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Introduction to
Doctrinal Statements
Very few Believers that I have met have been able to clearly articulate what they believe about any area of Biblical doctrine. As a life-long Bible teacher I find this very distressing. As teachers, we should be doing a much better job of teaching our disciples (those whom we are teaching as Yeshua has taught His own disciples) what the Bible says in a more systematic way, and teaching them to do likewise for their disciples.
This section is provided so that you might see several examples of how others have laid out their core beliefs in the hope that you might take the time to reduce to a formal document what it is that you actually believe and why you believe it.
doctrinal Statements, or Statements of Faith, are
supposed to be summary statements of what an organization or
individual believes the Scriptures teach about specific subjects. In
my experience, what organizations (and individuals) actually
believe is rarely what they say they believe. However, it is what you
actually believe, not just what you say you
believe, that determines how you walk out your faith.
In order to be effective, a doctrinal statement should address each
area of theology that an organization or individual holds specific beliefs about,
and should summarize everything that the Scriptures have to say
about that subject, particularly if the organization requires its
members or adherents to subscribe to that doctrinal statement as a
condition of fellowship. It should be noted as a practical matter,
however, that very few organizations write Doctrinal Statements that
accurately reflect what they actually teach and practice. Therefore, when reading
an organization’s doctrinal statement one should be careful not to
accept it as actually authoritative for the organization that
produced it.
I hold that there are three principles that each Believer should follow concerning their belief system:
1. Know what you believe.
2. Know why you believe it (be able to accurately cite Scripture to back up your stated beliefs).
3. Know how to explain your beliefs to others.
Writing your own personal doctrinal statement will prepare you to follow those three principles. Sample statements are provided here for comparison (you decide which of these you feel adequately tells you what the organization believes):
- My Personal Doctrinal Position (60 pages, pdf)
- The Center for Messianic Learning
- A “Typical” Messianic Statement of Faith
- Karaite Declaration of Faith
- First Fruits of Zion
- Coalition of Torah Observant Messianic Congregations
- Messianic Bureau International
- Metroplex Messianic Fellowship
- United Messianic Jewish Alliance
- Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations
- Messianic Jewish Alliance of America
- Rambam’s Thirteen Principles
- Thirteen Principles - Messianic Version
- The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy
- Anwers in Genesis
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ANXIOUSLY WATCHING FOR MASHIACH’S RETURN,
SPEEDILY AND IN OUR DAY. MARANA, TA!
