Beliefs
Temple Baptist Church is an independent, fundamental Baptist Church. In an effort to fulfill the Great Commission, Temple Baptist Church is a member of the General Association of Regular Baptist Churches and the DelMarVa Baptist Fellowship. We actively support Bible-believing missionaries around the world.
BIBLE
We believe the Holy Bible is the plenary verbally inspired Word of God consisting of sixty-six (66) books of the Old and New Testament. This inspired Word of God is inerrant and infallible in the original manuscripts. It is the supreme authority and the final rule in life, faith and practice. (II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter l:20-21; Isaiah 8:20; John l6:12-13)
GOD
THE NATURE OF GOD: We believe there is only one living and true God eternally existing in three persons—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—the same in substance, equal in power and glory. (Genesis l:l; John l0:30; Deuteronomy 6:4; II Corinthians 13:l4)
THE FATHERHOOD OF GOD: We reject, however, the modernist and liberal teaching that God is the Father of all, and that all are brothers. We believe that He is the spiritual Father only of those who are born again and brought into His household. Only those who have been redeemed through Christ’s blood, having forgiveness of sins are our brothers. (John 3:3; Ephesians 4:6; John l:12; John 8:44)
CREATION: We believe that God created all things out of nothing by a special act of creation without the use of evolutionary stages or ages; that the Genesis account of creation is to be accepted literally, not allegorically or figuratively; and that the days of Genesis, Chapter One, were literal twenty-four hour days. (Genesis l:l-2:7; Exodus 20:11; John l:3; Acts 4:24; l7:23-26; Colossians l:l6-l7; Hebrews 11:3)
CHRIST
PERSON: We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Eternal Son of God, the Second person of the Holy Trinity; that He became man without ceasing to be God; that He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful man; that He thus became the God-Man forever, one person with two natures. (John l:l-2, l4; Luke l:35)
ATONING WORK: We believe that as Man, Christ was tempted, yet remained sinless; that He died upon the cross, bearing the sins of the world, suffering the full penalty of divine wrath in our behalf. (Hebrews 4:15; John 8:46; I John 2:2; II Corinthians 5:21; Isaiah 53:5-6; Galatians 3:13)
PRESENT WORK: We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ was raised from the dead for our justification; that He ascended into heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God, where as our High Priest He fulfills the ministry of Representation, Intercessor, and Advocate. (John 2:19-21; Luke 24:l-6, 36-43; John 20:25-28; Romans 4:25; Acts l:9; Hebrews 9:24, 7:25; Romans 8:34; I John 2:l-2)
HOLY SPIRIT
PERSON: We believe the Holy Spirit is God, the Third Person of the Holy Trinity; that He is equal in essence with the Father and the Son; and that He was active in the divine works of creation, revelation and inspiration. (Acts 5:3-4; Matthew 28:19; II Corinthians 13:l4; Psalms 104:30; Genesis l:2; I Corinthians 2:l0; II Peter l:21)
WORK: We believe that the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, of righteousness and of judgment; that He is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers unto the Body of Christ, indwelling, and sealing them unto the day of redemption; and that He is the divine teacher who guides believers into all truth and all saved ones are exhorted to be filled with the Spirit. (John l6:8-11; I Corinthians 12:13; John l6:13; I John 2:20; Ephesians 5:18)
SPIRITUAL GIFTS: While the Statement of Faith addresses the person and work of the Holy Spirit, further amplifications is needed to thoroughly clarify what we believe and teach regarding the "special manifestations of power" which some today ascribe to the Holy Spirit as a second work of grace or an additional and superior "filling" or "baptism,” especially as it relates to glossolalia and healing campaigns.
The Bible confirms that during the apostolic age, God did bear witness with signs, wonders, miracles and special gifts of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:22; 4:30; II Corinthians 12:12). We believe these signs were confirmation of His verbal promises through the apostles until such time in His purpose that He should provide the world a complete, mature revelation in His Word. We believe and teach that with the provision of God's perfect revelation in the Holy Scriptures the need for, and consequently the provision of these signs were terminated. (I Corinthians 13;8-13). We hold the divinely inspired, inerrant Word of God as the sole authority and sufficiency with regard to Christian faith and practice and that the baptism wherewith we are incorporated into the body of Christ in salvation to be the one baptism of the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 3:11; I Corinthians 12:13)
As a church we do not support or publicize meetings, speakers, or movements that emphasize "tongues" or "healings." Lest we support a practice against our doctrinal position, we withhold from any of our members permission to teach or exhort in any of our facets of ministry if they subscribe to the teachings of the modern charismatic movement as outlined above. We will not support those missionaries who cannot, in good conscience, support this position of this church.
MAN
CREATION: We believe that man was created by the direct act of God in the image and likeness of God, possessing both holiness and the elements of personality. Therefore, we reject all theories of evolution, whether theistic or naturalistic, as unscriptural. (Genesis l:26-27; 2:4-25; Psalm 100:3)
FALL: We believe that man sinned and thereby incurred not only physical death but spiritual death which is separation from God; and that all human beings are born with a sinful nature which is enmity against God, and in the case of those who reach moral responsibility, become sinners in thought, word and deed. As a sinner, man is helpless, hopeless and incapable of doing good in the sight of God or of saving himself. (John 3:36; Romans l:18-32; 3:9-23; 5:12; 6:23; 7:18; Ephesians 2:l-3, 5, 9, 12)
HUMAN SEXUALITY: We believe that God designed sexual intimacy to be an important part of the marriage relationship. We believe that any form of adultery, fornication, homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, pedophilia, and pornography are sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex. We believe that God disapproves of and forbids any attempt to alter one’s gender by surgery or appearance. Furthermore, we believe that the only Scriptural definition of marriage is the covenant joining of one man and one woman. We, as a church, will only recognize and perform marriage ceremonies that join together one man and one woman. (Genesis 2:24; 19:5; 26:8-9; Leviticus 18:1-30; Romans 1:26-29; 7:2; I Corinthians 5:1; 6-9; I Thessalonians 4:1-8; Hebrews 13-4; I Corinthians 5:11-13; 7:10 Ephesians 5:22-23).
SALVATION
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice; that all who believe in Him are justified on the ground of His shed blood and righteousness. (Ephesians 2:8-10; John l:12-13; Ephesians l:7; I Peter l:18, 19)
We believe in the resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord, in His ascension into heaven, and in His present life there for us, as a High Priest, Advocate, and the only Mediator between God and man. (Acts l:21, 22; 2:24; 32; 4:33; 4:33; I Corinthians 15:15)
We believe in the priesthood of all believers and that each believer has the right and the responsibility to personally study and interpret the Scriptures guided by the Holy Spirit. (Revelation l:6; Hebrews 4:l4-l6; I Timothy 2:5; II Timothy 2:15; I John 2:20, 27).
ETERNAL SECURITY
We believe that all of the redeemed are kept by God's power and are secure in Christ forever. (John 6:37-40; l0:27-30; Romans 8:11, 28-39; I Corinthians l:4-8; Philippians l:6; I Peter l:5; I John 2:19)
We believe the saved should rejoice in a personal confidence of a present salvation which rests in the manifestation of the indwelling Christ and veracity of the Word of God. (I John 5:11-13).
BELIEVER’S TWO NATURES
We believe that every saved person possesses two natures, with provision made for victory of the new nature over the old through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, and that in this life all claims to the eradication of the old nature are unscriptural. (Romans 6:13; 8:12-13; Galatians 5:l6-18; Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 3:l0; I Peter l:l4-l6; I John 3:6-9).
SANCTIFICATION (three aspects)
POSITIONAL SANCTIFICATION: We believe that God sets us apart at the time of our personal acceptance of Christ as Lord and Savior. (I Corinthians 6:11; John l:12)
PROGRESSIVE SANCTIFICATION: We believe that we experience sanctification by the degree we yield to God. (Romans 12:l; Psalms 119:9-11; II Corinthians 3:18)
PERFECT SANCTIFICATION: We will be sanctified in the future, when at that time we will be complete in Christ. (I Thessalonians 3:13; 5:23; Philippians 3:12-l4)
SEPARATION
PERSONAL: We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring a reproach upon their Savior and Lord, but to glorify His name; that separation from all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices and associations is commanded by God. (Romans 12:l; I Corinthians 6:19-20; l0:31; II Timothy 3:l-5; I John 2:15-l7).
ECCLESIASTICAL: We believe that we should maintain separation from all ecclesiastical and religious apostasy and unbelief. Furthermore, we believe Christians should fellowship only with those movements and organizations whose leaders and sponsors are not in any way connected with apostasy or unbelief. We are in a whole-hearted agreement with the position of the General Association of Regular Baptist Churches as stated in Literature Items Nos. 6 and 12. (Romans l6:l7-18; II Corinthians 6:l4-7:l; II Thessalonians 3:6, 11-15; I Timothy 6:l-5; II Timothy 2:l6-l7; Titus 3:l0; II John 9-11)
POLITICAL: We believe in the separation of Church and State, with each having definite and distinct spheres of responsibility. (Matthew 22:l7-21).
MISSIONS
We believe that it is the obligation of the saved to witness by life and by word the truths of the Holy Scripture and to seek to proclaim the Gospel to all mankind. (Mark l6:15; Acts l:8; II Corinthians 5:19, 20)
CHURCH
UNIVERSAL: We believe in the true, universal Church, which is the Body and Bride of Christ, a scriptural organism into which all true believers of this present age are baptized by the Holy Spirit, and of which Christ is the Head. (Ephesians l:22-23; 5:26-27; I Corinthians 12:.12-13; II Corinthians 11:2)
LOCAL: We believe in the local church which is an assembly of scripturally baptized believers; that believers should join themselves to a local assembly in their area for the purposes of being instructed, observing the ordinances, fellowship, and worshiping God. We believe that the local church is responsible for the growth of its members. While home Bible classes and/or regular group prayer meetings are encouraged among members, they should not take the place of, or be in conflict with the systematic teachings of regular church programs. All such meetings should be in harmony with the doctrines of this local church and be recognized by the pastor and/or the deacons. (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:l, 41-47; Hebrews l0:25)
POLITY: We believe that the local church is autonomous; that the local church elects its own officers; accepts, disciplines and excludes members; sends out missionaries and representatives, and is the final authority in all matters pertaining to its welfare. We believe the local church is independent and answerable only to Christ, its Head; and therefore, that no religious hierarchy has any scriptural authority to dictate to, or interfere in the affairs of, a local church. (I Corinthians 12:27; Acts 6:l-7; l4:23; Romans l6:l-2; Matthew 18:15-l7; I Corinthians 5:4-5, 13; II Corinthians 8:19; Acts 15; Ephesians l:22-23)
ORDINANCES: We believe that the Bible records only two public ordinances, and that these should be followed by the local church. They are water baptism and the Lord's Supper, or Communion.
BAPTISM: We believe baptism is the immersion of a believer in water to show his faith in, and identity with, Christ in His death, burial, resurrection and the Spirit-filled life. It is a symbol and demonstration of the conversion experience. (Romans 6:3-5; Matthew 3:13-l7; 28:19-20; Acts 8:36-39; Ephesians 2:8-9; John 5:24)
LORD’S SUPPER: We believe that the Lord's Supper is a memorial of the atoning death, burial, resurrection and personal return of Christ, and that only born again believers are to participate in it. We believe that the elements - bread and the juice of the grape - are symbols of Christ's body and blood and have no merit in themselves. (I Corinthians 11:23-32; Luke 22:l4-20)
OFFICERS: We believe that only two officers for the local church are spoken of in Scripture: pastors and deacons. We believe that the terms elder, bishop (overseer), and pastor are used interchangeably in the New Testament to refer to the same officer, namely, the pastor. We reject, therefore, as unscriptural, the notion that a multiplicity of elders is responsible for overseeing the local church. (Philippians l:l; Acts 20:l7, 28; Titus l:5-7; I Peter 5:l-4)
PASTOR: The Scriptures use three terms to describe the pastoral office. The term elder is drawn from the Old Testament and ascribes a mature, wise man able to counsel others. Bishop literally means "overseer." It pictures the pastor as the administrator of the affairs of the local church. The title pastor is from the word meaning to shepherd. Thus, it emphasizes the pastor's responsibility to feed and care for the needs of the flock which God has entrusted to his care. In addition, the pastor is to preach, teach, pray, exhort, reprove, rebuke and minister to the flock. The qualifications of this officer are set forth in the Epistles of the New Testament. (Acts 20:l7, 28; I Timothy 3;l-7; 5:l7; II Timothy 4:l-5; Titus l:5-7; I Thessalonians 5:12; Hebrews 13:7, l7, 24)
DEACONS: The term deacon comes from a word that means "one who serves." Therefore, deacons are selected to be servants of the local church. They function in whatever capacity the church designates. The qualifications of the deacon are given in the New Testament. (Acts 6:l-7; Philippians l:l; I Timothy 3:8-13)
SPIRITUAL BEINGS
ANGELS: We believe that God created an innumerable host of spiritual beings who are characterized by holiness, strength and wisdom; who continually do the will of God; and who protect and minister to the needs of the saints of God on earth. (II Kings 19:35; Psalms 34:7; 91:11)
SATAN: We believe that Satan is a real, literal being; that he was created sinless as Lucifer, the son of the morning, but through pride, he sinned and thus became the author of sin; that he is the open and declared enemy of God and the cause of the fall of man; that though supernaturally great in power, he is strictly limited by the permissive will of God who overrules all of Satan's devices for good; that he was defeated and judged at the cross of Calvary; and that he shall be eternally punished in the lake of fire. (Job l:6; Isaiah l4:12-l4; Matthew 4:2-11; 25:41; Revelation 20:l0)
DEMONS: We believe that a great company of spirit beings followed Satan and became the wicked beings referred to by various names in the Bible; that some of these beings are active as Satan's associates in the accomplishment of his evil purposes, while some others are confined awaiting judgment; that they are all destined to eternal punishment with Satan. (Matthew 12:24-26; 25:41; John 12:31-32; l6:11; Revelation 20:2, l0)
LAST THINGS
THE RAPTURE: We believe the "blessed hope" of the believer is the Rapture, the personal, imminent, pre-tribulational, pre-millennial return of the Lord Jesus Christ for His redeemed ones. (I Thessalonians l:l0; 4:13-18; 5:9; John l4:l-3; Revelation 3:l0)
JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST: We believe that the saints of God will appear before the Judgment-Seat of Christ to give an account of themselves to Christ, and to receive rewards for those things done for Him. (I Corinthians 5:l0)
TRIBULATION: We believe that following the Rapture of the Church, there will be a seven-year period of tribulation on the earth; that this period is the fulfillment of Israel's seventieth week spoken of by Daniel; and that this is a period of divine wrath and judgment upon sinners. (Daniel 9:27; Revelation 6:l-19:21; Matthew 24:15-21)
SECOND COMING OF CHRIST: We believe that Christ will return to the earth following the Tribulation period to establish His kingdom on the earth. (Revelation 19:l-7)
MILLENNIUM: We believe that following the Tribulation and Second Coming, Christ will reign in righteousness over the earth for one thousand years before the final judgment. (Revelation 20:l-l0)
ETERNAL STATE
We believe in the bodily resurrection of men, the saved to judgment and eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and eternal punishment. (Matthew 25:46; John 5:28; 11:25-26)
We believe that the souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord, where in conscious bliss they await the first resurrection when spirit, soul and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord. (Luke 23:43; Revelation 20:4-6; ii Corinthians 5:8; Philippians l:23; 3:21; I Thessalonians 4:l6, l7)
We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain, in conscious misery, until the second resurrection, when with soul and body reunited, they shall be cast into the lake of fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting conscious punishment. (Luke l6:19-26; Matthew 25:41-46; II Thessalonians l:7-9; Jude l:6, 7; Mark 9:43-48; Revelation 20:11-15)
SOUL LIBERTY
We believe in individual soul liberty; that every person has the right to interpret the Bible and worship God as he believes the Bible teaches; that each person was created individually with powers of reason and choice; and that each person is individually accountable to God alone for his actions (Acts 4:19-20; 5:29; Romans l4:12)