors (evolution, racism, atheism)?

* It rejected Christianity and denied Jesus?

* It sought world domination by war and military conquest (subjugating millions by war)?

* It used violence and force to eliminate unwanted citizens (millions in the holocaust)?

2 Timothy 4:2-4; Ephesians 5:11; Revelation 3:19 - God's word instructs us to oppose the forces of evil. Surely we all agree that we ought to have reproved and rebuked a belief based on religious error that forcibly subjugated millions of people and murdered millions more.

Glory of Mary

Introduction:

Perhaps no other woman in history played such an important role in God's plan as did Mary.

By the grace of God she was greatly honored to be chosen as Jesus' mother. Surly, all people should appreciate Mary and imitate her good qualities.

Nevertheless, there is disagreement regarding the role or status of Mary. This issue remains one of the main differences between the Roman Catholic Church and other churches.

The purpose of this study is to examine the view held by the Roman Catholic Church regarding Mary and compare it to the teaching of the Bible.

Transubstantiation, the Mass, and Holy Eucharist

Introduction: 

Suppose I show you a picture of Abraham Lincoln from the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC, then I say, "This is Abraham Lincoln, President of the USA." How would you react?

Most would understand that I meant this is a statue of Abraham Lincoln that serves as a memorial that reminds us of him. But suppose someone responds, "You said, 'This is Abraham Lincoln.' You mean Abraham Lincoln is a statue? How can you say our president is made of stone?"

That illustrates the issue in this study.

This study considers whether or not the elements of communion literally and physically become Jesus' body and blood.

Religious Confusion and Disagreement

Religious confusion and disagreement abound. Religious people are divided into hundreds of different groups, wearing different names, worshiping in different ways, and teaching different doctrines.

In this study we want to consider why there is so much confusion, disagreement, and division. Does God approve of it or disapprove?

Gospel of Physical Health and Wealth

Introduction:

Consider the following quote:

"Rev. Terry [Terry Cole-Whittaker] is telling [people] that they have every right, and the power, to get anything they want out of life ... She believes we can have it all, everything we want ... her bumper sticker [says] 'Prosperity is your divine right'..." - Ft. Wayne News-Sentinel (1/19/85).

This doctrine is becoming increasingly popular among believers in the "Charismatic Movement," Pentecostalism, and faith healers. Preachers teach that God will reward faithful service with good physical health and material abundance: people have a right to expect this, and God will even do miracles to accomplish it. Many call this "the gospel of physical health and wealth."

The purpose of this study is to examine this doctrine.