PRESENTATION

As its name indicates, this is a "Manual" of doctrine, that is, an

abbreviated exposition of the main basic doctrines of the Christian faith.
The reader will not find here a broad and in-depth exposition of the
topics but rather a sketched summary that is intended to become a guide
for personal study.
Originally the idea was to offer a broader treatise on Christian
doctrine; However, the multiple tasks of the pastoral work made it
increasingly clear that such an ambitious project was not feasible in the
short term.
At the same time, it was evident that the doctrinal consolidation of
believers became an urgent necessity. In this way, the "Treaty" became a
simple "Manual" of basic doctrines in the understanding that there are
times when it is much more appropriate to write briefly for the present
than a long treatise for the future.

However, the fact that it is a manual and not a treatise has its
advantages; One of them is that it allows it to be within the reach of the
majority of the Christian people, which, in turn, will allow us to define and
standardize the basic doctrines.
It is very important that every Christian knows very well the content
of Christian doctrines, since, ultimately, his spiritual health and final
victory will depend on it. If knowing the doctrines is fundamental for the
common Christian, what can we say about those who hold privileges
within local churches or who hold leadership positions? For them doctrinal
ignorance is unforgivable.
For these reasons every Christian should not only own a copy of this
manual but also study it thoroughly.

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 THE INSPIRATION OF THE SCRIPTURES

The Bible is entirely the Word of God, even though it was written by
men. There is multiple evidence that proves this.
These evidences can be classified as internal and external.

Internal Evidence. They are those that are contained within the
Bible itself; that is, scriptural statements where the Bible claims to be the
Word of God: Psalm 19: 7-8 The Law of the Lord is perfect, converting
the soul; The testimony of Jehovah is faithful, making wise the simple.
The commandments of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The precept
of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes
Psalm 119:104-105 From your commandments I have gained
understanding; therefore I have hated every false way. Your word is a
lamp to my feet and a light to my path;
Jeremiah 36:1-2 Now it came to pass in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son
of Josiah, king of Judah, that this word of the LORD came to Jeremiah,
saying, Take a scroll of a book, and write therein all the words that I have
spoken unto thee against. Israel and against Judah, and against all nations,
from the day I began to speak to you , from the days of Josiah until this
day;
John 10:35 If he called gods to whom the word of God came (And the
Scripture cannot be broken);
Romans 3:2 Much, in every way. First, certainly, that the word of God has
been entrusted to them;
1a. Thessalonians 2:13 Therefore we also thank God without ceasing, that
when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you
received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God,
which acts in you believers.

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Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than
any two-edged sword; and penetrates to the division of soul and spirit,
joints and marrow, and discerns the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
1a. Peter 4:11 If anyone speaks, let him speak according to the words of
God ;

External evidence . They are those that present situations related to the
Bible that can only be explained through the acceptance that it is the Word
of God. Some of the most notable external evidence is the following:

ITS UNITY: The Bible was written by no less than forty authors, most of
them never met because they lived in very different times with intervals of
up to 1,600 years, they spoke different languages, they belonged to
different cultures, they lived in different countries, they owned
personalities and jobs as varied as fisherman and poet, king and doctor;
But, despite all this, the Bible is not simply a collection of 66 different
books, it is a book that shows unity from beginning to end. Unity of
historical, doctrinal and revelational continuity.
The fact that the human writers of the Bible have not been known, and
often unread, highlights the truth that the unity of the Bible can only be
explained as a miracle that places it in the category of the Word of God.

ITS EXTENSION: The Bible is a book that not only talks about spiritual
matters. It extends to touch on scientific, historical, geographical, cultural,
social, health, and psychological issues. But, although the extent of the
content of the Bible is so broad, it is a true miracle that each and every one
of its statements in any of these fields are always exact and without error.
This fact becomes even more important when considering that the Bible is
the oldest complete book preserved by humanity.
His books were written at a time when modern discoveries were
completely ignored; However, nothing written in them has ever been
contradicted by later discoveries. This infallibility in such diverse fields
of knowledge can only be explained by the truth that the Bible is the Word
of God.

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HIS PROPHECIES: The fulfillment in history of the different biblical
prophecies is one of the most convincing evidence of its divine origin. In
the Bible there are prophecies such as the succession of the great world
empires, the arrival of great conquerors like Cyrus is announced by name,
the exact date of the coming of the Messiah is prophesied centuries in
advance, the place and the form of his birth, his character, his miracles, his
words, the form of his death, his burial, his resurrection. In short, most of
the Bible is prophecy and most of it has been fulfilled to the letter, the
other part is being fulfilled in the present and the final part will be fulfilled
soon according to the order that it establishes. The fact that the different
predictions of the Bible have been fulfilled with absolute accuracy is proof
of their supernatural origin.

YOUR ACCEPTANCE:
Although there have been no shortage of detractors of the Bible, the
truth is that it continues to be the most popular book ever written. It is the
book that has been translated into a greater number of languages than any
other. Every year, since the printing press was invented, it has won first
place in the number of copies printed and distributed.
Its acceptance is universal, it is read by children, young people, adults and
the elderly. It has been an inspiration for writers, speakers, politicians,
artists, etc. It is the book about which the greatest number of comments
have been written. Thousands of scholars have dedicated themselves to its
study without exhausting, after centuries, its teachings and truths. This
peerless literary phenomenon is another proof of its divine origin.

HIS POWER:
The Bible is the book that has changed the most lives. She transforms
the character of men and homes. Reading it can free you from vices,
diseases, sin and hopelessness. Reading it encourages, reprimands,
consoles, corrects. Whoever reads it will never be the same again. She has
inspired great men in history and has precipitated great events. No other
book has proven to have more power to move the human heart than the
Bible.

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 The combination of the internal and external evidence that we have
mentioned proves that the Bible is the Word of God. However, it remains
to be resolved how a book that was written by men could be the Word of
God. This question is what clarifies the concept of inspiration. To properly
define this concept we are going to refute, first, erroneous theories that try
to explain the phenomenon of inspiration.

Dictation theory. It is one that tries to explain the inspiration of the

Bible in the sense that the men who wrote it acted only as secretaries who
copied what God dictated to them. This simple conception does not do
justice to the phenomenon that the different men God used to write the
Bible left their own literary style stamped on each of their books;
something that should not have happened if in reality they acted only as
secretaries. On the other hand, the men who wrote the Bible often
expressed their sorrows, their fears, their joys, their expectations and their
personal desires; All things that go beyond the simple function of a
copyist. This phenomenon becomes a powerful argument that disqualifies
the dictation theory.

Concept theory. It is one that affirms that God only inspired the
main concepts and, then, these were written by the writers using words of
their choice. This theory does not do justice to the infallibility of
Scripture, for if men were only inspired by concepts, they could very well
have introduced errors when they expressed all those concepts.

Partial Theory. It establishes that the Bible is inspired only in some

of its parts and not in others. To date, none of the defenders of this theory
have managed to define adequate criteria to determine which parts are
inspired and which others are not.
It seems that convenience and personal interests are the determining
elements when trying to define this important issue. As a result, no two
proponents of this theory agree on which parts of the Bible are inspired;
Suspicious situation that detracts from any credibility to such a
proposition.

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 Definition of Inspiration. The true inspiration of the Bible is
defined as a truth that God has imparted directly to its authors and that,
without destroying or nullifying their own individuality, literary style or
personal interests, guided them by the Holy Spirit in such a way that what
they wrote It is the expression of your complete and intimate thought.
God used not only the hands of the men who wrote the Bible but also their
ideas, cultures, fears, desires, etc.; but, so that what they finally wrote was
exactly what God wanted to be recorded. There is, therefore, in the
making of the Scriptures a divine and a human aspect.

The inspiration of the Bible is verbal, plenary and inerrant.

VERBAL: because God inspired not only the concepts but the exact
words that should be used. Jesus pleaded many times regarding isolated
words of Scripture ( John 10:34-35 Jesus answered them, Is it not written
in your law, I said, You are gods? If he called gods those to whom the
word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken) And even by the
punctuation marks ( Matthew 5:18 For truly I say to you, until heaven and
earth pass away, not a single not even one tittle will pass from the law,
until everything has been fulfilled).

PLENARY: For the inspiration of the Scriptures extends equally to each

and every one of its parts ( 2 Timothy 3: 16 All Scripture is inspired by
God, and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training
in righteousness .

INERRABLE: Because it does not contain any error.

Since the Bible is the full expression of the verbal and plenary divine will,
it must be infallible because it expresses the perfect thought of God.

The exact words that God inspired the men who wrote the Bible are
those that belong to the languages in which it was written:
Hebrew and Aramaic for the Old Testament and Greek for the New
Testament. However, the Bible has been translated into Spanish and we
have faithful versions that we can confidently receive as the Word of God.

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 One of the most reliable and widely disseminated translations is the
one known as the Revised Reina-Valera. In addition to its fidelity, most
biblical commentaries, dictionaries, concordances and Christian books in
general use the text of the Revised King James Version, so it is doubly
advantageous to become familiar with it.

The Bible, as the Word of God, must be the supreme standard of

doctrine and conduct for every Christian and all other elements of doctrine
must be received only on the condition that they conform to its statements.

THE TRINITY OF GOD

There is one true God who subsists in three distinct persons: Father,
Son and Holy Spirit. These three people partake of the same substance
and possess the same attributes, which results in them being equal in
power and glory. Three personalities that should not be confused or
mixed; but, a single substance that must not be divided.
The basic truths on which the doctrine of the Trinity is based are the
following:

There is only one God.

The doctrine of the Trinity is based on the truth that there is only one
true God. Reject all tritheism and any idea that is contrary to biblical
monotheism.
Deuteronomy 4:35 It was shown to you that you might know that the Lord
is God, and there is no other besides him.
Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, Israel: Jehovah our God is one Jehovah.
Deuteronomy 32:39 See now that I, I am, and there are no gods with me; I
cause to die, and I cause to live; I wound, and I heal; And there is no one
who can deliver from my hand.

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2 Samuel 22:32 For who is God but Jehovah alone? And what rock is
there apart from our God?
Psalm 86:10 For you are great and a doer of wonders; Only you are God.
Mark 12:32 Then the scribe said to him, Well, Master, you have said the
truth, that there is one God, and there is no other besides him.
Romans 3:30 For God is one, and he will justify those who are
circumcised by faith, and those who are uncircumcised through faith.
1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and
men, the man Jesus Christ.

The one true God possesses a plurality of persons.

God is singular in his substance; but, plural in terms of their

personalities. This plurality of people is demonstrated by the use of plural
nouns, pronouns, and verbs assigned to the one true God.

Genesis 1:26 Then God said, Let us make man in our image, after our
likeness; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the
air, over the beasts, over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that
creeps on the earth.
Genesis 3:22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is like one of us,
knowing good and evil; Now therefore let him not stretch out his hand,
and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever.
Genesis 11:6-7 And the LORD said, Behold, the people are one, and they
all have one language; and they have begun the work, and nothing will
now make them desist from what they have planned to do. Now let us go
down and confuse their language there so that no one will understand the
speech of his companion.
Isaiah 6:8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, Whom shall I send,
and who will go for us? Then I answered: Here am I, send me.

The three divine persons appear simultaneously and differently

in various passages of Scripture:

Daniel 7:9 I looked until thrones were set up, and an Ancient of days sat,
whose dress was white as snow, and the hair of his head was like clean

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wool; His throne was a flame of fire, and the wheels thereof were burning
fire.
Daniel 7:13-14 I looked in the night vision, and, behold, with the clouds
of heaven came one like a son of man, who came to the Ancient of days,
and they brought him near before him. And dominion, glory, and
kingdom were given to him, that all peoples, nations, and languages
should serve him; His dominion is an eternal dominion, which will never
pass away, and his kingdom one that will not be destroyed.
Matthew 3: 16-17 And Jesus, after he was baptized, immediately came up
out of the water; and, behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw
the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and coming upon him. And
there was a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I
am well pleased.
Matthew 17:5 While he was still speaking, a cloud of light covered them;
and behold, a voice from the cloud said, This is my beloved Son, in whom
I am well pleased, listen to him.
Matthew 28:19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 7:55-56 But Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven
and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
And he said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man
standing at the right hand of God.
Revelation 4:5 And from the throne came lightning and thunder and
voices; And seven lamps of fire burned before the throne, which are the
seven spirits of God.
Revelation 5:1 And I saw. In the right hand of him who sat on the throne
was a book written inside and out, sealed with seven seals.
Revelation 5:6-7 And I looked, and saw that in the midst of the throne and
of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb,
as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the
seven spirits of God sent throughout the earth. And he came and took the
book from the right hand of him that sat on the throne.

Each of the three persons possesses the divine substance.

The Father is God.

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2 Kings. 19:15 And Hezekiah prayed before the LORD, saying, O LORD
God of Israel, which dwellest between the cherubim, thou alone art the
God of all the kingdoms of the earth; you made heaven and earth.
Isaiah 44:6 Thus says the LORD King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the
LORD of hosts: I am the first and I am the last, and besides me there is no
God.
1 Corinthians 8:6 For us, however, there is only one God, the Father,
from whom all things are, and we are to him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ,
through whom are all things, and we through him.

The Son is God.

Romans 9:5 Of whom are the patriarchs, and from whom, according to the
flesh, Christ came, who is God over all, blessed forever, amen.
Hebrews 1:8 But of the Son he says: Your throne, O God, forever and
ever; Scepter of equity is the scepter of your kingdom.
1 John 5:20 But we know that the Son of God has come and has given us
understanding to know him who is true; and we are in the true one, in his
Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life

The Holy Spirit is God.

Acts 5:3-4 And Peter said, Ananias, why did Satan fill your heart to lie to
the Holy Spirit, and to keep from the price of the inheritance? By keeping
it, wasn't it staying with you? And sold, was it not in your power? Why
did you put this in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God.
2 Corinthians 3:17 For the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the
Lord is, there is freedom.

Each of the three persons has as its own nature the complete divine
nature. This nature is not divided and the persons of the trinity participate
in it in a fullness of quality, not quantity.
Each person is necessarily and eternally one substance with the
others, so that there are not three gods but one true God who subsists in
the persons of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

The three people are different from each other.

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 The Scriptures abound in testimonies that demonstrate that although
the three persons possess the same divine nature; However, their
personalities are marked with certain activities that are not interchangeable
but exclusive and that present them as different from each other; For
example: The Father sends the Son to redeem his people, the opposite
never happens. The Son redeems his Church and sends the Spirit to
sanctify, it is never said that the Spirit has been crucified or that the Spirit
sends the Son to sanctify.
Matthew 26:39 Going a little forward, he fell on his face, praying and
saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; but not as I
want, but as you want.
Matthew 20:23 He said to them, Indeed, you will drink of my cup, and
with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; But to sit
at my right and at my left is not mine to give, but to those for whom it is
prepared by my Father.
Matthew 27:46 About the ninth hour, Jesus cried with a loud voice,
saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? This is: My God, my God, why have
you forsaken me?
Mark 13:32 But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in
heaven, nor the Son, but the Father.
Luke 2:49 Then he said to them, “Why were you looking for me?” Did
you not know that I must be involved in my Father's business?
Luke 12:10 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be
forgiven; But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be
forgiven.
Luke 23:46 Then Jesus cried with a loud voice and said, Father, into your
hands I commit my spirit. And having said that, he sighed.
John 1:18 No one has ever seen God; the only begotten Son, who is in the
bosom of the Father, he has made him known.
John 5:31-32 and 37 If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true.
There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the
testimony he bears about me is true. The Father who sent me has also
testified about me. You have never heard his voice, nor seen his
appearance.
John 7:37-39 On the last and great day of the feast, Jesus stood up and
lifted up his voice, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and

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drink.” - He who believes in me, as the Scripture says, rivers of living
water will flow from within him. - This he said of the Spirit that those
who believed in him were to receive; for the Holy Spirit had not yet come,
because Jesus had not yet been glorified.
John 8:16-18 If I judge, my judgment is true; because it is not I alone, but
I and the one who sent me, the Father. - And in your law it is written that
the testimony of two men is true. - I am the one who bears witness of
myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness of me.
John 16:28 I came out from the Father, and have come into the world;
Once again I leave the world and go to the Father.
John 20:17 Jesus said to him, “Do not touch me, for I have not yet
ascended to my Father; but go to my brothers and say to them: I ascend to
my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.
Acts 10:38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and
with power, and how he went about doing good and healing all those
oppressed by the devil, because God was with him.
1 Corinthians 15:24 and 27-28 Then the end, when he hands over the
kingdom to God and the Father, when he has abolished all dominion, all
authority and all power. - For he put all things under his feet. And when
he says that all things have been subjected to him, he clearly excepts the
one who subjected all things. - But after all things are subject to him, then
the Son himself will also be subject to him who subjected all things to
him, so that God may be all in all.
Galatians 3:20 And the mediator is not one alone; but God is one.
Colossians 3:1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek those things
above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
The Trinity of God is an essentially unique phenomenon and is
therefore far beyond the possibility of complete comparison or illustration.
The different examples used to clarify the concept of Trinity can only give
an idea for its understanding. Therefore, excessive emphasis should not
be placed on the desire
Impossible to want to compare the Trinity with any other material
phenomenon.

THE DEITY OF CHRIST

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 Jesus is the only being in whom divine and human natures have been
combined. The fact that Jesus displays many human characteristics does
not diminish the reality that he is God.
Let's examine some of the evidence that Jesus is God.

Jesus is declared God since the Old Testament.

Compare Psalm 45:6-7 With Hebrews 1:8-9.

Psalm 45:6-7 Your throne, O God, is eternal and forever; Scepter of
justice is the scepter of your kingdom. - You have loved justice and hated
evil; Therefore God, your God, anointed you with the oil of joy more than
your companions.

Hebrews 1:8-9 But of the Son he says: Your throne, O God, forever and
ever. - You have loved justice and hated wickedness, so God, your God,
anointed you with the oil of joy more than your companions.

Psalm 110:1 with Matthew 22:44.

Psalm 110:1 The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at my right hand, until I make
your enemies your footstool.

Matthew 22:44 The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at my right hand until I
make your enemies your footstool.

We must also consider Isaiah 7:14 with Matthew 1:22-23; Isaiah 9:6.
Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign; Behold, the
virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call his name
Immanuel.

Matthew 1:22-23 All this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the
Lord through the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin will conceive and give
birth to a son, and you will call his name Immanuel, which is translated:
God. with us.

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Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the
government is on his shoulder; and his name will be called Wonderful,
Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

Jesus declared himself God.

John 8:58-59 Jesus said to them: Truly, truly, I say to you, Before
Abraham was, I am. They then took up stones to throw at him; but Jesus
hid and left the temple; and passing through their midst, he departed.

John 10:30 I and the Father are one.

John 14:8,9 Philip said to him, Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough
for us. - Jesus said to him: Have I been with you so long, and you have not
known me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father; How then do
you say: Show us the Father?
Revelation 1:17-18 When I saw him, I fell as dead at his feet. He put his
right hand on me saying to me: Do not be afraid, I am the first and the last
; And he who lives, and was dead; but behold, I live forever and ever,
amen. And I have the keys to death and Hades.

Jesus is declared God in the New Testament.

Luke 1:16-17 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord
God of them.

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and
the Word was God.

Romans 9:5 Of whom are the patriarchs, and from whom, according to the
flesh, Christ came, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.

Colossians 2:9 For in him dwells bodily all the fullness of the Godhead.

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1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy, great is the mystery of
godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by
angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed in the world, Received up
in glory.

1st John 5:20 But we know that the Son of God has come and has given
us understanding to know him who is true; and we are in the true one, in
his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

Jesus is declared God because of his attributes.

He forgave sins

Mark 2:5-7 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son,
your sins are forgiven.” Some of the scribes were sitting there, pondering
in their hearts: why does this man speak like this? Blasphemies says, who
can forgive sins, but only God?
Luke 7: 48-50 And to her he said, Your sins are forgiven you. And those
who were sitting together at the table began to say among themselves:
Who is this, who also forgives sins? But he said to the woman: Your
faith has saved you, go in peace.

He is Omnipresent

Matthew 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name,
there am I among them.
John 3:13 No one ascended into heaven, except he who came down from
heaven; the Son of Man, who is in heaven.
Ephesians 1:22-23 And he put all things under his feet, and gave him
head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him
who fills all in all.
Ephesians 4:10 He who came down is the same one who also ascended
above all the heavens to fill everything.

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He is Omniscient

Matthew 12:25 Jesus knowing their thoughts said to them, Every kingdom
divided against itself is laid waste, and every city or house divided against
itself will not stand.
John 2:24-25 But Jesus himself did not trust them, because he knew
everyone, and he did not need anyone to testify to him about the man,
because he knew what was in the man.
Matthew 21:17 And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany, and
lodged there.
Colossians 2:3 In him who is hidden all treasures gives wisdom and
knowledge.

He is Omnipotent
Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, All authority
in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Hebrews 1:3 Who, being the brightness of his glory, and the express
image of his substance, and upholding all things by the word of his power,
having purged our sins by himself, sat down at the right hand of the
Majesty on high

He is Eternal.
Micah 5:2 But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, small to be among the families
of Judah, from you will come to me one who will be Lord in Israel; and
his departures are from the beginning, from the days of eternity.
John 1:1-2 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God. This was in the beginning with God.
Colossians 1:17 And he is before all things, and in him all things consist;

He is Immutable
Hebrews 1:11-12 They will perish, but you remain; and they will all wear
out like a garment. And you will wrap them like a garment, and they will
be changed; but you are the same, and your years will not end.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and forever.

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Jesus is declared God because he receives equal worship and
reverence as the Father.
Matthew 14:33 Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped
him, saying, Truly you are the Son of God.
Matthew 28:9 Behold, Jesus met them, saying, Hail! They came to him,
clasped his feet and worshiped him.
Revelation 5:8-9, 12 And when he had taken the book, the four living
creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb; They all
had harps, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the
saints; And they sang a new song, saying: You are worthy to take the book
and to open its seals; for you were slain, and with your blood you have
redeemed us for God, from every tribe and language and people and
nation; Who said with a loud voice: The Lamb that was slain is worthy to
take power, riches, wisdom, strength, honor, glory and praise.
Revelation 4:10 The twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on
the throne, and worship him who lives forever and ever, and cast their
crowns before the throne, saying:

Jesus is declared God because he created the universe.

John 1:1, 3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God. This was in the beginning with God. All things
were made through him, and without him nothing was made that was
made.
Colossians 1:15-16 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of
all creation. For in him all things were created, those in heaven and those
on earth, visible and invisible; be thrones, be dominions, be principalities,
be powers; everything was created through him and for him.
Hebrews 1:2, 10 In these last days he has spoken to us through the Son,
whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he also made the
universe .
And: You, O Lord, in the beginning founded the earth, and the heavens
are the work of your hands.
Revelation 4:11 Lord, you are worthy to receive glory and honor and
power; because you created all things , and by your will they exist and
were created.

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 PERSONALITY AND DEITY
HOLY SPIRIT

To know if the Holy Spirit is a person, it is necessary to examine whether

it meets the basic conditions that make a being a person.

The three basic qualities of personality are: The ability to reason, the
ability to experience emotions, and the ability to make decisions.

The reason . The Holy Spirit possesses reason.

Intercede
Romans 8:27 But he who searches hearts knows what the intention of the
Spirit is, because he intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

Search, reveal
1st Corinthians 2: 10-11 For God revealed them to us by the Spirit;
because the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who

18
of men knows the things of a man, except the spirit of man which is in
him? Even so no one knew the things of God except the Spirit of God.

Consuela
John 14:26 But the Comforter , the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will
send in my name, will teach you all things, and will remind you of
everything I have said to you.

Full
Romans 15:13 And may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in
believing, so that you may abound in hope through the power of the Holy
Spirit.

Guide
John 16:13 But when the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all
truth; for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he
will speak, and he will show you things to come.

The emotions . The Holy Spirit possesses sensitivity and is capable of

experiencing emotions.

He gets angry
Isaiah 63:10 But they were rebellious, and made his holy spirit angry;
Therefore he became an enemy to them, and he himself fought against
them.

Mistress
Romans 15:30 But I beg you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by
the love of the Spirit, to help me by praying for me to God.

Be sad
Ephesians 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you
were sealed for the day of redemption.

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The will . The Holy Spirit is capable of making decisions on his own.

He distributes as he wants.
1 Corinthians 12:11 But one and the same Spirit does all these things,
distributing to each one individually as he wills.

Since the Holy Spirit brings together the qualities of personality, we

conclude that he is a person and not simply an influence. Furthermore,
Scripture always refers to him as a person.
John 14:16-17 And I will pray to the Father, and he will give you another
Helper, that he may be with you forever: the Spirit of Truth, whom the
world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him; but you
know him, because he dwells with you, and will be in you.

The actions that the Bible attributes to the Holy Spirit can be
performed by only one person.

We are told that the Holy Spirit speaks.

Acts 8:29 And the Spirit said to Philip, Come near and join yourself to that
chariot.
Revelation 2:7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the
churches. To him who overcomes, I will give to eat from the tree of life,
which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

teach
John 14:26 But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send
in my name, will teach you all things, and will remind you of everything I
have said to you.

Fail
John 16:8 And when he comes, he will convince the world of sin, of
righteousness, and of judgment.

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Choose
Acts 13:2 As these ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said,
Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.
Acts 16:6-7 And as they passed through Phrygia and the province of
Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia;
And when they came to Mysia, they tried to go to Bithynia, but the Spirit
did not allow them.
Acts 20:28 Therefore, take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, over
which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of
the Lord, which he purchased with his own blood.

Testify
John 15:26 But when the Comforter comes, whom I will send to you from
the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will testify
about me.

Guide
Romans 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are
children of God.
Galatians 5:18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

Scrutinize
1 Corinthians 2:10 But God revealed them to us through the Spirit;
because the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.

Intercede
Romans 8:26 And in the same way the Spirit helps us in our weakness;
For what we should pray for as we ought, we do not know, but the Spirit
himself intercedes for us with groanings that cannot be uttered.

Having demonstrated that the Holy Spirit is a person, the issue of his
divinity remains pending. Regarding this there is enough evidence to
conclude that he is God.

The Holy Spirit is declared God in the Old Testament.

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Compare:
Isaiah 6:8-10 with Acts 28:25-27; Jeremiah 31:33-34 with Hebrews 10:15-
17.

Isaiah 6:8-10 Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I
send, and who will go for us? Then I answered: Here am I, send me. And
he said, Go, and say unto this people, Hear well, and understand not; see
indeed, but do not understand. Make the heart of this people fat, and make
their ears heavy, and blind their eyes, so that they may not see with their
eyes, nor hear with their ears, nor their heart understand, nor convert, and
there be healing for them.

Acts 28:25-27 And since they were not in agreement among themselves,
as he was leaving, Paul said these words to them: The Holy Spirit spoke
well through the prophet Isaiah to our fathers, saying, Go to this people
and say to them, By ear you will hear. , and you will not understand; And
seeing ye shall see, and not perceive; For the heart of this people is
thickened, and they have heard hard with their ears, and they have closed
their eyes, so that they do not see with their eyes.

Jeremiah 31:33-34 But this is the covenant that I will make with the
house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put my law in their
mind, and I will write it on their heart, and I will be their God, and they
They will call me a town. And no man shall teach his neighbor any more,
nor any man his brother, saying, Know the Lord; for all will know me,
from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their
iniquity, and will remember their sin no more.

Hebrews 10:15-17 And the Holy Spirit witnesses the same thing to us; For
after having said: This is the covenant that I will make with them after
those days, the Lord says: I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will
write them in their minds, And he adds: And I will remember their sins
and transgressions no more. .

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The Holy Spirit is declared God in the New Testament.

Acts 5:3-4 And Peter said, Ananias, why did Satan fill your heart to lie to
the Holy Spirit , and to keep from the price of the inheritance? By keeping
it, didn't it stay with You? And sold, was it not in your power? Why did
you put this in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God .
2nd Corinthians 3:17 For the Lord is the Spirit ; and where the Spirit of
the Lord is, there is freedom.

The Holy Spirit is declared God because of his attributes.

He is Omnipresent
Psalm 139:7-10 Where can I go from your Spirit? And where will I flee
from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, there you are; And if I make my footstool in Sheol,
behold, there you are.
If I take the wings of the dawn and dwell at the end of the sea, even there
your hand will guide me, and your right hand will hold me fast.

He is Omniscient
1 Corinthians 2:10-11 But God revealed them to us by the Spirit; because
the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For which of men
knows the things of a man except the spirit of man which is in him? Even
so no one knew the things of God except the Spirit of God.

He is Eternal
Hebrews 9:14 How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the
eternal Spirit offered himself blameless to God, cleanse your consciences
from dead works so that you may serve the living God?

We conclude, therefore, that the Holy Spirit is a divine person.

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 TOTAL DEPRAVITY

God created man in his image and moral likeness. Therefore, he was
endowed with holiness, innocence, love, mercy, etc. However, when man
sinned, he lost the image of God and corrupted his nature. Man brought
upon himself death, corruption, disease and all the evils that derive from
sin.
When man procreated his first children, they inherited the fallen
nature and were born spiritually dead:

Romans 5:12, 18-19 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the
world, and death through sin, so death spread to all men, because all
sinned. Therefore, as through one transgression came condemnation to all
men, so through one righteousness came justification of life to all men.
For just as through the disobedience of one man the many were made
sinners, so also through the obedience of one the many will be made
righteous.

Since then, every human being is born carrying the guilt of original
sin and deserving damnation. Man is incapable of doing good and cannot
rise by himself in search of his salvation.
This human condition is what is called total depravity; because man
is totally incapable of doing good.
Some of the basic characteristics of human depravity are the
following:

Man always chooses the bad.

Whenever man has the opportunity to choose between good and evil,
he will invariably choose evil.

Genesis 6:5 And the LORD saw that the wickedness of men was great in
the land, and that every imagination of the thoughts of their heart was only
evil continually.

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Romans 3:10-12 As it is written: There is none righteous, not even one;
There is no one who understands.
There is no one who seeks God. They all went astray, together they
became useless; There is no one who does good, there is not even one.

The works of altruism that unregenerate man occasionally performs

do not meet God's standard to be classified as good works.

Isaiah 59:6 Their fabrics will not be used for clothing, nor will they be
covered with their works; His works are works of iniquity, and the work of
plunder is in his hands.
Romans 14:23 But he who doubts what he eats is condemned, because he
does not do it with faith; and everything that does not come from faith is
sin.

This human inclination towards evil is manifested from the moment

of conception, so that age cannot erase the guilt that hangs over every
human being.
Job 25:4-6 How then can a man be justified before God?
Or how can he who is born of a woman be clean? Behold, not even the
moon itself will be bright, Nor are the stars clean in his eyes; How much
less the man who is a worm, And the son of man, also a worm?
Psalm 51:5 Behold, I was formed in iniquity, and in sin my mother
conceived me.
Psalm 58:3 The wicked have turned away from the womb; They went
astray speaking lies from the time they were born.

Man cannot do good.

Due to his nature inherited from Adam, man is unable to do good.
Matthew 7:17-18 Thus every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree
bears bad fruit.
A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.
John 15:4-5 Abide in me, and I in you. Just as the branch cannot bear
fruit of itself unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you unless you
remain in me. I am the vine, and you are the branches; He who abides in

25
me, and I in him, bears much fruit; because apart from me you can do
nothing.
He who does not abide in me will be cast out like a branch and wither; and
they gather them up, and throw them into the fire, and they burn.
Romans 8:7 For the mind of the flesh is enmity against God; because they
do not submit to the law of God, nor can they;
1 Corinthians 12:3 Therefore I make you know that no one who speaks
by the Spirit of God calls Jesus anathema; and no one can call Jesus Lord
except by the Holy Spirit.

Man does not understand good.

No matter how intelligent a man is, he cannot understand the things of the
Spirit, for spiritual things must be examined spiritually; But, man is not
spiritual but carnal.
John 8:43 Why do you not understand my language? Because you can
not hear my word.
1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the
Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand
them, because they must be spiritually discerned.

Man does not want to do good.

The problem with man is not only one of inability but also one of will.
Man's will is perverted, he rejects all that is of God and loves sin.
Ezekiel 3:7 But the house of Israel will not listen to you, because they do
not want to listen to me; for the whole house of Israel is hard-headed and
obstinate in heart.
Matthew 23:37 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone
those who are sent to you! How many times I wanted to gather your
children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you
were not willing!
Luke 19:14 But his fellow citizens hated him, and sent an embassy after
him, saying, We do not want this man to reign over us.

The spiritual condition of man is one of death and rebellion to the

divine will . This is how the Bible describes it:

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 Psalm 53: 1-3 The fool says in his heart: There is no God. They have
become corrupt, and have done abominable wickedness; There is no one
who does good. God looked down from heaven on the children of men to
see if there were any who understood and sought God. Each one had
turned back; everyone had become corrupted; There is no one who does
good, there is not even one.
Isaiah 59:3-4 For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with
iniquity; Your lips utter lies, your tongue speaks evil. There is no one
who cries out for justice, nor anyone who judges by truth; They trust in
vanity, and speak vanities; They conceive iniquity, and bring forth
iniquity.
Isaiah 59:7-8 Their feet run to evil, they are quick to shed innocent blood;
his thoughts, thoughts of iniquity; Destruction and destruction are in their
paths. They have not known the way of peace, nor is there justice in their
ways; its paths are crooked; Whoever goes through them will not know
peace.
Isaiah 59:12-13 For our transgressions have multiplied before you, and
our sins have testified against us; for our iniquities are with us, and we
know our sins: to transgress and lie against the Lord, and to turn away
from following our God; speaking slander and rebellion, conceiving and
uttering lying words from the heart.
Romans 1: 18, 21 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against
all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in
unrighteousness; For when they knew God, they did not glorify him as
God, nor give thanks to him, but their thoughts became futile, and their
foolish hearts were darkened.
Romans 1: 23- 32 And they changed the glory of the incorruptible God
into the likeness of an image to corruptible man, to birds, to four-footed
animals, and to creeping things. Therefore God also gave them over to
uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, so that they dishonored their own
bodies among themselves. Since they exchanged the truth of God for a
lie, honoring and worshiping the creatures before the Creator, who is
blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them over to shameful
passions; for even their women changed the natural use for that which is
against nature, And in the same way the men also, leaving the natural use
of the woman, burned in their lasciviousness one with another, men

27
committing shameful acts with men, and receiving in themselves the
retribution due for their loss. And since they did not approve of taking
account of God, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do things that
are not convenient; Being filled with all injustice, fornication, perversity,
greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malignity; murmurers,
slanderers, haters of God, revilers, proud, haughty, inventors of evil,
disobedient to parents, foolish, disloyal, without natural affection,
implacable without mercy; Who, having understood the judgment of God,
that those who practice such things are worthy of death, not only do them,
but also take pleasure in those who practice them.
Since man is totally depraved, his salvation must necessarily originate
from a source external to him. If God does not save him, he can never
save himself.

THE UNCONDITIONAL ELECTION

Choice . It is the sovereign act of God, through which He chooses for

Himself certain individuals among the human race. Saint John 15: 19.
Predestination . It is the efficient exercise of God's will, by which
the things He has determined in advance are carried out.

Because all men have sinned in Adam; They always choose what is
evil, cannot do what is good, do not understand what is good, do not want
to do what is good, and who without exception are guilty and worthy of
condemnation, God would not have committed any injustice if He had
overlooked them all and reserved them for the fire. eternal, letting them
reap what they themselves sowed.
But the love and mercy of God was greatly manifested when from all
that lost world he chose those who, according to his advice, would achieve
eternal salvation.
The cause of unbelief is in the human heart and God is not guilty of
it; but, faith in Jesus Christ for salvation is a free gift from God.

Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that
not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.

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Philippians 1:29 For it is given to you for Christ's sake, not only to
believe in him, but also to suffer for him.

So if a man is condemned it is purely because of the hardness of his heart;

But, if a man believes for salvation it is because of the free gift of faith
that God grants him.
The reason why God equips some with this saving faith and denies it to
others depends solely on their free choice.

Ephesians 1:11 In him we also had an inheritance, having been

predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things
according to the counsel of his will.

This election was made before the foundation of the world, when from
among all fallen mankind, God predestined a fixed number of people, no
better or more worthy than others, to be saved by Christ.

Ephesians 1:4-5 According as he chose us in him before the foundation of

the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him, in love
having predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ,
according to the pure pleasure of his will .

Meanwhile, the non- elect were abandoned to their own evil and their own
ways.

God's election is unconditional , since it was not made by virtue of his

prioritizing the faith or obedience of people as a condition previously
required in the man who was to be chosen, but by the pure affection of his
mercy that worked fairly and freely.

John 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you, and appointed you
that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain; so that
whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

Acts 13:48 When the Gentiles heard this, they rejoiced and glorified the
word of the Lord, and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.

29
Romans 9: 15-16 For he says to Moses: I will have mercy on whom I
have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. So
it does not depend on the one who wants, nor on the one who runs, but on
God who has mercy.

Romans 9: 22-24 What if God, wanting to show his wrath and make his
power known, endured with great patience the vessels of wrath prepared
for destruction. And to make known the riches of his glory, he showed
them to the vessels of mercy which he prepared beforehand for glory.
Whom he also called, that is, us, not only of the Jews, but also of the
Gentiles?

Ephesians 1:4-5 According as he chose us in him before the foundation of

the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him, in love
having predestinated us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ,
according to the pure pleasure of his will .

2 Timothy 1:9 Who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not according
to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace which was given
to us in Christ Jesus before the world began.

1st Peter 1: 2 chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father in

sanctification of the Spirit, to obey and be sprinkled with the blood of
Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied to you.

Since God is almighty, the election or predestination that he makes

cannot be annulled, revoked, or destroyed; The number of those chosen
cannot decrease nor increase.

As for other men who are passed over for condemnation, God is not
responsible for their unbelief or their other sins; He is the blameless judge
who will avenge their sins justly.

The doctrine of unconditional election should not be interpreted to

mean that man can lead a disorderly life as long as God does not call him.

30
 Man's responsibility is to seek repentance by seeking God with all his
heart.

If a man does not do this he is guilty of damnation; But, if he does so,

he must praise God who softened his heart and inclined him to believe,
since man of himself cannot and does not want to approach God.

If the doctrine of unconditional election is difficult for some to

receive, it is because they have not yet fully understood what comprises
the total depravity of the human race.

Or, their pride does not allow them to accept the truth that they are
not the architects of their own salvation and it is difficult for them to give
glory only to God.

ATONEMENT LIMITED

In the same way that God has destined the elect for glory, he has also
ordained all the means for that purpose to be fulfilled. Christ died to fulfill
the decree of election, which relates to a defined number of people: the
elect and no one else.
The atonement that Christ offered at Calvary is limited. This means
that Christ did not die on the cross for all humanity but only for his chosen
ones.
Every evangelical current teaches some form of limitation of the
atonement. Those who maintain that Christ died for all humanity limit the
effectiveness of Christ's merits by arguing that what the Lord did on the
cross is not sufficient for man's salvation unless he completes that work
through his obedience. This view is contrary to scriptural teachings.

Hebrews 10:14 For with one offering he perfected forever those who were
sanctified.

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 Therefore, the teaching that limits not the effectiveness but the extent
of Christ's sacrifice is the true position that the scriptures teach, as will be
seen below.
The fact is that the limitation of the atonement is not exceptional to
this doctrine. They all limit the atonement, with the difference that some
do it in a sense contrary to the Scriptures and others in the direction that
the Word indicates.
Since the death of Christ is a real substitution of the sinner, all those
for whom Christ died have been infallibly replaced and saved from
damnation. So it is not possible to affirm that Christ died for all humanity
without falling into universalism.

The Scriptures affirm that Christ died exclusively for his chosen ones.

Matthew 1:21 And she will give birth to a son, and you will call his name
JESUS, for he will save his people from their sins.
John 10:15-16, 26 Just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father,
and I lay down my life for the sheep. I also have other sheep that are not
from this fold; I must also bring those, and they will hear my voice; and
there will be one flock, and one shepherd. But you do not believe,
because you are not one of my sheep, as I have told you.
John 17:9 I pray for them; I do not pray for the world, but for those you
gave me; because they are yours.
Acts 20:28 Therefore, take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, over
which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of
the Lord, which he purchased with his own blood.
Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the
church and gave himself up for her.
The expressions of Scripture where it is said that Christ died "for all"
should not be interpreted in the sense of "absolutely all", but as "all his
elect"; Otherwise the spirit of the passages where such statements are
found would be violated. Browse:
John 12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto
myself.

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Romans 5:18 Therefore, as through one transgression came condemnation
to all men, so through one righteousness came justification of life to all
men.
2nd Corinthians 5: 14-15 For the love of Christ constrains us, thinking
this: that if one died for all, then all died; And he died for all, so that those
who live no longer live for themselves, but for him who died and was
resurrected for them.
As examples that demonstrate that "all" does not mean the entire human
race since such an interpretation would drag us to an inevitable
universalism. Likewise, the expressions that speak of the "world" do not
refer to all of humanity; To the Jews accustomed to thinking that only
their race would achieve divine favor, it was necessary to show that God
had loved the whole world or that Christ had died for the whole world,
meaning by this his chosen ones from "all nations" ; The opposite would
be to preach, once again, universalism. The doctrine of limited atonement
does not obstruct the free offering of the gospel to every creature. Since
the elect are known only to God and are scattered throughout the world,
there is no way to fulfill the great commission except by preaching to
every creature. Salvation must be offered in good faith and in the most
liberal manner to all men. However, because they are dead in their crimes
and sins, only those to whom it is effectively applied by the Holy Spirit
will accept the benefits of the gospel. Exactly what God agreed to when
Christ hung on the cross, and in his eternal decree.

IRRESISTIBLE GRACE
EITHER
EFFECTIVE APPEAL

When the time comes in which God must save his chosen ones, he
calls them effectively by his Word and by the Holy Spirit to give them life
and salvation.

Due to his state of spiritual death, man will never be able to decide
for himself to follow Christ; Hence God has to provide saving faith to his
chosen ones, otherwise they would be irremediably lost.

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John 6:44 No one can come to me, except the Father who sent me draws
him; and I will raise him up on the last day.

This call from God is of such a nature that man is vivified and
renewed to the point that the experience cannot end except in sincere
surrender to Christ.
Through his irresistible grace, God softens man's conscience, moves
him to contrition and repentance, makes him born again, endows him with
faith and grants him the will to desire good and seek it.
Hence, this saving grace is described as irresistible in the sense that it
cannot be annulled by human will.
But, although this grace is irresistible, the men who receive it go to
Christ with absolute freedom, having received the will to do so by the
grace of God.

Acts 16:14 Then a woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, from the city
of Thyatira, who worshiped God, was listening; and the Lord opened her
heart so that she would pay attention to what Paul said.

Philippians 1:29 For it is given to you for Christ's sake, not only to
believe in him, but also to suffer for him.

Philippians 2:13 For it is God who works in you, both to will and to do,
for his good pleasure.

The granting of God's irresistible grace responds to his decree of

election in such a way that man cannot, nor will, do anything to obtain it
and it must be applied by the free grace of God without foreseeing any
merit in man.

John 10:16 I also have other sheep that are not of this fold; I must also
bring those, and they will hear my voice, and there will be a flock and a
shepherd.

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Acts 13:48 When the Gentiles heard this, they rejoiced and glorified the
word of the Lord, and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.

Romans 8: 29- 30 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be

conformed to the image of his Son, so that he might be the firstborn
among many brothers. And those whom he predestinated, these he also
called; and those whom he called, these he also justified; and those whom
he justified, these he also glorified.

Men who are not chosen will invariably be condemned because God
overlooks them in allocating their effective calling; This, however, does
not mean that such men are lost against their will, for they freely reject
Christ as a result of the hardening of their hearts.

Romans 9: 14-16 What then shall we say? What is injustice in God? In

no way. For to Moses he says: I will have mercy on whom I have mercy,
and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. So it does not
depend on the one who wants, nor on the one who runs, but on God who
has mercy.

THE ETERNAL SECURITY OF SALVATION

Those who have been chosen by God, replaced in death by Christ, and
effectually called by the Holy Spirit have attained a position in Christ and

35
a state of grace that does not depend on human circumstances or
conditions and is therefore eternally unalterable. .

Hebrews 10:14 For with one offering he perfected forever those who were
sanctified.

The choice that God makes of his people predestines them to achieve
salvation; Since this is a divine decree that cannot be altered, those who
have been predestined will infallibly achieve what they were destined for.

Romans 8: 29- 30 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be

conformed to the image of his Son, so that he might be the firstborn
among many brothers. And those whom he predestinated, these he also
called; and those whom he called, these he also justified; and those whom
he justified, these he also glorified.

The substitution that Christ achieved on the cross is a real and not
supposed substitution, therefore those who have been replaced can no
longer die, making the Lord's sacrifice invalid. Their past, present and
future guilts and sins have been canceled by the death of the Redeemer
and they possess life for eternity.

John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and
believeth him that sent me, hath eternal life; and will not come into
condemnation, but has passed from death to life.
John 6:39 And this is the will of the Father, who sent me: That of all that
he gives me, I should lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day.
John 10:28-29 And I give them eternal life; and they will never perish,
nor will anyone snatch them out of my hand. My Father who gave them to
me is greater than all, and no one can snatch them from my Father's hand.

Romans 11:29 For the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable.
Ephesians 1:13-14 In him you also, having heard the word of truth, the
gospel of your salvation, and having believed in him, were sealed with the
Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until
redemption of the acquired possession, to the praise of his glory.

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1 Peter 1:4-5 for an inheritance that is incorruptible, undefiled, and that
does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are being kept by the
power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last
time.

The results that sin produces in an unbeliever and in a believer are

completely different. While in the unbeliever they produce death and
condemnation, in the believer they produce a breaking of communion with
God and, if sin is persevered, temporal punishment.
1 Corinthians 11:32 But being judged, we are punished by the Lord, so
that we will not be condemned with the world.

But, because of the election of God which is the product of his free
will, the efficacy of the merits and intercession of Christ and the
indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the believer cannot lose his position in the
Beloved even if because of his sins incur the displeasure of God, grieve
the Holy Spirit, and bring discipline upon himself. However, the seed of
God in him and the nature of the covenant of grace will reawaken in him
pain for sin, sincere repentance and confession for forgiveness and
restoration.
1st John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our
sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

The doctrine of the eternal security of salvation in no way makes

believers libertine and dissolute, since he who is born of God possesses a
nature that aspires for the holiness of God and for communion with him
more than for deceptive pleasures. of sin.
Those who, hiding behind the doctrine of eternal security, launch
themselves into a worldly and rebellious life demonstrate by their very
conduct that they were never born again and therefore were not chosen by
God.
Because the sinful nature inherited from Adam still remains in the
believer and he continues to be a target of the temptations of the world and
Satan, he must be very careful to put into practice the necessary means to
persevere in communion with God and be freed from serious sins.

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 REPENTANCE

In the Scriptures, repentance is presented as a necessary step to enter the

kingdom of God.
Matthew 3:8 Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance,
Luke 5:32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Acts 5:31 Him God has exalted with His right hand as a Prince and Savior,
to give Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins.
Acts 11:18 Then when they heard these things, they were silent and
glorified God, saying, "So God has also given the Gentiles repentance
leading to life!"
Acts 26:20 But I first announced to those in Damascus, and Jerusalem, and
throughout all the land of Judea, and to the Gentiles, that they should
repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance.
Romans 2:4 Or do you despise the riches of his kindness, patience, and
long-suffering, not knowing that his kindness leads you to repentance?

The idea that repentance transmits is the need for a conversion to God
that includes a change in the way of thinking, feeling and acting .

Regarding the change in the way of Thinking ,

Repentance implies a transformation in the views one has had about
God, sin and oneself. In the case of the parable of the prodigal son, the
return home was marked, initially, by a change in the way of thinking.
Luke 15: 17-19 And coming to himself, he said, How many hired servants
in my father's house have plenty of bread, and here I perish from hunger!
I will arise and go to my father and say to him, Father, I have sinned
against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your
son; Make me like one of your hired hands.

Regarding the change in the way of feeling ,

The Bible teaches that when true repentance occurs, an emotional
shock occurs in the person. No one can repent and remain as cold as a
stone.

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Matthew 26:75 Then Peter remembered the words of Jesus, who had said
to him: Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times. And going
out, he wept bitterly.
2nd Corinthians 7: 9-10 Now I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but
because you were grieved to repentance; for you have been grieved
according to God, so that you would not suffer any loss from us. For
godly sadness produces repentance leading to salvation, which need not be
repented of; but the sadness of the world produces death.

Regarding the change in the way of acting,

Repentance is the border between a dissipated life and a life
consecrated to God that bears fruit worthy of repentance.
The Scriptures place great emphasis on the truth that true repentance
must be shown by deeds.
Matthew 3:7-8 When he saw that many of the Pharisees and Sadducees
were coming to his baptism, he said to them: You generation of vipers!
Who has shown you how to run away from the coming rage? Therefore
bear fruits worthy of repentance,
Matthew 7:21-23 Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter
the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in
heaven. Many will say to me on that day: Lord, Lord, did we not
prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many
miracles in your name? And then I will declare to them: I never knew
you; depart from me, you workers of iniquity.
Matthew 21: 28-32 But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he
approached the first and said, “Son, go work today in my vineyard.” He
answered and said, I will not; but later, repentant, he left. And
approaching the other, he said to him in the same way; And he answered
and said, Yes, sir, I am going. And it wasn't. Which of the two did his
father's will? They said: The first. Jesus said to them: Truly I say to you,
the tax collectors and the harlots are going ahead of you into the kingdom
of God. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did
not believe him; but the publicans and the harlots believed him; and you,
seeing this, did not repent afterwards to believe him.
Luke 6: 43-45 It is not a good tree that bears bad fruit, nor a bad tree that
bears good fruit. For every tree is known by its fruit; For figs are not

39
harvested from thorns, nor are grapes harvested from brambles. The
good man, from the good treasure of his heart, draws good; and the evil
man, from the evil treasure of his heart, brings out evil; Because of the
abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
Revelation 2:5 Remember therefore from whence you have fallen, and
repent, and do the first works; If not, I will come to you quickly and
remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

For legitimate repentance to occur, changes in the three aspects

indicated must occur simultaneously.

a) If there is a change in actions , but not in thought or feeling , only

a religious reform has occurred, not a conversion.

b) If there is a change in feelings , but not in actions or ways of

thinking, only remorse has occurred.

c) If there is a change in thinking , but not in acting or feeling , only

intellectual persuasion has occurred.

Repentance is a gift of grace that God grants according to his free

will.

Acts 5:31 Him God has exalted with his right hand as a Prince and Savior,
to give Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins.
Acts 11:18 Then when they heard these things, they were silent and
glorified God, saying, "So God has also given the Gentiles repentance
leading to life!"
Romans 2:4 Or do you despise the riches of his kindness, patience, and
long-suffering, not knowing that his kindness leads you to repentance?
2nd Timothy 2: 25 Let him gently correct those who oppose him, in case
God may grant them repentance to know the truth,

But, in addition, repentance is a responsibility that God demands of

every human being.

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Acts 17:30 But God, having overlooked the times of this ignorance, now
commands all men everywhere to repent;

So if any person does not repent, he is guilty of rebellion before God and
subject to condemnation; But, if, on the contrary, he repents, he must
praise God who is the only one who can grant the grace to experience
repentance leading to life.

THE JUSTIFICATION

Justification is the judicial or legal act by which God declares a

person innocent, freeing him from any accusation that could be brought
against him.
Since men have sinned, God could not declare anyone righteous
without breaking his law.
Exodus 23:7 You will turn away from lying words, and you will not kill
the innocent and righteous; for I will not justify the wicked.

God cannot make any compromise with sin; Therefore, he prepared

an effective basis on which he could declare the sinner righteous without
injuring his righteousness.
God established this foundation when he gave his Son to bear the
condemnation that the sinner deserved.
Romans 8:3 For what was impossible for the law, because it was weak
through the flesh, God, sending his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and
for sin, condemned sin in the flesh;
So God remains perfectly just in receiving as justified those who
come to him through Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:21 He made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that
we might become the righteousness of God in him.

Media.

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 The blood of Christ is the only means of declaring a sinner righteous;
Well, only Christ offered adequate propitiation to satisfy God while being
the believer's substitute in judgment.
Romans 3:24-25 Being justified freely by his grace through the
redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth to be a propitiation
through faith in his blood, to manifest his righteousness, because of having
been overlooked, in his patience, past sins,

The security of justification lies in the fact that the same God who had
sentenced us as sinners, now, in his Son, declares us totally free. No one
can condemn us, our justification is complete and definitive.

Romans 8:33 Who will accuse God's chosen ones? It is God who justifies.

Justification is received through faith . Only those who believe

can be justified.
Romans 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ;
Faith consists of believing God that Christ did everything necessary
to satisfy the demands of divine justice and present us before him
blameless.
Romans 8:1 Now therefore there is no condemnation for those who are in
Christ Jesus, who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the
Spirit.
Those who have been justified have not only been justified from their
past sins, but also from their present and future sins. It is the people who
have been declared righteous not a season of their life.
Hebrews 10:14 For with one offering he made those who were sanctified
perfect forever.

Justification is a privilege that God grants in the present .

John 5:24 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes
him who sent me has eternal life; and will not come into condemnation,
but has passed from death to life.

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1 John 5:13 I have written these things to you who believe in the name of
the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you
may believe in the name of the Son of God.
Paul 's statements that man is justified by faith without the works of
the law are not contradicted by James when he says that man is justified
by works, and not by faith alone.
Romans 3:28 We conclude therefore that a man is justified by faith apart
from the works of the law.
James 2:24 You see therefore that a man is justified by works, and not by
faith alone.
The statements are complementary, because while Paul talks about how
we are justified before God, James talks about how we are justified before
men. The first is obtained by faith in the work of Christ, the second by the
works of faith, that is, by our conduct, which is a consequence of our faith.
It is not enough to affirm that we are justified, it is also necessary that our
actions demonstrate in the eyes of men that we really have the life of God.

THE REGENERATION

Regeneration or new birth is the creative act of God through which he

grants man a spiritual nature.

Regeneration is necessary because of the corruption of man who is

spiritually dead.
Ephesians 2:1 And he quickened you, when you were dead in trespasses
and sins,

Cannot perceive the things of God

1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man does not perceive the things of the
Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand
them, because they must be spiritually discerned.

He cannot enter the kingdom of God.

John 3:3, 5 Jesus answered and said to him, Verily, verily, I say unto you,
Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

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Jesus answered: Truly, truly, I say to you, unless someone is born of water
and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

In regeneration, God creates a new nature in man through the powerful

combination of his Spirit and his Word.
John 1:12-13 But to all who received him, to those who believed in his
name, he gave the right to become children of God; who are begotten not
of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
James 1:18 He, of his own will, gave us birth through the word of truth,
that we might be the first fruits of his creatures.
1 Peter 1: 23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of
imperishable, through the word of God which lives and abides forever.

When God grants the grace of new birth to a person, he or she receives a
new nature by which he or she can rise in the pursuit of the holy.
2 Peter 1:4 through which he has given us very great and precious
promises, so that through them you might become partakers of the divine
nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust;

Son of God is adopted

1st John 3: 8-10 He who practices sin is of the devil; because the devil
sins from the beginning. For this the Son of God appeared, to undo the
works of the devil. Everyone who is born of God does not practice sin,
because the seed of God remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he is
born of God. In this the children of God are manifested, and the children
of the devil: everyone who does not do justice, and who does not love his
brother, is not of God.

Enjoy eternal life

John 6:63 The spirit is the one who gives life; the meat is useless; The
words that I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.

Enter the family of God.

Colossians 1:13 Who has delivered us from the power of darkness, and
translated us into the kingdom of his beloved Son,

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Two natures
The spiritual nature that is received in regeneration does not destroy or
nullify the Adamic nature that every man has. So, in the Christian, both
natures coexist: The carnal one inherited from Adam and the spiritual one
inherited from Christ.
The antagonism between these contrary natures generates a permanent
conflict in the believer.
Galatians 5:17 For the desire of the flesh is against the Spirit, and the
desire of the Spirit is against the flesh; and these are opposed to each
other, so that you do not do what you want.

The Christian's duty is to strengthen his new nature to overcome the old
carnal nature ; to do so, he must submit to the cross of Christ and move in
the Spirit of God.
Galatians 5:24-25 But those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh
with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by
the Spirit
Galatians 5:16 Therefore I say, Walk in the Spirit, and do not fulfill the
desires of the flesh.

SANCTIFICATION

The basic meaning of sanctification is the action by which something is

set apart or consecrated for God. In this sense, not only men but also
utensils , places , days , etc. can be sanctified.
In the Old Testament, sanctification encompasses things and people,
while in the New Testament it is limited to the latter.
Believers, being sanctified, are set apart for God; This implies the
spiritual transformations that correspond to your new relationship with
him. Three aspects can be differentiated in sanctification:

Positional Sanctification : It is that holiness that the believer inherits by

virtue of his new position in Christ. Every person who has appropriated
the benefits of Christ's sacrifice is holy in the eyes of God.

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 This sanctification is based on his new position as a child of God and
has no relation to his moral actions.
Hebrews 10:12-14 But Christ, having once for all offered one sacrifice for
sins, has sat down at the right hand of God, from then on waiting until his
enemies are made his footstool; because with a single offering he made
those who were sanctified perfect forever
1 Corinthians 1:2,30 To the church of God which is in Corinth, to those
sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be holy with all who call on the name
of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours, everywhere:
But through him you are in Christ Jesus, who from God has been made to
us wisdom, justification, sanctification and redemption;

The basis for the believer to be declared a saint is the sacrifice of

Christ
Hebrews 13:12 Therefore Jesus also, to sanctify the people through his
own blood, suffered outside the gate.

Positional Sanctification is also called instantaneous because, not

depending on the works of the believer but on the sacrifice of Christ, it is
applied immediately at the moment of believing.
Acts 26:18 That you may open their eyes, that they may turn from
darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God; so that they may
receive, through faith in me, forgiveness of sins and inheritance among
those who are sanctified.
Positional sanctification is not susceptible to improvement, since no
human work can do better the sanctifying work of Christ.

Progressive Sanctification: If positional sanctification is a state that is

achieved by a decree of God, progressive sanctification is the daily and
practical application of the truth of being set apart for God. The Christian
life begins with sanctification of position, conferred through divine action.
Next, we must seek a practical sanctification that is consistent with this
position. The first is for us only a matter of faith, while the second is
related to our daily behavior.
While positional sanctification cannot be perceived by man, progressive
sanctification can only be evidenced by its fruits. The believer is

46
obligated by the Word to seek the sanctification of his daily life. There are
many situations of character and habits that must be changed in our lives.
For this reason, the sanctification of daily life is called progressive;
because it can and should improve.
2 Corinthians 7:1 Therefore, beloved, since we have such promises, let us
cleanse ourselves from all pollution of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness
in the fear of God.
1 Thessalonians 4:1 Finally, brothers, we beseech and exhort you in the
Lord Jesus, that as you learned from us how it is good for you to conduct
yourselves and please God, you may abound more and more.
Revelation 22:11 He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; and he who is
unclean, let him be unclean still; and he who is just, let him practice
justice still; and he who is holy, let him sanctify himself still.

Progressive sanctification occurs throughout the Christian's entire life. It

is produced through the action of the Word.

Psalm 119:9-11 With what will a young man cleanse his path? By
keeping your word.
With all my heart I have sought you; Do not let me deviate from your
commandments.
I have kept your sayings in my heart, so as not to sin against you.
John 17:17 Sanctify them in your truth; Your word is truth.
Ephesians 5:25-26 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the
church, and gave himself up for her, to sanctify her, having cleansed her
with the washing of water by the word , and of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 8:13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; But if by
the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

But, although God has given us these sanctifying agents, he expects the
believer to contribute the renewed will given to him in the new birth by
striving to submit to both the Word and the Spirit and thus achieve
progress. disciplined of his holiness. If the believer does not contribute
this collaboration, God will execute discipline on him.

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1 Corinthians 11:31-32 If we therefore examined ourselves, we would not
be judged; but being judged, we are punished by the Lord, so that we may
not be condemned with the world.
Hebrews 12: 5-7 And you have already forgotten the exhortation that is
addressed to you as children, saying: My son, do not despise the discipline
of the Lord, Nor faint when you are rebuked by him; For the Lord
disciplines whomever he loves, and scourges everyone whom he accepts
as a son. If you endure discipline, God treats you as children; because
what son is he whom the father does not discipline?

Perfect Sanctification: Since in our earthly life we cannot reach the state
of moral perfection; When Christ returns to raise up his Church, he will
execute in his children the perfect or final sanctification, in which, that
positional holiness that was conferred upon us by his merits will be
equaled by our practical holiness. So we will be as holy in practical life as
we are in standing before God. This is known as the glorification of
believers.
Philippians 3:20-21 But our citizenship is in heaven, from where we also
wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of
our humiliation, so that it will be like unto the body of his glory, by the
power by which he is also able to subject all things to himself.
1 John 3:2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not yet been
revealed what we will be; but we know that when he appears, we will be
like him, because we will see him as he is.

This last stage of sanctification will be carried out by an entirely divine

work without the participation of human will.

BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT

The baptism in the Holy Spirit is the endowment of power that Christ
gives to believers for effective witness.

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Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon
you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea, in Samaria,
and to the ends of the earth.

The baptism of the Holy Spirit was initially offered by John the Baptist
Matthew 3:11 I truly baptize you with water for repentance; But he who
comes after me, whose shoes I am not worthy to wear, is mightier than I;
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
And subsequently promised by the Lord Jesus
Luke 24:49 Behold, I will send the promise of my Father upon you; But
remain yourselves in the city of Jerusalem, until you are endued with
power from on high.

When the promise of baptism in the Holy Spirit was manifested to the
Church, it was as a different and subsequent experience to salvation.
The apostles were sealed with the Spirit.
John 20:22 And when he had said this, he breathed, and said unto them,
Receive ye the Holy Ghost.

But, it was not until fifty days later that they were baptized in the Holy
Spirit.
Acts 2:1-4 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all in one accord
together. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty
wind blowing, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting; and
cloven tongues appeared to them, as if of fire, settling on each of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in other
tongues, as the Spirit gave them to speak.

When Philip preached in Samaria there were many conversions and water
baptisms; But it was not until days later, when the apostles arrived, that
they received the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 8: 14-17 When the apostles who were in Jerusalem heard that
Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John there;
who, having come, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy
Spirit; for it had not yet come upon any of them, but they had only been

49
baptized in the name of Jesus. Then they laid hands on them, and they
received the Holy Spirit.

Saul converted to Christ and was sealed with the Spirit; But it was not
until three days later that he received the investiture of power.
Acts 9:17 Then Ananias went and entered the house, and laying his hands
on him, said, Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the
way by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may receive your
sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.
The outward sign of having been baptized in the Holy Spirit is speaking
in other tongues
Acts 10:44-46 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit
fell on all those who heard the speech. And the faithful of the circumcision
who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit
was also poured out on the Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in
tongues, and magnifying God.
Acts 2:4-11 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to
speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them to speak.
Then there lived in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under
heaven. And when this noise was made, the crowd gathered together; and
they were confused, because each one heard them speaking in his own
language. And they were astonished and amazed, saying, Behold, are not
all these that speak Galileans? How then do we each hear them speak in
our language in which we were born? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and
those of us who live in Mesopotamia, in Judea, in Cappadocia, in Pontus
and in Asia, in Phrygia and Pamphylia, in Egypt and in the regions of
Africa beyond Cyrene, and Romans residing here, both Jews as well as
proselytes, Cretans and Arabs, we hear them speak in our languages the
wonders of God.

Since receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit implies being filled with the
power of God, the person who receives such an experience experiences a
transformation in their character. Just like Peter, from a cowardly disciple
who denied his teacher, he became an ardent apostle proclaiming the
message of the resurrection of Christ. At the same time, the testimony

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offered by someone who has been filled with the Spirit is impressive and
effective, since the power of the Spirit of God is involved.

THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

The gifts of the Spirit are supernatural abilities that God grants to
believers for the edification of the Church .
The gifts of the Holy Spirit are completely miraculous manifestations
that could not be exercised without the intervention of God. This
differentiates them from any human ability.
Musical talent, for example, is not a gift of the Spirit; because in it there is
no supernatural phenomenon. In order for a believer to receive a spiritual
gift, he or she must first be baptized in the Holy Spirit to enter, in this
way, the sphere of supernatural experiences with God.

The gifts of the Holy Spirit are nine.

1Corinthians 12:7-11 But to each one is given the manifestation of the
Spirit for profit. For to him the word of wisdom is given by the Spirit; to
another, the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another,
faith by the same Spirit; and to another, gifts of healing by the same Spirit.
To another, performing miracles; to another, prophecy; to another,
discernment of spirits; to another, various genres of languages; and
another, interpretation of languages. But all these things are done by one
and the same Spirit, distributing to each one individually as he wishes.

And for their study they are classified into three groups:

1) The gifts of Revelation:

-Word of Science
-Word of wisdom
-Discretion of Spirits.

2) The gifts of Inspiration:

-Genres of Languages
-Language Interpretation
-Prophecy

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3) The gifts of Power:
-Gifts of Healing
-Operation Miracles
-Faith.
THE GIFTS OF REVELATION

The group of gifts of revelation brings together those gifts through which
God shares his knowledge with his Church .
The communication of this knowledge occurs supernaturally and through
the instrumentality of the person who possesses the gift.

The gifts of Revelation are:

Word of Science: It is the gift through which God shares

knowledge of events that happened in the past or that are happening in
the present . This knowledge is acquired supernaturally and beyond all
human possibility.

Acts 5:3 And Peter said, Ananias, why did Satan fill your heart, that you
should lie to the Holy Spirit, and keep from the price of the inheritance?
Acts 9:10-11 There was then in Damascus a disciple named Ananias, to
whom the Lord said in a vision: Ananias. And he answered: Here I am,
Lord. And the Lord said to him, Arise, and go to the street called Straight,
and search in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus; for behold,
he prays,
Acts 10:19-20 And while Peter was thinking about the vision, the Spirit
said to him, Behold, three men are seeking you. Arise therefore and go
down and do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.

The revelation of that knowledge can be received through a vision , a

dream , an audible voice , an internal feeling , etc.; but, whenever it
involves the revelation of past or present facts, we are dealing with the
operation of the gift of the Word of Science.

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 Word of Wisdom: It is the gift through which God shares knowledge
of events that will happen in the future .
Acts 11:28-30 And one of them, named Agabus, stood up and showed by
the Spirit that a great famine would come throughout the entire inhabited
land; which happened in the time of Claudius. Then the disciples, each one
according to what he had, determined to send help to the brothers who
lived in Judea; Which they did, sending him to the elders by the hand of
Barnabas and Saul.
Acts 21:10-11 And while we remained there for some days, a prophet
named Agabus came down from Judea. The Jews will take the man to
whom this belt belongs to Jerusalem, and they will deliver him into the
hands of the Gentiles.
Acts 27: 21-24 Then Paul, as it had been a long time since we had eaten,
stood up among them and said: It would certainly have been good, men, if
you had listened to me and not set sail from Crete only to receive this
harm. and loss. But now I urge you to be of good cheer, for there will be
no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. For this night the angel of
the God whose I am and whom I serve has been with me, saying, Paul, do
not be afraid; it is necessary that you appear before Caesar; and behold,
God has given you all who sail with you.

Discretion or Discernment of Spirits: It is the gift through which

God reveals what type of spirit is operating in a given situation. It is the
gift that manifests whether a supernatural event comes from God or Satan.

Acts 16: 16-18 It happened that while we were going to prayer, a girl who
had a spirit of divination met us, and she brought great profit to her
masters by guessing. She, following Paul and us, cried out, saying: These
men are servants of the Most High God, who announce to you the way of
salvation. And he did this for many days; but displeasing Paul, he turned
and said to the spirit: I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come
out of her. And he left at that same hour.

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 THE GIFTS OF INSPIRATION

The gifts of Inspiration, also called Word, are those that God uses to
communicate a message to His Church . The Gifts of Inspiration are
manifested most frequently within the congregation because they are the
ones that provide the greatest edification to believers.
1Corinthians 14:1 Follow love; and seek spiritual gifts, but above all that
you prophesy.

God's teaching imparted through the gifts of Inspiration provides greater

instruction to the Church than any miracle or revelation of hidden facts.
The gifts of Inspiration are:

Genres of Languages: It is the gift through which God sends a

message to a congregation in an unknown language to be interpreted.
1Corinthians 14:27 If anyone speaks in a strange tongue, let this be done
by two, or at most three, and in turn; and one interpreter.
Although the languages spoken as a result of the exercise of the gift are
similar to the languages spoken as evidence of having received the
baptism in the Holy Spirit, the truth is that there is a difference in function
between the two: The languages spoken as a result of the gift they have
interpretation; But, those that are spoken as evidence of having received
the baptism in the Holy Spirit have no interpretation.
The languages that are spoken as an exercise of the gift are of limited
duration, since they must give way to interpretation; But, the tongues that
are spoken as a result of the filling of the Spirit are of unlimited duration
since the one who speaks them does not speak to men but to God. The gift

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of kinds of tongues, then, is different from speaking in other tongues as
evidence of having received the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
The reason why God sends a message to the congregation in an unknown
language to then be interpreted, and can do so at once in the local
language, is to give a sign to the unbelievers.
1 Corinthians 14:22 Therefore tongues are a sign, not to believers, but to
unbelievers; but prophecy, not to unbelievers, but to believers.

Interpretation of Tongues: It is the gift through which God grants

the interpretation of a message that was given in a language foreign to the
local language. The gifts of tongues and interpretation are complementary,
since the gift of tongues cannot be exercised without the gift of
interpretation.
1 Corinthians 14:28 And if there is no interpreter, let him be silent in the
church, and speak to himself and to God.
And, on the other hand, the gift of interpretation cannot operate if there are
no languages to interpret.
The gift of interpretation does not "translate" foreign languages, but rather
"interprets" them; This results in the interpretation sometimes being much
longer than the message that was expressed in tongues.
According to the Scriptures, the same person can give the message in
tongues and then its interpretation.
1 Corinthians 14:13 Therefore, let him who speaks in a strange tongue
ask in prayer to be able to interpret it.

Prophecy: It is the gift through which God gives a message to the

congregation directly in the language of the locality.
1 Corinthians 14: 1-3 Follow love; and seek spiritual gifts, but above all
that you prophesy. For he who speaks in tongues does not speak to men,
but to God; for no one understands him, although by the Spirit he speaks
mysteries. But he who prophesies speaks to men for edification,
exhortation, and consolation.
The gifts of speech are to be exercised in the Christian congregation in
accordance with the order established by the Scriptures.
1 Corinthians 14: 27-33 If anyone speaks in a strange tongue, let this be
done by two, or at most three, and in turn; and one interpreter. And if there

55
is no interpreter, be silent in the church, and speak for yourself and for
God. Likewise, let two or three prophets speak, and the rest judge. And
if anything is revealed to another who is sitting, let the first one be silent.
For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn, and all may be
exhorted. And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets; for
God is not the God of confusion, but of peace. As in all the churches of
the saints.

THE GIFTS OF POWER

The gifts of power are those by which God performs mighty works
among his children. Because these gifts consist of the performance of
unusual events, their manifestation is much less frequent than the gifts
belonging to the previous groups, since, if their manifestation occurred
daily, their effects would cease to be extraordinary and become routine.
In the Scriptures the manifestation of the gifts of power is preceded by
the operation of some gift of revelation. Through a gift of revelation, God
manifests what he is going to do, thereby inspiring the faith necessary for
the operation of the gift of power.

The gifts of power are:

Gifts of Healing: These are those gifts through which God grants
supernatural healing to a sick person. Because this healing is of a
supernatural nature, it is understood that it did not involve the intervention
of any medication nor the natural recovery processes with which God has
endowed the human body.
In the examples of healings in the Scriptures, the manifestation of a
revelation is observed before the operation of the gift of healing.
Acts 3: 1-7 Peter and John went up to the temple together at the ninth
hour, that of prayer. And a man lame from birth was brought, whom they

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placed every day at the door of the temple called the Beautiful, so that he
might ask for alms from those who entered the temple. When he saw Peter
and John about to enter the temple, he begged them to give him alms.
Peter, with Juan, fixing his eyes on him, said: Look at us. Then he was
attentive to them, hoping to receive something from them. But Peter said,
I have neither silver nor gold, but what I have I give to you; In the name of
Jesus Christ of Nazareth, arise and walk. And taking him by the right
hand he lifted him up; and immediately his feet and ankles became firm;
Acts 9: 34 And Peter said to him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; Get up
and make your bed. And immediately he got up.
Acts 14:8-10 And a certain man from Lystra was sitting, crippled in his
feet, lame from birth, who had never walked. He heard Paul speak, who,
fixing his eyes on him, and seeing that he had faith to be healed, said with
a loud voice: Stand up straight on your feet. And he jumped, and walked.

The Scriptures speak of these gifts in a plural way

1Corinthians 12:9 to another, faith by the same Spirit; and to another,
gifts of healing by the same Spirit.
Which indicates that there is a variety in the way the different healing gifts
operate. That is, one person's gift of healing can work immediately,
another's could work progressively, etc.
The gift of healing does not operate at the will of the person who
possesses it but based on the revelations that God grants to such person.
2 Timothy 4:20 Erastus remained in Corinth, and I left Trophimus in
Miletus sick.

Operation of Miracles: It is that gift through which an alteration

of the ordinary course of nature is produced; a temporary intervention in
the customary order of things in order to favor divine designs.
Acts 8:39-40 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord
caught Philip away; and the eunuch saw him no more, and continued on
his way rejoicing. But Felipe found himself in Azotus; And passing by, he
proclaimed the gospel in all the cities, until he came to Caesarea.
Acts 12:7-10 And, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared, and a light
shone in the prison; And touching Peter on the side, he woke him up,
saying, Get up quickly. And the chains fell from his hands. The angel said

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to him: Gird yourself, and tie your sandals. And he did it like this. And he
said to him, Wrap yourself in your cloak and follow me. And leaving, he
followed him; But he did not know that what the angel was doing was
true, but he thought he saw a vision. Having passed the first and second
guard, they came to the iron gate that led into the city, which opened for
them of itself; and they left, they passed a street, and immediately the
angel departed from him
Acts 13: 11 -12 Now therefore, behold, the hand of the Lord is against
you, and you will be blind, and you will not see the sun for a while. And
immediately darkness and darkness fell upon him; and walking around, he
looked for someone to lead him by the hand. Then the proconsul, seeing
what had happened, believed, marveling at the doctrine of the Lord.

Faith: It is the gift through which God shares his faith with a
particular person. Endowed with this absolute faith, the person is capable
of performing any feat regardless of the healing or miracles needed for its
accomplishment. She believes the impossible

Matthew 17:20 Jesus said to them: Because of your little faith; For truly I
say to you, if you have faith like a mustard seed, you will say to this
mountain, Move from here to there, and it will move; and nothing will be
impossible for you.

The results of persevering faith are described in Hebrews 11:1-38.

1
Faith, then, is the certainty of things hoped for, the conviction of
things not seen.2 Because through it the ancients obtained a good report. 3
By faith we understand that the universe was formed by the word of God,
so that what is seen was made of what was not seen.
4
By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by
which he obtained testimony that he was righteous, God bearing witness
of his offerings; and dead, he still speaks for her. 5 By faith Enoch was
translated so as not to see death, and was not found, because God
translated him; and before it was transposed, it had testimony that it
pleased God.6 But without faith it is impossible to please God; for he who
draws near to God must believe that he exists, and that he is a rewarder of
those who seek him.7 By faith Noah, when he was warned by God about

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things not yet seen, with fear prepared the ark in which his house would be
saved; and by that faith he condemned the world, and was made heir of the
righteousness that comes through faith.
8
By faith Abraham, being called, obeyed to go out to the place that he
was to receive as an inheritance; and left without knowing where he was
going.9 By faith he lived as a stranger in the promised land as in a foreign
land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same
promise; 10 because he was waiting for the city that has foundations, whose
architect and builder is God.11 By faith also Sarah herself, being barren,
received strength to conceive; and she gave birth even outside the time of
age, because she believed that he who had promised was faithful. 12
Therefore also, from one, and that one almost dead, came forth like the
stars of heaven in multitude, and like the innumerable sand that is on the
seashore.
13
All these died according to faith, not having received what was
promised, but looking at it from afar, believing it, and greeting it, and
confessing that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 14 For those
who say this clearly imply that they are seeking a homeland; 15 For if they
had been thinking about the one from which they came, they certainly had
time to return.16 But they longed for a better, that is, a heavenly one;
therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; because he has
prepared a city for them.
17
By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered Isaac; and he who
had received the promises offered his only begotten son, 18 having been
told: In Isaac your descendants will be called; 19 thinking that God is able
to raise even from the dead, from where, figuratively speaking, he also
received him back.20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning
things to come.21 By faith Jacob, when he died, blessed each of Joseph's
sons, and worshiped leaning on the end of his staff. 22 By faith Joseph,
when he died, mentioned the departure of the children of Israel, and gave
commandment concerning their bones.
23
By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden by his parents for
three months, because they saw him as a beautiful child, and they did not
fear the king's decree.24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to
be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, 25 choosing rather to be mistreated
with the people of God than to enjoy the temporal pleasures of sin, 26

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considering the reproach of Christ as greater riches than the treasures of
the Egyptians; because he had his sights set on the award. 27 By faith he left
Egypt, not fearing the king's wrath; because he stood as seeing the
Invisible.28 By faith he celebrated the Passover and the sprinkling of blood,
so that he who destroyed the firstborn would not touch them.
29
By faith they crossed the Red Sea as through dry land; and trying to
do the same, the Egyptians were drowned. 30 By faith the walls of Jericho
fell after surrounding them for seven days.31 By faith Rahab the harlot did
not perish with the disobedient, having received the spies in peace.
32
And what else do I say? Because I would lack time telling about Gideon,
Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, as well as Samuel and the prophets; 33
who by faith conquered kingdoms, did justice, obtained promises, stopped
lions' mouths, 34 quenched raging fires, avoided the edge of the sword,
drew strength from weakness, became strong in battles, put foreign armies
to flight.35 Women received their dead through resurrection; but others
were tormented, not accepting the ransom, in order to obtain a better
resurrection.36 Others experienced reproaches and scourgings, and more of
these prisons and prisons.37 They were stoned, sawn, put to the test, killed
with the edge of the sword; They walked from here to there covered in
sheep and goat skins, poor, distressed, mistreated; 38 of whom the world
was not worthy; wandering in the deserts, in the mountains, in the caves
and in the caverns of the earth.

DIVINE HEALING

Sickness is one of the many plagues that befell the human race because of
sin. God is not the author of illness; On the contrary, he is the source of
health. In the Scriptures God calls himself "The Healer"
Exodus 15:26 And he said, If you will carefully listen to the voice of the
LORD your God, and do what is right in his sight, and give ear to his
commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will not bring you any of the
diseases that I brought upon the Egyptians. to you; for I am Jehovah your
healer.

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From which it follows that everything that leads to the recovery of a sick
body is a product of God's grace.

There are two ways in which God grants health to sick bodies:

Indirect Healing: It is one in which God heals through means.

Medical Science is one of the most advanced and specialized means that
God has granted for the recovery of the sick. In the Scriptures we find
that God referred to the use of means in order to alleviate diseases

2 Kings 20:7-8 And Isaiah said, Take fig dough. And taking it, they
put it on the wound, and it was healed. And Hezekiah had said to Isaiah,
What sign shall I have that the Lord will heal me, and that I will go up to
the house of the Lord on the third day?
1 Timothy 5:23 Do not drink water anymore, but use a little wine because
of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.

Direct Healing: It is one where God heals directly, without the

intervention of any means. Direct healing is offered on the basis of
Christ's sacrifice.

1 Peter 2:24 Who himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we,
being dead to sins, might live to righteousness; and by whose wounds you
were healed.

And it is part of the proclamation of the good news.

Mark 16:15-18 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but

whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow
those who believe: In my name they will cast out demons; they will speak
new languages; They will take serpents in their hands, and if they drink
anything deadly, it will not harm them; They will lay their hands on the
sick, and they will recover.

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Acts 4:29-30 And now, Lord, look at their threats, and grant to your
servants that they may speak your word with all boldness, while you
stretch out your hand for healings and signs and wonders to be done
through the name of your holy Son Jesus.

In direct healing there are two ways that God uses to grant health.

The first is instant healing .

That is, one that is received immediately.

Mark 1:40-42 A leper came to him, begging him; and kneeling on her
knee, she said to him: If you want, you can cleanse me. And Jesus, having
mercy on him, stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, I
will, be clean. And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy left
him, and he was clean.

The second is progressive healthcare .

It is one in which God grants healing little by little.

Mark 8: 22-25 Then he came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man
to him, and begged him to touch him. Then, taking the blind man's hand,
he led him out of the village; and spitting in his eyes, he laid his hands on
him, and asked him if he saw anything. He, looking, said: I see men as
trees, but I see them walking. Then he put his hands again over his eyes,
and made him look; and he was restored, and saw far and clearly everyone

SATAN AND DEMONS

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God did not create Satan as we know him today, as a perverse and lying
being, the Bible teaches us that before the creation of man God formed the
Protective Cherub.
Ezekiel 28: 13-15 In Eden, in the garden of God you were; of every
precious stone was your garment; of cornerine, topaz, jasper, chrysolite,
beryl and onyx; of sapphire, carbuncle, emerald and gold; The beauty of
your drums and flutes were prepared for you on the day of your creation.
You, great cherub, protector, I placed you on the holy mountain of God,
there you were; In the middle of the fiery stones you walked. You were
perfect in all your ways from the day you were created, until iniquity was
found in you.

Who was "the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and finished with beauty."
This cherub corrupted his nature by aspiring to a position that God had not
granted him.
Isaiah 14: 12 -15 How you fell from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the
morning! You were cut down to the ground, you who weakened the
nations. You who said in your heart: I will ascend to heaven; I will set up
my throne on high above the stars of God, and I will sit on the mountain of
the testimony on the sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of
the clouds, and I will be like the Most High. But you are brought down to
Sheol, to the sides of the abyss.

In his rebellion, Lucifer dragged a third of the angelic beings behind him.
Revelation 12:3-4 Another sign also appeared in heaven: behold, a great
scarlet dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads seven
diadems; and its tail dragged a third of the stars of heaven, and cast them
to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to
give birth, in order to devour her son as soon as he was born.

In this way, the Protective Cherub became Satan and the fallen angels
became demons. A part of these demons are prisoners.
Jude 6 And the angels who did not keep their dignity, but left their own
dwelling, he has kept under darkness, in eternal prisons, for the judgment
of the great day;
And they will be released in the Great Tribulation period.

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Revelation 9:1-11 1 The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star
fall from heaven to the earth; and he was given the key to the bottomless
pit.2 And he opened the pit of the bottomless pit, and smoke rose from the
pit like smoke from a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened
by the smoke from the well.3 And out of the smoke came locusts upon the
earth; and they were given power, as the scorpions of the earth have
power.4 And they were commanded not to harm the grass of the earth, nor
any green thing, nor any tree, but only those men who did not have the
seal of God on their foreheads.5 And it was given to them, not to kill them,
but to torment them for five months; and his torment was like the torment
of a scorpion when it strikes a man.6 And in those days men will seek
death, but they will not find it; and they will long to die, but death will flee
from them.
7
The appearance of the locusts was like horses prepared for war; on their
heads they had like crowns of gold; Their faces were like human faces; 8
had hair like women's hair; His teeth were like those of lions; 9 had
breastplates like breastplates of iron; The noise of their wings was like the
roar of many horse chariots rushing into battle; 10 had tails like scorpions,
and also stings; and in their tails they had power to harm men for five
months.11 And they have as king over them the angel of the deep, whose
name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon.

However, another part of demons were released and are currently moving
in the air.
These are the spiritual hosts of evil against which the Christian
battles.
Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against
principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this
world, against spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

In the spiritual battle, Satan and demons put different types of fight
before the Christian; some of them are the following:

Temptations: Although human nature is perverse enough to offer man all

kinds of temptations.

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Matthew 15:19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders,
adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witnesses, blasphemies

However, we cannot ignore the fact that Satan can also tempt, that is,
induce, evil.
Matthew 4:1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be
tempted by the devil.
1 Thessalonians 3:5 Therefore I also, being unable to bear it any longer,
sent to inquire of your faith, lest the tempter should have tempted you, and
our labor should be in vain.

Oppositions: They arise when Satan offers tenacious resistance to the

advancement of the cause of the gospel.
Luke 8:12 And those by the way are those who hear, and immediately the
devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they do not
believe and be saved.
Acts 13:10 said: O full of all deceit and all wickedness, son of the devil,
enemy of all righteousness! Will you not cease to disturb the right ways of
the Lord?
Apoc. 2:10 Do not be afraid at all of what you are going to suffer. Behold,
the devil will cast some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and
you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will
give you the crown of life.

Influences: They occur when Satan fills the hearts of men to the point of
obsession.
John 8:44 You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires
of your father. He has been a murderer from the beginning, and has not
abided in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie,
he speaks of his own accord; because he is a liar, and the father of lies.
John 13:2 And when they were eating supper, as the devil had already put
it in the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him,
Acts 5:3 And Peter said, Ananias, why did Satan fill your heart to lie to
the Holy Spirit, and to keep from the price of the inheritance?

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Possessions: They take place when one or more demons enter a person's
body to possess them.
Possession can be recognized because when it occurs the personality
of the victim is annulled and replaced by the perverse character of the evil
one.
Mark 5:9 And he asked him, What is your name? And he responded
saying: My name is Legion; because we are many.

Devilish possessions cannot occur in a true Christian.

1 John 4:4 Little children, you are from God, and you have overcome
them; for greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world.
1 Jn 5:18 We know that everyone who is born of God does not practice
sin, for He who was begotten of God keeps him, and the evil one does not
touch him.
For such a one is a son of God, his body is divine property.
1 Corinthians 6:20 For you were bought with a price; Therefore glorify
God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.

And it is a temple of the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the
Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not
your own?

For all these forms of attack, God has granted victory to his children.
Luke 10:17-20 The seventy returned with joy, saying, Lord, even the
demons are subject to us in your name. And he said to them: I saw Satan
fall from heaven like lightning. Behold, I give you power to trample on
serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing
will harm you. But do not rejoice that the spirits are subject to you, but
rejoice that your names are written in heaven.
Based on the sacrifice of Christ.
Colossians 2:15 And having spoiled the principalities and powers, he
made a public display of them, triumphing over them on the cross.

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In the face of a disturbance of any kind, the believer can exercise, in
prayer, the authority that God has entrusted to him to destroy the works of
the devil.
1 Jn 3:8 He who practices sin is of the devil; because the devil sins from
the beginning. For this the Son of God appeared, to undo the works of the
devil.
Regarding people possessed by demons, Christ continues in the
present to exercise his authority to expel them. The Christian has been
commissioned to cast out demons.
Mark 16:17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In my name
they will cast out demons; they will speak new languages;
And he must do so by invoking, with the authority of the Holy Spirit,
the name of Jesus to command the demons to leave their victims.
Acts 16:18 And he did this for many days; but displeasing Paul, he turned
and said to the spirit: I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come
out of her. And he left at that same hour.

THE MINISTRIES

Ministers are men who God has trained to carry out a specific task of
building within his Church. God has established five ministries, which
are: Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers .

Ephesians 4:11 And he himself gave some apostles; to others, prophets; to

others, evangelists; to others, pastors and teachers.

The purpose of ministries is to build up the body of Christ and, in a special

way, to train others to, in turn, exercise ministry.
Ephesians 4:12 to equip the saints for the work of the ministry, for the
building up of the body of Christ,

The five ministries will be in force until the Church reaches the fullness of
Christ, that is, until the day of his glorification.

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Ephesians 4:13 until we all come to the unity of the faith and of the
knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the
stature of the fullness of Christ;

The Apostle: In the ministry of the Apostle the characteristics of the other
ministries are added.
1 Timothy 2:7 For this purpose I was appointed a preacher and an apostle
(I speak the truth in Christ, I do not lie), and a teacher of the Gentiles in
faith and truth.
2 Timothy 1:11 of whom I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a
teacher to the Gentiles.

The apostle is basically a man who has been sent to preach the gospel and
who, as a result of his labor, founds new local congregations whose
pastors recognize his spiritual ancestry; being subject to him in brotherly
love.

To the extent that the congregations he founded spread geographically, the

Apostle found it necessary to travel constantly to ensure the good
condition of each one of them; So, his ministry is of an itinerant nature.
Romans 1:9-12 For God is my witness, whom I serve in my spirit in the
gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in
my prayers, praying that in some way I may have the end, by the will of
God, a prosperous journey to come to you. Because I desire to see you, to
communicate to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be confirmed;
that is, to be mutually comforted by the faith that is common to you and
me.

The Apostle has special authority to resolve controversies regarding

doctrine or conduct.
Acts 1:2 until the day he was taken up, after he had given commandments
by the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen;
2 Peter 3:2 until the day he was taken up, after he had given
commandments by the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen;

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The true ministry of the Apostle is recognized in that it is accepted and
declared as such by the pastors.
Acts 13:2 As these ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said,
Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.

Furthermore, he is recognized by other Apostles.

Galatians 2:9 As these ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit
said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called
them.

Other evidence of the true Apostle is that his work has an evident
prosperity that cannot be emulated.
1 Corinthians 9:2 If I am not an apostle to others, I am certainly one to
you; because the seal of my apostolate is you in the Lord.

He identifies completely with each of the local congregations.

2 Corinthians 11: 28-29 and in addition to other things, what comes over
me every day, concern for all the churches. Who gets sick, and I don't get
sick? Who is made to stumble, and I am not indignant?

And the character and signs of this ministry accompany it.

2 Corinthians 12:12 Nevertheless the signs of an apostle have been done
among you in all patience, by signs and wonders and miracles.

The Prophet: He is a minister who possesses gifts of revelation through

which God reveals both circumstantial facts and doctrinal aspects.
Ephesians 3:5 A mystery which in other generations was not made known
to the sons of men, as it is now revealed to his holy apostles and prophets
by the Spirit:

The ministry of Prophet is different from the gift of prophecy. The

Prophet is a minister who teaches the congregations, while the gift of
prophecy is not linked to teaching. The ministry of the Prophet is only for
men.

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1 Timothy 2:12 For I do not permit a woman to teach, nor to exercise
dominion over a man, but to be silent.

While the gift of prophecy can be exercised by a woman. The ministry of

Prophet is manifested in the form of the Old Testament Prophet.
Acts 21:10-11 And while we remained there for some days, a prophet
named Agabus came down from Judea. The Jews will take the man to
whom this belt belongs to Jerusalem, and they will deliver him into the
hands of the Gentiles.

While the gift of prophecy is exercised in an ecstatic way. The Prophet's

ministry is of an itinerant nature and acts in the congregations that belong
to the area of his Apostle.
Acts 11:27-28 In those days some prophets came down from Jerusalem to
Antioch. And one of them, named Agabus, stood up and gave it to be
understood by the Spirit that a great famine would come throughout the
entire inhabited land; which happened in the time of Claudius.
Although the ministry of the Prophet is itinerant; However, the person
who possesses it must be a member of a local Church and be subject to
both his Pastor and his Apostle.

The evidence of the true ministry of the Prophet is that it is both biblical in
its revelations and in its doctrinal teachings and when it announces future
events, they are fulfilled in detail and without fail.

The Evangelist: He is the one who announces the good news of salvation.
His message, because it is for unbelievers, is uncomplicated and is limited
to the presentation of salvation in Christ.
Acts 8: 4 -5 But those who were scattered went everywhere announcing
the gospel. Then Philip, going down to the city of Samaria, preached
Christ to them.

His preachings are supernaturally supported with many signs.

Acts 8:6-7 And the people, with one accord, listened attentively to the
things that Philip said, hearing and seeing the signs that he did. For from

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many who had unclean spirits, they came out with loud voices; and many
paralytics and lame people were healed;
These signs are intended to move the consciences of unbelievers and since
their work is carried out with them, the incidence of the signs is much
greater than in any other ministry, except that of the Apostle. By its very
nature, the evangelist's ministry is also itinerant; but, in turn, the
evangelist must be subject to a Pastor and have a local congregation to fill
during the periods in which he is not ministering.
The evidence of the true evangelist is manifested in the support that God
gives him, granting him massive conversions and special supernatural
support.

The Pastor: It is a ministry of multiple aspects, since the Pastor

evangelizes, teaches, guides, advises and preserves the health of souls.
The Pastor ministry is the only one that is not itinerant. This; However, it
does not mean that at certain times, and by divine design, the Pastor
cannot access some mobility in his field of work. The Pastor is
responsible before God for the spiritual health of the congregation
entrusted to him.

Hebrews13:17 Obey your shepherds, and submit to them; because they

watch over your souls, as those who must give an account; so that they do
it with joy, and not with complaint, because this is not profitable for you.
Revelation 2: 1, 8, 12, 18 To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: He
who has the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven
golden lampstands, says this:
8
And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: The first and the last,
who was dead and lived, says this:
12
And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write: He who has the sharp
two-edged sword says this:
18
And write to the angel of the church in Thyatira: The Son of God, who
has eyes like a flame of fire, and feet like polished bronze, says this:

The Pastor is recognized as such throughout the area of the Apostle who
made it official.

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The evidence of Pastor's true ministry is the undeniable prosperity and
spiritual health of the congregation that God has entrusted to his care.

The Teacher: As its name indicates, it is the ministry that enables not
only to understand scriptural truths but also to make them understood.
The ministry of Teacher is also a traveling ministry, although it is
sometimes combined with that of Pastor and, in this case, it will be based
on a local congregation. The Teacher must be subject to his Pastor as well
as his Apostle.

The evidence of the true ministry of a Teacher is that he makes the most
complex truths of Scripture very easily understood, producing great
benefit and edification for those who listen to him.

Within the five ministries, a mobility from one field to another can occur,
according to God's plans. That is, someone who has functioned as an
Evangelist, at a certain time, can receive the ministry of Pastor or vice
versa.

There may also be a ministerial promotion, for example, a Pastor receiving

the dignity of Apostle.
Acts 13:1-2 There were then in the church that was in Antioch, prophets
and teachers: Barnabas, Simon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene,
Manaen who had been raised together with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
As these ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said: Set apart
for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.

This mobility is considered of divine origin when at each stage the

minister has left behind a trail of clear evidence that testifies that, in truth,
he exercised a ministry of God.

THE ORGANIZATION OF THE LOCAL CHURCH

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The elements that participate in the organization of a local congregation
are: Elders, deacons and saints.
Philippians 1:1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Jesus Christ, to all the
saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:

The elders: The titles of pastors, elders, bishops and presbyters refer to
the same office. The names can be used interchangeably. Within the
group of elders who govern a congregation are those who administer and
those who teach.
1Timothy 5:17 Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double
honor, especially those who work in preaching and teaching.
Among those who teach there is one who exercises the function of
preacher and is the one that God has endowed with the ministry of Pastor.
The Pastor chooses the elders who will help him in his ministerial work.
Titus 1:5 For this reason I left you in Crete, to correct what was deficient,
and to appoint elders in every city, just as I commanded you;
The elders support and submit in love to their Pastor while he humbly
considers their suggestions and opinions.
The elders who do not teach, that is, who do not possess the ministry of
Pastor; They are dedicated to the administration of the congregation.
They help the Pastor when he asks for their opinions and ensure the
doctrinal health of the congregation. By their example they teach the
saints how to conduct themselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of
Christ.
1 Peter 5:1-3 I appeal to the elders who are among you, I am also an elder
with them, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, who am also a
partaker of the glory that will be revealed: Feed the flock of God that is
among you , taking care of her, not by force, but voluntarily; not for
dishonest gain, but with quick courage; not as having dominion over those
under your care, but as examples to the flock.

When a Pastor incurs a doctrinal error or improper conduct, it is the

obligation of the elders to go to the Apostle so that he can take appropriate
measures with the deviant Pastor. For his part, the Pastor can also remove
from his dignity any elder who incurs doctrinal errors or whose attitude
has ceased to be beneficial for the proper development of the work of God.

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The requirements to receive the dignity of elder are detailed in:
1 Timothy 3: 1-7 1 Faithful word: If anyone desires the bishopric, he
desires a good work.2 But the bishop must be blameless, the husband of
one wife, sober, prudent, decent, hospitable, able to teach; 3 not given to
wine, not quarrelsome, not greedy for dishonest gain, but kind, gentle, not
covetous; 4 Let him govern his house well, let him keep his children in
subjection with all honesty 5 (for he who does not know how to govern his
own house, how will he take care of the church of God?); 6 not a neophyte,
lest he become conceited and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 It is
also necessary that he have a good report from outsiders, so that he does
not fall into disrepute and into the snare of the devil.

Titus 1:7-9 For a bishop must be blameless, as God's steward; not

arrogant, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not quarrelsome, not
greedy for filthy lucre, but hospitable, a lover of what is good, temperate,
just, holy, self-possessed, holding fast to the faithful word as it was taught,
so that he may also exhort with sound teaching and convince those who
contradict.

Eldership privilege is limited to the local congregation. A minister is a

minister wherever he goes; but an elder is only an elder in his local
congregation.

Deacons: As their name indicates, deacons perform a service role in the

local congregation. They do not have management powers in the
administrative affairs of the Church, they only lovingly serve their
brothers in the faith.
Acts 6: 1-3 In those days, as the number of the disciples increased, there
was a murmuring among the Greeks against the Hebrews, because their
widows were neglected in the daily distribution. Then the twelve called
together the multitude of disciples, and said, It is not right that we should
leave the word of God, to serve tables. Seek therefore, brothers, from
among you seven men of good report, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom,
whom we will entrust with this work.

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Deacons are proposed by the congregation to its spiritual leaders, who
must give their approval and express it publicly by making official the
people who will receive the privilege through a ceremony of laying on of
hands.
Facts. 6:3-6 Therefore, brothers, look for among you seven men of good
report, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we will entrust with this
work. And we will persist in prayer and in the ministry of the word. The
proposal pleased the entire crowd; and they chose Stephen, a man full of
faith and the Holy Spirit, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas,
and Nicholas a proselyte of Antioch; whom they presented before the
apostles, who, praying, laid hands on them.

The requirements to receive the privilege of deacon are established in:

Acts 6:3 Therefore, brothers, seek from among you seven men of good
report, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we will entrust with this
work.
1 Timothy 3:8-10, 12 8 Deacons likewise must be honest, without
duplicity, not given to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain;
10
And let these also be put to the test first, and then let them exercise the
diaconate, if they are blameless.
12
Let the deacons be husbands of one wife, and let them govern their
children and their houses well.

Deaconesses are the female version of the office of deacon and are
dedicated to serving the Church in matters proper for female hands.

Romans 16: 1-2 I also recommend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a
deaconess of the church in Cenchrea; that you receive her in the Lord, as
is worthy of the saints, and that you help her in whatever she needs from
you; because she has helped many, and myself.

Like elders, the deacon's privilege is strictly local.

The saints: Every person who has had an experience of conversion and
new birth is immediately grafted into the body of Christ, becoming part of
the congregation of saints. This congregation becomes a seedbed from

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which future deacons and deaconesses will emerge, as well as future
ministers of the gospel.

BAPTISM IN WATER

God has given his Church two ordinances: Baptism in water and the
Holy Supper.
They are called ordinances because there are express commands in
the Scriptures for Christians to practice.
The purpose of the ordinances is to offer material symbols that
illustrate spiritual truths , so that the believer retains them permanently.
The ordinances do not by themselves communicate any special grace; The
material elements that participate in them have a purely symbolic value.
The benefits of the ordinances are received only when the believer
becomes aware of their meaning and practices them in the spirit that the
Scriptures indicate.

Baptism: It is the ceremony that symbolically expresses:

a) The death of the believer to his life of sin.

Romans 6:3, 6 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized
into Christ Jesus have been baptized into his death?
Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, so that the body of
sin might be destroyed, so that we would no longer serve sin.

b) His burial to the world

Romans 6:4 For we were buried with him through baptism into death, so
that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the
Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.
Colossians 2:12 Buried with him in baptism, in which you were also
raised with him through faith in the power of God who raised him from
the dead.

c) His resurrection to a new life.

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 Romans 6:4 -5, 8-11 For we were buried with him into death through
baptism, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory
of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.
For if we were planted together with him in the likeness of his death, so
we will also be in the likeness of his resurrection;
And if we die with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him;
knowing that Christ, having risen from the dead, dies no more; Death no
longer rules over him. For as soon as he died, he died to sin once for all;
but as long as he lives, he lives for God. So consider yourselves dead to
sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Possessing awareness of these truths and their personal experience is

what gives baptism its spiritual value. If there is no experience of dying to
sin to resurrect to a new life, the ceremony becomes invalid for the one
who practices it.
Baptism is not a requirement for salvation; Well, this depends solely
on the merits of Christ. However, baptism is necessary to have real
communion with God, since it is part of obedience to the Scriptures.
Although the value of Baptism is found in the experience of its
meaning, it is important; However, taking care of the ceremonial forms
that the Scriptures indicate.

The first of them has to do with its modality; that is, the way it should be
done. The scriptural accounts suggest that baptism must be practiced
by immersion.

Matthew 3:16 And Jesus, after he was baptized, immediately came up out
of the water; and, behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the
Spirit of God descending like a dove, and coming upon him.
John 3:23 John also baptized in Aenon, near Salim, because there was
much water there; and they came, and were baptized.
Acts 8:38 And he ordered the chariot to stop; And they both went down
into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and baptized him.

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Apart from the fact that only in this way is the symbolism of "buried" to
the world fulfilled. The second is regarding the formula to be used,
which must be "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Spirit."

Matthew 28:19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing

them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit;

There is no defined time between conversion and water baptism,

however, scriptural evidence indicates that baptism was performed as
soon as possible.

Acts 2:41 So those who received his word were baptized; and about three
thousand people were added that day.

Acts 8:35-38 Then Philip, opening his mouth, and beginning from this
scripture, proclaimed the gospel of Jesus to him. And as they went along
the way, they came to a certain water, and the eunuch said, Here is water;
What prevents me from being baptized? Philip said: If you believe with all
your heart, you may well. And answering, he said: I believe that Jesus
Christ is the Son of God. And he ordered the car to stop; And they both
went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and baptized him.

Acts 9:17-18 Then Ananias went and entered the house, and laying his
hands on him, said, Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on
the way you were coming, has sent me so that you may receive your sight.
and be filled with the Holy Spirit. And immediately like scales fell from
his eyes, and immediately he received sight; and getting up, he was
baptized.

Acts 10: 47 -48 Then Peter answered, Can anyone withhold the water, lest
these be baptized, who have also received the Holy Spirit like us? And he
commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they
asked him to stay for a few days.

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Acts 16: 32 - 33 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all
who were in his house. And he, taking them at that same hour of the night,
washed their wounds; and immediately he was baptized with all his
people.

This norm must be followed by today's Christians.

THE HOLY SUPPER

The Holy Supper or Lord's Supper is the second of the ordinances.

While water baptism is received only once in a lifetime; Holy Communion
is a ceremony in which the Christian must participate periodically.

Like baptism, the Lord's Supper does not by itself impart any special
grace; Both the bread and the juice of the vine have only symbolic value.
The benefits that the Lord's Supper provides are received only when
its spiritual meaning is lived with full awareness.

Holy Communion has several meanings.

The first of them is that of a memorial, reminding us of the sufferings of

Christ.

Matthew 26:26-29 And while they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed
it, and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my
body. And taking the cup, and having given thanks, he gave it to them,
saying, Drink of it, all of you; for this is my blood of the new covenant,
which is shed for many for the remission of sins. And I tell you that from

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now on I will drink no more of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I
drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.

1a. Corinthians 11: 23-25 For I received from the Lord what I also taught
you: That the Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread; and
when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, Take, eat; This is my
body that is broken for you; Do this in remembrance of me. Likewise he
also took the cup, after having supped, saying: This cup is the new
covenant in my blood; Do this as many times as you drink it, in memory
of me.

The second presents the Holy Supper as a proclamation to the world of

the death of Christ and its meaning.

1a. Corinthians 11:26 Therefore, as often as you eat this bread and drink
this cup, you announce the death of the Lord until he comes.

Thirdly, the Holy Supper reflects the unity and communion that exists
between the members of the body of Christ.

1a. Corinthians 10:16-17 Is not the cup of blessing that we bless the
communion of the blood of Christ? The bread we break, is it not the
communion of the body of Christ? Since there is only one bread, we,
though many, are one body; because we all partake of that same bread.

In order to participate in the Holy Supper, the Bible expresses that the
Christian must make a sincere examination of his life.

1 Corinthians 11:28-32 Therefore let every man test himself, and so eat of
the bread, and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks unworthily,
without discerning the body of the Lord, eats and drinks judgment upon
himself. Therefore there are many sick and weak among you, and many
are sleeping. If, then, we examined ourselves, we would not be judged; but
being judged, we are punished by the Lord, so that we may not be
condemned with the world.

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 God desires that the Christian have a life reconciled with him and
with his neighbor when participating in the Holy Supper.

Obedience becomes necessary to take the Lord's Supper; Therefore,

water baptism, which is part of obedience to the Word of God, becomes an
essential requirement.

THE SENTENCE

Prayer is the spiritual exercise through which a believer establishes

direct contact with God. Through the Bible God speaks to man, through
prayer man speaks to God.
Prayer is possible on the basis of the kinship that the believer has
received as a child of God.

Romans 8:15-17 For you have not received the spirit of slavery to fear
again, but you have received the spirit of adoption, by which we cry,
Abba, Father! The Spirit himself witnesses with our spirit that we are
children of God. And if children, also heirs; heirs of God and joint heirs
with Christ, if indeed we suffer with him, so that we may be glorified with
him.

Christ's sacrifice has made access to God possible.

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Hebrews 10:19-22 Therefore, brothers, having freedom to enter the Most
Holy Place through the blood of Jesus Christ, by the new and living way
which he opened for us through the veil, that is, through his flesh, and
having a great priest over the house of God, let us approach with a sincere
heart, in full certainty of faith, our hearts being purified from an evil
conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

Prayer in a general way is made to the Father.

Luke 11:2 And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which
art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Your kingdom come. Your will be
done, as it is in heaven, so on earth.
John 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you, and appointed you
that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain; so that
whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.
John 16:23 On that day you will not ask me anything. Truly, truly, I say
to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give it to you.
In the name of the Son:
John 14:13-14 And whatever you ask the Father in my name, I will do it,
so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in my
name, I will.

And by the grace of the Holy Spirit

Ephesians 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the
Spirit, and being vigilant therewith with all perseverance and supplication
for all the saints;
Judas. 20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy
faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,

However, this does not mean that a prayer cannot be raised directly to
the Son or the Holy Spirit.

Acts 7:59 And they stoned Stephen, while he called and said, Lord Jesus,
receive my spirit.

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Revelation 22: 20 He who bears witness to these things says: Surely I am
coming shortly. Amen; yes, come, Lord Jesus.

In order to receive an answer to prayer, it is necessary to meet at least

the following requirements:

Have faith
Mark 11:24 Therefore I say to you, whatever you ask for in prayer,
believe that you will receive it, and it will be yours.
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please God; for he who
draws near to God must believe that he exists, and that he is a rewarder of
those who seek him.
James 1:5-7 And if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask God, who gives
to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But
ask with faith, doubting nothing; for he who doubts is like the wave of the
sea, which is carried by the wind and cast from one place to another. Let
no one therefore think that he will receive anything from the Lord.

Be in the will of God

1 John 5:14 And this is the confidence we have in him, that if we ask
anything according to his will, he hears us.

Have a pure life

Psalms 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart,
The Lord would not have listened to me.
Proverbs 28:9 He who turns away his ear from hearing the law, His prayer
is also abominable.
1 John 3:22-23 And whatever we ask we will receive from him, because
we keep his commandments and do those things that are pleasing in his
sight. And this is his commandment: That we believe in the name of his
Son Jesus Christ, and love one another as he has commanded us.

Pray fervently
James 5:17 Elijah was a man subject to passions similar to ours, and he
prayed fervently that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for
three years and six months.

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Pray with Perseverance
Luke 18: 1-7 1 Jesus also told them a parable about the need to always
pray and not lose heart, 2 saying: There was a judge in a city who neither
feared God nor respected man. 3 There was also a widow in that city, who
came to him, saying, Give me justice from my adversary. 4 And he would
not for some time; but after this he said within himself: Although I neither
fear God nor respect man, 5 nevertheless, because this widow troubles me,
I will give her justice, lest by continually coming she will wear out my
patience.6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unrighteous judge said. 7 And
will not God give justice to his chosen ones, who cry to him day and
night? Will it take you long to respond to them?

Pray specifically for what is needed

Mark 10:51 Jesus answered and said to him, What do you want me to do
to you? And the blind man said to him: Master, let him regain his sight.
Acts 12:5 So Peter was kept in prison; but the church made constant
prayers to God for him.

There are various types of answers that can be received from God, the
most important are:

When there is no answer

James 4:3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend
on your pleasures.

Immediate responses
Isaiah 65:24 And before they cry, I will answer; while they still speak, I
will have heard.

Responses that are delayed

job

A different response than expected

2 Corinthians 12:7-9 And lest the greatness of the revelations should exalt
me above measure, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of

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Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure; Concerning
which I have three times prayed to the Lord to take it away from me. And
he said to me: My grace is sufficient for you; for my power is made
perfect in weakness. Therefore I will most gladly glory in my weaknesses,
so that the power of Christ may rest on me.

Prayer is an exercise in which the Christian must put special effort, since
his spiritual strength will largely depend on it.

FASTING

Fasting is the spiritual exercise that consists of special periods of prayer

that are accompanied by total or partial abstinence from food.

Fasting is a current practice for the present period of the Church.

Matthew 9:14-15 Then John's disciples came to him, saying, Why do we
and the Pharisees fast often, and your disciples do not fast? Jesus said to
them: Can those who are at the wedding mourn while the bridegroom is
with them? But the days will come when the husband will be taken away
from them, and then they will fast.

Christ gave instructions on how to fast:

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Matthew 6; 16:18 When you fast, do not be austere, like the hypocrites;
because they change their faces to show men that they fast; I swear you
that the have already got their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint
your head and wash your face, so that you may not show to men that you
fast, but to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret
will reward you in public.

The Church of Acts practiced fasting

Acts 13:3 Then, when they had fasted and prayed, they laid their hands on
them and sent them away.
Acts 14:23 And they appointed elders in each church, and having prayed
with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had
believed.

There are three types of fasting:

Partial Fasting: It is one where partial abstinence from food occurs.

Daniel 10: 2-3 In those days I Daniel was afflicted for three weeks. I did
not eat delicate food, nor did meat or wine enter my mouth, nor did I
anoint myself with ointment, until the three weeks were completed.
During this fast, the person is limited only to eating fruits or natural
juices.
Because there is no total abstinence from food, partial fasting can last
much longer than other types of fasting.

Natural Fast: It is one in which a total abstinence from food occurs to

drink only water.

Matthew 4:2 And after he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was
hungry.

It is the most practiced type of fasting and the one mentioned most in
the Scriptures. Among the Jews a fast lasted twenty-four hours.
However, at present, fasting for twelve hours, from six in the morning to
six in the afternoon, has become popular.

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 In any case, it is the person's need that should determine the duration
of the fast.

According to the need, several continuous fasts can also be done.

That is, abstaining from food for several days; but, delivering every
afternoon for dinner. Another way is when you fast for several days; That
is, there is an abstinence from food for several days without delivering.
When fasting for several days, the maximum recommended duration is
forty days.

Total Fast: It is one in which abstinence from both food and water occurs.

Acts 9:8-9 Then Saul stood up from the ground, and opening his eyes, he
saw no one; So, taking him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus,
where he remained without sight for three days, and did not eat or drink.

Because this is a fast where no water is ingested, the maximum

recommended duration is three days.

Fasting is the expression of a soul in need of God and is a private practice

that must be carried out in secret.

MARRIAGE

Marriage is a divine institution that aims to provide mutual help to

spouses.
Genesis 2:18 And the LORD God said, It is not good for the man to be
alone; I will make him a help meet for him.

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Allow the satisfaction of the sexual instinct in a responsible and holy
way
1 Corinthians 7:2-5, 9 2 But because of fornications, let each man have his
own wife, and each woman have her own husband.3 The husband fulfills
his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4 The
wife does not have power over her own body, but the husband does; nor
does the husband have power over his own body, but the wife does.5 Do
not deny one another, except for a time by mutual consent, to occupy
yourselves calmly in prayer; and come together again as one, so that Satan
9
may not tempt you because of your incontinence. But if you do not
have the gift of continence, get married, because it is better to get married
than to be burning.

Enable adequate multiplication of the breed.

Genesis 1:28 And God blessed them, and said unto them, Be fruitful and
multiply; fill the earth, and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of
the sea, over the birds of the air, and over all the living things that move
on the earth.

Marriage is between a man and a woman and God's express will is that
no one should have more than one spouse at the same time.
1 Timothy 3:2 But the bishop must be blameless, the husband of one wife,
sober, prudent, decent, hospitable, able to teach;

Since civil authorities have been instituted by God,

Romans 13:1 Let everyone submit to higher authorities; because there is
no authority except from God, and those that exist have been established
by God.
Marriage becomes effective through the legal act called Civil Marriage,
which is sanctioned by God and valid for the Church. Ministers of the
gospel cannot perform marriages, since such power is not granted to them
either by the Word of God or by civil laws (*).
Thus, the effects of any religious ceremony do not go beyond that of
offering a prayer in favor of the married and presenting them as such
before the congregation.

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 Every Christian is free to marry whoever is capable of giving consent
and judgment, and taking into account the commandments expressed by
God in his Word regarding the subject. These commandments are:

That the believer can only marry another believer.

1 Corinthians 7:39 A married woman is bound by the law as long as her
husband lives; But if her husband dies, she is free to marry whoever she
wants, as long as it is in the Lord.
2 Corinthians 6:14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers; because
what fellowship has justice with injustice? And what communion has light
with darkness?

That marriage cannot be contracted within the degrees of consanguinity

or affinity indicated by the Scriptures.
Leviticus 18: 6-17 Let no man approach any close relative to reveal her
nakedness. I am Jehovah.

Marriage is contracted for life and can only be dissolved for the
following reasons:

Death. When one of the spouses dies, the one who survives is freed
from the bond of marriage.
Romans 7:2 For a married woman is subject by law to her husband as
long as he lives; But if her husband dies, she is free from her husband's
law.

And you can contract a new marriage if you wish.

1 Corinthians 7:39 A married woman is bound by the law as long as her
husband lives; But if her husband dies, she is free to marry whoever she
wants, as long as it is in the Lord.
1 Timothy 5:14 Therefore I want young widows to marry, raise children,
govern their homes; that they do not give the adversary any opportunity to
speak evil.

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 Infidelity. In the case of fornication or adultery after marriage, the
offended party must seek the restoration of his or her spouse by granting
full forgiveness upon request in order to preserve the marital union and
fulfill the law of Christ.
But, if the offender obstinately persists in infidelity that cannot be
remedied either by the spouse or by the intervention of the ministers of the
gospel, the innocent party may promote his divorce, and after this, he may
marry, if he wishes, another person as if the offending party had died.
Matthew 5:32 But I say to you that he who divorces his wife, except for
the cause of fornication, causes her to commit adultery; and he who
marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
Matthew 19:9 And I say to you that whoever divorces his wife, except for
the cause of fornication, and marries another, commits adultery; and he
who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

When a marriage is divided because one of the spouses converts to the

gospel of Christ and the unbeliever abandons him for his new faith, a
separation of the spouses can be admitted.

1 Corinthians 7:15 But if the unbeliever separates, let him separate; For
the brother or sister is not subject to slavery in such a case, but God has
called us to peace.

But, in the latter case there is no room for a new marriage, unless the
unbelieving spouse later also incurs the sin of infidelity, whereupon the
case would be considered adultery.

(*) Exceptions to this rule occur in some countries, such as the United
States and Canada, where the same law establishes mechanisms so that
religious ministers, after meeting certain requirements, can perform civil
marriages.

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 THE CHRISTIAN AND THE STATE

In order to suppress the wickedness of men, God has placed rulers over the
nations to carry out their task.

Daniel 4:31-32, 35 31 The word was still in the king's mouth, when a voice
came from heaven: It is said to you, King Nebuchadnezzar: The kingdom
has been taken away from you; 32 and they will cast you out from among
men, and your habitation will be with the beasts of the field, and they will
feed you like oxen; and seven times will pass over you, until you
recognize that the Most High has dominion in the kingdom of men, and
gives it to whomever he wills.
35
All the inhabitants of the earth are considered as nothing; and he does
according to his will in the host of heaven, and in the inhabitants of the
earth, and there is no one who stays his hand, and says to him, What are
you doing?

God has granted rulers the use of force to establish justice.

Genesis 9:5-6 For I will surely require the blood of your lives; I will
require it at the hand of every animal, and at the hand of man; At the hand
of the man his brother I will require the life of the man. He who sheds
man's blood, by man his blood will be shed; because in the image of God
man is made.

Since the authorities are a divine institution, the believer owes them
certain obligations.

First of all, the believer must be subject to every law.

Romans 13:1-2 Let everyone submit to higher authorities; because there is
no authority except from God, and those that exist have been established
by God. So whoever opposes authority resists what is established by
God; and those who resist bring condemnation upon themselves.

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Titus 3:1 Remind them to submit to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be
ready for every good work.
1 Peter 2: 13-14 For the Lord's sake, submit yourselves to every human
institution, whether to the king, as a superior, or to governors, as sent by
him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do good.

Second, the believer must respect rulers and those in eminence.

Exodus 22:28 You shall not revile the judges, nor curse the prince of your
people.
Acts 23:5 Paul said, I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest;
for it is written: You shall not curse a prince of your people.

Third, the believer must pay his taxes in order to ensure the subsistence of
the State.
Romans 13: 6-7 For this is also why you pay taxes, because they are
servants of God who continually attend to this very thing. Pay to all what
you owe: to whom I tribute, tribute; to whom tax, tax; whom I respect,
respect; to him who honors, honors.

Fourth, the believer must pray for his rulers.

1 Timothy 2: 1-2 I exhort first of all, that supplications, prayers, petitions
and thanksgivings be made for all men; for kings and for all those who are
in eminence, so that we may live quietly and peacefully in all piety and
honesty.

The Christian's subjection to rulers is limited to what is just and what

is in accordance with the Word of God.
In the event that rulers promulgate laws or orders that are contrary to
the will of God expressed in the Bible, the believer is not obliged to obey
in such a case.
Acts 4:19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, Judge whether it
is right before God to obey you rather than God;
Acts 5: 29 Peter and the apostles answered and said, We must obey God
rather than men.

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 However, in such a situation, the Christian's resistance must be
passive, keeping in mind that his refusal will bring about the revenge of
the rulers. In any case, he will have acted according to his conscience
and will know that what he did was in obedience to the Word of God.

THE TITH

The tithe consists of returning to God 10% of the income that he

grants us.
Genesis 28:22 And this stone that I have set for a sign will be the house of
God; and of everything you give me, I will set aside a tithe for you.

Tithing is a practice that originated as an expression of gratitude for

the blessings received from God.
Genesis 14:18-20 Then Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of the Most
High God, brought out bread and wine; and blessed him, saying: Blessed
be Abraham of the Most High God, creator of the heavens and the earth;
and blessed be the Most High God, who delivered your enemies into your
hand. And Abraham gave him tithes of everything.

And as a recognition of priestly mediation.

Numbers 18: 21 And behold, I have given to the sons of Levi all the tithes
in Israel for an inheritance, for their ministry, because they serve in the
ministry of the tabernacle of the congregation.

Tithing was practiced long before the law of Moses was promulgated.
For example, Abraham, who lived centuries before the law of Moses and
who was justified by faith, like Christians, practiced tithing.

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Genesis 14:20 And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your
enemies into your hand. And Abraham gave him tithes of everything.

Tithing was also practiced under the law of Moses and when it was
abolished it continued in effect in the same way as it had been before
Moses.

Jesus ratified the tithe.

Matthew 23:23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because

you tithe the mint and the dill and the cumin, and you leave the most
important things in the law: justice, mercy and faith. This was necessary to
do, without stopping doing that.

In the New Testament, tithing is again ratified as a practice for the

Christian Church.

Hebrews 7: 1-12 1 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the

Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings,
and blessed him, 2 to whom Abraham also gave tithes of everything;
whose name means first King of justice, and also King of Salem, that is,
King of peace; 3 without father, without mother, without genealogy; who
has neither the beginning of days nor the end of life, but having been made
like the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.
4
Consider then how great this man was, to whom even Abraham the
patriarch gave tithes of the spoils.5 Indeed, those who receive the
priesthood from among the sons of Levi have a commandment to take
tithes from the people according to the law, that is, from their brothers,
even though they too have come from the loins of Abraham. 6 But he
whose genealogy is not counted among them took tithes from Abraham,
and blessed him who had the promises. 7 And without any discussion, the
younger is blessed by the older.8 And here certainly mortal men receive
tithes; but there, one who is testified to live. 9 And so to speak, in Abraham
Levi also paid the tithe, who receives the tithes; 10 because he was still in
his father's loins when Melchizedek met him.

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11
If, then, perfection were through the Levitical priesthood (for under it
the people received the law), what need would there still be for another
priest to arise, according to the order of Melchizedek, and not to be called
according to the order of Aaron?12 Because the priesthood has been
changed, there must also be a change in the law;

The elements under which the tithe was instituted continue to be in

force under the dispensation of Grace, that is, gratitude to God and the
recognition of priestly mediation.

The latter is exercised in the present not by a mortal man but by one
who lives forever.

Hebrews 7:8 And here certainly mortal men receive tithes; but there, one
who is testified to live.
Jesus, our High Priest.

God gives great promises of prosperity to those who tithe faithfully.

Malachi 3:10-12 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so that there may
be food in my house; and test me now in this, says the Lord of hosts, if I
will not open the windows of heaven for you, and pour out a blessing upon
you until it overflows. I will also rebuke the devourer for your sake, and
he will not destroy your fruit of the ground, nor will your vine in the field
be barren, says the Lord of hosts. And all nations will call you blessed;
for you will be a desirable land, says the Lord of hosts.

2 Corinthians 9:6-11 6 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also
reap sparingly; and he who sows generously will also reap generously. 7
Each person gives as he intends in his heart: not with sadness, nor out of
necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver.8 And God is able to make all
grace abound to you, so that, always having all sufficiency in all things,
you may abound in every good work; 9 as it is written:
He distributed, he gave to the poor; His justice endures forever.
10
And he who gives seed to the sower, and bread to the eater, will provide
and multiply your seed, and increase the fruits of your righteousness, 11 so

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that you may be enriched in every way for all liberality, which produces
through us action of Thank God.

However, the Christian should not tithe only for the interest of
receiving material prosperity; rather, he should do so out of gratitude and a
sincere recognition of the effective priestly work of our Lord Jesus Christ.

THE STATE OF THE DEAD

The state of the dead is also called the intermediate state because death is
the period between physical life and resurrection life.

Physical death occurs when the soul separates from the body. The body
goes to the dust, from which it was taken, and the soul passes to the
intermediate state.
Ecclesiastes. 12:7 And the dust shall return to the earth, as it was, and the
spirit shall return to God who gave it.

To understand what happens in the intermediate state, it is important to

establish the substantial differences that have occurred in it since the death
and resurrection of Christ.

Before the death of Christ. The state of the dead was described by the
Lord Jesus in his account of the rich man and Lazarus.

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 Luke 16: 19-31 19 There was a rich man, who dressed in purple and
fine linen, and feasted sumptuously every day.20 There was also a beggar
named Lazarus, who was lying at his door, full of sores, 21 and longing to
be satisfied with the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table; and even
the dogs came and licked his sores.22 And it came to pass that the beggar
died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom; and the rich man
also died, and was buried.23 And in Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in
torment, and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.24 Then he
cried out and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus
to dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; because I am
tormented in this flame.25 But Abraham said to him: Son, remember that
you received your good things in your life, and Lazarus also bad things;
but now this one is comforted here, and you are tormented.26 In addition to
all this, a great chasm is placed between us and you, so that those who
would like to cross from here to you cannot, nor can they cross from there
to here.27 Then he said to him, I beseech you, therefore, father, that you
send him to my father's house, 28 for I have five brothers, that he may
testify to them, so that they also may not come to this place of torment.29
And Abraham said to him, They have Moses and the prophets; listen to
them30 He then said, No, father Abraham; But if anyone comes to them
from the dead, they will repent.31 But Abraham said to him:
If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be
persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.

In this portion it is established that after death the souls of the dead are
taken to a place called Hades. (Verse 23).

This place, located in the center of planet Earth, was divided into two
sections separated by an abyss (Verse 26).

The upper part of Hades was called "Abraham's Bosom" or "Paradise"

(Verse 22);
This was a place of comfort, where the souls of the righteous rested (Verse
25).

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 The lower part was called only "Hades",
And it was a place of torment where the souls of the unrighteous were
thrown (Verse 23).

It is also important to note in this story that the souls of the dead continue
in complete consciousness.

a) They can recognize each other. Verse 23

b) They have sensitivity. Verse 24

c) They can communicate Verse 24

d) They remember their lives on earth. Verse 25.

e) They remember their relatives who are still alive.

Verses 27 and 28.

During the death of Christ. When the Lord Jesus died on the cross, his
body was buried; but his soul descended to Hades

Acts 2:31 Seeing it before, he spoke of the resurrection of Christ, that his
soul was not left in Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption.

To the place of consolation, where the souls of the righteous were.

1 Peter 3:18-19 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the
unjust, to bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in
the spirit; in which he also went and preached to the imprisoned spirits,

The purpose of descending into Hades was to bring to the souls of the
righteous the good news that the promises of redemption had been fulfilled
in it.

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Other passages that demonstrate the descent of Christ to the bosom of
Abraham or Paradise are:

Matthew 12:40 For as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish three days
and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth three
days and three nights.

Luke 23:43 Then Jesus said to him, Truly I say to you, today you will be
with me in paradise.

Ephesians 4:9-10 And what is that about him going up, except that he had
also first descended to the lower parts of the earth? The one who
descended is the same one who also ascended above all the heavens to fill
everything.

When the Lord Jesus rose from the dead, he took with him the souls of the
righteous who during previous centuries had awaited his arrival in the
Bosom of Abraham.

Ephesians 4:8-10 Therefore it says:

Going up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men.
And what is that that he ascended, if not that he had also first descended to
the lowest parts of the earth? The one who descended is the same one
who also ascended above all the heavens to fill everything.

After the resurrection of Christ. By ascending on high, Jesus moved

Paradise to the third heaven.

2 Corinthians 12:2-4 I know a man in Christ, who fourteen years ago

(whether in the body, I do not know; whether out of the body, I do not
know; God knows) was caught up to the third heaven. And I know such a
man (whether in the body, or outside the body, I do not know; God
knows), who was caught up to paradise, where he heard ineffable words
that it is not given to man to express.

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The unjust were left in Hades, which continues to be at the center of the
earth and is the place where the souls of unbelievers are deposited today.
When a person dies in their sins, their soul is taken to Hades where it is
tormented until the day of Judgment arrives.

Revelation 20: 13 And the sea gave up the dead that were in it; and death
and Hades gave up the dead that were in them; and they were judged each
according to their works.

As for the righteous, when they die, their souls are immediately taken to
the presence of the Lord, to Paradise.

2 Corinthians 5: 6-8 So we live always confident, and knowing that while

we are in the body, we are absent from the Lord (for we walk by faith, not
by sight); but we trust, and we would rather be absent from the body, and
present to the Lord.

Philippians 1:21-24 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if

living in the flesh turns out to benefit the work for me, then I don't know
what to choose. Because I am straitened between both things, having a
desire to depart and be with Christ, which is much better; but remaining in
the flesh is more necessary for your sakes.

The reason why before the death of Christ the souls of the righteous did
not immediately pass into the presence of the Lord, as they do at present,
was that the blood that takes away the sin of the world had not been shed;
But, when Christ died, he descended to give good news to the righteous, he
took them with him to the third heaven and there he is receiving all those
who sleep in him.
Your sacrifice has made all the difference.

THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH

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In Christ's return to earth there will be two appearances: The first to
snatch away his Church and the second to establish his millennial
Kingdom.
Both appearances are separated by a period of seven years and have very
different characteristics.

The first appearance or Rapture of the Church is imminent and must occur
in a surprising way. Let's see a brief description of what will happen that
day:
1a. Thessalonians 4: 15 - 17
15
Therefore we say this to you in the word of the Lord, that we who are
alive, who remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those
who have fallen asleep.16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven
with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God;
and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left,
will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the
air, and so we will always be with the Lord.

a) Christ will descend from heaven.

b) The dead in Christ will be resurrected. Verse 16
c) The believers who are alive will be caught up together with the
resurrected ones
d) Everyone together will receive the Lord in the air. Verse 17.
e) Jesus will not set his feet on the ground.

The Apostle Paul describes other events that will occur on rapture day:
1a. Corinthians 15:51-53
51
Behold, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep; but we will all be
transformed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet;
for the trumpet will be blown, and the dead will be raised incorruptible,
and we will be changed.53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption,
and this mortal must put on immortality.
a) The trumpet will be blown to announce the uprising of the Church.
b) The dead in Christ will be resurrected with incorruptible bodies. This
is the first resurrection.
c) Living believers will undergo a transformation

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Saint Paul confirms the resurrection to life.
1 Corinthians 15:20-23 But now Christ has risen from the dead; firstfruits
of those who slept is done. For since death came through a man, the
resurrection of the dead also came through a man. For just as in Adam
all die, so in Christ all will be made alive . But each one in his due order:
Christ, the firstfruits; then those who are Christ's, at his coming.

Believers who are alive will experience the glorification of their bodies to
receive one similar to that of the resurrected ones.
Philippians 3:20-21 But our citizenship is in heaven, from where we also
wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of
our humiliation, so that it will be like unto the body of his glory, by the
power by which he is also able to subject all things to himself.

Another element worth considering as part of the Rapture is that the Holy
Spirit will leave the earth along with the Church.
2 Thessalonians 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity is already at work; Only
there is someone who currently stops him, until he in turn is taken out of
the way.

The objectives that God pursues with the rapture of the Church are:

First , marry her Son to the Church and celebrate the Marriage of the
Lamb.
Revelation 19:7-9 Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory; for
the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his wife has prepared herself.
And it has been granted to her to be clothed in fine linen, clean and
shining; for the fine linen is the righteous actions of the saints. And the
angel said to me: Write: Blessed are those who are called to the marriage
supper of the Lamb. And he said to me: These are true words of God.

Second , Deliver His Church from the Great Tribulation whose beginning,
after the rapture, is established.
2 Thessalonians 2: 7- 12 7 For the mystery of iniquity is already at work;
Only there is someone who currently stops him, until he in turn is taken

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out of the way.8 And then that wicked one will be revealed, whom the
Lord will kill with the spirit of his mouth, and destroy with the brightness
of his coming; 9 wicked one whose coming is by the work of Satan, with
great power and signs and lying wonders, 10 and with all deception of
wickedness for those who are perishing, because they did not receive the
love of the truth to be saved.11 For this reason God sends them a deceptive
power, so that they believe a lie, 12 so that all those who did not believe the
truth, but took pleasure in unrighteousness, may be condemned.

Some of the characteristics of the Rapture are:

It will not be visible to the world.

1 Thessalonians 5:2 For you know perfectly well that the day of the Lord
will come like a thief in the night;
Revelation 16:15 Behold, I come as a thief . Blessed is he who watches
and keeps his clothes, so that he does not walk naked and be seen in
shame.

The world will not see him. They will notice the disappearance of the
saints; but, they will not believe.

It will be instant . In a blink of an eye

1a. Corinthians 15:51-52 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We will not all
sleep; but we will all be transformed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an
eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will be blown, and the dead will be
raised incorruptible, and we will be changed.
It will be unexpected . Nobody knows the day or the hour
Matthew 24:42-44 Watch therefore, for you do not know at what hour
your Lord will come. But know this, that if the father of the family knew
what time the thief would come, he would watch and not let his house be
destroyed. Therefore, you also be there. prepared; for the Son of Man
will come at an hour that you do not think.
Matthew 25:13 Watch therefore, for you do not know the day or the hour
in which the Son of Man will come.
Mark 13:32-33 But no one knows about that day or hour, not even the
angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father.

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It will be selective . Those who have a sincere conversion and a new birth.
2 Peter 2:9 The Lord knows how to deliver the godly from temptation, and
to reserve the unrighteous to be punished on the day of judgment;
Revelation 3:10 Because you have kept the word of my patience, I will
also keep you from the hour of testing that is coming upon the whole
world, to test those who dwell on the earth.

THE COURT OF CHRIST

When the Church is raptured, the Judgment Seat of Christ will be held, in
which the works of the believer will be judged.

Matthew 16:27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of his Father
with his angels, and then he will repay each one according to his works.

Revelation 22:12 Behold, I am coming quickly, and my reward is with

me, to reward each man according to his work.

The judge in this court will be the Lord Jesus.

2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of
Christ, so that each one may receive according to what he has done while
he was in the body, whether good or bad.

The purpose of the judgment is to determine whether or not a believer

deserves to receive any reward.

1a. Corinthians 3: 8- 15 8 And he who plants and he who waters are one;
although each one will receive his reward according to his work.
9
For we are God's workers, and you are God's husbandry, God's building.
10
According to the grace of God given to me, I, as a skilled architect, laid
the foundation, and another builds on it; but let each one see how he builds
up.

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11
For no one can lay any other foundation than that which is laid, which is
Jesus Christ.
12
And if anyone builds on this foundation, gold, silver, precious stones,
wood, hay, stubble,
13
each one's work will become manifest; for the day will declare it, for it
will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each person's work, whatever
it may be.
14
If the work of anyone who built it remains, he will receive a reward.
15
If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be
saved, even as by fire.

In this passage we can notice the following important teachings:

a) Ministers of the gospel are to be judged not only with respect to their
private lives but also with respect to the way in which they exercised their
ministry.

Verses 8 and 9 . Compare Hebrews 13:17 Obey your leaders and submit
to them; because they watch over your souls, as those who must give an
account ; so that they do it with joy, and not with complaint, because this
is not profitable for you.

b) Each believer will be judged according to the role that God entrusted to
him within his work, Verses 10 and 11

c) The believer's works can be good (gold, silver, precious stones) or bad
(wood, hay, stubble). Verse 12

d) Christ will be the one who determines whether the works are good or
bad, and he will do so not only by the works themselves, but by the
reasons that produced them.

1a. Corinthians 4:5 Therefore do not judge anything before the time, until
the Lord comes, who will also clarify the hidden things of darkness, and
will reveal the intentions of the hearts; and then each one will receive his
praise from God.

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e) The believer's works will be tested according to the divine standard .
Just as fire demonstrates the efficiency of a material, God's searching fire
will test the works of each believer. Verse 13 .

f) Approved works.
The works that are approved will be rewarded. Verse 14.

g) Rejected works.
Those believers whose works are not approved will not receive any
reward; However, they will always be saved because their salvation does
not depend on their works but on the merits of Christ. Verse 15.

The Bible talks about different rewards that God will give; Among them,
the crowns that will be awarded for specific merits are mentioned:

The Crown of Life for those who endure trials.

James 1:2 My brothers, count it all joy when you encounter various trials,

Revelation 2: 10 Do not be afraid at all of what you are going to suffer.

Behold, the devil will cast some of you into prison, that you may be tested,
and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I
will give you the crown of life.

The crown of justice to those who love his coming

2 Timothy 4:8 Finally, the crown of righteousness is laid up for me, which
the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day; and not only to
me, but also to all those who love his coming.

The Crown of Glory for faithful ministers.

1 Peter 5:4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the
incorruptible crown of glory.

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Since rewards are rewards that are received according to the believer's
works, it is necessary to remember that if the Christian neglects his
conduct he may lose the rewards to which he has earned in the past.

2 John. 8 Take heed to yourselves, so that you do not lose the fruit of your
labor, but receive a full reward.

THE GREAT TRIBULATION

The Great Tribulation is a period of unprecedented affliction that will

come upon all inhabitants of the earth.
Revelation 3:10 Because you have kept the word of my patience, I will
also keep you from the hour of testing that is coming upon the whole
world, to test those who dwell on the earth.

But, especially about Israel.

Jeremiah 30:7 Ah, how great is that day! so much so that there is no other
like him; time of trouble for Jacob; but he will be delivered from it.

The Great Tribulation will last seven years.

Daniel 9: 27 And for another week he will confirm the covenant with
many; In the middle of the week he will stop the sacrifice and offering.
Then with the multitude of abominations will come the desolator, until the
consummation comes, and what is determined is poured out on the
desolator.

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This period will be divided into two parts of three and a half years each.
The first three and a half years will be of apparent peace and the second of
great affliction and judgment.

The most important events that will happen during the Great Tribulation
are the following:

Appearance of the Beast or Antichrist.

2 Thessalonians 2:7-10 For the mystery of iniquity is already at work;
Only there is someone who currently stops him, until he in turn is taken
out of the way. And then that wicked one will be revealed, whom the Lord
will kill with the spirit of his mouth, and destroy with the brightness of his
coming; wicked one, whose coming is by the work of Satan, with great
power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deception of wickedness
for those who are perishing, because they did not receive the love of the
truth to be saved.
Revelation 13:1-4 I stood on the sand of the sea, and I saw. a beast that
had seven heads and ten horns came up out of the sea; and on its horns ten
diadems; and upon their heads, a blasphemous name. And the beast that I
saw was like a leopard, and its feet were like a bear's, and its mouth was
like a lion's mouth. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne,
and great authority. saw. one of his heads seemed to have been wounded
to death, but his mortal wound was healed; and all the earth marveled after
the beast, and they worshiped the dragon which had given authority to the
beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, Who is like the beast, and
who can fight against it?

Appearance of the False Prophet

Revelation 13: 11-14 Then I saw. another beast that came up from the
earth; and he had two horns like those of a lamb, but he spoke like a
dragon. And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in its
presence, and causes the earth and its inhabitants to worship the first beast,
whose deadly wound was healed. He also performs great signs, in such a
way that he even makes fire come down from heaven to the earth before
men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth with the signs that he
has been permitted to do in the presence of the beast, commanding those

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who dwell on the earth to make an image for the beast that had the sword
wound and lived.

The Beast establishes a pact of friendship with Israel.

Daniel 9: 27 And for another week he will confirm the covenant with
many; In the middle of the week he will stop the sacrifice and offering.
Then with the multitude of abominations will come the desolator, until the
consummation comes, and what is determined is poured out on the
desolator.

Israel receives him as if he were the Messiah. Apparent peace.

Halfway through the Great Tribulation period, Satan is prevented from

entering heaven.
Revelation 12:10-12 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven saying, Now has
come salvation, and power, and the kingdom of our God, and the authority
of his Christ; for the accuser of our brothers has been cast out, who
accused them before our God day and night. And they have overcome
him through the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony, and
they despised their lives unto death. Therefore rejoice, heavens, and you
who dwell in them. Woe to the inhabitants of the land and the sea! for the
devil has come down to you in great wrath, knowing that his time is short.

With great anger Satan grants great authority to the Beast and the difficult
days of the Great Tribulation are unleashed. The covenant with Israel is
annulled.
Daniel 9: 27 And for another week he will confirm the covenant with
many; In the middle of the week he will stop the sacrifice and offering.
Then with the multitude of abominations will come the desolator, until the
consummation comes, and what is determined is poured out on the
desolator.

Israel is invaded and the Beast desecrates the temple by sitting in God's
temple to be worshiped as God.
Daniel 7: 24-25 And the ten horns mean that ten kings will arise from that
kingdom; and after them another will rise, who will be different from the

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first, and will overthrow three kings. And he will speak words against the
Most High, and he will break the saints of the Most High, and he will
think about changing times and the law; and they will be delivered into his
hand until a time, and times, and half a time.
2 Thessalonians 2:4 Who opposes and exalts himself against everything
that is called God or is worshiped; so much so that he sits in the temple of
God as God, showing himself to be God.

Persecution begins against the Jewish people and against those who
preserve the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Revelation 13:5-8 He was also given a mouth speaking great things and
blasphemies; and he was given authority to act for forty-two months. And
he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme his name,
his tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. And he was allowed to
make war against the saints, and defeat them. He was also given authority
over every tribe, people, language and nation. And all the inhabitants of
the earth worshiped her, whose names were not written in the book of life
of the Lamb who was slain from the beginning of the world.

Two thirds of the Jewish people are eliminated.

Zechariah 13:8-9 And it will come to pass throughout the whole earth,
says the LORD, that two-thirds of it will be cut off from it and will be lost;
but the third will remain in it. And I will put the third part into the fire,
and I will melt them as silver is melted, and I will test them as gold is
tested. He will call on my name, and I will hear him, and I will say: My
people; and he will say: The Lord is my God.

The Great Whore (world unity of religions) is destroyed.

Revelation 17: 1-6, 16-17 1 Then one of the seven angels who had the
seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, Come hither, and I will
show you the sentence against the great harlot, who sits on many waters; 2
with which the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the
inhabitants of the earth have become drunk with the wine of her
fornication.3 And he carried me in the Spirit into the wilderness; and I saw.
a woman sitting on a scarlet beast full of names of blasphemy, which had
seven heads and ten horns.4 And the woman was clothed in purple and

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scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, and had in
her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her
fornication; 5 and on her forehead a name written, a mystery: BABYLON
THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS
OF THE EARTH.6 I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints,
and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus; and when I saw her, I was
amazed with great amazement.
16
And the ten horns that you saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot,
and will leave her desolate and naked; and they will devour its flesh, and
burn it with fire; 17 because God has put it in their hearts to do what he
wanted: to agree, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of
God are fulfilled.

God pours out his judgments on the earth.

Revelation 15:5-8 After these things I looked, and, behold, the temple of
the tabernacle of the congregation was opened in heaven; And out of the
temple came the seven angels who had the seven plagues, dressed in clean
and bright linen, and girded around their chests with golden girdles. And
one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden
bowls, full of the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever. And the
temple was filled with smoke because of the glory of God, and because of
his power; and no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the
seven angels had been fulfilled.
Revelation 16: 1-12, 17 -21 1 I heard a loud voice saying from the temple
to the seven angels: Go and pour out on the earth the seven vials of the
wrath of God.
2
He was the first, and poured out his cup upon the earth, and a malignant
and pestilent ulcer came upon the men who had the mark of the beast, and
who worshiped his image.
3
The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood
like that of a dead man; and every living thing in the sea died.
4
The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and on the springs of
water, and they became blood.5 And I heard the angel of the waters saying,
You are righteous, O Lord, who are and who were, the Holy One, because
you have judged these things.

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6
Because they shed the blood of the saints and prophets, you also have
given them blood to drink; Well they deserve it.
7
I also heard another saying from the altar: Truly, Lord God Almighty,
your judgments are true and just.
8
The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, to which it was given to
burn men with fire.
9
And men were burned with the great heat, and blasphemed the name of
God, who has power over these plagues, and they did not repent to give
him glory.
10
The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast; and their
kingdom was covered with darkness, and they bit their tongues with pain,
11
and they blasphemed the God of heaven for their pains and for their
ulcers, and they did not repent of their deeds.
12
The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates; and its
water was dried up, so that the way might be prepared for the kings of the
east.
17
The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air; And a loud voice
came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.
18
Then there were lightnings and voices and thunder, and a great shaking
of the earth, an earthquake so great, such as had never occurred since men
were on the earth.
19
And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the
nations fell; and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give
him the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
20
And every island fled, and the mountains were not found.
21
And huge hail fell from heaven on men, about the weight of a talent; and
men blasphemed against God because of the plague of hail; for his plague
was exceedingly great.

Towards the end of the seven years the battle of Armageddon breaks out.
Revelation 16: 13 -16 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming
out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out
of the mouth of the false prophet; for they are spirits of demons, which
work signs, and go to the kings of the earth throughout the world, to gather
them to the battle of that great day of the Almighty God. Behold, I come
as a thief. Blessed is he who watches and keeps his clothes, so that he does

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not walk naked and be seen in shame. And he gathered them together at
the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.

As a result of war and God's judgments, a quarter of the world's

population dies.
Revelation 6:8 I looked, and behold, a yellow horse, and his name was
Death that sat on it, and Hades followed him; and power was given to him
over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with the sword, with famine, with
mortality, and with the wild beasts of the earth.

The armies of the Beast gather in the valley of Megiddo to confront the
Son of God.
2 Thessalonians 2:8 And then that wicked one will be revealed, whom the
Lord will kill with the spirit of his mouth, and will destroy with the
brightness of his coming;
Revelation 19: 11 -19 11 Then I saw heaven opened; and behold, a white
horse, and he that sat on it was called Faithful and True, and with justice
he judges and fights.
12
His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on his head were many diadems;
and he had a name written that no one knew but himself.
13
He was dressed in a garment dipped in blood; and his name is: THE
WORD OF GOD.
14
And the heavenly armies, dressed in fine linen, white and clean,
followed him on white horses.
15
Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword, to strike down the nations with
it, and he will rule them with a rod of iron; and he treads the wine press of
the fury and wrath of Almighty God.
16
And on his garment and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF
KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
17
And I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried with a loud voice,
saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, Come, and gather
together to the great supper of God,
18
so that you may eat the flesh of kings and captains, and the flesh of
strong men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all, free
and slave, small and great.

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19
And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies,
gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and
against his army.

The Beast is destroyed along with his armies.

Revelation 19: 20 -21 And the beast was taken, and with him the false
prophet who had performed signs before him with which he had deceived
those who had received the mark of the beast and had worshiped his
image. These two were thrown alive into a lake of fire burning with sulfur.
And the rest were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of him
who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.

The Great Tribulation, in addition to being a period of judgment, is also a

period of salvation,

So much for Jews

Revelation 7:1-4 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners
of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind
should blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. I also saw
another angel ascending from where the sun rises, and he had the seal of
the living God; and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom
power had been given to harm the earth and the sea, saying, Do not harm
the earth, nor the sea, nor the trees, until we have sealed on their foreheads
to the servants of our God. And I heard the number of those who were
sealed: one hundred and forty-four thousand who were sealed from all the
tribes of the children of Israel.

As for gentiles .
Revelation 7:9-14 9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude,
which no one could number, from all nations and tribes and peoples and
languages, standing before the throne and in the presence of the Lamb,
clothed in robes. white, and with palms in their hands;
10
And they cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation belongs to our God
who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.

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11
And all the angels stood around the throne, and around the elders, and
around the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the
throne, and worshiped God,
12
saying: Amen. Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and
honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever. Amen.
13
Then one of the elders spoke, saying to me, These who are dressed in
white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?
14
I said to him: Lord, you know. And he said to me, These are they who
have come out of the great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and
made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST

At the end of the Great Tribulation, what is properly called the Second
Coming of Christ will occur. The signs that will predict the Second
Coming are:

The gathering of the armies of the Beast in the valley of Megiddo.

Revelation 19:19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their
armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse,
and against his army.

Phenomena in the sky and the sea.

Joel 2: 30 -31 And I will show wonders in heaven and on earth, blood,
and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun will turn into darkness, and the
moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes.

Luke 21: 25-28 Then there will be signs in the sun, in the moon and in the
stars, and on the earth distress of the nations, confused because of the
roaring of the sea and the waves; men fainting for fear and expectation of
the things that will come upon the earth; for the powers of heaven will be
shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man, coming in a cloud with power
and great glory. When these things begin to happen, stand tall and lift up
your heads, because your redemption is near.

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Revelation 6: 12 -13 I looked when he opened the sixth seal, and behold,
there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth, and
the moon became all like blood; and the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as
a fig tree drops its figs when it is shaken by a strong wind.

The Second Coming of Christ is different from his first appearance to

raise up his Church.
The characteristics of the Second Coming are:

It will be corporal : Jesus will return with the same glorified body with
which he was taken to heaven.
Acts 1:9-11 And when he had said these things, when they saw him, he
was taken up, and a cloud met him, and hid him from their sight. And as
they stood with their eyes fixed on heaven, while he was going, behold,
two men in white garments stood by them, and they also said to them,
Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This same Jesus,
who has been taken from you into heaven, will come in the same way as
you have seen him go into heaven.
Zechariah 13:6 And they will ask him: What wounds are these in your
hands? And he will answer: With them I was wounded in the house of my
friends.

He will be visible : Every eye will see him, from the east to the west.
Matthew 24:27 For as the lightning comes out of the east and flashes to
the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man also be.

Mark 13:26 Then they will see the Son of Man, coming in the clouds with
great power and glory.

Revelation 1:7 Behold, he comes with the clouds, and every eye will see
him, even those who pierced him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn
over him. Yes, amen

It will be glorious : Without relation to the baseness of a body of sin.

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Hebrews 9:28 So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many; and he
will appear a second time, without relation to sin, to save those who wait
for him.

He will come as King:

Psalm 72:11 All kings will bow down before him; All nations will serve
him.

Matthew 25:31 When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the holy
angels with him, then he will sit on his throne of glory,

Revelation 19: 16 And on his garment and on his thigh he has this name
written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

It will come on the clouds.

Matthew 24:30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven;
and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of
Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.

He will come with the heavenly armies (his angels)

Matthew 25:31 When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the holy
angels with him, then he will sit on his throne of glory,

2 Thessalonians 1:7 And to you who are troubled, give rest with us, when
the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,

He will come with his Church.

Zechariah 14:5 And you will flee to the valley of the mountains, for the
valley of the mountains will reach to Azal; you will flee as you fled
because of the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah; and the
Lord my God will come, and with him all the saints.

1 Thessalonians 3:13 That your hearts may be established, blameless in

holiness before God our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ
with all his saints.

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He will come with power and glory:
Mark 13:26 Then they will see the Son of Man, coming in the clouds with
great power and glory.

Luke 21:27 Then they will see the Son of Man, coming in a cloud with
power and great glory.

The objectives that Christ pursues in his second coming are three:

1) bring judgment

a) Against the Beast

2 Thessalonians 2:8 And then that wicked one will be revealed, whom the
Lord will kill with the spirit of his mouth, and will destroy with the
brightness of his coming;

Revelation 19: 19 -20 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and
their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the
horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with it the false
prophet who had performed signs before it, with which he had deceived
those who had received the mark of the beast, and had worshiped its
image. These two were thrown alive into a lake of fire burning with sulfur.

b) Against the worldly system.

Daniel 2: 31 -35, 40- 45 31 You, O king, saw, and behold, a great image.
This image, which was very large, and whose glory was very sublime,
stood before you, and its appearance was terrible.
32
The head of this image was of fine gold; his chest and arms, of silver;
his belly and his thighs, of bronze;
33
his legs, of iron; his feet, partly of iron and partly of baked clay. 34 You
were watching until a stone was cut out without hands and struck the
image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them into pieces.
35
Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were also
broken into pieces, and they were like chaff from the summer threshing
floors, and the wind carried them away without leaving any trace of them.

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But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain that filled the
whole earth.
40
And the fourth kingdom will be strong as iron; and as iron breaks and
breaks all things, it will break and break everything.
41
And what you see of the feet and toes, partly of potter's clay and partly
of iron, will be a divided kingdom; but there will be in it some of the
strength of iron, just as you saw iron mixed with baked clay.
42
And because the toes are partly iron and partly clay, the kingdom will be
partly strong and partly fragile.
43
Just as you saw iron mixed with clay, they will be mixed through human
alliances; but they will not be united with each other, as iron does not mix
with clay.
44
And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will raise up a
kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will the kingdom be left to
another people; He will break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms,
but he will remain forever,
45
Just as you saw that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands,
breaking into pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold.
The great God has shown the king what is to happen in the future; and the
dream is true, and its interpretation faithful.

c) Against unbelievers
2 Thessalonians 1: 7 -10 And to you who are troubled, rest with us, when
the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming
fire, to give retribution to those who do not know God, nor do they obey
the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; who will suffer the penalty of eternal
destruction, excluded from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of
his power, when he comes in that day to be glorified in his saints and to be
admired in all those who believed (because our testimony has been
believed among you).

2) Resurrect the martyrs of the Great Tribulation.

Revelation 20:4-6 And I saw thrones, and those who were given authority
to judge sat on them; and I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded
for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, who had not
worshiped the beast or his image, and who had not received the mark on

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their foreheads or on their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a
thousand years. But the other dead did not live again until the thousand
years were completed. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he
who has part in the first resurrection; The second death has no power over
these, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will reign with
him a thousand years.

3) Establish your Millennial Kingdom.

Revelation 20:1-3 I saw an angel coming down from heaven, with the key
to the bottomless pit, and a great chain in his hand. And he seized the
dragon, the ancient serpent, which is the devil and Satan, and bound him
for a thousand years; and he cast him into the abyss, and shut him up, and
set his seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, until the
thousand years were fulfilled; and after this it must be unbound for a little
time.

The main differences that arise between the Rapture of the Church and the
Second Coming of Christ are the following:

In the Rapture Christ descends to the clouds.

1 Thessalonians 4: 16- 17 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven
with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God;
and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left,
will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the
air, and so we will always be with the Lord.

In the Second Coming he descends to the earth.

Zechariah 14:4 And his feet will stand in that day on the Mount of Olives,
which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will
split in the middle, towards the east and towards the west, making a very
large valley; and half the mountain will be set aside toward the north, and
the other half toward the south.

At the Rapture he comes to collect his saints.

1 Thessalonians 4: 16 -17 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven
with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God;

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and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left,
will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the
air, and so we will always be with the Lord.

In the Second Coming he comes accompanied by his saints.

Judas. 14 Of these also Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied,
saying, Behold, the Lord came with his holy tens of thousands,

It is not said that the coming of Christ to raise up his Church will be
preceded by signs in the heavens; But, the Second Coming will be
announced by signs in the heavens.
Matthew 24: 29 -30 And immediately after the tribulation of those days,
the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars
will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven; and then all the
tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on
the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.

The Rapture will be invisible to the world, it will be like a thief in the
night; However, in the Second Coming every eye will see Him.
Revelation 1:7 Behold, he comes with the clouds, and every eye will see
him, and those who

The Rapture is an exclusive deal with the church; Instead, the Second
Coming is part of the deal with Israel and the Gentile nations.

Apart from these differences, it is convenient to remember that between

the Rapture and the Second Coming there is a period of seven years
during which the events of the Great Tribulation will occur.

THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM OF CHRIST

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When Christ returns to earth he will establish his Millennial Kingdom,
which will be a literal kingdom over the entire planet where Jesus will be
the Sovereign King. The Kingdom of Christ will last a thousand years.
Revelation 20: 1-6 1 I saw an angel coming down from heaven, with the
key of the bottomless pit, and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he seized the
dragon, the ancient serpent, which is the devil and Satan, and bound him
for a thousand years; 3 and he cast him into the abyss, and shut him up,
and set his seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, until
the thousand years were completed; and after this it must be unbound for a
little time.
4
And I saw thrones, and those who were given authority to judge sat on
them; and I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the
testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the
beast or his image, and who had not received the mark on their foreheads
or on their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand
years.5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years
were completed. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he who
has part in the first resurrection; The second death has no power over
these, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will reign with
him a thousand years.

The events that will precede the fullness of the Millennial Kingdom are
the following:

Descent of Christ
Zechariah 14:4 And his feet will stand in that day on the Mount of Olives,
which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will
split in the middle, towards the east and towards the west, making a very
large valley; and half of the mountain will depart to the north, and the
other half to the south
Capture of Satan.
Revelation 20:1-3 I saw an angel coming down from heaven, with the key
to the bottomless pit, and a great chain in his hand. And he seized the

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dragon, the ancient serpent, which is the devil and Satan, and bound him
for a thousand years; and he cast him into the abyss, and shut him up, and
set his seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, until the
thousand years were fulfilled; and after this it must be unbound for a little
time.

Resurrection of the martyrs of the Great Tribulation and the righteous of

the Old Testament.
Revelation 20:4 And I saw thrones, and those who were given authority to
judge sat on them; and I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for
the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped
the beast or his image, and who had not received the mark on their
foreheads or on their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a
thousand years.

Return of the Holy Spirit.

Ezekiel 36:26-27 I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit
within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh, and give
you a heart of flesh.27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you
to walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them.

Conversion of Israel.
Zechariah 12:10-12 And I will pour out upon the house of David, and
upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and prayer; and they
will look at me, whom they pierced, and they will mourn as one mourns
for an only begotten son, grieving for him as one grieving for the firstborn.
On that day there will be great weeping in Jerusalem, like the weeping of
Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddo. And the earth will mourn, each
lineage apart; the descendants of the house of David by themselves, and
their wives by themselves; the descendants of the house of Nathan by
themselves, and their wives by themselves;

Restoration of Israel
Isaiah 11: 11 -12 Likewise it will come to pass at that time, that Jehovah
will lift up his hand again to recover the remnant of his people that remain

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in Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Ethiopia, Elam, Shinar and Hamath, and on the
coasts of the sea . And he will raise up an ensign to the nations, and will
gather the exiles of Israel, and will gather the scattered ones of Judah from
the four corners of the earth.
Isaiah 35:10 And the redeemed of the Lord will return, and come to Zion
with joy; and everlasting joy will be upon their heads; and they will have
joy and gladness, and sadness and groaning will flee away.
Micah 4:6-7 In that day, says the Lord, I will gather the lame, and I will
gather the stray, and the one I afflicted; and I will make the lame a
remnant, and the straying a strong nation; and the Lord will reign over
them on Mount Zion from now on forever.
Zechariah 8:7-8 Thus says the LORD of hosts: Behold, I save my people
from the land of the east, and from the land where the sun sets; and I will
bring them, and they will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem; and they will be
my people, and I will be their God in truth and righteousness.

The Church will participate in the Millennial Kingdom in its capacity as

the Bride of the Lamb. Christians will serve as Judges, Kings and Priests.
Revelation 2: 26 -27 To him who overcomes and keeps my works to the
end, I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod
of iron, and they will be broken like a potter's vessel; as I have also
received it from my Father;

Regarding the geographical characteristics of the Millennial Kingdom we

have the following data:

The extension of the Kingdom will be the entire earth.

Psalm 2:8 Ask of me, and I will give you the nations as your
inheritance,

And as your possession the ends of the earth.

Psalm 72:8 He will rule from sea to sea,

And from the river to the ends of the earth.

Zechariah 9:10 And I will destroy the chariots of Ephraim, and the horses
of Jerusalem, and the war bows will be broken; and he will speak peace to

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the nations, and his dominion will be from sea to sea, and from the river to
the ends of the earth.
Zechariah 14:9 And the Lord will be king over all the earth. In that day
Jehovah will be one, and his name will be one.

The capital will be Jerusalem.

Isaiah 2:2-3 It will come to pass in the end of time, that the mountain of
the house of the Lord will be established as the top of the mountains, and
will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will flock to it. And many
people will come and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the
Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us his ways, and
we will walk in his paths. For out of Zion shall come the law, and out of
Jerusalem the word of the Lord.
Zechariah 8:3 Thus says the LORD: I have restored Zion, and I will dwell
in the midst of Jerusalem; and Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth,
and the mountain of the Lord of hosts the Mount of Holiness.

The center of world worship will be in Jerusalem.

Zechariah 8: 20 -23 Thus says the Lord of hosts: People will yet come,
and inhabitants of many cities; and the inhabitants of one city will come to
another, and say, Let us implore the favor of the Lord, and seek the Lord
of hosts. I'll go too. And many peoples and strong nations will come to
seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to implore the favor of the Lord.
Thus says the LORD of hosts: In those days it will come to pass that ten
men from the nations of every language will take the mantle of a Jew,
saying, We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.

Zechariah 14:16 And all who remain of the nations that came against
Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of
hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.

The main characteristics of the Millennial Kingdom are the following:

It will be supreme

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Micah 4:1 It will come to pass in the last times that the mountain of the
house of the Lord will be established as the head of the mountains, and
higher than the hills, and people will flock to it.

It will be fair

Psalm 72: 2-4, 12- 14 2 He will judge your people with righteousness, and
your afflicted ones with judgment.
3
The mountains will bring peace to the people, and the hills justice.
4
He will judge the afflicted of the people, He will save the children of the
needy, And he will crush the oppressor
12
For he will deliver the needy who cries, and the afflicted who has no one
to help him.
13
He will have mercy on the poor and needy, And he will save the lives of
the poor.
14
He will redeem their souls from deceit and violence, and their blood will
be precious in his eyes.

Jeremiah 33:15 In those days and at that time I will cause David to spring
up a Branch of righteousness, and he will execute judgment and
righteousness in the land.

It will be peaceful.

Isaiah 2:4 And he will judge between the nations, and will rebuke many
people; and they will beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears
into sickles; Nation will not lift up sword against nation, nor will they
learn war anymore.

Micah 4:3-4 And he will judge between many peoples, and will correct
mighty nations far away; and they will hammer their swords into
plowshares, and their spears into sickles; Nation will not lift up sword
against nation, nor will they try for war anymore.
4
And everyone will sit under his vine and under his fig tree, and there will
be no one to make them afraid; for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has
spoken it.

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Zechariah 9:10 And I will destroy the chariots of Ephraim, and the horses
of Jerusalem, and the war bows will be broken; and he will speak peace to
the nations, and his dominion will be from sea to sea, and from the river to
the ends of the earth.

Be happy

Isaiah 35:10 And the redeemed of the Lord will return, and come to Zion
with joy; and everlasting joy will be upon their heads; and they will have
joy and gladness, and sadness and groaning will flee away.

Isaiah 65: 18 -19 But you will rejoice and be glad forever in the things
that I have created; For behold, I bring joy to Jerusalem, and joy to its
people. And I will rejoice with Jerusalem, and I will rejoice with my
people; and no more will the voice of weeping or the voice of crying be
heard in it.

It will be safe.
Isaiah 32:1-2, 18 Behold, a king will reign in righteousness, and princes
will preside in judgment.2 And that man will be a hiding place from the
wind, and a refuge from the storm; like streams of water in a dry land, like
the shadow of a great rock in a hot land. 18 And my people will dwell in a
dwelling place of peace, in safe habitations, and in recreations of rest.

Ezekiel 28: 25 -26 Thus says the Lord GOD: When I gather the house of
Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, then I will
sanctify myself in them in the sight of the nations, and they will dwell in
their land, which I gave to my servant Jacob. And they will dwell therein
safely, and build houses, and plant vineyards, and live safely, when I
execute judgments on all those who plunder them around them; and they
will know that I am the Lord their God.

There will be knowledge of God.

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Isaiah 11:9 They will do no harm or harm in all my holy mountain; for
the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover
the sea.

Jeremiah 31:34 And no man shall teach his neighbor any more, nor any
man his brother, saying, Know the Lord; for all will know me, from the
least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity,
and will remember their sin no more. ,

Habakkuk 2:14 For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the
glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.

The profound transformations that will occur in nature during the

Millennial Kingdom deserve special mention:

The beasts will dwell peacefully.

Isaiah 11:6-8 The wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie
down with the goat; The calf and the lion and the tame beast will walk
together, and a child will shepherd them. The cow and the bear will graze,
their young will lie down together; and the lion like the ox will eat straw.
And the suckling child will play in the hole of the asp, and the weaned
child will stretch out his hand in the hole of the viper.

Isaiah 65:25 The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will
eat straw like the ox; and the dust will be the serpent's food. They shall not
afflict, nor do evil in all my holy mountain, saith the Lord.

Will green the desert

Isaiah 32:15 until the Spirit from on high is poured out on us, and the
wilderness becomes a fertile field, and the fertile field is counted as a
forest.

Isaiah 35: 1- 2, 7 1 The desert and the desert will rejoice; The wasteland
will rejoice and bloom like the rose.

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2
He will flourish profusely, and he will also rejoice and sing for joy; The
glory of Lebanon will be given to him, the beauty of Carmel and Sharon.
They will see the glory of the Lord, the beauty of our God.
7
The dry place will become a pond, and the dry place will become springs
of water; In the abode of jackals, in their lair, it will be a place of reeds
and reeds.

Isaiah 41: 18-20 I will open rivers on high places, and fountains in the
middle of the valleys; I will open pools of water in the desert, and springs
of water in the dry land. I will give cedars, acacias, myrtles and olive
trees in the desert; I will put cypresses, pines and bogues together in the
solitude, so that everyone may see and know, and notice and understand,
that the hand of the Lord does this, and that the Holy One of Israel created
it.

Diseases will disappear.

Isaiah 35:5-6 Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of
the deaf will be opened. Then the lame will leap like a deer, and the
tongue of the mute will sing; for waters will be dug in the desert, and
torrents in the desert.

When the blessings of the Kingdom are fulfilled and the thousand-year
period ends, the nations will be tested once again.
Satan will be released from his prison and will deceive many; but, in the
end they will be consumed by the fire of God.

Revelation 20: 7-10 When the thousand years are finished, Satan will be
released from his prison, and he will go out to deceive the nations that are
in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle;
the number of which is like the sand of the sea. And they went up over the
breadth of the earth, and surrounded the camp of the saints and the
beloved city; and fire came down from God from heaven and consumed
them.

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And the devil who deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and sulfur,
where the beast and the false prophet were; and they will be tormented day
and night forever and ever.

THE FINAL JUDGMENTS

After the Millennial Kingdom of Christ, three events will occur that
deserve special attention: The judgment of the fallen Angels, the
destruction of the current universe and the Great White Throne Judgment
or Final Judgment.

The judgment of the fallen angels. It will be after the Millennial

Kingdom, when Satan is cast into the Lake of Fire.
Revelation 20:10 And the devil who deceived them was cast into the lake
of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet were; and they
will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

Satan's judgment has taken place before.

John 16:11 and of judgment, because the prince of this world has already
been judged.

Now, the judgment of his angels proceeds.

2 Peter 2:4 For if God did not forgive the angels who sinned, but cast
them into hell, he delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved
for judgment;
Judas. 6 And the angels who did not keep their dignity, but left their own
dwelling, he has kept under darkness, in eternal chains, for the judgment
of the great day;

The Church of Christ will serve as judge.

1 Corinthians 6:3 Or do you not know that we must judge the angels?
How much more the things of this life?

The final destination for the fallen angels is the Lake of Fire.

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Matthew 25:41 Then he will also say to those on the left, Depart from me,
you cursed, into eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

Destruction of the current universe. Immediately before the Last

Judgment, the current creation will be destroyed.
2 Peter 3: 10 -12 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the
night; in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the
burning elements will be dissolved, and the earth and the works that are in
it will be burned up.
Since all these things are to be dissolved, how should you not walk in a
holy and godly way of life, waiting and hastening for the coming of the
day of God, in which the heavens, being kindled, will be dissolved, and
the elements, Being burned, they will melt!

This destruction will occur on the same day of judgment.

2 Peter 3:7 But the heavens and the earth, which now exist, are reserved
by the same word, kept for fire on the day of judgment and destruction of
ungodly men.
Revelation 20:11 11 And I saw a great white throne and him who sat on it,
from whose face the earth and the sky fled, and no place was found for
them.

The final judgement.

It is also called the Great White Throne Judgment. In it the unbelievers of

all times will be judged.
The Judge of the Great White Throne will be the Lord Jesus.
John 5:22 For the Father judges no one, but gave all judgment to the Son,
Acts 10: 42 And he commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify
that he is the one whom God has made Judge of the living and the dead.
Acts 17: 30 -31 But God, having overlooked the times of this ignorance,
now commands all men everywhere to repent; because he has established
a day in which he will judge the world with justice, by that man whom he
appointed, giving faith to all by having raised him from the dead.

The Lord Jesus will be helped by his Church to judge the world.

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1 Corinthians 6:2 Or do you not know that the saints will judge the
world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge
very small things?

To appear at the Final Judgment, unbelievers will be resurrected in the

Second Resurrection
Revelation 20: 11 -13. And I saw a great white throne and him who sat on
it, from whose face the earth and the sky fled, and no place was found for
them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before God; and the
books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the book of
life; and the dead were judged by the things that were written in the books,
according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead that were in it; and
death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them; and they were judged
each according to their works.

Which is a resurrection of condemnation.

None of those judged at the Last Judgment have a chance to achieve
salvation, the purpose of this judgment is only to determine the degree of
punishment that each unbeliever will endure in the Lake of Fire.
Matthew 11: 22 Therefore I tell you that on the day of judgment the
punishment will be more tolerable for Tire and Sidon than for you.
Luke 12: 47 -48 That servant who, knowing his master's will, did not
prepare himself, nor do according to his will, will receive many stripes.
But he who, without knowing it, did things worthy of lashes will be lashed
lightly; for from everyone to whom much has been given, much will be
required; and to whom much has been entrusted, more will be asked.

The basis of judgment is works

Ecclesiastes 12:14 For God will bring every work into judgment, along
with every hidden thing, whether good or evil.
Matthew 12: 36 -37 But I say to you that for every idle word that men
speak, they will give an account of it on the day of judgment. For by your
words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.
Revelation 20: 12 -13 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing
before God; and the books were opened, and another book was opened,
which is the book of life; and the dead were judged by the things that were

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written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the
dead that were in it; and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in
them; and they were judged each according to their works.

After being judged the souls will be thrown into the Lake of Fire
Revelation 20: 15 And whoever was not found written in the book of life
was thrown into the lake of fire.

Where they will suffer the greater or lesser degree of punishment that the
Just Judge has determined.

FUTURE ETERNITY

After the Last Judgment time will be absorbed into eternity.

Both the just and the unjust will enter Future Eternity; but, their states will
be different:

The unbelievers.

Their place : They will be thrown into a special place that in the
Scriptures is called in the following ways:

Hell
Matthew 10:28 And do not fear those who kill the body, but cannot kill
the soul; rather fear him who can destroy soul and body in hell.

fire oven
Matthew 13:42 and they will throw them into the fiery furnace; there will
be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

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eternal damnation
2 Thessalonians 1:9 who will suffer the penalty of eternal destruction ,
excluded from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power,

Erebus
Judas. 13 fierce waves of the sea, foaming their own shame; wandering
stars, for which the darkness of darkness is eternally reserved.

Second death
Revelation 20:14 And death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This
is the second death

Lake of fire
Revelation 20: 15 And whoever was not found written in the book of life
was thrown into the lake of fire.

Their condition : In the Second Resurrection they will receive a body

designed for the torments of the Lake of Fire. They will be excluded from
all divine favor.

2 Thessalonians 1:9 who will suffer eternal destruction, excluded from

the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power,

They will be tormented

Revelation 14:10 He also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God,
which has been poured pure into the cup of his wrath; and he will be
tormented with fire and brimstone before the holy angels and the Lamb;

Satan will be tormented along with them.

Revelation 20:10 And the devil who deceived them was cast into the lake
of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet were; and they
will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

Its duration : The punishment of the unbelievers within the lake of fire is
as eternal as the glory of the righteous.

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Matthew 25: 46 And these will go to eternal punishment, and the
righteous to eternal life.
Mark 9: 43- 44 If your hand causes you to fall, cut it off; It is better for
you to enter life crippled than having two hands to go to hell, to the fire
that cannot be quenched, where their worm does not die, and the fire is
never quenched.
Revelation 14: 10 -11 He also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God,
which has been poured pure into the cup of his wrath; and he will be
tormented with fire and brimstone before the holy angels and the Lamb;
and the smoke of his torment ascends forever and ever. And those who
worship the beast and his image have no rest day or night, nor anyone who
receives the mark of his name.

The teaching of the destruction of souls is denied by the Scriptures when

comparing Revelation 19: 20 with 20: 10 and considering that a period of
one thousand years intervenes between both passages.

Revelation 19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet
who had performed miracles before him, with which he deceived those
who had received the mark of the beast and had worshiped his image.
These two were thrown alive into a lake of fire burning with sulfur.

Revelation 20:10 And the devil who deceived them was cast into the lake
of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet were; and they
will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

The righteous

Its place : at the end of the current system God will create a new heaven
and a new earth.
Revelation 21:1 I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven
and the first earth passed away, and the sea was no more.

The righteous will have their place in both the new earth and the new
heaven as they will inherit all things.

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Revelation 21:7 He who overcomes will inherit all things, and I will be his
God, and he will be my son.

Some elements of the new creation are described in Revelation 21: 1, 9-

11, 22-23
1
I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first
earth passed away, and the sea was no more.
9
Then one of the seven angels who had the seven vials full of the seven
last plagues came to me and spoke with me, saying, Come hither, I will
show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.
11
having the glory of God. And its brilliance was similar to that of a most
precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.
22
And I saw no temple in it; for the Lord God Almighty is her temple, and
the Lamb.
23
The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it; because the
glory of God illuminates it, and the Lamb is its light.

Revelation 22:1-5 Then he showed me a clean river of water of life, clear

as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and the Lamb. In the middle of
the city street, on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which
produces twelve fruits, yielding its fruit each month; and the leaves of the
tree were for the healing of the nations. And there will be no more curse;
and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will
serve him, and they will see his face, and his name will be on their
foreheads. There will be no more night there; and they have no need of
the light of a lamp, nor of the light of the sun, for the Lord God will
enlighten them; and they will reign forever and ever.

Their condition : They will have the body and mind of Christ.
1 John 3:2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not yet been
revealed what we will be; but we know that when he appears, we will be
like him, because we will see him as he is.

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They will be immortal
Revelation 21:4 God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there
will be no more death, nor will there be any more crying, nor clamor, nor
pain; because the first things passed away.

They will not suffer anymore

Revelation 21:4 God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there
will be no more death, nor will there be any more crying, nor clamor, nor
pain; because the first things passed away.
Revelation 22:3 And there will be no more curse; and the throne of God
and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will serve him,

Its duration : The condition of joy, peace and happiness of the righteous
will be eternal.
Revelation 22:5 There will be no more night there; and they have no need
of the light of a lamp, nor of the light of the sun, for the Lord God will
enlighten them; and they will reign forever and ever.

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