Confession of Faith

Confession of Faith - Article 5

We believe in the full divine inspiration and inerrancy of the original manuscripts of the Holy Scriptures-Old and New Testaments, made up of sixty-six books that were written by holy men and by God. We accept them as the only sufficient and infallible rule of faith of God's revelation in His redemptive purpose and as the norm for our conduct here in the world. The infallible rule of interpretation of the Scriptures is the Scripture itself (Dt 4.2; Ps 119,112; Is 8:19,20; Dan 9.2; Acts 7:38; 2Tim 3.16; Heb 1.1; 2Pe 1.19-21; Ap 22.18,19).

Inspiration - 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is inspired of God and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for education in righteousness,

Inerrancy - This means that the bible does not contain errors.

Not just the entire bible but every word is inspired by God. That is, the Bible does not contain the word of God but the Bible is the word of God.

the original manuscripts of the Holy Scriptures-Old and New Testaments.

Here it is saying that we have nothing original from the Scriptures. No original documents have survived from Antiquity. That being the truth, how do we know we have the Word of God?

The Bible was inspired by God and was protected by God in its transmission. While the Old Testament was guarded and protected by the Jews during the millennia, the New Testament was guarded, protected and copied by the church.

In an arduous process, every word in every account, letter and book was hand copied in order to share this incredible book with many.

We see this in the following text Jeremiah 36:1-2,4. These verses once show that the word of God was written. Yet what happened to her later when this word was read to the King and his princes (21-24). The king did not mind the word and even burned it. But look at the answer from

God in verses 27-30. God not only preserved his word but sent punishment to King Jehoiakim.

We accept the sixty-six books from Genesis to Revelation. Forming the Old and New Testaments. We know that every book was written by men. But these men were moved by the Holy Spirit as described in 2 Peter 1:21

because never ever was any prophecy given by human will; however, men spoke from God, moved by the Holy Spirit.

The Bible is sufficient and infallible - Deut 4:6

"Biblical infallibility is the belief that what the Bible says, on matters of Christian faith and practice, is totally useful and true. It is the belief that the Bible is totally reliable as a guide to salvation and the life of faith and it will not fail to fulfill its purpose." Isaiah 55:11 So shall the word that come out of my mouth shall be: it shall not return to me empty, but shall do as I please, and shall prosper in what I have appointed it.

The Old Testament was written in Hebrew and a portion in Aramaic. The New Testament was written in Greek. Even today there are

5800 complete copies or fragments in Greek

10,000 copies in Latin

9,300 copies in various other languages such as Syriac, Slavic, Gothic, Gothic and Armenian.

The Bible is the most preserved book from antiquity that exists. We have so many copies, fragments and scrolls that there is no doubt about their authenticity.

The infallible rule of interpretation of Scripture is Scripture itself.

We interpret Scripture by understanding its literary forms and contexts - and by understanding these forms, the Scriptures are also our guide. The perfection and reliability of the Scriptures are so profound that by studying Them carefully, we know that we are reading the truth and learning how to understand it. Careful study and application does not require a seminary degree. Scripture itself is our best theology teacher to help us understand and apply it.

Caught up to Paradise - 2 Corinthians 12

Residing in Michigan for over half my life, I had heard about Paradise. Because Paradise is a small town in the Upper Peninsula, you may have never visited there in your life, but you knew it existed. It was WAY up there next to Tahquamenon Falls and nothing else. Where's Tahquamenon Falls? Next to Paradise and nothing else. It's a long way from home. Why all of the talk about Paradise? Because Paul talks about it in 2 Corinthians 12. There was this guy who had been caught up to Paradise. Not in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, but into the REAL Paradise. While there, he'd heard things that he was unable to repeat. What on earth was this? Who was this guy? Here's what was going on. Paul defended his position of Apostleship in chapter eleven and gave the Corinthians an idea of what Apostleship looked like in chapter twelve. It came with great wonders, like seeing or instead hearing unimaginable things. But, too, that position came with a terrible cost. God gave Paul a &q

What to get God for Christmas

Jesus left perfect surroundings, relationships and glory to be born into squalor. He was homeless before birth. His father was a carpenter in a culture where carpentry was a despised trade. His, mother though young and giving birth to her firstborn, had no attendant nurses, helpers or friends. Rather than a pristine hospital, birth was given in the filthy stench of a stable. Romantic? Hardly. This sacrifice brought a life of hardship. Why? Why this odd story? Obedience. God's gift to humanity was His son. Jesus' gift was obedience to the Father. He paid the greatest price. Not because we are special but because he loves His Father. His gift was the perfect gift. Our Father wants obedience for Christmas and every other day for that matter. In Brazil Christmas is becoming commercialized. A phenomenon familiar for years in the United States tickles a growing economy. There is little time for meditation on God's Gift. There are no chestnuts roasting or Jack Frost nippin

Stop Trusting

Isaiah 2:22 says Isaiah 2:22 Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of? The Prophet is saying that we shouldn't put our trust in humankind because they are so finite. They are not like God, who is infinite. People are fickle. They change their minds. They love you and then hate you in moments. God invites us to trust him completely with everything that we have. He doesn't show himself to us physically or as a spirit. He demands that we have faith. However, he also gives us the faith to trust him. The universe shouts "Creator!" and yet we often ignore the proclamation. This ignorance does not make God's creation any less a physical demonstration of his grandeur. God's boundless being becomes more amazing in his presence within us. How can the infinite God dwell in the mortals he commands us not to trust? Jesus said, "with man it is impossible but with God, all things are possible."

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