THE BIBLE
We believe that the Bible is the reliable, sure, dependable Word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit and given by God for the benefit of humanity.
The autographs—the very original and first writings given by the direct and immediate inspiration of the Holy Spirit—are the absolute words of God, true in every respect. That being said, we do not believe—strictly speaking—that the surviving papyrus copies in Greek and Hebrew, or the translations made from them are the directly or immediately inspired work of the Holy Spirit. Rather, they are the reproductions of the inspired autographs, wherein the truth of the autographs has been somewhat obscured by error or deceit of fallen, sinful human beings and are therefore to a degree imperfect reproductions.
Notwithstanding, it is obvious to us that God has chosen to destroy the autographs or else has chosen not to reveal them to us for His own inscrutable reasons, and in order to suit His divine and infallible purposes. That the autographs are not needed for the work of salvation is evident and irrefutable.
All translations, including the KJV, are to one degree or another, imperfect reproductions and are to be read and studied in that light. But to the degree that a translation is closer to the surviving manuscript witnesses, is a word-for-word translation of them or is functionally equivalent to them, it can be considered dependable and true. In this regard we believe that the Byzantine Text is a sufficiently true and accurate copy of God’s inspired autographs. We have come to believe that the Byzantine Text, and therefore the King James translation based upon it is, on balance, a completely dependable witness. But we also believe this concerning the so called Critical Text (Codex Sinaiticus and the Alexandrian text type for example). In any event, we must ultimately cast ourselves upon the Holy Spirit, speaking to us from His holy Word (WCF 1:10; Matt 22:29, 31; Eph 2:20; Acts 28:25) trusting in His providential care of His own precious Word. In this regard, it is undoubtedly the meticulous and thorough exegesis under the leading of the Holy Spirit that will produce the greatest spiritual fruit.
The claim made by KJV Only advocates—that this translation, exclusive of any and all other translations, is the very word of God, identical in its direct and immediate inspiration with the autographs—we believe to be untrue, not because of any lack of ability on the part of God to have made it so, but because of the inherent and abiding sinfulness of all people (see SideBar).
The Bible, taken as a whole, is the record of redemption of God's elect, made possible and only possible, through the sacrifice of Christ for the expiation of sin and the propitiation of God on behalf of all those who partake of this saving grace. It is the story of God's love for His people and His plan to redeem them and keep them forever.
Any parts of the Bible which we as individuals are unable to understand or that seem to be contradictory or impossible are simply parts that have not been revealed to us either because of our own ignorance and sin or because God has, for His own inscrutable reasons, willed not to reveal those parts to us until such a time as He sees fit.
The Bible is the reliable and sure guide for the Christian life. It is a living book, having relevance for us today as it did for the people of previous times. This is so because there can be no difference between God's truth and His being. God's truth can only be an expression of who God truly and surely is. In the pages of His truth, which is Holy Scripture, God has clearly revealed how He would have us live, therefore we are devoid of excuses to live otherwise.
The Bible teaches us to know, love and obey God in the three persons of the Godhead: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
The Bible teaches us that we are to love the Lord our God with all our hearts, with all our minds, with all our souls and with all our strength. But you cannot truly love what you do not truly believe.
The Bible, from the
first book to the last, bears witness to Jesus Christ, Son of God, High
Priest, King, Prophet, who died because of the love of God for the world,
to save us from sin in a loving relationship and so provide those who
believe with adoption by the Father through the Son and, finally, resurrection
at the last and life everlasting in the presence of our God.
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We believe
in God, the creator of all that is, one only, and spiritual in nature;
the ground of being; transcendent and immanent; omnipotent and omniscient.
We believe that God is one nature in the three persons
of the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
We believe that Jesus of Nazareth was God incarnate;
the one only Son of the Father; the second person of the Trinity; the
Word or active principle of God; the true Messiah; fully divine and fully
human, being born of the virgin Mary.
We believe He was crucified, died and was buried in the
tomb for three days and three nights and was resurrected on the first
day of the week. After appearing to many, He ascended into heaven and
now sits at the right hand of the Father. There He holds us in His love
and as our great High Priest, intercedes on our behalf.
We believe that we sin by nature. Because of Adam's fall,
we are born in sin, live in sin and, without God’s saving grace,
die in sin. There is no reward for the unrepentant sinner but God's just
and righteous damnation because of His holy and abiding hatred for sin.
We believe that Jesus' sacrificial death was required
by God, for atonement and the redemption from sin and the world of the
flesh and that we, purchased by His blood and by adoption through Him,
will become like Him through our sanctification.
We believe that the presence of the Holy Spirit is essential
in order to receive that grace by which we are saved unto eternal life.
God bestows the gift of the Holy Spirit upon sinners whom He has foreknown
in eternity past, that through His sovereign will, those He has foreknown
and foreloved will inevitably come to believe most willingly and obediently.
We believe that we are not dependent on any others for
our salvation, nor do we believe that works of any kind or our choices
(assisted or unassisted) are the means by which we attain salvation, but
that salvation is firstly, solely, entirely, and absolutely a gift from
God. Those chosen or elected to hear God's effectual call will receive
this gift and become new. Thus, they have a saving relationship in Jesus
Christ and are enabled to repent of their sin, shun the works of the flesh,
and live Godly, righteous and obedient lives, even though they may backslide
for a time.
We believe that Holy Scripture, as given to us in the
Old and New Testaments, is the revealed word of God and is the true and
sure guide for the Christian life. It is inerrant, and sufficient in every
way God demands. Notwithstanding, the perfect truth of God's self-disclosure
is in the person of our Lord and King, Jesus Christ.
We believe in the necessity of the Law and its summary
as found in the complete Decalogue (the Ten Commandments).
We believe in the transformative power of the Gospel
and that it is given to mankind for our salvation in Christ. Those who
do not hear God's Word we neither condemn nor excuse but leave in God's
good care, trusting fully not only in His justice and righteousness, but
also in His goodness and mercy.
We believe in the unity of the Covenant of Grace and
the oneness of the people of God in all ages and that the Church is composed
of all the redeemed
in every age who are saved by grace through personal faith in Christ.
We believe that Christ, the Alpha and Omega, is coming
again to earth where He will judge both the living and the dead; no one
but the Father knows how or when this will occur.
We believe that some will hear but not heed the call
of God for salvation and that these will continue to live in denial of
God's truth in Jesus Christ and so die in their sin.
We believe that eternity is not a state of time but a
real state of being. Hell exists as the place of conscious, eternal separation
and punishment of the unrepentant and is the inevitable result and consequence
of sin.
We believe in life everlasting; that those called by
God will, upon their death, immediately go to be with Christ and will
ultimately be resurrected in glorified bodies. Those who are in God's
love will reside in His holy presence for all eternity.
All this we do earnestly and sincerely believe, casting
ourselves utterly upon the solid rock of salvation through the gift of
grace and faith in Christ Jesus, may His name be praised throughout all
creation.
Amen.
Subordinate Standards
A word needs to be said about subordinate standards. Basically, there
are three kinds of subordinate standards: creeds, confessions
and catechisms. A creed is a general statement of essential doctrine,
without which confusion about beliefs and truth would come to predominate
within the body of Christ. The Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed are
good examples. A confession on the other hand is a detailed guide to theological
and ecclesiastical doctrine and practice that informs and gives comprehensive
knowledge of God’s Word and His revealed will in sufficient detail
and accuracy as to be a dependable support for the Christian walk. We
believe that the Westminster Confession of Faith is a valid—but
not exclusive—guide to the Christian life. A catechism is a teaching
document, in question and answer format, which guides the believer to
understand in much detail the actual truth of Scripture. A catechism seeks
to make known the essential, important and necessary doctrines that together
make up the content of our faith.
Creeds and confessions (and catechisms) are called subordinate standards because they are subordinate or secondary to God’s Word—which must always take precedence as the one, only and sufficient rule for all Christians to live by and be obedient to. We are not to be necessarily obedient to creeds or confessions as they are the work of uninspired, fallen sinners and to be so is to, in fact, relinquish true Christian liberty (WCF 20/2).
Having said that, we accept the wisdom and knowledge found in the major creeds and confessions and willingly use them as supports and helps in gaining a deeper, profounder understanding of God’s Word. Therefore, we subscribe to the following:
- Apostles' Creed
- The Nicene Creed (contemporary language)
- The Westminster Confession of Faith
- The Westminster Shorter and Larger Catechisms
- Three Forms of Unity
We also look with
admiration on other documents such as the Cambridge
Declaration, the Chicago
Statement of Biblical Inerrancy, the Chicago
Statement on Biblical Hermeneutics and others of their ilk.
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Different
Beliefs?
What if you don't or can't accept and believe in many of the
things as found
on this website; things such as total depravity, monergism, sovereign
grace or the Five solas? What if you don't consider yourself to be a Reformed
Protestant or Calvinist? What then?
You're welcome nevertheless. Christ's essential message is "The Kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel" (Mark 1:15). If you have repented of your sin and have come to believe in Christ as your Saviour and Sovereign Lord, you are welcome. As Paul reminds us, "There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all (Eph. 4:4-6). And again in Gal. 3:26-29, "For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise." As we have said elsewhere, we maintain the concept of the priesthood of all believers as well as the communion of the saints. These are among our foundational principles.
What is a biblical Christian?
A Word About the King James Bible
While we are fond of the King James Bible, also known as the Authorized Version, and maintain the firm conviction that it is an accurate, dependable and sufficient version of the very Words of God, as well as being the most beautiful of all the English translations, we do not believe it to be absolutely or exclusively accurate, as the translation is the work of fallible men. We also maintain that, due to the evolution of the English language, it no longer displays the clarity of language it once had and so is harder to comprehend than some more modern translations. Nor do we believe one's understanding of the language used in the KJV should be used by others as a qualifier or test of the depth of a person's commitment to God, as often happens within fundamentalist congregations. Such a notion is not only unbiblical, it is also contrary to the intent and understanding of the KJV translators themselves, who only saw their version as the better of many previous translations.
All bible translations are the work of sinful men. They are all therefore, to a lesser or greater extent, imperfect concerning God's revelation. While we believe that only the original writings (autographa) could have the undisputed distinction of being inerrant and infallible, we also believe that the autographa are essentially irrelevant, God bringing to salvation thousands upon thousands of people by imperfect manuscript copies and various translations in different periods of history. We believe that God has chosen a multiplicity of translations to reveal His Word, each one suitable for the times in which it predominates. Why has God not provided the autographa in order to settle all disputes among believers? We do not know, and for us to provide reasons would be to merely speculate and second-guess God.
We do believe, however, that to the degree a translation is true to the manuscript copies in the original languages, it is under the control and blessing of God and can therefore be considered sufficient as a sure guide. (This obviously rules out most modern translations and all paraphrase bibles!)