Bible-Presbyterian
Distinctives
The Scriptures
We believe that the Holy Scripture or the Bible is
the Word of God. It is verbally and fully inspired by Him and is
therefore inerrant; infallible and authoritative.
It is verbally inspired so that every word, and in
fact every jot and tittle is inspired by God (Matthew 5:18). The Holy
Spirit inspired the human authors in their writing, and while their
style is not diminished, the result is the holy infallible Word of God.
It is fully inspired in that it is all inspired of
God. One part of the Bible is not more inspired than another part, but
all of it (cf. 2 Timothy 3:16). We believe that there are only 66 books
in the Bible as spelt out in the Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF
1.II). The books commonly called Apocrypha are not divinely inspired,
and therefore are not part of Holy Scripture.
The Bible is inerrant in that there is no error in it
because God Himself is the Divine Author. Hence scripture is used to
interpret other portions of scripture (WCF 1.IX). If the scriptures give
an interpretation to a particular text, then we must not seek any other
interpretation.
The Bible is infallible and is correct in all
matters, not only of matters pertaining to salvation, but also of
history, science and geography.
The Bible, being the Word of God, is absolutely
authoritative and so demands our absolute belief and obedience. Every
believer can and must rest on its teachings, trust it, and depend on it
fully and sufficiently for all that we need to know concerning how we
may live our Christian lives (2 Tim 3:16-17; See WCF l.IV).
The Christian Gospel
"For I delivered unto you first of all that which I
also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the
scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day
according to the scriptures." 1 Corinthians 15:3-4
The Apostle Paul declared that according to God’s
eternal plan, Christ died for our sins. The Bible clearly states that we
are by nature and conduct sinners before God (Romans 3:10,23), unable to
do anything spiritually good to please Him. Sin is an offence against
God and unless our sins are forgiven, we will be judged and eternally
separated from God.
However, God in His great love for us sent His only
begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to be born on earth and to die on the cross.
He died in the place of sinful men, paying the penalty for sin (2
Corinthians 5:21) and remained in the grave until the third day. The
burial of Jesus shows that the death was real. The heart of the gospel
is this—"I, the sinner, deserve to die; but I believe that Jesus the Son
of God died in my place. He became my Substitute."
According to the Scriptures, Christ rose from the
dead on the third day. This event proves His claim to be God’s Son
(Romans 1:4) and His power to conquer sin (Romans 4:25). It also assures
us as Christians that God will raise us after we die (1 Corinthians
15:20-23). Salvation is a gift of God to undeserving and unworthy
sinners.
In summary, the gospel proclaims Jesus’ death for
sinners. This gift of eternal life is available to all who place their
faith and trust in Jesus Christ and acknowledge Him as Lord and Saviour.
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved!
The Holy Trinity
The doctrine of the Holy Trinity is not easily
understandable to our limited minds. Nevertheless, we must accept it by
faith as an essential doctrine of Christianity. God is the one living
and true God. He is one God, yet three persons, Father, Son and Holy
Spirit.
One can find this doctrine on the first pages of the
Bible. "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:
…so God created man in his own image" (Genesis 1:26-27). This shows that
God, who is one, speaks as more than one. Furthermore, "And the LORD God
said, Behold, the man is become as one of us" (Genesis 3:22). When
Isaiah heard the call of God centuries later, he said: "Also I heard the
voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?"
(Isaiah 6:8).
In the New Testament, there are many references to
the doctrine of the Holy Trinity. In the baptism of Jesus Christ we see
the Three Persons of the Godhead: the Father in heaven, the Son on earth
and the Spirit descending from heaven to earth (Matthew 3:13-4:1).
The Virgin Birth of Christ
The conception and birth of Jesus was a miracle
performed by the power of God through His Holy Spirit, without a human
father. Jesus Christ is both Divine and Human: Divine in that He was
conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit; Human in that He was born of
the Virgin Mary.
The doctrine of the Virgin Birth of Christ is one of
Christianity’s essential doctrines. The Virgin Birth of Christ was told
by both Matthew and Luke. "Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this
wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came
together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost" (Matthew 1:18). In
Luke 1:26-35, we have God’s full explanation of the miraculous birth of
Jesus Christ, Who is both God and Man.
Physical Resurrection of Christ
The doctrine of the Resurrection of Christ is one of
Christianity’s essential and central truths. The Apostle Paul said that
if Christ had not risen physically, then our faith is vain, we are still
in our sins, and we are of all men most miserable (1 Corinthians
15:16-19).
This doctrine is specifically and thoroughly taught
in Q52 of the Westminster Confession Larger Catechism: "How was Christ
exalted in His resurrection?"
Ans: "Christ was exalted in His resurrection, in
that, not having seen corruption in death (of which it was not possible
for Him to be held), and having the very same body in which He suffered,
with the essential properties thereof (but without mortality, and other
common infirmities belonging to this life), really united to His soul,
He rose again from the dead the third day by His own power; whereby He
declared Himself to be the Son of God, to have satisfied divine justice,
to have vanquished death, and him that had the power of it, and to be
Lord of quick and dead: all which He did as a public person, the head of
His Church, for their justification, quickening in grace, support
against enemies, and to assure them of their resurrection from the dead
at the last day."
Much can be said from this statement, but there are 5
key points. Firstly, Christ did actually die physically. It was
confirmed by the Roman soldiers (John 19:33-37) and the Jewish burial
that was given him (John 19:39-40). Secondly, He also resurrected
bodily; His grave clothes were left behind (John 20:5-7) and His nail
prints could still be felt (John 20:27). Thirdly, Christ rose from the
dead on the third day by His own power. He predicted this in John 10:18.
This is significant because it proves that He is the Son of God (Romans
1:4). Fourthly, Christ’s resurrection secures salvation for all
believers because it proves that His death was accepted as atonement for
our sins. Fifthly, because He has conquered death, all believers will
likewise be resurrected at the last day (1 Corinthians 15:24-26).
Presbyterian Form of Church Government
The church is governed by sound principles in order
to carry out God’s eternal plan in the world and in His children. But
since God alone is the Lord of the conscience, God "has left it free
from the doctrine and commandments of men, which are in any thing
contrary to His Word, or beside it in matters of faith or worship"
(Article 5.1). Hence, all church power, of the congregation or of its
officers, is only "ministerial and declarative". The only authority on
faith and conduct is the Holy Scriptures and "all its decisions should
be founded upon the revealed will of God" (Article 5.7). It is essential
that those admitted as teachers and preachers in the church be sound in
"the faith which was once delivered unto the saints."
The church is committed to the task of evangelism and
missions, fellowship and discipleship, baptism, the Lord’s Supper and
Worship, Christian education, weddings and funerals, and the stewardship
of the manifold resources bestowed by God.
The management, administration and discipline of the
church rest on the Session of the church which comprises the Pastor,
Associate/Assistant Pastor and, if any, Advisory or Supervisory Pastor,
Elders, Deacons and Deaconesses. The Pastor will also be the Chairman or
Moderator of the Session.
The spiritual oversight of the church in matters of
doctrine, principles of government, church elections, admission and
discipline of members and the administrative oversight of the church
shall be the specific responsibilities of the Pastor with the full
co-operation and participation of the Board of Elders (Article 11.2 &
15.7). Deacons and deaconesses work under the instruction of the Elders.
All session members of the church are elected to hold
office for a period of three years by the congregation at the Annual
Congregational Meeting. All may be eligible for re-election in
accordance with the terms of the Constitution.
The church is financially supported by the freewill
offerings and tithes of its members and gifts donated from friends and
other income derived by the church according to the Holy Scriptures.
Biblical Separation
The principle of biblical separation is very
important to our church. This principle is taught throughout the Bible.
This principle involves two aspects:
1. Personal separation from all worldliness and
sinful activities. God commands that we be holy for He is holy. As
believers, we are called to fellowship with God who "is light, and in
Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him,
and walk in darkness, we lie and do not the truth" 1 John 1:5-6.
2. Ecclesiastical separation from all churches or
groups of churches who are doctrinally impure or compromised with
unscriptural Ecumenism (2 Corinthians 6:14-18).
The Principle of Separation
A In the Old Testament
i. This principle of separation was a condition in
God’s covenant with Israel. It is to ensure that God’s people separate
themselves from the heathen nations around them.
Scripture Text: Exodus 19:5-6
ii. Israel’s separation from the other nations
shows God’s holiness. After the Law was given, the Israelites broke
the law of separation frequently, and God had to send His prophets to
warn them of their disobedience and to call them to repent.
B In the New Testament
i. In the Gospels, Christ indicated that He did not
come to bring peace but division. He taught His disciples not to be of
the world, even though they are in the world.
ii. The Apostle Paul in his epistles had emphasised
the importance of Biblical Separation.
iii. The other Apostles emphasised the same.
It is necessary that we follow God’s Word closely and
have no fellowship with anyone or anything disobedient to His Word, such
as counterfeit and apostate Christianity. We also have to separate from
disobedient brethren (2 Thessalonians 3:6) who compromise with apostate
Christians as well. "To obey is better than sacrifice" were the words of
the Prophet Samuel to King Saul before the latter was rejected as King
of Israel (1 Samuel 15:22).
Five Points of Calvinism
The five points of Calvinism are widely known as
1. Total depravity of man,
2. Unconditional election,
3. Limited atonement,
4. Irresistible grace, and
5. Perseverance of the saints.
These five points briefly summarize the biblical
teaching of God’s sovereignty and grace in the matter of man’s
salvation.
Total Depravity
"As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not
one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after
God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become
unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one." Romans
3:10-12
Every child born into this world is a sinner because
of Adam’s sin; "wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and
death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have
sinned" (Romans 5:12). Man is so totally depraved that he will not seek
after God (Romans 3:11). The Westminster Confession, Chapter IX, has
this to say, "Man, by his fall into a state of sin, hath wholly lost all
ability of will to any spiritual good accompanying salvation; so as, a
natural man, being altogether averse from that good, and dead in sin, is
not able, by his own strength, to convert himself, or to prepare himself
thereunto." There is no escape from the wrath of God. The penalty for
man’s sin is death and man can do nothing of himself to save himself.
Unconditional Election
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that
not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man
should boast." Ephesians 2:8-9
Since man is condemned and unable to save himself,
only God can save him and God only saves those He wants to save.
"According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the
world" (Ephesians 1:4), and "having predestinated us unto the adoption
of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure
of his will" (Ephesians 1:5). He elected certain people to believe in
Christ because He loves them and not because of anything else. "Yea, I
have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness
have I drawn thee" (Jeremiah 31:3).
Limited Atonement
"For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own
will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father’s will
which bath sent me, that of all which he bath given me I should lose
nothing, but should raise it up again at the fast day." John 6:38-39
The Bible teaches that Christ died only for the
elect. Jesus "will save his people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21, John
8:38-39). He intended to die only for the elect and did actually only
die for them. However, this does not contradict the fact that the gospel
is to be offered to the whole world as God is merciful to all who repent
(John 3:16, 2 Peter 3:9). So even though Christ’s death is sufficient
for all, it is only efficient for the elect.
Irresistible Grace
"No man can come to me, except the Father which bath
sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the fast day." John
6:44
"Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also
called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he
justified, them he also glorified." Romans 8:30
All sinners must heed the call and come to
repentance. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shall be saved"
(Acts 16:31). But because they will not, God works supernaturally in the
souls of the elect so that, as Christ said, "All that the Father gives
me shall come to me" (John 6:37), "and no man can come to me, except the
Father which hath sent me draw him" (John 6:44). And when the elect come
and believe, it is God who enables them to do so through His grace
(Ephesians 2:8). Grace is undeserved favour.
Perseverance of the Saints
"And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall
never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." John
10:28
The common saying, "Once saved, always saved",
explains the meaning of this point. The believer will never be unsaved,
"for whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to
the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many
brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and
whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he
also glorified" (Romans 8:29-30). God saves the sinner, gives him the
Holy Spirit and secures him unto the end!
Infant Baptism
Besides adult baptism our church also practices
infant baptism. We believe that God makes a covenant with the family,
and parents are responsible to bring up their child in the saving grace
of the Lord. This covenant is seen in the Old Testament with
circumcision (Acts 7:8) and in the New Testament, where Luke recorded
for us in Acts 2:38,39, "For the promise is unto you and to your
children and to all that are afar off even as many as the Lord shall
call". Hence, the New Testament practice of household baptism included
children (Acts 16:15; 1 Corinthians 1:15). Children must be raised as
believers in the fear and nurture of the Lord and be brought by their
parents to affirm their faith when they reach their age of
understanding. Infant baptism is a great blessing to Christian parents –
to dedicate their children and to vow to fulfil their duties as
Christian parents. Infant baptism does not lead to salvation but the
child has the covenant blessings and Christian influence as they are
brought up in the fear and nurture of the Lord.
Premillennial Return of Christ
The Christian’s blessed hope is the glorious
appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13).
And, when our Lord Jesus Christ will descend with all the saints and the
angelic hosts and "His feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of
Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives
shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west,
and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall
remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south" (Zechariah
14:4), it will mean the end of the present world system. A millennium
(Latin, means 1000 years) of Christ’s glorious and righteous reign will
begin on earth!
This actual millennial reign of our Lord, the Messiah
of Israel, will take place when Christ Himself bodily and visibly
returns to earth to judge the world of sin and rebellion.
"Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his
saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are
ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly
committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have
spoken against him." Jude 14-15
Christian Burial
Although there is no explicit statement from the
Bible that declares that we must not cremate or that we must bury only,
inferences from the Bible are sufficient to conclude that Christians
should be buried after they die. Some biblical arguments in favour of
burial rather than cremation are:
1. The Bible tells us in Genesis 3:19 that we are
to return the body to the ground – "In the sweat of thy face shalt
thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast
thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return."
2. All the saints of God in both the Old and New
Testaments were buried (cf. Genesis 25:10; 35:19; Judges 8:32; 1 Kings
2:10; Matthew 14:12; Luke 23:53; Acts 8:2).
3. In the Bible most of the references to the
burning of the body are associated with punishments for acts such as
certain sexual sins (cf. Leviticus 20:14; 21:9); disobedience to God
(cf. Joshua 7:15, 25).
There are laws of the land that require cremation—for example, when
death results from certain diseases; or when bodies are exhumed in the
older cemeteries that have been designated for re-development. In
obedience to these laws Christians may have no other choice but
cremation. However, as long as the option to bury is still made
available, even in land-scarce Singapore, we are constrained for the
above reasons, to bury our dead who have died in Christ. |
