Deuteronomy 32:39
God refers to himself as one.
Ephesians 4:6
God is one.
Genesis 1:26
First person plural: "Let us make man in our image."
John 1:1–4
The Word was in the beginning with God.
John 10:30
"The Father and I are one."
Matthew 28:19
"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."
1 John 5:7–8
Three who give testimony in Heaven.
Exodus 3:13–14
Then Moses said to God, "If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' what shall I say to them?" God said to Moses, … "Say this to the people of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'"
John 8:58
Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM."
John 8:23–24
said to them, "You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins, for you will die in your sins unless you believe that I AM he."
John 1:1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:14
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
Acts 1:15–17, 20
In those days Peter stood up among the brethren … and said, "Brethren, the scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David, concerning Judas who was guide to those who arrested Jesus. For he was numbered among us, and was allotted his share in this ministry. … For it is written in the book of Psalms, 'Let his habitation become desolate, and let there be no one to live in it'; and 'His office let another take.'"
Acts 1:24–26
"…show which one of these two thou hast chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside, to go to his own place." And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthi'as; and he was enrolled with the eleven apostles.
2 Timothy 2:2
…and what you have heard from me before many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
1 Timothy 4:14
Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophetic utterance when the council of elders laid their hands upon you.
Acts 20:28
The Holy Spirit appoints leaders of the Church.
Acts 14:22
Bishops choose leaders.
2 Thessalonians 2:15
So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by letter.
2 Thessalonians 2:5
Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you this?
2 Timothy 2:2
…and what you have heard from me before many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
1 Corinthians 15:1–3
Now I would remind you, brethren, in what terms I preached to you the gospel, which you received, in which you stand, by which you are saved, if you hold it fast — unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received.
John 20:30–31
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.
John 21:25
But there are also many other things which Jesus did; were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.
Acts 20:35
A saying of Christ not found in Scripture.
2 Thessalonians 3:6
Shun him who acts against tradition.
2 Peter 1:20
No private interpretation of scripture.
2 Peter 3:15–16
Difficulty in interpretation of scripture.
John 20:21–25
Apostolic authority of the Church.
John 17:17ff
Jesus prays the Church is undivided.
Luke 10:16
The Church speaks with Christ's voice.
1 Timothy 3:15
The Church is the pillar and bulwark of truth.
John 10:16
"There shall be one flock, one shepherd."
Ephesians 4:3–6
One Lord, one faith, one baptism.
Romans 16:17
Avoid creating dissension.
John 16:13
The Church is guided by the Spirit into all truth.
Colossians 1:18
Christ is the head of the body, the Church.
1 Corinthians 12:20–27
We are all parts of the body of Christ.
Ephesians 5:30
We are all members of the body of Christ.
Matthew 3:9
Jesus calls Abraham "father."
Romans 4:16–17
Abraham is referred to as "father."
Hebrews 12:7–9
We have earthly fathers.
Acts 7:2
Refers to Jewish leaders as "fathers."
James 2:24
You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.
James 2:14–17
What does it profit, my brethren, if a man says he has faith but has not works? Can his faith save him? If a brother or sister is ill-clad and in lack of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what does it profit? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.
James 2:26
For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so faith apart from works is dead.
1 Corinthians 13:2
And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
Romans 2:5–8
But by your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed. For he will render to every man according to his works.
1 Peter 1:17
And if you invoke as Father him who judges each one impartially according to his deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile.
Philippians 2:12–13
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Revelation 20:12–13
The dead were judged by what was written in the books, by their deeds.
Ephesians 2:8–9
Salvation as a past event: "For by grace you have been saved through faith."
Hebrews 9:28
Salvation as a future event: "Christ… will appear a second time… to save those who are eagerly waiting for him."
Matthew 7:21
"Not every one who says to me, 'Lord, Lord' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father."
Hebrews 6:4–6
Those who share in the Holy Spirit can fall away.
Romans 11:22
It is possible to be cut off as a Christian.
1 Corinthians 9:27
Paul disciplines his body lest he be disqualified.
Hebrews 12:1
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us.
Romans 8:35–39
For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Mark 12:26–27
"…'I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not God of the dead, but of the living."
Matthew 17:1–3
And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain apart. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Eli'jah, talking with him.
1 John 3:2
The saints are aware of God and of us.
Revelation 6:9–11
The prayers of the saints in heaven.
Genesis 3:15
Enmity between the woman and Satan.
Luke 1:28–37
Mary is "full of grace," and thus without sin.
Revelation 11:19–12:1
Mary is the Ark of the New Covenant.
2 Kings 2:11
Elijah is assumed into heaven.
Genesis 5:24
Enoch is assumed into heaven.
1 Thessalonians 4:17
Believers are also promised to be assumed.
Romans 6:23
Mary, free from sin, does not suffer the wages of sin.
Ezekiel 44:2
A prophecy of Mary's perpetual virginity: "This gate shall remain shut."
Mark 6:3
Jesus is referred to as "the" son, not "a" son. "Brother" can mean any number of male relatives.
Luke 2:41–51
No mention of other siblings.
John 19:26–27
Jesus commits his mother to John — no insult to siblings, because there were none.
Revelation 11–12
Mary in her role as Queen Mother.
Luke 1:32
Jesus sits on the throne of David.
Luke 1:43
"Mother of my Lord" — Jesus is God.
Luke 1:35
Mary gave birth to the Son of God.
Galatians 4:4
God sent his Son, born of a woman.
Matthew 28:19
"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."
John 3:5, 22
Born of water and the Spirit.
Titus 3:5
Baptism saves you.
Acts 2:37–38
Repent and be baptized.
Acts 22:16
"Rise and be baptized, and wash away your sins."
1 Peter 3:21
Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Isaiah 44:3
Water and Spirit are connected to baptism.
Galatians 3:27
In baptism we become new creatures.
Ezekiel 36:25–27
The Lord will sprinkle our sins clean with water.
Acts 19:5–6
Paul imposes hands for Confirmation.
Acts 8:14–17
Confirmation in action.
2 Corinthians 1:21–22
Confirmation.
Hebrews 6:2
Confirmation instructed.
Genesis 14:18
Melchizedek's offering of bread and wine — typology of the Eucharist.
Exodus 12:8, 46
The Paschal Lamb must be eaten.
Luke 24:30
The disciples recognize Jesus when he breaks bread.
John 1:29
Jesus is the "Lamb of God."
Matthew 26:26–28
Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is my body." And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, "Drink of it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant."
Mark 14:22–24
And as they were eating, he took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them, and said, "Take; this is my body." And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. And he said to them, "This is my blood of the covenant."
Luke 22:19–20
And he took bread, and when he had given thanks he broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." And likewise the cup after supper, saying, "This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood."
1 Corinthians 11:23–25
For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, "This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."
John 6:51–58
"I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh." … "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life…"
1 Corinthians 11:27–29
Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself.
Matthew 9:2–8
Jesus has authority to forgive sin.
John 20:22–23
And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."
2 Corinthians 5:17–20
The ministry of reconciliation is given to priests.
James 5:13–16
Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed.
Matthew 18:18
The power to bind and loose.
Mark 6:13
The apostles anointed the sick.
James 5:14
Priests anoint the sick.
James 5:15
The priest's prayer will "save" (sozein) the sick person.
Acts 20:28
The Holy Spirit appoints leaders of the Church.
John 20:22
Some are called to the priesthood.
Acts 14:22
Bishops choose leaders.
1 Timothy 4:14
The gift received by the laying on of hands.
Matthew 5:32–33
Divorce and remarriage is adultery.
Mark 10:6–9
Marriage between man and woman.
Ephesians 5:22–33
Husbands and wives submit to one another.
1 Corinthians 3:14–15
If the work which any man has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.
2 Timothy 1:16–18
Onesiphorus is dead, but Paul seeks mercy for him.
Revelation 21:27
Nothing unclean enters heaven.
2 Maccabees 12:43ff
Prayers for the dead.
Malachi 3:2–3
Purification of the righteous dead.
Exodus 25:18–19
God commands images to be made for the temple.
Numbers 21:8–9
Moses makes an image for healing.
1 Kings 6:23ff
God's temple contains many images.
1 John 5:16–17
If any one sees his brother committing what is not a mortal sin, he will ask, and God will give him life for those whose sin is not mortal. There is sin which is mortal; I do not say that one is to pray for that. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin which is not mortal.
Early Church Fathers
The faith of the first Christians — witnessed in their own words, long before the Reformation.
Follow your bishop, every one of you, as obediently as Jesus Christ followed the Father. Obey your clergy too as you would the apostles; give your deacons the same reverence that you would to a command of God.
Whoever dies in his sins, even if he profess to believe in Christ, does not truly believe in him; and even if that which exists without works be called faith, such faith is dead in itself, as we read in the epistle bearing the name of James.
Assemble on the Lord's Day, and break bread and offer the Eucharist: but first make confession of your faults, so that your sacrifice may be a pure one.
No one can attain salvation without baptism, especially in view of the declaration of the Lord, who says, “Unless a man shall be born of water, he shall not have life.”
We call this food Eucharist, and no one else is permitted to partake of it, except one who believes our teaching to be true and who has been washed in the washing which is for the remission of sins and for regeneration and is thereby living as Christ enjoined. For not as common bread nor common drink do we receive these.
Temporal punishments are suffered by some in this life only, by some after death, by some both here and hereafter, but all of them before that last and strictest judgment. But not all who suffer temporal punishments after death will come to eternal punishments, which are to follow after that judgment.
By the command of your only-begotten Son we communicate with the memory of your saints… by whose prayers and supplications have mercy upon us all, and deliver us for the sake of your holy name.