El propósito de la iglesia es que los creyentes se reúnan, apartados de la comunidad secular, para adorar juntos a Dios.
Sin embargo, Dios no acepta cualquier cosa que se llame adoración. De hecho, cuando se instituyeron por primera vez el tabernáculo y el sacerdocio aarónico, Jehová mató a dos de los hijos de Aarón por ofrecer adoración inapropiada.
Nadab y Abiú, hijos de Aarón, tomaron cada uno su incensario, y pusieron en ellos fuego, sobre el cual pusieron incienso, y ofrecieron delante de Jehová fuego extraño, que él nunca les mandó. Y salió fuego de delante de Jehová y los quemó, y murieron delante de Jehová.
(RVR Levítico 10:1–2)
Cuando Jesús habló con la mujer samaritana junto al pozo sobre la esencia de la verdadera adoración, explicó que la clave del cambio entre el antiguo y el nuevo pacto es que, bajo el nuevo pacto, la adoración es el resultado del poder del Espíritu Santo y de la Verdad.
Es interesante notar que toda forma de vida integra información y energía. Por ejemplo, las células integran la información del ADN y la energía del ATP. De hecho, una posible definición de la vida es precisamente la integración de información y energía.
Cuando el poder espiritual que fluye del Espíritu Santo y la Verdad revelada en la Biblia se combinan, se integran para producir vida espiritual. La adoración es una forma importante en que el poder espiritual y la verdad bíblica se integran para dar vida.
Mas la hora viene, y ahora es, cuando los verdaderos adoradores adorarán al Padre en espíritu y en verdad; porque también el Padre tales adoradores busca que le adoren. Dios es Espíritu; y los que le adoran, en espíritu y en verdad es necesario que adoren.
(Juan 4:23–24)
Biblica
Creemos que la tarea principal de la iglesia es la exposición, interpretación y aplicación de la Biblia.
Es la palabra de Dios, empoderada por el el Espíritu Santo, que nos va transformando continuamente. Sirve como nuestro
ADN. Sumisión a la palabra de Dios es la esencia de la oración.
No os conforméis a este siglo, sino transformaos por medio de la renovación de vuestro entendimiento, para que comprobéis cuál sea la buena voluntad de Dios, agradable y perfecta.
(Romanos 12:2)
La palabra griega traducida como transformados es la misma de la cual proviene nuestra palabra metamorfosis, que describe la transformación de una oruga en una hermosa mariposa bajo el control de la Palabra de Dios, presente en las células de este organismo en forma de ADN.
Una parte esencial de ser bíblico es rechazar todas las demás formas de revelación especial que afirman venir de Dios. Esto incluye todos los textos extra-bíblicos y, especialmente, las declaraciones proféticas modernas y el hablar en lenguas desconocidas.
Creemos que los dones milagrosos fueron una señal asociada con la infancia de la iglesia,
similar al balbuceo tierno de un bebé. Cuando se completó el canon del Nuevo Testamento y murió el último apóstol, la iglesia entró en una etapa en la que tenía suficiente madurez y esos dones ya no eran necesarios. La Biblia completa es todo lo que necesitamos para alcanzar la madurez plena como cristianos y para participar con sabiduría en toda clase de buenas obras.
Además, enfatizamos los frutos del Espíritu más que los dones del Espíritu.
El amor nunca deja de ser; pero las profecías se acabarán, y cesarán las lenguas, y la ciencia acabará.
Porque en parte conocemos, y en parte profetizamos;
mas cuando venga lo perfecto, entonces lo que es en parte se acabará.
Cuando yo era niño, hablaba como niño, pensaba como niño, juzgaba como niño; mas cuando ya fui hombre, dejé lo que era de niño.
Ahora vemos por espejo, oscuramente; mas entonces veremos cara a cara. Ahora conozco en parte; pero entonces conoceré como fui conocido.
Y ahora permanecen la fe, la esperanza y el amor, estos tres; pero el mayor de ellos es el amor.
(I Corintios 13:8-13)
Toda la Escritura es inspirada por Dios, y útil para enseñar, para redargüir, para corregir, para instruir en justicia,
a fin de que el hombre de Dios sea perfecto, enteramente preparado para toda buena obra.
(II Timoteo 3:16-17)
Bautista
Creemos en iglesias locales compuestas por individuos regenerados y bautizados.
Creemos que cuando Jesús dijo que los verdaderos adoradores deben adorar en Espíritu, quiso decir que los verdaderos adoradores deben estar habitados por el Espíritu Santo.
Creemos que esta morada del Espíritu Santo ocurre en el momento de la salvación y es la característica definitoria de todo creyente.
El resultado de esta morada del Espíritu Santo es el fruto del Espíritu.
Este fruto es la expresión multifacética del amor de una manera que incluye el gozo, la paz y otras cualidades relacionadas.
Creemos que la iglesia local es una organización única, diferente de todas las demás, porque es la asamblea de aquellos que han sido salvos, hechos nacer de nuevo y habitados por el Espíritu Santo.
Creemos que el testimonio visible y externo de este nuevo nacimiento es el rito del bautismo.
Creemos que solo aquellos que profesan una fe salvadora en Jesucristo deben ser bautizados y convertirse en miembros de la iglesia.
Por lo tanto, la iglesia está diseñada para el beneficio de los creyentes, y para aquellos no creyentes que estén buscando comprender mejor el evangelio. En general, la evangelización debe realizarse principalmente fuera de la iglesia.
Esto nos diferencia de la mayoría de las iglesias no bautistas, las cuales creen que la iglesia y el estado son dos estructuras de autoridad distintas que gobiernan sobre la misma membresía.
La mayoría de las iglesias creen que nacer en una comunidad determinada te coloca bajo la autoridad tanto del gobierno local como de la iglesia oficial de esa localidad.
Sin embargo, como bautistas, creemos que la iglesia y su membresía son diferentes del estado y su ciudadanía. Los súbditos de un estado son aquellos que han nacido físicamente en un lugar determinado, mientras que los miembros de una iglesia son aquellos que han nacido de nuevo espiritualmente en ese lugar.
Presbiteriana
It may seem strange that a church can be both Baptist and Presbyterian. However, by saying that we are presbyterian
we mean that we believe that the New Testament church was led and governed by a group of mature Christians called elders.
The word for elder in Greek is presbuteros so presbyterian means elder-run. These elders shepherded and oversaw the
church. The word for shepherd in Latin is pastor and the word for an overseer is episcopos. These are terms which
describe the functions of the elder, what he does.
We believe that an important sign of maturity for a Christian is the ability to
work in a group. It is noteworthy that Jesus sent His disciples out by twos. Later the apostles worked in pairs; we
see Peter and John, Paul and Barnabas, and, later, Paul and Silas. We believe that one of the weaknesses of the modern
church is the lack of a proper leadership group to oversee and feed the church. Paul called such a state one which is
wanting, lacking or deficient.
For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that were wanting, and appoint elders in every city, as I gave thee charge; (ASV Titus 1:5)
Notice that Titus was to appoint elders in every city. It is extremely unlikely that Paul had planted several churches in every village in Crete since he was trying to start churches in as many places as possible. This is strong evidence that the local church was meant to have a plurality of elders. Since we are a new church, it is not possible to have several elders at the beginning, but our desire is to gradually appoint qualified men as elders.
Reformada
We believe that the church age is not a parenthesis in God's plan, but the next intended stage of the revelation
and implementation of the Kingdom of God. It is the next organic stage in the process which commenced with the
family of Abraham and then the theocratic state of Israel. We believe that the kingdom of God develops as a natural,
connected progression, not as interruptions, failures or parentheses. This means that most of the teaching of the
Old Testament is applicable to us. Jesus said:
Think not that I came to destroy the law or the prophets: I came not to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto
you, Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass away from the law, till all things
be accomplished. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, shall be
called least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, he shall be called great in the kingdom
of heaven. For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and
Pharisees, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:17-20)
The word fulfill has the meaning of causing the maximum expression of something. It is similar to the theory
of relativity and quantum mechanics which expanded or fulfilled the physics of Newton. The new physics gave us an
new source of energy, nuclear energy. In a similar way, the new law of the New Testament is based on the new source
of spiritual energy found in the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. Before, believers could only access this spiritual
power externally by approaching the presence of the Holy Spirit as He manifested Himself as the Shekinah Glory above the
ark or the covenant. This presence now dwells within us and allows us to fulfill the law more exactly.
Jesus fulfilled the law in three ways. (1) First, He paid its penalty and provided us forgiveness from condemnation
for our sin. (2) Second, He empowered us to keep the law through the power of the Holy Spirit who now dwells within
us. The presence of God that was once on the ark in the temple is now in our hearts. (3) Third, He expanded the law
to the mind and to positive commands. For example, it is no longer enough to not commit physical adultery; we now
have the power to stop committing adultery in our minds and instead, we have the positive responsibility to love our wives.
The New Testament is very specific about which part of the law has become obsolete or optional. It is the part which was
associated with temple worship. As evidence of this change, the temple was completely destroyed in 70AD. This part of
the law is called the ceremonial law and has to do with sacrifices, dietary laws, and feast days. The rest of the Old Testament
teachings are still applicable either directly or by analogy.
Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a feast day or a new moon or a sabbath day:
which are a shadow of the things to come; but the body is Christ?s (ASV Colossians 2:16-17)
The body, meaning the substance, the solid, the permanent, is Jesus Christ. That solid object was anticipated by its shadow. It is like when someone is walking and approaches the corner of a wall. The person on the other side cannot see the person, but he can often see the shadow that precedes him. The shadow that preceded the truth that is in Christ are the sacrifices, the dietary laws, and the holy days. The purpose was to anticipate with symbols the coming of Jesus Christ and the new reality that his coming created.
Calvinista
We believe that salvation is a paradox. Those who are saved, are saved because in a personal and deliberate way,
God chose to save that specific individual. In a corresponding way, those who are lost, are lost because they
personally and deliberately chose to reject God's offer of salvation. Therefore, in a way, when correctly understood,
the five points of Calvinism explain why some are saved, while, when correctly understood, the five points of
Arminianism, correctly understood, explain why some are lost.
He came unto his own, and they that were his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he the right to become children of God, even to them that believe on his name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (ASV John 1:11-13)
Notice that John says that those who rejected Him did so on their own accord but those who received Him did so, not as a result of any kind of human choice, but as the result of God's choice.
Reverente
We believe that true worship includes music and singing. This praise is an offering to God. Just like the offerings of the Old Testament,
this offering must be of the highest quality and uncontaminated by styles which are associated with corrupt worldly endeavors.
Therefore we emphasize the use of hymns and worship songs with solid doctrinal or devotional content. Notice that in the
following verse Paul says that our songs should teach and admonish:
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and
spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. (Colossians 3:16)
Furthermore, since we believe in the priesthood of the believer, we believe, that like the priests of old, God appreciates
that we appear before him in modest, reverent attire. If we were going to appear before Congress or before an important
dignitary, we would not show up in beach wear or gardening clothes. When we go to church we are meeting with the royal
family and we should dress accordingly. God told Moses that the purpose of the priestly garment was to manifest glory
and beauty which are attributes of God's nature.
And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty. And thou shalt speak unto all that
are wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron's garments to consecrate him,
that he may minister unto me in the priest's office. (Exodus 28:2-3)
