Preface

Preface

This is a valuable treatise on biblical instruction, in which topics that encompass a predominant content of elementary theology and an interesting exposition of the doctrine of Jesus Christ are presented. Its goal is to provide the reader with the basic knowledge about God and His relationships with His creatures, including the teachings and foundations of Christian doctrine, essential for the salvation of the soul. For this purpose, I have provided a theological panorama in chronological order of the different events that have given rise to the Christian faith. It is presented in four units of study, which are divided into chapters and lessons. The first unit, basic and complementary at once, begins with the bibliology of the sacred book. It includes its origins, definition, etymology, and concept of the Holy Bible, main characteristics of its content, categories of its teachings, original languages, places and times of writing, and its internal divisions. In addition to that, it discusses the divine inspiration in its sacred writings, eternal permanence character, some of its purposes, and how to understand its divine legacy. It also refers to the foundation of the Christian faith, what the Bible teaches about God the Father and His divine attributes; what it declares about Jesus Christ the Son, the Holy Spirit, and the concepts that have given rise to the doctrine of the Trinity. It addresses thus an interesting theology study in which both the theme of Christology and that of Pneumatology stand out. Following that, the topic of Angelology is taken into consideration, related to a reference about angels, as well as the topic of Demonology, concerning fallen angels, the origin of the Devil, and his activities as God’s enemy. And it concludes with an interesting cosmological content, where the study of the creation of the universe ends with a beautiful and transcendental anthropological conclusion, through the study of man's origin and nature.

The second unit begins with the theme of Hamartiology, which in this case is based on the study of original sin. Then, a second phase of Christological study related to the plan of redemption that comprises the temporary sacrifices as the prototype of the sacrifice of the Son of God is included.

As a subject of essential character, a preliminary focus on biblical legislation is introduced through the analysis and consideration of the promulgation of the holy commandments, assisted by a valuable commentary on each of them, to continue with the overview of redemption by Jesus Christ, His ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension to heaven. It concludes with the Messianic prophecies fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

The third unit consists of a study of Eschatology, about the last events concerning the existence of humanity and includes the theme of Parousia related to the second coming of Christ. It also makes reference to the theme of the resurrection of the dead and the transformation of the living, the intermediate place and state of the soul, the millennium, the final judgment, and the home of our eternal dwelling.

The fourth unit begins with a second aspect of biblical legislation, about the Old and New Covenants of God with man; the concept of the abolished and current laws according to these two covenants is taken into consideration. The topic of the apostolic decree issued at the Council of Jerusalem in the year 50 A.D., regarding the free entry of the Gentiles converted by faith in Jesus Christ, without circumcision and without the observance of the law of Moses, is also addressed. Where a teaching of high doctrinal relevance is exposed, for the contribution it provides from the historical and cultural context of the time. Whose effects neutralize the greatest rivalry among Christian believers. It concludes with a predominant exposition of the doctrine of Jesus Christ, concerning the steps to follow to be saved. This includes the theme of grace, faith, repentance, renewal, sanctification, justification, and adoption. Among these, the validity of the holy commandments is discussed, concluding with the water baptism, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and its activities in the believers' lives.

Finally, a series of aspects related to morality and human behavior, which are an essential part of the Holy Doctrine, are taken into consideration. These consist of a series of codes of conduct required for the Christian, encompassing holiness and other divine demands essential for its completion.

Considering that some topics integrate several aspects, I have started with an outline the lessons that present such characteristics, in order to facilitate their comprehension for the students.

To this end, I have used arguments of a scientific and philosophical nature, admitted, and widely used in apologetics, which in no way affect the principles of the Christian faith, but on the contrary, constitute firm support for it.

As a more convenient complement for our students, I have quoted the biblical passages contained in each topic verbatim, preceded by their corresponding references.

Nevertheless, due to the high volume of biblical content, I had to present several passages in my own words so as not to violate editorial guidelines. Nevertheless, I have included the corresponding verse numbers, and the biblical references are clearly marked so that the student can verify it. Obviously, due to this characteristic, in most cases I have started passages with a brief introduction. If a passage containing more than one verse is not numbered, it is because I have paraphrased it.

Unless otherwise indicated, passages extracted from the Holy Bible have been taken from: The Bible - The King James Version 1769,51 online, classified as public domain. I should clarify to the reader that this biblical version—unlike modern English—contains verbal variants attributable solely to the age of the language.

In some of the topics presented, it is suggested to see the context of a certain biblical passage, which for the sake of aesthetic writing is not directly reflected in the text. For this, have a Bible of the reference version at hand. If you prefer, you can access our online version by clicking on the corresponding link. The link takes you to the book and chapter; you simply look up the indicated verses. However, if you wish to verify the biblical text copied and pasted into this book, click on the numbered reference (51) containing the embedded link. The link takes you to the site, where you can select the specific book and verse yourself.

Since some Bible verses focus on two different conceptions, in some cases verses appear preceded or followed by three ellipsis points, indicating that only part of it has been taken according to the corresponding matter. Concerning the supplementary words or phrases included in the Bible in italics, these are not rendered as such in the copied text, but rather in the same typeface as the main text. Please keep this detail in mind when you wish to check the passage in the online Bible.51 When the passage comprises more than one verse, the first of these likewise does not display its corresponding number.

I have also used different font styles to better distinguish the biblical passages from the author's text and other author citations, including some insertions of the Greek and Hebrew texts.

For the benefit of those proficient in Hebrew script, and to ensure greater reliability, I have copied the Hebrew text directly from the online version cited in bibliographic reference 7 and pasted it where necessary to confirm the subject matter.

For certain historical data and others, I have created an APPENDIX at the end of the lessons that require it.

I have also included in this treatise an important section under the name: Individual Evangelistic Ministry, which you can find on the final pages.

Including the biblical text, to indicate the different literary sources cited with their corresponding bibliography, I have used numerical references at the end of each citation. By means of each numerical reference, you can identify the corresponding work on the bibliography list at the end of the book.

In the case of insertions within the Hebrew text, the numerical references appear at the far left of the final word, as this language is written from right to left.

Among citations from other writers, I have related a series of them, although the works of some may not be recognized. These mentions I have mainly classified according to the order of their mention, as: eminent writer,32 distinguished writer,11 versed writer,33 great writer,35 and recognized writer.8 In some cases, I allude to  "our theologian",45 referring to the one from whom I took the basic principle of the teaching of the topic in question.

For the reader's information, I have exercised the utmost care to avoid infringing upon copyright in any of the citations within the text, or in my use of works by other authors; nevertheless, in most instances, I have done so quite naturally—in the style of ancient literature, which has always been universally understood without adherence to the various modern rules that have been suggested.

In cases involving citations of words, phrases, or paragraphs in another language translated into English, the reader will find—at the end of the citation—simply a bibliographic reference in superscript abbreviation: (trans.), without further formalities.

The study of this important series of topics will help you to obtain, as initially stated, a legitimate knowledge about God, his relationships and purposes with human beings, his plan of redemption and eternal life through Jesus Christ, and the principles and foundations of his holy doctrine.

Evidently, most of the topics presented in this treatise are commonly accepted by the majority of Christian Churches. However, some of them, such as the observance of the Sabbath, dietary law, Christian women's attire, the permanence of marriage, the restrictions of the Second Commandment, and others, are inquisitive and controversial by nature, accepted only by a minority of Churches, commonly referred to as conservatives. Therefore, in accordance with the principles of professional ethics in the application of the teachings of the Holy Scriptures, this treatise reflects an impartial character. Due to this, those topics of common acceptance are explained practically, just as is required for better understanding; while the controversial ones are analyzed, firstly according to the concept of the majority of Churches and then according to the concept of conservatives. The latter present a deeper and analytical study, identified by the foundation of their theories and the tenacity of their arguments in defense of them. This is a method that equips the student with knowledge of different theological currents, so they can consciously choose the tendency of their preference and freely decide which one they want to follow.

I wish to clarify to the reader that, due to the version of the Bible I have chosen—for well-founded reasons—it employs the title "Lord" rather than the name "Jehovah," as is common in most versions; this choice is based on principles established in Biblical Hebrew. Likewise, as a proponent of this concept, I too—in this instance—will refrain from using that name, opting instead for "Lord". However, this approach is not radical in nature, but rather serves merely as an ethical method to ensure that the author's text remains consistent with the biblical text.