The sixth edition of this book came out in 1968, the year I was born again.  My Pastor, Bill Hampton, from  Port Washington, Long Island, Reformed, Independent Baptist Church, used it for his New Christians Class!

I wonder how many Pastors would demand that New Christians, seeking membership into their church, would have to sit down and laboriously study an approximate 200 page handbook on Christian doctrine??????  First published in 1936, this book was written by T. C. Hammond and revised and edited by David F. Wright.  The publisher is Inter-Varsity Press.

This isn't just a book of what Christians believe.  It's more than basics like "we believe in the virgen birth,  the deity of Christ, faith apart from works, the Sovereignty of God."  It also teaches the student what others believe i.e.  Protestant Reformers believe this, Catholics believe this , Augustinians (aka Calvinists) believe this, Armenians believe this.  The problem with this view, the problem with that view. Cautions concerning the different views.  It involves critical thinking.

"Critical thinking is the purposeful and reflective judgement about what to believe or what to do in response to observations, experience, verbal or written expressions, or arguments. Critical thinking involves determining the meaning and significance of what is observed or expressed, or, concerning a given inference or argument, determining whether there is adequate justification to accept the conclusion as true. "    Definition of Critical Thinking: Wiki

As a 25 year old babe in Christ and devoured Scripture and really liked my "new Christians class."  It is only in the last few years that I have started to realize, not many new Christians have had the foundation of sound doctrine laid out for them so that they are able to give an answer to everyone who asks for the faith that is in them. Some new Christians don't really know what they believe, they's never "studied to show themselves approved of God a workman that need not be ashamed of his work, rightly dividing the Word of Truth."  Despite commands to know and observe sound doctrine and to learn discernment, they have picked up on the idea that it isn't important. Consequently, new cults are formed, aberrant teachings are taught in church, false teachers are respected and popularized, heresies take root, sound doctrine is compromised and it is all accepted. 

Protestants don't protest any longer.  And this reluctance to protest seems to lead back to a wide separation between the laity and leaders of the church. It seems that Protestant churches are approaching  the same situation that existed with the Roman Catholic Church before the Protestant Reformation.  Church leaders were the only ones who really had the Scripture available to them.  Since they were the ones with the University degrees in Theology, the laity never questioned them.  There was not an open atmosphere to discuss these things.  But, we belived in the priesthood of all believers so there needs to be no separation in our churches between leadership and laity.  We need to hold ourselves responsibly to learn sound doctrine and we need to have open communication among all levels in the church to observe, to experience, to argue, to reflect and decide for ourselves whether or not there is enough evidence to support our beliefs.

Reminder to myself: This would be a good book to open and study once again. 

Thanks to and for  all my Christian brothers and sisters who force me to get into the Word and give an answer for myself.

2Ti 2:15

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

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