This state of Christian doctrine and discipline has been prepared in the fear of
God with a deep burden for the proper
application of the unchanging principles of the Word of God.
We believe that God’s children will grow in their appreciation for a Biblically
discipline church with a statement of Christian doctrine and application that
will assist them in more fully conforming to God’s ways and be a safeguard
against the constant pressures and temptations toward worldly accommodations. To
this end the following document has been prepared and is presented for
acceptance by the membership and for the benefit of interested persons. A
discipline reviewing committee reviewed and prepared this document for
consideration and adoption by the Body of Christ.
ARTICLES OF FAITH
Article 1
OF THE WORD OF GOD
We believe in the plenary and verbal inspiration of the Bible as the Word of
God; that it is authentic in its matter, authoritative in it’s counsels,
inerrant in the original writings, and the only infallible rule of faith and
practice. Ex. 4:12; II Sam. 23:2; Ps. 12:6; 119:160; Jer. 1:9l Mt. 5:18; 24:35;
II Tim. 3:16; II Pet. 1:20, 21.
Article II
OF THE EXISTENCE AND NATURE OF GOD
We believe that there is but one God, eternal, infinite, perfect, and
unchangeable, who exists and reveals Himself in three persons - Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit. Duet.6:4; Ps. 90:2; Gen. 17:1; Ps 147:5; 139:7-12; Isa 40:28;
57:15; Mal. 3:6; Gen 1:2; Heb. 1:8.
Article III
OF THE CREATION
We believe that the Genesis account of the Creation is a historic fact and
literally true. Gen. 1:1,21,27; Ex. 20:11; Mk.
10:6-9; Heb. 1:10; 4:4; Heb. 11:3.
Article IV
OF THE FALL OF MAN
We believe that man was created by an immediate act of God: In His own image and
after His likeness; that by one act of disobedience he became sinful in his
nature, spiritually dead, subject to physical death and to the power of the
devil, from which fallen condition he was unable to save himself. Gen.1:26, 27,
16, 17; 3:1-7; Eph. 2:1-3, 12; Jno 6:44; Rom. 5:6
Article V
OF JESUS CHRIST
We believe that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, that He was conceived of
the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin-the
perfect Godman; that He was without sin... Making the only adequate atonement
for sine by the shedding of His blood, thus reconciling man to God; that He was
raised from the dead, ascended to glory and “ever liveth to make intercession
for us.” Jno. 1:1, 14, 18; Heb. 1:8; 13:8; Gen. 3:15; Isa. 7:15; Lk. 1:35; Mt.
1:20-25; Isa. 53:5, 6; II Cor. 5:14, 21; Gal. 3:13; I Pet. 2:22, 24; 3:18; Rom.
5:8-10; Mt. 28:6; Acts 2:24; 10:39-41; 17:31; I Cor. 15:20; Acts 1:11; Eph.
1:19, 20; Rev. 1:18; Col. 3:1; Heb. 6:20; I Jno. 2:1, 2; Heb. 7:25.
Article VI
OF SALVATION
We believe that man is saved alone by grace through faith in the finished work
of Christ that he is justified from all things on the ground of His shed blood;
that through the new birth he becomes a child of God, partaker of eternal life,
and blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ. Eph. 2:8 Rom. 3:20-26; Acts
13:38, 39; Jno. 1:12, 13; 3:4, 8, 16; 5:24; Eph. 1:3.
Article VII
OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe in the deity and personality of the Holy Spirit; that He convinces
the world of sin, righteousness, and of judgment; that He indwells and comforts
the believer, guides him into all truth, empowers for service and enables him to
live a life of righteousness. Acts 5:3,4; II Cor. 3:3, 17; Jno 16:7, 8, 13; I
Cor. 3:16; Gal. 4:6; Acts 1:8; Rom. 8:1-4.
Article VIII
OF ASSURANCE
We believe that it is the privilege of all believers to know that they have
passed from death unto life; that God is able to keep them from falling, but
that the obedience of faith is essential to the maintenance of one's salvation
and growth in grace. I Jno. 3:14; 5:13; Rom. 8:16; II Cor. 12:9; Jude 24, 25;
Rom. 16:25, 26; 1:5; Gal. 3:11; Jno. 8:31; II Pet. 1:5-11.
Article IX
OF THE CHURCH
We believe that the Church is the body of Christ, composed of all those who
through repentance toward God, and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ have been born
again and were baptized by one Spirit into one Body, and that it is her divinely
appointed mission to preach the gospel to every creature, teaching obedience to
all His commandments. Mt. 15:18; Eph. 1:23; Col 1:18; Acts 20:21; Lk. 24:47;
Acts 17:30; 16:31; Gal. 3:26; I Cor. 12:13; Mt. 28:19, 20; Mk. 16:15; Acts 1:8.
Article X
OF SEPARATION
We believe that we are called with a holy calling to a life of separation from
the world and its follies, sinful practices, and
methods; further that it is the duty of the Church to keep herself aloof from
all movements which seek the reformation of
society independent of the merits of the death of Christ and the experiences of
the new birth. I Pet. 2:9; Tit. 2:11-14;2:15; Mt. 28:19, 20; 18:15-18; Eph.
4:11-16; Heb. 13:17; Acts 14:21-23; 1:15-26.
Article XI
OF DISCIPLINE
We believe that the Lord has vested the Church with authority in accordance with
Scriptural teaching: (1) to choose officials, (2) to regulate the observance of
ordinances, (3) to exercise wholesome discipline, and (4) to organize and
conduct her work in a manner consistent with her high calling and essential to
her highest efficiency. Acts 6:1-6; 13:1-3; II Tim. 2:2; Tit. 1:5-9; 2:15; Mt.
28:19-20; 18:15-18; Eph. 4:11-16; Heb. 13:17; Acts 14:21-23; 1:15-26.
Article XII
OF ORDINANCES
We believe that Christian baptism should be administered upon confession of
faith; that the Lord's Supper should be observed as a memorial of His death by
those of like precious faith who have peace with god; that feet washing as an
ordinance should be literally observed by all believers; that Christian women
praying or prophesying should have their heads covered; that the salutation of
the holy kiss should be duly and appropriately observed by all believers; that
anointing with oil should be administered to the sick who call for it in faith;
that marriage between one man and woman is a divine institution dissoluble only
by death, that on the part of a Christian it should be “only in the Lord” and
that consistency requires that the marriage relation be entered only by those of
like precious faith. Lk. 22:19-20. 1 Cor. 11:23-28; Acts 2:39; 8:12; 18:8; Jno.
13:1-7; 1 Cor. 11:2-16; 16:20; Jas. 5:14-16; Mk. 10:6-12; Rom. 7:2; 1 Cor. 7:39;
Amos 3:3
Article XIII
OF RESTRICTIONS
We believe that all Christians should honor, pray for, and pay tribute to, and
obey in all things those who are in authority in state and nation, provided
however, that should instances arise in which such obedience would violate the
higher law of god “we ought to obey God, rather than mane,” that Church and
State are separate, and while believers are to be subject o, they are not a part
of the civil, administrative powers; that it is contrary to the teachings of
Christ and the apostles to engage in carnal warfare; that Christians should
“adorn themselves in modest apparel ... not with broided hair, or gold, or
pearls, or costly array”; that the swearing of oaths is forbidden in the New
Testament Scriptures; that secret orders are antagonistic to the tenor and
spirit of the Gospel; and that life insurance is inconsistent with the filial
trust in the he providence and care of our heavenly Father. 1 Pet. 2:13, 14, 17;
Rom. 13:1-7; 1 Tim. 2:1, 2; Acts 5:29; Mt. 22:21; Mk. 10:42-44; Jno. 18:36; 2
Cor. 10:4; 1 Tim 2:9, 10; 1 Pet 3:3-5; Mt. 5:34-37; Jas. 5:12; Jno. 18:20; Eph.
5:11, 12; ! Jno 3:17; Gal. 6:10; Jer. 49:11; Eph.1:22, 23.
Article XIV
OF APOSTASY
We believe that the later days will be characterized by general lawlessness and
departure from the faith; that on the part of the world “iniquity shall abound;
and “evil men shall wax worse and worse”; that on the part of the Church there
will be a falling away and “the love of many shall wax cold”; that false
teachers shall abound, both deceiving and being deceived and further, that
present conditions indicate that we are now living in these perilous times. I
Tim. 4:1, 2; Rom. 16:17,18; II Tim. 2:1-5, 13; II Peter 2:1, 2, 10; Mt. 24:11,
12; II Thes. 2:3.
Article XV
OF THE RESURRECTION
We believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ and in the bodily
resurrection of all men, both of the just and the unjust-of the just to the
resurrection of life, and of the unjust to the resurrection of condemnation. Jno.
20:20, 24-29; Lk. 24:30, 31; I Cor. 15:42-44; Acts 24; Jno. 5:28, 29; I Cor.
15:20-23.
Article XVI
OF THE COMING OF CHRIST
We believe in the personal, imminent coming of our Lord as the blessed hope of
the believer; that we who are alive and
remain, together with the dead in Christ who will be raised, shall be caught up
to meet the Lord in the he air and thus ever be with the Lord, Jno. 14:2, 3 Acts
1:11; Mt. 24-44; Heb. 10:37; Tit. 2:11-13; I Thes. 4:13-18.
Article XVII
OF THE INTERMEDIATE STATE
We believe that in the interval between death and resurrection, the righteous
will be with Christ in a state of conscious bliss and comfort, but that the
wicked will be in a place of torment, in a state of conscious suffering and
despair. Lk. 16:19-31; 23:43; Phil. 1:23; II Cor. 5:1-8; I Thes. 5:10; II Pet.
2:9
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Prepared by the Committee on Fundamentals. Adopted by the Twelfth Mennonite
General Conference, meeting near Garden City, Missouri, August 24-26, 1921,
Proceedings, pp. 25-27.
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