Doctrines and Policies of the Early Church

Doctrines and Policies
of the Early Church

This summary comes from
THE YEAST OF YERUSHALAIM
a devotional Bible study on the New testament
from Acts to Revelation

You may order the book from AuthorHouse.com or your local bookstore.

A novel THE BROKEN SPEAR now available.

It plays off among first century Christians.

The following viewpoints distinguish the church from sects and cults, who deny some them.

God the Father

Is revealed in Old and New Testament: Ps. 103:13, Is. 63:16, Matt. 6:9

Is Creator (through His Son): John 1:1-3, Heb. 11:3, Col. 1:16, Rev. 4:11

Is known through His creation: Rom. 1:18-21

Is love: 1 John 4:8

Gave His Son: John 3:16, Rom. 8:32

Raised His Son: Acts 2:24, 32, 4:10, Rom. 1:4, 8:11, Eph. 1:20,

Exalted His Son to His right hand: Acts 2:33, 3:13, Phil. 2:9-11, Rom. 8:34

Wants all to be saved: Matt. 11:28, John 3:16-17, 1 Tim. 2:4, 2 Pet. 3:9, Rev. 22:17

Elects believers: Eph. 1:4-5, Rom. 9:16-18, 1 Pet. 2:9

Election is described in past, future, and present tense: Rom. 9:13, 15, 18

The Father and the Son is described likewise: Rev. 1:8, Heb. 13:8

Reconciles Himself to sinners through His Son: 2 Cor. 5:18-21, Col. 1:20, Rom. 5:10, 1 Tim. 2:5-6, Eph. 2:11-17

Predestines believers to be like His Son: Rom. 8:29, 1 John 3:2

Is glorified by His Son: Phil. 2:11, 1 Cor. 15:24, Rev. 5:8-14

Is Supreme Ruler: Rev. 4:8-11, Rom. 11:33-36, Acts 17:24-26

Is invisible: Col. 1:15, 1 Tim. 1:17, 6:16

His Word is the truth: John 17:17

God the Son

Is revealed in the Old Testament: Ps 2:7, Prov. 30:4, Is. 9:6, 53:3-11

His pre-existence: John 1:1, 8:58, Col. 1:17

His incarnation: Luke 1:31-32, John 1:14, Phil. 2:7, 2 Cor. 8:9, Gal. 4:4

His divinity: John 1:1, 14:9, Phil. 2:6, Col. 1:15-17, Titus 2:13, Rom. 1:4, 2 Pet. 1:1

His sinlessness: John 8:46, 2 Cor. 5:21, Heb. 4:15, 7:26, 1 Pet. 1:19, 2:22

He is Lord: Acts 2:36, 1 Cor. 12:3, Phil. 2:11, Rev. 19:16

His pre-eminence: Heb. 1:4, 8:1-13, Col. 1:18

His atoning sacrifice: 1 John 2:2, Rev. 5:9, Col. 1:14, Acts 20:28, 2 Cor. 5:21

He is the only Mediator between God and man: John 14:6, Acts 4:12, 1 Tim. 2:5

His Love: Rom. 5:8, 8:35-39, 2 Cor. 5:14, Eph. 3:19, 5:2, 25, 1John 3:16

His resurrection: John 20-21, Acts 2:24, 32, 4:10, 1 Cor. 15

His ascension: Acts 1:9, Rom. 8:34, Rev. 12:5

His intercession: Rom. 8:34, Heb. 7:25, 1 John 2:1

His reign: Matt. 28:18, Rev. 5:5-10, Rev. 19:5-16

His return: Matt. 24:29-31, Acts 1:11, 1 Thess. 4:16-17, Phil. 3:20

He stands with truth, Satan with lies: John 14:6, 8:32, 36, 44

God the Holy Spirit

Is revealed in the Old Testament: Gen. 1:2, Num. 11:29, 1 Sam. 16:13

He was promised by Jesus: John 14:16-17, 26, 15:26, 16:7-14, Acts 1:8

He was sent by the Father and the Son: John 14:16, 26, 15:26, 16:7, 14:23

The outpouring of the Spirit: Acts 2, 11:15, 19:6

Filled with the Spirit: Acts 2:4, 4:8, 31, 9:17, 13:9, Eph. 5:18

He gives spiritual rebirth: John 3:3, 1 Cor. 12:13, Acts 9:17-20

He convicts of sin, righteousness, and judgment: John 16:8-11

Diverse gifts of the Spirit: 1 Cor. 12, Rom. 12:4-8, Eph. 4:11-12

Fruit of the Spirit: Gal. 5:22, 1 Cor. 13, Rom. 5:5

He empowers believers to testify: Acts 1:8, 4:8, 31, 7:55-56

He inspires believers to pray: Rom. 8:26-27, Eph. 3:18

He inspires God's Word: 2 Pet. 1:21, 2 Tim. 3:16

He glorifies Christ as Lord: John 16:14, 1 Cor. 12:3, Rom. 1:4

He calls elders to serve the church: Acts 20:28

He guides believers in their decisions: Acts 15:28, 16:6-7

He is the Spirit of truth: John 14:17, 26, 15:26, 16:13

Salvation

Through the Word of God: 2 Tim. 3:15-17, 1 Pet. 1:23, 2 Pet. 1:19-21, Rom. 10:17

Reconciliation with the Father through the Son: 2 Cor. 5:18

Becoming children of God through faith: John 1:12, 1 John 3:1

Justification by faith: Rom. 1:17, Eph. 2:8-9

Assurance of faith: 1 John 5:13, Rom. 8:16, 10:17

Sanctification: Rom. 8:11, 1 Thess. 4:3, 5:19, 23, 2 Thess. 2:13

The Church: 1 Pet. 2:9-10, Acts 20:28, 1 Cor. 12, Rev. 19:7-8, 2 Cor. 11:2

Unity amid diversity: 1 Cor. 12, Col. 3:11, Gal. 3:28, Rom. 12:5

Christians and Jewish Law: Acts 15, Gal. 2:16, 21, Rom. 3:20

Real Israel: Rom. 2:28-29, 10:12, Gal. 3:7-9, 26-29, 5:6, 6:15, Eph. 2:11-18, 4:4-6, 1 Cor. 12:13

Proclaiming the gospel to all nations: Matt. 28:18-20, Acts 1:8, 8:26-40, 10:28, 13:46, 28:28

Adversaries

Guarding the truth of the gospel: Gal. 1:8-9, 2 Tim. 1:12-14, Rev. 22:18-19

Antichrist: 2 Thess. 2:3-12, 1 John 2:22, 4:3, Rev. 13:1-10, 16-18, 19:20

False prophets: 2 Cor. 11:13-14, Titus 3:9-11, 2 John 9-11, Rev. 13:11-16

Divine vs. human wisdom: 1 Cor. 1:18-25, 2:13-14

Persecution: Acts 4-8, 12-14, 2 Tim. 3:12, 1 Pet. 3:13-17, 4:12-16

Paul's suffering: Acts 14:19, 16:22-24, 21:30-32, 22:22-29, 23:12, 27:14-44, 1 Cor. 4:9-13, 9:19-23, 2 Cor. 1:8-11, 4:8-15, 6:4-10, 11:23-30, 12:7-10

Church leaders

Various offices and ministries: 1 Cor. 12:28, Eph. 4:11, Rom. 12:6-8

Elders: Acts 14:23, 15:1-6, 20:17-38, 1 Tim. 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-9

Deacons: Acts 6-8, 1 Tim. 3:8-13, Rom. 16:1

Women: Acts 9:36-43, 16:13-15, 18:2-3, 18, 26, 1 Cor. 11:3-16, 14:34-35

Widows: Acts 6:1-4, 1 Cor. 7:8-9, 39, 1 Tim. 5:3-16

Miracles by Peter: Acts 3:1-9, 5:15, 9:34, 40

Miracles by Paul: Acts 13:11, 14:9-10, 19:11-12

Disagreements: 1 Cor. 1-3, Acts. 15:36-41, Gal. 2:11-22, Phil. 2:1-4, 4:2-3

Training new leaders: 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus

Social life

Masters/servant: Col. 3:22 - 4:1, Eph. 6:5-9, Titus 2:9-10

Husband/wife: Col. 3:18-19, Eph. 5:22-33

Parent/child: Col. 3:20-21, Eph. 6:1-4

Marriage: 1 Cor. 7

Unmarried people: 1 Cor. 7:8-9

Divorce: Mark 10:2-12, 1 Cor. 7:10-16, 39, Rom. 7:2

Sexuality: Rom. 1:24-27, 1 Cor. 5, 6:12-20, 7:9

Hospitality: Heb. 13:2, 3 John 5-8, Tit. 3:13-14

Church activities

God's Word: John 15:7, Acts 2:42, 6:4, Eph. 6:17, 2 Tim. 3:15-17, 4:2, 1 Pet. 2:2

Prayer: Acts 1:14, 3:1, 4:23-31, 9:11, 13:2-3, 1 Tim. 2:1-4, Phil. 4:6-7, Col. 1:9-12

Song: Ps. 40:1-3, Mark 14:26, Eph. 5:19, Col. 3:16, Rev. 5:9-10, 15:3-4

Doxologies: Matt. 6:13b, Luke 1:46-55, Rom. 8:31-39, 11:33-36, Eph. 1:3-6, Rev. 4:8-11, 5:8-14, 7:9-12, 11:15-19, 15:2-4, 19:5-9, 21:1-5

Baptism: Matt. 28:19, Acts 2:38-39, 41, 10:44-48, 16:30-34, 1 Cor. 1:14-17

The Lord's Supper: Matt. 26:26-28, 1 Cor. 10:16-21, 11:23-26,

The love meal (agape): Jude 12, 1 Cor. 11:17-22, Acts 2:42-47

Guidance on food: Mark 7:14-23, Acts 10:12-15, 15:28-29, Rom. 14:14-23, 1 Cor. 8:4-13, 10:23-33

Life-style

The two natures of Christians: Eph. 4:17-32, Col. 3:5-17, Gal. 5:16-26,

The importance of focused thinking: Rom. 8:5-7, 12:2, Col. 3:1-2, Phil. 4:8

One thing: Mark 10:21, Luke 10:42, John 9:25, Phil. 3:13, 2 Pet. 3:8

Faithful sayings: 1 Tim. 1:15, 4:9-10, 2 Tim. 2:11-13, Tit. 3:4-8

The Christian athlete: 1 Cor. 9:24-27, 2 Tim. 4:7, Heb. 12:1-3

Person to person testifying: Mark 5:19-20, John 4:6-26, Acts 8:26-40, 16:14, 27-34

Addressing crowds: Acts 2:14-41, 3:12-26, 4:8-12, 7:1-53, 13:16-41, 17:22-31, 22:1-21, 24:10-21, 26:1-32

Follow-up on new converts: Acts 14:21-23, 15:36, 16:1-5, 18:23,

Church discipline: 1 Cor. 5, 2 Cor. 2:6-8, 13:5, 1 John 4:1

Charity: Matt. 4:23-24, 5:7, Mark 5:19, Acts 2:44-45, 6:1-4, 2 Cor. 8:8-15, 9:7-15

Caring for full-time church workers: 1 Cor. 9, Matt. 10

Eternal life and death

The Bible says that the unsaved is spiritually dead: Luke 9:60, 15:24, John 5:25, Eph. 2:1, 4-6, Col. 2:13

The "first resurrection" (from spiritual death): John 3:3, 5:24-25, 11:25-26, Rom. 6:1-11, Col. 2:11-13, 2 Cor. 5:14-17, Rev. 20:5-6,

The bodily resurrection of believers on the LAST DAY: John 6:39, 40, 44, 54, 1 Cor. 15, 1 Thess. 4:13-18, Rom. 8:11, Phil. 3:20-21, 1 John 3:2

The reality of heaven: Dan. 12:2, John 5:28-29, Matt. 6:9, Luke 10:20, John 14:1-3, 2 Cor. 4:16 - 5:8, Rev. 7:9-17, 11:15-19, Rev. 21-22

The reality of hell: Dan. 12:2, John 5:28-29, Matt. 3:12, 5:29-30, 10:28, 25:41, Mark 9:47-48, Luke 16:22-23, Rev. 14:11, 19:20, 20:10, 15

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