Bible Q & A

In our Church Plant we are currently in the process of putting together our doctrinal statement. We have been asking and answering various kinds of questions about all the major doctrines instead of cutting and pasting from others. We feel that doctrine is the most important part of any church, for from it flows true sanctification, love, service, fellowship, and spiritual growth. Below are a few questions about the Bible and what it means to Grace Community Church. There are certainly more, but these provide a sample of the kinds of things we are talking about.

Q: What is our ultimate source of knowledge about God?
A: The Bible is the primary authority by which we can know and understand God and His relationship with humanity. We believe that the Bible is the infallible written record of God’s self-disclosure to humanity. This self-disclosure occurred in historical settings, showing us how God related and will relate to humanity at different times, namely Israel in the Old Testament, the early Church in the New Testament, and the ultimate destination of all creation in the last days.

Q: What role does tradition play?
A: We believe that tradition is of the utmost importance as the interpreter and caretaker of the pure gospel throughout the centuries. We distinguish this from traditionalism, which makes religious practice the test for truth over and against the authority of Scripture. As a church, we aim to be in line with tradition so long as it is consistent with the Bible. We recognize that we stand on the shoulders of two millennia of Christian tradition. As such, we do not think it wise or spiritual to depart with that tradition simply to express our own individuality as a body of believers. At the same time, we do not see certain aspects of past and present traditions, such as worship styles, different church governing structures, or theological minutiae, as necessarily a part of tradition worth following, though we are not opposed to any that will enhance our worship of God.
We fully recognize the need in our day to have clearly defined beliefs, but see only the need for uniformity with other believing churches as it pertains to the essentials of the Christian faith. Peripheral issues, while important, are not to divide and deter the worldwide Church in its mission.

Q: If it was written so long ago, how does the Bible still apply to us today?
A: The Bible was written to people of long ago cultures and radically different situations than our own today. But two things remain constant: the unchanging character of God and the basic need for humans to be restored to a relationship with Him. What was true of God and man in the Old and New Testaments remains true for us today. As a believing community, we stand in continuity with the Scriptures as sinners saved by the same gracious God.
The Bible, as God’s word to His people, is used by the Holy Spirit to bear fruit in our lives. As such, it is to be taught, preached, studied, and applied with the utmost fervor. Likewise, it is the duty of the Church to re-appropriate the Scriptures as the times change. This re-appropriation, a discipline known as theology, is not an altering of the Bible, but is instead a reorienting of timeless and cross-generational biblical truths to constantly changing cultural situations.

Q: What is the central theme of the Bible?
A: The Bible is not simply a “how to” manual for good and right behavior, but instead centers about the Lord Jesus Christ in His person and work in His first and second coming. We confess that, unless seen in light of the Savior, the Bible cannot be properly understood, either in the Old Testament pointing forward to Him, or the New Testament looking back. In short, the Bible is a record of God’s gracious acts toward humanity, beginning with creation, having their pinnacle at the cross of Christ, and reaching full consummation in the last days when God shall finally and with totality destroy the evil that was initially defeated by Christ.

Q: If the Bible was written by fallible men, how can we be sure it is trustworthy?
A: We believe that all “Scripture is given by inspiration of God,” by which we understand the whole Bible is inspired in the sense that holy men of God “were moved by the Holy Spirit” to write the very words of Scripture. We believe that this divine inspiration extends equally and fully to all parts of the writings—historical, poetical, doctrinal, and prophetical—as appeared in the original manuscripts. We believe that the whole Bible in the originals is therefore without error. The fact that the writers of the Bible were fallible men is not a threat to the inspiration and validity of the Bible, nor is the fact that an infinite God chose to communicate via the written word. It is better thought of as another gracious act, where God chose to use broken vessels to communicate His perfect message so that other broken vessels could understand and know Him.