The Holy Bible is the divinely inspired Word of God. No other writing is of such origin. The Old and New Testaments together are the infallible, authoritative Scriptures for the faith and practice of God's people. No other writing or authority is required for understanding the plan of salvation and the will of God for mankind. God's Word is fully revealed through the ministry of Jesus Christ and is applied to our lives by the Holy Spirit.
2 Timothy 3:15-17; John 5:39; Luke 24:44; Romans 15:4; 2 Peter 1:19-21; John 17:17; 1 Peter 1:24, 25; Revelation 22:18,19.
The supreme Deity of the universe is God Almighty. He is the only true God, the only Yehovah. It is He who created all things by His Word and sustains them by His power. He made the covenant with Abraham, gave the Law at Sinai, and spoke through the prophets. God is most perfectly revealed as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and the heavenly Father of all who believe in Jesus. At the end of this age, God will judge the world through Christ and will reign eternally over the redeemed.
Genesis 1:1; Acts 17:24, 25, 30, 31; Genesis 17:1, 2; Exodus 20:1-17; Hebrews 1:1-3; 1 Corinthians 15:24-28; Revelation 19:6.
Jesus Christ (Yeshua HaMashiach) is the only begotten Son of God, a created being. Though he is an elohim, he is not the Almighty God. Jesus came into existence when he was conceived of the Holy Spirit in the virgin Mary. He pre-existed his birth in God’s foreknowledge. In him, the Word of God was made flesh and was fulfilled. In full humanity, Jesus perfectly obeyed the Father's will, died by crucifixion, was buried, and rose again after three days and three nights in the tomb. He then ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God as Savior and Redeemer of all who trust in Him.
John 1:18; 3:16; Matthew 1:21; 12:40; Luke 1:26-35; 24:51 ; 1 Timothy 2:5; Acts 2:36.
The Holy Spirit is the promised Comforter sent from God after the ascension of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit dwells in those Christians who ask of God and obey Him. All believers have been baptized by the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ. The Scriptures command believers to be filled with the Holy Spirit. By the Spirit, God reveals biblical truth, convicts persons of sin and draws them to Jesus, regenerates those who believe, gives power to live and witness for Christ, produces the fruits of holiness, and bestows gifts for service. To prepare the disciples for missionary work and to take the gospel worldwide, they were anointed so that they could speak wherever they went in a recognizable, intelligent tongue. While speaking in tongues (languages) is a gift to help an individual, who does not speak the language, to understand God's Word, glossolalia is not edifying and is not from God.
John 14:16-18, 26; 15:26; 16:7-14; 3:5; Acts 1:5, 8; Ephesians 5:18; Galatians 5:22, 23; 1 Corinthians 12:3-11, 13; Luke 11:13; Acts 5:32; Acts 2:7.
The Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments constitute the basic law of God for His people. The concepts of the Decalogue were understood and obeyed by the godly before the giving of the Law at Mt. Sinai, where God spoke them and wrote them on stone tablets. This law of God was perfectly fulfilled in the life and teachings of Jesus, was obeyed by the apostles of the Lord, and is written in the hearts of believers under the new covenant. No part of it has been revoked or changed; to transgress any of it is to commit sin. Observing the Ten Commandments expresses our love to God and mankind.
Exodus 20:1-17; 31:18; Genesis 26:5; John 15:10; Matthew 19:16-19; Hebrews 8:10; 1 John 3:4; 5:2, 3; James 2:10-12.
The Sabbath
The fourth commandment teaches us to observe the seventh day (Saturday) of each week as the Sabbath. God set the Sabbath apart in the beginning as a memorial of creation, and it was observed by Jesus and the apostles. It is kept from Friday sunset until Saturday sunset by ceasing from secular work, engaging in worship and fellowship, cultivating the godly life, and doing good for others. Sabbath rest mirrors both Creation and redemption, and will be celebrated until God's people rest forever with Him.
Genesis 2:1-3; Exodus 20:8-11; Luke 4:16; Acts 13:14, 42, 44; 16:13; 18:4, 11; Leviticus 23:32; Mark 2:27, 28; Matthew 12:12; Hebrews 4:4-10; Isaiah 56:1-8; 58:13, 14.
At the Lord's Supper, unleavened bread and fruit of the vine are received as symbols of our Lord's body and blood, which He offered as a sacrifice for sin. In this memorial of the Lord's death, we illustrate our union with the Savior, commune with others as the body of Christ, and proclaim our hope in his return. Because the first Lord's Supper was at Passover, we observe it on Nisan fourteen of the Hebrew calendar. At the supper, we follow Jesus' example and command by washing one another's feet in service and humility.
Matthew 26:17-19, 26-29; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:19, 20; 1 Corinthians 10:16, 17; 11:23-26; John 13:1-17.
Jesus Christ our Lord taught us to love and forgive our enemies, and to work for the peace and salvation of all peoples. Wars among nations and violence between persons are not God's perfect will, but result from greed, lust for power, selfishness, and other sinful motives. Christians should renounce such carnality and the weapons of human strife, and should not participate in military combat through the armed forces.
Matthew 5:38-48; Luke 6:27-38; Romans 12:17-21; John 18:36; Matthew 26:51, 52; 2 Corinthians 10:3, 4; James 4:1.
The celebrations of Sunday, Christmas, Lent, Easter, or Halloween as sacred times have no scriptural support.
Sunday became the common day of worship after the apostolic era. It was decreed the venerable day of the sun, and work was forbidden on it by the Roman emperor Constantine in A.D. 321. No command or example exists in Scripture for observance of the first day of the week as the Christian Sabbath.
Christmas is a carryover of the ancient festival of pagan Rome called Saturnalia, the rebirth of the sun. The day of Jesus' birth is unknown, and no biblical precedent exists for celebrating it after the fashion of Christmas.
Easter is a second-century substitute for a spring festival honoring the heathen goddess Astarte. The Bible does not endorse celebrating the Resurrection after the manner of Easter Sunday. The best evidence points to Christ's resurrection late on the Sabbath. His crucifixion and burial on Wednesday yields a literal fulfillment of the prophecy that He would be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
Halloween originates in unholy and superstitious practices relating to evil spirits and the realm of the dead. It should not be celebrated by Christians.
2 Corinthians 6:14-18; Jeremiah 10:2-10; Matthew 12:38-40; 28:1-6 (KJV); Mark 8:31; 9:31; 1 Corinthians 10:18-22.
God's people are called out of sin and corruption into a sanctified position - "us in Christ" - and a sanctified practice - "Christ in us." Indwelt by the Holy Spirit, Christians are to be an example of the believers and a corrective to an evil and unbelieving generation. Pride, greed, sloth, lust, and covetousness must be opposed in the Spirit; all harmful and immoral practices must be refused in the body.
Romans 12:1, 2; Titus 2:11-13; 2 Corinthians 7:1; 1 John 2:15-17; Galatians 5:16-26; 1 Corinthians 6:15-20; Colossians 3:1-14; 1 Timothy 4:12; 1 Peter 1:13-16.
The distinction between clean and unclean meats, with respect to foods, is to be observed today as God's will because it was God-given for the benefit of mankind.
Genesis 7:1-3; Leviticus 11:2-23, 46, 47; Deuteronomy 14:3-20; Acts 10:9-15, 27-29.
When God created all things, He pronounced them very good. Humans share a physical nature with the created order, and we share the unique, spiritual imprint of the Creator. He has given us the privilege and responsibility of dominion over His creation.
This good order of humanity and cosmos was not created in vain. Believers will be raised with immortal bodies, and will dwell forever in an earth restored to perfection.
Since human bodies and the earth share the divine purpose in creation and are destined for God's glory through the gospel, both are to be cared for and not abused.
Genesis 1:26-31; 2:7, 15; Isaiah 45:18; Romans 8:18-23; 1 Corinthians 6:19, 20; 15:35-54; 2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 5:10; 11:18; 21:1-4.
There is no consciousness in death. When a person dies, the body returns to the ground, the spirit (breath) returns to God, and thoughts perish. The dead remain in this state, which the Bible often calls sleep, until the day of resurrection. The sleep of the dead shall seem to them as nothing in the time of their awakening. The blessed hope of the gospel is that every believer shall be resurrected from the dead, as was Jesus Christ.
Ecclesiastes 9:5, 6; 12:7; Psalm 146:3, 4; John 11:11-14; Acts 2:29-35; Hebrews 11:13, 39, 40; 1 Corinthians 15:51-53.
