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Q&A on the Basic Beliefs

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Q&A on the Basic Beliefs Q&A on the Basic Beliefs “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7). INQUIRY SERIES Contents INQUIRY SERIES Q&A Chapter 1: God’s Existence 8 1.1 Has science made religion obsolete? 8 1.2 Has evolution done away with the concept on the Basic Beliefs of a creator? 8 1.3 Did we come about by chance? 9 1.4–1.9 How do we explain the origin of the universe? 10 1.10 How can we know God exists? 13 1.11 What kind of God exists? How many gods are there? 15 1.12–1.13 Is God the cause of the universe? 16 1.14 Can God be truly omnipotent? 17 1.15 Is God knowable? 17 1.16 Are there many Gods? 18 1.17 Is the universal phenomenon of belief in God an evidence of God’s Existence? 19 1.18 Is the belief of God psychological? 19 1.19 If God wants us to believe in him, why doesn’t he just appear to us? 20 Chapter 2: God’s Goodness 22 2.1 What is evil, and where did it come from? 22 2.2 If a good and all-powerful God exists, then how can he allow the existence of evil? 22 2.3 Why should we be held guilty for something Adam did? 24 2.4 Why does a good God allow suffering? 24 TRUE JESUS CHURCH Chapter 3: Jesus Christ 26 Department of Literary Ministry 3.1 Why is it important to know Jesus?” 26 11236 Dale Street 3.2 Who is Jesus Christ? 26 Garden Grove, CA 92841, U.S.A. 3.3 What evidence is there to support http://www.tjc.org the claims of Jesus’ identity? 28 Was Jesus only a good man or a prophet? 31 ©2000 True Jesus Church. Printed in the U.S.A. 3.4 3.5 What does “resurrection” mean? For the congregation nearest you or a publications catalog, please write to the above How did Jesus resurrect? 31 address or visit our web site. 3.6 How do we know Jesus’ resurrection really happened? Does it even matter? 32 The Scripture quotations contained herein are from the New King James Version of the Bible, copyrighted 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc., unless stated otherwise. 3.7 “Jesus saves? From what?” 33 ISBN: 1-930264-04-6 2 3 Chapter 4: Holy Bible 34 7.9 Are sacraments, like circumcision, only signs with no effect? 59 4.1 How do we know the Bible is God’s Word? 34 7.10–7.14 Why were Old Testament and some New Testament 4.2 Is the Bible full of inaccuracies? 36 believers saved without the sacraments? 60 4.3 Is the Bible outdated? 36 7.15 Do sacraments take away the glory and power of 4.4 Is the Bible full of contradictions? 36 Christ’s saving work on the cross? 61 4.5 Has the Bible been altered over time? 37 4.6–4.8 What is the canon and who decided the what Chapter 8: Baptism 63 to include in the canon? 38 8.1–8.3 Isn’t belief enough for salvation? Why do What is the Apocryhpha and why is it not included 4.9–4.10 we need baptism? 63 in the canon 39 8.4 Isn’t a person forgiven when he repents? 64 4.11 Why doesn’t the Bible seem to make sense? 41 8.5–8.6 Is baptism only an expression of salvation Chapter 5: Heaven and Hell 42 and remission of sins? 65 8.7 Does the phrase “born of water” refer to baptism? 66 5.1 Is heaven real? 42 8.8 Why did Paul say, “For Christ did not 5.2 Is the idea of heaven too remote? 43 send me to baptize?” 67 5.3 Is heaven a dull place? 43 8.9 Why did Jesus need to be baptized? 68 5.4 Is hell real? 44 8.10 How can water wash away sins? 68 5.5–5.7 How can a loving God send people to hell? 44 8.11–8.12 Is the mode of baptism so important? 69 5.8 Does hell contradict free choice? 46 8.13–8.15 Isn’t sprinkling a form of baptism? 71 8.16–8.17 Do we have to recite “in the name of Jesus”? 72 Chapter 6: Religion and Salvation 47 8.18–8.19 Why does baptism have to be performed in natural flowing water only? 74 6.1 Why do I need a religion? 47 8.20–8.22 Is baptism with the bowing of head biblical? 75 6.2 Aren’t all religions pretty much the same? 47 8.23–8.25 Is infant baptism biblical? 76 6.3 Are religious beliefs relative? 48 8.26 Isn’t there biblical basis for baptism for the dead? 78 6.4 How can I find the absolute truth if even Christians cannot agree among themselves? 48 Chapter 9: Footwashing 80 6.5 – 6.6 Can’t I just be a good person? Isn’t God too narrow-minded to save only believers? 49 9.1–9.2 Is footwashing necessary for salvation? 80 6.7 What about those good pagans who have 9.3 Why do we not wash one another’s feet never heard of Christ? 50 during the sacrament? 81 6.8 Is Christianity a crutch for weak people? 51 6.9 Can I believe in God but not join any religion? 51 Chapter 10: Holy Communion 83 6.10 Is the church full of hypocrites? 52 10.1–10.2 Is the Holy Communion necessary for salvation? 83 Chapter 7: Sacraments and Salvation 54 10.3 Are transubstantiation or consubstantiation biblical? 84 7.1 What are sacraments? 54 10.4 Why is symbolism incorrect? 84 7.2–7.3 Are sacraments only symbolic? 54 10.5–10.6 Who can participate in the Holy Communion? 85 7.4–7.5 Are sacraments contrary to salvation by grace through faith? 56 Chapter 11: Holy Spirit 87 7.6–7.7 Aren’t we saved when we confess and 11.1 Is it necessary to receive the Holy Spirit? 87 believe Christ? 57 11.2 Does the phrase “be born of the Spirit” refer to Does a believer’s good work indicates 7.8 receiving the Holy Spirit? 87 that he is already saved? 58 4 5 11.3-11.6 Do believers need to pray for the Holy Spirit? 88 Chapter 14: One God in Jesus Christ 126 11.7-11.10 When does a believer receive the Holy Spirit? 91 14.1–14.7 Is Jesus Christ also the Father and the Spirit? 126 11.11-11.16 Is speaking in tongues necessary Can we pray to the Lord Jesus, who is for all believers? 94 14.8 the mediator? 130 11.17 Should spiritual tongues be intelligible? 98 11.18 Are spiritual tongues ceased after the Bible was completed? 99 11.19 Is it right to speak in tongues during worship? 100 11.20 Would believers be saved if they pass away before they could pray or speak in tongues? 101 11.21 Do baptized believers who have not received the Holy Spirit belong to Christ? 101 11.22 Is it biblical to teach people to say “hallelujah” repeatedly? 102 11.23 Could I receive evil spirit when I pray for the Holy Spirit? 103 Chapter 12: Sabbath Day 104 12.1 Did Jesus Christ abolish the Sabbath? 104 12.6–12.7 Was the Sabbath only for the Israelites? 106 12.8–12.10 Do Christians need to observe the Sabbath? 108 12.11-12.13 Did the Lord’s disciples observe Sunday? 110 12.14 What is “the Lord’s day”? 111 12.15 Can’t I observe the Sabbath any day I want? 112 12.16 Couldn’t we have lost track of time? 112 12.17 What about Joshua’s long day? 113 12.18 Did the change in the calendar also affected the Sabbath? 114 12.19 The world is made up of many time zones. How do we determine when the seventh day begins? 114 Chapter 13: Church 116 13.1–13.3 Why is the name “True Jesus Church” significant? 116 13.4 Is church necessary for salvation? 118 13.5–13.9 Is there only one true church? 119 13.10 Will all the other Christians not be saved? 122 13.11 If the True Jesus Church is the only true church, why is does it have such small membership? 123 13.12 Do all Christians share the same faith because they use the same Bible? 123 13.13 Is one interpretation of the Bible as good as any other? 124 6 7 God’s Existence Chapter 1 inventor. Yet a a similar claim is made that understanding the mechanisms of creation rules out a Creator.”2 God’s Existence 1.3 We came about by chance. ➠ If we say the whole world was the result of random changes, then 1.1 no empirical evidence, or science, could ever prove it. Indeed, if everything came about by chance, then what would be the purpose Science has made religion obsolete. There is neither any of science? reason to believe in God today, nor any need for religion. ➠ There are even darker ramifications to this question. If our mind ➠ Science and religion explore reality from different perspectives.
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