|
What We Believe:
The various sections of this document
elaborate on the doctrines of what we believe, how we
implement our beliefs in our relationship to each other, and
how we implement our beliefs in a
legal corporate body in 21st Century America.
I. The first
section of this document is our Articles of Faith:
Christian religious
organizations of all sizes from individual churches with only
a handful of members to denominations having millions have
attempted at various times to set forth statements of what
they believe. Historically, these statements were most often
aimed at answering the doctrines of other groups. Often
called “confessions” in times past, they were important in
helping define the differences between the denominations.
In the
post-modern2,
secular humanism3,
ecumenical4
21st Century it is as important as ever to declare
boldly what we believe. In spite of the ecumenicalist’s
attempts to cover them over, the traditional battles still
rage between the denominations, and rightfully so, for the
differences are real. In addition, our beliefs are under
attack by the world as they have not been since the early days
of Christianity.
The doctrines presented in our
Articles of Faith are set forth for the specific purposes of:
· Accurately
reflecting the eternal truth of God’s Word,
· Unifying
the body of Christ through a common message,
· Confirming
and strengthening the convictions and beliefs of the church,
and
· Providing
a foundational teaching structure for the education of new
believers.
They do not comprise a complete
statement of everything we believe, but rather, are a listing
of the core doctrines sufficient to define the stand of
Tabernacle Baptist Church. No article states everything we
believe on the given doctrine, but is an outline. The details
are in the Bible. As articles of faith, they are not intended
to be comprehended completely by human logic. When we
incorporate them into our lives by faith, they become a
structure upon which to build a dynamic and vibrant church of
the living God.
II. The
second section is the Fundamental Baptist Statement:
The
Fundamental Baptist Statement has been a part of the statement
of the beliefs of Tabernacle since the founding of the church.
It was intended to bring together, in summary form, a few of
the beliefs of the church that addressed the major challenges
to the church at the time of its founding. Although we
face some different challenges today, we still face those
addressed in this statement, and it stands as a proclamation
of some of the specific aspects of who we are. It is
good for us to remember our foundations.
|
