CHAPTER
1
DOCTRINE OF SCRIPTURE
Scripture is
our only tangible source of authority in matters of faith and doctrine. If scripture is not submitted to as
authoritative, no absolute standard of truth can be established. If each man does what is right in his own
eyes, this will lead to humanities’ complete and utter destruction.[1] Therefore, Baptists have gone to great
lengths by which to establish their firm reliance upon the provision and
trustworthiness of the scriptures. The
Baptist Faith and Message defines the Baptist “Doctrine of Scripture” in this
manner:
The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God's
revelation of Himself to man. It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction.
It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any
mixture of error, for its matter. Therefore, all Scripture is totally true and
trustworthy. It reveals the principles by which God judges us, and therefore
is, and will remain to the end of the world, the true center of Christian
union, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and
religious opinions should be tried. All Scripture is a testimony to Christ, who
is Himself the focus of divine revelation.[2]
The
authors of the Baptist Faith and Message reference two passages from the book
of Hebrews as support for this statement.
The first is found in Hebrews 1:1-2, which states,
In the past God spoke to our forefathers through
the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has
spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom
he made the universe.[3]
The author of Hebrews is clearly acknowledging that
God did speak through the prophets of old and likewise has spoken to us by his
Son, both of which are recorded for us in the scriptures.
The
second passage referenced in the Baptist Faith and Message is found in Hebrews
4:12, which states, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any
double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and
marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”[4] This passage clearly describes the power of
God’s words recorded for us in the sacred texts. These are not mere letters written by men,
these are the very words of God. They
have the power to create, inform, draw, and persuade. These words bring conviction and make an
appeal for reconciliation to all men and for all time. Without the words of God no one could believe
and be reconciled.[5]
According
to Leo Garret’s Systematic Theology, inspiration is defined as, “God’s working
through the biblical writers so as to secure an authentic declaration and
record of the revelation.”[6] Augustus Strong defines inspiration as “that
influence of the Spirit of God upon the minds of the Scripture writers which
made their writings the record of a progressive divine revelation, sufficient,
when taken together and interpreted by the same Spirit who inspired them, to
lead every honest inquirer to Christ and to salvation.”[7]
This is theologically significant as
Strong acknowledges the sufficiency of scripture to lead people to saving faith
in Christ. Some theologians from the
“Reformed” tradition deny this sufficiency, teaching instead that a person must
be born again before having the ability to truly understand and accept the
truth claims of scripture.[8]
The
Reformed position appears to give unbelievers the perfect excuse for their
unbelief. If they were born as a
non-elect, unloved reprobate without the ability to willingly respond to God’s
appeal for reconciliation, then they have an excuse for not believing. Scripture is clear to show that all men have
clearly seen and understood the revelation of God, but some choose to trade
that truth in for lies and stand condemned without any excuse whatsoever.[9]
God
desires all people to come to repentance and sends the Gospel to enable
everyone to respond to his genuine appeal for reconciliation.[10] Those who rebel do so in the face of God’s
love and gracious provision.[11] No one perishes for lack of divine atonement
and grace.[12] As Paul teaches, “They perish because they refused to love the
truth and so be saved.”[13]
CHAPTER
2
DOCTRINE OF GOD THE
FATHER
The triune nature of God is
foundational to Christianity and our understanding of His divine nature and
eternal attributes. From the beginning
God has interacted with mankind through various means while displaying various
qualities. At times these qualities are
best represented in the personhood of God’s very character as “Father.” This was Jesus’ favorite designation in
relation to God.[14] Yet, we know that Jesus was not the first to
introduce this analogical name for God because the Old Testament references Him
as Father throughout. Christ served to
make the concept of divine Fatherhood much more personal, since the Old
Testament usage is mostly of a corporate nature. The Baptist Faith and Message defines the
“Doctrine of God the Father” this way:
God as Father reigns with providential care over
His universe, His creatures, and the flow of the stream of human history
according to the purposes of His grace. He is all powerful, all knowing, all
loving, and all wise. God is Father in truth to those who become children of
God through faith in Jesus Christ. He is fatherly in His attitude toward all
men.[15]
Hebrews 11:6 is
referenced as support for this statement, saying, “And
without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him
must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek
him.” Like a good earthly father, our
Heavenly Father brings rewards to his children when they please Him. The only way to please our God in heaven is
to believe He exists and that he will care for us. Faith is the only means by which man may please
God and even that is something God enables through the powerful Gospel
appeal. We truly have nothing in which
we can boast.
Another aspect of fatherhood is that
of discipline. Hebrews 12:9 explains it
this way, “Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we
respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our
spirits and live!” Just as an earthly father loves
his children enough to correct them when they step out of line, so too our
heavenly Father disciplines those He loves.
This should inspired respect and love for our Father, not distain and
faithlessness.
Fathers are commonly associated with the attributes of
reward and punishment. They pay the
allowance to the hard working child, or use the rod of correction to drive out
the spirit of rebellion. So too,
Christians can come to experience these characteristics in their heavenly
Father. The hope, however, is that the
relationship with God will not remain based on mere expectations of reward and
punishment. This is a relationship
limited by fear, obligation, and finds its root ultimately in law.
Instead,
Christ expresses the desire for this relationship with our “Abba” to become
much more intimate and not based in fear.[16] For example, when a son grows up and leaves
the house he may become a friend with his father. They may enjoy each other’s company, confide
in each other, and even come to depend on each other for guidance and
help. They have moved past the
master/servant model of relating where expectations for reward and punishment
is the norm, to a true love relationship were such expectations no longer get
in the way. Just as Christ told his
followers in John 15:15, God no longer desires for us to be considered mere
servants, but he desires to relate to us as friends. The concept of being a child and even a
friend of God is meant to promote intimacy rather than fear. As we learn in 1 John 4:18, “There is no fear
in love. But perfect love drives out
fear, because fear has to do with punishment.
The one who fears is no made perfect in love.”
CHAPTER
3
DOCTRINE OF GOD THE SON
In the book of Hebrews there
are many Christological passages that discuss the theme of God as the Son. At the very beginning of chapter one, the
author points to the nature of the Son as divine, stating, “The Son is the radiance of God's
glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his
powerful word. After he had provided
purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”[17]
The
authors of the Baptist Faith and Message reference this very verse along with
many others to define the “Doctrine of God the Son.”
Christ is the eternal Son of God. In His
incarnation as Jesus Christ He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the
virgin Mary. Jesus perfectly revealed and did the will of God, taking upon
Himself human nature with its demands and necessities and identifying Himself
completely with mankind yet without sin. He honored the divine law by His
personal obedience, and in His substitutionary death on the cross He made
provision for the redemption of men from sin. He was raised from the dead with
a glorified body and appeared to His disciples as the person who was with them
before His crucifixion. He ascended into heaven and is now exalted at the right
hand of God where He is the One Mediator, fully God, fully man, in whose Person
is effected the reconciliation between God and man. He will return in power and
glory to judge the world and to consummate His redemptive mission. He now
dwells in all believers as the living and ever present Lord.[18]
The divinity of Jesus is established
from the first day of life as he is conceived in a virgin. It is further established in his actions as
one perfectly obedient to the desires of his Father, even to death on a
cross. Further still, Christ’s deity is
established by his glorious resurrection as the exalted one who now sits at the
right hand of God. He now seeks to be
the Lord of each life, the Shepherd of our hearts and lives. As Hebrews 13:20 states, “May the God of peace, who through
the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus,
that great Shepherd of the sheep.” The
reference to Jesus as “Lord” in this passage is not insignificant, for within
the Jewish heritage the lordship of Jesus was a declaration of his deity.[19]
The
author of Hebrew leaves no doubt to the true identity of Christ in regard to
his position, supremacy, and ultimate divine authority. In chapter twelve verse two the author
writes, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who
for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down
at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Who besides God himself authors and perfects men’s faith? He is the writer and editor of the book of
life, through which we come to saving faith.
And who, except our divine Lord, should we fix our eyes upon? He is the one who endured the cross on our
behalf and who still is seated at the right hand of the Father.
One may argue that the Father holds a higher seat
of prominence than that of the Son who is seated to His right, but this is a
faulty view of our triune God. To be
seated at ones right hand is a figure of speech that indicates the place of
highest honor and authority. This was to
signify the dignity and headship of Christ, not his being lesser than the
Father on his left. Throughout
scriptures certain anthropomorphic terms are used to relate divine attributes
in human terms so as to make them easier to understand. This is one such example. Scripture is very clear to equate the Father
with the Son. For we know that God is in
Christ reconciling the world to Himself.[20]
Hebrews establishes a thorough Logos Christology,
supporting the first chapter of John’s gospel.
Jesus is clearly presented as God, the exact representation of His
being, and the creator of the universe.
If indeed Jesus is God it would only bare to reason that Jesus is better
than the prophets (1:1-4); better than angles (1:5-2:18); better than Moses
(3:1-4:13); better than Aaron or any priest (4:14-7:28); that Jesus promotes a
better Covenant (8:7-13); a better sanctuary (9:1-12); and a better sacrifice
(9:13-10:18). Jesus Christ’s superiority
to all these created things leaves only one conclusion. Jesus Christ is the Creator.[21]
CHAPTER
4
DOCTRINE
OF SALVATION
There
is no more pressing concern for humanity than the concept of life after death
and the possibility of salvation unto eternal life. The Bible is clear that there is only one way
to be saved and that is through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The authors of the Baptist Faith and Message
define the “Doctrine of Salvation” in this manner:
Salvation involves the redemption of the whole
man, and is offered freely to all who accept
Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, who by His own blood obtained eternal
redemption for the believer. In its broadest sense salvation includes
regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. There is no
salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord.[22]
The
epistle to the Hebrews teaches us that every “man is destined to die once, and
after that to face judgment.”[23] Moreover, the author goes on to say, “For
we know him who said, ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ and again, ‘The
Lord will judge his
people.’"[24] Not only have all men sinned and offended the
infinite glorious nature of God, but they are destined to die and stand before
Him as their judge. According to
scripture, God is a perfect judge who “despises those
who acquit the guilty and condemn the innocent.”[25] So, in addition to being eternally Holy, God
is also perfectly just. In other words,
God always judges correctly. If a man is
guilty of sin, as all men are, then God must declare him guilty. If He does not then He would be lying, and we
know God cannot lie.[26]
This
is all very bad news for a world filled with guilty sinners who have offended
the infinite holiness of a perfect judge.
And it is only in light of this very bad news that we can begin to
appreciate the magnitude of the good news being brought by the author of the
letter of Hebrews. It is also a
necessary backdrop to understand the necessity of a perfect sacrifice to
accomplish salvation for guilty sinners.
As the authors of the Baptist Faith and Message
reference, there is a need for the shedding of blood for salvation. The letter of Hebrews explains this by
stating, "Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of
sins."[27] During Yom Kipper, the Jewish Day of Atonement, scholars
estimate that over 100,000 animals were slaughtered in the various
Temples. The blood would flow and be
splashed against the base of the altar.
The carcasses of the animals would be cleaned, carved up and burnt on
the altar. There was so much blood
flowing from Jerusalem they had specially built gutters for it to stream out of
the city and empty into a brook called Kidron, turning it crimson. The Temple was a slaughterhouse of
sorts. But, even with all that killing
and all that blood, it just was not enough. It was not enough to permanently
fix the sin problem and restore us to intimate relationship with our Creator.[28]
CHAPTER
5
DOCTRINE
OF GRACE
The doctrine of election is one of the most controversial
issues in Christianity today. At the
risk of oversimplifying an otherwise very complex and lengthy debate, there
have generally been two different approaches to this biblical doctrine. One views election as God’s unconditional
choice of particular individuals for salvation from before the foundation of
the world. In other words, God has
preselected the individuals that He will irresistibly draw to faith in Christ,
which will certainly result in their salvation.
The other camp views election corporately rather than individually. Thus, they argue that God has elected or
predestined to save whosoever freely chooses to come to Christ. On this subject, Garrett writes,
From Augustine of Hippo to the twentieth century,
Western Christianity has tended to interpret the doctrine of election from the
perspective of and with regard to individual human beings. During those same
centuries the doctrine has been far less emphasized and seldom ever controversial
in Eastern Orthodoxy. Is it possible
that Augustine and later Calvin, with the help of many others, contributed to a
hyper individualization of this doctrine that was hardly warranted by Romans
9-11, Eph. 1, and I Peter 2? Is it not true that the major emphasis in both
testaments falls upon an elect people -- Israel (OT) and disciples or church
(NT)?[29]
The
authors of the Baptist Faith and Message tended to agree with these objections
toward the Augustinian view of election by adopting a more corporate approach. Hershel Hobbs, one of the contributing
authors of the Baptist Faith and Message, decried the "error
that election relates to certain individuals, with some destined to salvation
and others to damnation." They lead
the committee to adopt the statement regarding election as follows.
Election is the gracious purpose of God, according to which He
regenerates, justifies, sanctifies, and glorifies sinners. It is consistent
with the free agency of man, and comprehends all the means in connection with the
end. It is the glorious display of God's sovereign goodness, and is infinitely
wise, holy, and unchangeable. It excludes boasting and promotes humility.[30]
Some could argue that the statement is
worded in such a manner that both camps could comfortable fit under its
umbrella, but knowing the authors and their other writings make the intent of
this statement abundantly clear.
One of the most controversial issues surrounding
the book of Hebrews centers on the issue of apostasy, the possibility of
falling away from the faith. What is
certain is that those who persevere in faith will be saved and those who do
not, will not. The question for debate
is whether those who do not persevere were ever truly born again? I John 2:19 teaches, “They went out from us,
but they did not really belong to us.
For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but
their going showed that none of them to belonged to us.” This certainly indicates that what may appear
to be the loss of salvation is really just a revelation of what has always been
true. Time will tell if someone’s heart
has indeed been regenerated, marked by the Holy Spirit, and thus destined for
salvation.
The intent of the author is to warn his Jewish
audience not to return to Judaism, as was the tendency when faced with such
enormous pressure from all sides. To
apply these teachings as a proof text for something other than this intent is a
poor hermeneutic, which leads to all types of doctrinal error. One such error is the teaching that once one
has been regenerated by the work of the Spirit that they can loose the
salvation for which they have been promised.
The authors of the Baptist Faith and Message
agree that true believers will persevere to the end. They explain it this way:
All true believers endure to the end. Those whom
God has accepted in Christ, and sanctified by His Spirit, will never fall away
from the state of grace, but shall persevere to the end. Believers may fall
into sin through neglect and temptation, whereby they grieve the Spirit, impair
their graces and comforts, and bring reproach on the cause of Christ and
temporal judgments on themselves; yet they shall be kept by the power of God
through faith unto salvation.[31]
CHAPTER
6
DOCTRINE
OF THE CHURCH
One
might understand how a Jewish individual in the difficult circumstances of the
first century might be prone to “forsake the assembly” and need a word of
exhortation, as seen Hebrews 10:25. That
passage takes on a whole new level of meaning compared to it’s modern day
application, where often lazy and apathetic American believers are prodded by
their preachers to get out of their beds on Sunday mornings. Just imagine leaving the traditions of one’s
parents, grandparents, and all those closest to them only to be persecuted from
every side. Who, if not Christ, could
motivate such a radical change and commitment?
It is certainly understandable the reason why the author points to
Christ’s superiority over and over again in this context.
The church is local assembly of baptized believers given
to exhort, encourage, and serve one another in the bounds of Christ’s
love. The authors of the Baptist Faith
and Message define the “Doctrine of the Church” in this way:
A New Testament church of the Lord Jesus Christ is an autonomous local
congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and
fellowship of the gospel; observing the two ordinances of Christ, governed by
His laws, exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His
Word, and seeking to extend the gospel to the ends of the earth. Each
congregation operates under the Lordship of Christ through democratic
processes. In such a congregation each member is responsible and accountable to
Christ as Lord. Its scriptural officers are pastors and deacons. While both men
and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor is limited
to men as qualified by Scripture.[32]
Likewise,
the scriptures speak of the Church universal and the Baptist Faith and Message
speaks to this point when they write, “The New Testament speaks also of the
church as the Body of Christ which includes all of the redeemed of all the
ages, believers from every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation.”[33]
This explanation serves to remind us that we are a
part of a great cloud of witnesses. Even
though many of them who have gone before us did not experience what they had
been promised, they will experience it together with us all in glory. We are one with them in the Body of Christ,
his bride. As Hebrews 11:39-40 explains,
“These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what
had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only
together with us would they be made perfect.”
The doctrine of the
church is also referred to as “ecclesiology,” which includes studies involving
it’s nature, origin, mission, ministry, membership, order, worship, ordinances,
unity and the church’s relation to the government and society.[34]
The word “ecclesiology,” basically
refers to the study of the church. The
root of this word comes from the Greek noun ekklesia,
which is derived from ek, “out of,”
and kalein, “to call.” Thus the concept of being “called out of the
world by God” is a key understanding to the purpose and nature of the church.[35]
CHAPTER
7
DOCTRINE
EVANGELISM
Many Christian leaders today attempt to guilt others into
sharing their faith by treating evangelism as if it is the eleventh
commandment. They use the shame,
obligation, and fear tactics associated with the law to motivate believers to
evangelize. This method may be effective
for a season, but as with any aspect of the law it only leaves people in shame
and guilt. This appears to be the
approach of the Baptist Faith and Message, which states:
It is the duty and privilege of every follower of Christ and of every
church of the Lord Jesus Christ to endeavor to make disciples of all nations.
The new birth of man's spirit by God's Holy Spirit means the birth of love for
others. Missionary effort on the part of all rests thus upon a spiritual
necessity of the regenerate life, and is expressly and repeatedly commanded in
the teachings of Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ has commanded the preaching of
the gospel to all nations. It is the duty of every child of God to seek
constantly to win the lost to Christ by verbal witness undergirded by a
Christian lifestyle, and by other methods in harmony with the gospel of Christ.[36]
Are we still under the “duty” of the law? Granted, the commands are certainly laid out
for us in scriptures, but are they meant to motivate obedience? Or, are they meant to show us what the fruit
of a true follower looks like? Maybe it
is a combination of both?
While the law and obligation
may serve to motivate believers into obedience, there is a much more effective
and long lasting motivation for evangelism.
It is a personal, abiding relationship with the Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ. When people are deeply in love
with their Savior you will not be able to keep them silent. They will not have to be prodded to share
with others. The church will not need a
program, initiative, or emphasis to push their members to tell others about
Christ. When the powerful life-giving
Savior has radically touched them they will want to shout it from the
mountaintops. Even at the risk of losing
their own lives they will not remain silent.
Other believers have the false
conception that only some Christians are called to be on mission and to
evangelize the world. They wrongly
believe that this is uniquely the work of “full-time Christian missionaries and
ministers.” But clearly this is not the
position of the biblical authors, especially the writer of Hebrews, who said:
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great
cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that
so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for
us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the
author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the
cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.[37]
Clearly, if Rahab, the harlot,
and the others listed in the annuals of the faithful are included as being
apart of this race that has been marked for us, then so has every
believer. We are all called to fix our
eyes on Christ and make his glory known to the nations.
It must be noted that in Matthew’s account of the great
commission, recorded in chapter 28 verses 18-20, one finite verb is used, “make
disciples.” This is significant in that
we are not called to merely invite people to convert to our view of God. We are to encourage, train, love, and exhort
people as they become fully devoted followers of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ. The work of making disciples
goes far beyond preaching a sermon or putting on an event. This is the work of Christ’s church as we
seek to grow his Kingdom rather than merely add notches to our evangelistic
belt.
CHAPTER
8
DOCTRINE
OF THE FAMILY
Hebrews 13:4 gives all believers
a clear expectation for the foundation of the family when is states, “Marriage
should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge
the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.”
Marriage is the bedrock on which all families must be built. When marriage is torn apart by divorce
through addictions, infidelity, and abuse the entire family suffers, as does
the nation itself. When a nation
attempts to redefine this sacred institution as being something other than the uniting
of one man and one woman, the very foundation of that nation is at risk. The authors of the Baptist Faith and Message
must have recognized this truth as they wrote to define the “Doctrine of the
Family.”
God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human
society. It is composed of persons related to one another by marriage, blood,
or adoption. Marriage is the uniting of
one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime. It is God's unique
gift to reveal the union between Christ and His church and to provide for the
man and the woman in marriage the framework for intimate companionship, the
channel of sexual expression according to biblical standards, and the means for
procreation of the human race.[38]
The author of
Hebrews is careful to point out that marriage is not only to be honored by the
individuals who are married, but it is to “be honored by all.” That includes the government, the church, and
even those in society who remain single.
To honor something does not necessarily mean you must agree with
it. It only means that you must respect
it for what it is and not undermine its very nature. Otherwise, the basic building block of our
society is compromised at its very core.
Without this ultimate standard of authority there is nothing to keep
society from redefining all aspects of truth to fit their lusts and
passions. Scripture warns against this
board path that leads to destruction, yet few are those who will leave that
patch to follow the narrow way.[39]
Secondly, the
author points to the sacredness of the marriage bed acknowledging how essential
fidelity is to a marriage and ultimately the family. Sexuality maybe a taboo topic for many in
churches, but scripture is not silent about this issue. Church leaders must be willing to talk about
the biblical view of marriage and the dangers of sexual perversions and
misdeeds. Individuals must understand
that their choices regarding sexual behaviors not only affect themselves, but
they have a profound effect upon their family, the church, and even the
community. Again, this path is a narrow one and few find
it, but the reward for the family and society is well worth it.
Finally, the
author specifically acknowledges God’s judgment against sexual immorality. Clearly, God views marriage and sexuality as
sacred and takes very serious umbrage against anyone who does not. Marriage is the means by which God has
chosen to populate the earth and thus bring Himself glory. When one attacks or misuses that divinely
appointed institution they are undermining their own Creator and attempting to
steal His glory. A sobering thought
indeed.
WORKS CITED
Allen, David L. Hebrews in The New American Commentary. Vol. 35. Nashville: B&H
Publishing
Group, 2010.
Conner, W.T. The Faith of the New Testament. Nashville:
Broadman, 1940.
Garrett,
Leo. Systematic Theology: Biblical, Historical, and Evangelical. Grand Rapids,
MI:
Eerdmans, 1995.
Southern Baptist
Convention, “Baptist Faith and Message, 2000,” Statement of Faith,
http://www.sbc.net/bfm/default.asp
(accessed June 12, 2012).
Stedman, Ray. IMP New Testament Commentary Series Part 1, Chapters
1-9. Downer
Grove Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1992; web page,
available from
http://www.raystedman.org/hebrews2/heb2comm1.html;
Internet; accessed 2 May 2012.
Strong, Augustus
H. Systematic Theology, 8th ed., rev.
and enlarged, 3 vols. Philadelphia:
Griffith and Rowland, 1907–09.
[1]
Proverbs 14:12
[2]
Southern Baptist Convention, “Baptist Faith and Message, 2000,”
Statement of Faith, http://www.sbc.net/bfm/default.asp (accessed June 12,
2012).
[3]
Hebrews 1:1-2 [NIV]
[4]
Hebrews 4:12 [NIV]
[5]
Romans 10:14
[6]
Leo Garrett, Systematic Theology: Biblical, Historical,
and Evangelical (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1995), 109
[7]
Augustus
H. Strong, Systematic Theology, 8th ed.,
rev. and enlarged, 3 vols. (Philadelphia: Griffith and Rowland, 1907–09),
196.
[8]
Garrett, 248.
[9]
Romans 1.
[10]
2 Peter 3:9; Mark
16:15; 2 Corinthians 5:20.
[11]
Romans 10:21; Matthew
23:37.
[12]
1 John 2:2.
[13]
2 Thessalonians 2:10b.
[14]
W.T. Conner, The Faith of the New Testament
(Nashville: Broadman, 1940), 96.
[15]
Southern Baptist Convention, “Baptist Faith and
Message, 2000,” Statement of Faith, http://www.sbc.net/bfm/default.asp
(accessed June 12, 2012).
[16]
Romans 8:15
[17]
Hebrews 1:3 [NIV]
[18]
Southern Baptist Convention, “Baptist Faith and
Message, 2000,” Statement of Faith, http://www.sbc.net/bfm/default.asp
(accessed June 12, 2012).
[20]
2 Corinthians 5:20.
B&H Publishing Group, 2010),
82-83.
[22]
Southern Baptist Convention, “Baptist Faith and
Message, 2000,” Statement of Faith, http://www.sbc.net/bfm/default.asp
(accessed June 12, 2012).
[23]
Hebrews 9:27 [NIV].
[24]
Hebrews 10:30 [NIV].
[25]
Proverbs 17:15 [NIV].
[26]
Titus 1:2
[27]
Hebrews 9:22 [NIV].
[28]
Ray Stedman, IMP New Testament Commentary Series Part 1,
Chapters 1-9 (Downer Grove Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1992), web page,
available from http://www.raystedman.org/hebrews2/heb2comm1.html; Internet;
accessed 2 May 2012.
[29]
Garrett, 292.
[30]
Southern Baptist Convention, “Baptist Faith and
Message, 2000,” Statement of Faith, http://www.sbc.net/bfm/default.asp
(accessed June 12, 2012).
[31]
Southern Baptist Convention, “Baptist Faith and
Message, 2000,” Statement of Faith, http://www.sbc.net/bfm/default.asp
(accessed June 12, 2012).
[32]
Southern Baptist Convention, “Baptist Faith and
Message, 2000,” Statement of Faith, http://www.sbc.net/bfm/default.asp
(accessed June 12, 2012).
[33]
Southern Baptist Convention, “Baptist Faith and
Message, 2000,” Statement of Faith, http://www.sbc.net/bfm/default.asp
(accessed June 12, 2012).
[34]
Garrett, 457.
[35]
Garrett, 459.
[36]
Southern Baptist Convention, “Baptist Faith and
Message, 2000,” Statement of Faith, http://www.sbc.net/bfm/default.asp
(accessed June 12, 2012).
[38]
Southern Baptist Convention, “Baptist Faith and
Message, 2000,” Statement of Faith, http://www.sbc.net/bfm/default.asp
(accessed June 12, 2012).
[39]
Matthew 7:13.
