We who become members of this Church, holding
the doctrine set forth in the articles of faith, and agreeing with each other
to such practice as is taught in the scriptures:
Do solemnly covenant together to meet as a
Church of Jesus Christ and to treat each other as brethren according to the law
of love so strongly emphasized by the Great Head of the Church:
To pray for each other, to watch over one
another, and if need be in the most tender and affectionate manner, to reprove
one another. That is, if we discover anything amiss in a brother, to go and
tell him his faults according to the 18th chapter of Matthew, and not be
whispering and back biting,
We also agree, with God's assistance, to
attend Church meetings and not absent ourselves from the communion of the
Lord's Supper without a lawful excuse;
To be ready to contribute to the defraying of
the Church expenses and for the support of the ministry;
Not irregularly departing from the fellowship
of the Church, nor removed to distant Churches without regular dismission.
These things we do covenant and agree to
observe and keep sacred in the name of, and by the assistance of, God the
Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen
Articles
of Faith
Stephenville
PBC
Inasmuch as the Almighty God by His Grace
has been Pleased to call us out of darkness to His Marvelous light and having
been baptized upon a profession of our faith in Christ; we feel it is our duty
to set forth our principles in the following abstract.
We believe in only one true
and living God, Son and Holy Ghost and that such Trinity existed in the
body of Christ - for in him dwelleth the God Head bodily and that there
are not three Gods, but only one God.
John 1:1
Matt.
28:19
We believe in the
corruption of human nature and the impotency of man to recover himself
from the fallen state he is in by his own will and ability.
Rom. 5:15-19
Is.
64:6
We believe that the Old and
New Testaments of the Bible were written as the Holy Ghost moved the
people writing and that they are the only right rules of faith and
practice.
2Tim.
3:16-17
We believe in the fall of
Adam and that by his transgressions all his posterity were made sinners.
1 Cor. 15:22
Rom. 3:23
Rom. 5:17
Rom.
5:12
We believe sinners are
justified in the sight of God by the righteousness of Jesus Christ and
imputed to them and that good works are the fruit of the Holy Spirit
showing our faith and our evidence of the Grace of God toward us.
James 1:17
Rom. 3:24-25
We believe Jesus Christ is
the head of the body or church and the government thereof is with the
body.
Col. 1:18
Eph.
4:15-16
We believe in election
according to the foreknowledge of God the Father through Sanctification of
the Spirit.
Rom. 8:28-30
1Pet.
1:2
We believe in the
preservation of the Saints through Grace and none of them shall be lost.
John 6:37-40
Eph.
2:8-9
We believe the visible church of
Christ is a congregation of men and women, having been
called and brought near to Him and willingly became disciples of the
gospel.
John 6:37-39
1Pet. 1:2-5
Rom. 8:31-39
John
10:28-29
We believe in baptism by
immersion and that believers are the only fit subjects and that dipping
(plunging) is the only Gospel mode and only by proper administrator.
Acts 2:41
Acts 8:36-37
Gal.
3:27
We believe that baptism,
the Lord's Supper and washing the feet of the Saints are ordinances in the
Church to be continued until the Second Coming of Christ and only orderly
baptized believers have a right to the Lord's Communion table.
John 13:12-14
Matt.
26:26-28
We believe in a Judgment to
come; that the happiness of the righteous and the punishment of the wicked
will be everlasting.
Matt. 25:46
John
3:15
We believe the Lord's day
ought to be set apart. No worldly business to be done, only work of piety
or necessity.
Ex.
20:8
We believe the worldly
institutions are the works of men and we declare Non-Fellowship for them.