Teaching Position

Teaching Position

Due to the confusion surrounding certain issues in Christianity and society, this church takes the following positions in some of these areas. While these positions will not be tests for fellowship or service, they will be the position publicly taught by the church and encouraged by its leadership.

  1. It is best to totally abstain from smoking, drinking alcoholic beverages, and using illegal drugs.2
  2. Human life is a sacred gift from God from conception until death and should be protected in accordance with God’s Word.3
  3. The divine plan for marriage is that a man and woman be united in matrimony without pre-marital relations and remain faithful to one another until separated by death.4
  4. The gift of tongues is speaking in a human language not known by the speaker.  As the Gospel was confirmed through written Scripture, that gift, along with the other miraculous spiritual gifts, ceased to function.5
  5. The Rapture of the church will take place prior to the Tribulation Period.  The Tribulation will last for seven years prior to the Millennial Reign of Christ on earth.6
  6. Various translations and paraphrases of the Bible can be beneficial for use and study to the extent that they faithfully reflect the meaning of the text in the original languages.

FOOTNOTES

  1. Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8; 2:41-47; 1 Corinthians 10:31; Ephesians 1:11-16; 4:12; 1 John 1:7
  2. Proverbs 20:1; 23:29-32; Romans 13:3-4; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
  3. Genesis 9:6; Exodus 20:13; Job 10:8-12; 33:4; Psalm 51:5; 127:3-5; 139:13-16; Proverbs 6:16-17; Luke 1:41,44; Romans 13:3-4
  4. Genesis 2:24; Exodus 20:14; Mark 10:2-12; Romans 1:26-27; 7:1-3; 1 Corinthians 6:9,18; 7:1-3
  5. Acts 2:3-11; 1 Corinthians 13:8; Hebrews 2:3-4
  6. Daniel 9,12; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 2 Thessalonians 2:7-8; Revelation 3:10