Doctrine
DOCTRINE OF THE SCRIPTURES
We believe that the Holy Scriptures, more commonly known as the Holy Bible, and in the English language known as the King James Version or AV 1611, is each believer’s ultimate authority in all matters of faith and practice. 1. By the HOLY BIBLE we mean the collection of sixty-six books, from Genesis to Revelation, which, as found in the AV 1611, not only conveys the word of God, but contains the very words of God, and is the very word of God. 2. By INSPIRATION we mean that the books of the Bible were written by holy men of old, as they were moved by the Holy Spirit, in such a way that their writings were supernaturally and verbally inspired and free from error, as no other writings have ever been or ever will be. 3. We believe that the God who INSPIRED the Scriptures is powerful enough to PRESERVE them in the manner for which He intended us to have them. 4. We believe that the PROVIDENTIAL PRESERVATION of the New Testament concentrated itself on the Greek text within the sphere of the Greek Church through Antioch of Syria and that the text of the majority of manuscripts from this area is the providentially preserved and AUTHORIZED text: The text of the majority is the standard text. II Tim. 3:14-17; II Pet. 1:19-21; Acts 1:16; Acts 28:25; Psa. 12:6,7; Psa. 19:7-11; Psa. 119:160; Psa. 119:105; Psa. 119:130; Psa. 119:89; Psa. 138:2; Prov. 30:5,6; Lu. 24:44,45; Lu. 16:31; John 17:17; John 12:48; John 5:45-47; John 5:39; Rom. 3:4; Rom. 15:4; I Pet. 1:23; Isa. 8:20; Isa. 40:8; Eph. 6:17; Rev. 22:19
DOCTRINE OF GOD
We believe in one God, eternally existing in three equal persons: Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Ex. 20:2,3; Gen. 17:1; I Cor. 8:6; Eph. 4:6; John 4:24; Psa. 147:5; Psa. 83:18; Psa. 90:2; Jer. 10:10; Ex. 15:11; Rev. 4:11; I Tim. 1:17; Rom. 11:33; Matt. 28:19; John 15:26; I Cor. 12:4-6; I John 5:7; John 10:30; John 17:5; Acts 5:3,4; I Cor. 2:10,11; Phil. 2:5,6; Eph. 2:18; II Cor. 13:14
DOCTRINE OF CHRIST
We believe in the deity of Jesus Christ, that He was begotten by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary, and that He was and is true God and true man. John 17:5; John 1:3; John 1:1; Isa. 7:14; Zech. 12:10; John 1:14; Matt. 1:21; Luke 1:26-38; Rev. 1:7,8
DOCTRINE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe in the Holy Ghost as a person possessing all the distinctively divine attributes, that He convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgment, that He regenerates, seals and sets apart the believer to a holy life, and that at regeneration He baptizes the believer into the body of Christ and comes to indwell the believer permanently. John 14:15-17,26; John 16:7,8,13; Acts 11:16; Acts 5:3,4; Heb. 9:14; Eph. 1:13,14; Rom. 8:14-16; Rom. 8:26,27; I Pet. 1:2; II Thess. 2:13
THE DOCTRINE OF MAN AND HIS FALL
We believe that man is a trichotomy, created by God in His own image; and by voluntary transgression, the reality of the fall of man; the incurring of a distorted image and subjection to the law of sin and death, resulting in the universal and total depravity of man, called the doctrine of Hamartiology. Gen. 1:27; Gen. 3:1-6,24; Rom. 5:12,19; Rom. 3:10-19; Eph. 2:1; Eph. 2:3; Rom. 1:18; Ez. 18:19,20; Rom. 1:20,32;
THE DOCTRINE OF SALVATION
We believe in the voluntary, substitutionary, sacrificial death of the Lord Jesus on the cross, for the sins of all mankind. And by His death He made full vicarious atonement for our sins, the Just for the unjust. We believe in the necessity of regeneration by GRACE through repentance of sin, and PERSONAL faith in Christ’s work of atonement; whereby the believer receives justification in standing and adoption in position; and instantaneous, progressive and complete sanctification, through the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus; but not sinless perfection. Eph. 2:8,9; Acts 15:11; Rom. 3:24; John 3:16; Matt. 18:11; Phil. 2:7; Heb. 2:14; Isa. 53:4-7,11,12; Rom. 3:25; I John 4:10; I Cor. 15:1-4; II Cor. 5:21; John 10:18; Phil. 2:8; Gal. 1:4; I Pet. 1:23,24; I Pet. 3:18; Heb. 12:2; I Cor. 15:20; Heb. 9:12-15; Heb. 5:7; I John 2:2;
DOCTRINE OF SATAN AND ANGELS
1. We believe in the person and reality of Satan. 2. We believe that angels are divinely created, spiritual beings of a higher order than man. The innumerable angels have various ranks and orders. But evil angels fell with that powerful usurper, Satan, during a preadamic rebellion and now oppose God’s purposes and will incure future judgment by God. Good angels have heavenly and earthly ministries. Ez. 28:12-19; Isa. 14:12-14; John 8:44; Job 2:1,2; I John 3:8; Zech. 3:1,2; I Chron. 21:1; Heb. 1:14; Jude 6; Col. 1:16; Psa. 104:4; Judges 6:11-22; II Pet. 2:4,11; Jude 9; I Thess. 4:16; Psa. 109:6; Matt. 4:1-11; John 14:30; 12:31; John 16:11; I John 5:19; I Pet. 3:22; Heb. 12:22; Matt. 26:53; Rev. 12:7-9; 13:4; Psa. 103:20; Dan. 12:1; Acts 8:26; Luke 15:10; Matt. 13:39; Heb. 2:14; I John 3:8; Col. 2:15; Matt. 25:41; Rev. 20:10 Acts 12:8-11; 27:23,24; I Tim. 5:21; Matt. 25:31,32; II Thess. 1:7,8
DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH
We believe in the local church made up of baptized believers, comprising a self- governing body, that proclaims the word of God and propagates the gospel and that lifts up the Lord Jesus Christ. The visible church as an organization adheres to membership qualifications, stewardship, missions, and observes His ordinances: 1. Baptism by immersion and administered only to believers, as a symbol of their death, burial and resurrection with Him. 2. The Lord’s supper should be partaken of by believers only, to show forth His death till He comes. I Cor. 11:2; Eph. 1:22,23; Rom. 12:4-21; I Cor. 12:8-11; Acts 14:23; 6:5,6,23; Acts 20:17-28; I Tim. 3:1-13; Eph. 5:23,24; I Pet. 5:1-4; Acts 15:22,23; I Cor. 5:11-13 Baptism — Acts 8:36-39; 10:47,48; Rom. 6:3-5; Col. 2:11,12. Three Bible Applications: A. (Past) Pictures death, burial and resurrection - Rom. 6:3-11; Eph. 2:1; I Cor. 6:11; Titus 3:5. B. (Present) Pictures the believer’s subjection to the local church and to the Pastor that God has called out - I Cor. 10:1,2; I Tim. 3:1,4; Heb. 13:7; I Thess. 5:12. C. (Future) Believer’s belief in a future literal resurrection - I Cor. 15:12-57; Lord’s Supper - I Cor. 11:23-28. Stewardship - II Cor. 8:1-8; I Cor. 4:2; 16:2; Heb. 7:2,4; Matt. 23:23; Lev. 27:30; Mal. 3:10; Acts 4:34,35,37; Phil. 4:17; II Cor. 9:1-12. Missions - Acts 1:8; 13:2-4; Rom. 10:13-15.
DOCTRINE OF FUTURE THINGS
We believe in the pre-tribulation rapture of the church; in the bodily resurrection of believers; marriage as the bride of Christ; in the judgment seat of Christ; in the personal, bodily, visible, powerful, premillennial second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ; in the restoration of the Jews in an earthly millennial kingdom; in the bodily resurrection of the unbelievers; the great white throne judgment; in a literal heaven and hell; in everlasting destruction of God’s enemies and the preservation of the saints. Pre-Tribulation Rapture - Hosea 6:1,2; I Thess. 4:13-16; Job 37:1-4; I Cor. 15:52; Rev. 4:1. Tribulation - Matt. 24:21, 29,30. Judgment Seat of Christ - Rom. 14:10; II Cor. 5:9,10; I Cor. 3:12-15. Bride of Christ - John 14:3; Rev. 21:9; 22:17. Second Coming - Acts 1:6,10,11; Matt. 25:31; I Tim. 6:14,15; II Thess. 2:8; Rev. 11:15; Matt. 24:21,30; Dan. 9:24-27; Rev. 1:7. Jews - Isa. 11:1-12; Ez. 37:19-24; Rom. 11:26; Acts 3:19,20; Jer. 31:31-34; Ez. 36:37,38. Millennium - Rev. 20:2,5; Isa. 11:1-11; 55:13; 65:25; 32:15; 35:1. Great White Throne Judgment - Rev. 20:11-15. Bodily Resurrection - I Cor. 15; Rom. 8:23; 14:10; Mk. 9:43-48; Rev. 20:11-15; I Thess. 4:13-16. Heaven - Gen. 1:1; Psa. 89:29; II Cor. 5:1; Isa. 66:1; Matt. 6:9; Rev. 10:6; Isa. 57:15. Hell - Luke 16:23; Matt. 25:41-46; Matt. 3:12; Rev. 20:10,14; Isa. 33:14; II Thess. 1:9. Preservation of the Saints - John 14:2,3; I John 3:2; I Cor. 15:51,53; Rom. 8:29,30.
DOCTRINE OF TONGUES
We believe that tongues came upon mankind as a judgment of God because people departed from God’s way; that tongues were given as a sign for unbelieving Jews, and to confirm the word; that Spirit filled disciples of Christ spoke in many languages on the day of Pentecost and on other occasions; there is no Bible evidence that such a spiritual gift was given to the carnal church at Corinth, nor that it is for today. Three Bible Definitions of tongues: A. Language — Acts 2:6,8 B. Body Member — James 3:5,6 C. Specific Message — Prov. 12:18; 17:20 Gen. 11:9; I Cor. 1:21,22; 14:22; II Cor. 12:12; Acts 2:6-11; 10:45,46; 11:12-17; 19:1-7; I Cor. 3:1-3; II Thess. 2:9; I Cor. 14