Doctrine

The Holy Bible is the Word of God, divinely inspired in all things, and we accept it as our sole authority. There is no other divine book, neither before nor since in history. What follows is not a creed or dogma, but simply a summary of the main doctrines of the apostolic faith, to guide those who ask, «What do you believe?» It is a guiding answer to that question, and to understand more, it is necessary to read the biblical passages in their context and carefully consider their meaning. Ultimately, the Bible is the divine compass and source of truth. It is infallible because it is divinely inspired; it comes from God and represents His thoughts to us. No man or church has the «Magisterium.» Therefore, we, as disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, reverently expound these beliefs in the fear of God, and we remind every reader of the apostolic exhortation:

«…let us be of one mind, of one mind» (Phil. 3:16).

We advise you to read each verse cited here in context and consider it firsthand, observing what God says in His Word. Since God has revealed Himself through His Word and expressed Himself perfectly in it, let Him speak and have the final word. We human beings cannot judge or define God’s Word; rather, it judges us and defines who each of us is. Through the prophet Isaiah, God promises the following:

“…I will look on him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word” (Isa. 66:2).

The Holy Bible is the only Word of God, and is totally and divinely inspired (2 Tim. 3:16) and inerrant. We reject as non-apostolic doctrine, and therefore heretical, the statement of the Council of Trent in 1546, stating that divine truth comes to us not only through Scripture but also through Tradition (theirs, of course).

Why do we cite the Council of Trent and not others held later, including the Second Vatican Council? Because that Council accepted for the first time as inspired and canonical the Jewish Apocryphal books, which both the Jews and most of the Church Fathers (St. Jerome, etc.) rejected, and its statement remains valid today.

We reject the Apocryphal books as divine literature and affirm, according to the apostolic faith, that the Word of God does not include Tradition. The Holy Bible today is the same as it was before the Council of Trent, and includes the 39 books of the Old Testament and the 27 books of the New Testament. The annotations added to the Bible by churches or scholars do not constitute inspiration or authority of any kind.

This Bible is the only book that is the true revelation of God, and it carries a curse on those who seek to change it (Rev. 22:18-19). The Holy Scriptures are infallible, inerrant, and worthy of all credibility (Ps. 12:6; Prov. 30:5-6; 2 Pet. 1:19-21). Only they have supreme and absolute authority in all things (Ps. 1:1-2; 119:9, 11, 105). The Bible is what carries the message of the gospel and can make us wise for salvation (1 Pet. 1:23-25; 2 Tim. 3:15).

We also affirm that the Holy Bible is what every true servant of God must study, obey, and employ diligently in every aspect of Christian ministry, since its doctrines are sufficient to make the man of God perfect, thoroughly equipped for every good work, without adding human wisdom (philosophy, psychology, sociology, etc.) of any kind (2 Tim. 3:16-17; Col. 2:8).

The true God is one, and apart from Him there is no God (Isa. 43:10; 44:6, 8; 45:5-7, 21-22). God has revealed that He exists eternally (Ps. 90:2) in three equal and distinct persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Deut. 6:4; Matt. 28:19-20; John 10:30; Acts 5:3-4; 2 Cor. 13:14). He created all things by His power and wisdom (Gen. 1:1; Ps. 33:6-9; John 1:3; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:2). He is Spirit, not an impersonal force (John 4:24), and He is distinct from men (Ps. 50:21; Isa. 55:8-9).

Deity or divinity is not attributed to any other being, neither to Mary nor to any saint. None of these people possess the omniscience, omnipresence, or omnipotence necessary to hear our prayers, much less to answer them.

It is not possible to represent the living God with images (lamb, dove, eye, sun, etc.), nor is it permitted to use them in religious worship, bow down to them, worship them (prayers, flowers, candles, offerings, etc.), or reverence them in any way, whether adoration or veneration. God does not permit us to make or possess them (Exodus 20:4-5; Psalm 115:3-8; Isaiah 42:8; Acts 17:29-30).

The cherubim on the Ark of the Covenant in the Tabernacle (Exodus) are not a precedent for making and using images, since the people did not see them, as they were in the Most Holy Place. They were made by God’s command, and God has given no similar command in the New Testament commanding or authorizing the use of images. This God, the true one, is the Judge of all; the one called the «Ancient of Days» (Dan. 7:9-10; Heb. 12:23).

The Lord Jesus Christ is not a creature, but the Creator. He was not created, but the Scriptures affirm that He made all things (Col. 1:16-17). He is the Word of God, God the Son, the “I am,” “Yahweh,” or “Jehovah” of the Old Testament (John 1:1, 14; 8:24, 58; Ex. 3:14; Heb. 1:8-12). He is our Lord and Savior (Tit. 1:4), the Messiah promised in the Holy Scriptures (John 4:25-26). He is God manifested in the flesh (1 Tim. 3:16), revealed through the incarnation.

Our Lord Jesus Christ was conceived without sin (not Mary) by a miracle of the Holy Spirit, as Luke 1:35 confirms. His virgin birth (Luke 1:35; Gal. 4:4) in Bethlehem fulfilled several prophecies and provided further proof of His divinity. His human life was sinless (1 Pet. 2:22; 1 Jn. 3:5), since He never ceased to be God and therefore could not sin (Heb. 7:26). His divine miracles (Acts 2:22) demonstrated that He was who He claimed to be: the Messiah, the Son of God. The Jews themselves understood His language perfectly, and knowing that He presented Himself as God, they rejected Him for this very reason, in their unbelief. Like many people of our time, it was neither logical nor understandable to them that God would manifest Himself in the flesh.

The death of Jesus Christ was atoning and substitutionary, for He neither had nor knew sin, but bore our sins in His body on the tree, offering Himself for us and suffering in our place (1 Cor. 15:3; Heb. 2:9; 1 Pet. 2:24; 3:18). The atonement Jesus Christ made was “once for all” (Heb. 9:12; 10:10, 12, 14), and Scripture declares that He entered “having obtained eternal redemption” (Heb. 9:12). He is not sacrificed in any way today, neither in a bloodless nor mystical way, nor is His sacrifice perpetuated (Heb. 9:23-26). It is a finished, consummated work, done “once for all.” His atonement is universal in potential, offered to all, but applied only to those who believe. His resurrection was literal, bodily (Luke 24:36-44; 1 Cor. 15:4-8), and was seen by many witnesses.

He ascended bodily into heaven after forty days, where he was received into glory and sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high (Mark 16:19). God the Father has given him the name that is above every name, and one day every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Phil. 2:9-11). Now Jesus Christ presents himself as Savior, and faithful and merciful High Priest. He invites us to approach God the Father through Him. Apostolic doctrine affirms that no one can approach God through anyone else (John 14:6; Acts 4:12), because the Lord Jesus Christ is the only Mediator between God and men (1 Tim. 2:5). Anyone who claims to be a mediator is false and dishonors the Lord Jesus Christ as “one mediator.”

The Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:3-4). He is the Vicar of Christ, not any man. The Holy Spirit convicts of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment (John 16:8-11). He regenerates sinners who believe the gospel (Tit. 3:5) and indwells every believer from conversion onward (Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 6:19-20). This makes the believer’s body a temple of God.

He cannot be received through a confirmation ceremony, nor through experiences called «the second blessing» or «the baptism of the Spirit,» etc., but is received by all who are born again through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:13-14). He does not abandon any believer, but seals them all until they reach heaven, and guarantees the salvation of every believer.

The Word of God declares that God does not give His Spirit by measure (John 3:34). He is the Comforter that Jesus Christ promised to every believer, to guide us into all truth, and the believer has the Holy Spirit who inspired the Word of God dwelling in him, to enlighten his mind and help him understand the Bible. He does not speak of himself, but of the Lord Jesus Christ, because His purpose and mission is to glorify the Lord. (John 14:16-17; 16:13-15). He gives every believer the power to live a holy life, to witness and serve the Lord (Acts 1:8; 1 Cor. 12:7,11). He baptizes us into the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13,27), making us members of the body, the Church, which is something no human being can do.

The Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:3-4). He is the Vicar of Christ, not any man. The Holy Spirit convicts of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment (John 16:8-11). He regenerates sinners who believe the gospel (Tit. 3:5) and indwells every believer from conversion onward (Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 6:19-20). This makes the believer’s body a temple of God.

He cannot be received through a confirmation ceremony, nor through experiences called «the second blessing» or «the baptism of the Spirit,» etc., but is received by all who are born again through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:13-14). He does not abandon any believer, but seals them all until they reach heaven, and guarantees the salvation of every believer.

The Word of God declares that God does not give His Spirit by measure (John 3:34). He is the Comforter that Jesus Christ promised to every believer, to guide us into all truth, and the believer has the Holy Spirit who inspired the Word of God dwelling in him, to enlighten his mind and help him understand the Bible. He does not speak of himself, but of the Lord Jesus Christ, because His purpose and mission is to glorify the Lord. (John 14:16-17; 16:13-15). He gives every believer the power to live a holy life, to witness and serve the Lord (Acts 1:8; 1 Cor. 12:7,11). He baptizes us into the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13,27), making us members of the body, the Church, which is something no human being can do.

Sin describes the state and actions of every human being by nature (Rom. 3:9-23). ​​The term means “to fail,” “to transgress,” or “to fall short.” All unrighteousness is sin (1 Jn. 5:17). Sin is rebellion against God; it is every movement against God’s will, whether conscious or unconscious, thoughts (Isa. 55:7), deeds (Rom. 1:22-32), or the failure to do all the good one knows and can (James 2:10; 4:17). The Scriptures declare that sin comes from the heart of man, not from society or the environment (Mark 7:20-23). ​​God declares that those who sin are worthy of death (Ezek. 18:4; Rom. 1:32; 2:3 and 12).

The ultimate consequence of sin is death (Rom. 6:23), not only physical death, but also, and ultimately, the second death in the lake of fire forever. This is a place of eternal punishment and suffering, which is the wages of sin. They will not be annihilated (Rev. 20:10). There is no place like purgatory, but after death there is judgment and eternal, irrevocable punishment in hell. No one can be purified of sin by suffering there, because suffering is punitive and not intended to purge anything. Those who enter that place outside of God’s presence can never leave, nor will their punishment ever end. Hell is called the second death (Rev. 20:11-15).

God offers salvation through Jesus Christ, by pure grace, to every person (1 Tim. 2:3-6; 4:10). The work of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross is for all in its (potential) offering, but it is effective only for those who believe (Rom. 3:22). The message of this salvation is called the Gospel (1 Cor. 15:3-4), and it is how God offers humanity the full forgiveness of sins and eternal life (John 3:16).

Every person can now know whether or not they have this new life (1 John 5:11-13). Jesus Christ saves the lost and sinful person perpetually (Heb. 7:25) by His grace, without the work of man (Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:5), when, believing the Gospel, they repent of their sins and trust in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior through the merits of His finished work on the cross (Rom. 10:9-17; Acts 3:19; 2 Tim. 1:12). Jesus Christ is the Lord of all who believe in Him, so much so that it is impossible to convert without surrendering to Him as Lord. Having trusted, the person is baptized and sealed by the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13-14; Titus 3:5), has eternal life, and will never perish (John 10:28).

So, if we believe what the Holy Bible says, it is clear that salvation is not through so-called “sacraments,” not through the Church, nor through baptism, nor through the intercession of saints or mediators, but solely and exclusively through the Lord Jesus Christ (John 1:12-13; Acts 4:12). This life is the only opportunity there is to be saved, and those who are not saved by the Gospel of God’s grace during this life will have no other opportunity, but will be unsaved and lost as enemies of God for all eternity (John 3:36; 2 Cor. 6:1-2; Heb. 3:7-13; Rev. 21:8).

The true Church is not a physical building, nor a human organization with its hierarchy. It is a living, spiritual organism: “the body of Christ” (1 Cor. 12:12; Eph. 1:22-23). ​​It exists universally and locally. In its universal form (which is what the word “catholic” means), the Church is constituted by all true believers in Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 12:13-27; 1 Pet. 2:4-5). He is the head of His body, the universal Church (Col. 1:18), and of every local church as well (Rev. 1:12-13, 20). The Church has no other head, neither in the form of men, nor commissions, nor federations, nor anything else, but Christ alone. Furthermore, between the Lord Jesus Christ and the local churches there is not, and no other ecclesiastical government, administration, or organization should come into being.

This would be an affront to the head of the Church and of the churches (Eph. 1:22; Col. 2:19). In its local (congregational) form, the church consists of a community of believers mutually committed to the Lord and to one another. They gather in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and persevere with devotion in teaching, fellowship, worship (the Lord’s Supper, Eucharist), prayer (Acts 2:42), and evangelism (Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 8:4; 2 Cor. 5:19-20). Each local church is to be independent and autonomous from men and governments, yet subject to the Lord Jesus Christ and His Word. Every local church belongs to Christ and does not need fellowships, church federations, denominations, or missions.

The Lord Jesus Christ designed that the government of the local church, that is, at the congregational level, should not be by a single man (the unipastoral system), but by a group of spiritual men (men) who are called elders, pastors, or bishops (Eph. 4:11-12; 1 Tim. 3:1-7; Tit. 1:5-9; 1 Pet. 5:1-3; Heb. 13:7, 17). Only the Holy Spirit can make an elder, and the responsibility of the local church is to recognize who these men are, to hold them in high esteem and love, to imitate their faith, to honor them, and to receive teaching and spiritual training from them. God wants believers to recognize His government in the church through these pastors, and therefore, to accept their pastoral ministry and obey them (insofar as it is according to the Word of God), voluntarily submitting to them as servants of the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thess. 5:12-13; 1 Tim. 5:17-19; Eph. 4:11-12; Heb. 13:7, 17).

This spiritual government must always be plural, according to the pattern of the New Testament and apostolic doctrine. The congregation is not to be governed by vote (democracy), nor by a man called «the pastor,» nor by women, nor by anything else but by a council of elders. Professional training (seminaries, institutes, etc.) and ecclesiastical ordination are not requirements for being an elder, nor are they desirable. What is required is conversion, discipleship, and the manifestation of the spiritual qualifications cited in the Bible. They serve as stewards of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Chief Shepherd (1 Cor. 4:1; 1 Pet. 5:4). He also has deacons as needed, and they serve the elders and believers so that the elders can continue in their ministry of prayer and the ministry of the Word (Acts 6:1-7; 1 Tim. 3:8-13). But all these men, deacons and elders, are part of the same local church body and have the same priesthood as other believers. The Bible and the church do not recognize the artificial and worldly distinction between clergy and laity, but rather every believer is a priest of God (1 Pet. 2:5, 9) who has the privilege and responsibility to serve. The local church has the responsibility to remain pure and not admit the «leaven» of false doctrine (Gal. 5:8-9) or the practice of sin (1 Cor. 5:1-13) into its midst. Therefore, it also has the authority to discipline those who sin while in fellowship within the church. Local church discipline is exercised by pastors in many ways: counseling, teaching, warning, admonishing, correcting, rebuking, etc. Its most extreme form is excommunication. Pastors carry out this ministry in the Name of Christ, according to His Word, and for the good of the whole body. They should be held in great love and esteem for their work, and no one should hinder them from the pastoral work the Lord has entrusted to them.

Every believer should desire the good of anyone under discipline, and pray for both them and the pastors (1 Cor. 5:1-6,11; 2 Cor. 2:5-11; Gal. 6:1-3). Cases calling for the more severe discipline of excommunication are outlined in texts such as Matt. 18:15-18; Rom. 16:17; Gal. 4:30; and Titus 3:10-11. Persons under such discipline should not be received into fellowship in any church, because that is the way to practice the truth of one body and one faith. So neither should any individual receive such persons until they have repented and been reconciled to their fellow believers.

These are not sacraments, but rather two ordinances we practice based on Matthew 28:19-20 and 1 Corinthians 11:23-26. Baptism by immersion is the outward and public expression of the inward identity that already exists with Christ in His death and resurrection. According to the Bible, the standard is to believe in Jesus Christ (faith), which converts a person, and then be baptized (Acts 2:41; 8:12). Therefore, it is the first act of obedience to the Lord. The New Testament does not contemplate believers who are not baptized, nor the baptism of non-believers, even when they are infants of believers or infants of people who profess faith for them in a ceremony. Baptism does not take away original sin, nor does it have any value in forgiving or taking away sins. It is simply a public act of obedience, an expression and declaration of conversion and loyalty to the Lord Jesus Christ. It is done only once after having understood and believed the gospel.

In contrast, the Lord’s Supper (Holy Communion) is celebrated every Sunday following the example of the apostolic church (Acts 20:7). Contrary to the dogmas of Rome, proclaimed along with anathemas at the Council of Trent, the Lord’s Supper is not a sacrament, nor an unbloody sacrifice, nor does it impart the Lord’s grace to those who attend. It is celebrated as a simple church gathering for the purpose of remembering and declaring (not perpetuating) the Lord’s death until He comes. It is a gathering dedicated entirely to the Lord Jesus Christ, to remember and worship Him, eating and drinking of the two symbols in anticipation of His coming. It is not Passover, nor the Mass, nor is it in any way a renewal or perpetuation of Christ’s sacrifice, which was done once for all, and which the Lord declared «it is finished!» Therefore, He does not continue in an attitude of oblation before the Father, but rather He is seated, the posture of a finished work (John 19:30; Heb. 9:26; 10:10-18). Participating in the Holy Communion is only for those who are already born again and walk with the Lord, living in holiness (1 Cor. 11:27-30).

The certainty of salvation (as a concept, not a phrase) is an apostolic doctrine, and it means that every true believer can know, by the authority of God’s Word, that he or she has eternal life (Rom. 5:1; 1 Jn. 5:13). This can and should be known right now, in this life, and not to be discovered in some future judgment. Not only should each person know this for themselves, but believers in every church, and especially pastors, must look to and consider one another regarding the reality of their profession of faith, because the Gospel is fundamental, and it is possible to know whether others are truly Christians or not. If they are not, they need to be exhorted and warned, and should not be included as if they were (Prov. 20:11; 2 Cor. 6:14; Heb. 3:12-13; 1 Jn. 2:3-6).

By the words “assurance of salvation,” we mean that those who are in Christ persevere (John 10:28-29) and will never perish. It is impossible to earn God’s salvation by works or merit, and it is equally impossible to lose it for lack of these things. Good works are the fruits (results) of being saved and secure, and they are characteristics of eternal life, but they do not contribute to salvation (Eph. 2:8-10). There are some who can nullify their profession of being a believer if it is false (Matt. 7:21-23; Titus 1:16), yet such people never truly had salvation. The Bible affirms the assurance of every true believer by saying that damnation is impossible for those who are in Christ (John 5:24; Rom. 8:1). They are secure in God’s hands for all eternity, because God’s gifts and calling are irrevocable (Rom. 11:29).

All Christians are called to live a life of personal and practical holiness (1 Cor. 6:19-20; 1 Thess. 4:3, 7; 1 Pet. 1:15-16). They are disciples of Christ and as such are to be separate from the world and live lives of piety, service, and witness to the world (Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23). This service includes ministry among and with other believers in their congregation (1 Cor. 12:7, 29; Eph. 4:12). It also includes spreading the gospel to those around them and throughout the world (Mark 5:19; 16:15; Acts 1:8; 1 Thess. 1:6-8).

The Lord Jesus Christ clearly forbade laying up treasures on earth, and His Word exhorts us to be content with food and shelter, for godliness with contentment is great gain (Matt. 6:19-34; John 12:25-26; 1 Cor. 3:12-15). These teachings are not limited to the time of the apostles but apply to us as well, right up to the appearing of our Lord (1 Tim. 6:14). The Bible condemns covetousness and greed, and the church is obligated to maintain its purity, disciplining the covetous just as it disciplines fornicators and idolaters (1 Cor. 5:11; 6:9-10).

Spiritual gifts are not talents, but special abilities that come from the Lord Jesus Christ for the good of all in His Church (Eph. 4:10-12). He Himself gives them to every believer through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, so that they may serve in the church for the benefit of all (Rom. 12:4-8; 1 Cor. 12:8-10; 28-30; Eph. 4:8-12; 1 Pet. 4:10-11). This occurs not in a ceremony, but when someone is converted, a sovereign act of the Spirit of God, according to His will, not in response to the requests of men (1 Cor. 12:7, 11, 18). Each believer is to use his or her gift for the edification, not of himself or herself, but of the church in which he or she is in fellowship (1 Cor. 12:7, 25; 13:1-3; 14:12). There is no one in the Church who is useless or powerless. Every believer is a member and has a function and usefulness for the rest of the church, which is the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:18-27).

Some gifts were intended to found and establish the Church, such as the gift of healing, the working of miracles, speaking in tongues, and the interpretation of tongues (1 Cor. 12:28-30), pointing the Jews especially to the truthfulness and divine authority of the Gospel message (1 Cor. 1:22; Deut. 28:49; Isa. 28:11-12; Acts 2:43; 14:19, 21-22; Heb. 2:4). But the foundation was laid centuries ago (1 Cor. 3:10), and these founding and miraculous gifts ceased when they had fulfilled their purpose (1 Cor. 13:8). Therefore, they are not in use today, contrary to what the charismatic and Pentecostal movements claim. Nevertheless, we continue to believe that God himself performs miracles, can do all things, and heals according to his sovereign will both now and throughout history. But at the same time, we recognize that the Bible declares that even Satan can perform miracles and seeks to deceive, so believers should not believe that every miracle is from God, but rather discern between the divine and the diabolical (1 Thess. 5:21; 2 Tim. 3:8-9 with Ex. 7:10-11, 20-22; 8:5-7; 2 Thess. 2:8-12; 2 Cor. 11:3, 13-15; 1 Jn. 4:1-3; 2 Jn. 7; Rev. 13:11-15).

God has given different stewardships (or dispensations) and rules corresponding to each age to govern life and our relationship with God (Heb. 7:18-19). In every age, the path of salvation is by faith alone (Rom. 4:3). We now live in the Age of God’s Grace, also called the Church Age, where Christ is now building His church, which did not exist before this time (Matt. 16:18; Rom. 6:14; Eph. 3:2-6; Col. 1:25-27). The Church does not take Israel’s place in the prophecies or in God’s plan, but is a distinct entity (Rom. 11:1-2; 25-26; 1 Cor. 10:32). Its future is heavenly, not earthly, and it has never been mandated to reign in this world. Romans 9-11 clearly teaches that Israel, as God’s people, has not been cast away forever, but has been broken off like an olive branch during this age.

However, God is able to graft them back in, and He will do so, which means that Israel has a future. God will fulfill all His promises to His earthly people. The hope of the Church is not earthly, like Israel’s, but heavenly. The personal and imminent coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in the air to rapture the Church is the blessed hope of the Church, whose future and inheritance are in heaven, «with the Lord» (John 14:1-3; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; 5:4-11). This event, also called the rapture, will end the Church age and resume God’s dealings with Israel as His chosen people, which will lead to Israel’s salvation and the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ as Messiah, to reign over the entire world from Israel. When the Church is raptured, the following order of events will follow:

The Tribulation (Dan. 12:1; Matt. 24:21, 29-30; 1 Thess. 5:1-3; 2 Thess. 1:6-10; 2:1-12).

The coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to Earth in glory and power with His saints, to establish His millennial kingdom, with its capital in Jerusalem (Ps. 2; Ps. 24; Is. 65:19-25; Ezek. 40-48; Zech. 14:1-21; Matt. 24:29-31; Rev. 19:11-20:10).

The resurrection of the unrighteous to condemnation and the Great White Throne Judgment (John 5:28-29; Rev. 20:11-15).

The eternal state of punishment for the unsaved and blessing for the redeemed (Mt. 25:46; 2 Thess. 1:9; 2:12).