THE RULE OF FAITH: THE ESSENTIAL TENANTS OF THE APOSTOLIC FAITH

THE RULE OF FAITH: THE ESSENTIAL TENANTS OF THE APOSTOLIC FAITH

By: Daniel McMillin

Doctrine matters! As New Testament Christians, what we believe and what we teach matters. In the early Church, a summary of the apostolic preaching went by many names. These early Christian writers commonly used the phrase “the rule of faith” to summarize these teachings that were central to the being and identity of the Church.[1] The most important things that we think about and teach are the basic tenets of the Christian faith, which the apostle Paul called “sound doctrine” (Titus 1:9; 2:1). But what exactly do we believe as Christians? Imagine if a friend, family member, or neighbor asked you about your beliefs. What would you say? In this article, I give a quick summary of Christian doctrine by offering a biblical basis for our beliefs. As Christians, we believe in the one God (Deut. 4:35, 39; 6:4; 2 Sam. 7:22; 1 Ki. 8:60; Is. 45:21; 46:9; Joel 2:27; John 17:3; 1 Cor. 8:4-6; 1 Tim. 1:17; 2:5; Jam. 2:19) who created the entire universe according to the Scriptures (Gen. 1:1-2:25; John 1:1-4; Acts 17:24; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:2; Rev. 4:11). God the Creator has revealed Himself through His inspired Word (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:20-21) as the holy Trinity (Matt. 3:16-17; 28:19; 1 Cor. 8:4-6; Gal. 4:4-7; Eph. 4:4-6; 1 Pet. 1:2), that is, as Father, Son, and Spirit. God the Father sent God the Son to the earth to take on human flesh and dwell among us according to His eternal plan (John 1:14; 3:16; Rom. 8:29-30; Gal. 4:4-5; Eph. 3:11-21; 1 John 4:9-10). Jesus is the promised Messiah of the Old Testament (Ps. 2:7; 110:1; Is. 7:14; 9:6; 53; John 5:31-47; Rom. 1:2-4; 1 Cor. 15:3-4), the Savior of humanity in the New Testament (Luke 2:11; John 3:16; 20:30-31; Acts 4:12; 20:28; Rom. 6:23; Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:13-14; Heb. 4:14-15; 5:1-9:28; 1 John 4:14), and the divine Lord of all creation (John 20:28; Acts 2:34-36; 4:33; Rom. 10:9-13; 1 Cor. 8:6; 12:3; Phil. 2:9-11; Col. 2:9; 1 Pet. 3:15; Rev. 11:15; 19:6). The gospel of Jesus Christ declares God’s power to save sinners from eternal damnation and provide the hope of eternal life by the death of Jesus on the cross (Rom. 5:6-11; 6:23; 8:1; Gal. 2:20; Titus 2:14; Heb. 9:11-10:31). Jesus has risen from the dead and established His eternal Church where He is King (Matt. 16:18-19; John 11:25-26; Acts 2:24, 31-32; 3:15; 4:33; 13:30-39; 17:31; Rom. 6: 4, 9; 8:11, 34; 10:9; 1 Cor. 6:14; 15:1-34; Col. 2:10; Eph. 1:20-23; 5:25-28; 1 Thess. 4:13-17; 1 Tim. 1:17; 1 Pet. 1:3). God will add those who have responded to the gospel by faith and enter the church through baptism to begin their relationship with God and receive the grace of God according to His purpose (Matt. 28:18-20; Acts 2:38-41, 47; 22:16; Rom. 1:16-17; 3:22-26; 5:1-2, 20-21; 6:3-5, 14; 8:28; 11:6; Gal. 3:26-28; Eph. 1:3-14; 2:8-10; 4:7; 2 Tim. 2:9-10; Titus 2:11-14; 1 John 1:7; 2:2). The Church is a community of Christians under the new covenant (Jer. 31; Heb. 8) where the Spirit works in and through the Church (John 16:7–15; Rom. 8:26-27; 1 Cor. 3:16-17; 6:19-20; 2 Cor. 3:17–18; Gal. 5:16–25; Eph. 1:10-14; 2:18-22). The Son of God will, at the end of time, return and judge all of humanity to separate the sinners from the saints (Matt. 14:41-43; 24:1-25:46; Luke 21:25-27; John 5:24-27; Acts 1:11; 17:31; Rom. 3:19-20; 2 Cor. 5:10; 1 Thess. 4:16-17; 5:1-3; 2 Thess. 1:5-10; 2 Tim. 4:1; 6:14; Rev. 20-22). He will give new resurrection bodies to those who are followers of Christ (Dan. 12:2; John 5:28-29; 6:40; Acts 24:15; Rom. 8:23; 1 Cor. 15:35-58) and deliver them to heaven to dwell with God for all eternity (Matt. 6:19-21; John 14:2-4; 1 Cor. 2:9; Phil. 3:20-21; 2 Pet. 3:13; Rev. 21:1-4, 22-27; 22:1-5). As we examine the Scriptures, we discover doctrine and locate the depths of God’s glory and goodness through His revealed will. May we allow the Bible to guide us into all truth so that we will maintain the rule of faith.

END NOTES:

[1] Everett Ferguson, The Rule of Faith: A Guide (Portland, OR: Cascade Books, 2015).