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What is the Apocrypha?

The Apocrypha is generally applied to a certain collection of 16 books which were written between the traditional Old Testament and the New Testament. These books are Baruch, Tobit, Judith, I and II Maccabees, Wisdom and Sirach, I and II Esdras, Additions to Ester, The Epistle of Jeremiah, The History of Susanna, The Song of the Three Holy Children, Bel the Dragon, Prayer of Manasses, III and IV Maccabees. In 1546 AD, at the Council of Trent, the Roman Catholic Church officially declared that 7 books of the Apocrypha would become part of their Old Testament.

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What is Baptism?

According to Webster's Dictionary "Baptism is a Christian sacrament marked by a ritual use of water and admitting the recipient to the Christian community". This "ritual of water" is applied in three different ways. The person is either immersed in water or water is poured or sprinkled upon them, depending on the religious group's belief. The act of baptism was very important to Christ (Matthew 28:19), Peter (Acts 2:38), and Paul (Acts 10:48) and all first century Christians were baptized. Baptism by Immersion - Baptism is a transliterated word which comes directly from the Greek word "baptizo" which means to immerse or plunge under. Christ told His followers to go and make disciples and baptize (immerse) them in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). In the early church, baptism and immersion meant the same thing. Baptism by Pouring - The word to pour is a translation from the Greek word "cheo" which means to pour upon something. The writer of Acts uses both immersion and pour in Acts 10:44-48. They are used differently by the same writer therefore they must have different meanings. Baptism by Sprinkling - The word to sprinkle is translated from the Greek word "rhantismos" which means to sprinkle upon something. The writer of I Peter uses both immersion and sprinkle in his book. They are used differently by the same writer therefore they must have different meanings.

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What is the Christian Bible?

The bible contains 66 books and is divided into two sections, the Old and New Testament. The Old Testament consists of 39 books that were written between 1500-400 B.C. in Hebrew and some Aramaic. The New Testament that consists of 27 books that were written between 45-100 AD and it was written in Greek. In 1546 AD, at the Council of Trent, the Roman Catholic Church officially added the 7 books of the Apocrypha to their Old Testament. Also see Apocrypha.

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Is Church Attendance Required?

There are a lot of people whose lifestyle reflect this question. They call themselves Christians and they go to church once in a while, when it is convenient or when problems arise. If someone calls themselves a sports fan but doesn't go to or watch or read about any sports events are they really a serious fan? When Jesus was talking to the Laodicea congregation in Revelation 3:6 He called them lukewarm and He said they made Him sick. Church is where one can grow spiritually, have fellowship and worship with others, be help and help others in their walk through life.

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Can I Be a Christian Without Going To Church?

Where are the Dead?

There are two different places a person can go after he or she dies, one has comfort and the other has agony. A person's relationship with God before they die determines that finial location. The teaching of a place called Purgatory is not found in the Bible. (Gregory I, Bishop of Rome, established the doctrine of Purgatory about 550 years after the time of Christ.) The Bible is quit clear that after one dies, they do not have a second chance to change their finial destination. This is seen in Christ's example of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) and in Hebrews 9:27.

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What Happens When We Die?

Who is Emmanuel?

This is another name for Jesus which means "God with us".

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Did God use Evolution?

Where did we come from? It's an age old question that probably almost everyone has asked at one time or another. Did we evolve, were we created? We're we created through evolution? This subject alone has a vast amount of information that can't be addressed here. But let us offer an insight as to why we believe the truth points to creation. And let's understand, not all evolutionists are agnostic/atheist, nor do all Christians believe in the Genesis creation. The term evolution is very broad and one needs to clearly define what they're arguing for or against when having discussions. Undisputedly, micro-evolution is true and happens in cell life and other biological aspects. Or put another way, a species can and do have limited changes within their own species (color, size, adaptation to new environment). But those changes are limited to their species, they don't evolve into a different species. Biblical creation states that God created all species in their fully formed state. Contrary to popular belief, the fossil record supports this better than evolution. The evolutionists themselves even state this is a problem for their evolution theory. There is no scientific evidence for macro-evolution, meaning one species evolved into a completely different species. Like, men evolved from apes or some other life form.

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Intelligent Design Or Evolution

Who is Jesus?

The Jesus of the Bible is also called "the Son of God", Emanuel, and Christ. He was not created, He has always existed. He is God, the second Person of the Trinity. He is co-equal with God the Father and the Holy Spirit. He was begotten through the Holy Spirit and the Mary (who was a virgin). His earthly father's name was Joseph. Jesus is the only way to God the Father, salvation, and eternal life. Jesus was crucified on a cross, buried, and arose from the grave on the third day (both physically and spiritually) and he was seen by many in the next 40 days. After the 40 days, Jesus ascended to Heaven (Acts 1:9-11). Jesus will come again for His followers and to judge the world.

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Is It Enough Just To Be a Good Person?

People often state, "I think I'm a good person that should be enough to get me to Heaven. Why would God send me to hell for being a good person"? Well, God doesn't send anyone to heaven or hell; we choose that by where we place our faith. First of all, if everyone is deciding what is good or bad in their our minds, then all we've done is just formed our own individual religions, based on our own good/bad barometers. Whose barometer or standard then is "good enough"? Second, if we could be good enough on our own merit, then Christ wouldn't have had to die on the cross for us. Admission to heaven isn't from our good works or what we've done. It is about putting our faith in Christ for what He has already done. Sin has separated us from God and by Jesus going to the cross, He has paid our debt. His completed work on the cross is offered to us as a free gift of salvation. Simply because we can't be good enough we need atonement for our sin. This is the reason Jesus went to the cross. Recognizing and accepting what Jesus has done for us through our faith is the only thing that will allow a glorious entry into Heaven and allow us to be in the presence of a just and holy God.

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Is It Enough Just To Be A Good Person?

What is the Trinity?

The word trinity is not found in the original Bible text, however it is evident from the Bible that there is only one God (Exodus 20:3) and that one God is three persons not three different gods. The Triune of God is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They have oneness because Christ submits to the Father (1 Cor. 11:3; 15:28), and the Holy Spirit glorifies the Son (John 16:14), making them one.

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Who was Christ?

This is another name for Jesus which means "Anointed or Messiah".

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