Shiloh Baptist Church

What We Believe

The Scriptures

The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is the record of God’s revelation of Himself to man. It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of terror, for its matter. It reveals the principles by which God judges us; therefore, it will remain to the end of the world, the true center of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried. The criterion by which the Bible is to be interpreted is Jesus Christ.

Psalms 19:7-10; Jer. 15:16; Matt. 5:17-18; 22:29; John 5:39; 10:35; 16:13-15; 17:17; Acts 17:11; 2 Tim 3:15-17; Hebrews 1:1-2; 4:12; 1 Peter 1:25; 2 Peter 1:19-21.

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God

There is only one living and true God. He is an intelligent, spiritual, and personal Being, the Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, and ruler of the universe. God is infinite in holiness and all other perfections. To Him, we owe the highest love, reverence, and obedience. The eternal God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes but without division of nature, essence, or being.

God the Father

God as Father reigns with providential care over His universe, His creatures, and the flow of the stream of human history according to the purposes of His grace. He is all-powerful, all-loving, and all-wise. God is Father in truth to those who become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ. He is fatherly in His attitude toward all men.

Gen. 1:1; 2:7; Ex. 3:14; 6:2-3; 15:11; 20:1-2; Lev. 22:2; Deut. 6:4; 32:6; 1 Chron. 29:10; Psalm 19:1-3; Isa. 43:3; 15; 64:8; Jer. 10:10; 17:13; Matt. 6:9; 7:11; 23:9; 28:19.

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God the Son

Christ is the eternal Son of God. In His incarnation as Jesus Christ, He was conceived of theHoly Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. Jesus perfectly revealed and did the will of God, takingupon Himself the demands and necessities of human nature and identifying Himself completelywith humankind yet without sin. He honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and inHis death on the cross, He made provision for the redemption of men from sin. He was raisedfrom the dead with a glorified body and appeared to His disciples as the person who was withthem before His crucifixion. He ascended into heaven and is now exalted at the right hand ofGod where He is the One Mediator, partaking of the nature of God and man, and in whosePerson is effected the reconciliation between God and man. He will return in power and glory tojudge the world and to consummate His redemptive mission. He now dwells in all believers asthe living and ever-present Lord.

Psalms 2:7; 110:1; Isa.7:14; Matt. 1:18-23; 3:17; 8:29; 11:27; 14:33; 16:16; 17:5; 28:1-6; 19; Mark 1:1; 3:11; Luke 1:35; 4:41; 22:70; 24:46; John 1:1-18; 29; 10:30; 38; 11:25-27; 12:44-50; 14:7-11; 16:15-16; 28; 17:1-5; 21-22; 20:1-20; Acts 1:9; 2:22-24; 7:55-56; 9:4-5; 20; Rom. 1:3-4; 3:23-26; 5:6-21; 8:1-3; 34; 10:4; 1 Cor. 1:30; 2:2; 8:6; 15:1-8; 24-28; Gal. 4:4-5; Eph. 1:20; 3:11; 4:7-10; Phil. 2:5-11; Col. 1:13-22; 2:9; 1 Thess. 4:14-18; 1 Tim. 2:5-6; 3:16; Titus 2:13-14; Heb. 1:1-3; 4:14-15; 7:14-28; 9:12-15;24-28; 12:2; 13:8; 1 Peter 2:21-25; 3:22; 1 John 1:7-9; 3:2; 4:14-15; 5:9.

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GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God. He inspired holy men of old to write the Scriptures. Throughillumination, He enables men to understand truth. He exalts Christ. He convicts of sin,righteousness, and judgment. He calls men to the Saviour and effects regeneration. He cultivatesChristian character, comforts believers, and bestows the spiritual gifts by which they serve Godthrough His church. He seals the believer unto the day of final redemption. His presence in theChristian is the assurance of God to bring the believer into the fullness of the stature of Christ.He enlightens and empowers the believer and the church in worship, evangelism, and service.
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Gen. 1:2; Judg. 14:6; Job 26:13; Psalms 51:11; 139:7; Isa. 61:1-3; Joel 2:28-32; Matt. 1:18; 3:16; 4:1; 12:28-32; 28:19; Mark 1:10; 12; Luke 1:35; 4:1; 18-19; 11:13; 12:12; 24:49; John 4:24; 14:16-17; 26; 15:26; 16:7-14; Acts 1:8; 2:1-4; 38; 4:31; 5:3; 6:3; 7:55; 8:17; 39; 10:44; 13:2; 15:28; 16:6; 19:1-6; Rom. 8:9-11; 14-16; 26-27; 1 Cor. 2:10-14; 3:16; 12:3-11; Gal. 4:6; Eph. 1:13-14; 4:30; 5:18; 1 Thess. 5:19; 1 Tim. 3:16; 4:1; 2 Tim. 1:14; 3:16; Heb. 9:8; 14; 2 Peter 1:21; 1 John 4:13; 5:6-7; Rev. 1:10; 22:17.

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HUMANITY

Man was created by the special act of God, in His image, and is the crowningwork of His creation. In the beginning, man was innocent of sin and wasendowed by his Creator with freedom of choice. By his free choice man sinnedagainst God and brought sin into the human race. Through the temptation ofSatan man transgressed the command of God, and fell from his originalinnocence; whereby his posterity inherits a nature and an environment inclinedtoward sin, and as soon as they are capable of moral action becometransgressors and are under condemnation. Only the grace of God can bringman into His holy fellowship and enable man to fulfill the creative purpose ofGod. The sacredness of human personality is evident in that God created manin His own image, and in that Christ died for man; therefore every manpossesses dignity and is worthy of respect and Christian love.
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Gen. 1:26-30; 2:5; 7; 18-22; 9:6; Psalms 1; 8:3-6; 32:1-5; 51:5; Isa. 6:5; Jer. 17:5; Matt. 16:26; Acts 17:26-31; Rom. 1:19-32; 3:10-18; 23; 5:6; 12; 19; 6:6; 7:14-25; 8:14-18; 29; 1 Cor. 1:21-31; 15:19; 21-22; Eph. 2:1-22; Col. 1:21-22; 3:9-11.

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SALVATION

Salvation involves the redemption of the whole man and is offered freely to allwho accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, who by His own blood obtainedeternal redemption for the believer. In its broadest sense salvation includesregeneration, sanctification, and glorification.
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‍Gen. 3:15; Ex. 3:14-17; 6:2-8; Matt. 1:21; 4:17; 16:21-26; 27:22-28:6; Luke 1:68-69; 2:28-32; John 1:11-14; 29; 3:3-21; 36; 5:24; 10:9; 28-29; 15:1-16; 17:17; Acts 2:21; 4:12; 15:11; 16:30-31; 17:30-31; 20:32; Rom. 1:16-18; 2:4; 3:23-25; 4:3; 5:8-10; 6:1-23; 8:1-18; 29-39; 10:9-10; 13; 13:11-14; 1 Cor. 1:18; 30; 6:19-20; 15:10; 2 Cor. 5:17-20; Gal. 2:20; 3:13; 5:22-25; 6:15; Eph. 1:7; 2:8-22; 4:11-16; Phil. 2:12-13; Col. 1:9-22; 3:1; 1 Thess. 5:23-24; 2 Tim. 1:12; Titus 2:11-14; Heb. 2:1-3; 5:8-9; 9:24-28; 11:1-12:8; 14; James 2:14-26; 1 Peter 1:2-23; 1 John 1:6-2:11; Rev. 3:20; 21:1-22:5.

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GOD’S PURPOSE OF GRACE

Election is the gracious purpose of God, according to which He regenerates,sanctifies, and glorifies sinners. It is consistent with the free agency of man andcomprehends all the means in connection with the end. It is a glorious displayof God’s sovereign goodness and is infinitely wise, holy, and unchangeable. Itexcludes boasting and promotes humility.All true believers endure to the end. Those whom God has accepted in Christand sanctified by His Spirit will never fall away from the state of grace butshall persevere to the end. Believers may fall into sin through neglect andtemptation, whereby they grieve the Spirit, impair their graces and comforts,bring reproach on the cause of Christ, and temporal judgments on themselves,yet they shall be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.
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Gen. 12:1-3; Ex. 19:5-8; 1 Sam. 8:4-7; 19-22; Isa. 5:1-7; Jer. 31:31; Matt. 16:18-19; 21:28-45; 24:22; 31; 25:34; Luke 1:68-79; 2:29-32; 19:41-44; 24:44-48; John 1:12-14; 3:16; 5:24; 6:44-45; 65; 10:27-29; 15:16; 17:6; 12; 17-18; Acts 20:32; Rom. 5:9-10; 8:28-39; 10:12-15; 11:5-7; 26-36; 1 Cor. 1:1-2; 15:24-28; Eph. 1:4-23; 2:1-10; 3:1-11; Col. 1:12-14; 2 Tim. 1:12; 2:10; Heb. 11:39-12:2; 1 Peter 1:2-5; 13; 2:4-10; 1 John 1:7-9; 2:19; 3:2.

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THE CHURCH

A New Testament church of the Lord Jesus Christ is a local body of baptizedbelievers who are associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of thegospel, observing the two ordinances of Christ, committed to His teachings,exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word, andseeking to extend the gospel to the ends of the earth.This church is an autonomous body, operating through democratic processesunder the Lordship of Jesus Christ. In such a congregation, members areequally responsible. Its Scriptural officers are pastors and deacons.The New Testament speaks also of the church as the body of Christ whichincludes all of the redeemed of all the ages.
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Matt. 16:15-19; 18:15-20; Acts 2:41-42; 47; 5:11-14; 6:3-6; 13:1-3; 14:23; 27; 15:1-30; 16:5; 20:28; Rom. 1:7; 1 Cor. 1:2; 3:16; 5:4-5; 7:17; 9:13-14; Eph. 1:22-23; 2:19-22; 3:8-11; 21; 5:22-32; Phil. 1:1; Col. 1:18; 1 Tim. 3:1-15; 4:14; 1 Peter 5:1-4; Rev. 2-3; 21:2-3.

BAPTISM AND THE LORD’S SUPPER

Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of theFather, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is an act of obedience symbolizing thebeliever’s faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Saviour, the believer’s death tosin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life inChrist Jesus. It is a testimony to his faith in the final resurrection of the dead.Being a church ordinance, it is prerequisite to the privileges of churchmembership and to the Lord’s Supper.

The Lord’s Supper is a symbolic act of obedience whereby members of thechurch, through partaking of the bread and the fruit of the vine, memorializethe death of the Redeemer and anticipate His second coming.
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Matt. 3:13-17; 26:26-30; 28:19-20; Mark 1:9-11; 14:22-26; Luke 3:21-22; 22:19-20; John 3:23; Acts 2:41- 42; 8:35-39; 16:30-33; 20:7; Rom. 6:3-5; 21; 11:23-29; Col. 2:12.

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THE LORD’S DAY

The first day of the week is the Lord’s Day. It is a Christian institution forregular observance. It commemorates the resurrection of Christ from the deadand should be employed in exercises of worship and spiritual devotion, bothpublic and private, and by refraining from worldly amusements, and restingfrom secular employments, work of necessity and mercy only being excepted.
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Ex. 20:8-11; Matt. 12:1-12; 28:1; Mark 2:27-28; 16:1-7; Luke 24:1-3; 33-36; John 4:21-24; 20:1; 19-28; Acts 20:7; 1Cor. 16:1-2; Col. 2:16; 3:16; Rev. 1:10.

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THE KINGDOM

The kingdom of God includes both His general sovereignty over the universeand His particular kingship over men who willfully acknowledge Him as King.Particularly the kingdom is the realm of salvation into which men enter bytrustful, childlike commitment to Jesus Christ. Christians ought to pray and tolabor that the kingdom may come and God’s will be done on earth. The fullconsummation of the kingdom awaits the return of Jesus Christ and the end ofthis age.
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Gen. 1:1; Isa. 9:6-7; Jer. 23:5-6; Matt. 3:2; 4:8-10; 23; 12:25-28; 13:1-52; 25:31-46; 26:29; Mark 1:14-15; 9:1; Luke 4:43; 8:1; 9:2; 12:31-32; 17:20-21; 23:42; John 3:3; 18:36; Acts 1:6-7; 17:22-31; Rom. 5:17; 8:19; 1 Cor. 15:24-28; Col. 1:13; Heb. 11:10;16;12:28; Peter 2:4-10; 4:13; Rev. 1:6; 9; 5:10; 11:15; 21:22;
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LAST THINGS

God, in His own time and in His own way, will bring the world to itsappropriate end. According to His promise, Jesus Christ will return personallyand visibly in glory to the earth; the dead will be raised, and Christ will judgeall men in righteousness. The unrighteous will be consigned to hell, the placeof everlasting punishment. The righteous in their resurrected and glorifiedbodies will receive their reward and will dwell forever in heaven with the Lord.
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Isa. 2:4; 11:9; Matt. 16:27; 18:8-9; 19:28; 24:27; 30;36; 44; 25:31-46; 26:64; Mark 8:38; 9:43-48; Luke 12:40; 48; 16:19-26; 17:22-37; 21:27-28; John 14:1-3; Acts 1:11; 17:31; Rom. 14:10; 1 Cor. 4:5; 15:24-28; 35-58; 2 Cor. 5:10; Phil. 3:20-21; Col. 1:5; 3:4; 1Thess. 4:14-18; 5:1; 2 Thess. 1:7; 2; 1 Tim. 6:14; 2 Tim. 4:1; 8; Titus 2:13; Heb. 9:27-28; James 5:8; 2 Peter 3:7; John 2:28; 3:2; Jude 14; Rev. 1:18; 3:11; 20:1-22:13

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EVANGELISM AND MISSIONS

It is the duty and privilege of every follower of Christ and of every church ofthe Lord Jesus Christ to endeavor to make disciples of all nations. The newbirth of man’s spirit by God’s Holy Spirit means the birth of love for others.Missionary effort on the part of all rests thus upon a spiritual necessity of theregenerate life and is expressly and repeatedly commanded in the teachings ofChrist. It is the duty of every child of God to seek constantly to win the lost toChrist by personal effort and by all other methods in harmony with the gospelof Christ.
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Gen. 12:1-3; Ex. 19:5-6; Isa. 6:1-8; Matt. 9:37-38; 10:5-15; 13:18-30; 37-43; 16:19; 22:9-10; 24:14; 28:18-20; Luke 10:1-18; 24:46-53; John 14:11-12; 15:7-8; 16; 17:15; 20:21; Acts 1:8; 2; 8:26-40; 10:42-48; 13:2-3; Rom. 10:13-15; Eph. 3:1-11; 1 Thess. 1:8; 2 Tim. 4:5; Heb. 2:1-3; 11:39-12:2; 1 Peter 2:4-10; Rev. 22:17
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EDUCATION

The cause of education in the kingdom of Christ is co-ordinate with the causesof missions and general benevolence and should receive along with these theliberal support of the churches. An adequate system of Christian schools isnecessary to a complete spiritual program for Christ’s people.In Christian education, there should be a proper balance between academicfreedom and academic responsibility. Freedom in any orderly relationship ofhuman life is always limited and never absolute. The freedom of a teacher in aChristian school, college, or seminary is limited by the pre-eminence of JesusChrist, by the authoritative nature of the Scriptures, and by the distinct purposefor which the school exists.
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Deut. 4:1; 5; 9; 14; 6:1-10; 31:12-13; Neh. 8:1-8; Job 28:28; Psalms 19:7; 119:11; Prov. 3:13; 4:1-10; 8:1-7; 11; 15:14; Eccl. 7:19; Matt. 5:2; 7:24; 28:19-20; Luke 2:40; 1 Cor. 1:18-31; Eph. 4:11-16; Phil. 4:8; Col.2:3; 8-9; 1 Tim. 1:3-7; 2 Tim. 2:15; 3:14-17; Heb. 5:12- 6:3; James 1:5; 3:17
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STEWARDSHIP

God is the source of all blessings, temporal and spiritual; all that we have andare we owe to Him. Christians have a spiritual debtorship to the whole world, aholy trusteeship in the gospel, and a binding stewardship in their possessions.They are therefore under obligation to serve Him with their time, talents, andmaterial possessions; and should recognize all these as entrusted to them to usefor the glory of God and for helping others. According to the Scriptures,Christians should contribute their means cheerfully, regularly, systematically,proportionately, and liberally for the advancement of the Redeemer’s cause onearth.
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Gen. 14:20; Lev. 27:30-32; Deut. 8:18; Mal. 3:8-12; Matt. 6:1-4; 19-21; 19:21; 23:23; 25:14-29; Luke 12:16-21; 42; 16:1-13; Acts 2:44-47; 5:1-11; 17:24-25; 20:35; Rom. 6:6-22; 12:1-2; 1 Cor. 4:1-2; 6:19-20; 12; 16:1-4; 2 Cor. 8-9; 12:15; Phil. 4:10-19; 1 Peter 1:18-19;

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CO-OPERATION

Christ’s people should, as occasion requires, organize such associations andconventions as may best secure co-operation for the great objects of thekingdom of God. Such organizations have no authority over one another orover the churches. They are voluntary and advisory bodies designed to elicit,combine, and direct the energies of our people in the most effective manner.Members of New Testament churches should co-operate with one another incarrying forward the missionary, educational, and benevolent ministries for theextension of Christ’s kingdom. Christian unity in the New Testament sense isspiritual harmony and voluntary co-operation for common ends by variousgroups of Christ’s people. Co-operation is desirable between the variousChristian denominations, when the end to be attained is itself justified, andwhen such co-operation involves no violation of conscience or compromise ofloyalty to Christ and his Word as revealed in the New Testament.
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Ex. 17:12; 18:17; Judg. 7:21; Ezra 1:3-4; 2:68-69; 5:14-15; Neh. 4; 8:1-5; Matt. 10:5-15; 20:1-16; 22:1-10; 28:19-20; Mark 2:3; Luke 10:1; Acts 1:13-14; 2:1; 4:31-37; 13:2-3;15:1-35; 1 Cor. 1:10-17; 3:5-15; 12; 2 Cor.8-9; Gal. 1:6-10; Eph. 4:1-16; Phil. 1:15-18.

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THE CHRISTIAN AND THE SOCIAL ORDER

Every Christian is under obligation to seek to make the will of Christ supremein his own life and in human society. Means and methods used for theimprovement of society and the establishment of righteousness among men canbe truly and permanently helpful only when they are rooted in the regenerationof the individual by the saving grace of God in Christ Jesus. The Christianshould oppose in the spirit of Christ every form of greed, selfishness, and vice.He should work to provide for the orphaned, the needy, the aged, the helpless,and the sick. Every Christian should seek to bring industry, government, andsociety as a whole under the sway of the principles of righteousness, truth, andbrotherly love. In order to promote these ends Christians should be ready towork with all men of good will in any good cause, always being careful to actin the spirit of love without compromising their loyalty to Christ and his truth.

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Ex. 20:3-17; Lev. 6:2-5; Deut. 10:12; 27:17; Psalm 101:5; Micah 6:8; Zech. 8:16; Matt. 5:13-16; 43-48; 22:36-40; 25:35; Mark 1:29-34; 2:3; 10:21; Luke 4:18-21; 10:27-37; 20:25; John 15:12; 17:15; Rom. 12-14; 1 Cor. 5:9-10; 6:1-7; 7:20-24; 10:23-11:1; Gal. 3:26-28; Eph. 6:5-9; Col. 3:12-17; 1 Thess. 3:12; Philemon; James 1:27; 2:8.

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PEACE AND WAR

It is the duty of Christians to seek peace with all men on principles ofrighteousness. In accordance with the spirit and teachings of Christ they shoulddo all in their power to put an end to war.The true remedy for the war spirit is the gospel of our Lord. The supreme needof the world is the acceptance of His teachings in all the affairs of men andnations, and the practical application of His law of love.

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Isa. 2:4; Matt. 5:9; 38-48; 6:33; 26:52; Luke 22:36; 38; Rom. 12:18-19; 13:1-7; 14:19; Heb.12:14; James 4:1-2.

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RELIGIOUS LIBERTY

God alone is Lord of the conscience, and He has left it free from the doctrinesand commandments of men which are contrary to His Word or not contained init. Church and state should be separate. The state owes to every churchprotection and full freedom in the pursuit of its spiritual ends. In providing forsuch freedom no ecclesiastical group or denomination should be favored by thestate more than others. Civil government being ordained of God, it is the dutyof Christians to render loyal obedience thereto in all things not contrary to therevealed will of God. The church should not resort to the civil power to carryon its work. The gospel of Christ contemplates spiritual means alone for thepursuit of its ends. The state has no right to impose penalties for religiousopinions of any kind. The state has no right to impose taxes for the support ofany form of religion. A free church in a free state is the Christian ideal, and thisimplies the right of free and unhindered access to God on the part of all menand the right to form and propagate opinions in the sphere of religion withoutinterference by the civil power.
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‍Gen. 1:27;2:7; Matt. 6:6-7; 24:16-26; 22:21; John 8:36; Acts 4:19-20; Rom. 6:1-2; 13:1-7; Gal. 5:1; 13;Phil. 3:20; 1 Tim. 2:1-2; James 4:12; 1Peter 2:12-17; 3:11-17; 4:12-19;

THE FAMILY

God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. Itis composed of persons related to one another by marriage, blood, or adoption.Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitmentfor a lifetime. It is God’s unique gift to provide for the man and the woman inmarriage the framework for intimate companionship, the channel for sexualexpression according to biblical standards, and the means for procreation of thehuman race.The husband and wife are of equal worth before God, since both are created inGod’s image. The marriage relationship models the way God relates to Hispeople. A husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the church. He has theGod-given responsibility to provide for, to protect, and to lead his family. Awife is to submit herself graciously to the servant leadership of her husbandeven as the church willingly submits to the headship of Christ. She, being inthe image of God as is her husband and thus equal to him, has the God-givenresponsibility to respect her husband and to serve as his helper in managing thehousehold and nurturing the next generation.Children, from the moment of conception, are a blessing and heritage from theLord. Parents are to demonstrate to their children God’s pattern for marriage.Parents are to teach their children spiritual and moral values and to lead them,through consistent lifestyle example and loving discipline, to make choicesbased on biblical truth. Children are to honor and obey their parents.

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Gen. 1:26-28; 2:18-25; 3:1-20; Ex. 20:12; Deut. 6:4-9; Josh. 24:15; 1Sam. 1:26-28; Ps. 51:5; 78:1-8; 127; 128; 139:13-16; Prov. 1:8; 5:15-20; 6:20-22; 12:4; 13:24; 14:1; 17:6; 18:22; 22:6; 15; 23:13-14; 24:3; 29:15; 17; 31:10-31; Eccl. 4:9-12; 9:9; Mal. 2:14-16; Matt. 5:31-32; 18:2-5; 19:3-9; Mark 10:6-12; Rom. 1:18-32; 1 Cor. 7:1-16; Eph. 5:21-33; 6:1-4; Col. 3:18-21; 1 Tim. 5:8; 14; 2 Tim. 1:3-5; Titus 2:3-5; Heb. 13:4; 1 Pet. 3:1-7.

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