the fishermen ministry-Africa

Articles of Faith

Article I

The Word of God

We believe the word, in the original tongues, to be the inerrant word of God for it came not by the will of man, but by the will of God.¹ Much confusion exists in the church today as to which bible is the word of God. We acknowledge that there is no way for man to irrefutably prove one bible to be the word of God over another. For that matter, we recognize that there is no way for man to prove the Bible as opposed to the Koran, the Baghvad Gita or some other writing to be the word of God. Rather, it is God, by His undeniable power, who confirms His own word.² We of the Fishermen Ministry believe that God has confirmed unto each of us individually that the 1611 Authorized King James Version of the Bible is the sole preserved word of God in the English language and we accept it alone as our standard for preaching, teaching and instruction in English.

Scripture References: ¹Exodus 34:27-28, Jeremiah 1:4-10, Ezekiel 1-3, Galatians 1:6-12, Ephesians 3:1-7, II Peter 1:16-21 and Revelation 1:9-19. ²Exodus 4:1-9, Mark 16:20, John 10:22-38, John 14:10-12, Acts 8:5-13 and I Corinthians 2:1-5.

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Article II

Interpretation of Scripture

We believe a fundamental rule of scriptural interpretation is that it is only by two (2) or more witnesses that anything can be established. Departure from this standard is what has caused many churches to err concerning the truth. In the natural, this spiritual principle is demonstrated by the fact that through any single point an infinite number of lines can be drawn, but only one straight line can be drawn through any two points.

Scripture References: Genesis 41:1-32, Deuteronomy 17:1-7, Deuteronomy 19:14-19, Matthew 18:15-16, Acts 15:1-29 and Acts 21:25, II Corinthians 13:1 and Galatians 1:8-9.

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Article III

The Trinity

We believe in one God.¹ This one God is Triune in nature, being the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. ²

Scripture References: ¹Genesis 1:26, Deuteronomy 6:4 and Mark 12:29. ²Genesis 1:1-2, Matthew 28:19, John 1:1-5, John 14:1-31 and 1 John 5:7.

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Article IV

God, the Father

We believe God, the Father to be the author and finisher of all divine thought.¹ He is above all and the will to be, to do, and to complete proceeds forth from Him.² He is the Father of His family, both in heaven and on earth.³

Scripture References: ¹Matthew 26:36-46, John 12:49 and Ephesians 1:1-11. ²Mark 16:19, Acts 7:55-56, I Corinthians 8:6, Ephesians 4:6, I Timothy 2:5, Hebrews 13:20-21 and Revelation 4-5. ³I Chronicles 29:10, Isaiah 64:8, Matthew 6:9 and John 17:6-11.

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Article V

God, the Son

We believe Jesus the Christ to be the only begotten son of God.¹ He was and is the Word of God and was one with the Father from the beginning.² Through Him were all things made that were made.³ He being one with the Father from the beginning became flesh through Mary the virgin.⁴ As man, He walked this earth without sin, perfect in all ways.⁵ During His life, He demonstrated the nature, divinity and love of the Father.⁶ Through His sinless life, His death on the cross, His burial and His resurrection He accomplished the redemption of all that will believe on His name.⁷ He is now seated at the right hand of the Father in Heaven until the time of His return.⁸

Scripture references: ¹John 1:14, John 3:16, I John 4:9 and Hebrews 1:1-9. ²John 1:1-2, John 17:5 and Revelation 1:10-18. ³John 1:3, Colossians 1:12-17 and Hebrews 1:1-4. ⁴Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:18-25, Luke 1:26-38 and I John 4:2-3. ⁵Hebrews 4:14-15, Hebrews 9:1-28 and I Peter 2:20-24. ⁶John 7:14-18, John 14:7-11 and John 17:4. ⁷Luke 2:25-30, John 1:29-36, John 3:16, Romans 3:19-26 and Colossians 1:12-23. ⁸Mark 16:19, Acts 7:55-56, Romans 8:34, Colossians 3:1, Hebrews 10:12, and I Peter 3:22.

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Article VI

God, the Holy Spirit

We believe the Holy Spirit was and is one with God the Father and God the Son, from the beginning.¹ It was through the power of the Holy Spirit that the old testament prophets spoke the word of God and revealed God’s power and might.² God, by the Holy Spirit, did make the virgin Mary to conceive Jesus the Christ.³ Jesus, by the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit, taught the people the word of God and did the works of God.⁴ To believers, the Holy Spirit is the spirit of promise and the Comforter.⁵ The ministry of the Holy Spirit is to teach believers all things concerning Christ Jesus, to empower believers to do the works of God, and enable the believers to walk in fellowship with God.⁶

Scripture References: ¹Genesis 1:1-2, I John 5:7 and Revelation 4:5. ²Genesis 41:15-40, I Kings 17:1-24, II Kings 4:1-7:20, II Chronicles 24:20, and II Peter 1:21. ³Matthew 1:18-25 and Luke 1:26-38. ⁴Isaiah 61-1-3, Matthew 12:22-28, Mark 1:9-13, Luke 4:1-21, John 3:34 and Hebrews 9:14. ⁵John 14:15-17, John 16:7-15 and Ephesians 1:13-14. ⁶Matthew 10:16-20, John 4:21-24, Acts 2:1-4, Acts 2:14-18, Acts 11:28, Romans 8:1-17, Romans 15:17-19, I Corinthians 2:1-5, I Corinthians 2:9-13, I Corinthians 12:7-11, Galatians 4:1-6, Galatians 5:13-25, Ephesians 2:1-22, Ephesians 3:1-7, Ephesians 4:1-7, and I Timothy 4:1-5.

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Article VII

Original Sin

We believe man was originally made and created by God, without sin.¹ That sin entered into the world when Adam ate, in disobedience to God, of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.² That by Adam’s transgression, all men were made sinners and condemned to die.³

Scripture references: ¹Genesis 1:26-28 and Genesis 2:25. ²Genesis 2:7-8 & 15-17 and Genesis 3:1-12 & 17-24. ³Romans 5:12-19, John 3:17-18 and Hebrews 9:27-28.

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Article VIII

Salvation

We believe that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God hath raised Him from the dead you shall be saved.¹ Salvation is solely by faith in God alone and not of any works that the believer does lest the believer should boast.² You can do nothing to receive salvation, except believe, and you can do nothing to forfeit your salvation, but to depart from the living God through unbelief.³

Scripture references: ¹Matthew 10:32, Luke 12:8, John 3:16-18, Acts 16:31 and Romans 10:8-10. ²Ephesians 2:8-9 and Galatians 3:1-29. ³ Hebrews 3:5-4:11, Galatians 1:6-9 and Ezekiel 33:10-19.

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Article IX

Righteousness

We believe that righteousness is not by the law, but rather is imputed unto the believer by faith alone.¹ Believers must stand in the knowledge that it is by faith alone in God and His ability to accomplish His will in and through a believer that the believer is saved and able, by the grace of God, to perform God’s will.² Walking by faith is not a license to sin, rather faith recognizes that it is God that justifies and that God can even use sin to serve His purpose in completing that perfect work He has begun in you.³

Scripture references: ¹Genesis 15:1-6, Romans 4:3 and Galatians 3:6. ²Acts 15:1-29, Galatians 3:1-5, Galatians 4:21-5:6, Ephesians 2:8-9 and Hebrews 3:7-19. ³Romans 6:1-18, Romans 8:28, I Corinthians 1:17-31 and James 1:2-4.

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Articles of Faith continued

Article X

The Law

We believe that the law is not for a righteous man, but rather was given as a schoolmaster to show the unbeliever that he is condemned to die and in need of a Saviour.¹ The believer, by faith in the perfect sacrifice that Christ made, is redeemed, justified and set completely free from the curse of the law and death.² Legalism, which is not of faith, but unbelief, is one of the greatest plagues to the Church and is to be rejected completely.³

Scripture references: ¹John 3:16-18, Romans 3:19-20, Galatians 3:21-25 and I Timothy 1:5-11. ² Romans 3:21-28, Romans 4:14-5:2, Romans 8:1-9, Galatians 3:13 and Colossians 1:12-17. ³Acts 15:1-31, Romans 7:14-25, Galatians 2:11-21, Galatians 3:12 and Galatians 5:1-6.

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Article XI

Spiritual Gifts

We believe that when Jesus ascended that he gave gifts unto men.¹ That among these are the gift of healing, the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, miracles, tongues, interpretation of tongues, discerning of spirits and prophesy. These gifts are to be evident in a properly functioning church.² They are to be distinguished from signs which are to confirm God’s word to the unbelievers.³ Believers are not to be sign followers.⁴

Scripture References: ¹Luke 24:49, Acts 2:1-18 and Ephesians 4:7-8. ²Acts 9:36-41, Acts 11:28, Acts 21:8-11, I Corinthians 12 & 14. ³Mark 16:15-20 & John 14:12, Acts 2:1-12, Acts 8:5-13 and Acts 28:1-6. ⁴Matthew 12:38-42, Matthew 16:1-4, Mark 16:15-20, Luke 11:29-32, I Corinthians 1:22, and I Corinthians 14:22.

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Article XII

The Church is the Body not the Bride of Christ

We believe that the Church, in identity, is the Body not the Bride of Christ.¹ In identity, New Jerusalem is the Bride of Christ.² In relationship, however, the Church is to be obedient to Christ as a bride is to be obedient to her own husband.³

Scripture references: ¹Exodus 4:22-23, Romans 12:5, I Corinthians 12:12-27, Ephesians 1:17-23, Ephesians 4:10-16 and Colossians 1:24. ²Revelation 21:2 and Revelation 21:9-10. ³Ephesians 5:22-33.

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Article XIII

The "Catching Away" of the Saints

We believe in the "catching away" of the saints. Many faiths use the term rapture, which is not found in the Bible and causes much confusion and dispute among the saints as to when and for whom this event is to take place. We do not believe that all "Christians" will be caught up prior to the revealing of the Antichrist at the onset of the tribulation, but rather only those saints who are part of the Lord’s Church of Philadelphia, as described in the Book of Revelation, together with all the saints who died in Christ since His resurrection and prior to the tribulation.

Scripture References: I Thessalonians 4:13-17, II Thessalonians 2:1-12, I Corinthians 15:35-54 and Revelation 3:7-12.

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Article XIV

Heaven and Hell

We believe that every man’s soul and spirit are eternal and that every man, whether saved or damned, shall receive a new body - the saved to eternal glory in the presence of the Lord and the damned to eternal torment in the Lake of Fire.¹ We believe there is a literal Heaven and a literal Hell. Heaven is the place where God’s throne, his angels, other heavenly beings and resurrected believers on Jesus Christ dwell until the new heaven and earth.² Hell is a place of fire and torment where the souls of men that die in unbelief on Jesus Christ and certain of the fallen angels are kept until the Great White Throne Judgment.³ At the Great White Throne Judgment Hell shall be cast into the Lake of Fire where the souls of those whose name is not found in the Book of Life, together with Satan, the Antichrist and the false prophet shall spend eternity in darkness and torment, cut off from God.⁴

Scripture References: ¹Isaiah 66:22-24, Acts 24:15, I Corinthians 15:35-54, II Corinthians 5:10, Philippians 3:20-21, Revelation 20:11-15, and Revelation 21:8. ²Genesis 1:1, Psalm 11:4, Isaiah 66:1, John 14:1-3, Acts 7:42-56, I Corinthians 15:51-54, Revelation 4 & 5 and Revelation 21:1. ³Psalm 9:17, Luke 16:19-31, II Peter 2:1-9, Jude 1:6-7 and Revelation 20:1-15. ⁴II Thessalonians 1:3-10, Isaiah 14:6-17, Revelation 19:20 and Revelation 20:1-15.

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Article XV

Baptism

We believe that there are three baptisms for the believer: (1) the blood, (2) the water, and (3) the Spirit and that these three agree in one.¹ The baptism of blood occurs when you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God hath raised Him from the dead. At the moment of regeneration, the Father baptizes you in the blood of Jesus Christ, washing away and bringing about a complete and total forgiveness of all your sin. It is at this moment that a believer is "born again".² The baptism of water occurs, when a believer - confessing that Jesus is Lord - is totally submerged in water. By faith, at water baptism the "old man" is crucified and buried with Christ so that the "new man" can be raised up in the likeness of Christ’s resurrection.³ The baptism of the Holy Spirit is a separate and distinct baptism that empowers the believer to do God’s will.⁴ It is accompanied by the sign, as contrasted with the gift, of tongues.⁵ It is received by the laying on of an Apostle’s hands⁶ or by the direct intervention of God as at Pentecost or with Cornelius’ household.⁷

Scripture references: ¹John 3:1-5 and I John 5:8. ²Romans 10:9-10, John 3:3, Acts 2:21 and Hebrews 9:15 ³John 1:19-33, John 3:5, John 4:1-3, Acts 19:1-5 and Romans 6:1-14. ⁴Matthew 3:11, Mark 1:7-8, Acts 1:1-11 and Acts 2:14-21. ⁵Acts 2:1-13, Acts 10:44-46 and Acts 19:6. ⁶Acts 8:14-20 and Acts 19:1-6. ⁷Acts 2:1-13 and Acts 10:44-48.

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Article XVI

The Lord’s Supper

We believe the Lord’s supper is symbolic of Jesus’ body being broken for us and His blood being spilt for us. Believers are to partake of it in remembrance of Him. The elements of the Lord’s supper are unleavened bread and wine like those used by Jesus in sharing the Passover with His disciples. We do not believe that the elements are literally changed into flesh and blood as do some faiths.

Scripture references: I Corinthians 11:23-30, Matthew 26:17-28 and Mark 14:12-24.

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Article XVII

Marriage

We believe that marriage is a sanctified relationship, ordained of God, between a man and a woman. It is a lifelong commitment that each makes to the other in the sight of God who joins the two together and they become one flesh.

Scripture References: Genesis 2:21-25, Matthew 19:3-6, Mark 10:2-9 and Hebrews 13:4.

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Article XVIII

Christian Giving

We believe that Christians are to tithe, make offerings and give alms. The tithe is one tenth of all one’s increase. It is the Lord’s and his ministers are to partake thereof. Tithing is the principle means that God uses to provide for his ministers.¹ Offerings can be made for many purposes, such as: providing for the creation and maintenance of a place of worship, God’s ministers, and the poor. It is in offerings that one’s liberality or lack thereof shall be measured back to him by God.² Alms are to be done in secret, not before men. Alms benefit the poor and store you up treasure in Heaven.³

Scripture References: ¹Genesis 14:17-20, Genesis 28:22, Numbers 18:20-32, Nehemiah 13:10-14, Malachi 3:8-12, I Corinthians 9:1-14, Galatians 6:6, I Timothy 6:18-19, Hebrews 7:1-10 and Hebrews 13:16. ²Genesis 4:3-7, Genesis 8:20-22, Genesis 22:1-14, Exodus 35:4 - 36:7, Proverbs 11:25, Luke 21:1-4, Acts 4:32-35, I Corinthians 16:1-4, II Corinthians 9:6-7 and Philippians 4:14-18. ³Matthew 6:1-4, Mark 10:17-22, Luke 12:22-34, Luke 14:12-14, Luke 18:18-23, Acts 9:36-42, Acts 10:1-8 & 19-48, and Acts 24:10-21.

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