How to Study the Bible Part 1:
Christianity Under Fire
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Understanding Bible Basics
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The Bible is 66 different books
Written by 40 different people
Written over a period of about 2,000 years
Consist of 2 volumes called the Old Testament and
the New Testament
• Although spread out in 66 different books, the Bible
is a single message
• Written in 3 languages: Hebrew, Aramaic & Greek
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The Purpose of This Lesson
• So that we may accomplish what Paul wrote
about in:
• 2 Timothy 2:15
• “Be diligent to present yourself approved to
God, a worker who does not need to be
ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
• 2 Timothy 3:17
• “that the man of God may be complete,
thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
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How to Study the Bible
• Sensitivity to the culture
• Sensitivity to the definition of words in their original
Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek languages
• Interpret passages in their proper context
• Scriptural Comparison – Let the Bible Speak for itself
• Remember, this is NOT an intellectual exercise, but
rather a supernatural experience
• Take the Berean Approach (Acts 17:11)
• You CANNOT truly learn the depths of the Bible
without accepting Jesus Christ and help from the
Holy Spirit (John 14:25, 1 Corinthians 2:11-14)
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How to Study the Bible Part 1:
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Population: 6.9 billion
Christians: 2.1 billion (32%)
Muslims: 1.5 billion (23%)
Buddhists: 1 Billion (17%)
Hindus: 1 billion (17%)
• What does that mean?
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2.1 Billion Christians?
Are there really 2.1 billion Christians in the world today?
Do Christians really make up 1/3 of the world’s population?
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2.1 Billion Christians?
Are there really 2.1 billion Christians in the world today?
Do Christians really make up 1/3 of the world’s population?
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2.1 Billion Christians?
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Eastern Orthodox Church
Western Catholic Church
Lutheran Church
Episcopalian Church
Baptist Church
Methodist Church
Mormon Church
Presbyterian Church
Pentecostal Church
Jehovah Witnesses
Disciples of Christ
Church of Christ
Seven Day Adventist
Christian Science
Unification Church
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Well over 33,000 distinct
Christian communities in the
world today.
Source: 2001 Edition of the
World Christian Encyclopedia
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2.1 Billion Christians?
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Eastern Orthodox Church
Western Catholic Church
Lutheran Church
Episcopalian Church
Baptist Church
Methodist Church
Mormon Church
Presbyterian Church
Pentecostal Church
Jehovah Witnesses
Disciples of Christ
Church of Christ
Seven Day Adventist
Christian Science
Unification Church
The Berean Approach
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Not all have the same God
Not all have the same Jesus
Not all have the same Spirit
Not all have the same Gospel
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2.1 Billion Christians?
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Eastern Orthodox Church
Western Catholic Church
Lutheran Church
Episcopalian Church
Baptist Church
Methodist Church
Mormon Church
Presbyterian Church
Pentecostal Church
Jehovah Witnesses
Disciples of Christ
Church of Christ
Seven Day Adventist
Christian Science
Unification Church
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– Key Ultimate Test
• In addition to obeying the
Scriptures, the attributes of
God and the Person, nature,
and works of Jesus Christ
must be consistent with that
of the Holy Bible
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Early Problems within Christendom
• The Apostle’s Paul’s condemnation to the Galatian Church in
Galatians 1:6-9
• “6I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who
called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, 7which is
not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to
pervert the gospel of Christ. 8But even if we, or an angel from
heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have
preached to you, let him be accursed. 9As we have said before, so
now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than
what you have received, let him be accursed.”
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“…for there is no other name under heaven
given among men by which we must be saved.”
Acts 4:12
The message of the Christian
Church for 2,000 years!!!
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Paul’s Warning to the Corinthian Church
• 2 Corinthians 11:3,4
• “3But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so
your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 4For if he
who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you
receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel
which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it!”
People who pervert the Holy Scriptures are called:
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Heretics Throughout Time
• Gnosticism: (pre-dates Christianity) the knowledge of
transcendence arrived at by way of interior, intuitive means (the
doctrine of salvation by knowledge).
• Adoptionism (2nd Century AD): Jesus was a human being who
was "adopted" by God at his conception, at which point he
developed a divine nature.
• Arianism (250-336 AD): named after a priest in Alexandria who
taught that Jesus was a special creation by God for man's
salvation.
• Socianism (1500s AD): teaches that Jesus was not God but an
extraordinary man.
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Heretics Throughout Time
• The Mormon Church (1800s) also known
as The Church of Jesus Christ of LatterDay Saints. Believe that the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Spirit are three distinct
persons with separate roles. God the
Father and Jesus Christ have glorified
bodies of flesh and bones while the Holy
Ghost is a Spirit. People can become
gods after physical death.
Mr. Joseph Smith – Founder
of The Mormon Church
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• Believes that their living “prophet”
supersedes the teachings of the New
Testament. Their sacred books,
“Doctrine and Covenants”, “The Pearl of
Great Price”, and “The Book of Mormon”,
often contradicts the Holy Bible. Jesus
and Satan are brothers, and there are
many gods.
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Heretics Throughout Time
• The Watchtower Society, aka, The
Jehovah Witness (1800s), have
rewrote much of the Bible (which
they call “The New World
Translation of the Holy
Scriptures”) to conform to the
teachings of the organization’s
founder Charles Taze Russell and
his predecessor Judge Joseph
Franklin Rutherford. They believe
Jesus is an angel, and they
denied the trinity – the 3 and 1
nature of God the Father, God the
Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
Mr. Charles Taze Russell –
Founder of the Watchtower
Society
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Heretics Throughout Time
• The Church of Scientology,
teaches that the Bible is a
byproduct of Hindu scriptures. It
contradicts the Bible and denies
the deity of Jesus Christ.
Mr. L. Ron Hubbard – Founder
of The Church of Scientology
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Heretics Throughout Time
• The Unification Church, believes
that God is dualistic in His nature,
the Bible is untrustworthy in its
reliability, and believes that Sun
Myung Moon is the Messiah.
Mr. Sun Myung Moon – Founder of
The Unification Church
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• 2004 Photo of the event in
Washington, DC where Sun
Myung Moon declared himself the
Messiah and his wife as the Holy
Spirit.
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One Faith, One Gospel,
Delivered Once
Jude 3
HOLY
BIBLE
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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.
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Another way to God?
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False Prophets & The Road
to the Wide Gate
• Matthew 7:13,14
• 13“Enter through the narrow gate.
For wide is the gate and broad is
the road that leads to destruction,
and many enter through it. 14But
small is the gate and narrow the road
that leads to life, and only a few find
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“Watch out for false prophets.
They come to you in sheep’s
clothing, but inwardly they are
ferocious wolves.”
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How did this happen???
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Many Different Approaches to Theology
Biblical Theology
Liberation Theology
Theology: the study of God.
theos = God;
Philosophical Theology
logos = Word
Natural Theology
Systematic Theology
Historical Theology
Confessional Theology
Prosperity Theology
Feminist Theologies
….and many more
Essentials of Christianity, Pastor David Spear; Parts 3 – 15: Theology –
the Doctrine of God (http://calvarychapelmanassas.org)
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The Results!
Different Theology
Different ways to
view the Bible
Different ways for
interpreting the Bible
Division with
the Church
Different Christian
Groups
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Denominationalism
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• A religious denomination is a division within a religion that operates
under a common name, tradition, and identity.
• Most denominations can be classified as either false, liberal, or
orthodox in their approach to Christianity.
• John 17:20,21
• 20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in
Me through their word; 21that they all may be one, as You, Father,
are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the
world may believe that You sent Me.”
• 1 Corinthians 1:10
• “Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no
divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the
same mind and in the same judgment.”
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Different Approaches to Christianity
False
Christianity
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Wrong God
Wrong Redeemer
Wrong Spirit
Wrong Gospel
Liberal
Christianity
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Right God
Right Redeemer
Wrong Spirit
Wrong Gospel
THEIR
THEIR
BOOK
BOOK
HOLY
BIBLE
Orthodox
Christianity
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Right God
Right Redeemer
Right Spirit
Right Gospel
HOLY
BIBLE
(Sola scriptura)
HOLY
BIBLE
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Different Approaches to Christianity
False
Christianity
• Eliminates the
meaning of the
Word of God
• Replaces the
Word of God with
their own theology
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Liberal
Christianity
• Changes the
meaning of the Word
of God to conform to
culture and modern
day trends of society
• Adds to the Word of
God to keep it “up-todate”
Orthodox
Christianity
• Seeks the original
meaning of the Word
of God
• Faithful and true to
the original writings
of the Word of God
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Different Approaches to Christianity
False
Christianity
• Have their own
version of
salvation
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Liberal
Christianity
• Avoids the general
message pertaining
to salvation with
regards to sin and
righteousness,
repentance and
eternal damnation
Orthodox
Christianity
• Accepts the entire
council of God; from
Genesis – Revelation
• Does not discriminate
the Word of God,
affirms to classical
theology
• Modeled after the
first century church
as found in Acts 2.
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The First Church: Acts Chapter 2
THE CALLING
• Verses 1–4: the arrival of the Holy Spirit, people began speaking in
tongues
• Verses 5-13: the group of Jews from every nation under heaven were
amazed to hear these men speaking in these languages
• Verses 14-21: the Apostle Peter begins his first sermon, quotes from
the OT book of Joel to show that what was happening was a
fulfillment of prophecy of the Holy Spirit
• Verses 22-28: The Apostle Peter uses the OT book of Psalms to show
the prophecy of Jesus and His resurrection
• Verses 29-36: the Apostle Peter proclaims Jesus is Lord and Christ
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The First Church: Acts Chapter 2
THE RESPONSE
• Verse 37: the men were “cut to the heart”, asked “what shall we do?”
• Verse 38: Peter answered:
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Go home and think about it?
Discuss it with your wife?
Go home and pray about it?
Talk it over with your friends?
• REPENT! - Turn away from sin,
turn your back on
it, do not look
upon it, renounce it
• Be baptized for the remission
(forgiveness) of sins, receive
the Gift of the Holy Spirit
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The First Church: Acts Chapter 2
THE BIRTH OF THE CHURCH
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Verses 40 – 47: Identifies True Orthodox Christians
3,000 people where baptized
They continued in the apostles doctrine (teachings) – apostolic teachings
They fellowship with one another
They broke bread together
They prayed together
They had all things in common
Sold their possessions and goods to give to those in need
They had simplicity of heart and had favor with all people
The Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved!
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The First Church: Acts Chapter 2
THE BIRTH OF THE CHURCH
• You can’t join a church!
• You can’t be voted in!
• Only God can add you to the church.
True Christian Church
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False Christian Church
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Matthew 13:47-50 – A Description of the Universal
Church
47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that
was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind,
48 which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and
they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but
threw the bad away. 49 So it will be at the end of the
age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked
from among the just, 50 and cast them into the furnace
of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”
Episcopalian
Roman
Orthodox
Methodist
Catholic
Baptist
Pentecostal
Church
Church
Presbyterian
AllEastern
Professing
NonLutheran
Denominational
Christian
Believers
Churches
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True Christians = “well done true and
faithful servant”
False Christians = “depart from me you
worker of iniquity. I never knew you!”
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Your Assignment
• Study Acts Chapter 2 (together as a family)
• Pay close attention to the attitude and spirit of the
first church
• Evaluate your attitude and spirit in light of Acts 2
• Pray to God and take appropriate steps based on
what the Holy Spirit communicates to you
• Purchase two items:
– Buy a concordance – The New Strong’s Expanded
Concordance
– 5” by 3” Index Cards
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