ARTICLES OF FAITH
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1. We believe in the one true and living God: the Father, the Son (or, Word), and the Holy Ghost (or, Holy Spirit); and, these three are one.
1st John 5:7 clearly states this truth, saying, “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.” This does not say we have three gods, but rather, there are three “office works” of the one true and living God in saving His people from their sins. The Apostle Peter described these “office works” in 1st Peter 1:2, saying God’s people are, “Elect according to the fore-knowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.” Also, the introduction of Jude’s epistle says, “Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:” (and, the “calling” is the work of the Holy Spirit; see Ephesians 2:1) We sometimes refer to this principle as the doctrine of the Trinity. Those who object to this doctrine usually do so saying that Jesus is not equal to God. However, the Jews understood that the Messiah or Christ would be God, and while they rejected that Jesus is the Christ, from John 10:33 and John 19:7 we see that the Jews heard His claims of being God, and were angered with Him because of it. Also, in Philippians 2:6, Paul says of Jesus, “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:” In other words, Jesus didn’t have to “grasp at” divinity because He already was the divine Son of God (see John1:1-3), the Word that was made flesh and dwelt among us. (John 1:14) Finally, the Holy Spirit is also God. In John 14:23, we read, “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” In this verse, Jesus is saying that the presence of the Holy Spirit is the same as that of Himself and the Father. (By the way, this was partially revealed to us all the way back in Genesis 1:26, which says, “And God said, let US make man in OUR image …”) So, God has revealed Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
2. We believe the King James Version, not excluding the Original Translation of the Old and New Testament Scriptures, is the word of God and the only rule of faith and practice.
The Bible is far more than just a collection of sixty-six books. In fact, the internal evidence of it says in 2nd Peter 1:21, “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” Also, 2nd Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” Obviously, this refers to the original languages in which they were given. Further, Psalms 12:6-7, says, “The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.” And, while the Lord has promised to preserve His “words,” we believe that the best translation available in English is the King James translation. This translation of the Bible into the English language was done by able scholars, using superior base manuscripts, under a “penalty of death” if their translations were inaccurate, and whose work was cross-checked for accuracy by the other scholars involved. What other translation had such requirements? Further, we deem that it was no coincidence that this translation was accomplished at the time when word usage in the English language was at its peak (being contemporary with the works of William Shakespeare), and, so soon after the invention and widespread use of the printing press. More than coincidence, this appears to be the hand of Providence being faithful to His promise and working to preserve the pure words of the Lord, to make them readily available to future generations of God’s English-speaking people.
3. We believe in the doctrine of the eternal and particular election.
Peter spoke of God’s elect, saying they were “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.” (1Peter 1:2) For this, no action was asked of the sinner. Paul spoke to a Gentile church regarding their election as being, “According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.” (Ephesians 1:4-6) Again, no action was involved by the sinner. Further, 2nd Timothy 2:19 says, “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” Here, while the sinner is exhorted to righteous living, it is not so he will become one of His, but because he already is; and; he is personally and individually known of the Lord. That foundation was already laid. In the foreknowledge of God before the foundation of the world, God knew a particular people who would receive eternal redemption by the blood of Christ as He offered Himself once, to the Father. (see Hebrews 9:12, 10:14) Then, to show that this work is sealed and that God’s people are eternally secure in it, Romans 8:38-39 clearly tells us that there is nothing that can “separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” So, while God’s people should certainly obey Him and make good choices, the Bible clearly says that God’s choice of them came first. We’ll address the calling of the Holy Spirit later, but an understanding of this principle adds new force to the truth of 1John 4:19, which says, “We love Him, because He first loved us.” (For additional reading, see Romans 8:28-30, John 6:37-39, John 10:26-30, John 17:2, and Acts 13:48)
4. We believe in the doctrine of original sin.
Romans 5:12 clearly states, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” This describes how all of mankind became guilty of sin. While some very influential groups within Christianity deny this doctrine (i.e., they deny that humanity bears any “original guilt” from Adam and Eve’s particular sin), the Bible clearly teaches it. When Adam and Eve sinned, their sin separated them from God. (The word “death” in the Bible does not always mean corporeal death, but it always represents “a separation.”) God had said, “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” (Genesis 2:17) They ate of it, and they died. Not only were they separated from God, but sin “physiologically” changed them, and they began to die. (The Bible translators noted, “In dying, thou shalt die”) And so, “all” their children would be born like them, in that same “fallen” condition. That’s how death “passed” upon all men. Therefore, the idea of “infant purity” is a myth because a sin nature (and the guilt of it) is “passed” from the parents to the child at conception. And so, all infants are sinners by nature whether they ever have the opportunity to be sinners by practice or not. As such, they are all just as much in need of the redemption that is in Christ Jesus as the vilest sinner who has ever walked for a lifetime in his sinful ways. The Bible certainly teaches the doctrine of Original Sin.
5. We believe in man’s impotency to recover himself from the fallen state he is in by nature of his own free will and ability.
Paul said in Romans 5:6, “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.” The phrase “without strength” literally means we were “powerless.” It was not that we just needed more information. It was not that a “little spark needed fanning,” so to speak, to make the flame bigger. It wasn’t that we were sick and needed some medicine. We were “powerless” in the sense that we did not have what it took to accomplish what was needed! This is why Jesus was speaking the absolute truth of the matter when He said as recorded in John 6:44, “No man CAN come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” So, the natural man in and of himself (that is, man in his natural state without the spirit of God), has no ability nor desire, to go to God, to please God, to feel any guilt before God, to feel a need for a savior, or to confess any sins, much less ask for any forgiveness. Accordingly, Paul said in 1st Corinthians 2:14, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” Earlier in that chapter, Paul, quoting from Isaiah’s prophecy, said, “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.” (1st Corinthians 2:9-10, Isaiah 64:4) So, clearly, the Bible teaches that man is “impotent” (powerless) to recover himself from his fallen state. Only after the new birth, can or will man move toward God.
6. We believe that sinners are justified in the sight of God only by the imputed righteousness of Christ.
As we noted in our study of Article 4 which dealt with the Bible teaching of “original sin,” we found that since Adam and Eve were separated from God because of sin, all who were born of them are also under the same condemnation of sin and death. Then, our study of Article 5 proved that man has no power to recover himself from his fallen condition. Therefore, man needs a savior. He doesn’t deserve one, but it is his only hope! That’s why the grace of God is so wonderful! Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Then, 2nd Corinthians 5:21 describes this grace by telling us what God did for us through Christ, His Son, saying, “For he [God] hath made him [Christ] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” This says that the sins of God’s people were taken from us and placed upon Christ to be judged in Him; and in return, His righteousness has been given to us. Also, Isaiah 53:11 says, “He [God] shall see of the travail of his [Christ’s] soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.” This is what Christ, and Christ alone, has done for the elect family of God. The principle of “imputation” simply means that Christ’s righteousness was “placed to our account,” while our sins were “placed to Christ’s account.” And, as Jesus Christ came to be a substitutionary sacrifice for us, He suffered in our stead to accomplished the Father’s will. (see John 6:39) This also answers Job’s question in Job 9:2, saying, “I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God?” The answer is, “only by the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ.” Since God made Christ to be sin for us, and in exchange gave us the righteousness of Christ, God could declare us just before Him because our sin debt is paid in full forever. (see Hebrews 10:14) And so, the Apostle Paul could say in Romans 8:33, “Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.”
7. We believe that God’s elect shall be called, regenerated, and sanctified by the Holy Ghost.
In Acts 2:39, Peter says that the promise of eternal life was not to the Jew only, but unto all of God’s elect family. It reads, “For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” Also, in 2nd Thessalonians 2:13 Paul tells us it is the Spirit that performs this work. It says, “But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth.” Once an individual is called and regenerated by the Holy Spirit, he then has the spiritual faculties that enable him to hear and receive the Gospel.
Accordingly, in 1st Corinthians 1:2, Paul addresses God’s people who were a part of the church at Corinth, saying, “Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:” Here, Paul is addressing a people who have an inward desire to call upon Jesus Christ as their Lord and God. The source of that desire is their spiritual life. A similar description of this can be found in Galatians 4:4-6, which says, “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.” It is evident from the scriptures, that this desire cannot come from the “natural man” (i.e., one without spiritual life). Paul explained that in 1st Corinthians 2:14 saying, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” However, when the Spirit is given, the individual then has the spiritual faculties with which to begin to grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth. But again, this can only proceed from one who is called, regenerated, and sanctified by the Holy Ghost.
Finally, Jude certainly understood this requirement. It is evident in how he opened his epistle, saying, “Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:” So, if we understand that it is God’s purpose and His work (and not ours) to call, regenerate, and sanctify His people, then we should also understand why Jesus said to Nicodemus in John 3:6-8, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.” At His own discretion, God sovereignly works in calling and regenerating His elect.
8. We believe that saints shall persevere in grace and never fall finally away.
While the term “perseverance” may sound like something for which the sinner is responsible, the scriptures are clear that this “perseverance” is owing to the fact that the elect are preserved or kept by God himself. Jude 1:1 says, “… to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called.” Also, Colossians 3:3-4 says, “For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.” Further, Jesus said in John 10:28, “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” Finally, 1st Peter 1:3-5 says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” These verses clearly describe the eternal security of the elect family of God. Because God loved us so much, He not only provided for our salvation to an inheritance, but He is keeping it for us and He is keeping us for it! Therefore, as Paul said the the Roman brethren, “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)
9. We believe that baptism and the Lord’s supper are ordinances of Jesus Christ, that true believers are the only subjects of these ordinances, and that immersion is the true mode of baptism; and, the washing of the saints feet is a duty enjoined by Christ on all followers and should be attended to in church until His second coming.
There are only two ordinances in the New Testament church of Jesus Christ. The first is baptism. Jesus was baptized by the only one qualified to do it: John the Baptist. John had been sent of God to prepare the way of the Lord. (Mt 3:3,15; Mal 3:1; Mt 17:10-13) Jesus was baptized to identify himself with the work He came to do (i.e., His death, burial and resurrection is depicted in having one lower the candidate into the water and lift them out again.) And, as John 6:44 says, “No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him.” Therefore, only those who have felt His love in their hearts endearing them to Him are fit subjects for baptism. We are then to be baptized to identify ourselves with Him and the work He did for us if we believe in Him as the only begotten Son of God. Submitting to this first ordinance is how one is admitted into the church.
The second ordinance is the Lord’s supper or communion, which is only for baptized believers. Once baptized, these are to partake of communion with other believers until He comes again. In 1st Corinthians 11:26, we read, “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till He come.” God’s children should be careful to partake of this in a proper spirit of humility and awareness of our unworthiness in and of ourselves. Inasmuch as the emblems used represent His broken, sinless, body, and His blood which was free from sin and was shed for His people, each believer should consider their meaning as he partakes of them and remember that that is what was necessary for him to be redeemed from his sins and reconciled (i.e., to be at peace) with God the Father.
In addition to the ordinances of the church, we were also given an example to follow to exercise us in humility and to remind us of our responsibility to serve one another. Jesus washed His disciples’ feet and said to them in John 13:14-15, “If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.” If, as some say, He was simply observing a Jewish custom in washing their feet, then consider John 13:7 where Jesus said, “What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.” They would have recognized a Jewish custom. However the truth is, Jesus instituted something new, to be practiced as an exercise in humility, for New Testament believers to remember to be willing to serve one another: even as Jesus was willing to do for us. After all, He also said in Matthew 25:40, “Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” Let not pride hinder us in obeying the example Jesus clearly left us to follow and which He said we ought to do.
10. We believe in the resurrection of the dead and a general judgment.
In John 5:25, Jesus said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.” This verse teaches that regeneration is accomplished when one who is dead in trespasses and in sins “hears” the life giving voice of the Son of God. He is now quickened and given spiritual (eternal) life. Then, verses 26-27 say, “For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.” As such, He is the only source and giver of eternal life to mankind. Then, the thought proceeded to the idea of the judgment. Contrary to the ideas of some, corporeal death is not the end of one’s existence.
The passage in John then continues with Jesus saying, “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.” (John 5:28-29) This is a simple statement of the fact that some will be saved and some will not. And, while the two groups are identified by their “works,” the passage is not saying that their “works” were the basis for their judgment. Jesus said in Luke 6:44, “For every tree is known by his own fruit.” An apple tree didn’t become an apple tree because it bore apples. But rather, it bears apples because it is an apple tree. Accordingly, the good works spoken of in this passage are not the basis for their salvation, but they are evidences of “who they are.” They are born again children of God, who are enabled by the Spirit to bear good fruits. Those not born again, will not bear good fruit.
Elsewhere in the scriptures, we find other passages that speak of the general resurrection of the just and the unjust. In Paul’s defense before Felix the governor regarding the Jews’ accusations of him, he said, “But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets: And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.” (Acts 24:14-15)
Also, Revelation 20:12-15 speaks of the general judgment, saying, “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” Again, “all” shall be raised up. But again, “who they are” prevailed over their works. It’s not a matter of whether their good works out-weigh their bad, but rather, whether Jesus’ blood was shed for them. (John 6:39, Romans 8:29-30, Ephesians 1:3-6) Salvation is by grace, not works! (Romans 11:6, 2nd Timothy 1:9) And so, the Lamb’s book of life contains the names of all those who were chosen in Christ, who are redeemed by His blood, who are everlastingly preserved in Him, and therefore, are saved by God’s grace. The rest shall be cast into the lake of fire. (2nd Thessalonians 1:9)
11. We believe the punishment of the wicked will be everlasting and the joys of the righteous will be eternal.
As stated for Article 10 concerning the General Resurrection, Jesus said in John 5:28-29, “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.” This is a simple statement of the fact that some will be saved and some will not. And, while the two groups are identified by their “works,” the passage is not saying that their “works” were the basis for their judgment. Jesus said in Luke 6:44, “For every tree is known by his own fruit.” An apple tree didn’t become an apple tree because it bore apples. But rather, it bears apples because it is an apple tree. Accordingly, the good works spoken of in this passage are not the basis for their salvation, but they are evidences of “who they are.” In Matthew 25, they are described as “His sheep.” They are born again children of God, who are enabled by the Spirit to bear good fruits. Thus, they “shall come forth unto the resurrection of life.”
On the other hand, those who are not His sheep, who are not born again, who do not bear good fruit because the spirit of God is not in them to enable them to do so, they also “shall come forth.” But, their lot shall be “unto the resurrection of damnation.” They are those identified as “the goats” in Matthew 25:41, of whom it was said, “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:” These are the same of whom Paul spoke in 1st Corinthians 16:22, saying, “If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.” (i.e., accursed when the Lord comes) In short, these shall die “in” their sins. (see John 8:24)
Now, specifically addressing this 11th Article of Faith, the scriptures clearly identify that the duration of the “resurrection of life” and the duration of the “resurrection of damnation” will be the same. As Matthew 25:46 says, “And these [the goats, on His left] shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous [His sheep, on His right hand] into life eternal.”
There are some who cannot believe that a loving God would ever consign any to an eternal hell to suffer incessant torment forever. And so, these wrest the scriptures and try to impose meanings upon words that are just not according to truth. For instance, some of this mindset draw an undue distinction between the words everlasting and eternal (even though they are the same word in the original text). Both are used in Matthew 25:46 with everlasting applying to the goats and eternal applying to the sheep. But, the clear intent of this scripture teaches us that the joys of the righteous will be eternal, because they will experience the love God “has had” for His chosen ones from everlasting and which He always “will have” for them into the everlasting future. On the other hand, the execution of God’s punishment of the non-elect will “commence” at the judgment and will know no end. The Lord did not say that the “result” of their punishment would be everlasting, but that the fire and the punishment itself would be. (See also 2nd Thessalonians 1:8-9)
12. We believe that no person has any right to administer the ordinances but such as have been regularly called and come under the hands of a presbytery.
The ordinances under consideration here are that of baptism and administering the communion bread and wine. Acts 13:2-3 describes this requirement that is to be observed in the New Testament Church. It says, “As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.” Further, Hebrews 5:4 says, “And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.” And, while Hebrews 5 is contrasting the Old Testament priests to Christ, still the principle of God selecting those who will administer His ordinances is not new to the New Testament, but rather, it is carried forward into it and is still God’s method of operation.
Also, the Apostle Paul taught this principle by saying in 1st Thessalonians 2:4, “But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.” He acknowledged that it is God which “allowed” him to be “put” in trust with the gospel, because it is God who is to be pleased with their use and application of its ordinances. It is not up to every whim and fancy of those who would rather do other than what the scriptures allow. So, while the gospel is to be cherished and enjoyed by all of God’s people, some are “put in trust” and held accountable to God with administering its ordinances.
So important was the idea that God calls men to administer the gospel (and its ordinances), that Paul reminded Timothy that his calling was recognized and approved by a presbytery of God called ministers and that he should take care to study and grow in his knowledge of scripture and how to apply its principles. And so, Paul said to him in 1st Timothy 4:14-16, “Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.”
For a final proof-text for this, the Apostle Paul instructed Titus to carry on these practices of recognizing men who are called to the work. Titus, being ordained himself, and following the apostolic charge, was to call presbyteries together and ordain others who showed evidence of their calling of God, thus allowing them to perform all the duties of the ministry. If this were not a necessary pattern to follow, why then would Paul command it? And so, we read in Titus 1:5, “For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:” Paul not only gave him an apostolic charge to carry this out, but in the following verses, Titus is also given the qualifications for that office.
In closing, you might ask, “So, why the need for a calling to the office and meeting a set of qualifications decided upon by men?” The answer is, because some men, by their own misconduct and neglect have disqualified themselves from being fit to minister to God’s people and to administer the gospel’s ordinances. That’s why Paul admonished Timothy to “take heed unto thyself.” (1st Tim 4:16, Acts 20:28, 1st Cor. 3:10, Col. 4:17, Rom 16:17) Jesus setup His kingdom and holds its ministry in His hand (see Rev. 1:20) They are under His authority and they should keep themselves, lest they become castaways (i.e., out of condition and rejected), as Paul warned in 1st Cor. 9:27.
Elder Clayton Nowell
1. We believe in the one true and living God: the Father, the Son (or, Word), and the Holy Ghost (or, Holy Spirit); and, these three are one.
1st John 5:7 clearly states this truth, saying, “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.” This does not say we have three gods, but rather, there are three “office works” of the one true and living God in saving His people from their sins. The Apostle Peter described these “office works” in 1st Peter 1:2, saying God’s people are, “Elect according to the fore-knowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.” Also, the introduction of Jude’s epistle says, “Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:” (and, the “calling” is the work of the Holy Spirit; see Ephesians 2:1) We sometimes refer to this principle as the doctrine of the Trinity. Those who object to this doctrine usually do so saying that Jesus is not equal to God. However, the Jews understood that the Messiah or Christ would be God, and while they rejected that Jesus is the Christ, from John 10:33 and John 19:7 we see that the Jews heard His claims of being God, and were angered with Him because of it. Also, in Philippians 2:6, Paul says of Jesus, “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:” In other words, Jesus didn’t have to “grasp at” divinity because He already was the divine Son of God (see John1:1-3), the Word that was made flesh and dwelt among us. (John 1:14) Finally, the Holy Spirit is also God. In John 14:23, we read, “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” In this verse, Jesus is saying that the presence of the Holy Spirit is the same as that of Himself and the Father. (By the way, this was partially revealed to us all the way back in Genesis 1:26, which says, “And God said, let US make man in OUR image …”) So, God has revealed Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
2. We believe the King James Version, not excluding the Original Translation of the Old and New Testament Scriptures, is the word of God and the only rule of faith and practice.
The Bible is far more than just a collection of sixty-six books. In fact, the internal evidence of it says in 2nd Peter 1:21, “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” Also, 2nd Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” Obviously, this refers to the original languages in which they were given. Further, Psalms 12:6-7, says, “The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.” And, while the Lord has promised to preserve His “words,” we believe that the best translation available in English is the King James translation. This translation of the Bible into the English language was done by able scholars, using superior base manuscripts, under a “penalty of death” if their translations were inaccurate, and whose work was cross-checked for accuracy by the other scholars involved. What other translation had such requirements? Further, we deem that it was no coincidence that this translation was accomplished at the time when word usage in the English language was at its peak (being contemporary with the works of William Shakespeare), and, so soon after the invention and widespread use of the printing press. More than coincidence, this appears to be the hand of Providence being faithful to His promise and working to preserve the pure words of the Lord, to make them readily available to future generations of God’s English-speaking people.
3. We believe in the doctrine of the eternal and particular election.
Peter spoke of God’s elect, saying they were “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.” (1Peter 1:2) For this, no action was asked of the sinner. Paul spoke to a Gentile church regarding their election as being, “According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.” (Ephesians 1:4-6) Again, no action was involved by the sinner. Further, 2nd Timothy 2:19 says, “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” Here, while the sinner is exhorted to righteous living, it is not so he will become one of His, but because he already is; and; he is personally and individually known of the Lord. That foundation was already laid. In the foreknowledge of God before the foundation of the world, God knew a particular people who would receive eternal redemption by the blood of Christ as He offered Himself once, to the Father. (see Hebrews 9:12, 10:14) Then, to show that this work is sealed and that God’s people are eternally secure in it, Romans 8:38-39 clearly tells us that there is nothing that can “separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” So, while God’s people should certainly obey Him and make good choices, the Bible clearly says that God’s choice of them came first. We’ll address the calling of the Holy Spirit later, but an understanding of this principle adds new force to the truth of 1John 4:19, which says, “We love Him, because He first loved us.” (For additional reading, see Romans 8:28-30, John 6:37-39, John 10:26-30, John 17:2, and Acts 13:48)
4. We believe in the doctrine of original sin.
Romans 5:12 clearly states, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” This describes how all of mankind became guilty of sin. While some very influential groups within Christianity deny this doctrine (i.e., they deny that humanity bears any “original guilt” from Adam and Eve’s particular sin), the Bible clearly teaches it. When Adam and Eve sinned, their sin separated them from God. (The word “death” in the Bible does not always mean corporeal death, but it always represents “a separation.”) God had said, “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” (Genesis 2:17) They ate of it, and they died. Not only were they separated from God, but sin “physiologically” changed them, and they began to die. (The Bible translators noted, “In dying, thou shalt die”) And so, “all” their children would be born like them, in that same “fallen” condition. That’s how death “passed” upon all men. Therefore, the idea of “infant purity” is a myth because a sin nature (and the guilt of it) is “passed” from the parents to the child at conception. And so, all infants are sinners by nature whether they ever have the opportunity to be sinners by practice or not. As such, they are all just as much in need of the redemption that is in Christ Jesus as the vilest sinner who has ever walked for a lifetime in his sinful ways. The Bible certainly teaches the doctrine of Original Sin.
5. We believe in man’s impotency to recover himself from the fallen state he is in by nature of his own free will and ability.
Paul said in Romans 5:6, “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.” The phrase “without strength” literally means we were “powerless.” It was not that we just needed more information. It was not that a “little spark needed fanning,” so to speak, to make the flame bigger. It wasn’t that we were sick and needed some medicine. We were “powerless” in the sense that we did not have what it took to accomplish what was needed! This is why Jesus was speaking the absolute truth of the matter when He said as recorded in John 6:44, “No man CAN come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” So, the natural man in and of himself (that is, man in his natural state without the spirit of God), has no ability nor desire, to go to God, to please God, to feel any guilt before God, to feel a need for a savior, or to confess any sins, much less ask for any forgiveness. Accordingly, Paul said in 1st Corinthians 2:14, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” Earlier in that chapter, Paul, quoting from Isaiah’s prophecy, said, “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.” (1st Corinthians 2:9-10, Isaiah 64:4) So, clearly, the Bible teaches that man is “impotent” (powerless) to recover himself from his fallen state. Only after the new birth, can or will man move toward God.
6. We believe that sinners are justified in the sight of God only by the imputed righteousness of Christ.
As we noted in our study of Article 4 which dealt with the Bible teaching of “original sin,” we found that since Adam and Eve were separated from God because of sin, all who were born of them are also under the same condemnation of sin and death. Then, our study of Article 5 proved that man has no power to recover himself from his fallen condition. Therefore, man needs a savior. He doesn’t deserve one, but it is his only hope! That’s why the grace of God is so wonderful! Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Then, 2nd Corinthians 5:21 describes this grace by telling us what God did for us through Christ, His Son, saying, “For he [God] hath made him [Christ] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” This says that the sins of God’s people were taken from us and placed upon Christ to be judged in Him; and in return, His righteousness has been given to us. Also, Isaiah 53:11 says, “He [God] shall see of the travail of his [Christ’s] soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.” This is what Christ, and Christ alone, has done for the elect family of God. The principle of “imputation” simply means that Christ’s righteousness was “placed to our account,” while our sins were “placed to Christ’s account.” And, as Jesus Christ came to be a substitutionary sacrifice for us, He suffered in our stead to accomplished the Father’s will. (see John 6:39) This also answers Job’s question in Job 9:2, saying, “I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God?” The answer is, “only by the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ.” Since God made Christ to be sin for us, and in exchange gave us the righteousness of Christ, God could declare us just before Him because our sin debt is paid in full forever. (see Hebrews 10:14) And so, the Apostle Paul could say in Romans 8:33, “Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.”
7. We believe that God’s elect shall be called, regenerated, and sanctified by the Holy Ghost.
In Acts 2:39, Peter says that the promise of eternal life was not to the Jew only, but unto all of God’s elect family. It reads, “For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” Also, in 2nd Thessalonians 2:13 Paul tells us it is the Spirit that performs this work. It says, “But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth.” Once an individual is called and regenerated by the Holy Spirit, he then has the spiritual faculties that enable him to hear and receive the Gospel.
Accordingly, in 1st Corinthians 1:2, Paul addresses God’s people who were a part of the church at Corinth, saying, “Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:” Here, Paul is addressing a people who have an inward desire to call upon Jesus Christ as their Lord and God. The source of that desire is their spiritual life. A similar description of this can be found in Galatians 4:4-6, which says, “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.” It is evident from the scriptures, that this desire cannot come from the “natural man” (i.e., one without spiritual life). Paul explained that in 1st Corinthians 2:14 saying, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” However, when the Spirit is given, the individual then has the spiritual faculties with which to begin to grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth. But again, this can only proceed from one who is called, regenerated, and sanctified by the Holy Ghost.
Finally, Jude certainly understood this requirement. It is evident in how he opened his epistle, saying, “Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:” So, if we understand that it is God’s purpose and His work (and not ours) to call, regenerate, and sanctify His people, then we should also understand why Jesus said to Nicodemus in John 3:6-8, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.” At His own discretion, God sovereignly works in calling and regenerating His elect.
8. We believe that saints shall persevere in grace and never fall finally away.
While the term “perseverance” may sound like something for which the sinner is responsible, the scriptures are clear that this “perseverance” is owing to the fact that the elect are preserved or kept by God himself. Jude 1:1 says, “… to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called.” Also, Colossians 3:3-4 says, “For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.” Further, Jesus said in John 10:28, “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” Finally, 1st Peter 1:3-5 says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” These verses clearly describe the eternal security of the elect family of God. Because God loved us so much, He not only provided for our salvation to an inheritance, but He is keeping it for us and He is keeping us for it! Therefore, as Paul said the the Roman brethren, “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)
9. We believe that baptism and the Lord’s supper are ordinances of Jesus Christ, that true believers are the only subjects of these ordinances, and that immersion is the true mode of baptism; and, the washing of the saints feet is a duty enjoined by Christ on all followers and should be attended to in church until His second coming.
There are only two ordinances in the New Testament church of Jesus Christ. The first is baptism. Jesus was baptized by the only one qualified to do it: John the Baptist. John had been sent of God to prepare the way of the Lord. (Mt 3:3,15; Mal 3:1; Mt 17:10-13) Jesus was baptized to identify himself with the work He came to do (i.e., His death, burial and resurrection is depicted in having one lower the candidate into the water and lift them out again.) And, as John 6:44 says, “No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him.” Therefore, only those who have felt His love in their hearts endearing them to Him are fit subjects for baptism. We are then to be baptized to identify ourselves with Him and the work He did for us if we believe in Him as the only begotten Son of God. Submitting to this first ordinance is how one is admitted into the church.
The second ordinance is the Lord’s supper or communion, which is only for baptized believers. Once baptized, these are to partake of communion with other believers until He comes again. In 1st Corinthians 11:26, we read, “For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till He come.” God’s children should be careful to partake of this in a proper spirit of humility and awareness of our unworthiness in and of ourselves. Inasmuch as the emblems used represent His broken, sinless, body, and His blood which was free from sin and was shed for His people, each believer should consider their meaning as he partakes of them and remember that that is what was necessary for him to be redeemed from his sins and reconciled (i.e., to be at peace) with God the Father.
In addition to the ordinances of the church, we were also given an example to follow to exercise us in humility and to remind us of our responsibility to serve one another. Jesus washed His disciples’ feet and said to them in John 13:14-15, “If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.” If, as some say, He was simply observing a Jewish custom in washing their feet, then consider John 13:7 where Jesus said, “What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.” They would have recognized a Jewish custom. However the truth is, Jesus instituted something new, to be practiced as an exercise in humility, for New Testament believers to remember to be willing to serve one another: even as Jesus was willing to do for us. After all, He also said in Matthew 25:40, “Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” Let not pride hinder us in obeying the example Jesus clearly left us to follow and which He said we ought to do.
10. We believe in the resurrection of the dead and a general judgment.
In John 5:25, Jesus said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.” This verse teaches that regeneration is accomplished when one who is dead in trespasses and in sins “hears” the life giving voice of the Son of God. He is now quickened and given spiritual (eternal) life. Then, verses 26-27 say, “For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.” As such, He is the only source and giver of eternal life to mankind. Then, the thought proceeded to the idea of the judgment. Contrary to the ideas of some, corporeal death is not the end of one’s existence.
The passage in John then continues with Jesus saying, “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.” (John 5:28-29) This is a simple statement of the fact that some will be saved and some will not. And, while the two groups are identified by their “works,” the passage is not saying that their “works” were the basis for their judgment. Jesus said in Luke 6:44, “For every tree is known by his own fruit.” An apple tree didn’t become an apple tree because it bore apples. But rather, it bears apples because it is an apple tree. Accordingly, the good works spoken of in this passage are not the basis for their salvation, but they are evidences of “who they are.” They are born again children of God, who are enabled by the Spirit to bear good fruits. Those not born again, will not bear good fruit.
Elsewhere in the scriptures, we find other passages that speak of the general resurrection of the just and the unjust. In Paul’s defense before Felix the governor regarding the Jews’ accusations of him, he said, “But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets: And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.” (Acts 24:14-15)
Also, Revelation 20:12-15 speaks of the general judgment, saying, “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” Again, “all” shall be raised up. But again, “who they are” prevailed over their works. It’s not a matter of whether their good works out-weigh their bad, but rather, whether Jesus’ blood was shed for them. (John 6:39, Romans 8:29-30, Ephesians 1:3-6) Salvation is by grace, not works! (Romans 11:6, 2nd Timothy 1:9) And so, the Lamb’s book of life contains the names of all those who were chosen in Christ, who are redeemed by His blood, who are everlastingly preserved in Him, and therefore, are saved by God’s grace. The rest shall be cast into the lake of fire. (2nd Thessalonians 1:9)
11. We believe the punishment of the wicked will be everlasting and the joys of the righteous will be eternal.
As stated for Article 10 concerning the General Resurrection, Jesus said in John 5:28-29, “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.” This is a simple statement of the fact that some will be saved and some will not. And, while the two groups are identified by their “works,” the passage is not saying that their “works” were the basis for their judgment. Jesus said in Luke 6:44, “For every tree is known by his own fruit.” An apple tree didn’t become an apple tree because it bore apples. But rather, it bears apples because it is an apple tree. Accordingly, the good works spoken of in this passage are not the basis for their salvation, but they are evidences of “who they are.” In Matthew 25, they are described as “His sheep.” They are born again children of God, who are enabled by the Spirit to bear good fruits. Thus, they “shall come forth unto the resurrection of life.”
On the other hand, those who are not His sheep, who are not born again, who do not bear good fruit because the spirit of God is not in them to enable them to do so, they also “shall come forth.” But, their lot shall be “unto the resurrection of damnation.” They are those identified as “the goats” in Matthew 25:41, of whom it was said, “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:” These are the same of whom Paul spoke in 1st Corinthians 16:22, saying, “If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.” (i.e., accursed when the Lord comes) In short, these shall die “in” their sins. (see John 8:24)
Now, specifically addressing this 11th Article of Faith, the scriptures clearly identify that the duration of the “resurrection of life” and the duration of the “resurrection of damnation” will be the same. As Matthew 25:46 says, “And these [the goats, on His left] shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous [His sheep, on His right hand] into life eternal.”
There are some who cannot believe that a loving God would ever consign any to an eternal hell to suffer incessant torment forever. And so, these wrest the scriptures and try to impose meanings upon words that are just not according to truth. For instance, some of this mindset draw an undue distinction between the words everlasting and eternal (even though they are the same word in the original text). Both are used in Matthew 25:46 with everlasting applying to the goats and eternal applying to the sheep. But, the clear intent of this scripture teaches us that the joys of the righteous will be eternal, because they will experience the love God “has had” for His chosen ones from everlasting and which He always “will have” for them into the everlasting future. On the other hand, the execution of God’s punishment of the non-elect will “commence” at the judgment and will know no end. The Lord did not say that the “result” of their punishment would be everlasting, but that the fire and the punishment itself would be. (See also 2nd Thessalonians 1:8-9)
12. We believe that no person has any right to administer the ordinances but such as have been regularly called and come under the hands of a presbytery.
The ordinances under consideration here are that of baptism and administering the communion bread and wine. Acts 13:2-3 describes this requirement that is to be observed in the New Testament Church. It says, “As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.” Further, Hebrews 5:4 says, “And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.” And, while Hebrews 5 is contrasting the Old Testament priests to Christ, still the principle of God selecting those who will administer His ordinances is not new to the New Testament, but rather, it is carried forward into it and is still God’s method of operation.
Also, the Apostle Paul taught this principle by saying in 1st Thessalonians 2:4, “But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.” He acknowledged that it is God which “allowed” him to be “put” in trust with the gospel, because it is God who is to be pleased with their use and application of its ordinances. It is not up to every whim and fancy of those who would rather do other than what the scriptures allow. So, while the gospel is to be cherished and enjoyed by all of God’s people, some are “put in trust” and held accountable to God with administering its ordinances.
So important was the idea that God calls men to administer the gospel (and its ordinances), that Paul reminded Timothy that his calling was recognized and approved by a presbytery of God called ministers and that he should take care to study and grow in his knowledge of scripture and how to apply its principles. And so, Paul said to him in 1st Timothy 4:14-16, “Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.”
For a final proof-text for this, the Apostle Paul instructed Titus to carry on these practices of recognizing men who are called to the work. Titus, being ordained himself, and following the apostolic charge, was to call presbyteries together and ordain others who showed evidence of their calling of God, thus allowing them to perform all the duties of the ministry. If this were not a necessary pattern to follow, why then would Paul command it? And so, we read in Titus 1:5, “For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:” Paul not only gave him an apostolic charge to carry this out, but in the following verses, Titus is also given the qualifications for that office.
In closing, you might ask, “So, why the need for a calling to the office and meeting a set of qualifications decided upon by men?” The answer is, because some men, by their own misconduct and neglect have disqualified themselves from being fit to minister to God’s people and to administer the gospel’s ordinances. That’s why Paul admonished Timothy to “take heed unto thyself.” (1st Tim 4:16, Acts 20:28, 1st Cor. 3:10, Col. 4:17, Rom 16:17) Jesus setup His kingdom and holds its ministry in His hand (see Rev. 1:20) They are under His authority and they should keep themselves, lest they become castaways (i.e., out of condition and rejected), as Paul warned in 1st Cor. 9:27.
Elder Clayton Nowell