Doctrinal Statement
Doctrinal Statement (preliminary):
1. The Bible.
We believe the Bible is the inspired, infallible, authorative Word of God without mistakes as originally written. It is the complete revelation of His will for salvation and the only unfailing rule of faith and practice for the Christian life. It is our perfect guide in all matters of life. We read, learn and quote from the whole Bible, all 66 books. However, in our teaching/preaching we practice expository teaching/preaching (book by book, chapter by chapter, verse by verse) mainly from Acts-Jude.
2. The Godhead.
We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. We are solidly Trinitarian. We believe that Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit are co-eternal and of equal dignity and power.
3. The Nature and Work of Christ.
We believe in the full deity and full humanity of Jesus Christ. His miraculous conception by the Holy Spirit; His virgin birth; His sinless life; His substitutionary death on a cross; His bodily resurrection; His ascension to the right hand of the Father. Today seated at the right hand of the Father, He is our High Priest and Mediator. We believe in His personal, imminent return.
4. Man's Condition.
We believe that man was created by and for God. We believe that sin has separated all mankind from God. In Adam the whole mankind fell and died spiritually. Man is unable to come close to God through any own efforts or good works.
5. Salvation.
We believe that salvation is obtained by grace alone, through faith alone, in the work of Christ alone. Salvation is the gift of God to man. Through a change of mind, by trusting and confessing that Jesus Christ died and was buried for ones sins, by trusting and confessing that He was risen from the dead to offer new life, one is forgiven, counted righteous before God and is being saved. The Holy Spirit, comes to live within the believer at the point of true faith. (See below under "From Faith to Faith..." for additional clarification.)
6. Baptism with the Holy Spirit.
We believe that separate from the new birth (which occurs when receiving true faith), there is a very important work of the Holy Spirit, enabling the believer to enter into a new and powerful realm of service, praise, worship, personal edification, and witnessing. The Bible call this the baptism with the Holy Spirit. This should not be confused with receiving the indwelling Holy Spirit when receiving true faith in Christ. This is a ministry of the Spirit in the life of a believer whereby we are empowered to serve Christ. In this work of the Holy Spirit we receive power - not salvation. The baptism with the Holy Spirit opens up the believer to the realm of spiritual gifts.
7. Spiritual Gifts.
We believe that the spiritual gifts are being manifested in the body of Christ today. However, we also believe that these gifts are extremely misunderstood and misused in the church. Therefore we are very conservative in affirming certain things we see and hear, as being true spiritual gifts or being true spiritual gifts used correctly. We encourage to earnestly desire to receive the spiritual gifts, but when and if receiving them, we want to carefully make sure we use them in a correct and orderly manner, for the right purpose, as described and taught in the Bible.
8. Eternal Security.
We believe that a true born again believer cannot lose their justification/salvation. (See below under "From Faith to Faith..." for additional clarification.)
9. Evangelism.
We believe that God wants all people to get saved. Therefore we believe that we are called to preach the gospel to all people, to all nations.
10. Second Coming.
We believe that Jesus Christ will bodily and visibly return from heaven to earth with great glory and majesty just as He promised. We believe in the everlasting blessedness of those in right relationship with God, and the everlasting punishment of those who have rejected God's forgiveness and new life in His Son.
From Faith to Faith / The Journey of a Believer
Our journey as believers, from faith to faith, to living by the faith of the Son of God...
(Romans 1:17, Galatians 2:20, KJV)
(Romans 1:17, Galatians 2:20, KJV)
Listen:
https://soundcloud.com/user-904805286-854727906/from-faith-to-faith-the-journey-of-a-believer-edited-version-2022
1. Hear and respond to the Gospel.
2. Change your mind. Admit that you are a sinner in need of a Savior. Ask God to forgive your sins, taking them away once for all.
3. Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (the baptism with the Holy Spirit).
4. Devote yourself to a fellowship of believers (local church) where you will receive biblical teaching strictly built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone. A church that builds on the right foundation. A church that preaches Paul’s gospel (The Gospel of Grace). Be in communion with other believers.
(Points 1-4: Acts 2:37-47, Acts 10:34-47, Romans 3:23, 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, 1 John 1:9, Hebrews 10:14, Hebrews 6:1-2, Hebrews 10:24-25, Ephesians 2:20, 1 Corinthians 3:10-11, Galatians 1:8-9, Acts 18:11)
5. Call on the name of the Lord. Rest assured that anyone who genuinely calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
(Romans 10:13-17)
6. Strive to enter the rest. Be conformed to the image of His Son. Through the renewal of your mind, through the washing of water with the Word.
(Hebrews 4:11-12, Romans 8:29, Romans 12:2, Ephesians 5:26, 1 Corinthians 1:21, Acts 18:11)
7. Respond to His calling. Take up your cross and follow Him. Identify yourself as crucified, dead, buried and raised to newness of life.
(Hebrews 4:7, 16, Luke 9:23-24, Galatians 5:24, Romans 6:3-11, Galatians 2:20)
8. Assurance of salvation. Awareness of being a recepient of a new heart of flesh. Obedient from the heart. Awareness of having been declared justified. Life lived by the faith of the Son of God. The just shall live by faith..
(Ezekiel 36:26-27, 2 Corinthians 3:3, Romans 10:9-10, Romans 6:17, Galatians 2:20, Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11)
9. Rest assured that those who He justifies He also glorifies. Rest assured that you have received eternal life.
(Romans 8:30, 1 John 5:13)
10. Keep "running the race". Inspire others to do the same.
(Philippians 3:8-17)
This is how we in Church220 understand the journey of a believer from faith to faith according to the Bible. This is what we teach, this is what we practice. However, God is the one who calls, justifies, God is the one who saves, our 10 points in this exact order doesn't. We allow for God to be sovereign. The Bible makes it clear that there are possible exceptions (who clearly doesn't follow soteriological principles). The thief on the cross, Paul, Cornelius and several others. We allow for God to call, justify and save people when he wants to, as He wants to, in all kinds of ways that we are not able to fully understand or describe. We are also reminded of the parable of the vineyard workers (Matthew 20:1-16), and therefore we allow for some to become believers, and God justifying them, even the very last minute, who then later receives the same reward as fully matured believers.
1. Hear and respond to the Gospel.
2. Change your mind. Admit that you are a sinner in need of a Savior. Ask God to forgive your sins, taking them away once for all.
3. Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (the baptism with the Holy Spirit).
4. Devote yourself to a fellowship of believers (local church) where you will receive biblical teaching strictly built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone. A church that builds on the right foundation. A church that preaches Paul’s gospel (The Gospel of Grace). Be in communion with other believers.
(Points 1-4: Acts 2:37-47, Acts 10:34-47, Romans 3:23, 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, 1 John 1:9, Hebrews 10:14, Hebrews 6:1-2, Hebrews 10:24-25, Ephesians 2:20, 1 Corinthians 3:10-11, Galatians 1:8-9, Acts 18:11)
5. Call on the name of the Lord. Rest assured that anyone who genuinely calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
(Romans 10:13-17)
6. Strive to enter the rest. Be conformed to the image of His Son. Through the renewal of your mind, through the washing of water with the Word.
(Hebrews 4:11-12, Romans 8:29, Romans 12:2, Ephesians 5:26, 1 Corinthians 1:21, Acts 18:11)
7. Respond to His calling. Take up your cross and follow Him. Identify yourself as crucified, dead, buried and raised to newness of life.
(Hebrews 4:7, 16, Luke 9:23-24, Galatians 5:24, Romans 6:3-11, Galatians 2:20)
8. Assurance of salvation. Awareness of being a recepient of a new heart of flesh. Obedient from the heart. Awareness of having been declared justified. Life lived by the faith of the Son of God. The just shall live by faith..
(Ezekiel 36:26-27, 2 Corinthians 3:3, Romans 10:9-10, Romans 6:17, Galatians 2:20, Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11)
9. Rest assured that those who He justifies He also glorifies. Rest assured that you have received eternal life.
(Romans 8:30, 1 John 5:13)
10. Keep "running the race". Inspire others to do the same.
(Philippians 3:8-17)
This is how we in Church220 understand the journey of a believer from faith to faith according to the Bible. This is what we teach, this is what we practice. However, God is the one who calls, justifies, God is the one who saves, our 10 points in this exact order doesn't. We allow for God to be sovereign. The Bible makes it clear that there are possible exceptions (who clearly doesn't follow soteriological principles). The thief on the cross, Paul, Cornelius and several others. We allow for God to call, justify and save people when he wants to, as He wants to, in all kinds of ways that we are not able to fully understand or describe. We are also reminded of the parable of the vineyard workers (Matthew 20:1-16), and therefore we allow for some to become believers, and God justifying them, even the very last minute, who then later receives the same reward as fully matured believers.
Straight to the Point about Practices, Beliefs and Doctrines (preliminary):
1. Our Teaching Methods / Expository Teaching/Preaching.
In our doctrinal statement we say that we read, learn and quote from the whole Bible, all 66 books. But we also say that we practice expository teaching/preaching mainly from Acts-Jude.
Why is this? Why mainly Acts-Jude, why are we not practicing expository teaching/preaching from the whole Bible equally, chapter by chapter, verse by verse?
The main reason for our mainly Acts-Jude practice is the following:
We are a church believing, living and breathing the New Covenant. And the teaching about the New Covenant is mainly found in Acts-Jude. In The Great Commission in Matthew Jesus told the disciples to teach us to observe all that He had commanded them. That (their) teaching is being found in Acts-Jude.
But again, we believe the whole Bible. Even if mainly in Acts-Jude, the New Covenant is also being found elsewhere in the Bible. And our Lord Jesus is being found in every book in the Bible. Therefore we read, learn and quote from the whole Bible, all 66 books. To make sure this is being honored in a practical way we practice a text reading and/or a text presentation from the Old Testament, from the Gospels and from Revelation on a regular (weekly) basis.
The reason for expository teaching/preaching as our main format of teaching/preaching, is that we as much as possible want our church to get the full and correct scriptural perspective on all things, trying to make sure that we at all times teach/preach the Bible rightly divided, in it's right context.
In addition to expository teaching/preaching we also do interactive sessions (mostly related to our expository teaching/preaching), and we also open up and allow for thematical/topical teaching/preaching on a regular basis, but our main format and/or practice of teaching/preaching is walking through Acts-Jude, chapter by chapter, verse by verse.
2. Service Structure.
Our Sunday service could be considered to be divided into two main sections. One section called "Sunday Light" and one called "Sunday In-Depth".
In the "Sunday Light" section we find anything that could be regarded as "light and practical" such as food/snacks/coffee, intro, all types of "entertainment" (music video(s), music performance(s), song(s)/hymnal(s), dance performance(s), theatrical/skit performance(s), youth and/or children program(s)/performance(s)). Finally also testimonies, all kinds of announcements, public prayer requests and thanksgiving reports.
In the "Sunday In-Depth" section we focus on text reading/presentation, Jesus centered worship, teaching/preaching and finally a "Gospel & Gracecovery" presentation.
3. Music and Worship.
Music both can and should be used in all kinds of ways, for example for entertainment, for relaxation and of course also for worship. We believe that music both can and should be used in many different ways also in church. We are totally for being creative with music. In our "Sunday Light" we welcome all kinds of styles of music. However, in our "Sunday In-Depth" we use only slow, peaceful Jesus centered worship music/songs.
4. Health and Physical Healing.
Physical and/or mental health is probably the most important earthly blessing of them all. We believe that we should be very thankful if and when we are blessed with physical and/or mental health. If we are suffering from sickness or health issues, we believe that praying for strength and/or healing is something very important. We believe that God both can heal and that He does heal. But we also believe that He heals when He wants to, as He wants to. This is not in our control. We don't believe in any kind of guaranteed healing. We don't believe that there is anything wrong when someone doesn't get healed. It doesn't depend on us, it doesn't depend on anyone's level of faith.
5. Money, Wealth, Poverty.
Money is not a root of all kinds of evil. The love of money is. We don't believe that the gospel or the Bible promises us any kind of personal wealth to be kept for ourselves. Being wealthy is not necessarily a bad thing, it could be a blessing, something to be very thankful for. As little as we believe in any kind of personal wealth as any kind of promise for a believer, just as little we believe that there would be anything good in being poor. Personal wealth isn't a promise from God, neither is it God's will for anyone to be poor, being content in all kinds of circumstances is.
If and when our church will be able to employ a pastor or a leader, they will never become rich from working in our church, neither will they be kept poor.
6. Giving.
We do believe in generous grace giving towards all kinds of kingdom purposes. We do believe that members and friends of our church cares enough to be interested in generous giving towards our church's needs and visions. We trust God, we don't trust in any whatsoever kind of manipulation, pressure or any such thing. We will inform on how to give, but there will never be a public money collection in any of our meetings. All kinds of giving needs to come from cheerful hearts. We do believe that the church is responsible for transparency and good stewardship.
7. Baptism / Water Baptism Statement
This is not a full teaching about baptism and/or water baptism. This statement contains only the most important essentials for explaining our theological position and our practice.
In Church220 we neither require or recommend water baptism for gentile believers. Our aim is to always be true to the Scriptures to the best of our ability. In all things we value Scripture over tradition. According to our understanding of the biblical text, we are convinced that water baptism was both important and mandatory under the circumcision authority (for Jewish believers), but not mandatory, and not commanded, under the uncircumcision authority (for gentile believers).
The origin, the roots of water baptism is found in the Torah. Several types of "ritual washings" are found in the Torah. Jesus fulfilled the Torah. When Jesus got baptized by John the baptist, Jesus himself uses the words "it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness". His baptism was an important part of the fulfilling of the law.
The baptism of John the baptist was "a baptism of repentence to all the people of Israel" (Acts 13:24).
In John’s account of The Great Comission, John 20:22-23 we find Jesus giving the authority to the eleven disciples to, "forgive the sins of any", and/or to "withold forgiveness of any", something we find put into practice in Acts 2:38. The eleven disciples received the authority to become the apostles for the circumcised (the Jews).
In for example Acts 9:1-19 and in Galatians 1:1, 1:11-16, and 2:7 we find how Paul became, and that Paul is, the apostle to the uncircumcised (the gentiles).
Just as the eleven disciples received their authority directly from Jesus himself, so did Paul.
On the day of Pentecost, in Acts 2:38, Peter says and/or commands his circumcised Jewish audience "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins". In this command we see that this is a continuation of the "baptism of repentence to all the people of Israel". The only difference is that the apostles now baptized in the name of Jesus Christ with the authority HE had given them after HIS resurrection.
In Hebrews 6:1-2 we find that "instruction about washings" was considered one (1) out of six (6) elementary doctrines for Jewish believers.
All throughout the book of Acts we always find that all Jewish believers were baptized in water. They were commanded to get baptized in water.
Meanwhile, in 1 Corinthians 1:17 we find Paul saying "Christ did NOT send me to baptize but to preach the gospel". The word send (ἀποστέλλω / apostelló) literally means send, and/or order. Meaning Christ didn’t send/order and/or command Paul to baptize. His authority was to be the apostle to the uncircumcised (the gentiles), and he was NOT ordered/commanded to baptize in water.
In Acts 10:43 we find something interesting as Peter speaks before a gentile audience. There he says "everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins".
Same Peter who in Acts 2:38, before the Jewish audience was saying "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins", now before the gentile audience says "everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins". Different audience, different authority, different order/command.
There is ONE universal baptism however. And that’s also the ONE BAPTISM in Ephesians 4:5. This baptism is universal, for everybody.
"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:28)
In Matthew 3:11 (as well as Mark 1:8, Luke 3:16 and John 1:26) John the baptist says "I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire."
In Acts 1:5 Jesus himself repeats some of John’s words and confirms the ONE BAPTISM as HE says "for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.".
Baptized into Christ
"For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ." (Galatians 3:27)
"For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, Jews or Greeks, slaves or free and all were made to drink of one Spirit." (1 Corinthians 12:13)
The baptism into one body (the body of Christ) is found in the midst of a spiritual gifts context. The baptism with the Holy Spirit therefore means receiving power, receiving spiritual gifts, equipping us to be HIS body, HIS hands and HIS feets here on earth.
We are baptized into Christ by the Spirit. Not by water. There is no mention of a water baptism into Christ anywhere in Scripture. In all New Testament mentions of water baptism, it’s always "a baptism of repentence", and/or "for the forgiveness of sins" and it’s very clear that it was first and foremost "to all the people of Israel".
There are two (2) mentions in the New Testament where gentile believers either were water baptized, and/or where it at least could seem like gentile believers were water baptized. These are found in Acts 10:47-48, and Acts 16:33. We have done studies on these two mentions and/or verses/passages. Our explanations will not be a part of this short statement, but are available for anyone upon request.
Verses/Passages like Romans 6:3-4, Galatians 3:27, and Colossians 2:12 are often misunderstood to be talking about water baptism, but when we take a close look at the context it becomes very clear that these verses/passages has absolutely nothing to do with water baptism.
The baptism with the Holy Spirit is the ONE BAPTISM in Ephesians 4:5, and the baptism into Christ. In Romans 8:9 Paul says "Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him". This is the ONE BAPTISM.
The ONE BAPTISM, the baptism with the Holy Spirit is THE ONE baptism we preach/teach and/or promote in Church220. However, we offer an optional "celebration” that reminds of the biblical water baptism. It’s optional, it’s symbolic, it becomes a public declaration that a new believer has genuinly responded to the gospel, a public declaration that a new believer have received forgiveness of all sins past, present, future, through BELIEVING IN CHRIST, in HIS finished work. This "celebration" is available for anyone who wants to have a "water baptism experience".
7. Baptism / Water Baptism Statement
This is not a full teaching about baptism and/or water baptism. This statement contains only the most important essentials for explaining our theological position and our practice.
In Church220 we neither require or recommend water baptism for gentile believers. Our aim is to always be true to the Scriptures to the best of our ability. In all things we value Scripture over tradition. According to our understanding of the biblical text, we are convinced that water baptism was both important and mandatory under the circumcision authority (for Jewish believers), but not mandatory, and not commanded, under the uncircumcision authority (for gentile believers).
The origin, the roots of water baptism is found in the Torah. Several types of "ritual washings" are found in the Torah. Jesus fulfilled the Torah. When Jesus got baptized by John the baptist, Jesus himself uses the words "it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness". His baptism was an important part of the fulfilling of the law.
The baptism of John the baptist was "a baptism of repentence to all the people of Israel" (Acts 13:24).
In John’s account of The Great Comission, John 20:22-23 we find Jesus giving the authority to the eleven disciples to, "forgive the sins of any", and/or to "withold forgiveness of any", something we find put into practice in Acts 2:38. The eleven disciples received the authority to become the apostles for the circumcised (the Jews).
In for example Acts 9:1-19 and in Galatians 1:1, 1:11-16, and 2:7 we find how Paul became, and that Paul is, the apostle to the uncircumcised (the gentiles).
Just as the eleven disciples received their authority directly from Jesus himself, so did Paul.
On the day of Pentecost, in Acts 2:38, Peter says and/or commands his circumcised Jewish audience "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins". In this command we see that this is a continuation of the "baptism of repentence to all the people of Israel". The only difference is that the apostles now baptized in the name of Jesus Christ with the authority HE had given them after HIS resurrection.
In Hebrews 6:1-2 we find that "instruction about washings" was considered one (1) out of six (6) elementary doctrines for Jewish believers.
All throughout the book of Acts we always find that all Jewish believers were baptized in water. They were commanded to get baptized in water.
Meanwhile, in 1 Corinthians 1:17 we find Paul saying "Christ did NOT send me to baptize but to preach the gospel". The word send (ἀποστέλλω / apostelló) literally means send, and/or order. Meaning Christ didn’t send/order and/or command Paul to baptize. His authority was to be the apostle to the uncircumcised (the gentiles), and he was NOT ordered/commanded to baptize in water.
In Acts 10:43 we find something interesting as Peter speaks before a gentile audience. There he says "everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins".
Same Peter who in Acts 2:38, before the Jewish audience was saying "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins", now before the gentile audience says "everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins". Different audience, different authority, different order/command.
There is ONE universal baptism however. And that’s also the ONE BAPTISM in Ephesians 4:5. This baptism is universal, for everybody.
"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:28)
In Matthew 3:11 (as well as Mark 1:8, Luke 3:16 and John 1:26) John the baptist says "I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire."
In Acts 1:5 Jesus himself repeats some of John’s words and confirms the ONE BAPTISM as HE says "for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.".
Baptized into Christ
"For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ." (Galatians 3:27)
"For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, Jews or Greeks, slaves or free and all were made to drink of one Spirit." (1 Corinthians 12:13)
The baptism into one body (the body of Christ) is found in the midst of a spiritual gifts context. The baptism with the Holy Spirit therefore means receiving power, receiving spiritual gifts, equipping us to be HIS body, HIS hands and HIS feets here on earth.
We are baptized into Christ by the Spirit. Not by water. There is no mention of a water baptism into Christ anywhere in Scripture. In all New Testament mentions of water baptism, it’s always "a baptism of repentence", and/or "for the forgiveness of sins" and it’s very clear that it was first and foremost "to all the people of Israel".
There are two (2) mentions in the New Testament where gentile believers either were water baptized, and/or where it at least could seem like gentile believers were water baptized. These are found in Acts 10:47-48, and Acts 16:33. We have done studies on these two mentions and/or verses/passages. Our explanations will not be a part of this short statement, but are available for anyone upon request.
Verses/Passages like Romans 6:3-4, Galatians 3:27, and Colossians 2:12 are often misunderstood to be talking about water baptism, but when we take a close look at the context it becomes very clear that these verses/passages has absolutely nothing to do with water baptism.
The baptism with the Holy Spirit is the ONE BAPTISM in Ephesians 4:5, and the baptism into Christ. In Romans 8:9 Paul says "Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him". This is the ONE BAPTISM.
The ONE BAPTISM, the baptism with the Holy Spirit is THE ONE baptism we preach/teach and/or promote in Church220. However, we offer an optional "celebration” that reminds of the biblical water baptism. It’s optional, it’s symbolic, it becomes a public declaration that a new believer has genuinly responded to the gospel, a public declaration that a new believer have received forgiveness of all sins past, present, future, through BELIEVING IN CHRIST, in HIS finished work. This "celebration" is available for anyone who wants to have a "water baptism experience".
8. Who can Teach/Preach?
Our aim is that our teaching/preaching would hold a very high standard and that it at all times would be biblically correct, delivered and explained as it was written, in it's right context. The theological committee is responsible for protecting our platform and our pulpit in accordance with the standards we have set for ourselves.
