You Need to Know

Any time you read what others have to say about scripture, you need to have a basic understanding of who they are. We all have an agenda of sorts. Hopefully, that agenda conforms to what God has called us to do!

While creeds are helpful in articulating basic beliefs they fail in several ways. First, they can only be as complete as we are knowledgeable. In a practical sense, that means they will always be incomplete and possibly even in error. To state everything we believe in detail would take volumes and even then we would probably overlook something.

Creeds are subject to interpretation by both the professor and the hearer, and differences of interpretation can lead to misunderstandings. For example, the creeds in popular usage speak of Christ's coming. While we could easily concur with that statement, it would be with the knowledge that it has already happened. But if we say we agree with the creed and don't qualify what we mean by that, others will be misled.

Lastly, creeds seem to take on a life of their own. Those who hold them dear tend to elevate them to the level of scripture and insist that those who cannot hold them with their own zeal are at least suspect in regards to the faith.

We seek to avoid such difficulties by affirming that which all Christians can affirm and pledging ourselves to diligent study of everything else. We believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God whose sacrifice is the only atonement for sin and the only means of reconciliation with God. We believe that the Bible is the inerrant word of God and that it is authoritative for our faith and practice. Upon these two confessions hang all the other issues which the creeds seek to address.

Regarding eschatology specifically, we hold the view commonly known as the consistent preterist view. We use this word only in its fullest sense and eschew any notion of "partial" preterism. That is a contradiction in terms and is just another form of futurism. Either biblical eschatology has been fulfilled or it has not. Fulfilled is fulfilled. Partial fulfillment is not fulfillment. Let's quit watering down words!

In the strictest of terms, one biblical prophecy is ongoing and continues to be fulfilled. The nations continue to stream to the New Jerusalem and, as far as scripture reveals, that will not cease.

We would be happy to answer specific questions if you would like to contact us.

© Copyright 2003 ~ Jim Wade

Updated 07/08/03