The Bible
Our point of reference is the verbal inspiration by God of the 66 books of the Bible (Old and New Testament).
The Bible, being the Word of God, is the only source of authority for our faith and life as a christian. The Bible is infallible, inerrant and sufficient for a life of faith and service.
In this matter we comply with "The Chicago Statement On Biblical Inerrancy" as drawn up by the International Council on Biblical Inerrancy, october 1978, Chicago. You can download a pdf-version of this document here.
Inspiration
The Holy Spirit used men to write down the Words of God. These writers retained their distinctive personalities and literary styles. This means that the Bible is fully divine in origin, while written by humans.
Because of this divine origin we believe the original manuscripts to be without error.
Reliable
Inspiration, strictly speaking, applies only to the original manuscripts of Scripture. However, by God's providence, we can be sure that the original texts can be composed reliable from the many available manuscripts. No essential element of the christian faith is affected by the absence of the original manuscripts.
Healthy Biblical Teaching...
- gives God all the glory;
God is most valuable in life; He is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him (John Piper) - is based on the authority of the Bible;
God, the Holy Spirit, speaks to us through Scripture - displays Jesus Christ as the only way to the Father;
the Gospel: Jesus Christ, the Messiah, came to save sinners - does not put men at the center, but God;
it's about Him, not us - directly impacts the practical lives of christians;
urges to personal holiness
- reads the Old Testament in light of the New Testament;
all points to the life, death, resurrection and glorification of Jesus Christ - changes the way christians think;
so that in all circumstances they want to serve and honour God and give Him glory - has a high view of the local Church;
a christian is not a loner, but lives in community with other believers - recognizes the limitations of our human minds;