BIBLIOLOGY

I believe that God has revealed Himself to us through the Word of God. I believe that sixty-six canonical books of the Bible have divine authority as they are inspired by God (2 Tim 3:16-17). I believe that God’s Word is without error, and it has been preserved forever. I believe that the Bible is the final authority for our life and practice (Ps 138:2; 119:89; Matt 5:18).

 

  1. Revelation in the Bible 
  1. Though God is invisible, since He is a Spirit being (John 4:24), yet He has revealed Himself to mankind. The revelation of God has been classified in two ways, general and special revelation.
  2. General revelation refers to God’s self-manifestation through nature (Ps 19:1-6; Rom 1:20), history, and conscience (Rom 1:19, 2:14). General revelation is universal, a revelation that is revealed to all people in all times. People from all nations and all cultures observe the creation which declares the existence of God. They have been given a conscience in their inner being which witnesses to them of a higher being. Because of the revelation of the general revelation to mankind, they are without excuse (Rom 1:20), and have responsibility to seek God (Acts 17:27).
  3. Special revelation refers to God’s self-manifestation through His Word to some people at definite times and places. God revealed His Word through prophets to Pharoah (Gen. 41:37–39), Nebuchadnezzar (Dan. 2:47; 3:26), and the sailors on the ship that Jonah took (Jon. 1:3–16). The object of special revelation is relational (Gen 3:8-9). God wanted to relate to mankind through His Word. When sin entered the world, God revealed Himself through His Son to all mankind (John 1:18). The coming of Jesus was another special revelation that was a redemptive act of God (Gal 4:4-5).

 

  1. Inspiration of the Bible 
  1. Sixty-six canonical books of the Bible are inspired by God (2 Tim 3:16).
  2. Inspiration means “God-breathed,” which is a supernatural operation of the Holy Spirit, who through the different personalities and literary style of the chosen human authors, invested the very words of the original books of the Holy Scripture, alone and in their entirety, as the very Word of God without error in all that they teach or imply, and the Bible is thereby the infallible rule and final authority for faith and practice of all Christians.
  3. The Scripture did not originate with man but with God moving men through the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:20-21).
  4. The inspiration of the Old Testament books. God put His Word in the mouths of the prophets in the Old Testament (Deut 18:18). The book of the law of the LORD was givenby Moses (2 Chronicles 34:14). Zechariah said “the words which the LORD of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets” (Zech 7:12). The Spirit of God spoke through the prophets (2 Sam 23:2). Jesus confirmed the inspiration of the Old Testament Scripture (Matt 22:43). Peter confirmed it (Acts 4:24-25). The writer of Hebrews confirms the inspiration of the Old Testament Scripture (Heb 4:7).
  5. The New Testament writers considered their writings to be inspired by God. Peter said that the epistles of Paul were inspired by God (2 Pet 3:15-16). Paul cited the Gospel of Matthew as Scripture along with the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy, asserting, “For the scripture saith, [in Deut 25:4], ‘Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn’ [Matt 10:10]. ‘And, The labourer isworthy of his reward.’ ” (1 Tim 5:18).

 

  • Inerrancy of the Bible 

Since the Bible is inspired (2 Tim 3:16), and since it is impossible for God to lie (Heb 6:18), we can boldly say that the Bible is inerrant; that is to say, it is without error. Three arguments prove the inerrancy of the Bible.

  1. The arguments from God the Father. The logic is simple and irrefutable that God cannot err, and the Bible is the Word of God, and therefore the Bible cannot err. The book of Hebrews tells us that it is impossible for God to lie (Heb 6:18); the book of Titus says that God cannot lie (Titus 1:2); and the book of Romans says “Let God be true and every man a liar (3:4).
  2. The argument from God the Son. If Jesus Christ is the Son of God, then the Bible is the Word of God. To deny the Bible as the Word of God is to deny Jesus as the Son of God. the Scripture teaches that Jesus is the Son of God (Matt 16:16-17; Mark 14:61-62; John 1:1; 8:58; Col 2:9; Heb 1:8). Therefore, the Bible is the Word of God which cannot err.
  3. The argument form God the Holy Spirit. The third person of the Trinity is called “the Spirit of truth” (John 16:13), who cannot err (1 John 4:6). The Holy
    Spirit is the source of truth who cannot be in error. The Bible is an utterance of the Spirit of truth. Therefore, the Bible cannot be in error. The authors of the Scripture were moved by the Holy Spirit (2 Pet 1:20-21), and they uttered God-breathed writings (2 Tim 3:16), that are said to proceed “from the mouth of God” (Matt 4:4).

 

  1. The Canonicity of the Bible 
  1. The word canon means “rule” or “norm,” and when used in reference to the Bible, it refers to the normative books for Christian faith and practice. Those considered canonical are the ones held to be inspired of God (2 Tim 3:16); they were the books written by the prophets and apostles (2 Pet 1:20-21; Eph 2:20; 2 Pet 3:15-17). The canon of the Scripture was completed by the end of the first century, and therefore we possess in the sixty-six books of the Bible all that God intended to be there. God never intended any more books to be added to the Bible.
  2. The true test of canonicity is propheticity. God determined which books would be in the Bible by giving their message to a prophet, so only the books written by a prophet or an accredited spokesperson for God are inspired and belong in the canon of Scripture. While God determines which books are canonical, the people of God are responsible to find the canonical books. God has given us the responsibility to distinguish a true prophet from a false one (Deut 18:21-22).
  3. Apart from propheticity, the testimony of antiquity also is another test of canonicity of the Scripture. Philo and Josephus quoted from the Old Testament, but never from apocryphal books. The Jewish teacher acknowledged that their prophetic line ended in the fourth century B.C. Jesus and His apostles never quoted from the Apocrypha as Scripture, and even they were aware of them and alluded to them at times. No canonical list or council of the Christian church accepted the Apocrypha as being inspired for nearly the first four centuries. Many of the early church fathers spoke out against the Apocrypha.

 The Holiness of the Bible

  1. Holiness is used of God’s Word similarly to the way it is used of God; namely, to be set apart from other things, to be sacred, to be exalted. Paul said to Timothy, “and that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures” (2 Tim 3:15).
  2. The Word of God was sacred from the beginning. When Moses wrote the Word of God, He was told to put it in the Ark of the Covenant in the most holy place (Deut 31:24-26). God’s Word is not only holy itself, but it is able to make us holy. Jesus prayed, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth” (John 17:17). The Bible is set apart above all other books in the world, since it alone is able to save (Rom 1:16; 1 Peter 1:23) and sanctify (Eph 5:26-27).

 

  1. The Preservation of the Bible
  1. God is eternal and His Word must be eternal, and we should conclude that God has preserved His Word and will continue to do so. We have internal and external evidence that the Word of God is preserved. The internal evidence is those promises found in the Bible where God promises to preserve His Word forever (1 Peter 1:23; Ps 12:6-7; 111:7-8; 117:2; 119:152, 160; Is 40:8; Matthew 24:14, 35).
  2. The external evidence is people who quoted and preserved the Word of God. The early church fathers such as Clement of Rome, Ignatius, Polycarp and many others quoted the Scriptures in their letters which are identical to what we have in our Bible today. There is much archeological evidence that proves the accuracy and preservation of the Bible.
  3. The Word of God has been preserved and kept for all generation in all times (Ps 33:11; 100:5; 119:89-90; Is 59:21). We do not need to depend on the latest discoveries of manuscripts. God’s Word is sufficient for us.

 

 THEOLOGY PROPER 

  1. The Nature of God 
  1. God exists. The Bible does not attempt to prove God’s existence but simply declares that “in the beginning God created the heaven and earth” (Gen 1:1). This is because God has placed His knowledge in each person’s heart (Rom 1:19; 2:14). Thus, we have a responsibility to believe that He exists (Hebrews 11:6).
  2. God is a spirit (John 4:24). He is not a physical being, even though He took flesh upon Him when He entered our world. Since God is a spirit, therefore He is invisible (1 Tim 1:17; Col 1:15; Heb 11:27). To have a relationship with God, one must be born of the Spirit of God (John 3:3-6), and be able to worship God in spirit and in truth (John 4:24).
  3. God is a person. Just like a human personality, God has emotions (Eph 4:30), speaks to men (Gen 3:8-9), leads them (Exo 13:21), judges them (Rom 2:16; Ps 75:7; 76:8-9; Is 33:22), and reasons with them (Is 1:18). Thus, God possesses the features of personality.

 

  1. The Attributes of God 

God has nonmoral as well as moral attributes.

  1. Nonmoral Attributes of God. The nonmoral attributes (metaphysical attributes) of God are: pure actuality (Col 1:17; Ps 90:2; Rev 1:8; John 17:5) and simplicity (Exo 20:3; Deut 6:4; Isa 37:16-20), asity (“not caused by another”) (Exo 3:14; Isa 40:18-28) and necessity (Gen 1:1; John 1:3; Ps 90:2), immutability (Num 23:19; 1 Sam 15:29; Mal 3:6) and eternality (1 Tim 1:17; Isa 57:15; Col 1:16), impassibility (Deut 10:14; 1 Chron 29:14) and infinity (1 Kings 8:27; Ps 147:5; Job 11:7-9), immateriality (John 4:24; John 1:18; 1 Tim 1:17) and immensity (Ps 8:1; 57:5; Isa 66:1-2), omnipotence (Job 37:23; Rev 1:8; Gen 28:3-4) and omnipresence (Ps 139:7-10; Jer 23:23-24), omniscience (Gen 6:5; Job 37:16; Ps 139:2-4), wisdom (Ezra 7:25; Job 12:13; Dan 2:20) and light (John 8:12; 2 Sam 22:29; Ps 4:6) , majesty (1 Chron 16:27; Job 37:4; Ps 29:4), beauty (2 Chron 20:21; Ps 29:2; Isa 33:17), and ineffability (Deut 29:29; Job 11:7; Ps 139:6), life (Num 14:28; Josh 3:10; Ps 42:2) and immortality (1 Tim 1:17; 6:16), and unity (Deut 6:4; Isa 44:6; 1 Tim 2:5) and triunity (Matt 28:20; Isa 48:16; 1 John 5:7).
  2. Moral Attributes of God. There are at least six moral attributes of God: holiness (Is 6:3; 1 Pet 1:16; Ps 22:3), justice (Ecl 3:17; Heb 10:30; Is 30:18-19), jealousy (Exo 20:5; Deut 4:24; Is 42:8), perfection (Matt 5:48; Ps 18:30), truthfulness (John 14:6, Ps 31:5; Deut 32:5), and goodness (Exo 34:6; Ps 100:5; 135:3; Lam 3:25).

 

  • The Triunity of God 
  1. The Bible teaches that God is one and beside Him there is none (Isaiah 45:5); however, the one true God is a triune being, Father, Son and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19-20). The Scripture teaches that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three persons independently and irrespective of creation, redemption, and sanctification.
  2. Before the creation, God was a triune, three persons distinct from each other with self-consciousness, each one knowing who He is. The Son knows that He is not the Father, when He said, “O Father, glorify thou me” (John 17:5). The Father knows that He is not the second person, when He said, “Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee” (Heb 1:5). The third person knows that He is the Holy Spirit, when He said, “Separate me Barnabas and Paul” (Acts 13:2).

 

  1. The Works of God 
  1. God created matter (Gen 1:1). God created all things out of nothing (ex-nihilo) in six literal days (Gen 1). He created heaven and the earth and all that is in them. He created them all by His Word (Heb 1:3; 11:3; John 1:3).
  2. God created living things (Gen 1:21). All of life exists because God wills it to exist (Acts 17:25). God created man and woman, who are the only creatures made in the image of God (Gen 1:26-28). God created us all for His glory and pleasure (Rev 4:11). God also created angels (Ps 148:2,5; Col 1:16).
  3. God sustains all things. Creation depends on God. According to the Bible, God is actively at work in His creation (Heb 1:3; Col 1:17). God produces life in His creation (Psa.104:14).
  4. God is transcendent over and immanent in creation (Gen 1:1). Contrary to Deism, which affirms God’s transcendence but denies His immanence; and contrary to Pantheism which asserts God’s immanence but denies His transcendence, God is both beyond and in the world according to the Word of God. The Biblical base for God’s transcendency is found in 1 Kings 8:27; Job 11:7-8; Ps 8:1; 57:5; Isa 40:12. The Biblical base for immanency of God is found in Psa. 139:7-10; Rom 1:19; Heb 4:13.
  5. God is sovereign over creation (Ps 115:3; 29:10; 10:16). Sovereignty is God’s control of His creation. God’s sovereignty is based on His attributes, especially omnipotence, omnibenevolence, omniscience, and omnisapience. Because of those attributes, God knows the best thing to do (Ps 147:5; Isa 46:10) and has the power to do it (Gen 18:14; Jer 32:27).
  6. God’s providence in creation (Job 23:10; 2 Cor 2:14; Eph 3:1). Providence comes from the Latin pro and video, meaning “foresight,” and by that “a careful arrangement prepared beforehand for the accomplishment of predetermined ends”. God providence is over the natural world (Job 9:5-6; 37:6-13), over the animal world (Job 21:9-11; Ps 104:21), over human affairs (1 Chron 16:31; Dan 4:35), and over affairs of the nations (Job 12:23; Ps 22:28).
  7. God’s redemption work for His creation (Eph 1:7; Col 1:14; Rom 3:24-26). The redeeming work of God is the pinnacle of all His works. The purpose of creation was the fellowship of God with mankind, and due to sin the relationship and fellowship was broken. God took the initiative to restore His relationship with mankind through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. The redemption shows the love of God towards us (Rom 5:8).

  

CHRISTOLOGY 

I believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. I believe that He is fully God and fully man. I believe that Jesus was born of a virgin and is the only sinless Person who represents us as our High Priest before the holy God. I believe that Christ died for our sins and was buried and rose again after three days according to the Scriptures. I believe that He ascended to heaven, sat on the right hand of God making intersession for us, and is waiting to come back again to reign on earth.

 

  1. The Person of Christ 
  1. The Deity of Christ. Though Jesus did not say, “I am God,” yet He claimed more powerful statements that prove His deity, not just as God in a generic term, but as Biblical God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (John 8:58, John 14:6; 15:1-3; 10:9, 11; 11:25; 8:12; 6:35). The Old Testament prophets claimed that Messiah is divine (Isa 9:6; 7:14; Micah 5:2; Dan 7:13-14). The angel Gabriel announced to the Shepherds that the Messiah is Christ the Lord (Luke 2:11). Jesus’ disciples called Him Lord and God (John 20:28; 1 Peter 1:3; 1 Cor 1:3
  2. The Humanity of Christ. Jesus was a perfect man as He lacked no elements of humanity. He was born of a woman (Matt1:23) in a place called Bethlehem (Matt 2:1). He grew physically and intellectually (Luke 2:52). He was nourished by food and water. He experienced hunger (Matt. 4:2), thirst (John 19:28), and fatigue (John 4:6). Jesus suffered physically and died, just like everyone else.
  3. The Unity of the Person of Christ. The biblical and historical material supports the view that Christ has both a human and a divine nature united in one person.
  4. Isaiah prophesied that “unto us a child is born” (His humanity), “unto us a son is given” (His deity), and one of His titles shall be called “the mighty God” (Isa 9:6).
  5. Though Jesus was God, He took a form of man and became like one of us (Phil 2:7).
  6. Jesus’ dual nature is permanent (John 20:25-28).
  7. Sometimes Jesus used His human nature, when he ate, drank, slept, prayed, and died. Other times He used His divine nature, when He raised people from the dead, healed the sick, calmed the storm, and cast out demons.
  8. The Virgin Birth of Christ. Right after the Fall, God promised that He would send the Savior Messiah, who would be born of a woman (Gen 3:15). Later on, Isaiah prophesied specifically that the woman who would bear the Messiah would be a virgin (Isa 7:14). The New Testament affirms that Christ was born of a virgin (Matt 1:18-23).
  9. The Sinlessness of Christ. Jesus is the only Person who never sinned as a man on this planet. Though He was tempted by Satan, yet He sinned not (Heb 4:15). Jesus is described as “a high priest [who] truly meets our need—one who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens” (Heb 7:26), and “without spot” (Heb 9:14). Peter, who of course knew Jesus well, declared him to be “the Holy One of God” (John 6:69), and taught that Jesus “did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth” (1 Pet. 2:22). John said, “In him is no sin” (1 John 3:5).

  

  1. The Work of Christ 
  1. The offices of Christ. At His first coming, Jesus came as a prophet to preach the Word of God to us (Deut 18:18; Acts 7:37). By His vicarious death, He served as a high priest (Mark 10:45) and now, He is sitting at the right hand of God making intercession for us (Rom 8:34). At His Second Coming, Jesus will have the office of a king to rule over the nations (Rev 19:11-16; Matt 19:28).
  2. The miracles of Christ. Miracles are a reality in a theistic universe. Jesus performed many miracles to demonstrate His deity and to confirm His message. The sign of the true Messiah was marked by miracles as prophesied earlier (Isa 35:1-6).
  3. The legacy of Christ. Jesus taught and mentored His disciples for 3 ½ years, and promised them He would send the Holy Spirit to indwell them (John 14:15-17). He promised to build His church through the confession of Peter (Matt 16:18). This was fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came on the disciples and enabled them to preach and build the church (Acts 2:1-47).
  4. The atonement of Christ. Jesus, who is “the life” (John 14:6), the Creator, the giver of life and of the new life that constitutes victory over death, became subject to death. His death was substitutionary death (Rom 5:8) which made an atonement for our sin (1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 2:2; Heb 9:22).
  5. The Exaltation of Christ. Because Jesus died on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins, He was exalted by resurrection from the dead (Matt 28:6). His resurrection was the proof of His victory over death and hell (Rev 1:18). His resurrection made His coward disciples to be bold witnesses of Him and of His resurrection (Acts 4:20). His resurrection was a bodily resurrection (John 20:25-27). Jesus ascended on high and is now sitting on the right hand of God in majesty. (Phil 2:5-11; Acts 7:56; Col 3:1; Heb 10:12).
  6. The Second Coming of Christ. Jesus promised to return to this world again (John 14:1-3). His return will be glorious (Matt 25:31). His victory will be complete, and He will conquer the foes and defeat Satan. He will reign for one thousand years on earth with justice and equity (Rev 20:1-6; Isa 32:1; 42:1-4). Every knee will bow to Jesus and every tongue will confess that He is the Lord (Phil 2:10-11).

 

PNEUMATOLOGY 

I believe that the Holy Spirit is God, the third Person of the Triune God. He is not a power, but a person who gives power to those who yield to Him. I believe that He was proceeded from the Father as well as the Son. I believe that the Holy Spirit was involved in the work of creation, and He also is involved in the work of redemption.

  1. The Deity of the Holy Spirit.
  2. The Holy Spirit possesses the name of God. He is referred to as “God” or “Lord” (Acts 5:3-4), “God’s Spirit” (1 Cor 3:16), “Lord” (1 Cor 12:4-6), and “eternal Spirit” (Heb 9:14).
  3. The Holy Spirit has attributes of God. His attributes are as follows: life (Rom 8:2), truth (John 16:13), love (Rom 15:30), holiness (Eph 4:30), eternality (Heb 9:1r4), omnipresence (Ps 139:7), and omniscience (1 Cor 2:11).
  4. The Holy Spirit performs the acts of God. The divine works of the Holy Spirit include the act of Creation (Gen 1:2; Job 33:4); Ps 104:30), the acts of redemption (Isa 63:10-11; Eph 4:30; 1 Cor 12:13), the performance of miracles (Gal 3:2-5; Heb 2:4), and the bestowal of supernatural gifts (Acts 2:4; 1 Cor 12:11).
  5. The Holy Spirit is associated with God in benedictions and baptismal formula. According to Jude 1:20, we ought to pray in the Holy Spirit. The benediction of 2 Cor. 13:14 contains all three members of the Godhead. The baptismal formula of Matt. 28:19 also contains the Holy Spirit among all three members of the Godhead. 
  1. The Personality of the Holy Spirit.
  2. The Holy Spirit has all elements of personhood. He has a mind (John 14:26; 1 Cor 2:11), He has will (1 Cor 12:11), and He has feeling (Eph 4:30).
  3. The Holy Spirit is referred to by personal pronouns. Pronouns “He” and “His” has been used in the Scripture to refer to the Holy Spirit (John 16:13; 14:26).
  4. The Holy Spirit does what a person can do. He teaches (John 14:26) and commands (Acts 16:16), speaks and guides (Acts 8:29), knows and searches the mind (1 Cor 2:11), and prays (Rom 8:26).

 The Procession of the Holy Spirit.

  1. Procession from the Father. Jesus said to His disciples that He “will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter” (John 14:16). Thus, Father was the source of sending the Holy Spirit.
  2. Procession from the Son. The Eastern and Western churches were divided over the fact whether the Holy Spirit was sent from the Son or not. Jesus clearly said that He would send the Holy Spirit to His disciples from the Father (John 15:26).

 

  1. The Works of the Holy Spirit.
  2. His work in creation. As the Father and Son were involved in the work of creation (John 1:3, Col 1:16, Mal 2:10), so also the Holy Spirit was involved in creating the world. He appears at the beginning of creation when He moved upon the face of the waters (Gen 1:2). Job said that the Spirit of God made him and gave him life (Job 33:4). The psalmist also claimed that the Holy Spirit created the world (Ps 104:30).
  3. His work in the life of Jesus. The Holy Spirit had a major role in the coming of Jesus to this world. He came upon Mary who was conceived and bore Jesus (Luke 1:35; Matt 1:18). John the Baptist said that Jesus will baptize with the Holy Spirit (Mark 1:8; Matt 3:11; Luke 3:16).
  4. His work in redemption. The Holy Spirit is actively involved in the work of redemption. He convicts unbelievers of sin (Gen 6:3; John 16:8); He regenerates those who are dead in trespasses and sin (Eph 2:1); He seals the believers until the day of redemption (Eph 4:30); He baptizes all believers into the spiritual body of Christ at the moment of salvation (1 Cor 12:13); He assures us of salvation (Rom 8:16); He bestows spiritual gifts on believers (Acts 2:4; 1 Cor 12:11); He reveals 91 Cor 2:10) and teaches (Luke 12:12); He inspires the Scriptures (2 Tim 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21); He enlights believers to understand the truths of God’s Word (Eph 1:17-18); He anoints believers for God’s service (1 John 2:20), and fills those who surrender to Him (Eph 5:18); and He indwells all believers forever (John 14:16-17). The Holy Spirit came upon Jesus at His baptism (Matt. 3:16; Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22; John 1:32). He was led by the Holy Spirit to the wilderness where He was tempted (Matthew 4:1; Luke 4:1–2). After fasting for forty days and His temptation, He returned to Galilee by the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:14), then all He did (His teaching, miracles) was by the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:18-21; 10:21; Matt 12:25-28). The miraculous gift that the Holy Spirit gave to believers was temporary, and the purpose of it was to confirm the Word of God by giving credential to the apostles (Mark 16:20; 1 Cor 13:8-10).

 

 

ANTHROPOLOGY 

I believe that man was created directly by God out of the dust in a state of innocence. I believe that man was made in the image of God, possessing an everlasting spirit as God possesses. I believe that the fall of man happened due to his rebellion against God’s commandment, and as a result, a curse came to all mankind. Man is in a state of broken relationship with God, and needs to have a new birth in order to have a relationship with God.

 

  1. The Origin of Man
  1. Man was created by God. Man did not evolve from an animal species over the span of time, but was created directly by the hand of God (Gen 1:26-28). God made man out of the dust (Gen 2:7). God took one of Adam’s ribs and made a woman (Eve) for him (Gen 2:21-22).
  2. Man was created perfect. The Biblical God is a perfect God (Deut 32:4; 2 Sam 22:31), and therefore He created a perfect man and without sin (Gen 1:26-28). Before the Fall, Adam and Eve did not know evil (Gen 3:5), and they were totally innocent.
  3. Man was created upright. Not only were Adam and Eve innocent, but they were also morally virtuous by virtue of their created state, for God endowed them with moral perfection (Eccl 7:29). 
  1. The Nature of Man 
  1. Man is made of a combination of both material (dust) and immaterial (spirit) elements (Gen 2:7).
  2. Man was created in the image of God. Nowhere in the Bible do we read that God made angels and animals in the image of God, yet man is the only creature who was made in the image of God (Gen 1:26-28). Man is the only triune creature made in the image of the triune God. As a man has three parts: body, soul, and spirit (1 Thess 5:23), so one God has three Persons in the Godhead: Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matt 28:19-20).
  3. The body of man is produced by parents through a natural process. The body is the outer (material) aspect of human nature (Matt 10:28). Though man was directly created by God out of the dust, the Lord gave Adam and Eve the ability to reproduce through a natural process of physical intimacy (Gen 1:28; 9:1,7).
  4. The soul of man is created directly by God. The soul means “life”. It refers to the principle of life in a human being, or to that which animates the body. Everyone born into this world receives a new individual soul directly created by God. The soul comes into existence at the time of conception (Ps 51:5; Matt 1:20).
  5. The spirit of man is breathed into man by God (Gen 2:7). The word spirit almost always refers to the immaterial dimension of a human being (Luke 24:38-39). The invisible God is a Spirit.
  6. The heart of man, as the most important part of a man, sometimes includes the mind (Prov 23:7). The heart refers to the whole inner person from where faith springs out (Rom 10:9). The heart is also a source of evil (Matt. 12:34; Jer.17:9) which needs to be kept or guarded.
  7. The mind of man refers to the immaterial dimension of a human being by which we think or imagine (Matt 12:30; Rom 12:2). The power of human reason places man above unreasonable animals (Jude 1:10). The mind of a sinful man can be depraved and controlled by Satan (Eccl 7:25), but the mind of a righteous man can be controlled by the Holy Spirit (Rom 8:6-7; Col 3:10).
  8. The emotion of man. Human beings are capable of deep emotions and feelings, such as joy and sorrow, love and hatred (John 11:35; Phil 4:4).
  9. The will of man. Unlike animals, man is made with the moral capacity to know right from wrong and the will to choose one over the other (Gen 2:16-17).
  10. Man has a God-given moral capacity called conscience (Gen 3:5-7). It is a light God has placed in each human being which makes them responsible to seek God (Rom 1:19; 2:12-15).
  11. Inner man. The spiritual dimension of human beings is also called “the inward man (2 Cor 4:16).” It is related to the invisible and eternal things (2 Cor 4:18).

 

  • The Fall of Man 
  1. God made man perfect and placed him in a perfect environment to have fellowship with him (Gen 2:8).
  2. Satan intended to destroy the fellowship that God had with man through deception (Gen 3:1). Therefore, he went after Eve and deceived her with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Being deceived, Eve ate the forbidden fruit and gave it to Adam, and he also ate and disobeyed the only commandment of God (Gen 3:6-7).
  3. Sin brought curse to the entire planet earth with all that is therein. Man was cursed and the curse passed unto all generations (Gen 3:16-19; Rom 5:12).
  4. In His love, God promised to send a Savior, the Messiah, to this world, who would defeat Satan and lift up the curse from man (Gen 3:15).
  5. Because of the Fall, we are all under the curse and have no fellowship with God. Gen 3:15 was fulfilled by the coming of the Messiah and His death on the cross. For us to be restored to a fellowship with God, we need to be born again (John 3:3-7).

 

 

HAMARTIOLOGY

 

I believe that sin was originated in heaven by the devil through his pride. I believe that Adam and Eve had a free will to choose to obey God’s commandment or disobey Him by listening to the devil who perverted the Word and way of God. I believe that Adam and Eve, as the head of our race, sinned against God and brought a curse and death to all humanity. I believe that sin has degrees and different punishments. Though sin separates us from God, I believe that God has planned to restore our broken relationship with God.

 

  1. The Definition of Sin
  1. The Hebrew word for sin is chata, meaning “to miss,” “to forfeit,” “to lack” (Ps 51:4). The basic Greek word for sin is hamartia which means “to miss the mark,” “to err,” “to sin” (Rom 3:23).
  2. The Hebrew word for trespass is maal meaning “to cover up,” “to act covertly, that is, treacherously” (Numbers 31:16). The Greek word is paraptoma meaning “to slip,” “to laps,” “to fall,” “to stumble aside,” “to offend,” “to sin” (Gal 6:1).
  3. Another term for violating God’s law is iniquity. The Hebrew word is avon, which means “perversity,” “fault,” “iniquity” (Isa 53:11). The Greek word is adikia meaning “morally wrong,” “unjust,” “unrighteous” (James 3:6).
  4. A common Hebrew word for sin is ra, which means “bad,” “harmful,” “wrong,” “even “calamity” (Isa 7:15). The Greek word for evil is poneros, meaning “evil in effect” (Matt 7:11). It means also “evil in character.” There is a depraved nature within us (Rom 7:21).
  5. Another biblical term for sin is wickedness. It often is translated in the Old Testament as rasha, meaning “morally bad” or “ungodly” (Ps 1:1). The Greek word for wickedness is anomia which means simply “wickedness” (Rom 6:19; 2 Cor 6:14; Matt 23:28).

 

  1. The Origin of Sin 
  1. God did not originate sin. Though God is the creator of all things, He did not originate sin. God is a holy God (1 Peter 1:16), and in Him is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5). He is of purer eyes than to behold evil (Hab 1:13).
  2. God cannot produce sin, for He is perfect (Deut 32:4; 2 Sam 22:31; Ps 18:30). God cannot promote and encourage sin. He is completely holy and cannot endorse sin. He cannot tempt people to sin (James 1:13; Matt 6:13).
  3. God can permit sin. God has privileged us with a free will; however, any creature with a free will is free to exercise it in a right or wrong way, to obey God or disobey Him (Gen 2:16-17). Evil brings trials and sufferings which God uses them to bring a greater good (Rom 5:3-5; James 1:2-4).
  4. The origin of sin was in heaven by angels. Before sin came to the earth, it originated in heaven. Lucifer, who was the highest of all angels in power and glory, abused his free will and rebelled against God, desiring to be like the Most-High God (Isa 14:12-14). One third of the angels in heaven followed Lucifer, and they were all dismissed from the presence of God in heaven along with Lucifer (Rev 12:3-9). After the Fall of Satan and his angels, they came to earth and started to tempt Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (Gen 3:1-5). Thus, Satan and his angels brought evil into this world.
  5. The origin of sin on earth by humans. Adam and Eve, who are the parents of us all, also exercised their free will and decided to break the only commandment of God by choice (Gen 3:6-7). By their rebellion, Adam and Eve were the originators of sin and evil on earth.

 

  • The Nature of Sin 
  1. Sins of commission are doing what we should not do (1 John 3:4). The Ten Commandments were given by God in the Old Testament (Exo 20:1-17) which is also repeated in the New Testament (Rom 13:9; Mark 10:17-19; 1 Cor 8:6; 6:9-10; 1 Tim 2:5; 6:1; 1 John 5:21; Eph 6:1-2).
  2. Sins of omission are not doing what we should do. According to the book of James, if we know what is good but neglect to do it, that is sin (James 4:17).
  3. Sin of unbelief. According to the Bible, whatever is not of faith is sin (Rom 14:23; John 3:18; Heb 11:6).
  4. There are some particular sins that God hates (prov 6:16-19): A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
  5. There are other sins that are in relation to God: the sin of rebellion which is witchcraft (1 Sam 15:23; Prov 17:11; Neh 9:17); the sin of transgression which is breaking of the guideline God gives (Rom 5:14; 1 John 3:4; Ps 51:4); the sin of pride was an evil that prompted Lucifer’s rebellion against God (Ezek 28:17; 1 Tim 3:6; 1 John 2:16).

 

  1. The Degrees of Sin. 
  1. Sins are not equal. According to the Bible, sins are of different degrees in the sight of God. Jesus said that justice and mercy are weightier matters of the law over tithing (Matt 23:23). Our love for God ought to be a higher duty than our love for human beings (Matt 22:38). Jesus told Pilate that the person who handed Him over to Pilate was guilty of a greater sin (John 19:11).
  2. The more severe eternal punishment for some is due to the heaviness of the sins they have committed (Rev 20:12; 1 John 5:16; 1 Cor 11:29-30).
  3. There is an unpardonable sin. All sins can be forgiven except blaspheming against the Holy Spirit (Matt 12:32).

 

  1. The Effect of Sin 
  1. Effects of sin on all mankind. The sin of Adam not only affected himself but whole humanity in all ages. All of Adam’s descendants were present in him potentially, seminally, and legally (judicially), since as the head of the race, Adam was our legal representative (Rom 5:18-21).
  2. Sin brings guilt and shame (Gen 3:7), loss of fellowship with God (1 John 1:6-7) and with men (Gen 4:1-8).
  3. Spiritual death. Death is separation from God and spiritual death is spiritual separation from God which means, “no connection with God whatsoever” (Isa 59:2). Upon committing sin, Adam and Eve hid themselves behind a tree (Gen 3:7-8). Every descendant of Adam born naturally through parents since the Fall is spiritually dead as well, except Jesus who did not inherit the sin of Adam, since He had no human father that transmits sin (Rom 5:12). The only way to be alive spiritually is to be born again (John 3:3-7; 1 Peter 1:23; Titus 3:5-7).
  4. Physical death. Sin also brought death to this world (Gen 2:16-17; Rom 5:12). Physical death is the inevitable result of Adam’s sin.
  5. Eternal death. The second death which is called “the lake of fire” is an eternal death. There is hope for every individual to be delivered from the spiritual death and be spiritually alive, but there is no hope of salvation from the eternal death. Once an unregenerated sinner dies, he will go to hell and finally to the Lake of Fire and will be there forever and ever (Rev 20:14-15). Those who believe in Jesus will never experience the second death or the eternal death (John 11:25-26).

 

  1. The Defeat of Sin 
  1. The Plan of God to defeat sin. Before the foundation of the world, God had planned to send His Son to be the Lamb of God who would take away the sin of the world (Rev 13:8). This indicates that God knew that sin would exist, and He permitted it, so He planned to destroy it. God did not plan to destroy evil instantly but progressively.
  2. The desire of God to defeat sin. God is all-loving and all-powerful, yet evil exists in the world. The nature of God assures us that He will eventually defeat sin (Matt 13:29-30).
  3. The work of God to defeat sin. In this church age, God is defeating evil in the lives of those who put their trust in His Son (1 John 3:8). Believers in Christ are delivered from the power of sin as the Holy Spirit transforms their lives. At the Rapture, they will be delivered from the presence of sin.
  4. The battle of God with the evil one. At the Second Advent, Jesus will fight with the army of the Antichrist and will defeat and send him to the lake of fire (Rev 19:19-20). He will bind Satan and keep him in hell chained for a thousand years so he won’t be able to deceive nations (Rev 20:1-3). After the thousand-year reign, Satan will be released for a short time and will commit his final rebellion against God, and after that, Satan will be cast into the Lake of fire forever (Rev 20:7-10).
  5. The provision of a new place with no sin. God is going to make a new heaven, a new earth, and a new Jerusalem where the righteous will dwell for all eternity with no sin and temptation. Sin will not be able to enter the new habitation of God (Rev 21:27).

 

  

SOTERIOLOGY 

I believe that the whole world lies in wickedness, and as a result, all people are heading to the eternal place of punishment. I believe that God took the initiative to provide salvation for all humanity through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ. I believe that Jesus made an atonement for the sins of all people, but it will be only applied to those who repent and put their trust in Jesus for the salvation of their souls.

 

  1. The Origin of Salvation 
  1. God is the author of salvation. It is God’s will that every sinner would get saved from sin and eternal death (2 Peter 3:9). Man cannot earn his salvation by good works or the deeds of the Law (Rom 3:20 Titus 3:5-6; Isa 64:6). Salvation is of the Lord (Jonah 2:9). God is love and the loving God loves to save His creatures. God provided salvation for Adam and Eve through a skin of a sacrificed animal (Gen 3:20).
  2. Grace is the means of salvation. No human being deserves salvation, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23), yet the gracious God is seeking to save those who come to Him by faith in Christ. Grace and works are mutually exclusive (Rom 11:6). Our works are not credited to us for salvation, but they are our obligation and duty that we need to perform all the time (Rom 4:4).

 

  1. The Provision of Salvation 
  1. Salvation is provided for all. The Bible is clear and emphatic that God wants all to be saved (1 Tim 2:4) and He has provided salvation for all (John 3:16; Rom 5:18; 2 Cor 5:19). Christ is the Savior of all men especially of those who believe (1 Tim 4:10). The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men (Titus 2:11). Christ tasted death for every man (Heb 2:9). Jesus is the propitiation, not for us Christians only, but for all the world (1 John 2:2). Thus, according to the Bible, the atonement is not limited but is available for all.
  2. Salvation is applied to believers. Though God has provided salvation for all, not all people will go to heaven (Eph 2:8). God offers the free gift of salvation that is available to all through Jesus, but only those who come to Him by faith and take the water of life freely will be saved (Rev 22:17; Rom 3:22-25).

 

  • The Nature of Salvation 
  1. Pre-salvation acts of God. God has chosen believers before the foundation of the world to be blameless and holy before Him (Eph 1:4). However, God does not randomly choose some to be saved and some to be damned. God predestined Christ to be a Sacrifice for our sins (Acts 2:23). He also predestines believers to be conformed to the image of His Son (Rom 8:29). However, God does not predestine some sinners to go to heaven and other sinners to go to hell. God has foreknowledge and thus, He knows who will be saved and who will not be (1 Peter 1:2).
  2. The Greek word for salvation is soteria or soterion from which we derive the word soteriology. It means “deliverance,” “preservation,” or “salvation.” Salvation often is used of physical deliverance (Luke 1:69, 71; Acts 7:25; 27:37; Phil 1:19). Salvation is also used of spiritual deliverance through the work of Christ on the cross (Rom 1:16; Eph 1:13; Rom 10:10; Acts 4:12).
  3. Salvation redeems man. Redemption is another term used for salvation, which means “to ransom,” “to deliver,” “to buy back.” Jesus gave Himself as a ransom for all men (1 Tim 2:6). He bought us back from the marketplace of sin by His blood (Matt 13:44; 46; 14:15; 2 Peter 2:1; Rev 14:3-4).
  4. Salvation regenerates man. Regeneration is an impartation of spiritual life to the souls of those who are dead in trespasses and sin (Titus 3:5; Eph 2:1-8; Matt 19:28). The source of regeneration is God, and the result of regeneration is sonship (John 1:12; Gal 3:26).
  5. Salvation gives a new birth to man. Born again or born from above is parallel to salvation. Rebirth is the point at which a person dead spiritually receives spiritual life (John 3:6-7; 1 Peter 1:23; 1 John 3:9; 4:7; 5:1, 4, 18).
  6. Salvation reconciles man to God. The Greek word for reconciliation is katallasso, which means “to reconcile” or “to bring together.” God reconciles man to Himself through Christ (2 Cor 5:18-20; Heb 2:17). God is not reconciled to us, but we are reconciled to Him (Col 1:20-21).
  7. Salvation is the cause of forgiveness (Acts 13:38; Eph 1:7; Col 1:14) and justification (Rom 3:21-23; 4:2-5; Gal 3:11; )

 

  1. The Stages of Salvation 
  1. Salvation from the penalty of sin. The first stage of salvation is called justification, which is salvation from the penalty of sin. Justification is an instantaneous, past act of God by which one is saved from the guilt of sin. His record is cleared, and he is guiltless before the judge (Rom 8:1).
  2. Salvation from the power of sin. The second stage of salvation is called sanctification, which is salvation from the power of sin. In contrary to justification, which is wrought by God, sanctification is a continual process in the present by which God is making us holy as we yield to Him. By the power of the Holy Spirit, believers can have victory over the world (1 John 5:4), the flesh (Rom 7:24-25), and the devil (James 4:7). Three steps to sanctification are:
  • Knowing we are dead to sin through Christ (Rom 6:6).
  • Reckoning this to be a fact (Rom 6:11).
  • Yielding ourselves to God’s righteous demands (Rom 6:13). 
  1. Salvation from the presence of sin. The third stage of salvation is called glorification, when the believers will be delivered from the presence of sin (Rom 8:18-23; Rev 21:1-4, 10-11, 18-19, 21-22). Glorification is a future act that will make us to be like Christ (1 John 3:2-4).

 

  1. The Evidence of Salvation 
  1. True believers manifest their faith through good works. Though we cannot get saved through good works, our good works are the indication of our true faith in Christ (James 2:14, 17, 22; Titus 2:11-12; John 15:2).
  2. True believers can fall into sin. Many godly Bible characters fall into sin (2 Sam 11; 2 Peter 2:7; Gen 9; 20-21; John 21:15-19; Matt 26:34-36; 1 Cor 3:1). Sin does not separate us from the love of Christ (Rom 8:35-39). Christ paid for all our sins that we commit in the past, present, and future (John 1:29; Heb 7:25).
  3. True believers are disciplined when they sin. True grace gives believers motivation to live a righteous life (Titus 2:11-12). However, there are times that believers can be tempted and fall in sin. In that case God treats them as a good Father who disciplines His children for his disobedience (Heb 12:6-9). Disciplining always brings greater good and corrects a believer’s wrong doings (Heb 12:10).

 

  1. The Assurance of Salvation 
  1. Salvation is of the Lord. Jonah summarized the soteriology of Scripture (Jonah 2:9). Salvation is not earned through our strength or good works, but from the will of God through His grace. When a person receives Christ as his Savior, he becomes a child of God (John 1:13). If our salvation does not depend on our efforts, but only God, our security is as eternal as He is.
  2. God cannot deny Himself. If we become unfaithful, God will remain faithful, because He cannot deny Himself by breaking His promises (2 Tim 2:13).
  3. Salvation was completed by Christ. On the cross, Jesus cried and said, “It is finished” (Greek: Tetelestai), which means “paid in full” (John 19:30). He paid the full penalty of our sins and left nothing for us to pay. By one sacrifice, Christ made us perfect and holy forever (Heb 10:14).
  4. Salvation is an irrevocable gift. God’s gifts and His calling are without repentance (Rom 11:29). God offers the free gift of eternal life (Rom 6:23; Eph 2:9), and hence, He can never overturn His salvation (2 Tim 2:13).
  5. Salvation cannot be gained or lost by our good works. Salvation is received by the mercy of God through regeneration (Titus 3:5), not by our good works (Eph 2:8-9). If salvation is not gained by our good works, then it cannot be lost by our good works. Thus, the gift of salvation (Rom 6:23) is a present possession (John 5:24), and God cannot be retracted (Rom 11:29).

 

  • The Condition for Salvation 
  1. The Greek word for repentance is metanoeo meaning “to think differently,” “to reconsider,” or “to change one’s mind.” According to the Bible all we like sheep have gone astray (Isa 53:5). We don’t seek after God (Rom 3:10). We do not walk in God’s ways. If we live our way without God all our lives, we will end up going to an eternal place separated from God called the lake of fire (Rev 21:8). In order to be saved from the Lake of fire, one must repent first (Heb 6:1; Luke 3:3; Acts 2:38; 3:19; 2 Cor 7:10; 2 Peter 3:9), acknowledging that he or she needs God for his or her salvation from the lake of fire. However, repentance alone is not enough for salvation.
  2. Repentance alone cannot save man; another element of salvation is faith in Christ. Repentance and faith go hand in hand (Acts 20:21). God requires repentance (Luke 13:3-5) and faith in His Son (John 1:12; Rom 10:9-13; 1 John 5:12-13) to save one from the lake of fire. Saving faith involves trust (John 12:36; Rom 10:9), commitment (Ps 37:5; 2 Tim 1:12), obedience (Rom 15:18; 2 Thess 1:8), love (Matt 22:37; 2 Thess 2:10; Gal 5:6), and humility (Matt 18:3-4).
  3. Good deeds are not conditions for salvation. Baptism and good works cannot save (Eph 2:8-9; Rom 3:20). Whatever we do to earn our salvation is in vain. Sin must be paid for, and only Christ paid for our sins on the cross. If we could have salvation through any other means, Christ’s death on the cross would have been in vain (Gal 2:21).

 

 

ECCLESIOLOGY 

I believe that Christ built His church, the body of born-again believers by the preaching of the Gospel. I believe that each local church should fulfill the Great Commission and be a light to its community so the lost souls may be saved and glorify God.

 

  1. The Nature of the Church 
  1. The definition of the church. The Greek term for church is ἐκκλησία (ekklēsia) which means “a called-out assembly.” (Matt 16:18; 18:17).
  2. The designations of the church. The church is a visible and a local church in various areas (Rom 1:7; 1 Cor 1:2; Gal 1:2). It is also a universal church consisting of all regenerated believers in heaven and on earth.
  3. The distinctions of the church. The Church is not Israel but a separate entity (1 Cor 10:32). The church is not the kingdom of God. in God’s kingdom, God is the ruler over all in all eternity, but the church has Christ as her head, starting at the beginning of the church age (Matt 16:18; Col 1:13).
  4. The typology of the church.
  5. Body of Christ. The church is the body of Christ which has many members (Eph 4:4). There are diversities and mutuality within the body of Christ. Christ is the head of the body who leads her (Col 1:18) and sustains her (Col 2:19).
  6. The temple of God. The foundation of the temple is the apostles and prophets (Eph 2:20), and Jesus Christ is the Cornerstone, and the stones are believers. The priesthood of the temple is also Christians (1 Peter 2:9).
  7. The bride of Christ. Church is the bride of Christ without spot or wrinkle, who is loved and cherished by Him (Eph 5:25-27). The union of the bride and Christ will take place in the future (Rev 19:7-8).
  8. The flock of God. The flock of God consists of Jews and Gentiles (John 10:16). Christ owns the flock and is the leader of it (John 10:2-5).
  9. The Vine and branches. Christ is the Vine, and the church is the branches (John 15:1-5). The vine nurtures the branches and produces fruit through the branches.
  10. The purpose of the church. God saves men and women from the world that they should worship and glorify Him (Rev 4:11; Eph 3:20-21).

 

  1. The Origin of the Church
  1. In the NT, ekklesia came to refer to an assembly of believers: (1) could be a house church (Philemon 2), (2) several house churches in one city (I Cor. 1:2; Acts 2:47), (3) Several churches in a region (Acts 9:31 [“church” could be singular not plural—cf. Phil. 3:6; 1 Cor. 15:9; Gal. 1:13), (4) All believers (Eph. and Col.—cf. also 1 Cor. 10:32 where “church of God” refers to a people group distinct from Jews and Gentiles).
  2. Jesus originated His church through His apostles by preaching of the Gospel. (Matt 16:18; Eph 2:20)
  3. The church was officially established on the Day of Pentecost. The evidence below proves that fact:
  4. The Church is a mystery not known in OT times (Eph 3:1-6).
  5. Christ predicted the Church to be future in His time (Matthew 16:17-18).
  6. The foundation of the church was finished after Christ’s death (Ephesians 2:19-20).
  7. The Church began after Christ’s resurrection and ascension (Ephesians 4:8-11).
  8. Later references to church growth imply Pentecost as its origin (Acts 2:47; 5:14).
  9. Peter points to Pentecost as the “beginning” of the church (Acts 11:15).
  10. The testimonies of the early church fathers (Ignatius, Irenaeus) and medieval fathers (Augustine, and Jerome) indicate that the church was originated on the Day of Pentecost. 
  • The Government of the Church
  1. Church Offices.
  3. Their terminology
  • Elder: comes from the Jewish ruling system in the synagogue (stresses the person and implied respect)
  • Bishop: one who oversees and is Gentile in origin (stresses the office and implied authority)
  • Pastor: one who shepherds the flock (stresses the responsibilities and implied faithfulness)

All three terms refer to the same office: (1) Phil. 1:1—Paul’s greeting to the “bishops and deacons” (2) Acts 20:17—Sent for the elders and Acts 20:28-29—overseers and shepherding (3) 1 Peter 5:1-2—elders, take the oversight and feed the flock of God (4) Titus 1:5, 7—ordain elders and qualifications of bishops.

  1. Their Number
  • Each city invariably had several house churches
  • 1:20—each church had only one aggeloß.
  • 1 Tim. 3—the title “bishop” is singular, whereas deacon is plural.
  1. Their qualifications
  • Blamelessness (1 Tim. 3:2, 7; Titus 1:6, 7)
  • Married to one wife. (Not a female pastor)
  • “A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; 3not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; 4one that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; 5(for if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) 6Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil” (1 Tim 3:2-7).
  1. Deacons
  2. Their origin: The need to serve widows at the Jerusalem church caused the origin of the deacon office (Acts 6:1-6).
  3. The definition: The Greek word for deacon is diakonos meaning “servant”, “attendant”.
  4. Their duties: to help the poor and to relieve the elders (Acts 6:1-4)
  5. Their qualifications: (1Tim 3:8-13)
  • Acts 6:3—honest report (blameless), full of the Holy Ghost (Philip was just such a man and it was evidenced in his children—Acts 21:8-9), wise
  • 1 Timothy 3:8-10, 12-13. (They must also be the husband of one wife.)
  1. Church Organization
  2. The value of order. Everything must be done decently and in order (1 Cor. 14:40; Acts 6:1-6).
  3. Each local church is an autonomous body (Acts 6:1-5), independent of hierarchical organization (Matthew 18:17), with Christ alone as its head (Ephesians 5:23; Colossians 1:18; I Peter 5:4).
  4. The priesthood of all believers. Christians are royal priests of Christ (Romans 5:1-5; 1 Timothy 2:5; Heb. 4:14-16).
  5. Would lean towards a congregational form of government.
    1. Church discipline (Matt. 18:17; 2 Cor. 2:6-7; 2 Thess. 3:6, 14-15; 1 Cor. 5:5)
    2. Approving decisions made by leaders (Acts 15:22-23; 15:30)
    3. Protecting the truth (Jude 3; 1 John 4:1; 2:20, 27; 1 Thess. 5:21; 1 Cor. 11:23—ordinances)
    4. Sending relief to others (Acts 11:29)
    5. Choosing officers and messengers (Acts 1:23-26; 14:23; 6:2, 3, 5; 11:22; 14:27; 1 Cor. 16:3; 2 Cor. 8:18-19; also appointing and reporting of missionaries—Acts 13:1-3; 14:27)
    6. Highlights the headship of Christ (Matt. 18:20)
    7. Responsibilities of the Church (the letters to the churches in Rev. 2-3 [see 2:7, 11, etc.]; to maintain order—1 Cor. 14:40; each member equally indwelt by the Spirit—1 Cor. 6:19 [unlike the O.T.]; taught of God—1 Thess. 4:9.)
    8. Jesus’ example (Luke 22:25-27—the kings of the Gentiles . . . “I am among you as he that serveth.”)
    9. Paul’s letters were addressed to the churches as a whole.
    10. Duty to preserve unity (Rom. 12:16; 1 Cor. 1:10; Eph. 4:3)
  6. Each person is important to the whole body (Romans 12:3-8; 1 Cor 12:12-27)
  7. Church Discipline
  8. The issues
  • Blatant wickedness (1 Cor. 5:11)
  1. immorality
  2. greed
  3. idolatry
  4. slander and busybodies (2 Thess. 3:6-15)
  5. drunkenness
  6. swindling
  • unresolved personal conflicts (Matt 18:15-20)
  • divisiveness (Rom16:17-18; Titus 3:10)
  • false teaching (Gal1:8-9; 2 Jn 9-11; 1 Tim 1:20; 6:3-5; Rev 2:14-15)
  1. The purpose
  • to purify the church (1 Cor 5:7)
  • to restore the erring brother (1 Cor 5:5; 2 Thess 3:14)

 

  1. The Ordinance Of the Church 
  1. The number of ordinances. Ordinances must be instituted by Christ and practiced in the book of Acts and be encouraged in the Epistles to be biblical ordinances. There are only two ordinances: Baptism (Matt 28:19-20) and Lord’s Supper (Matt 26:26).
  2. The examination of the ordinances.
  3. Baptism
  • The Greek word baptizw normally means “to dip” or “immerse”, but not always (Mark 7:4; perhaps also Lk. 11:38). Immersion is the only biblical method that believers should practice. John baptized at Aenon because there was much water there (John 3:23). Jesus came up out of the water (Mark 1:10). Philip’s baptism of the Ethiopian Eunuch (Acts 8:36-39).
  • The Greek words for sprinkling (rainw, rantizw) and pouring (ekkecumai, ekcew) are never used in the context of water baptism.
  • Only born-again believers qualified to be baptized (Acts 8:36-39).
  • Baptism is a symbol. It shows one being united with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection (Rom. 6:1-11; Col. 2:11, 12).
  • It is commanded of every believer as the first step of obedience after salvation (Acts 2:38). It is a part of the Great Commission (Matt 28:19-20).
  • Baptism is not necessary for salvation (Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:5; Rom. 10:9-10, 13; Acts 16:30-31)
  1. Lord’s Supper
  • The Lord’s Supper is a memorial (Luke 22:19). We are to partake of this ordinance in remembrance of Christ and what he did.
  • The Lord’s Supper is a symbol which indicates the death of Christ for our sins (1 Cor. 11:26; Mark 14:24)
  • The Lord’s Supper is a communion of [participation in] the blood of Christ (1 Cor. 10:16).
  • It is a continuous dependence of the believer for all spiritual life upon Christ (John 6:53).
  • It assures us of the coming joy and perfection of the kingdom of God (Matthew 26:29; Luke 22:18; Mark 14:25).
  • The frequency of keeping the Lord’s Supper is “as often as”—enough to remember but not too much so as to be mundane. (1 Cor 11:25).
  • The place of keeping the Lord’s Supper must be in the church (1 Cor. 11:18, 20).
  • The keeping of the Lord’s Supper is exclusive to regenerated and baptized believers (Matt 28:19-20; 21:25) who live orderly. The disobedient believers who live disorderly must avoid it (1 Cor 5:9-11; 1 Cor 14:37; Titus 3:10; Rom. 16:17).

 

 

ANGELOLOGY 

I believe that God created all the angels to serve Him. Though some of the angels serve God and obey His commandments, others failed to fulfill their duties and rebelled against God with Satan as their head, who deceived a third part of the angels in heaven. I believe that Satan and his angels will be cast into hell forever.

  1. The Origin of Angels
  1. Angels are created beings, like everything else (Psa. 148:2-5, Col. 1:16, 1 Tim. 6:16)
  2. Scripture is silent on the time of their creation, but there are two possibilities about when they were created:
  3. Created & fell before the six days of Gen. 1 (Job 38:4-7)
  4. Created during the six days of Gen. 1 along with everything else, and fell subsequent to that event, since everything at the conclusion of the six days was declared to be good (Ex. 20:11, but clearly such creational passages are contextually referring to the material world – not necessarily heaven itself and angels who inhabit that spiritual realm.)
  1. The Nature of Angels
    1. They are spiritual beings and never said to have a soul. (Ps 104:4; Heb 1:7,14; Eph 6:12).
    2. They are an entirely different order of being than humans (Heb 2:7,14-16; 12:22).
    3. They can materialize for the purpose of interacting with humans. When they materialize, they always assume a masculine gender (Gen 18-19; Luke 1:26; John 20:12; Heb 13:2).
    4. They constitute a fixed, created host: i.e. they do not multiply themselves through procreation (Matt. 22:30; Mark 12:25)
    5. They have more knowledge than humans (2 Sam 14:20; Matt 24:36).
    6. They have more power & strength than humans (2 Pet 2:11; Ps 103:20; 2 Thess 1:7; Matt 28:2; Acts 5:19; 12:7).
    7. They are finite beings who can only be in one location at once and thus must move from one location to another (Job 1:7; Zech 1:11; 1 Pet 5:8; Dan 9:21-23)
    8. They have wings and can fly (Isa 6:2; Ezek 1:6; Rev 4:8; Dan 9:21; Rev 8:13)
    9. They are curious and have a capacity to learn new things (1 Pet 1:12; Eph 3:10)
    10. They are highly organized into groups, rankings, & varied responsibilities. (Col 1:16; Eph 3:10; Eph 6:12).
    11. They are very numerous (Ps 68:17; Dan 7:10; Rev 5:11; Heb 12:22).
  2. The Role of Good Angels
  1. To worship and adore God (Isa 6:3; Rev 4:8; 5:11-12)
  2. To serve God by accomplishing tasks and “running errands”
  3. Delivering messages (Dan 9:21-23; Matt 1:20; 28:5-7; Luke 1:11-20, 26-38; 2:8-15)
  4. Carrying out acts of judgment (Gen 19:13; Ezek 9:1-11; 1 Chron 21:15-16; Rev 16:1)
  5. Carrying and transporting God’s throne (Ezek 1:26-28; 10:1-22)
  6. Escorting the souls of dead men to their destiny: The lost (Matt 13:30,39-40, 49-50). The saved (Luke 16:22)
  7. Separating and gathering the elect in the end times (Matt 13:39,49; 24:31)
  8. Accompanying Christ at His second coming (1 Thess 4:16, 2 Thess 1:8-9)
  9. Guarding the entry to Eden (Gen 3:24) and the gates of New Jerusalem (Rev 21:12)
  10. Removing the stone of Christ’s tomb (Matt 28:2-7)
  11. To encourage and minister to God’s people
  12. Christ Himself (Matt 4:11; Luke 22:43)
  13. The saints in general (Heb 1:14; Heb 13:2; 1 Kings 19:5-7)
  14. To protect & guard
  15. The saved (2 Kings 6:16-17; Gen 19:11; Dan 6:22; Acts 5:19; 12:10)
  16. Little children (i.e. guardian angel) (Matt 18:10)
  17. Nations (Dan 10:20 – 11:1; 12:1)
  1. The Work of Fallen Angels
  1. Actively opposing God and His work (Rev 12:4,7,13,17; 1 Thess. 2:18; Dan. 10:13; Rev. 2:10)
  2. Deceiving the world and disseminating false doctrine (Rev. 12:9; 1 Tim. 4:1; 2 Thess. 2:2,9; John 8:44; 2 Cor 11:14-15; Rev 2:9)
  3. Tempting people to sin (Gen 3:1-6; Matt 4:3-11; 1 Cor. 7:5)
  4. Influencing the thoughts of people:
  5. The lost: removing God’s Word from their hearts (Matt 13:19; Mark 4:15; John 13:2)
  6. The saved: suggesting ungodly ideas (1 Chron 21:1; Matt 16:22-23; Acts 5:3)
  7. Totally controlling people (demon possession)
  8. Indwelling lost people (or animals) (Matt 4:24; Mark 5:8-14)
  9. Though Satan may influence the thoughts of believers per the above point, there is no Scriptural record of a believer being demon possessed. Especially in the NT era, when believers are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, it seems unlikely that a demon could indwell the same person within whom the Spirit dwells.
  10. Physically hurting/maiming people or causing sickness and disease (including mental illnesses) (Matt 9:33; 12:22; Mark 5:1-16; Luke 13:16) Of course, sickness and mental disorders are by no means caused solely by demons, but are often simply the inevitable result of living in a fallen world and human frailty.
  11. Seeking the worship that rightly belongs only to God (Ps 106:37; 1 Cor 10:19-21; Rev 13:8; Matt 4:9-10)
  12. The Classes of Angels
  13. Angels: a generic term meaning “messenger”
  14. Archangels: only Michael is so designated (1 Thess. 4:16; Jude 9)
  15. Cherubim: The meaning of the term is not certain, but the term may mean “to cover,” and they appear to be guardians who transport and cover (i.e. guard) the throne of God (Ezek 1 & 10; Ps 18:10; 80:1; 99:1; 2 Kings 19:15). In this capacity, they are also represented symbolically in the tabernacle and temple (Ex 25:19; 26:1,31; 1 Kings 6:23-28,32,35; Ezek 41:18). The cherubim also appear to be guards and warriors in general (Gen 3:24). Description of Cherubim:
  16. Four faces: man, lion, ox, eagle (Ezek 1:10; 10:14, 22)
  17. Eyes everywhere (Ezek 10:12)
  18. Four wings (two to cover body and two to fly) (Ezek 1:6, 11; 10:21)
  19. Location: under the throne (to carry it) (Ezek 1:22,25)
  20. Seraphim: The term means “fiery ones.” Description of Seraphim:
  21. Six wings (two cover face, two cover feet, two to fly) (Isa 6:2)
  22. Cry “Holy, Holy, Holy . . .” (Isa 6:3)
  23. Location: above the throne (or, standing behind and over God, who is seated) (Isa 6:2)
  24. Living Creatures (Rev 4:7; 14:3; 15:7; 19:4). These seem to be a “cross” between Cherubim and Seraphim, sharing characteristics of both
  25. Like Cherubs: four faces & eyes everywhere (Rev 4:6-7)
  26. Like Seraphs: six wings & cry “Holy, Holy, Holy . . .” (Rev 4:8)
  27. Unlike either: these are located around and in the the midst of the throne, and there appear to be only four of them (Rev 6)
  28. Watchers (Dan 4:13, 17, 23)
  29. Holy Ones (KJV sometimes renders as “saints”) (Ps 89:5-7; Dan 4:13, 17, 23)
  30. Collective designations for the angels
  31. Hosts (as in “The Lord of Hosts”) or “Heavenly Host”
  32. Thrones, Dominions, Principalities, Powers, Authorities (Col 1:16; 2:15; Eph 6:12; Rom 8:38)
  33. Sons of God / Mighty Ones (Job 1:6; 38:7; Ps 89:6)

 

  • The warfare of Angels 
  1. Angels vs. Demons (Dan 10:12-13; 10:20-11:1; Jude 9; Rev 12:11)
  2. Man vs. Demons (Eph 6:10-12; 4:27; 1 Pet 5:8-9)
  1. The Names of the Fallen Angels
  1. Satan = “adversary”
  2. Devil = “accuser/slanderer” (Rev 12:10)
  3. Evil One / Wicked One = evil by nature (his essential character)
  4. Serpent, Leviathan, Dragon (Isa 26:21-27:1; Rev 12:9)
  5. Abaddon /Apollyon = “destruction/destroyer” (Rev 9:11)
  6. Beelzebub = “lord of flies/dung” as an intentional pun on Beelzebul (“lord of the heavens/ lord of the house”)
  7. Belial/Beliar = “worthless one”
  8. The Tempter (Matt 4:3)
  9. The god of this world (i.e. he controls the philosophy and religions of this world)
  10. The prince of this world/air (i.e. controls the people and political powers of this world)
  11. Lucifer = “morning star” (i.e. Venus; perhaps his original name? alludes now to the fact that he disguises himself as an “angel of light” in order to deceive (Isa 14:12; 2 Cor 11:14)

 

  1. The Fall of Satan 
  1. Prior to his fall, Satan was apparently a Cherub who guarded God’s throne (Ezek 28:14)
  2. He fell because of pride (Isa 14:12-15; Ezek 28:15-17)
  3. He was forcefully kicked out of Heaven; he did not willingly abandon it. (Luke 10:18 hence, Jude 6 and 2 Pet 2:4 do not describe the original fall of the angels)
  4. 1/3 of the angels of heaven joined him in the rebellion, and apparently these are the origin of demons (Rev 12:4)
  5. Key stages in the demise of Satan:
  6. Heaven: his original rebellion (Rev 12:4)
  7. Earth: his defeat at the birth of Christ and with His death and resurrection (Rev 12:4-5; John 16:11)
  8. Heaven: his war with God during the mid-tribulational period (Rev 12:7-12)
  9. Earth: his failure to extinguish Israel during the tribulational period (Rev 12:13-16)
  10. Hades: confined to Hades (the “abyss”) during the 1,000 year reign (Rev 20:1-3)
  11. Earth: his defeat at the battle of God and Magog subsequent to 1,000 year reign (Rev 20:7-9)
  12. Hell: cast forever into the Lake of Fire (Rev 20:10)

 

 

ESCHATOLOGY

I believe that God will bring His creation to the end by destroying Satan and evil as well as this defiled universe, and that He will make a new creation where the believers will dwell with God forever with peace and justice and equity.

  1. The Interpretation of the Prophecy 
  1. The Bible must be interpreted literally. The prophecy, which is the majority part of the Bible, must be interpreted literally as well.
  2. Jews interpreted the Old Testament literally (Neh. 8:1-8, Matt. 2:1-6).
  3. The prophecy about John the Baptist being a voice in the wilderness was fulfilled literally (Luke 3:1-6).
  4. The early church father used the literal method of interpretation.
  5. Because of this literal method, the premillennial view was the normal view of the early church. Clement of Rome (c. 30-100), Papias (c. 60-130) and Tertullian (c. 160-220) all believed in a literal millennial reign of Christ.
  6. The Biblical method of interpreting prophecy is not of a “private interpretation” (2 Peter 1:20). Just like other Biblical doctrines, we must allow the Scripture to interpret the Scripture when it comes to prophecy. There are many examples in the Bible that the Bible interprets the given prophecy, such as:
  7. Pharaoh’s Dream (Gen. 41:17-32)
  8. The King’s Dream (Dan. 2:24-49)
  9. Christ’s Parable of the Sower (Matt. 13:3-9, 18-23).
  10. Christ is the center of prophecy. “The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Rev 19:10). All of prophetic literature is for the glory of God. Christ’s Rapture and Second Coming are also for God’s glory (Phil. 2:5-11). Therefore, Christ is the central theme of prophetic literature, even while God’s glory is the ultimate goal of all prophecy.
  11. The Book of Revelation is the Apocalyptic, which contains many symbolisms. Scripture gives the interpretations of the symbols most of the time (Rev 17:10), but other times when it does not, then it is open for interpretation.

 

  1. The Prophecies Concerning Israel
  1. Principles for Interpreting Prophecies Concerning Israel
  2. God loves Israel and has chosen them for His special people (Deut. 7:7-9; Ex. 19:5).
  3. God’s plan was revealed through His everlasting covenants with Israel.
  4. Abrahamic Covenant (Gen. 12:1-3). God made an unconditional covenant with Abraham to bless him, make of him a great nation (Israel), make his name great, and bless all nations through him. This covenant was eternal which secures the eternal existence of the nation of Israel.
  5. Mosaic Covenant (Exodus 19-24).
  • In the Sinaitic Covenant, Yahweh becomes the “God of Israel” just as He promises Abraham (Exo 20:2).
  • God’s purpose of drawing Israel to Himself was for them to be a kingdom of priests, and therefore, a means of blessings to all the families of the earth (Exo 19:6).
  • God’s covenant with Israel is conditioned on Israel’s obedience (Exo 19:5).
  • Israel’s obedience (especially Sabbath keeping) will demonstrate what it means to be the people of the one true Creator God to the nations around them.
  • Israel’s disobedience will lead to catastrophic judgment, but not to God’s casting them off as His people (Lev 26:42-45).
  1. Davidic Covenant (2 Sam 7; 1 Chro 17)
  • God’s covenant with David involves His choice of David and His descendants as Israel’s ruler.
  • God’s covenant with David includes the choice of Jerusalem as the place of His name.
  • The Davidic covenant is eternal (and in that sense unilateral), but the unbroken succession of Davidic rulers is conditioned upon their obedience.
  • A future descendant of David (the Messiah) will be a “forever king” who will bring to pass all God’s promises to Israel as Abraham’s descendants.
  1. New Covenant (Jer 31:31-35).
  • God made a New Covenant with the nation of Israel specifically.
  • The church enjoys the blessings of the new covenant, although it is not officially made with it (Rom 11:25-27).
  • The New Covenant will be fulfilled for Israel at the Second Advent of Christ (Rom 11:25-26; Dan 9:24).
  1. Prophecies About Israel Not Yet Fulfilled
  2. The Jews will be gathered to Israel from all countries of the world (Ezek. 20:34, etc.). However, there are still large Jewish populations in many countries.
  3. 144,000 witnesses will evangelize Israel during the Tribulation Period (Rev. 7:4, etc.).
  4. Israel will sign a treaty with the Antichrist (Dan. 9:26-27).
  5. Israel will suffer during the Tribulation Period (Matt. 24:15-21).
  6. Israel will be judged (Ezek. 20:34-38).
  7. All Jews will acknowledge Jesus Christ as their Messiah (Zech. 12:10).
  8. Christ will reign over Israel and the whole world (Dan. 7:13-14).

 

  • Prophecies Concerning the End Time Events 
  1. Rapture (1 Thess 4:15-18; John 14:1-3; 1 Cor 15:51-58). The Bible clearly teaches that a secret rapture (snatching away) will occur at the end of the Church Age, before the Second Coming in glory (1 Thess 4:15-18)
  2. Christ will gather all believers to Himself, dead and alive, out of the world.
  3. The resurrection of the believing dead will occur at this time (v. 16).
  4. The signs of the rapture are as follows: the shout of the Lord, the voice of the archangel, and the trump of God (v. 16).
  5. He will not descend to the earth at that time (v. 17).

 

  1. Judgment Seat of Christ (1 Cor 3:10-15; 2 Cor 5:9-11; Rev 1:14)
  2. All believers must stand before Christ in this judgment, occurring after the Rapture (Rom 14:10).
  3. This judgment is not for punishment (John 5:24; Rom 8:1; Heb 10:17).
  4. Like the judgment of the ancient Olympics, it will be a judgment for rewards. The word “seat” in 2 Cor. 5:10 is bema (βῆμα). “Associated with this word are the ideas of prominence, dignity, authority, and reward rather than the idea of justice and judgment.
  5. Each Christian will be judged on his own (Rom 14:10-13). Therefore, we should not judge the merits of the work of our brothers and sisters in Christ.
  6. The crowns will be given to believers:
  • The crown of self-control (1 Cor 9:25)
  • The soul winner’s crown (1 Thess 2:19; Dan 12:3)
  • The crown for loving God (James 1:12)
  • The crown of righteousness (2 Tim 4:8)
  • The crown of glory, the pastor’s crown (1 Peter 5:1-4)

 

  1. The Tribulation Period
  2. Right after the Rapture the prophecy of Daniel’s seventieth week will take place (Dan 9:27), which is a seven-year period.
  3. It is called Jacob’s Trouble (Jer 30:7), indicating that it is specifically for Israel even though it will affect the whole world (Rev 3:10). The tribulation period will bring war, disease, famine, earthquake, and many more catastrophes that the earth has never seen such ones (Matt 24:6-8; Rev 6-19).
  4. The Antichrist will make a treaty with Israel but will break it after 3 1/2 years (Dan 9:27).
  5. The Antichrist will defile the new temple with the Abomination of Desolations (Mark 13:14).
  6. Many will be saved during the tribulation. Surely those who are saved in the first months and years of the tribulation will seek to obey the Great Commission. Many will be martyred at that time.
  7. There will be 144,000 Jewish evangelists. We can take the view that they evangelize since they are referred to as “the servants of our God” (Rev. 7:3). Presumably they will be martyred (Rev. 14:1-5).
  8. There will be an angel proclaiming the “everlasting gospel” (Rev. 14:6-7).
  9. There will be two witnesses prophesying to the whole world (Rev. 11:3-12).
  10. “In Revelation 7:9-14 we find a description of a great number of others who are not Jews, ‘…a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues.’ Then in verse 14 we are told, ‘These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.’ Here are tribulation saints, converted during the time of tribulation on earth.”
  11. Because of these things, it may be that the greatest ingathering of souls in history, the greatest revival in church history, may take place during the tribulation period.

 

  1. The Second Coming of Christ
  2. Christ Will Come Suddenly. This is a sticking point with those who do not believe in an imminent Rapture and Second Coming. The term “quickly” is attacked as a “time statement” which mitigates against an imminent coming. The term “quickly” is not a time statement, but a statement of manner. In other words, it points to the suddenness of the coming, not the time (Rev. 3:11, 22:7, 12, 20). It is the Greek adverbial form ταχύ (from the adjective ταχύς, “quick”), defined as “as qualifying action quickly, swiftly, rapidly.”
  3. The Second Coming will occur in exactly the opposite manner of His Ascension (Acts 1:9-12).
  4. He will come with the army of Heaven, which includes: We believers (Jude 14-15), and the angels (2 Thess. 1:7-10).
  5. A great earthquake will occur (Rev. 16:17-21). This is the judgment of the seventh vial. The final Battle of Armageddon (a campaign) will occur at that time (Is. 29:5-8). At this battle, Christ will easily destroy the Antichrist and all the forces of the world (2 Thess. 2:8-9).
  6. Jesus will arrive on the Mount of Olives, which will split in two under His feet (Zech. 14:1-5). It is the same place Jesus ascended from (Acts 1:11-12).

 

  1. The Judgment of the Nations (Matt 25:31-46). The Olivet Discourse has been describing the Tribulation Period. Therefore, this judgment takes place at the end of that period. It is a judgment of nations. This word “nations” is the same word often translated “Gentiles.” (Matt 6:32) In this case it should be taken to refer to both the Gentile nations and Gentile individuals, determining who will enter the Millennium.
  2. The Day of Judgment (vv. 31-33). This will be when Jesus comes “in His glory,” so it is the Second Coming in Glory at the end of the tribulation, not the final judgment. “Every eye shall see Him” (Rev. 1:7). This is a judgment on nations, but individuals make up nations.
  3. The nations of sheep (vv. 34-40)
    • The sheep will enter the Millennial Kingdom (v. 34).
    • The Antichrist will try to destroy Israel during the Great Tribulation. This is the time of “Jacob’s Trouble” (Jer. 30:7, Dan. 12:1). The Antichrist will break his treaty with Israel (Dan. 9:27).
    • Gentiles who helped Israel against the Antichrist are the saved ones.
    • The people of the “sheep nations” will enter the Millennial Reign of Christ.
  4. The nations of goats (vv. 41-46). The people of the “goat nations” (vv. 41-46) will have no basis for entering Christ’s kingdom.
  • The nations that did not help God’s people in the Tribulation will be judged.
  • The lost people in those nations will have no basis for entering the Millennial Kingdom (1 Cor 6:9-11).
  • They will be cast into everlasting fire (v. 46).

 

  1. The Millennium
  2. People of Israel return to Israel (Isaiah 60:8,9; Ezek 20:42).
  3. Jesus enlarges Israel’s borders to the Jordan river (east), to Hamath in Syria (north), to Kadesh and the river of Egypt (south). (Ezek 47:13-21).
  4. The world will be blessed by Israel (Isaiah 27:6)
  5. Jesus makes Jerusalem the world capital (Isa 2:1-4; Jer3:17 14).
  6. Jesus will enforce world peace with no wars (Isaiah 2:4).
  7. Satan and his demons will be locked in the pit for 1000 years (Rev 20:1-3).
  8. Jesus gives Christians rule over 5,10 cities (Rev 20:4; Luke 19:17; Matthew 25:21,23; I Cor 6:2).
  9. Jesus builds the Temple in Jerusalem (Ezekiel 40-47). The temple sacrifices remind us of Jesus’ sacrifice.
  10. A river flows from the Temple east to the Dead Sea and west to the Mediterranean Sea (Ezek 47:1-12).
  11. All nations come yearly to worship Jesus at Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Tabernacles (Zech 14:16-19).
  12. People of Egypt get saved (Isaiah 19:21).
  13. Egypt, Israel and Assyria (Iraq) become close friends (Isaiah 19:24, 25).
    The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea (Isaiah 11:9).
  14. Human lifespan will be much longer (Isaiah 65:22).
  15. He will deliver poor & needy (Ps72:12-17).
  16. There will be peace in the animal kingdom (Isaiah 65:25).
  17. He will reign over the whole world with peace and justice (Zechariah 9:10).
  18. The Great White Throne Judgment (Rev. 20:7-15).
  19. This event occurs at the end of the Millennium. Satan will be freed for a short while, will deceive multitudes, and will cause a final rebellion against God (vv. 7-8). However, there is absolutely no possibility of Satan’s rebellion succeeding. He will be quickly defeated by God (v. 9).
  20. Satan will be cast into the eternal lake of fire (v. 10).
  21. Then the final judgment will occur (vv. 11-15).
  22. All lost souls will be judged. From the beginning of creation until the end of all things, every person who has not believed in Christ must stand before God. This is called the Second Resurrection.
  • There is no escape (v. 11). There is no place to where one can flee from God (Ps. 139:7-12).
  • There is no place to hide (vv. 12-13). At this judgment, even the strongest man will attempt to hide, but fail (Rev. 6:15-17).
  • It is impossible for a lost person to be free from this judgment (vv. 14-15). Every sin of the lost will become known (Eccl. 11:9, 12:13-14).
  • Because of their sins, unbelievers will be cast into Hell, called here the Lake of Fire. On that day, there will be no excuses (Rom. 1:18-20).

 

  1. The Eternal Estate

After the Great White Throne, God is going to destroy the existing universe and He will make a new heaven, a new earth, and a new Jerusalem where righteous people will dwell with God (Isa 65:17; 66:22; 2 Peter 3:7-13; Rev 21:1-3). Facts about the New Jerusalem:

  1. Where believers actually end up when they die in this dispensation is the New Jerusalem, being prepared by Christ for believers (John 14:1-2).
  2. Thus, strictly speaking, it is not specifically accurate to talk about going to Heaven when we die. Heaven is a more general term which includes the New Jerusalem. The only way we can say we go to Heaven when we die is that Heaven is referred to in Scripture as the abode of God (Ps 2:4; 11:4; 14:2).
  3. Facts about the New Jerusalem in Rev. 21:
  • It is a created place, a physical place, not some spiritual place which does not exist in our four-dimensional space-time continuum.
  • It is the location of the revived throne of David where Christ will be seated, fulfilling the prophecies of His Davidic throne.
  • It may be that it will come down to Earth during the Millennial Reign of Christ. It is certain that it will come down to rest on the newly created Earth after the Millennium (v. 2).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SUBSCRIBE

Receive my monthly newsletter to receive updates about my ministry.

You have Successfully Subscribed!