“Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, ²of instruction about washings, and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment” (Heb. 6:1-2, NASB).

God tells us to grow beyond the basics of the Christian faith and to press on to maturity.  Sadly, most Christians are not very well acquainted with the basics of Christianity and so linger in the milk of the word instead of going on to the meat.  My interviews with Christians over the years have led me to believe that about 80% of them have a faulty understanding of justification by faith and about 90% as many couldn’t defend the deity of Christ from the Bible.

In fact, most Christians I’ve encountered do not understand who Jesus is biblically, let alone defend the proper understanding of what Jesus did on the cross.

Now, I am not saying that all Christians need to be masters of theology, philosophy, and the Bible.  I am saying that Christians need to grow past the basics and onto maturity just like it says in Heb. 6:1-2.

Following is a list of questions that are basics.  The average Christian who has been a believer for, say, two years or more, should know the majority of the answers below.  If you don’t know them, then click on the answers link at the end of the questions to see what the right answers are and learn.

I suggest that you get a notebook together and fill it with things about doctrines, who Jesus is, what He did, what salvation is, etc.  Print papers from this site.  You don’t have to have them memorized but know them.  Understand them.  Use them as foundations in your Bible studies.  They will help.

How do you fair with the questions?

1. Can you tell someone what the Great Commission is?
2. Can you tell someone what the gospel is?
3. Can you tell someone where in the Bible the gospel is defined?
4. How many ways are there to get to God?
5. Can you quote John 3:16?
6. What book and chapter of the Bible has the 10 Commandments?
7. What is the basic salvation message?
8. Must you be baptized in order to be saved?
9. Is salvation obtained by being good, by faith in Jesus alone, or both?
10. Can you define the term justification?
11. Can you define the term sanctification?
12. Can you tell someone the difference between Mormonism and Christianity?
13. Can you quote scripture and location that says we are saved by grace?
14. Can you quote scripture and location that says there is only one God?
15. Is Jesus God in flesh, a good man, or an angel who became a man?
16. Did Jesus rise from the dead in a physical body or not?
17. How many natures does Jesus have?
18. Is the Holy Spirit a person like the Father and Son, or a force like radar?
19. Can you explain what the Trinity is?
20. Has God always been God?
21. Can you tell anyone what some of the attributes of God are?
22. Is Jesus going to return or not?
23. Did Jesus bear our sins in His body on the cross or not?
24. What is salvation?
25. What is sin?
26. What is damnation?
27. What is hell?
28. What is heaven?
29. Is the Bible inspired or is it a good book full of good moral stories?
30. What are the first five books of the Old Testament?
31. How many books are in the Bible?
32. Were Adam and Eve real people or not?
33. What is the biblical reason that Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden of Eden?
34. Is Satan a real being?
35. What are some of the qualifications of an elder?