According to the magazine
The Herald
of Christ's Kingdom <ref><small>This text is
publicized with the permission of Carl Hagensick, "Editor, Herald
Magazine Director, Pastoral Bible
Institute".</small></ref> published by the
Pastoral Bible Institute, the
Bible
Students shares some views with other denominations. These
views, however, when taken collectively, outline a doctrinal
position that is distinct from mainstream Christianity.
— Some of these teachings are:
—
;Inspiration of the Bible: Bible Students are united
in holding that the sacred Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments,
are inspired and are the final authority for authentic truth.
Correct doctrine is to be established in beliefs that harmonize all
scriptures on each subject. No non-scriptural words (such as Holy
Tradition) may be made an article of faith.
;Creation: Bible
Students believe in creation, while admitting for some evolution in
the animal creation, and that man (and thence, women) are a direct
creation of God, physically and mentally perfect.
;Original
Sin: Believing that Adam and Eve were created perfect, the Bible
Student position is that the sin of disobedience in the Garden of
Eden resulted in all their posterity being born under the blight of
sin, imperfection, and death.
;Nature of God: The Bible Student
position is neither Trinitarian nor Unitarian. While they believe
that Jesus is the Son of God and possesses the nature of God, the
divine nature, since his resurrection, they do not accept the
position of co-eternity or co-equality between the Father and the
Son. They also don't accept the doctrine of incarnation; according
to them Jesus was wholly flesh while on earth, having divested
himself of his spiritual nature. They also don't accept the concept
of the holy spirit being a person; they consider it the disposition
or influence of God.
;Nature of Man: In distinction from
inherent immortality, the Bible Student view is that man is mortal
by nature, and that immortality is available only by meeting
conditions of obedience. They hold that the human soul is not a
distinct entity, but is the result of the union of the body and the
breath, or spark, of life, and that death is the dissolution of
these two elements.
;State of the Dead: Because death is the
dissolution of body and breath, the soul that sins dies - goes out
of existence - until the resurrection process begins in the future
kingdom of Messiah. The Bible “hell” is merely the grave, and is
neither a place of eternal fire nor conscious separation from God.
;Virgin Birth: While Jesus was miraculously begotten by God
through the holy spirit in the womb of Mary the Bible implies that
she did not remain a virgin thereafter and had additional children
by Joseph after the birth of Jesus. Her human nature was the same
as others of the fallen race, and there is no Biblical indication
that Mary had an “immaculate conception”.
;Ransom and
Restitution: The main purpose of Jesus’ first advent was to provide
a ransom, or substitutionary atonement for Adam, and hence the
entire race descending from him. This Ransom was provided at the
cross of Calvary, and is efficacious for all who have ever died. It
promises resuscitation for all humanity in Christ’s 1000-year
kingdom, along with the opportunity to obtain and maintain perfect
human life for eternity. The ransom also provides for a select
number of faithful Christians to attain to a heavenly reward for
the purpose of assisting Jesus in the rehabilitation of planet
earth to perfect Edenic conditions.
;Resurrection: After Jesus
Christ was crucified, he was raised to life as a spirit by his
Father, God, and given a divine body in the express image of God’s
person. The human body that he inhabited prior to his death was
permanently sacrificed, never to be taken back.
;The Heavenly
Calling: At his first advent, Jesus began calling out from mankind
a special class to be his church, or bride. To these he promises a
part in heaven with himself and the Father, and a kingdom role of
reigning over mankind with himself for blessing all the families of
the earth. Those who accept this invitation make a complete vow of
consecration or commitment to do the will of God as they see it
revealed and at the cost of a surrender of the right to a life on
earth. This consecration is witnessed by a baptism (complete water
immersion,)
;Second Advent: As with most Christians, the
expectation that Jesus Christ would return to finish the work that
he began two thousand years ago is an important part of their
faith. Most Bible Students share the following beliefs in the
second advent:
:;Object: That the object of the return is the
resurrection of the dead and the establishment of a new world order
of peace and righteousness, in which all sin, sorrow, and death
will be eliminated.
:;Manner: Jesus returns invisibly, at first
unnoticed by the world at large as he gathers his saints to
himself, then eventually manifesting his presence to all as he
comes with his saints.
:;Time: Though not in universal
agreement, the majority of Bible Students believe that God's
appointed time for his return was in the near past (1874), and that
he is currently in the process of finishing his church, evicting
the old regime of the adversary, tearing down the religious,
social, and political structure to set up his kingdom, and is
supervising the preparation of Israel for kingdom work.
;Return
of Israel: The establishment of the nation of Israel and the return
of the Jewish people to their ancestral homeland is an indication
of the restoration of God's favor to that nation, and an indication
of the nearness of Messiah’s kingdom. Bible Students anticipate a
return of Israel to the borders promised to Abraham; and a final
conflict in the Middle East, in which their ancient prophets will
be resurrected and God will, through them, bring about an
unprecedented miraculous deliverance, introducing the worldwide
kingdom of Christ which will resurrect, reform and rehabilitate all
of mankind, expanding thence to a worldwide dominion of peace.
;Church Organization: The Bible Student community is organized
on a strict congregational basis, with each local group totally
autonomous. Each group selects its leaders (elders and deacons) by
a total vote of their consecrated members, and cooperates with
other congregations as determined by that local group. All expenses
are paid entirely by freewill voluntary offerings with no
collections of mandated costs, The ministry serves on a non-paid
and voluntary basis.
References
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