INDEX
Eternal Considerations
The Scriptures
Theology
God the Father
God the Son
God the Holy Spirit
Spiritual Gifts
Mankind
Salvation
Understanding and Belief
Regeneration
Justification
Sanctification
Eternal Security
Separation
The Church
Lord's Supper and Baptism
Angels
The Family
Final Events
Death
The Rapture of the Church
The Tribulation
The Return of Jesus and the Establishment of His Kingdom
The Judgment of Unbelievers
Eternity
Eternal Considerations
People have always wanted to know about truth, whether it exists and if it makes any difference in life. Everybody has an opinion about what truth is and how one comes to know it, such that we can easily despair of ever discovering the truth about anything. We are tempted to think that all ideas are equally valid or that it is impossible to find the truth if such a thing really exists.
In order to overcome the problem of our limited viewpoints (our finiteness and subjectivity), any knowledge of truth about God and mankind must come from outside of ourselves. In other words, if there is truth, it must be revealed to us from a source that is beyond our world. Truth must be transcendent to humanity if it is to be objective, real and trustworthy. The good news is that Jesus declared that you can know the truth, and that “it will set you free” (John 8:32).
Christianity declares that such a source of knowledge and truth exists in the person of God, and that He has revealed to us the truth about ourselves that we never could have known apart from such a revelation.
In the past God spoke to us through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, through whom He made the universe (Hebrews 1:1-2). ‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,’ says the Lord. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts’ (Isaiah 55:8-9). Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know Him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength (1 Corinthians 1:20-25).
In light of all this, the leaders at Barcroft Bible Church recognize and affirm that the Bible is the only source of transcendent and trustworthy truth concerning mankind and God, and we are deeply committed to studying and teaching it with diligence and authority. What we hold to be true and life-changing, we endeavor to impart to others through all the ministries of our church.
The Scriptures
We teach that the sixty-six books of the Bible are the written revelation of God, and that together they constitute the complete and final authority of authoritative Scriptures (2 Peter 1:20-21; Jude 3; Revelation 22:18-19). Further, we teach that every word of it is inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16) and that, because of this, the Scriptures are without error in the original documents and infallible in their teaching.
We teach that God spoke His written Word by a process of dual authorship. This simply means that the Holy Spirit took and used human authors with their individual personalities and different styles of writing and guided and superintended the process in such a way that they composed and recorded God’s Word to man (2 Peter 1:20-21) without error in whole or in part (Isaiah 40:8). As such, we teach that the Bible constitutes the only infallible rule of faith and practice for the Christian (Matthew 5:18; John 10:35, 17:17; 2 Timothy 2:15-17; Hebrews 4:12).
We teach that, whereas there may be several applications of any given passage of Scripture, there is but one true interpretation. It is to be found as one diligently applies the grammatical-historical method of interpretation by the illumination of the Holy Spirit (John 16:12-15; 1 Cor. 2:7-15).
We teach that the Bible plays an indispensable part in living a dynamic Christian life. It builds up, transforms, encourages, corrects, and protects the believer’s life as he or she studies and applies it (Psalm 119:11; Acts 20:32; Ephesians 5:26, 6:17).
Theology
We teach that there is but one living and true God (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 45:5-7), perfect in all His attributes, one in essence, eternally existing, and subsistent in three Persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19; II Corinthians 13:14) - each equally deserving the same worship and obedience.
God the Father
God the Father, the first Person of the Trinity (1 Corinthians 8:6), orders and disposes all things according to His own purpose and grace (Psalm 145:9; Ephesians 1:11; Philippians 2:13). As the absolute and highest Ruler in the universe, He is sovereign in all things (Psalm 103:19; Romans 11:36). He has decreed for His own glory all things that come to pass and continually upholds, directs and governs all creatures and events (1 Chronicles 29:11). This He does in such a way so as not to be the author or approver of sin (Habakkuk 1:13; James 1:13) nor to abridge the accountability of moral, intelligent creatures (Ezekiel 18:20; Romans 14:12). He saves from sin all who come to Him through Jesus Christ, and He relates Himself to His own as their Father (John 1:12; Romans 8:15; Ephesians 1:3-6; Hebrews 12:5-9).
God the Son
We teach that Jesus is the Christ, the second Person of the Trinity, possessing all the divine excellencies, and in these He is coequal and coeternal with the Father and the Holy Spirit (John 10:30; 14:9). He is the Creator of all things (Genesis 1:1-31; John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:16).
We teach that in the incarnation He surrendered only the prerogatives of deity but nothing of the divine essence, either in degree or kind. In His incarnation, the divine nature united itself with a human nature in an indissoluble union, and so He became the God-man (Philippians 2:5-8).
We teach that Jesus Christ represents the fusion of humanity and deity into an indivisible oneness (Colossians 2:9). We teach that He was born of the virgin Mary (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:25; Luke 1:26-35), that He was God incarnate (John 1:1-3, 14, 18) and that the purpose of the incarnation was to reveal God (John 1:29; 1 John 1:3), redeem men (Acts 20:28; Ephesians 1:7; Revelation 5:9), and rule over God’s kingdom (Isaiah 9:6).
We teach that Jesus accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross, and that His death was voluntary (John 10:17-18), substitutionary (1 Peter 2:24), propitiatory (Romans 3:25), and redemptive (Ephesians 1:7).
We teach that, upon the basis of the efficacy of the death of Jesus, the believing sinner is freed from the punishment, the power, and one day the very presence of sin, declared righteous, given eternal life and admitted to the family of God (Romans 5:1, 8-11; 8:1, 14-17).
We teach that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead, and that He is now ascended to the right hand of the Father where He is ministering as our Advocate and High Priest (Matthew 28:6; Luke 24:39-43; Hebrews 4:14-16; 7:25; 9:24).
We teach that by the resurrection of Jesus from the grave, God confirmed His deity. In addition, God accepted the atoning work of Jesus on the cross and His bodily resurrection as the guarantee of a future resurrection life for all believers (John 5:28-29; 14:19; Romans 1:4; 4:25; 6:5; 1 Corinthians 15:20, 23).
We teach that Jesus Christ will return to receive the Church, which is His Body, unto Himself at the Rapture and, returning with His Church in glory, will establish His kingdom in its millennial manifestation (Acts 1:9-11; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 19:11-16; 20:4-6).
As the sole mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5), the Head of His Body the Church (Ephesians 1:22; 5:23; Colossians 1:18), and the coming universal King who will reign on the throne of David (Isaiah 9:6; Luke 1:31-33), Jesus Christ is the final Judge of all who fail to place their trust in Him as the Lord of life and the only Savior (Acts 17:30-31).
God the Holy Spirit
We teach that the Holy Spirit is a divine Person, eternal, underived, possessing all the divine attributes, and that in these He is coequal with the Father and the Son (Matthew 28:19; Acts 5:3-4; 1 Corinthians 12:4-6; compare also Isaiah 6:8-9 with Acts 28:25-26, and Jeremiah 31:31-34 with Hebrews 10:15-17). The divine attributes of the Holy Spirit include:
Intellect I Corinthians 2:10-13
Emotion Ephesians 4:30
Will I Corinthians 12:11
Co-equality Matthew 28:19; I Corinthians 12:4-6; II Corinthians 13:14
Eternality Hebrews 9:14
Omnipresence Psalm 139:7-10
Omniscience Isaiah 40:13-14
Omnipotence Romans 15:13
Truth John 16:13
We teach that it is the work of the Holy Spirit to execute the divine will with relation to the world of men. We recognize His sovereign activity in the creation (Genesis 1:2), the incarnation (Matthew 1:18; Luke 1:35), the written revelation (2 Peter 1:20-21), and the work of salvation (John 3:5-7).
We teach that the work of the Holy Spirit in this age began at Pentecost when He came from the Father, as promised by Christ (John 14:16, 15:26), to initiate and complete the building of the Body of Christ, which is His Church (1 Corinthians 12:13). The broad scope of His divine activity includes convicting the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment (John 16:7-8), glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ (John 16:14) and transforming believers into Christ-likeness (2 Corinthians 3:17-18; Galatians 5:22-23).
We teach that the Holy Spirit is the divine Teacher who guided the apostles into all truth as they submitted to God’s revelation in Scripture (John 16:13). Every believer possesses the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit from the moment of salvation (Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 12:13), and it is the duty and privilege of all those born of the Spirit to be filled by the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18).
Spiritual Gifts
We teach that the Holy Spirit alone administers spiritual gifts to the Church (1 Corinthians 12:11), not to glorify Himself or the gifts by ostentatious displays, but to glorify Christ (John 16:14) and implement His work of redeeming the lost (Acts 1:8). We teach, in this respect, that God the Holy Spirit is sovereign in the bestowing of all His gifts (1 Corinthians 12:11) for the edifying of the saints today (1 Corinthians 14:12).
First, He gives gifted men for the purpose of equipping the saints for the work of ministry (Ephesians 4:7-12). Next, He also gives unique and special abilities to each member of the Body of Christ for the work of service (Romans 12:5-8; 1 Corinthians 12:4-31; 1 Peter 4:10-11). At the moment of spiritual birth, every believer receives such a gift or gifts. These gifts are sovereignly bestowed (1 Corinthians 12:11), and it is important for every believer to discover, develop and employ his or her spiritual gift or gifts for the edification of the Body and the accomplishment of the work of Christ in the world (Romans 12:3-8; 1 Peter 4:10-11).
We also teach that some of these gifts were evangelistic sign gifts; namely, speaking in tongues and interpretation, healing, prophecy, and the working of miracles. These were given in the apostolic era for the purpose of confirming the authenticity of the apostolic message but gradually ceased in normative church practice as the New Testament Scriptures were completed and their authority became established (Isaiah 28:11; Acts 19:11-12; 1 Corinthians 13:8-10; 14:22a; 2 Corinthians 12:12; Hebrews 2:3-4).
We observe in the Scriptures that the gift of healing was the primary manifestation of signs and wonders in the post-resurrection period of the early church, and was used to authenticate the gospel message. We teach that although no one possesses the gift of healing in a similar manner today, God can and does supernaturally heal the sick, the suffering and the afflicted in answer to the prayer of faith and in accordance with His own perfect will (John 5:5-9; 2 Corinthians 12:7-10; James 5:13-16; 1 John 5:14-15).
Regarding the gifts of languages and interpretation, we teach that these imparted the miraculous ability to speak or understand a foreign language for the purpose of evangelism (Acts 2:5-12, 1 Corinthians 14:22). Not everyone was given these particular gifts (1 Corinthians 12:29), nor are they the same as the phenomena of “ecstatic speech” which is practiced today by various people around the world, including non-Christians. Although these gifts are no longer normative for the church today, we recognize that there is no restriction upon God’s sovereignly using miraculous events and abilities to accomplish His will on earth at any time and in any place.
Mankind
We teach that man was directly and immediately created by God in His image and likeness, rather than by any evolutionary process (Genesis 1:27; 2:7, 22), and that life begins at conception in the womb (Psalm 139:13-16). Man was created free of sin with a rational nature, intelligence, volition, self-determination, and moral responsibility to God (Matthew 12:36;
1 Thessalonians 5:23; 1 Peter 1:17).
We teach that the purpose of man’s creation was the divine intention that he should glorify God (Isaiah 43:7; Revelation 4:11), enjoy God’s fellowship, live his life in the will of God, and by this accomplish God’s purpose for man in the world.
We teach that in Adam’s sin of disobedience to the revealed will and Word of God, mankind forever after lost innocence and incurred the penalty of spiritual and physical death (Genesis 2:16-17; 3:1-19; Romans 3:23; 5:12; 6:23). Because of sin, mankind became inherently corrupt and utterly incapable of choosing or doing that which is acceptable to God apart from divine grace. With no recuperative powers to enable him to recover himself, man is hopelessly lost (1 Corinthians 2:14), apart from the salvation which is the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:5; 2:1-3; Titus 3:5-6).
We teach that the sin nature as well as the consequences of that original sin have been transmitted (imputed) to all men of all ages (Romans 5:12), Jesus Christ being the sole exception. All men are thus sinners by divine declaration (Psalm 14:1-3; Romans 3:9-18, 23), by nature (Jeremiah 17:9; Matthew 15:19) and by choice (Isaiah 53:6; James 2:10).
Salvation
We teach that salvation is totally from God, a gift, by grace (Ephesians 1:7; 2:8), through the redemption of Jesus Christ, the merit of His shed blood (1 Peter 1:18-19). This gift of salvation comes through faith alone and not on the basis of any human merit or works (Ephesians 2:9; Titus 3:5). The concept of salvation has many aspects to it as revealed in the Bible, some of which are described in the following sections.
Understanding and Belief
It is essential that we understand our sinfulness and the penalty that results from sin. The Bible says that “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Along with this awareness of sin comes the understanding that we are helpless to save ourselves, and that faith alone in Jesus is the only way to gain access to heaven after we die (Romans 3:23, 5:12; Ephesians 2:8-9).
Saving faith is a belief that goes beyond knowing something about Jesus. Many people know the facts about Christ, but those facts don’t save them (James 2:19). Rather, saving faith is a belief which enables a person to entrust themselves to Jesus for salvation (Hebrews 10:39). Without this kind of faith, “it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that He is” (Hebrews 11:6).
The only requirement for any person to be saved from their sins, and thereby gain access to heaven when they die, is a believing trust in the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 16:31). Salvation is not something that happens because you go to church, or because you are a good person, or because you said a prayer. Salvation is the gift from God that He gives to any person that believes in Jesus from the heart, and it is the start of a brand new life for now and forever (John 3:16;
2 Corinthians 5:17).
Regeneration
We teach that every person who believes in Jesus for salvation is born again spiritually (John 3:3-6). This spiritual rebirth, also known as regeneration, is a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit by which the divine nature and divine life are communicated (John 3:3-7; Titus 3:5). It is instantaneous and it is accomplished solely by the power of the Holy Spirit through the instrumentality of the Word of God (John 5:24). Regeneration will be manifested by repentance, faith, and righteous living. Good works are its proper evidence and fruit (Ephesians 2:10; Titus 3:8) and will be experienced to the extent that the believer submits to the control of the Holy Spirit in his or her life through faithful obedience to the Word of God (Ephesians 5:18-19; Philippians 2:12; Colossians 3:16; 2 Peter 1:3-8). This obedience causes the believer increasingly to be conformed to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18). Such a conformity is climaxed in the believer’s glorification at Christ’s coming (Romans 8:17; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 Peter 1:23; 1 John 3:2-3).
Justification
We teach that justification before God is an act of God by which He declares righteous those who believe in Christ (Romans 8:33). This righteousness is apart from any virtue or work of man (Romans 3:20; Galatians 2:16) and involves the imputation of our sins to Christ (Colossians 2:14; 1 Peter 2:24) and the imputation of Christ’s righteousness to us (2 Corinthians 5:21). By this means God is enabled to “be just, and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Romans 3:26).
Sanctification
We teach that every believer is “set apart” (sanctified) unto God by the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. Every believer therefore is declared to be holy and identified as a saint. This is not a progressive sanctification. This sanctification has to do with the believer’s positional standing in the eyes of God: he or she is “in Christ” (Acts 20:32; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 6:11; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; Hebrews 2:11; 3:1; 10:10, 14; 13:12; 1 Peter 1:2).
We teach that there is, by the work of the Holy Spirit, also an experiential sanctification by which the ongoing earthly state of the believer progressively is brought closer to the positional standing which he or she enjoys through justification. Through obedience to the Word of God and the empowering of the Holy Spirit the believer is able to live a life of increasing holiness in conformity to the will of God, becoming more and more like the Lord Jesus Christ (John 17:17, 19; Acts 20:32; Romans 6:1-22; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Ephesians 5:26; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4; 5:23).
In this respect we teach that every saved person is involved in a conflict with sin and its corrupt desires (Romans 7:22-23; Ephesians 6:10-12). The new life of the Spirit, which we have in Christ, is set against the old sinful desires of the flesh. Nevertheless, adequate provision is made for victory through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 10:13; 15:56-57). This struggle stays with the believer all through his earthly life and is never completely ended. All claims to the eradication of sin in this life are unscriptural, and although eradication of sin is not possible here in this life, the Holy Spirit does provide victory over sin and temptation (1 Cor. 10:13; Galatians 5:16-25; Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 3:9-10; 1 Peter 1:14-16; 1 John 3:5-9).
Eternal Security
We teach that all the redeemed are kept by God’s power and are thus secure in Christ forever; or in other words, a believer cannot lose his or her salvation (John 5:24; 6:37-39; 10:27-30; Romans 5:9-10; 8:1, 31-39; 1 Corinthians 1:8; Ephesians 4:30; Hebrews 7:25; 13:5; 1 Peter 1:5; 1 John 5:13; Jude 24). We teach that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God’s Word which, however, also clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion for sinful living and carnality (Romans 6:15-22; 13:13-14; Galatians 5:13; Titus 2:11-15).
Separation
We teach that the doctrine of separation from sin is clearly evident throughout the Old and New Testaments (2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1), and that the Scriptures clearly indicate that in the last days apostasy and worldliness will increase (1 Timothy 4:1; 2 Timothy 3:1-5). Thus, everyone who is saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Savior and Lord and that separation from all religious apostasy and worldly and sinful practices is commanded by God (Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 5:9-13; James 4:4; 1 John 2:15-17; 3 John 9-11).
The Church
We teach that all who place their faith in Jesus Christ are immediately baptized by the Holy Spirit into one united spiritual Body, the Church (1 Corinthians 12:12-13), of which Christ is the Head (Ephesians 1:22; 4:15; Colossians 1:18), and which is His espoused Bride (2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:23-32; Revelation 19:7-8).
We teach that the formation of this Body began on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-21, 38-47) and will be completed at the coming of Christ for His own at the Rapture (1 Corinthians 15:51-52; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).
We teach that the Church is a unique spiritual organism designed by Christ (Matthew 16:18), made up of all born-again believers in this present age (Ephesians 2:11-3:6). The Church is distinct from Israel (1 Corinthians 10:32), a mystery not revealed until this age (Ephesians 3:3-6, 9-10; 5:32).
We teach that the establishment and continuity of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures (Acts 14:21-23, 27; 20:17, 28; Galatians 1:2; Philippians 1:1; 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:1), and that Christians are directed to associate themselves together in local assemblies with other like-minded believers (1 Corinthians 11:18-20; Hebrews 10:25).
We teach that the one, supreme authority for the Church is Christ (Ephesians 1:22; Colossians 1:18), and that order, discipline, and worship are appointed through His sovereignty. We also believe that God gave leadership and teaching authority in the local church to men who are biblically qualified elders serving under Christ (Acts 20:28; Ephesians 4:11; 1 Timothy 2:12; 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9; 1 Peter 5:1-5). We teach that these leaders rule as servants of Christ (1 Timothy 5:17-22), and that the congregation is to willingly submit to their leadership (Hebrews 13:7, 17).
We teach the disciplining of sinning members of the congregation in accord with the standards of the Bible (Matthew 18:15-17; 1 Corinthians 5:1-13; Galatians 6:1; 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15; 1 Timothy 1:19-20; Titus 1:10-16).
We teach the autonomy of the local church, free from any external authority or control, with the right of self-government and freedom from the interference of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations. We teach that it is scriptural for true churches to cooperate with each other for the presentation and propagation of the faith. However, each local church through its elders and their interpretation and application of Scripture is the sole judge of the measure and method of its cooperation on all matters of membership, policy, discipline, benevolence, and government (Acts 15:19-31, 20:28; 1 Corinthians 5:4-7, 13; Titus 1:5; 1 Peter 5:1-4).
We teach that the purpose of the Church is to glorify God (Ephesians 3:21) by building itself up in the faith (Ephesians 4:13-16), by instruction of the Word (2 Timothy 2:2, 15; 3:16-17), by fellowship (Acts 2:42; 1 John 1:3), by keeping the ordinances (Luke 22:19; Acts 2:38-42), and by advancing and communicating the Gospel to the entire world (Matthew 28:19; Acts 1:8).
Lord’s Supper and Baptism
We teach that two ordinances have been committed to the local church: the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:23-26) and baptism (Matthew 28:19). We teach that the Lord’s Supper is the commemoration and proclamation of His death until He comes (1 Corinthians 11:26) and should always be a joyful time of remembrance of Jesus our Savior and Lord (1 Corinthians 11:24-25). We teach that this celebration is entirely symbolic, and that in no way or form is the body and blood of Jesus actually or mystically present in the bread and the cup.
Christian baptism by immersion (Acts 8:36-39) is the testimony of a believer demonstrating his or her faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Savior, and union with Him in death to sin, and resurrection to a new life (Romans 6:1-11). It is also a sign of fellowship and identification with the visible Body of Christ (Acts 2:41-42). Baptism has no regenerating effect, and cannot in any way convey merit or grace to any individual. Since baptism is for those who hear and understand and accept the gospel of Christ, it is only to be given to those who are old enough to hear, understand, and believe the gospel. Since infants and small children cannot do these things, they should not be baptized until they reach an age at which they can do so.
Angels
We teach that angels are created beings and, therefore, are not to be worshipped. Although they are a higher order of creation than man (Hebrews 2:7), they are created to serve God and to worship Him (Luke 2:13-14; Hebrews 1:6-7, 14; Revelation 5:11; 19:10; 22:8-9).
The Bible also teaches that Satan is a created angel (Ezekiel 28:13-15) who rebelled against God and is a tempter to sin (Ezekiel 28:15-16; 1 John 3:8). He incurred the judgment of God by rebelling against his Creator (Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:14-18), involving numerous angels in his fall (2 Peter 2:4; Revelation 12:9) and introducing sin into the human race (Romans 5:12) by his temptation of Eve (Genesis 3:1-6; 2 Corinthians 11:3). We teach that Satan is the open and declared enemy of God and man (Isaiah 14:13-14; Matthew 4:1; Ephesians 6:11-12; Revelation 12:9-10), the prince of this world who was defeated through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (John 12:31-33; Hebrews 2:14; 1 John 3:8), and that he will be eternally punished in the lake of fire (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:10).
The Family
The most important unit of society, as God planned it, is the family (Genesis 1:28; 2:18-25). Monogamous, heterosexual marriage is the foundation of the family unit (Matthew 19:4-6). Marriage is established by God and is intended to be a life-long covenant between husband and wife (Malachi 2:13-16). The blessing of marriage is children (Psalm 127:3), and parents are responsible to raise their children in a godly and biblical manner (Deuteronomy 6:6-7; Ephesians 6:1-4; 1 Timothy 3:4-5). Christian parents should see their home as the primary place of evangelism and discipleship (Ephesians 6:4; 2 Timothy 3:14-15).
Final Events
Death
We teach that physical death entered the world as a result of Adam’s sin (Romans 5:12), and that it involves no loss of our immaterial consciousness (Matthew 10:28; Luke 16:22-25; Revelation 6:9-11). At the moment of death, a Christian passes immediately into the presence of Christ (Luke 23:43; 2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23), and there is, thus, a separation of soul and body (Philippians 1:21-24) until the day of resurrection (Revelation 20:4-15) when the believer is glorified forever with the Lord (Philippians 3:21; 1 Corinthians 15:35-44, 50-54; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). Until that time, the souls of the redeemed remain in joyful fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
We teach the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment (Daniel 12:2; Matthew 25:46; John 5:29).
We teach that the souls of the unsaved at death descend immediately into Hades where they are kept under punishment until the second resurrection (Luke 16:22-24; 2 Peter 2:9; Revelation 20:11-15) when the soul and the resurrection body will be united (John 5:28-29). Then they shall appear before the great white throne to be judged by Christ and will be cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-15), cut off from the life of God forever (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9).
The Rapture of the Church
We teach the personal, bodily return of the Lord Jesus Christ before the seven-year tribulation (Acts 1:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:16; Titus 2:13) to remove His Church from this earth (John 14:1-3; 1 Corinthians 15:51-53; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17), and to reward believers according to their works (1 Corinthians 3:11-15; 2 Corinthians 5:10), with sufficient time elapsing between this event and His glorious return with His Church to allow for the judgment of believers’ works.
The Tribulation Period
We teach that immediately following the removal of the Church from the earth at the Rapture (John 14:1-3; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17), there will be a time of great tribulation (Jeremiah 30:7; Daniel 9:27; 12:1; Matthew 24:21) during which the righteous judgments of God will be poured out (Revelation 16:1-21) upon an unbelieving world (2 Thessalonians 2:7-12). These judgments will be climaxed by the return of Christ in glory to the earth (Matthew 24:15-31), at which time the Old Testament and Tribulation saints will be raised and the living will be judged (Daniel 12:2; Revelation 6:9-11, 20:4-6).
The Return of Jesus and the Establishment of His Kingdom
We teach that after the tribulation period, Christ will come to earth to occupy the throne of David (Matthew 25:31; Luke 1:31-33; Acts 2:29-30) and establish His Messianic kingdom for a thousand years on the earth (Revelation 20:1-6). During this time the resurrected saints will reign with Him over Israel (Matthew 19:28; Revelation 20:4) and all the nations of the earth (Daniel 7:13-14, 22, 27; Revelation 19:11-16). This reign will be preceded by the overthrow of the Antichrist and the false prophet, and by the removal of Satan from the world (Revelation 19:20; 20:1-6).
We teach that the kingdom itself will be the fulfillment of God’s promise to Israel (Deuteronomy 30:1-10; Ezekiel 37:21-28; Zechariah 8:1-17) to restore them to the land which they forfeited through disobedience (Deuteronomy 28:15-68; 30:1-10). The result of that disobedience was that Israel was temporarily set aside (Matthew 21:43; Romans 11:1-25), but through repentance will be awakened again to enter into the land of blessing (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Ezekiel 36:22-32; Romans 11:26-27).
We teach that this time of our Lord’s reign will be characterized by harmony, justice, peace, righteousness, and long life (Isaiah 11:1-9; 65:17-25), and will be brought to an end with the release of Satan (Revelation 20:7).
The Judgment of Unbelievers
We teach that following the release of Satan after the thousand-year reign (Revelation 20:7), the Lord will allow the devil to deceive the nations of the earth and gather them to battle against the saints and the beloved city, only to be devoured by fire from heaven (Revelation 20:8-9). Following this, Satan will be thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:10), whereupon Christ, who is the Judge of all men (John 5:22), will resurrect and judge the great and small at the great white throne (Revelation 20:11-12). We teach that this resurrection of the unsaved dead will be a physical resurrection, whereupon receiving their judgment, they will be committed to an eternal conscious punishment (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:11-15).
Eternity
We teach that after the closing of the millennium, the temporary release of Satan and the judgment of the unbelievers (Revelation 20:7-15), the saved will enter the eternal state of glory with God; that the elements of this earth are to be “dissolved” (2 Peter 3:10) and replaced with a new earth wherein only righteousness dwells (Ephesians 5:5; 2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1); and that the heavenly city that comes down out of heaven (Revelation 21:2) is to be the dwelling place of the saints where they will enjoy fellowship with God and one another forever (John 17:3; Revelation 21:1-4). The Lord Jesus Christ, having fulfilled His redemptive mission, will then deliver up the kingdom to God the Father, that in all spheres the Triune God may reign forever and ever (1 Corinthians 15:24-28).
Regeneration
Eternal Considerations
The Scriptures
Theology
God the Father
God the Son
God the Holy Spirit
Spiritual Gifts
Mankind
Salvation
Understanding and Belief
Regeneration
Justification
Sanctification
Eternal Security
Separation
The Church
Lord's Supper and Baptism
Angels
The Family
Final Events
Death
The Rapture of the Church
The Tribulation
The Return of Jesus and the Establishment of His Kingdom
The Judgment of Unbelievers
Eternity
Eternal Considerations
People have always wanted to know about truth, whether it exists and if it makes any difference in life. Everybody has an opinion about what truth is and how one comes to know it, such that we can easily despair of ever discovering the truth about anything. We are tempted to think that all ideas are equally valid or that it is impossible to find the truth if such a thing really exists.
In order to overcome the problem of our limited viewpoints (our finiteness and subjectivity), any knowledge of truth about God and mankind must come from outside of ourselves. In other words, if there is truth, it must be revealed to us from a source that is beyond our world. Truth must be transcendent to humanity if it is to be objective, real and trustworthy. The good news is that Jesus declared that you can know the truth, and that “it will set you free” (John 8:32).
Christianity declares that such a source of knowledge and truth exists in the person of God, and that He has revealed to us the truth about ourselves that we never could have known apart from such a revelation.
In the past God spoke to us through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, through whom He made the universe (Hebrews 1:1-2). ‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,’ says the Lord. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts’ (Isaiah 55:8-9). Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know Him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength (1 Corinthians 1:20-25).
In light of all this, the leaders at Barcroft Bible Church recognize and affirm that the Bible is the only source of transcendent and trustworthy truth concerning mankind and God, and we are deeply committed to studying and teaching it with diligence and authority. What we hold to be true and life-changing, we endeavor to impart to others through all the ministries of our church.
The Scriptures
We teach that the sixty-six books of the Bible are the written revelation of God, and that together they constitute the complete and final authority of authoritative Scriptures (2 Peter 1:20-21; Jude 3; Revelation 22:18-19). Further, we teach that every word of it is inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16) and that, because of this, the Scriptures are without error in the original documents and infallible in their teaching.
We teach that God spoke His written Word by a process of dual authorship. This simply means that the Holy Spirit took and used human authors with their individual personalities and different styles of writing and guided and superintended the process in such a way that they composed and recorded God’s Word to man (2 Peter 1:20-21) without error in whole or in part (Isaiah 40:8). As such, we teach that the Bible constitutes the only infallible rule of faith and practice for the Christian (Matthew 5:18; John 10:35, 17:17; 2 Timothy 2:15-17; Hebrews 4:12).
We teach that, whereas there may be several applications of any given passage of Scripture, there is but one true interpretation. It is to be found as one diligently applies the grammatical-historical method of interpretation by the illumination of the Holy Spirit (John 16:12-15; 1 Cor. 2:7-15).
We teach that the Bible plays an indispensable part in living a dynamic Christian life. It builds up, transforms, encourages, corrects, and protects the believer’s life as he or she studies and applies it (Psalm 119:11; Acts 20:32; Ephesians 5:26, 6:17).
Theology
We teach that there is but one living and true God (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 45:5-7), perfect in all His attributes, one in essence, eternally existing, and subsistent in three Persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19; II Corinthians 13:14) - each equally deserving the same worship and obedience.
God the Father
God the Father, the first Person of the Trinity (1 Corinthians 8:6), orders and disposes all things according to His own purpose and grace (Psalm 145:9; Ephesians 1:11; Philippians 2:13). As the absolute and highest Ruler in the universe, He is sovereign in all things (Psalm 103:19; Romans 11:36). He has decreed for His own glory all things that come to pass and continually upholds, directs and governs all creatures and events (1 Chronicles 29:11). This He does in such a way so as not to be the author or approver of sin (Habakkuk 1:13; James 1:13) nor to abridge the accountability of moral, intelligent creatures (Ezekiel 18:20; Romans 14:12). He saves from sin all who come to Him through Jesus Christ, and He relates Himself to His own as their Father (John 1:12; Romans 8:15; Ephesians 1:3-6; Hebrews 12:5-9).
God the Son
We teach that Jesus is the Christ, the second Person of the Trinity, possessing all the divine excellencies, and in these He is coequal and coeternal with the Father and the Holy Spirit (John 10:30; 14:9). He is the Creator of all things (Genesis 1:1-31; John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:16).
We teach that in the incarnation He surrendered only the prerogatives of deity but nothing of the divine essence, either in degree or kind. In His incarnation, the divine nature united itself with a human nature in an indissoluble union, and so He became the God-man (Philippians 2:5-8).
We teach that Jesus Christ represents the fusion of humanity and deity into an indivisible oneness (Colossians 2:9). We teach that He was born of the virgin Mary (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:25; Luke 1:26-35), that He was God incarnate (John 1:1-3, 14, 18) and that the purpose of the incarnation was to reveal God (John 1:29; 1 John 1:3), redeem men (Acts 20:28; Ephesians 1:7; Revelation 5:9), and rule over God’s kingdom (Isaiah 9:6).
We teach that Jesus accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross, and that His death was voluntary (John 10:17-18), substitutionary (1 Peter 2:24), propitiatory (Romans 3:25), and redemptive (Ephesians 1:7).
We teach that, upon the basis of the efficacy of the death of Jesus, the believing sinner is freed from the punishment, the power, and one day the very presence of sin, declared righteous, given eternal life and admitted to the family of God (Romans 5:1, 8-11; 8:1, 14-17).
We teach that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead, and that He is now ascended to the right hand of the Father where He is ministering as our Advocate and High Priest (Matthew 28:6; Luke 24:39-43; Hebrews 4:14-16; 7:25; 9:24).
We teach that by the resurrection of Jesus from the grave, God confirmed His deity. In addition, God accepted the atoning work of Jesus on the cross and His bodily resurrection as the guarantee of a future resurrection life for all believers (John 5:28-29; 14:19; Romans 1:4; 4:25; 6:5; 1 Corinthians 15:20, 23).
We teach that Jesus Christ will return to receive the Church, which is His Body, unto Himself at the Rapture and, returning with His Church in glory, will establish His kingdom in its millennial manifestation (Acts 1:9-11; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 19:11-16; 20:4-6).
As the sole mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5), the Head of His Body the Church (Ephesians 1:22; 5:23; Colossians 1:18), and the coming universal King who will reign on the throne of David (Isaiah 9:6; Luke 1:31-33), Jesus Christ is the final Judge of all who fail to place their trust in Him as the Lord of life and the only Savior (Acts 17:30-31).
God the Holy Spirit
We teach that the Holy Spirit is a divine Person, eternal, underived, possessing all the divine attributes, and that in these He is coequal with the Father and the Son (Matthew 28:19; Acts 5:3-4; 1 Corinthians 12:4-6; compare also Isaiah 6:8-9 with Acts 28:25-26, and Jeremiah 31:31-34 with Hebrews 10:15-17). The divine attributes of the Holy Spirit include:
Intellect I Corinthians 2:10-13
Emotion Ephesians 4:30
Will I Corinthians 12:11
Co-equality Matthew 28:19; I Corinthians 12:4-6; II Corinthians 13:14
Eternality Hebrews 9:14
Omnipresence Psalm 139:7-10
Omniscience Isaiah 40:13-14
Omnipotence Romans 15:13
Truth John 16:13
We teach that it is the work of the Holy Spirit to execute the divine will with relation to the world of men. We recognize His sovereign activity in the creation (Genesis 1:2), the incarnation (Matthew 1:18; Luke 1:35), the written revelation (2 Peter 1:20-21), and the work of salvation (John 3:5-7).
We teach that the work of the Holy Spirit in this age began at Pentecost when He came from the Father, as promised by Christ (John 14:16, 15:26), to initiate and complete the building of the Body of Christ, which is His Church (1 Corinthians 12:13). The broad scope of His divine activity includes convicting the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment (John 16:7-8), glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ (John 16:14) and transforming believers into Christ-likeness (2 Corinthians 3:17-18; Galatians 5:22-23).
We teach that the Holy Spirit is the divine Teacher who guided the apostles into all truth as they submitted to God’s revelation in Scripture (John 16:13). Every believer possesses the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit from the moment of salvation (Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 12:13), and it is the duty and privilege of all those born of the Spirit to be filled by the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18).
Spiritual Gifts
We teach that the Holy Spirit alone administers spiritual gifts to the Church (1 Corinthians 12:11), not to glorify Himself or the gifts by ostentatious displays, but to glorify Christ (John 16:14) and implement His work of redeeming the lost (Acts 1:8). We teach, in this respect, that God the Holy Spirit is sovereign in the bestowing of all His gifts (1 Corinthians 12:11) for the edifying of the saints today (1 Corinthians 14:12).
First, He gives gifted men for the purpose of equipping the saints for the work of ministry (Ephesians 4:7-12). Next, He also gives unique and special abilities to each member of the Body of Christ for the work of service (Romans 12:5-8; 1 Corinthians 12:4-31; 1 Peter 4:10-11). At the moment of spiritual birth, every believer receives such a gift or gifts. These gifts are sovereignly bestowed (1 Corinthians 12:11), and it is important for every believer to discover, develop and employ his or her spiritual gift or gifts for the edification of the Body and the accomplishment of the work of Christ in the world (Romans 12:3-8; 1 Peter 4:10-11).
We also teach that some of these gifts were evangelistic sign gifts; namely, speaking in tongues and interpretation, healing, prophecy, and the working of miracles. These were given in the apostolic era for the purpose of confirming the authenticity of the apostolic message but gradually ceased in normative church practice as the New Testament Scriptures were completed and their authority became established (Isaiah 28:11; Acts 19:11-12; 1 Corinthians 13:8-10; 14:22a; 2 Corinthians 12:12; Hebrews 2:3-4).
We observe in the Scriptures that the gift of healing was the primary manifestation of signs and wonders in the post-resurrection period of the early church, and was used to authenticate the gospel message. We teach that although no one possesses the gift of healing in a similar manner today, God can and does supernaturally heal the sick, the suffering and the afflicted in answer to the prayer of faith and in accordance with His own perfect will (John 5:5-9; 2 Corinthians 12:7-10; James 5:13-16; 1 John 5:14-15).
Regarding the gifts of languages and interpretation, we teach that these imparted the miraculous ability to speak or understand a foreign language for the purpose of evangelism (Acts 2:5-12, 1 Corinthians 14:22). Not everyone was given these particular gifts (1 Corinthians 12:29), nor are they the same as the phenomena of “ecstatic speech” which is practiced today by various people around the world, including non-Christians. Although these gifts are no longer normative for the church today, we recognize that there is no restriction upon God’s sovereignly using miraculous events and abilities to accomplish His will on earth at any time and in any place.
Mankind
We teach that man was directly and immediately created by God in His image and likeness, rather than by any evolutionary process (Genesis 1:27; 2:7, 22), and that life begins at conception in the womb (Psalm 139:13-16). Man was created free of sin with a rational nature, intelligence, volition, self-determination, and moral responsibility to God (Matthew 12:36;
1 Thessalonians 5:23; 1 Peter 1:17).
We teach that the purpose of man’s creation was the divine intention that he should glorify God (Isaiah 43:7; Revelation 4:11), enjoy God’s fellowship, live his life in the will of God, and by this accomplish God’s purpose for man in the world.
We teach that in Adam’s sin of disobedience to the revealed will and Word of God, mankind forever after lost innocence and incurred the penalty of spiritual and physical death (Genesis 2:16-17; 3:1-19; Romans 3:23; 5:12; 6:23). Because of sin, mankind became inherently corrupt and utterly incapable of choosing or doing that which is acceptable to God apart from divine grace. With no recuperative powers to enable him to recover himself, man is hopelessly lost (1 Corinthians 2:14), apart from the salvation which is the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:5; 2:1-3; Titus 3:5-6).
We teach that the sin nature as well as the consequences of that original sin have been transmitted (imputed) to all men of all ages (Romans 5:12), Jesus Christ being the sole exception. All men are thus sinners by divine declaration (Psalm 14:1-3; Romans 3:9-18, 23), by nature (Jeremiah 17:9; Matthew 15:19) and by choice (Isaiah 53:6; James 2:10).
Salvation
We teach that salvation is totally from God, a gift, by grace (Ephesians 1:7; 2:8), through the redemption of Jesus Christ, the merit of His shed blood (1 Peter 1:18-19). This gift of salvation comes through faith alone and not on the basis of any human merit or works (Ephesians 2:9; Titus 3:5). The concept of salvation has many aspects to it as revealed in the Bible, some of which are described in the following sections.
Understanding and Belief
It is essential that we understand our sinfulness and the penalty that results from sin. The Bible says that “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Along with this awareness of sin comes the understanding that we are helpless to save ourselves, and that faith alone in Jesus is the only way to gain access to heaven after we die (Romans 3:23, 5:12; Ephesians 2:8-9).
Saving faith is a belief that goes beyond knowing something about Jesus. Many people know the facts about Christ, but those facts don’t save them (James 2:19). Rather, saving faith is a belief which enables a person to entrust themselves to Jesus for salvation (Hebrews 10:39). Without this kind of faith, “it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that He is” (Hebrews 11:6).
The only requirement for any person to be saved from their sins, and thereby gain access to heaven when they die, is a believing trust in the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 16:31). Salvation is not something that happens because you go to church, or because you are a good person, or because you said a prayer. Salvation is the gift from God that He gives to any person that believes in Jesus from the heart, and it is the start of a brand new life for now and forever (John 3:16;
2 Corinthians 5:17).
Regeneration
We teach that every person who believes in Jesus for salvation is born again spiritually (John 3:3-6). This spiritual rebirth, also known as regeneration, is a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit by which the divine nature and divine life are communicated (John 3:3-7; Titus 3:5). It is instantaneous and it is accomplished solely by the power of the Holy Spirit through the instrumentality of the Word of God (John 5:24). Regeneration will be manifested by repentance, faith, and righteous living. Good works are its proper evidence and fruit (Ephesians 2:10; Titus 3:8) and will be experienced to the extent that the believer submits to the control of the Holy Spirit in his or her life through faithful obedience to the Word of God (Ephesians 5:18-19; Philippians 2:12; Colossians 3:16; 2 Peter 1:3-8). This obedience causes the believer increasingly to be conformed to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18). Such a conformity is climaxed in the believer’s glorification at Christ’s coming (Romans 8:17; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 Peter 1:23; 1 John 3:2-3).
Justification
We teach that justification before God is an act of God by which He declares righteous those who believe in Christ (Romans 8:33). This righteousness is apart from any virtue or work of man (Romans 3:20; Galatians 2:16) and involves the imputation of our sins to Christ (Colossians 2:14; 1 Peter 2:24) and the imputation of Christ’s righteousness to us (2 Corinthians 5:21). By this means God is enabled to “be just, and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Romans 3:26).
Sanctification
We teach that every believer is “set apart” (sanctified) unto God by the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. Every believer therefore is declared to be holy and identified as a saint. This is not a progressive sanctification. This sanctification has to do with the believer’s positional standing in the eyes of God: he or she is “in Christ” (Acts 20:32; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 6:11; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; Hebrews 2:11; 3:1; 10:10, 14; 13:12; 1 Peter 1:2).
We teach that there is, by the work of the Holy Spirit, also an experiential sanctification by which the ongoing earthly state of the believer progressively is brought closer to the positional standing which he or she enjoys through justification. Through obedience to the Word of God and the empowering of the Holy Spirit the believer is able to live a life of increasing holiness in conformity to the will of God, becoming more and more like the Lord Jesus Christ (John 17:17, 19; Acts 20:32; Romans 6:1-22; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Ephesians 5:26; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4; 5:23).
In this respect we teach that every saved person is involved in a conflict with sin and its corrupt desires (Romans 7:22-23; Ephesians 6:10-12). The new life of the Spirit, which we have in Christ, is set against the old sinful desires of the flesh. Nevertheless, adequate provision is made for victory through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 10:13; 15:56-57). This struggle stays with the believer all through his earthly life and is never completely ended. All claims to the eradication of sin in this life are unscriptural, and although eradication of sin is not possible here in this life, the Holy Spirit does provide victory over sin and temptation (1 Cor. 10:13; Galatians 5:16-25; Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 3:9-10; 1 Peter 1:14-16; 1 John 3:5-9).
Eternal Security
We teach that all the redeemed are kept by God’s power and are thus secure in Christ forever; or in other words, a believer cannot lose his or her salvation (John 5:24; 6:37-39; 10:27-30; Romans 5:9-10; 8:1, 31-39; 1 Corinthians 1:8; Ephesians 4:30; Hebrews 7:25; 13:5; 1 Peter 1:5; 1 John 5:13; Jude 24). We teach that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God’s Word which, however, also clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion for sinful living and carnality (Romans 6:15-22; 13:13-14; Galatians 5:13; Titus 2:11-15).
Separation
We teach that the doctrine of separation from sin is clearly evident throughout the Old and New Testaments (2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1), and that the Scriptures clearly indicate that in the last days apostasy and worldliness will increase (1 Timothy 4:1; 2 Timothy 3:1-5). Thus, everyone who is saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Savior and Lord and that separation from all religious apostasy and worldly and sinful practices is commanded by God (Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 5:9-13; James 4:4; 1 John 2:15-17; 3 John 9-11).
The Church
We teach that all who place their faith in Jesus Christ are immediately baptized by the Holy Spirit into one united spiritual Body, the Church (1 Corinthians 12:12-13), of which Christ is the Head (Ephesians 1:22; 4:15; Colossians 1:18), and which is His espoused Bride (2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:23-32; Revelation 19:7-8).
We teach that the formation of this Body began on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-21, 38-47) and will be completed at the coming of Christ for His own at the Rapture (1 Corinthians 15:51-52; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).
We teach that the Church is a unique spiritual organism designed by Christ (Matthew 16:18), made up of all born-again believers in this present age (Ephesians 2:11-3:6). The Church is distinct from Israel (1 Corinthians 10:32), a mystery not revealed until this age (Ephesians 3:3-6, 9-10; 5:32).
We teach that the establishment and continuity of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures (Acts 14:21-23, 27; 20:17, 28; Galatians 1:2; Philippians 1:1; 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:1), and that Christians are directed to associate themselves together in local assemblies with other like-minded believers (1 Corinthians 11:18-20; Hebrews 10:25).
We teach that the one, supreme authority for the Church is Christ (Ephesians 1:22; Colossians 1:18), and that order, discipline, and worship are appointed through His sovereignty. We also believe that God gave leadership and teaching authority in the local church to men who are biblically qualified elders serving under Christ (Acts 20:28; Ephesians 4:11; 1 Timothy 2:12; 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9; 1 Peter 5:1-5). We teach that these leaders rule as servants of Christ (1 Timothy 5:17-22), and that the congregation is to willingly submit to their leadership (Hebrews 13:7, 17).
We teach the disciplining of sinning members of the congregation in accord with the standards of the Bible (Matthew 18:15-17; 1 Corinthians 5:1-13; Galatians 6:1; 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15; 1 Timothy 1:19-20; Titus 1:10-16).
We teach the autonomy of the local church, free from any external authority or control, with the right of self-government and freedom from the interference of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations. We teach that it is scriptural for true churches to cooperate with each other for the presentation and propagation of the faith. However, each local church through its elders and their interpretation and application of Scripture is the sole judge of the measure and method of its cooperation on all matters of membership, policy, discipline, benevolence, and government (Acts 15:19-31, 20:28; 1 Corinthians 5:4-7, 13; Titus 1:5; 1 Peter 5:1-4).
We teach that the purpose of the Church is to glorify God (Ephesians 3:21) by building itself up in the faith (Ephesians 4:13-16), by instruction of the Word (2 Timothy 2:2, 15; 3:16-17), by fellowship (Acts 2:42; 1 John 1:3), by keeping the ordinances (Luke 22:19; Acts 2:38-42), and by advancing and communicating the Gospel to the entire world (Matthew 28:19; Acts 1:8).
Lord’s Supper and Baptism
We teach that two ordinances have been committed to the local church: the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:23-26) and baptism (Matthew 28:19). We teach that the Lord’s Supper is the commemoration and proclamation of His death until He comes (1 Corinthians 11:26) and should always be a joyful time of remembrance of Jesus our Savior and Lord (1 Corinthians 11:24-25). We teach that this celebration is entirely symbolic, and that in no way or form is the body and blood of Jesus actually or mystically present in the bread and the cup.
Christian baptism by immersion (Acts 8:36-39) is the testimony of a believer demonstrating his or her faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Savior, and union with Him in death to sin, and resurrection to a new life (Romans 6:1-11). It is also a sign of fellowship and identification with the visible Body of Christ (Acts 2:41-42). Baptism has no regenerating effect, and cannot in any way convey merit or grace to any individual. Since baptism is for those who hear and understand and accept the gospel of Christ, it is only to be given to those who are old enough to hear, understand, and believe the gospel. Since infants and small children cannot do these things, they should not be baptized until they reach an age at which they can do so.
Angels
We teach that angels are created beings and, therefore, are not to be worshipped. Although they are a higher order of creation than man (Hebrews 2:7), they are created to serve God and to worship Him (Luke 2:13-14; Hebrews 1:6-7, 14; Revelation 5:11; 19:10; 22:8-9).
The Bible also teaches that Satan is a created angel (Ezekiel 28:13-15) who rebelled against God and is a tempter to sin (Ezekiel 28:15-16; 1 John 3:8). He incurred the judgment of God by rebelling against his Creator (Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:14-18), involving numerous angels in his fall (2 Peter 2:4; Revelation 12:9) and introducing sin into the human race (Romans 5:12) by his temptation of Eve (Genesis 3:1-6; 2 Corinthians 11:3). We teach that Satan is the open and declared enemy of God and man (Isaiah 14:13-14; Matthew 4:1; Ephesians 6:11-12; Revelation 12:9-10), the prince of this world who was defeated through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (John 12:31-33; Hebrews 2:14; 1 John 3:8), and that he will be eternally punished in the lake of fire (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:10).
The Family
The most important unit of society, as God planned it, is the family (Genesis 1:28; 2:18-25). Monogamous, heterosexual marriage is the foundation of the family unit (Matthew 19:4-6). Marriage is established by God and is intended to be a life-long covenant between husband and wife (Malachi 2:13-16). The blessing of marriage is children (Psalm 127:3), and parents are responsible to raise their children in a godly and biblical manner (Deuteronomy 6:6-7; Ephesians 6:1-4; 1 Timothy 3:4-5). Christian parents should see their home as the primary place of evangelism and discipleship (Ephesians 6:4; 2 Timothy 3:14-15).
Final Events
Death
We teach that physical death entered the world as a result of Adam’s sin (Romans 5:12), and that it involves no loss of our immaterial consciousness (Matthew 10:28; Luke 16:22-25; Revelation 6:9-11). At the moment of death, a Christian passes immediately into the presence of Christ (Luke 23:43; 2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23), and there is, thus, a separation of soul and body (Philippians 1:21-24) until the day of resurrection (Revelation 20:4-15) when the believer is glorified forever with the Lord (Philippians 3:21; 1 Corinthians 15:35-44, 50-54; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). Until that time, the souls of the redeemed remain in joyful fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
We teach the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment (Daniel 12:2; Matthew 25:46; John 5:29).
We teach that the souls of the unsaved at death descend immediately into Hades where they are kept under punishment until the second resurrection (Luke 16:22-24; 2 Peter 2:9; Revelation 20:11-15) when the soul and the resurrection body will be united (John 5:28-29). Then they shall appear before the great white throne to be judged by Christ and will be cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-15), cut off from the life of God forever (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9).
The Rapture of the Church
We teach the personal, bodily return of the Lord Jesus Christ before the seven-year tribulation (Acts 1:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:16; Titus 2:13) to remove His Church from this earth (John 14:1-3; 1 Corinthians 15:51-53; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17), and to reward believers according to their works (1 Corinthians 3:11-15; 2 Corinthians 5:10), with sufficient time elapsing between this event and His glorious return with His Church to allow for the judgment of believers’ works.
The Tribulation Period
We teach that immediately following the removal of the Church from the earth at the Rapture (John 14:1-3; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17), there will be a time of great tribulation (Jeremiah 30:7; Daniel 9:27; 12:1; Matthew 24:21) during which the righteous judgments of God will be poured out (Revelation 16:1-21) upon an unbelieving world (2 Thessalonians 2:7-12). These judgments will be climaxed by the return of Christ in glory to the earth (Matthew 24:15-31), at which time the Old Testament and Tribulation saints will be raised and the living will be judged (Daniel 12:2; Revelation 6:9-11, 20:4-6).
The Return of Jesus and the Establishment of His Kingdom
We teach that after the tribulation period, Christ will come to earth to occupy the throne of David (Matthew 25:31; Luke 1:31-33; Acts 2:29-30) and establish His Messianic kingdom for a thousand years on the earth (Revelation 20:1-6). During this time the resurrected saints will reign with Him over Israel (Matthew 19:28; Revelation 20:4) and all the nations of the earth (Daniel 7:13-14, 22, 27; Revelation 19:11-16). This reign will be preceded by the overthrow of the Antichrist and the false prophet, and by the removal of Satan from the world (Revelation 19:20; 20:1-6).
We teach that the kingdom itself will be the fulfillment of God’s promise to Israel (Deuteronomy 30:1-10; Ezekiel 37:21-28; Zechariah 8:1-17) to restore them to the land which they forfeited through disobedience (Deuteronomy 28:15-68; 30:1-10). The result of that disobedience was that Israel was temporarily set aside (Matthew 21:43; Romans 11:1-25), but through repentance will be awakened again to enter into the land of blessing (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Ezekiel 36:22-32; Romans 11:26-27).
We teach that this time of our Lord’s reign will be characterized by harmony, justice, peace, righteousness, and long life (Isaiah 11:1-9; 65:17-25), and will be brought to an end with the release of Satan (Revelation 20:7).
The Judgment of Unbelievers
We teach that following the release of Satan after the thousand-year reign (Revelation 20:7), the Lord will allow the devil to deceive the nations of the earth and gather them to battle against the saints and the beloved city, only to be devoured by fire from heaven (Revelation 20:8-9). Following this, Satan will be thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:10), whereupon Christ, who is the Judge of all men (John 5:22), will resurrect and judge the great and small at the great white throne (Revelation 20:11-12). We teach that this resurrection of the unsaved dead will be a physical resurrection, whereupon receiving their judgment, they will be committed to an eternal conscious punishment (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:11-15).
Eternity
We teach that after the closing of the millennium, the temporary release of Satan and the judgment of the unbelievers (Revelation 20:7-15), the saved will enter the eternal state of glory with God; that the elements of this earth are to be “dissolved” (2 Peter 3:10) and replaced with a new earth wherein only righteousness dwells (Ephesians 5:5; 2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1); and that the heavenly city that comes down out of heaven (Revelation 21:2) is to be the dwelling place of the saints where they will enjoy fellowship with God and one another forever (John 17:3; Revelation 21:1-4). The Lord Jesus Christ, having fulfilled His redemptive mission, will then deliver up the kingdom to God the Father, that in all spheres the Triune God may reign forever and ever (1 Corinthians 15:24-28).
Regeneration