What does FBC believe about the Bible?
This Sunday we will begin a new sermon series at First Baptist Church. It is a series of sermons I preached last year that defined our core values. I plan on using this blog to share those core values. First Baptist Church has been in Kinston since the late 1700s, and it has gone through many changes through those years. There are a lot of people that are connected to FBC through social media, family, and friends, which is why I want to make this series public.
The first core value of our church is a firm belief in the Word of God - the Bible. Kevin DeYoung in, Taking God at His Word, says, "For Jesus, Scripture is powerful, decisive, and authoritative because it is nothing less than the voice of God." In short, this sums up what we believe about the Bible, but let me briefly unpack that here.
The Bible is Distinct
We believe the Bible is the Word of God given to us and was written by men as they were inspired by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21). Since the Bible is the Word of God to us, we believe it is distinct from all other books in human history. The Bible stands on its own and sets Christianity apart from all other religions in the world, which also makes Jesus Christ the only way to get to Heaven (John 14:6).
The Bible is Authoritative
We believe the Bible is authoritative in all things pertaining to life and faith. This is confirmed both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament. Psalm 119:89 states that God's word is eternal and it is fixed in the heavens. Jesus said in John 10:35 that Scripture cannot be broken. Further, Jesus and other New Testament writers affirm the authority of Scripture in Matthew 21:42; Romans 15:4; and 2 Timothy 3:16.
Because the Bible is authoritative, we must accept what it says. We live in submission to God's Word because it stands over us as authoritative in all matters of life and faith.
The Bible is Inerrant
We believe the Bible is inerrant. Inerrancy is a word that conjures up all sorts of feelings and emotions for many people. However, it should not be that way. Inerrancy is a simple word that means "without error." We believe the Bible is literally the Word of God to us, and it is without error. The Bible affirms this in 2 Timothy 3:16 and in 2 Peter 1:21 which says, "For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit."
The Bible is Sufficient
Lastly, we believe the Bible is sufficient, meaning we do not need anything else to communicate to us about God. Reason, experience, and church tradition do not trump the sufficiency of Scripture. Psalm 19:7-9 most clearly teaches this. In those verses the Scripture is seen as perfect, right, pure, and true. Many people seek experiences of God that are outside of His Word. John MacArthur has rightly said, "Rather than seeking something more than God's glorious revelation, Christians need only to study and obey what they already have. Scripture is sufficient."
Finally, the Bible informs all that we do at First Baptist Church. We do not believe the Bible is an outdated book that succumbs to cultural pressure. Most importantly, it is through the Bible that we gain knowledge of our sin and need for salvation. It is by grace through faith in Christ alone that we are saved. This is the most magnificent display of grace the world has ever known. It is also the grace that we desire to carry forward as a church to those who do not yet know Christ.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. Feel free to contact me at pastor@kinstonfbc.org if you have any questions. We will be posting the rest of our core value series here in the weeks to come. If you have not been to FBC in a while, we would love to see you again soon. God is doing a great work in the life of our church, and you will likely meet lots of new people! See you soon!
This Sunday we will begin a new sermon series at First Baptist Church. It is a series of sermons I preached last year that defined our core values. I plan on using this blog to share those core values. First Baptist Church has been in Kinston since the late 1700s, and it has gone through many changes through those years. There are a lot of people that are connected to FBC through social media, family, and friends, which is why I want to make this series public.
The first core value of our church is a firm belief in the Word of God - the Bible. Kevin DeYoung in, Taking God at His Word, says, "For Jesus, Scripture is powerful, decisive, and authoritative because it is nothing less than the voice of God." In short, this sums up what we believe about the Bible, but let me briefly unpack that here.
The Bible is Distinct
We believe the Bible is the Word of God given to us and was written by men as they were inspired by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21). Since the Bible is the Word of God to us, we believe it is distinct from all other books in human history. The Bible stands on its own and sets Christianity apart from all other religions in the world, which also makes Jesus Christ the only way to get to Heaven (John 14:6).
The Bible is Authoritative
We believe the Bible is authoritative in all things pertaining to life and faith. This is confirmed both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament. Psalm 119:89 states that God's word is eternal and it is fixed in the heavens. Jesus said in John 10:35 that Scripture cannot be broken. Further, Jesus and other New Testament writers affirm the authority of Scripture in Matthew 21:42; Romans 15:4; and 2 Timothy 3:16.
Because the Bible is authoritative, we must accept what it says. We live in submission to God's Word because it stands over us as authoritative in all matters of life and faith.
The Bible is Inerrant
We believe the Bible is inerrant. Inerrancy is a word that conjures up all sorts of feelings and emotions for many people. However, it should not be that way. Inerrancy is a simple word that means "without error." We believe the Bible is literally the Word of God to us, and it is without error. The Bible affirms this in 2 Timothy 3:16 and in 2 Peter 1:21 which says, "For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit."
The Bible is Sufficient
Lastly, we believe the Bible is sufficient, meaning we do not need anything else to communicate to us about God. Reason, experience, and church tradition do not trump the sufficiency of Scripture. Psalm 19:7-9 most clearly teaches this. In those verses the Scripture is seen as perfect, right, pure, and true. Many people seek experiences of God that are outside of His Word. John MacArthur has rightly said, "Rather than seeking something more than God's glorious revelation, Christians need only to study and obey what they already have. Scripture is sufficient."
Finally, the Bible informs all that we do at First Baptist Church. We do not believe the Bible is an outdated book that succumbs to cultural pressure. Most importantly, it is through the Bible that we gain knowledge of our sin and need for salvation. It is by grace through faith in Christ alone that we are saved. This is the most magnificent display of grace the world has ever known. It is also the grace that we desire to carry forward as a church to those who do not yet know Christ.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. Feel free to contact me at pastor@kinstonfbc.org if you have any questions. We will be posting the rest of our core value series here in the weeks to come. If you have not been to FBC in a while, we would love to see you again soon. God is doing a great work in the life of our church, and you will likely meet lots of new people! See you soon!
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