"For although by this time you should be teachers, you… need to have someone teach you the rudiments of the first principles of the revelations of God… Therefore leaving the teaching of the first principles of Christ, let's press on to perfection — not laying again a foundation… of faith toward God, of the teaching of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead and of eternal judgment. This will we do."

Hebrews 5:12; 6:1-3 (WEB)

Originally, the First Principle Studies were compiled and published in 1980, while I served the Lord during the formative early days of the Boston Church of Christ. In fact, the building of these studies was a process. The "Baptism Of The Holy Spirit" and "Miraculous Gifts of the Holy Spirit" studies were my "gleanings" from the Acts class at the 14th Street Church of Christ in Gainesville, Florida in 1973. The "Seeking God," "Word Of God," "Light and Darkness," "New Testament Conversion," and "Church" studies were written in 1976-1977 when the Spirit initiated the Eastern Illinois University Campus Ministry in Charleston, Illinois. The "Coming Of The Kingdom" study was penned after I completed the Old Testament Survey class at Harding Graduate School of Religion in Memphis, Tennessee in the summer of 1978. The "Discipleship" study was originally written while I was reaching out to a religious student at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts in February 1980. (The "Cross" study was formally added in 1982.)

It was at this point in early 1980 that I pulled these studies together calling them the First Principles. For the conclusion of each session of teaching First Principles, I would preach a four-part overview of the Book of Acts for my students to have a shared vision for the evangelization of the nations. Tests and quizzes were administered covering each First Principle study, that week's memory work, the order of the books of the Bible, and in the later weeks, the Book of Acts.

The first four "Follow Up" studies were written in 1988 to help mature the almost 1,500 "baby Christians" baptized that year in the Boston Church of Christ. The "Persecution" study was authored in Portland, Oregon in 2005 while we were undergoing heavy persecution by the world and even by those who called themselves "Christians."

The First Principles were slightly revised in 2003 to meet the needs and to confront the challenges of the Portland International Church of Christ. While planting and leading the City of Angels International Christian Church in Los Angeles, I made a few more modifications in 2007 and 2012. As well, after spending considerable time on the international mission field, I further adapted the studies in 2018 and 2020. As of today, these essentially same First Principles Studies from 1980 are being taught to all of the new disciples in the over 100 International Christian Churches in 47 nations in their local languages. May the Lord continue to "solidify, unify and multiply" sold-out disciples everywhere for the evangelization of all the nations in this generation! And to God be all the glory!

Dr. Kip McKean
August 8, 2020