By Richard C. Church
This resource is to be used in conjunction with the Quick Witness Guide for Sharing Grace Doctrine. This supplement contains all scripture references and word definitions cited in the Quick Witness Guide.
Topics:
Dispensations
The Mystery
The Lord’s Prayer
The Ten Commandments
“You Teach People That It’s OK to Sin!”
Confession
Repentance
Water Baptism
One Gospel or Many Gospels?
The Trinity
Which Bible?
Forgiveness
Once Saved, Always Saved
Law vs. Grace
The Sabbath
“Cheap Grace” and “Easy Believism”
Tithing
oikonomia: administration (of a household or estate); specifically a (religious) “economy”
Strong’s Concordance
Expression of Faith
Noah – Gen 6:8,13,14,22; Heb 11:7
James – James 2:10,14,17-26
Dispensation of Grace Committed to Paul – 1 Cor 9:17; Eph 4:32; Col 1:25
Mystery is Distinct From Prophecy
The mystery kept secret – Rom 16:25; 1 Cor 2:7,8; Eph 3:1-9; Col 1:25,26
Distinction between Paul’s message and that of the Twelve
Paul’s message kept secret – Rom 16:25
Peter’s message not kept secret – Acts 3:19-21
Distinction between Paul’s ministry and Christ’s earthly ministry
Christ, a minister of the circumcision – Rom 15:8
Paul, a minister of the uncircumcision – Rom 15:16
Unique Content of the Mystery
Nation of Israel temporarily set aside – Rom 11:25,26
Pre-tribulation catching away of the body of Christ – 1 Cor 15:51-54; 1 Thes 4:13-18
Gentile salvation apart from the nation of Israel – Eph 2:11-19, 3:3-6; Col 1:25-27
Believers as members of the body of Christ – Rom 12:4,5; 1 Cor 10:17, 12:12-27; Eph 1:22,23, 2:16, 3:6, 4:4,12-16, 5:30-33; Col 1:18, 2:19, 3:15)
Taught by Christ to His Disciples – Mat 6:9-13; Luke 11:1-4
Often practiced contrary to Christ’s instructions – Mat 6:5-7
Jewish nature of the Lord’s prayer
In accordance with Christ’s ministry to the Jews – Mat 15:24; Rom 15:8
The Jews’ Kingdom
Jews were promised a kingdom on earth – Gen 17:5-8; Ex 19:5,6
The kingdom descends to the earth – Rev 21:1,2
Body of Christ spends eternity in heaven, not on earth – 2 Cor 5:1; Eph 1:3, 2:6; Phil 3:20; Col 1:5; 1 Thes 4:17; 2 Tim 4:18
Forgiveness
Those under the law required to demonstrate faith by works – Mat 3:8; Jam 2:18
Body of Christ already forgiven all trespasses – Col 2:13,14
We are to forgive as we have been forgiven – Eph 4:32
The Law points out guilt – Rom 3:19-20, 5:20, 7:5-11; Gal 3:10-12
The Law pertained to the nation of Israel – Rom 9:4
The Law is done away with for the body of Christ – Rom 6:14, 7:6, 8:3, 10:4; Gal 2:19-21, 3:13,24,25, 5:18; Eph 2:15
Salvation today is apart from the Law – Rom 3:20-28; Gal 2:16,21; Phil 3:9
“You Teach People That It’s OK to Sin!”
Paul’s Defence
We are not to continue in sin – Rom 6:1,2
Grace teaches us not to sin – Tit 2:11,12
Good works in the dispensation of grace
Good works that are not of faith are worthless – Isa 64:6; Rom 14:23; Phil 3:9
Good works are produced by Christ living in us – Gal 2:20
According to John, confession was necessary – 1 John 1:9
Dispensation of grace committed to Paul, not John – 1 Cor 9:17; Eph 3:2; Col 1:25
It’s not necessary to confess sins that have already been forgiven – Col 2:13
metanoeo: to think differently afterwards, i.e. reconsider
Strong’s Concordance
Repentance does not mean to turn from sin
God repents for making man – Gen 6:7
God repents for making Saul king of Israel – 1 Sam 15:11
When Peter says “Repent…”, he is saying to reconsider who Christ was – Acts 2:38
Is repentance necessary for salvation?
Yes, but not in the sense of turning from sin – Rom 2:4; 2 Tim 2:25
We are saved by faith in the gospel, not by turning from sin – 1 Cor 15:1-4
Working for salvation is forbidden – Rom 4:5; Tit 3:5
Repentance for the believer
How we should live
Our liberty in Christ – Gal 5:1
We are dead to sin – Rom 6:11
When we live sinfully, we should repent – 2 Cor 12:21
Corinthian church as an example
Paul rebukes them for their carnality – 1 Cor 3:3,4
They repented – 2 Cor 7:9,10
Different kinds of baptism (water, Spirit, fire, etc.) – Mat 3:11
One baptism for the body of Christ – Eph 4:4-6
Baptism into Christ and into his death, not into water – Rom 6:3,4; Gal 3:27; Col 2:12
Holy Spirit baptizes us into the body of Christ, not into water – 1 Cor 12:13
Paul baptized with water only in his early ministry – 1 Cor 1:14-17
Gospel of the circumcision vs. gospel of the uncircumcision – Gal 2:7
Peter’s gospel declared by the prophets – Acts 2:16, 3:18,21,24
Paul’s gospel not revealed to the prophets – Eph 3:3-5
The gospel is a part of the mystery – Eph 6:19
Exclusive terms for Paul’s gospel
“My gospel” – Rom 2:16, 16:25; 2 Tim 2:8
“The gospel which I preached” – 1 Cor 15:1; Gal 2:2
“Our gospel” – 2 Cor 4:3; 1 Thes 1:5; 2 Thes 2:14
The gospel “which we have preached” – Gal 1:8
“The gospel which was preached of me” – Gal 1:11
Paul’s early ministry called “the beginning of the gospel” – Phil 4:15
The gospel of grace was “committed” to Paul’s trust – 1 Cor 9:17; 1 Tim 1:11
We are told to follow Paul as a pattern – 1 Cor 4:16, 11:1; Phil 3:17; 1 Tim 1:16
These three are one – 1 John 5:7
The Word was God – John 1:1
Christ is “The mighty God, The everlasting Father” – Is 9:6
Christ is “God with us” – Mat 1:23
Those who saw Christ, saw the Father – John 14:8,9
Jesus is the “I Am” – John 8:58,59
Verses Removed from Modern Versions – Mark 16:9-20; Luke 9:56; John 7:53-8:11; Acts 8:37, 15:34, 24:7, 28:29; Rom 16:24; 1 John 5:7
“Faith of Christ” changed to “faith in Christ” – Gal 2:16,20; Phil 3:9
Basis of Forgiveness
Need for Forgiveness
Penalty of Sin – Rom 6:23
All are sinners – Rom 3:10,23
Provision for Forgiveness
Christ was made to be sin for us – 2 Cor 5:21
Christ died for our sin – Rom 5:8; 1 Cor 15:3; Gal 1:4
The sole basis for forgiveness is the blood of Christ – Rom 3:21-26; Eph 1:7; Col 1:14
Christ paid for all sin: past, present, and future – 1 Tim 2:6
Application of Christ’s forgiveness – Eph 4:32
Basis of Salvation
Not what we can do – Rom 4:5; Tit 3:5
Based on what God did – Rom 5:8; 1 Cor 15:3,4; 2 Cor 5:21
Nothing separates the believer from God’s love – Rom 8:33-39; Phil 1:6; 2 Tim 2:11-13
Who we are in Christ
Members of His body – 1 Cor 12:27; Eph 1:22,23, 5:30
Sealed with the Spirit – 2 Cor 1:22; Eph 1:13,14, 4:30
A purchased possession – 1 Cor 6:20, 7:23; Eph 1:14
Adopted sons – Rom 8:15-23; Gal 4:5; Eph 1:5
Scriptures which teach loss of salvation not to the body of Christ – Heb 6:4-6, 10:26,27; 2 Pet 2:20-22
The Nature of the Law
Involves works – Rom 2:13; Gal 3:12; James 2:26
Requires perfect obedience of the entire Law – Deu 27:26; James 2:10
Noone can keep the whole Law – Rom 3:10,19,20,23; Gal 2:16, 3:11; John 1:8,10
The Nature of Grace
Does not include works – Rom 3:19-26, 4:4,5; Gal 3:10-14; Phil 3:9; Tit 3:5
Grace is a gift which cannot be earned – Rom 5:13-17, 6:23; 2 Cor 9:14,15; Eph 2:8,9, 3:7, 4:7
Law and Grace are mutually exclusive – Rom 11:6
Ceremonial observances don’t pertain to the body of Christ – Col 2:16,17
They are a part of the Law which was nailed to Christ’s cross – Col 2:14
No distinction between the Law and the Ten Commandments
Ten Commandments part of the whole law – James 2:10,11
Ten Commandments part of the law from which we have been delivered – Rom 7:6,7
The believer in the dispensation of grace is free from the law – Rom 8:2
“Cheap Grace” and “Easy Believism”
Grace is not cheap, it is a free gift – Eph 2:8,9
None of us can earn grace – Rom 3:10,23
The cost of grace – 1 Cor 15:1-4; 2 Cor 5:21
Grace is given as a gift – Rom 4:4,5
Belief is easy
The result of our pride – Rom 10:3
We must place no merit in our works – Phil 3:8,9
We are justified through faith in the blood of Christ – Rom 3:21-26
Giving in the dispensation of grace is based on a willing heart, not legal ordinances. – 2 Cor 8:12, 9:7
Tithing is a part of the law and we are not under the law. – Rom 6:14; Gal 3:23-25, 5:18