The demand for this book has come from the students in the classroom who have listened to these lectures on the great doctrines of the Bible, and have desired and requested that they be put into permanent form for the purpose of further study and reference.This volume is prepared, therefore, primarily, but not exclusively, for the student, and with his needs in mind.The doctrines herein treated are dealt with from the standpoint of Biblical rather than dogmatic theology.This is evident from the plan which is followed in the work, namely, to gather together all the Scripture passages dealing with the subject under consideration, and from them choose a required number that may be called representative; then seek to understand the meaning of these references by the study of the text itself as well as its context and parallel passages; and finally, from the selected proof-texts, formulate the doctrinal teaching, and place such results under appropriate headings.The doctrines of GOD, JESUS CHRIST, and the HOLY SPIRIT are more fully dealt with than the doctrines which follow. This is especially true of the doctrine of GOD. The reason for this is to set forth the method pursued in these studies, and to give a pattern for the study of the doctrines to follow.It is intended that the doctrines of this book should be studied side by side with the open Bible. It is for this reason that many of the Scripture references are indicated by chapter and verse only. There must be constant reference to the Scriptures themselves.
About the Author: William Evans was a New York journalist with a very comfortable salary. He heard D.L. Moody preach in New York City on Luke 5. Moody challenged young people to give themselves to Christian service, and suddenly looked down at William Evans and pointedly said, "Young man, I mean you." Afterwards Moody found Evans and told him that somehow God had told him that He was calling Evans to service. Evans mentioned his good salary, and Moody told him to pack up his trunk and go to Chicago, not worrying about the money. On October 16, 1900, he was naturalized in Chicago, Illinois. Evans came to Chicago in 1900. On June 1, his family lived at 87 Hill Street, Chicago. He was 30 years old and had been married 8 years. Their daughter, Laura was now five, son Louis was 3, and Orrin was six months old. Two of his wife's sisters lived with them: Kate Torgerson, age 29, and Belle Torgerson, age 21. Kate worked as a stamper at a stationary store. Belle was going to college. They also had a male roomer, 35 year old Sibert Hookland, who worked as a rate clerk for the rail road. William was employed as a pastor. William Evans became the first graduate of Moody Bible Institute in 1892, two years after it was dedicated.