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The following is what the bible teaches

For more information on the Bible, click here)

A Brief Overview

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The Berean Christadelphians meet together each first day of the week in accordance with the command of Christ to break bread and drink wine in remembrance of Him until His return, and exhort one another to love and good works.

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They hold regular meetings for the preaching of the things concerning the Kingdom of God and the Name of Jesus Christ (Acts 8:12) 

 

They recognise it to be their duty to obey the Commandments of Christ, and they are therefore law abiding citizens.

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Their beliefs (often referred to as fundamental doctrines) are detailed in the information provided below.

BEREAN CHRISTADELPHIANS BELIEVE:

That human nature is essentially mortal

  • What is your life? It is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away" (James 4:14)

  • Man is like to vanity; his days are as a shadow that passeth away" (Psalm 144:3,4)

  • As for man, his days are as grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth; for the wind passeth over it, and it is gone, and the place thereof shall know it no more." (Psalm 103:14-16

That the dead are unconscious

  • "... for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave whither thou goest" (Ecclesiastes 9:10)

  • "O that I had given up the spirit, and no eye had seen me, I should have been as though I had not been" (Job 10:18)

  • "Shall the dead arise and praise Thee? Shall thy loving kindness be declared in the grave, or Thy faithfulness in destruction? Shall thy wonders be known in the dark, and Thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?" (Psalm 88:10-12)

  • "The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence." (Psalm 115:17) 

  •  "The living know that they shall die, but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward, for the memory of them is forgotten; also their love, and their hatred, and their envy is now perished, neither have they any more a portion for ever in anything that is done under the sun" (Ecclesiastes 9:5,6)

That immortality is to be bestowed at the Resurrection

  • "Jesus Christ shall judge the quick and the dead at His appearing and His Kingdom." (2 Timothy 4:1)

  • "But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterwards they that are Christ's at his coming." (1 Corinthians 15:23)

  • "We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump; for the trumpt shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." (1 Corinthians 15:51-54)

  •  "I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day" (John 11:24)

  •  "...for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just" (Luke 14:14)

  • "But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels: and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection" (Luke 20:35,36)

  •  "....the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth: they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation" (John 5:28,29)

  • "...that there shall be a resurrection  of the dead, both of the just and unjust" (Acts 24:14)

  • "But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept" (1 Corinthians 15:20) 

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That immortality at the Resurrection is a Conditional Gift

  • "If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments" (Matthew 19:17)

  • "He that heareth my word, and believeth on Him that sent me hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation" (John 5:24)

That heaven is not the promised reward of the faithful

  • "Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried and his sepulchre is with us unto this day....For David is not ascended into the heavens," (Acts 2:29,34)

  • "These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off." (Hebrews 11:13)

  • "I would not have you to be ignorant brethren, concerning them who are asleep, that ye sorrow not as others who have no hope.  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also that sleep in Jesus will God bring with him" (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

  • "Blessed are the meek; for they shall inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5)

  • "And no man hath ascended up to heaven..." (John 3:13)

  • "Evildoers shall be cut off; but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth" (Psalm 37:9-11)

  • "Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people and nation, and hast made us unto our God kings and priests, and we shall reign on the earth" (Revelation 5:9,10)

That hell is the grave, a pit or an unseen place - and not a place of torments

(The Old Testament word in the Hebrew is "sheol")

  • "I will go down into the grave (sheol) unto my son mourning" (Genesis 37:35)

  • "They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit (sheol)" (Numbers 16:33) 

  • "The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave (sheol) (1 Samuel 2:6)

  • "O that thou wouldest  hide me in the grave (sheol) Job 14:13)

  • "Let the wicked be ashamed, and let them be silent in the grave (sheol)" (Psalm 31:17)

  • "I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me: out of the belly of hell (sheol) cried I, and thou heardest my voice"  (Jonah 2:2)

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(The New Testament word in the Greek is "hades")

  • "Thou wilt not leave my (Jesus) soul in hell (hades), neither wilt thou suffer thy holy one to see corruption." (Acts 2:27)

  •  "And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell (hades)" (Luke 10:15)

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That man does not have an immortal soul

  • "...the soul that sinneth it shall die" (Ezekiel 18:4,20)

  • "For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks? (Psalm 6:5)

  • "The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence" (Psalm 115:17)

  • "Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.  His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish." (Psalm 146:3,4)

  • "For the grave cannot praise thee, death cannot celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth " (Isaiah 38:18)

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That a Judgement Seat will take place at the Return of Christ

  • "Every man's work shall be made manifest, for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire, and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is" (1 Corinthians 3:13)

  • We shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ...Every one of us shall give account of himself to God" (Romans 14:10,12)

  • We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that every one may recieve the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether good or bad" (2 Corinthians 5:10)

  •  "The Lord Jesus Christ shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom" (2 Timothy 4:1)

  •  "It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgement" (Hebrews 9:27)

That only the responsible will be resurrected to Judgment

  • "Man that is in honour and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish" (Psalm 49:20)

  • "Where no law is, there is no transgression" (Romans 4:15)

  • "As  many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law" (Romans 2:12)

  • If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin" (John 15:22)

  • And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt" (Daniel 12:2)

That God is the Creator of all things

  • "I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded" (Isaiah 45:12)

  • "God that made the world and all things therein" (Acts 17:24)

  • "Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is" (Acts 4:24)

  • "O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches" (Psalm 104:24) 

     

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That God is a Unity

  • "Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God is one LORD" (Deuteronomy 6:4)

  • Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments, is Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord" (Mark 12:29)

  • To us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in Him" (1 Corinthians 8:6)

  • "There is one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all" (Ephesians 4:6)

  • There is one God, and one  mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 2:5)

  • I am God, and there is none else....and there is none like me, declaring the end from the begining and from ancient times the things that are not yet done" (Isaiah 46:9,10)

  •  "I am the LORD, and there is none else; there is no God beside me" (Isaiah 45:5)

That the Lord Jesus Christ is the Son of God

  • "The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee; and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee; therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God" (Luke 1:35)

  • I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear I judge, and my judgement is just, because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me" (John 5:30)

  • "My doctrine is not mine, but His that sent me" (John 7:16)

  • "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent (John 17:3)

  •  "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him" (John 1:18)

That the Spirit of God is the Power of God

  • "And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said , Let there be light: and there was light" (Genesis 1:2,3)

  • "Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?" (Psaalm 139:7)

  • "Thou sendest forth thy spirit , they are created" (Psalm 104:30)

  • "By His spirit He hath garnished the heavens" I(Job 26:13)

  • "The spirit of God hath made me; and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life" (Job 33:4)

  • "I am full of power by the spirit of the LORD" (Micah 3:8)

That the Holy Spirit is the same Power of God used for a specific purpose

  • "Yet many years didst thou forbear them, and testifiest against them by thy spirit in thy prophets" (Nehemiah 9:30)

  • "I am full of power by the spirit of the LORD" (Micah 3:8)

  • "Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit" (2 Peter 1:21)

  • "God also bearing them witness with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit" (Hebrews 2:3,4)

  • "The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shal overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee whall be called the Son of God" (Luke 1:35)

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That Angels are the immortal messengers of God

  • "Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word" (Psalm 103:20)

  • "But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?  Are they not all ministering spirits , sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?" (Hebrews 1:13,14)

  • "For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come" (Hebrews 2:5)

That Jesus Christ was the sinless bearer of flesh and blood

  • "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death" (Hebrews 2:9)

  • "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same" (Hebrews 2:14)

  • "For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham" (Hebrews 2:16)

  • "Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren" (Hebrews 2:17)

  • "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15)

  • "Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered" (Hebrews 5:8)

  • "God sent forth his Son, made of a woman" (Galatians 4:4)

  •  "Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh" (Romans 1:3)

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That the death of Christ declared the righteousness of God

  • "Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus" (Romans 3:23,24)

  • "For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh" (Romans 8:3)

That Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures

  • "He put away sin by the sacrifice of himself" (Hebrews 9:26)

  • "He was wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised for our iniquities; and with his stripes we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5)

  • "While we were yet sinners Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8)

  • "We have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins" (Colossians 1:14)

  • "This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins" (Matthew 26:28)

That the Devil is human nature

  • "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil" (Hebrews 2:14)

  • "But now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself" (Hebrews 9:26)

  • "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:3)

  • "He is manifested to take away our sins" (1 John 3:5)

  • "But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed" (James 1:14)

That the promised Kingdom of God is to be set up on earth

  • "And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever" (Daniel 2:44)

  • "Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.  Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron, and thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel" (Psalm 2:8,9)

  • "The LORD at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of His wrath...He shall wound the heads over many countries" (Psalm 110:5,6)

  • "The LORD shall judge the ends of the earth, and He shall give strength unto His king, and exalt the horn of His anointed" (1 Samuel 2:10)

  • "I will shake the heavens and the earth, and I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms and I will destroy the strength  of the kingdoms of the heathen" (Haggai 2:21,11)

  • "The kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High" (Daniel 7:27)

  •  "And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths; for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem" (isaiah 2:3)

  •  "For evil doers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth" (Psalm 37:9)

  •  "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5)

  • "Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation: And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth" (Revelation 5:9,10)

  •  "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10)

That the Promises to Abraham are part of the Gospel

  • "Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers" (Romans 15:8)

  • "And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers" (Acts 26:6)

  • "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for He hath visited and redeemed His people, and hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David; as he spake by the mouth of His holy prophets, which have been since the world began; that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all that hate us; to perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember His holy covenant, the oath which He sware to our father Abraham" (Luke 1:68-73)

That the Promises to Abraham refer to

  1. A great nation  (Genesis 12:2,  Galatians 3:29)

  2. The possession of Land  of Israel and the World (Genesis 13:15,  Acts 7:5,  Hebrews 11:13,39,40,  Romans 4:13)

  3. The conquest of the world by the Lord Jesus Christ (Genesis 22:17,  Psalm 2,  Psalm 110,  2 Thessalonians 1:7)

  4. The blessing of all nations (Genesis 22:18,  Psalm 72,  Isaiah 2:1-4) 

That Christ will reign on the earth for 1000 years

  • For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet" (1 Corinthians 15:25)

  • "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years" (Revelation 20:6)

That Christ will be the future King of the World

  • "But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me, that is to be ruler in Israel" (Micah 5:2)

  • "Behold the man whose name is the Branch; and he shall grow up out of his place....and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne" (Zechariah 6:12,13)

  • "Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment" (Isaiah 32:1)

  •  "I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one King shall be King to them all" (Ezekiel 37:22)

  •  "I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession" (Psalm 2:8)

  • "And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shall call his name JESUS.  He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David; and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of His Kingdom there shall be no end" (Luke 1:31,33)

  •  "Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne" (Acts 2:30)

  •  "Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold there came wise men from the east to Jerusalam, saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews" (Matthew 2:1)

  •  "And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS" (John 19:19)

  • "These that have turned the world upside down, are come hither also, whom Jason hath received; and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king - one Jesus" (Acts 17:6,7) 

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That the Covenant made with David is part of the Gospel

  • "Therefore...being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne" (Acts 2:30)

  • "I have made a covenant with my chosen; I have sworn unto David my servant.  Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations" (Psalm 89:3,4)

  • The LORD hath sworn in truth unto David; He will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne" (Psalm 132:11)

  •  "Of this man's seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus" (Acts 13:23)

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That the Covenant made with David in 2 Samuel 7:12-16 refers to: 

  1. The setting up of a Kingdom on earth (Acts 1:6,11,  Acts 3:19,20,  Luke 1:31-33)

  2. The building of a Temple (Zechariah 6:12,13)

  3. The crucifixion of Christ (the promised seed) (Isaiah 53 1,  Peter 2:24)

  4. That God would be the Father of the promised seed (Luke 1:35)

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That the Second Coming of Christ is the Hope of the Gospel

  • "Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time, without sin unto salvation" (Hebrews 9:28)

  • "....teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present world, looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour, Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:11,12)

  • "....from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned unto his glorious body"  (Philipians 3:20,21)

  • "When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory" (Colossians 3:4)

  •  "Ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead" (1 Thessalonians 1:9,10)

  • Be patient, therefore, brethren, unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (James 5:7,8)

  • "The Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ" (2 Thessalonians 3:5)

  •  "Keep this commandment without spot, unrebukable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Timothy 6:14)

  •  "And now, little children, abide in him, that when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming" (1 John 2:28)

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That the Restoration of the Jews is a part of the Gospel

  • Thou art a holy people unto the LORD thy God.  The LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth"  (Deuteronomy 7:6)

  • Though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee; but I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished" (Jeremiah 30:11)

  • Thus saith the LORD, like as I have brought all this great evil upon this people so will I bring upon them all the good that I have promised them" (Jeremiah 32:42)

  •  "Behold the days come, saith the LORD, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah" (Jeremiah 33:14,16)

  •  "I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel and one king shall be king to them all; and they shall be no more two nations" (Ezekiel 37:22)

  •  "Thus saith the LORD God, Behold I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land" (Ezekiel 37:21)

  •  "I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land" (Ezekiel 36:24)

  •  "He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock" (Jeremiah 31:10)

  •  "At that time will I bring you again, even in the time that I gather you; for I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes"  (Zephaniah 3:19,20)

  • "Blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in; and so all Israel shall be saved" (Romans 11:25,26)

  •  "God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew" (Romans 11:2)

  •  "...for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain" Acts 28:20)

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That the way of Salvation is clear:

  1. Believe the Gospel (Acts 8:12)

  2. Repent (Acts 2:38)

  3. Be Baptised (Mark 16:16)

  4. Keep the Commandments (Matthew 7:22)

That at the time of Christ's Return to the earth, there will be a time of trouble

  • "...and there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time..." (Daniel 12:1)

  • "And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth" (Luke 21:25,26)

  • "Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth.  And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth"  (Jeremiah 25:32,33)

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[The Lord Jesus Christ also told his apostles that they were to teach believers to observe all his commandments (Matthew 28:20.  The Commandments of the Lord Jesus Christ can be found here]

PLEASE CHECK OUT ALL THE ABOVE VERSES CAREFULLY

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