WHAT WE BELIEVE

ONE BODY-ECCLESIOLOGY - The Doctrine of the Church. The church of this dispensation is the Body of Christ and is distinct from the nation Israel and God's purpose for Israel - the prophesied kingdom of heaven on earth. The church, the Body of Christ, is neither the subject of prophecy nor the fulfiller of Israel's promises and covenant's. Historically it began with the selection, conversion, salvation and commissioning of the Apostle Paul by the Risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Notably, it will end with the rapture of the Body of Christ. God will then resume His dealings and deliverance of the nation Israel (Eph.1: 22-23, 3:1-6; I Tim.1: 15-16; Eph.3: 1-9; Col.1: 25-26; I Thes.4: 13, 5:10; II Thes.2: 1-17). There is only one true church, called "the Body of Christ", having a membership composed of all the saved of this dispensation (I Cor.12: 13; Eph.1: 22-23, 5:23-27; Col.1: 18). The fellowship of the Lord's Supper, as revealed through the Apostle Paul in I Corinthians 11:23-26, is for the members of the Body of Christ, to remind us of His costly and efficacious sacrifice until He come back to meet us in the air. This fellowship unites us in His Love. God fixes no specific amount on giving in this present age, but giving should be generous (II Cor.9: 5-6), cheerful (II Cor.9: 7), proportional (I Cor.16: 1-2), and systematic (I Cor.16: 1-2). Believers should give to those who have need (Eph.4: 28), including those who cannot work (I Tim.5: 13-16), and for those who are asked not to work for the sake of the gospel (i.e. full time in the ministry) (Acts 13:1-3; I Tim.5: 17-18). They are not to give to those who refuse to work (II Thes.3:10). The one supreme authority for the church is Christ (I Cor.11.3; Eph.1:22;Col.1:18) and that church leadership, gifts, order, discipline and worship are all appointed through His Sovereignty as found in the Scriptures. The biblically designated offices serving under Christ and over the local assembly are elders (one serving as senior elder or Pastor-teacher) and deacons, both of whom must meet biblical qualifications (I Tim.3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9; I Peter 5:1-5). Both corporate and individual worship are essential of every believer's relationship to God. Individual obedience to God in our everyday lives is worship, as well as our demonstrating God's worth through attendance and participation in public worship services (Ps.29:1-2; Ex.34:14; John 4:23-24; Rom.12:1). All saved people have been made members of the church, the Body of Christ, by one Divine Baptism when they were baptised by the Holy Spirit into Christ (I Cor.12:13). By this one and only Divine Baptism (Eph.4:5) each member of the Body of Christ is identified with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection (Rom.6:3-6). The mission, purpose and commission of the church, which is the Body of Christ, is to obey the revelation(s) of truth that our risen Lord Jesus Christ gave us from glory through the Apostle Paul (Rom.2:16, 16:25; I Cor.4:16, 11:1; II Cor.12:1-2; Gal.1:6-12; Phil.3:17, 4:9; I Thes.1:6; II Tim.2:8). We, as Paul, should endeavor to teach and preach the gospel
of Reconciliation (The Gospel of the Grace of God - II Cor.5:14-21) where Jesus Christ is not, as yet, preached (Rom.15:20; II Cor.10:16) as well as where He is preached (Eph.3:9).

ONE HOPE- ESCHATOLOGY - The Doctrine of Last Things. The rapture of the Body of Christ to be with the Lord will be pre-tribulation and pre-millennial. This was a mystery until reveled by revelation(s) to the Apostle Paul. When he comes to receive His church, it shall be caught up to meet Him in the air in heaven (I Thes.4: 13-18; Phil.3: 20-21; Eph.2: 6-7). The Millennial Kingdom will be the fulfillment of the prophecies and, not being heavenly, will take place here on earth after the tribulation. The kingdom will last for a thousand years while the Lord Jesus Christ reigns in justice with His rod of iron (Rev.12:5) and Satan will be imprisoned (Rev.20:11-15) and the perpetual Kingdom of justice and peace will be established on the New Earth (Rev.21:1-2, 9-27; Eze.36:26-28) Bodily resurrection will occur for all people. Believers are resurrected to enjoy eternal life with God. Unbelievers are resurrected to experience judgment and then eternal suffering apart from God (I Cor.15: 52; I Thes.4: 13-17; Rev.20: 4-6, 12-15, 21:1-8; John 5:28-29; Dan.12: 2; Jude 14-15; Rev.19: 11-16). Dead saints of this dispensation are with our Lord (II Cor.5: 1-8) which is far better than to live in the flesh (Phil.1: 20-23). At the coming of our Lord for our meeting in the air, He will bring with Him the dead saints (I Thes.3: 13, 4:14-16) and together with the living saints all will be fashioned like unto His glorious body (Phil.3: 21).

OTHER DOCTRINES- Many passages exist in God’s Word about which believers have differing interpretations. Believers may hold different views and still be members of the same local church and even members of the same leadership group providing said interpretations do not contradict the plain teaching of the Scriptures or that would lead to heresy, apostacy or immoral living . We must simply agree to disagree while granting grace and Christ-like love in the dialogues as to its meaning. We also believe and teach that whereas there may be several applications of any given Scripture, only one true interpretation exists. This meaning is to be found as one grows in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (II Peter 3:18) by applying the normative, literal, grammatical and historical methods of interpretation under enlightenment of the Holy Spirit (II Tim.3: 14-17; II Tim.2: 15; II Pet.1: 20-21; I Cor.2: 10-13; Rom.10: 17). It is for this reason that every Christian is responsible and is encouraged to study the Bible (II Tim.2: 15) as objectively and as thoroughly as possible, seeking to ascertain carefully its true authorially  intended meaning, recognizing that proper applications are to be followed by believers in every age (dispensation). Yet the truth of Scripture stands in judgment of men; never do men stand in judgment of it. IN CONCLUSION This statement of doctrine will assist in protecting the local body and local church from doctrinal error, from division, and from the errors of relativism and spiritulazation that are attacking and eroding the confidence of the unchurched and sometimes even of believers in the objective and absolute truth which is the Word of God (John 1:1, 7:17, 16:12-15; I Cor.2: 7-15; I John 2:20). (Adapted with few modifications from another doctrinal statement. Unable to locate source.DRC)