Allos parakletos

And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

John 14.16 KJV

The phrase translated another comforter in the verse above is allos parakletos. Allos is a Greek work which means "another" and parakletos means comforter. There is another Greek word that can also be translated "another." That word is heteros. It is telling that Jesus chose allos instead of heteros in describing the Holy Spirit as a comforter.

Heteros means “another of a different kind” while allos means “another of the same kind” By calling the Holy Spirit allos Jesus was saying that the Holy Spirit was exactly like him. Indeed, that was the reason why the disciples were comforted—they knew that even though their comforter, master, and friend Jesus was leaving, another one who was exactly like him was going to take his place to comfort, counsel, help, intercede for, advocate for, strengthen, and be a stand-by support for them.

The Amplified Bible translates John 14.16 as

And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever—

This seven-fold understanding of parakletos is in direct contrast with what the state of orphanhood which the Holy Spirit averts.

The Holy Spirit is a person

What does it mean to say the Holy Spirit is a person? 

To describe the Holy Spirit as a person is to say that he has personal attributes. For instance, Jesus refers to Him with the personal pronouns "he," "him," and "himself." The personal pronouns used for the Holy Spirit have been highlighted in the verses below.

I will pray the father and he will send you another comforter that he may abide with you always...

John 14.16 KJV

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, 'The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.'

John 16:13--15

Why is the Holy Spirit referred to with the impersonal pronouns "it" and "itself" in the Bible?

Since the personhood of the Holy Spirit is as valid as that of the Father and the Son, it is an error to refer to Him as "it." However, in spite of this fact, the King James Version of the Bible, for instance,
refers to Him with it in some portions. We highlight the impersonal pronouns in the following three verses.

The spirit itself beareth witness...

Romans 8:16 KJV

The spirit itself maketh intercession with groanings that cannot be uttered

Romans 8:26 KJV

This is due to the fact that the Greek word translated Spirit in these verses is pneuma. Pneuma is also the word used for wind, evil spirits, human spirits, and any spirit at all.¹ Hence, Romans 8:16 from the Greek is similar to

Even the pneuma agrees with our pneuma that we are God's children.

Hence, translating it as "The spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God" may be reasonable, granting ignorance of the fact that the pneuma of God is actually a person.

Other personal attributes and characteristics of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit can be grieved

Grieve not the Holy Spirit...

Ephesians 4.30

The Holy Spirit has a will--He decides, determines, prevents, forbids, etc.

But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

1 Corinthians 12.11 KJV

It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.

1 Corinthians 12.11 NLT

The Holy Spirit did not want Paul and his team to minister in the province of Asia so he forbade (KJV) them. The NLT says He prevented them.

Next Paul and Silas traveled through the area of Phrygia and Galatia, because the Holy Spirit had prevented them from preaching the word in the province of Asia at that time.

Acts 16.6 NLT

The Holy Spirit speaks

Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly

1 Timothy 4.1 NLT

The Holy Spirit said to Philip, "Go over and walk along beside the carriage."

Acts 8.29 NLT

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1 http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=G4151&t=KJV^↩

Who is the Holy Spirit?

The Holy Spirit is probably the least known person of the Triune Godhead. This is due to the fact that, for a long time in the past, He and His manifestations were subdued and repressed due to a near universal misunderstanding of his person and work. The restoration of the recognition of the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the church in modern times began in the early 1900s with a series of events, the most significant of which was the Azusa Street Revival. The inception of this revival ushered in renewed zeal for the work of God, accompanied by a spate of renewed interest in the scriptural teaching on the Holy Spirit and His gifts, and the appreciation of His ministry from the beginning of the church to now.

Some important things to note about the Holy Spirit is that
1. He is a person. That is, He has personal attributes and is referred to as a person. He also has a mind, a will and emotions.
2. He is God. He possesses the attributes of God.
3. He is like Jesus.

We discuss each of these points in other posts.

The tenets of The Church of Pentecost (Akuapem Twi)

Pentekost Asɔre no kyerɛ titiriw (tenets) anaasɛ asɔre no gyidi nnyinaso 

1. Kyerɛw Kronkron

Yɛgye di sɛ Kyerɛw Kronkron fi Nyame Home ne Ne Tumi mu, sɛ nea Kyerɛw no ka na ɛkyerɛ nyinaa ye, na ɛne tumi nyinaa ti (2 Tim. 3:16; Pet. 1:21).

2. Nokware Nyankopɔn Koro No

Yɛgye di sɛ Nokware Nyankopɔn Koro na Ɔwɔ hɔ: Elohim, nea ɔbɔɔ wiase nyinaa, na obi ntumi nhwehwɛ nhu ne mu nwie da; nanso ɔda Ne ho adi sɛ Onyame-Baasa-Koro--Onyame Agya, Onyame Ɔba ne Onyame Honhom Kronkron--Wɔyɛ baako wɔ su, nneyɛe ne tumi mu--Otumfoɔ, Onim-ade-nyinaa na Ɔwɔ mmaa nyinaa (Gɛn. 1:1; Mat. 3:16-17; 1 Yoh. 5:7).

3. Onipa sɛe a wasɛe

Yɛgye di sɛ “nnipa nyinaa ayɛ bɔne, na Onyankopɔn animuonyam abɔ wɔn” na wɔsɛ daa amanehunu, nti wohia ahonnu ne awofoforo (Gɛn. 3:1-19, Yes. 53:6; Asom. 2:38; 17:30).

4. Agyenkwa no

Yɛgye hia a onipa hia Agyenkwa a ɔne Kristo Yesu a Ne mu na nkwagye hyɛ ɛnam N'awo kronkron, N'asetra kronkro, Ne mpatuwu, Ne wusɔre ne Ne sorokɔ, Ne daa odima, Ne ba a ɛtɔ so abien ne Ne mfirinhyia apem wo ahyɛde so no di (Yoh. 8:46; Fil. 2:9-11; 1 Tes. 4:16-17; Adiy. 22:20).

5. Ahonnu, bembu ne ahotew 

Yɛgye di sɛ ɛsɛ sɛ nnipa nyinaa nu wɔn ho wɔn awosu bɔne ho, pae mu ka wɔn bɔne Onyankopɔn anim na wɔgye Kristo Yesu wu a Owu sii yɛn anan mu no di ansa na wɔabu wɔn bem Onyankopɔn anim. Yɛgye ahotew a gyidin nam Sunsum Kronkron dwumadi tumi so nya na ɛyɛ adwuma n'abrabom no, ne Onyankopɔn akyɛde a ɛne daa nkwa a ɔde ma agyidifo no di (Asom. 2:38; Luka 15:7; Rom. 5:16; 1 Kor. 1:30; 1 Tes. 4:3).

6. Nsum asubɔ ne Awurade adidi adommenade no 

Yɛgye nsu mu asubɔ di. Nsu mu asubɔ gyina onipa a wasakra n'adwene na wadi mfirinhyia 13 de rekɔ adansedi so. (Luka 3:21; Maako 16:16) (Yɛmmɔ mmɔfra asu na mmom yɛde wɔn hyɛ Awurade nsa Luka 2:22-24, 34; Maako 10:16). Yɛgye adommenade a ɛyɛ Awurade Adidi no di. Adidi a ɛsɛ sɛ asafomma a wodi mu nyinaa bom di no (Luka 22:19, 20; Mat. 26:21-29; Asom. 20:7).

7. Honhom Kronkron asubɔ, emu dom akyɛde ne n'aba 

Yɛgye Honhom Kronkron asubɔ a agyidifo nya ne nsɛnkyerɛne a edi akyi no di; dom akyɛde ahorow no ne wɔn dwumadi, ne Honhom Kronkron mu aba a ɛda adi ahotewfo abrabɔ mu no di (1 Kor. 12:18-31; Maako 16:17; Asom. 2:4; Gal.5:22).

8. Nyame mu ayaresa 

Yɛgye di sɛ Onyame asiesie ayaresa de ama ne nkurɔfo wɔ Yesu Kristo mpatuwu no mu. Nanso asɔre no nsiw obiara a ɔpɛ sɛ ɔkɔhwehwɛ oduruyɛfo (dɔkota) nkyɛn ayaresa ho kwan (Yes. 53:4,5; Mat. 8:7, 17; Maako 16:18; Yak. 5:14-16; Luka 13:1-16).

9. Ntotoso du du ne afɔrebɔ 

Kyerɛw Kronkron kyerɛ pefee sɛ wɔmfa nea wonya nyinaa so ntotoso du du mmerɛ Awurade. Bio nso, wɔmmɔ ɔpɛso afɔre mfa mmoa mma Onyame ahenni-trɛw nkɔ so. Onyankopɔn hyira obiara a ofiri ne koma mu de ma (Mal. 3:10; 2 Kor. 8:7; Heb. 7:14; Asom. 20:35).

10. Nkwa a ɛrebɛba no 

Yɛgye owusɔre di: wɔn a wɔanya nkwa ne wɔn a wonnyaa nkwa; wɔn a wɔanya nkwa no bɛkɔ nkwasɔre mu; na wɔn a wonnyaa nkwa no akɔ atemmusɔre mu (Yoh. 5:28-29; Dan. 12:2; Rom. 2:7; 6:23; 1 Yoh. 1:1,2).

Extra-biblical practices

Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written.

John 21.25 NLT

John states that Jesus did so many things that if all of them were recorded there would not be enough books in the world to contain them. If there was so much more to be recorded but only a tiny fraction of it was recorded for our benefit, then it stands to reason that the disciples of Jesus who saw those other things he did that were not recorded may have practiced them. There would be no fear that they were practicing in error because they saw the master do them.

It is probable that the early church, which consisted of many disciples who followed Jesus abounded with these extra-biblical practices with the justification that they saw the master do it. It is this line of reasoning that the Roman Catholic church uses to justify its fixation on certain practices, claiming a heritage of practices, handed down from the early disciples via an unbroken chain of transmission.

The danger with this line of reasoning is that there is no stable or consistent means of checking error that may creep into the execution of these practices, permitting the undesirable and fatal deviation from the right course. It is undoubtedly the case that the majority and essence of the core teaching and practice of Jesus were recorded for our benefit without much left which cannot be derived form the bulk that has already been presented.

The concept of types

An unknown poet has characterised the relationship between the Old and New Testaments as follows.

The New is in the Old concealed; the Old is in the New revealed.
The New is in the Old contained; the Old is in the New explained.
The New is in the Old enfolded; the Old is in the New unfolded.
The New is in the Old latent; the Old is in the New patent.

Anonymous¹

This characterisation serves as a natural lead into the discussion on how the Old Testament prefigures and anticipates the New and how the New Testament clarifies, fulfills and amplifies the Old. Type is from the Greek word tupon, which means a stamp or an imprint. By this understanding, it is easy to understand what an antitype is: it is the corresponding shape that fits the imprint or mould created by the stamp—the type. Typology, the study and application of types, begun was used by Jesus and the New Testament authors who sought to explain current and future events by likening them to events in the Old Testament. The following examples illustrate the concept better.

The days of Noah and the coming of the son of man

As Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the son of man be lifted up

Melchizedek made unto us like the son of man

We have an antitype of baptism

The Bible is awash with typology, with it being the main framework for understanding the New Testament and reconciling it with the Old Testament.

---

1 W. Graham Scroggie (The unfolding drama of redemption, page 75, 1994 Kregel Publications, Grand Rapids, MI, USA)^↩

The Bible is all-sufficient in its provision and comprehensive in its sufficiency

To say the Bible is all sufficient in its provision and comprehensive in its sufficiency is to say that it does not need to be supplemented by any other material in its application. The Bible gives us the basis to tackle every issue in life. It is, without doubt, replete with many stories and much commentary on different aspects of life. However, it is not just a wide-ranging perspective on a multiplicity of issues: it is also enough as the only and final resource to be consulted on all matters of life and faith.

The Bible is the infallible word of God

Because the Bible was inspired by the Holy Spirit who is God, there are no mistakes in it. Also, there cannot be any mistakes in it. That is why Jesus said the Scriptures cannot be changed.

And you know that the Scriptures cannot be altered. 

John 10:35

God has bound himself--His name and His reputation--to the accomplishment of his word. Thus, the word of God carries the nature of God. God is eternal; so is His word. God does not change; neither does his word. He ensures that everything written in it comes to pass.

... for your promises are backed by all the honor of your name.

Psalm 138:2

For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.

Psalm 119:89 (KJV)

What shows that the Bible is inspired? (Proofs of biblical inspiration)

How can we know that the Bible was not just made up and that it was inspired by God? We shall discuss this topic under four headings:
1. internal consistency
2. fulfilled prophecy
3. archaeological evidence
4. historical accuracy and corroboration

Internal consistency (unity and continuity)

The Bible contains sixty-six (66) books written by about forty (40) different authors. In spite of this fact, it maintains an internal consistency that is remarkable for such a voluminous body of work.

The authors were from from wildly different backgrounds and they wrote under different circumstances in different cultures and eras:
1. Moses was a prince who became a shepherd and then a prophet;
2. David was a shepherd who became a warrior and then a king;
3. Matthew was a tax collector who became a disciple;
4. Luke was a doctor and a historian;
5. Paul and James were lawyers and Paul was a Pharisee as well;
6. Peter and John were fishermen who became disciples.

Further, the length of time between the writing of the first book and the last book is more than a thousand years. Hence, supposing the authors were just making things up, it would be virtually impossible to co-ordinate their writings into a consistent whole, devoid of contradictions.

Fulfilled prophecy

The Bible abounds with predictions, some of which have already been fulfilled, others of which are yet to be fulfilled. The distance between the predictions that were made and their fulfillment precludes the influence of the predictors in influencing the fulfillment of their predictions. We will look at three examples of such remarkable fulfillment of prophecy:

1. Prophecies concerning the Messiah (Psalm 22, etc)
2. Daniel's prophecy
3.

Archaeological evidence

Archaeologists who have studied the geographical locations in which the Bible accounts were recorded have verified the recorded accounts on many fronts. One such archaeologist concluded that...

Historical accuracy and corroboration

The Bible's corroboration of historical events also speaks to its authenticity. There are many peoples in the books of the Bible whose history, recorded by secular historians, aligns with the accounts given in the Bible. For example, the history of the Israelites from the time of Moses, through the period of the judges and the prophets, coincides with the historical account implied by the Bible. The geographical locations mention and the relationships between them in terms of time and distance also corresponds with the actual locations as they were defined then.

Once saved, forever saved?

The doctrine of the eternal security of the Christian is a controversial subject on which scholars take several diverse positions. On one end of the debate are those who say that a Christian cannot ever lose his salvation once he is saved. This is the famous "once saved, forever saved" school of thought. On the other end are those who believe that even the slightest slip on the part of a Christian who is saved could lead to him losing his salvation. Then, there are those who are somewhere in between.

One pillar of this debate is the role of human agency in salvation. Does the person who is to be saved—the potential Christian—have any role to play in his own salvation? That God is involved is not in dispute but to what extent can the individual affect his own salvation? Generally, those who believe in OSFS argue that the Christian plays no role in his salvation—everything is up to God—while those who reject the OSFS teaching argue that the individual plays a role. Those who uphold the OSFS teaching then argue further that since the Christian plays no role in his salvation, there is no way he could cause himself to lose it by his actions or inactions.

Some verses of Scripture suggest that the Christian is involved in his salvation.

1. Romans 10:9-10 says that to be saved one must express his belief that Jesus is Lord by confessing it with his mouth. That shows human agency.

2. Jesus said in John 3:14-15 that just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, the son of man must be lifted up so that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. When Moses lifted up the brazen serpent in the wilderness in Numbers 21, an invitation was thrown to all who were bitten by the poisonous snakes and they all had the option to express their faith by looking at Moses’ brazen serpent and live or to decline the offer and die. Jesus likening himself to that serpent suggests that now that he has been sacrificed for the sins of all, all sinners have the option to look at him (accept him) and live or to reject him and suffer eternal death. Jesus said if he is lifted up from the earth, he will draw all men unto himself. (John 12.32) Hence, all men have the opportunity to decide.

Further, the zeal with which the early church and Jesus’ disciples obeyed Jesus’ command to preach the gospel suggests that they did not share the view that one does not have any part to play in his salvation. They believed they could persuade men to be saved with the power of the gospel. If someone believes that the people he is going to preach to will be saved whether he goes or not, it is unlikely that he will risk his life to go. Yet, it was customary for the early disciples to defy death threats and other sanctions for preaching the gospel. Like all Christian doctrine, one's position on this subject has serious consequences for both personal and church life. If you believe that what will be will be so that those whom God wants saved will by all means be saved, there may be no reason to preach the gospel or reach out to the lost. But Jude admonishes us to save some people by snatching them from fire. (Jude 23) Peter also says in 2 Peter 3:3-10 that because God does not want anyone to perish, he has given men ample time to repent and come to him. This means that with an extension of time, more people would be saved who would otherwise not be saved if the coming of Jesus were not delayed.

Hebrews 6:4-6 presents another challenge to the OSFS teaching. It describes a falling away of some people who were once enlightened, tasted the heavenly gift, shared in the Holy Spirit, tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age. It says that after such people have fallen away, it is impossible to restore them to repentance because it would require crucifying the son of God all over again, subjecting him to public disgrace. If the people who are said to be permanently damned when they fall away are not Christians, or people who believe, then from what do they fall away? And if they never repented then what need would there be to “restore” them to repentance? The writer in the book of Hebrews was talking to Christians and in this case about Christians. Yet, to hold to OSFS, one has to deny that those described were Christians.

The Bible is inspired by God

When we say the Bible is inspired by God, we mean that it comes from God and He decided what should be in it. Even though human beings did the actual writing, God led them to write what He wanted separate from their own understanding and initiative (2 Peter 2:20--21).

In Jeremiah, we hear God telling the author to write down the prophecies He had given him so that readers may repent upon reading it.

During the fourth year that Jehoiakim son of Josiah was king in Judah, the Lord gave this message to Jeremiah: "Get a scroll, and write down all my messages against Israel. Judah, and the other nations. Begin with the first message back in the days of Josiah, and write down every message, right up to the present time. Perhaps the people of Judah will repent when they hear again all the terrible things I have planned for them. Then I will be able to forgive their sins and wrongdoings."

Jeremiah 36:1--3

God also told John the apostle many times in the book of Revelation to write down the things he was seeing and hearing. (Revelation 1:11, 1:19, 2:1, 2:8, 2:12, 2:18, etc.)

Because the Bible contains exactly what God wants it to contain, it has the last word in all matters of life and faith. Further, it is sufficient as the only resource to be used in such matters: "God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work." (2 Timothy 3:17)

The Next Life

Affirmation:
We believe in the second coming of Christ and the resurrection of both the saved and the unsaved. They that are saved to the resurrection of life---and the unsaved to the resurrection of damnation. (John 5.28--29, Daniel 12.2, Romans 2.7, 6.23, 1 John 1.1--2)

And I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Write this down: Blessed are those who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, says the Spirit, they are blessed indeed, for they will rest from their hard work; for their good deeds follow them!"

Revelation 14.13

What happens after death? Will the world ever come to an end? Are heaven and hell real? All these questions will be discussed under this heading. 

Tithes and Offerings

Affirmation:
We believe in tithing and in the giving of free will offerings towards the Kingdom of God. We believe that God blesses a cheerful giver. (Malachi 3.10, Hebrews 7.1--4, Luke 6.8, Acts 20.35)

...You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things.

Luke 11.42 NLT

Jesus told the Pharisees to tithe. Is tithing still relevant and are the rules concerning it still applicable in our day? We shall look at different types of offering, lessons from Abraham's offering of Isaac, different people in the Bible who tithed, and the results of paying tithes.

Divine Healing

Affirmation:
We believe that the healing of sickness and disease is provided for God's people in the atonement. (Isaiah 53.4--5, Matthew 8.7, 17, Mark 16.13, James 5.14--16, Luke 13.10-16) Yet the church is not opposed to soliciting the help of qualified medical practitioners.

Dear friend, I hope all is well with you and that you are as healthy in body as you are strong in spirit.

3 John 2 NLT

Over the centuries, God has always made it clear to his people his intention for them to live in peace and general well-being. This well-being includes health, wealth, and general comfort. Under this topic, we shall look at how God healed his people, the Israelites, in the desert, his promises of health and wealth to his people, how healing is provided in the atonement, the fact that God anticipates some of his people falling ill, and so on.

We shall also look at how this doctrine brought schism in at various points in the life of The Church of Pentecost.

The Fruit, Baptism, and Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Affirmation:
We believe in Baptism of the Holy Spirit for believers with signs following; and in the operation of the gifts and the fruit of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers. (1 Corinthians 12.8--11, Mark 16.17, Acts 2.4, Galatians 5.22)

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere--in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

Acts 1.8 NLT

The Holy Spirit is probably the least known person of the Triune Godhead. This is due to the fact that, for a long time, He and His manifestations were subdued and repressed due to a near universal misunderstanding of his person and work. We shall look at who the Holy Spirit is, establish that he is God, explore allos parakletos, a description Jesus gave to him, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

The Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper

Affirmation:
We believe in the Sacrament of baptism by immersion, as a testimony of a convert who has attained a responsible age of say 13 years (Luke 3.21, Mark 10.16) (Infants and children are not baptised but are dedicated to the Lord), (Luke 2.22--24, 34, Mark 10.16). We believe in the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper which should be partaken by all members who are in full fellowship. (Luke 22.19--20, Matthew 26.21--29, Acts 20.7)

Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

Matthew 28.19-20 NLT

We have clear commands from Jesus to baptise his disciples. We also have clear commands from him to partake of the bread and of the wine often. These ordinances form and important part of the church. Baptism signifies initiation while the communion signifies continued fellowship. Under this heading we shall look at the importance of these ordinances. Since they concern the church, we shall also look at the nature and origin of the church.

Repentence, Regeneration, Justification, and Sanctification

Affirmation:
We believe all men have to repent of and confess their sins before God, and believe on the vicarious death of Christ Jesus before they can be justified before God. We believe in the Sanctification of the believer through the working of the Holy Spirit and in God's gift of Eternal Life to the believer. (Acts 4.25, Romans 5.16, 1 Corinthians 1.30, 1 Thessalonians 4.3)

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Romans 10.9 NLT

Under this doctrine we shall look at "how to be saved." This is an important question that naturally arises when we admit that man is depraved, fallen and needs a saviour. The topics under this heading include the definitions of the terms above, the relationship between faith and works with respect to the Christian and his salvation, the controversy over eternal security--that is, the once saved, forever saved? question.

The Saviour

Affirmation:
We believe man's need of a Saviour has been met in the person of Christ Jesus, because of his deity, virgin birth, sinless life, atoning death, resurrection and ascension; His abiding intercession and second coming. (John 8.46, 14.30, Colossians 1.15, 2 Corinthians 5.19, Romans 3.25, Acts 2.36, Philippians 2.9--11, 1 Thessalonians 4.16--17, Revelation 22.20)

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

John 1.29 NLT

We have discussed how depraved man is and his need for a saviour. This need is met in Jesus Christ, the messiah, who came to save man from sin. We shall discusss how he qualifies as the saviour by virtue of his

1. deity

2. virgin birth

3. sinless life 

4. atoning death

5. resurrection and ascension

6. abiding intercession and 

7. second coming 

Man's Depraved Nature

Affirmation:
We believe that "all men have sinned and come short of the glory of God;" and are subject to eternal punishment; and need repentance and regeneration. (Genesis 3.1--19, Isaiah 53.6)

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard.

Romans 3.23 NLT

Though most people would readily accept that there is evil in the world, some would have difficulty accepting that there is evil in man--even in an innocent child. The doctrine of man's depraved nature discusses the inherent sinfulness of man as a result of the nature inherited from the first man, Adam. 

Some of the topics addressed under this heading are 

1. the nature of man

2. the difference between the soul and the spirit

3. the concept of sin 

4. the fall of man

5. the consequences of the fall

6. man's need for a saviour

The One True God

Affirmation:
We believe in the existence of the One True God, Elohim, maker of the whole universe; undefinable, but revealed as Triune Godhead---Father, Son and Holy Spirit---One in nature, essence, and attributes, omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent. (Genesis 1.1, Matthew 3.16--17, 2 Corinthians 13.14, Matthew 18.19, Genesis 1.26)

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Genesis 1.1 NLT

Then God said, "Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground."

Genesis 1.26 NLT

There are different views on God. Some say He does not exist. Others say He may exist but we can't know for sure. Still, others say He exists but He doesn't care about us so we should not care either. But, we say He exists, we can know that He exists, and we should care that He exists.

Under this heading we shall look at
1. how we can know that God exists and how He has made Himself known
2. why some people are still doubtful
3. who He is, what He does, and how we are to relate to Him
4. His three-in-one nature
5. where He lives
6. the devil and his agents

The Bible

Affirmation:
We believe in the divine inspiration and authority of the Holy Scriptures. That the Bible is infallible in its declaration, final in its authority, all-sufficient in its provisions and comprehensive in its sufficiency. (2 Timothy 3.16, 2 Peter 1.21)

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

2 Timothy 3:16--17 NLT

Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet's own understanding, or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.

2 Peter 1:20--21 NLT

The major issues for discussion under this heading are
1. the divine inspiration of the Scriptures
2. the authority of the Scriptures and
3. the sufficiency of the Scriptures.

The tenets of The Church of Pentecost

The Bible

We believe in the divine inspiration and authority of the Holy Scriptures. That the Bible is infallible in its declaration, final in its authority, all-sufficient in its provisions and comprehensive in its sufficiency. (2 Timothy 3.16, 2 Peter 1.21)

The One True God

We believe in the existence of the One True God, Elohim, maker of the whole universe; undefinable, but revealed as Triune Godhead---Father, Son and Holy Spirit---One in nature, essence, and attributes, omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent. (Genesis 1.1, Matthew 3.16--17, 2 Corinthians 13.14, Matthew 18.19, Genesis 1.26)

Man's Depraved Nature

We believe that "all men have sinned and come short of the glory of God;" and are subject to eternal punishment; and need repentance and regeneration. (Genesis 3.1--19, Isaiah 53.6)

The Saviour

We believe man's need of a Saviour has been met in the person of Christ Jesus, because of his deity, virgin birth, sinless life, atoning death, resurrection and ascension; His abiding intercession and second coming. (John 8.46, 14.30, Colossians 1.15, 2 Corinthians 5.19, Romans 3.25, Acts 2.36, Philippians 2.9--11, 1 Thessalonians 4.16--17, Revelation 22.20)

Repentance, Regeneration, Justification, and Sanctification

We believe all men have to repent of and confess their sins before God, and believe on the vicarious death of Christ Jesus before they can be justified before God. We believe in the Sanctification of the believer through the working of the Holy Spirit and in God's gift of Eternal Life to the believer. (Acts 4.25, Romans 5.16, 1 Corinthians 1.30, 1 Thessalonians 4.3)

The Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper

We believe in the Sacrament of baptism by immersion, as a testimony of a convert who has attained a responsible age of say 13 years (Luke 3.21, Mark 10.16) (Infants and children are not baptised but are dedicated to the Lord), (Luke 2.22--24, 34, Mark 10.16). We believe in the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper which should be partaken by all members who are in full fellowship. (Luke 22.19--20, Matthew 26.21--29, Acts 20.7)

The Fruit, Baptism, and Gifts of the Holy Spirit

We believe in Baptism of the Holy Spirit for believers with signs following; and in the operation of the gifts and the fruit of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers. (1 Corinthians 12.8--11, Mark 16.17, Acts 2.4, Galatians 5.22)

Divine Healing

We believe that the healing of sickness and disease is provided for God's people in the atonement. (Isaiah 53.4--5, Matthew 8.7, 17, Mark 16.13, James 5.14--16, Luke 13.10-16) Yet the church is not opposed to soliciting the help of qualified medical practitioners.

Tithes and Offerings

We believe in tithing and in the giving of free will offerings towards the Kingdom of God. We believe that God blesses a cheerful giver. (Malachi 3.10, Hebrews 7.1--4, Luke 6.8, Acts 20.35)

The Second Coming of Christ and the Next Life

We believe in the second coming of Christ and the resurrection of both the saved and the unsaved. They that are saved to the resurrection of life---and the unsaved to the resurrection of damnation. (John 5.28--29, Daniel 12.2, Romans 2.7, 6.23, 1 John 1.1--2)