Outlines and study series are nothing new. Many have appeared; and many have vanished because of their lack of usability. The outlines on "The New Testament Church" that appear on the following pages of this book are the results of careful and prayerful study with the purpose in mind to develop a series of lessons that would be practical and usable. They are offered in the hope that others will find them such a work.

     In many of the lesson helps which have been so widely relied upon in the past there is not the close use and dependence upon the Bible itself that there should be in such work. Instead of having the tendency to familiarize the student with the texts of the Bible itself there is the inclination to rely entirely upon the lesson helps and they are frequently studied without recourse to the scriptures themselves. The lessons in this series have been arranged with this need in mind and the student or teacher will find it impossible either to prepare or recite the lessons taught by these outlines without going to the Bible to search out the truths and passages that teach the lessons implied. It is a firm conviction that such should be the case and that all times the Bible itself should be the text and our reliance placed entirely upon it. This book of outlines should serve as but a work or guide book with the Bible as the text.

     The Churches of Christ have steadily progressed in spite of ridicule and opposition until they have reached a plane of dignity and respectability in the world. They are now confronted with the danger of accepting their place among the religious bodies of the world and becoming merely ANOTHER DENOMINATION. It is quite commonly a subject of discussion that there is but little difference between the Church of Christ and other religious bodies. The purpose, prayer and aim in the preparation and development of these lessons has been to make the distinctive position occupied by the Church of Christ outstanding and easily discernible. Members, both young and old, need to know the difference between the Church and denominationalism. Indoctrination along this line is imperative if the members of the Churches of Christ are to remain "a people for God's own possession." (I Pet. 2:9).

iv