1. Some areas of discussion and dispute

2.  How do we understand the Father, the Son and The Holy Spirit? Three persons? One God? How?  Various options: Three Gods, One God with three faces/aspects, One God who changes forms, One God (the Father) with the Son created and the Spirit as an influence,… - Council of Nicea 325, 381 NICENE CREED PRIMARY/SECONDARY?

3.  How is God Lord of All yet we have freedom to obey or disobey Him?  How does God achieve His purposes and allow us freedom to choose?  Emphasizing God’s sovereignty  Augustine (C-5) and Calvin (C-16)  Emphasizing Human Freedom  Pelagius (C-5), Arminius (C-17) and Wesley (C-18) PRIMARY/SECONDARY?

4.  Humans are born with guilt and leaning toward sinfulness (Augustine and Calvin) OR  Humans are born with neutral attitude to sin and can choose freely to obey or disobey (Pelagius and others)  Several inbetween positions on this topic. PRIMARY/SECONDARY?

5.  Old Testament settled before time of Jesus.  Books of New Testament in several categories:  Universally accepted  Disputed by some  Disputed by most  Rejected by most Settled late C-4 (THE CANON OF SCRIPTURE)  Only Bible as authority or also Church Pronouncements ?(Pope, etc.) PRIMARY/SECONDARY?

6.  One leader directs other leaders in a hierarchy: EPISCOPALIAN CHURCH GOVERNMENT (Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran, many modern churches)  Group of elected/appointed elders rule: PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH GOVERNMENT (Presbyterian, Reformed, many modern churches)  Whole congregation votes or by consensus makes major decisions: CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH GOVERNMENT (Baptist, Congregational, many others) PRIMARY/SECONDARY?

7.  Spectrum of views: from Bread and Wine BECOME the body and blood of Christ (Transubstantiation) to Bread and Wine are SYMBOLS of and REMINDERS of Christ’s death.  Transubstantiation – Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox  Consubstantiation – Lutheran Church  Mystical feeding on Christ with the bread, wine (Calvin)  Remembrance and symbolism – most other Protestant Denominations PRIMARY/SECONDARY?

8.  As example?  A victim of God’s wrath on our behalf, our substitute?  Our representative?  Only for the saved ones or for all? PRIMARY/SECONDARY?

9.  How will the many things in the Bible about the end of this age unfold?  Christ comes before a 1,000 year period of peace? (PREMILLENIALISM)  Christ comes after a 1,000 years of peace on earth (POST MILLENIALISM)  Christ returns and judges the earth – no literal 1,000 year reign (AMILLENIALISM) PRIMARY/SECONDAY?