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Our Apostolic Doctrine.... 1. The Church
We believe that the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ is one and that it is universal and indivisible.
Composing of all men regardless of nationality, language, race or custom. Who have accepted our
Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior having been baptized into His body by the Holy Spirit(1
Corinthians 12:13) 2. One God
We believe there is only One God who has manifested Himself in the world in various forms
throughout th ages. And that He has specially revealed Himself as Father in the creation of the
universe, as Son in the redemption oh humanity, and as the Holy Spirit dwelling in the hearts of the
believers. The first commandment is, "Hear O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord" (Mark 12:19,
Deut. 6:4). "But to us there is but one God" (1 Corinthians 8:6) 3. Jesus Christ
We beleive that the Lord Jesus Christ was born miraculously of the Virgin Mary through the work of
the Holy Spirit and that at the same time He is the one and only true God (Romans 9:5; 1 John
5:20). We believe that God took upon Himself human form (John 1:14; 1 Tim. 3:16). We believe
that the divine attributes and the human nature of God were incorporated in an incomprehensible yet
perfect form in Christ Jesus. We believe, therefore, that Jesus Christ is God (Colossians 2:9) 4. Water Baptism
We believe in baptism by immersion in the Name of Jesus Christ and that it should be administered
by an Ordained Minister. Baptism should be by immerssion because it represents the death of man
unto sin which is like unto the death of Christ (Romans 6:1-5). And in the name of Jesus Christ, since
this was the practice of the Apostles and Ministers who baptized during the early period of the
Church according to the Holy Scriptures (Acts 2:38, 8:16, 10:48, 19:6, 22:16)
5. Holy Spirit
We believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit as promised by God in the Old Testament and as
poured forth after the glorification of our Lord Jesus Christ (Joel 2:28-29: John 7:37-39, 14:16-26:
Acts 2:1-4). Furthermore, we believe that a person demostrates that they have been baptized with
the Holy Spirit through the evidence of speaking in new tongues or languages as the Spirit leads
them. We also believe tht the Holy Spirit helps us form a Christian character (Galatians 5:22-25).
This same Spirit endows us with gifts for the edification of the Church (Romans 12:6-8: 1 Cor.
12:1-12; Ephesians 4:7-13)
6. The Lord's Supper
We believe in the literal practice of the Lord's Supper as instituted by Him (Matthew 26:26-29;
Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:15-20; 1 Cor. 11:23-26). The object of this ceremony is to commemorate
the death of our Lord Jesus Christ until His return to earth and to demostrate the communion and
fellowship existing among the believers. The Church also practices the additional ceremony of
washing each other's feet in conjunction with or without the Lord's Supper as an act of humility and
Christian fellowship (1 Tim. 5:10)
7. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ
We believe in the literal resurrection of Jesus Christ which took place on the third day after His death
as recorded in the Gospels (Matthew 27:60-4; Mark 16:1-20: Luke 25:1-12, 25:26-44; John
20:12-20). This resurrection had been foretold by the profets (Isaiah 5:12)
8. The Resurrection of the Just and Unjust
We believe that there will be a literal of the dead in Christ and that they will be given a glorified and
spiritual body in which they will live forever in the presence of the Lord (John 5:29; Acts 4:15; 1
Thess. 4:16; 1 Cor. 15:35-54). We believe also that there will be be a resurrection of the unjust, but
these will awake from the tombs, only to be judged and hear the hard sentence that will make them
heirs of eternal fire (Matt. 25:26; John 5:29; Rev. 2:12-15; Mark 9:44)
9. The Rapture of the Church
We believe that the church, composed of the dead in Christ and the faithful living upon the earth at
the time of the Rapture, will be lifted, will meet the Lord in the air and will take part in the wedding
feast of the Lamb of God. We believe this will take place before the Great Tribulation. Thereafter,
the Church will descend with the Lord to pass judgement upon the nations and it will reign with
Christ for a thousand years. This period will be preceded by the Battle of Armageddon which the
Lord will end descending upon the Mount Olives with all His host of angels (1 Thess. 4:13-17; 1
Cor. 15:51-54; Phil. 3:20-21; Isaiah 65:17-25; Dan. 7:27; Romans 11:25-27; Rev. 20:1-5)
10. Final Judgement
We believe the Lord has prepared a judgement day in which all men who have died without Christ
and those living upon the earth will participate. The Church will not be judged on this occasion.
Upon termination of this judgement, the present heavens and earth will be renewed by fire and the
faithful will dwell in the New Jerusalem (1 Cor. 5:10; 6:2-3; Daniel 7:8-10, 7:14,18; Romans 2:16,
14:10; Rev. 20:5-15, 21:1-6)
11. Divine Healing
We believe that God has the power to heal our physical bodies and is effected through the
combination of the faith of the believers and power in the Name of Jesus Christ, whose Name is
invoked when praying for the sick. The Lord Jesus Christ promised that those who believed in His
Name would lay hands on the sick and they would recover (Mark 16:18). The sick should be
anointed with oil in the Name of Jesus Christ by Ordained Ministers to effect the promise of the
Lord (John 14:13; Psalm 103:1-4; Luke 9:1-3, 10:9: 1 Cor. 12:9; James 5:14-16). We believe that
all members and Ministers of our Church abstain from criticizing medical science, since God has
given men and women the ability to continue discovering the secrets of the human body.
12. Holiness
We believe that all members of the Body of Christ should be holy, that is, seperated of the Lord
(Lev. 19:2, 2 Cor. 7:1; Ephesians 5:26-27; 1 Thess. 4:3-4; 2 Tim. 2:21; Hebrews 12:14; 1 Peter
1:16)
13. Matrimony
We believe that marriage is holy since ti was instituted in the beginning (Gen. 2:21-24; Matt.
19:1-15; Hebrews 13:4). Couples who have not fulfilled the requirements of civil law in regards to
marriage should do so before being baptized. We believe that when a couple unites in marriage, they
should remain united until death. Upon the death of one, the other is free to remarry and does not
commit sin if he or she marries in the Lord (Romans 7:1-3; 1 Cor. 7:39). We believe, furthermore,
that marriages should take place solely among faithful church members.
14. Church & State
We believe in the seperation of the Church and State and that neither should intervene in the internal
affairs of the other since this fulfills a biblical precept (Mark 12:17). Christians should participate in
civil activities insofar as their own personal inclinations, ideas and opinions permit. They should obey
the civil authorities and all laws and ordinances issued by them unless these are contradictory to their
religious principles of constrain them to act against their conscience (Romans 13:1-7)
15. Military Service
We recognize human government as ordained by God (Romans 13:1-2). We admonish our
members to affirm loyalty to our country. According our members to affirm loyalty to our country.
According to the following scriptures, it is believed and interpreted that the followers of our Lord
Jesus Christ should not shed human blood taking lives and destroying their properties (Matt. 5:19,
26:52; Hebrews 12:14, Romans 12:19; James 5:6; Rev. 13:10). All members, therefore, are advised
to answer voluntarily to the call of their country, whether in time of peace or war and serve in any
capacity no matter how hard of dangerous it may be, as long as it is NONCOMBATANT
CHARACTER (1 Tim. 2:1-3)
16. "Sin unto Death"
We believe that there is sin unto death and that if this sin is committed the right to salvation is lost
(Matt. 12:31-32; Romans 6:28; Hebrews 10:26-27; 1 John 5:16-17). Therefore, we recommend
that the faithful abstain from giving ear to doctrines that promise eternal security to the Christian
without regard to their conduct. The Bible teaches that we must remain faithful unto the end (Romans
2:6-19; 1 Cor. 9:26-27)
17. Financial System of the Church
We believe the system the Bible teaches, for the purpose of obtaining the funds necessary to carry
out the work of the Lord, is that of tithes and offerings and that this should be practiced by Ministers
and believers alike (Gen. 28:22; Malachi 3:10; Matt. 23:23; Luke 6:38; Acts 11:27-30; 1 Cor.
9:3-14, 16:1-2; Galatians 6:6-10; Philemon 4:10-12; Hebrews 13:16)
18. The Ministerial Body
We believe that the Ministry is a calling of God and that the Holy Spirit confers upon each Minister
the privilege of serving the Church in distict capacities and with distinct gifts, whose manifestations
are all towards edification of the Body of Christ (Romans 12:6-18; 1 Cor. 12:5-11; Ephesians
4:11-12). It is up to the ecclesiastical governments which are duly organized to examine the
candidates for the Ministry to determine whether they should be approved to serve therein and
assign them their duty (Acts 1:23-26, 6:1-3l; 1 Timothy 3:1-10, 4:14, 5:22; Titus 1:5-9). We also
believe that the Holy Spirit uses its Ministers in various ways according to the needs jof the work of
the Lord and the capability and personal disposition of the Minister. No one can be placed in a
higher position than that of which he is worthy (1 Tim. 3:13; Romans 12:3). We believe that the
Bishopry is the highest office work in the Ministry and that special respect and consideration should
be given those who occupy it without giving less consideration to those that occupy positions of
lesser responsibility. |
