GCS Doctrinal Agreement Secondary Bible Teacher In an effort to maintain doctrinal consistency within all the ministries of Anchorage Grace Church, the Elder Board has constructed this document to be used as a hiring guide for secondary Bible teachers. As part of the existing contract, all employees must a.) be born- again believers, b.) be members in good standing of evangelical churches, c.) be Christian role models in the school and community, d.) wholeheartedly embrace GCS s statement of faith, and e.) agree not to teach against AGC s statement of faith. In an effort to be more theologically precise, this document contains the AGC statement of faith in its entirety, along with some clarifying remarks bulleted under each section. In addition to the above requirements, secondary Bible teachers must embrace the AGC statement of faith as true, except where otherwise noted. In such cases, though teachers are free to share their opinions, they must do so in such a way that does not attempt to persuade students or other employees to believe contrary to the AGC statement of faith. The comments found in the footnotes are essential to the purpose of this document and are not ancillary. ANCHORAGE GRACE CHURCH STATEMENT OF FAITH Anchorage Grace, believing the Bible, the whole Bible, and nothing but the Bible to be our infallible rule of faith and of practice, and feeling our responsibility to make known the divine message of the Bible, present the following articles as a statement of those basic truths taught in the Bible which are common to our Christian faith and practice: 1. THE BIBLE: The Word of God, the sixty- six books of the Old and New Testaments, verbally inspired in all parts, and therefore wholly without error as originally given of God (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21). We believe in the verbal, plenary inspiration of the Scriptures. Verbal: that in the original writings the Holy Spirit guided the choice of words used while preserving the individual writer s style and vocabulary. Plenary: that every portion of the Bible is infallible as to its truth and final as to its divine authority (1 Corinthians 2:13; John 5:39). 2. THE ONE TRUE GOD: Existing eternally as three persons the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Luke 3:22; Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14). These three are one God equal in attributes and nature (Mark 12:29; John 1:1-4; 10:30; 14:9-12; Luke 3:21, 22).
3. THE LORD JESUS CHRIST: His preexistence and deity (John 1:1-3), incarnation by virgin birth (John 1:14; Matt. 1:18-23), sinless life (Heb. 4:15), substitutionary death (2 Cor. 5:21), bodily resurrection (Luke 24:36-43), ascension into heaven and present ministry (Heb. 4:14-16), and coming again (Acts 1:11). We believe that the eternal Son of God came into this world as purposed by God and prophesied in the Scriptures to fulfill the plan of salvation for a lost world (John 3:16; 2 Corinthians 5:21). We believe that, while not divesting Himself of His absolute deity, He took upon Himself a perfect, sinless, human nature being born of the virgin Mary and conceived by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35). We believe that Christ voluntarily became sin for us; and that by His death, as the sinless lamb of God, He bore the righteous judgment of a holy God and tasted death for every man (Hebrews 10:5-14; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 3:18). We believe that Christ rose from the grave having the same body but glorified (John 20:9, 20; Philippians 3:21; Romans 6:4). We believe in the bodily ascension of Christ to the right hand of the throne of God, and that He has become Head over all things to the church which is His body (John 20:17; Acts 1:9; Ephesians 1:22, 23). We believe that Jesus Christ is now intercessor and advocate for all those who are saved and that He will return for His bride, the church, at the rapture (Hebrews 7:25; 1 Thessalonians 4:17). 4. THE HOLY SPIRIT: His personality (John 16:7-15) and deity (Acts 5:3-4); and His work in each believer: baptism and indwelling at the moment of regeneration (1 Cor. 12:13; Rom. 8:9), and filling (Eph. 5:18) to empower for Christian life and service (Eph. 3:16; Acts 1:8; Gal. 5:22-23). We believe that the Holy Spirit was and is present in all the plan and work of God and that His ministries to this age of grace are: Convicting the world of sin, righteousness and judgment (John 16:7-11) Regenerating all believers (John 3:6) Indwelling all saved (Romans 8:9) Baptizing all the saved into the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13) Anointing all believers to teach them truth (John 16:13) Sealing all believers until the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30) Filling and empowering for service (Ephesians 5:18; 1 Corinthians 12:7; Acts 1:8) 5. MAN: His direct creation in the image of God (Gen. 1:26-28), his subsequent fall into sin resulting in spiritual death (Gen. 3:1-24; Rom. 5:12), and the necessity of the new birth for his salvation (John 3:3-5). We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God but that through willful sin he became dead in trespasses and sin and subjected himself and creation to the authority of Satan (Genesis 1:26; 2:17; 6:6; Ephesians 2:1-3). We believe that this total depravity in man has been transmitted to every child born of man (Romans 3:10-19). 2
6. SALVATION: A complete and eternal salvation by God s grace alone, received as the gift of God through personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished work (Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:5-7; 1 Peter 1:18-19). We believe that salvation is wrought by God alone and is free to everyone without human merit or attainment. It is by grace alone through faith alone (Ephesians 2:8-9). We believe that to every believer has been committed the ministry of reconciliation and that no one can be saved without hearing and accepting the gospel (2 Cor 5:18-19; 1 Cor 1:21; Romans 10:14, 15). We believe that the atoning work of Christ is the only basis for our redemption, and entrance into the Kingdom of God is by the new birth alone (John 3:5; 2 Corinthians 5:17). We believe that salvation is eternally secure to all believers, and that this assurance is their portion from the very day they trust Jesus Christ (John 3:16; 10:28, 29; Hebrews 10:22; Romans 8:28-39). We believe that this salvation will be fully realized when Christ comes back to take us to Himself this is the Christian's blessed hope (John 14:1-3; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Titus 2:11-13). 7. THE CHURCH: One true Church, the body and bride of Christ (Eph. 1:22-23; 5:25-32), composed of all true believers of the present age (1 Cor. 12:12-13); and the organization of its members in local churches for worship, for edification of believers, and for world-wide gospel witness, each local church being autonomous but cooperating in fellowship and work (Eph. 4:11-16). 1 The church is united to the risen Lord by the indwelling Holy Spirit (Rom 8:9-11; Eph 4:4-6). We believe that each local assembly is under the direct leadership of the Holy Spirit. 1 and that the Holy Spirit appoints the ministering gifts as He will (1 Corinthians 12:7-11, 28). We believe that we are to assemble ourselves together for the preaching and teaching of the Word, corporate worship, praise, prayer, encouragement, service, and equipping for ministry (Heb 10:24, 25; Eph 4:12; 2Tim 4:2; Rom 12:12-13; Acts 2:42; 1Tim 3:15). 8. CHRISTIAN LIFE: A life of righteousness, good works, and separation unto God from the evil ways of the world (Rom. 12:1-2), manifested by speaking the truth (James 5:12), maintaining the sanctity of the home (Eph. 5:22-6:4), settling differences between Christians in accordance with the Word of God (1 Cor. 6:1-8), not engaging in carnal strife but showing a Christ-like attitude toward all men (Rom. 12:17-21), exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23), and maintaining a life of prayer (Eph. 6:18; Phil. 4:6), including 1 THE CHURCH: Some denominations have an ecclesiological structure that does not consider each local church autonomous. Disagreement over this doctrine does not automatically disqualify a secondary Bible teachers, unless they are from a denomination which teaches that the church has equal authority with Scripture. 3
the privilege, when sick, of calling for the elders of the church to pray and to anoint with oil in the name of the Lord (James 5:13-18). 2 We believe that it is incumbent upon every believer to walk worthy of His calling--to walk after the Spirit and not after the flesh (1 Thessalonians 2:12; Romans 8:4, 5). We believe that Christian character and fruit is produced solely by the operation of the Holy Spirit through biblically appointed means such as Bible intake, prayer, fellowship, etc., and biblically-interpreted circumstances of life (Ephesians 2:6, 7; 4:22-24; Galatians 5:16-23; John 17:17). 9. ORDINANCES: Christians should observe the ordinances of our Lord Jesus Christ, which are (1) baptism of believers by immersion (Matt. 28:19) and (2) communion of the bread and the cup (1 Cor. 11:23-26). 3 10. SATAN: His existence and personality as the great adversary of God and His people (Rev. 12:1-10), his judgement (John 12:31), and final doom (Rev. 20:10). 11. SECOND COMING: The personal, visible, and imminent return of Christ to remove His church from the earth (1 Thess. 4:16-17) before the tribulation (1 Thess. 1:10; Rev. 3:10), and afterward to descend with the Church to establish His millennial kingdom upon the earth (Rev. 19:11-20:6). 4 We believe that this age will end with the rapture of the church and that there will follow a period of great tribulation upon the earth, after which the Lord will visibly return with His church in power and great glory to introduce His millennial reign and establish Israel in the land according to the covenant promises (1 Thess 1:10; Mat 24:21; 2 Thess 1:7-10; Romans 6:7). We believe that Satan will be bound until the end of the millennium during which time the curse upon the whole creation will be lifted (Revelation 20:1-3, 7; Isaiah 11:6-9; Romans 8:21). 2 CHRISTIAN LIFE: Disagreement over the practice of anointing with oil does not disqualify a secondary Bible teacher. 3 ORDINANCES: Disagreement over the timing and mode of baptism does not automatically disqualify a secondary Bible teacher. Treatment of this doctrine, however, must be handled extremely carefully, with strong deference to AGC s position. Any form of baptismal regeneration, in which baptism is in any way necessary for salvation, including as an initiation into justification, would disqualify a secondary Bible teacher. 4 SECOND COMING: Secondary Bible teachers do not need to hold to a pre-tribulation rapture or a literal, earthly millennial kingdom, although they need to give strong and respectful deference to AGC s position. Secondary Bible teachers should speak to the senior pastor of AGC regarding their eschatology if it differs from the doctrinal statement. 4
12. FUTURE LIFE: The conscious existence of the dead (Phil. 1:21-23; Luke 16:19-31), the resurrection of the body (John 5:28-29), the judgment and reward of believers (Rom. 14:10-12; 2 Cor. 5:10), the judgment and condemnation of unbelievers (Rev. 20:11-15), the eternal life of the saved (John 3:16), and the eternal punishment of the lost (Matt. 25:46; Rev. 20:15). We believe that at death every believer passes into the presence of Christ and there awaits resurrection, after which He will be judged by Christ for his works (1 Corinthians 3:9-13; 15:51-54; 2 Corinthians 5:8, 10; Romans 14:10). We believe that the unsaved will remain under condemnation, and in misery, until the judgment of the Great White Throne where they will be united with their body to be cast into the eternal lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-15). We believe that Satan and the fallen angels also will be cast into the lake of fire to be tormented forever (Revelation 20:10). Note to Secondary Bible Teachers: Although not part of the above doctrinal statement, please know that the leadership of AGC embraces a Reformed soteriology (i.e., we are Calvinistic in our understanding of God s sovereign grace), and we hold to a complementarian view of gender roles. We would like our secondary Bible teachers to be united with us regarding these doctrines. 5