Author's Preface
1. Accepting Or Uniting
   
2. Who Is A Christian?
   
3. "Why Don't You Leave The Church of Christ?"
   
4. The Iniquity Of The Fathers
   
5. Our Judicial System
   
6. "You Are My People Now"
   
7. Serving "Otherwise Than As Prescribed"
   
8. Does Baptize Really Mean To Immerse
   
9. Our Relationship Through Baptism
   
10. Those Gospel Meetings
    
11. A Prelude To Worship
    
12. Worshipping In Spirit And Truth
    
13. The Forbidden Prayer
    
14. "I Didn't Hear Nobody Pray"
    
15. Communion Prayers
    
16. Communion With Bread, Wine, And Money
    
17. Thursday Is The Lord's Day Too!
    
18. Not Forsaking The Assembly
    
19. Acts 20:7 One More Time
    
20. Our Father Who Art Where?
    
21. Does Nature Reveal God's Love
    
22. Copyrighted: All Rights Reserved
    
23. Don't Pour Water On Them
    
24. The Remaining Restriction For Women
    
25. Some Questions About Revelation
    
26. Must One Fully Repent Before Baptism?
    
27. Nicodemus In Context
    
28. Our Respected Myths Of Religion
    
29. Hook's Points: A Potpourri
    

AUTHOR'S PREFACE

"Are you going to write another book?" friends have continued to inquire. I usually answer, "Not likely; I have already written a lot more than I know!"

Although I have published four volumes in this series, I have never really written a book. That is, at no time have I set out to produce a volume on one theme. I began to write essays which were published in journals. As I continued to write, the accumulation of those papers was put into book form.

Those editors who have printed my stuff have encouraged me greatly. Use of my material could easily put them on the endangered species list. Greatest use of my writings was made by Leroy Garrett in his Restoration Review. Less frequent users, in descending order, were Firm Foundation, Ensign, The Examiner, One Body, Kingdom Counsel, Integrity, and Refreshing Waters. I am grateful that they would introduce my thoughts to you.

Since my retirement from the professional ministry, God has given me an outreach that I never could have anticipated. He has sent the books over the world mostly by means of person-to-person advertising. Readers have been generous and supportive. Many have become loyal partners in ministry. I thank God for you continually.

Truthfully, I can repeat that I am amazed that people read my stuff. Many times when persons have called to tell me how my efforts have affected their lives, I thank them for their kind words, explaining, "God spoke through a donkey once before, and I suppose he can do it again!" But the donkey deserves no credit for his speaking or her speaking, for Balaam's donkey was female.

Rather than "taking a stand" on the "issues," I continue to walk through them. There is no time to stop investigation. Who wants to crystallize like a pillar of salt? Once a person is able to break free of the yoke of law, every time he or she reads the scriptures, new meanings jump out. And we wonder why we never saw them before.

Several chapters of this book deal specifically with our accepting others in Christ. It is my hope in each theme to promote unity among believers. My sincere, but sectarian, attitude misdirected me dreadfully. My rejection of others in my career as a preacher still haunts me. Now I am happy to welcome all even as he has welcomed me for the glory of God. When we all practice that, unity will prevail and God will be glorified.

Thank you for tolerating me. Thank you for recommending my books to others. Thank you for continuing to pass the free copies of Free In Christ along to other searchers.

Every chapter in this book bears the refinement of Brian Casey, though you are not aware of it. He graciously proofreads all of my materials. He goes much further than checking for typos. He helps me with sentence structure, clarity of expression, agreement of verbs and nouns, and all other aspects of grammar. Both you and I benefit from his diligent work. The errors you find in this book are due to my revising the material after he sends it back to me.

Lea is an equal partner in all our work together. For fortyeight years she has been my strongest encourager and kindest critic.

Our kids, Paul and Mira Prince, have just bought equipment with which to set the type for this project. Their willing skills will add some needed class to my work.

My prayers go with each book and with each reader.

Cecil Hook, November 1993