The Holy Scriptures
We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the Bible, “as it is in truth, the word of God” (I Thessalonians 2:13). The Bible does not merely contain the Word of God, nor does it become the Word of God through human acceptance, religious experience, or ecclesiastical decree. It is the very Word of God, possessing divine authority because God Himself is its Author.
We believe in the verbal, plenary inspiration of Scripture. By verbal inspiration, we mean that the very words of Scripture—not merely its general thoughts, ideas, or concepts—were given by God. By plenary inspiration, we mean that all Scripture, in every part and upon every subject it addresses, is equally inspired and completely trustworthy.
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God” (II Timothy 3:16). The expression “given by inspiration of God” teaches that Scripture is God-breathed. Although God used holy men with differing backgrounds, personalities, vocabularies, and writing styles, the Holy Ghost so directed them that the words they wrote were the very words God intended to give.
“For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (II Peter 1:21).
Therefore, the Bible is not the product of human religious genius, philosophical development, church tradition, or natural inspiration. Its source is God. Its words are pure, its testimony is true, and its authority is absolute.
We believe the Scriptures are inerrant, meaning they contain no error; infallible, meaning they are incapable of teaching error or failing in anything God intends them to accomplish; and perfect, meaning they are complete and entirely sufficient for the purpose for which God gave them.
“The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times” (Psalm 12:6).
“Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever” (Psalm 119:160).
“Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him” (Proverbs 30:5).
The Preservation of Scripture
We believe that the God who inspired His words has also preserved His words. Divine inspiration without divine preservation would leave succeeding generations without a sure and final authority. The same Lord who gave the Scriptures promised that His words would not pass away.
“Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever” (Psalm 12:7).
“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away” (Matthew 24:35).
God’s promise of preservation concerns His words, not merely the general teachings, doctrines, themes, or message of the Bible. We therefore reject the idea that the exact words of God have been lost and must now be reconstructed by human scholarship. God has providentially preserved His pure words through the copying, transmission, reception, and translation of Scripture so that every generation may possess the written Word of God.
The authority of Scripture does not depend upon the decisions of scholars, universities, councils, denominations, or churches. Men do not create, confer, or determine biblical authority. God’s words were authoritative when He gave them, and they remain authoritative whether men receive them or reject them.
The Preserved Biblical Texts
We receive the Masoretic Text as the preserved Hebrew text of the Old Testament and the Received Text, commonly called the Textus Receptus, as the preserved Greek text of the New Testament.
These are the traditional texts received, copied, preached, and used among Bible-believing churches. We reject the modern critical-text philosophy that treats the Bible like any other ancient human document and attempts to reconstruct an uncertain text through naturalistic principles and continually changing scholarly judgments.
Faith in preservation rests upon the promises and character of God. The Lord did not give His people an inspired Bible only to permit its words to disappear, become hopelessly corrupted, or remain hidden until their supposed recovery by modern critics.
The Authorized King James Version
For the English-speaking world, we use and accept the Authorized King James Version of the Bible as the faithful, accurate, preserved Word of God in the English language. It is translated from the preserved Hebrew Masoretic Text of the Old Testament and the Greek Received Text of the New Testament.
We believe the King James Bible may be read, preached, taught, memorized, and obeyed with complete confidence. We do not believe it requires correction by modern versions, critical editions, lexicons, commentators, or scholars. Helpful reference works may explain historical or linguistic matters, but no human authority possesses the right to sit in judgment upon the words of God.
The English language has changed in common usage, but the words of the King James Bible remain accurate. Its language should be studied and taught rather than altered according to changing cultural preferences. The duty of the preacher is not to correct the Bible but to believe it, expound it, and proclaim it.
“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine” (II Timothy 4:2).
Our Sole and Final Authority
The Bible is our sole and final authority for all matters of faith and practice. It is the final standard by which every doctrine, tradition, experience, philosophy, ministry, and moral judgment must be examined.
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” (II Timothy 3:16–17).
The Bible stands above human reason, church tradition, denominational statements, personal experience, scientific theory, cultural opinion, and religious scholarship. Creeds and confessions may summarize biblical truth, but they remain subordinate to Scripture. Pastors, teachers, and churches possess authority only as they faithfully teach and obey the written Word of God.
Where Scripture speaks, it is final. Where human opinion conflicts with Scripture, Scripture is right and man is wrong. No revelation, vision, dream, prophecy, tradition, or religious experience may be added to the completed Word of God.
We therefore receive the Holy Bible without apology, reservation, or correction as the inspired, preserved, inerrant, infallible, perfect, sufficient, and eternally authoritative Word of the living God.
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