The Basics

During his ministry, Jesus gave us an insight into the basic requirements of a person who would become a Christian and be pleasing to God. Mathew, in his gospel, records the words of Jesus as he addressed the people who had followed him to a sermon on the Mount of Olives. At this stage Jesus was beginning to bring people around to a different way of living and a different way of reacting to the world in times of trouble and war.

Mathew chapter 5

• Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
• Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
• Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
• Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
• Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
• Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
• Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
• Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
• Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

Please read all of Mathew Chapter 5

During this sermon he taught people how to pray, as recorded by Mathew Chapter 6, saying:

But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

After this manner therefore pray ye:

• Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
• Thy kingdom come.
• Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven
• Give us this day our daily bread.
• And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
• And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you

But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Please read all of Mathew Chapter 6

So what is expected of a Christian?

• To love God first and foremost
• To acknowledge Jesus as the Christ (The Messiah)
• To try to live by the model of the Sermon on The Mount.
• Attain some knowledge by reading the bible.

Do these things with conviction and The Holy Spirit will take things from there.

You don't have to study day after day, unless you feel you should. Remember the wrongdoer crucified at the side of our Lord wasn't a member of any religion, Christianity had not even begun and yet our Lord assured him that 'he would be with him in paradise' simply because he had faith in our Lord.

It's as simple as that. Do these simple basic things and live your life by them. If you really want to expand your knowledge further then take up bible study but never loose sight of these basic requirements.

What Bible translation should I use for study?

It doesn't make much difference providing the bible translation you choose is as accurate as possible. I say 'accurate as possible' because it is impossible to translate something as complicated as the Bible and still retain absolute accuracy.

The Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew and the New Testament in Greek although the Old Testament was also translated in Greek in the 3rd century BC and called The Septuagint. So, if you can read Greek you should use The Septuagint but if you can't read Greek start with The 'King James Version' as it is the most accurate translation into English, although the language is now rather old fashioned.

Be careful of translations that have been produced by religious groups. They often contain deliberate modifications to the original texts to support the particular belief structure of the group concerned. The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (Jehovah's Witnesses) for example do not believe that Jesus Christ is God but that he is merely the Son of God. As a result their translation called 'The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures' deliberately modifies certain verses to support that belief. See John Chapter 1 Verse 1 for instance. The original Greek clearly states, 'The Word was God' but their translation reads 'The Word was a god'.