Here is an example taken from successive editions of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge so you can see directly:
Romans 15:7 and its cross references constitute a Bible study of major importance, and must not be missed! This is a passage I have spent some time studying and researching. You can see the progression when you compare the references in the original Treasury of Scripture Knowledge with those given in The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, Nelson’s Cross Reference Guide to the Bible, and finally, compared to those now newly given in The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury:
Original Treasury of Scripture Knowledge:
- receive. ch. Ro 14:1-3. Mat 10:40. Mar 9:37. Lu 9:48. [4 cross references]
The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge:
- receive. Ro 12:10. *Ro 14:1-3. +Mal 3:16. *Mt 10:40. Mt 25:40. *Mk 9:37-41. *Lk 9:48. 10:38, 39. Jn 13:34. *Ac 9:26-28. *Ac 11:25, 26. *Ac 16:15. 17:7. +*2 Cor 6:9. Ga 6:1, 2. He 13:1, 2. +*1 P 4:9, 10. 1 J 3:14. %2 J 10. %3 J 9, 10. [20 cross references: +Mi 3:16 has been corrected to read +Mal 3:16; the “%” indicates a contrasting reference]
Nelson’s Cross Reference Guide to the Bible:
- receive. Ro 12:10, 13. 14:1-3. 16:2. Ps 119:74. +Mal 3:16. Mt 10:14, 15, 40, 42. 18:5. 25:35, 40, 43, 45, 46. Mk 6:11. 9:37-41. Lk 9:5, 48. 10:8, 10, 38, 39. Jn 13:20, 34. Ac 9:26-28, 43. 11:25, 26. 16:15. 17:7. +2 Cor 6:9. 7:2, 13. Ga 6:1. Php 2:29.Col 4:10. Phm 12, 17. He 13:1, 2. +1 P 4:9, 10. 1 J 3:14. 2 J 10. 3 J 8-10. [40 cross references]
The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury:
Romans 15:7
receive. %Rom 1:31 mg, Rom 12:10; Rom 12:13; *Rom 14:1, 2, 3; Rom 16:2, Exo 20:12, Lev 19:3, Job 19:3; +*Job 31:32, **Psa 15:1; **Psa 15:4; %+*Psa 31:11; Psa 34:21; Psa 91:1 note. +**Psa 119:63; Psa 119:74; Psa 133:1; +*Psa 142:7, **Jer 15:16 note. **Jer 37:14 note. Ezk 34:4, Mal 1:6; +*Mal 3:16, *Mat 10:14; *Mat 10:15; *Mat 10:40, 41, 42; Mat 18:5; Mat 25:35; Mat 25:40; Mat 25:43; Mat 25:45, 46, Mrk 6:11; *Mrk 9:37, 38, 39, 41, *Luk 9:5; *Luk 9:48; Luk 10:8; Luk 10:10; Luk 10:16; Luk 10:38, 39; Luk 15:2, Jhn 13:20; Jhn 13:34, *Act 9:17; *Act 9:26, 27, 28; *Act 9:43; *Act 11:1; *Act 11:25; *Act 11:26; Act 15:4; *Act 16:15; Act 17:5; +Act 17:7; Act 21:17, +*1Co 12:21, +*2Co 6:9; +*2Co 6:17; 2Co 7:2; 2Co 7:15, Gal 6:1, Php 2:29, Col 2:19 note. Col 4:10, 1Ti 5:17, Phm 1:12; Phm 1:17, Heb 13:1, 2, 1Pe 2:17; 1Pe 3:8; +*1Pe 4:8, 9, 10, **1Jn 1:3 note, 1Jn 1:7 note. 1Jn 3:14, %2Jn 1:10; %2Jn 1:11, %3Jn 1:8, 9, 10.
You can see the progression from 4 to 20 to 40 to 75 cross references given for the keyword receive.
By devastating personal family experience, I can testify to how crucial the Bible truth conveyed by this set of cross references is.
It is no fun to be “frozen out of the fellowship.” Both pastor and people must learn to receive one another, and particularly newcomers to the fellowship. In our mobile society people often end up far from their “home church,” and when they attempt to establish a connection to a new church home, it can be exceedingly difficult to find genuine Christian friendship and fellowship in a new setting.
That is not the fault of the newcomer, but the fault of the church and its sociological structure, known technically as a “village church,” often relatively small, where one evidently must be born into the church community to be received into its fellowship. This ought not to be. On judgment day, heads will roll over this one! The other type of church is known, sociologically speaking, as a “camp church.” Such a church is constituted of believers who are there for fellowship and spiritual growth as a result of a vibrant salvation experience, and they experience a warm welcome, and are cared for, sometimes through effective small group ministry, sometimes through the ordinary church structures like the Sunday school and a loving pastor who is genuinely a shepherd of his sheep.
In the heavily Roman Catholic neighborhood where I now have lived since 1975 there are no such Bible believing churches that I could find. I was politely “ushered out” of the one local church that looks to be like a Bible believing church, but apparently is not a genuine one, but is merely a “village church,” all form and no spiritual depth or growth or fellowship to be found. I was accused by the pastor the first time he visited my home, who said, “Jerry, you talk too much about the Bible and too much about the Lord.” I guess Malachi 3:16 is not found in his Bible, or else he hadn’t discovered it yet. Shameful!
A related issue is distinguishing between the major and minor issues of Bible doctrine. We ought not to break fellowship over non-essential issues upon which good men of sound character and spirituality differ. Such non-essential issues would include differences in opinion about Bible prophecy; differences in opinion regarding the mode of water baptism. Now, on the major issues, such as the full deity and humanity of Christ, the virgin birth of Christ, the divine inspiration of the Scriptures, and other clearly taught essential matters in the Bible, there can be no equivocation about these. Even so, though, when a person appears to be mistaken, Scripture by example and direction declares we should reach people who differ from us by very patient (2 Timothy 2:24, 25) teaching in order to win them to the truth (Acts 18:26. 1 Timothy 4:16).