10 REASONS
WHY YOU SHOULD INVESTIGATE
THE
by Owen
Cosgrove
Edited by Wm. L. Schwegler
PROVE ALL THINGS, HOLD FAST THAT WHICH IS GOOD. I Thessalonians 5:21
It began in
Luke 24:45-47
Then opened he their understanding,
that they might understand the scriptures, 46And said unto them,
Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the
dead the third day: 47And that repentance and remission of sins
should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
Acts 1:6-8, When
they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou
at this time restore again the kingdom to
See also the events in Acts chapter 2. These culminated in the establishing of Christs church and the addition of its first members.
Acts
Matthew 16:18-19 And
I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my
church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19And I
will give unto thee the keys of the
Romans
Matthew 10:32-33 Whosoever
therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father
which is in heaven. 33But whosoever shall deny me before men, him
will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
Colossians
I Peter 4:15-16 But
let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other mens matters. 16Yet
if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but
let him glorify God on this behalf.
II Timothy 3:16-17 All
scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for
instruction in righteousness: 17That the man of God may be perfect,
thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
Matthew 24:35 Heaven
and earth shall pass away, but my words shall
John
Revelation 22:18-19 For
I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book,
If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that
are written in this book: 19And if any man shall take away from the
words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the
book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which
are written in this book.
Each congregation
is ruled by a group of elders (also called bishops, presbyters, pastors,
shepherds and overseers in the New Testament).
I Timothy 3:1-7 This
is a true saying, If a man desire the office of
a bishop, he desireth a good work. 2A bishop then must be blameless,
the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to
hospitality, apt to teach; 3Not given to wine, no striker, not
greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; 4One
that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all
gravity; 5(For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how
shall he take care of the church of God?) 6Not a novice, lest being
lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7Moreover
he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into
reproach and the snare of the deviL.
Titus 1:5-9 For
this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things
that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee: 6If
any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused
of riot or unruly. 7For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward
of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not
given to filthy lucre; 8But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good
men, sober, just, holy, temperate; 9Holding fast the faithful word
as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort
and to convince the gainsayers.
Acts
These men are
assisted by deacons in their work:
Philippians 1:1 Paul
and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus
which are at
I Timothy 3:8-10 Likewise
must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued,
not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; 9Holding the
mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. 10And let these also
first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless.
There are no
synods, hierarchies, district superintendents, etc. in Christs church. Each congregation under its eldership answers
directly to Christ.
I Peter 5:1-7 The
elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the
sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: 2Feed
the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a
ready mind; 3Neither as being lords over Gods heritage, but
being ensamples to the flock. 4And when the chief Shepherd shall
appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto
the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed
with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. 6Humble
yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due
time: 7Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
On the first day
of the week, it meets to partake of the Lords supper,
sing, pray, study and contribute as the New Testament has commanded.
Acts 20:7 And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul
preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech
until
I Corinthians 16:1-2 Now
concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches
of
Colossians 3:16 Let
the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing
one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your
hearts to the Lord.
Ephesians
Luke 18:1 And he spake a parable unto
them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to
faint;
It rejects
methods of worship not prescribed in the New Testament such as mechanical
instruments of music, worship in a foreign language, transubstantiation, consubstantiation,
mass, etc.
Mathew 23:1-12 Then
spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, 2Saying, The
scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses seat: 3All therefore whatsoever
they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their
works: for they say, and do not. 4For they bind heavy burdens and
grievous to be borne, and lay them on mens shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.
5But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad
their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, 6And
love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, 7And
greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. 8But
be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all
ye are brethren. 9And call no man your father upon
the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. 10Neither be
ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. 11But
he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12And whosoever
shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be
exalted.
II Thessalonians 2:1-4 Now
we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2That ye be not soon
shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter
as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 3Let no man deceive you by any
means: for that day shall not
come, except there come a
falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4Who
opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is
worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself
that he is God.
The Lord commands
an immersion:
Romans 6:4 Therefore we are buried with
him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by
the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Colossians 2:12 Buried
with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith
of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
of penitent believers:
Mark
Acts
in water:
Acts
Acts
I Peter 3:20-21 Which
sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days
of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were
saved by water.
For the remission
of sins:
Acts
Acts
This is the only
baptism commanded by the New Testament.
Ephesians 4:5 One
Lord, one faith, one baptism,
It upholds
devotion to high moral standards, civil obedience, benevolence and godliness.
Titus 2:11-14 For
the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12Teaching
us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly,
righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13Looking for that
blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus
Christ; 14Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all
iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
John 17:15-26 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but
that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. 16They are not of the
world, even as I am not of the world. 17Sanctify them through thy
truth: thy word is truth. 18As thou hast sent me into the world,
even so have I also sent them into the world. 19And for their sakes
I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. 20Neither pray I for these alone,
but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; 21That
they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in
thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou
hast sent me. 22And the glory which thou gavest me I have given
them; that they may be one, even as we are one: 23I in them, and
thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know
that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. 24Father,
I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that
they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before
the foundation of the world. 25O righteous Father, the world hath
not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent
me. 26And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.
I Corinthians
Ephesians 4:1-6 I
therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the
vocation wherewith ye are called, 2With all lowliness and meekness,
with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; 3Endeavouring to
keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your
calling; 5One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6One God and
Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Religious error
flourishes where people fail to investigate, study, and think. It was noble in Gods sight when the Bereans
received
the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Acts
II Timothy 4:3-4 For
the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their
own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4And
they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto
fables.
In order to
please Christ, we must obey Him even if it means changing customs and habits
that we have long loved and believed.
Hebrews 5:8-9 Though
he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; 9And
being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them
that obey him;
II Thessalonians 1:7-10 And
to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed
from heaven with his mighty angels, 8In flaming fire taking
vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord
Jesus Christ: 9Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction
from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; 10When
he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that
believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.
Hebrews 10:32-39 32But call to remembrance the former days, in
which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions; 33Partly,
whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and
partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used. 34For
ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your
goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring
substance. 35Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath
great recompense of reward. 36For ye have need of patience, that,
after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. 37For
yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. 38Now
the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my
soul shall have no pleasure in him. 39But we are not of them who draw
back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.
Truth and
humility do not fear investigation they welcome it.
If you are weary
with the disunity, confusion, and dogma of modern religion we believe that you
will welcome the plea made by true churches of Christ that all may lay aside
all human creeds and systems and live according to the Bible only.
Let us call things by Bible names.
Let us do Bible things in Bible ways.
Let us seek to obey Christ in all things.
Let us be simple New Testament Christians
no more and no less.
We invite you to
seek out and attend the services of the true