- Maranatha Baptist Church is an independent, fundamental, Baptist Church. As such, the Church is opposed by conviction to any type of ecclesiastical compromise, alliance, or cooperation with liberalism, neo-orthodoxy, neo-evangelicalism, and charismatic renewal. Due to its independent status, the Church may not join a convention or any type of hierarchal organisation.
- The Church holds to and is characterized by certain historic Baptist principles:
a. The absolute authority of the Bible (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:19-21).
b. Regenerate Church membership (Rom. 1:7; 1 Cor. 1:2; 1 Pet. 1:2, 22-23).
c. The ordinances of believer’s baptism by immersion (Acts 2:41; 8:12;
Rom. 6:4), and “closed” Communion (Matt. 26:26-28; 1 Cor. 11:23-34).
d. Autonomy of the local Church (Acts 6:5; 1 Cor. 16:1-3; Acts 15:22-23).
e. The priesthood of the believer and soul liberty (1 Pet. 2:5, 9; Rev. 1:6,
Acts 15:23-29; Gal. 2:3-5, 5:1; 2 Cor. 3:17).
f. Separation of Church and state (Matt. 22:21; Rom. 13:1-7).
As members of the Church, we subscribe to the following Doctrines and Practices of the Christian Faith in accordance with Scriptures.
SECTION A – DOCTRINES
A. The Holy Bible - We BELIEVE in the plenary, verbal, Divine inspiration of the sixty-six canonical
books of the Old and the New Testaments (from Genesis to Revelation) in the
original languages, and in their consequent infallibility and inerrancy in all matters
of which they speak (2 Tim 3:16-17; 2 Pet 1:21; 1 Thess 2:13). The books known
as the Apocrypha, however, are not the inspired Word of God in any sense
whatsoever. As the Bible uses it, the term “inspiration” refers to the writings, not
the writers (2 Tim 3:16-17); the writers are spoken of as being “holy men of God”
who were “moved,” “carried” or “borne” along by the Holy Spirit (2 Pet 1:21) in such
a definite way that their writings were supernaturally, plenarily, and verbally
inspired, free from any error, infallible, and inerrant, as no other writings have ever
been or ever will be inspired. - We BELIEVE that the Texts which are the closest to the original autographs of the
Bible are the Traditional Masoretic Hebrew Text for the Old Testament, and the
traditional Greek Text for the New Testament underlying the King James Version
(as found in “The Greek Text Underlying The English Authorized Version of 1611”). - We, believe that the King James Version (or Authorized Version) of the English
Bible is a true, faithful, and accurate translation of these two providentially
preserved Texts, which in our time has no equal among all of the other English
Translations. The translators did such a fine job in their translation task that we can
without apology hold up the Authorized Version of 1611 and say “This is the WORD
OF GOD!” while at the same time realizing that, in some verses, we must go back
to the underlying original language Texts for complete clarity, and also compare
Scripture with Scripture. - We BELIEVE that all the verses in the King James Version belong in the Old and
the New Testaments because they represent words we believe were in the original
texts, although there might be other renderings from the original languages which
could also be acceptable to us today. For an exhaustive study of any of the words
or verses in the Bible, we urge the student to return directly to the Traditional
Masoretic Hebrew Text and the Traditional Received Greek Text rather than to any
other translation for help.
B. The True God - WE BELIEVE in one God, co-existing eternally in three persons – Father, Son and
Holy Spirit. (Deut 6:4; Gen 1:1; 1 John 5:7)
C. Jesus Christ - WE BELIEVE in the eternal deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, born of
virgin Mary, became man without ceasing to be God, and that He lived a perfect
and sinless life on earth and is crucified, buried and in the third day rose again, in
order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful man. (John 1:1, 14,18; 1 Tim
3:16; Isa 7:14, Matt 1:22,23; 1 John 3:5; Heb 4:15; 1 Cor 15:1-3; Rom 4:25) - We BELIEVE that the Lord Jesus Christ after resurrection appeared physically
before many witnesses and after forty days ascended to Heaven and is now seated
at the right hand of the Father interceding for the saints. (Acts 1: 1-11; Heb 4:16) - WE BELIEVE in the personal, visible, bodily and imminent return of the Lord Jesus
Christ, and that His second coming is essential to the fulfillment of God’s plan for
all mankind. (Acts 1:9-11; 1 Cor 15:24; Rev 20:4, 6) - We BELIEVE in the pre-tribulation rapture of the Church in which Jesus Christ calls
all believers from the earth to meet Him in the air to be taken to Heaven. This will
be followed by a seven-year Tribulation period that will culminate by the
premillennial, bodily return of Jesus Christ to earth to judge the earth and set up a
literal one-thousand-year Millennial Kingdom. This will end with the Great White
Throne Judgment that will be followed by Eternity. (1 Thess 4:13-18; John 14:1-3;
Dan 9:24-27; Rev 6-19, 20:1-7, 11-15; Rev 21-22; Matt 24:29-31)
D. The Holy Spirit - WE BELIEVE in the personality and deity of the Holy Spirit that it is by His energy
that sinners are brought under conviction of sin and are drawn to Christ for
salvation, that through Him, men are regenerated and sanctified that by him the
Saints are indwell with the divine presence, and that by His endowment and
endowment, God’s people are enable to serve the Lord acceptably. WE BELIEVE
that He is the Divine Witness, Seal, Earnest, Anointing, Guide, Teacher, and
Administrator. (John 16: 7–11)
E. Man and Sin, and Man’s Need for Salvation - WE BELIEVE that man is sinful by nature and choice and is totally unable to
remedy his lost condition except with the Grace of God. (Ps 51:5; Rom 3:23) - WE BELIEVE that salvation of man’s eternal being is the effect of regeneration or
spiritual rebirth brought about by the Holy Spirit of God and is the gift of God
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granted to sinful man by the grace of God through repentance toward God and
personal faith in Jesus Christ, whose atoning blood was shed on the cross once
and for all for the forgiveness of sins. (Acts 20:21; Eph 1:13, 2:8-9; John 5:24, 6:40;
Rom 6:23, 10:9-13; Heb 9:22, 10:10) - WE BELIEVE that the divine gift of tongues which was used primarily as a sign to
the unbelieving Jews and secondarily for edification in the Church in the absence
Scriptures, was terminated and never to reappear when its uses were over as can
be seen in the scattering of the nation of Israel in AD70 and in the completion of
the canon. The speaking of tongues is not essential to the salvation of man nor is
it an essential sign of the infilling of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:1-4;
1 Cor 14:21; Deut 28:49; Isa 28:11-12; Jer 5:15)
G. The Spiritual Priesthood of all Believers - We hold to the distinctive of a “Royal Priesthood of all believers”, with Christ as our
Great High priest and every believer given the privilege of access to the throne and
the offering of spiritual sacrifices acceptable through our Lord Jesus Christ.
(1 Pet 5:9; Rev 1:6; 5:10; 20:6; Heb 13:15-16; 1 Tim 2:1-2)
H. The Church and its Ordinances (Baptism and the Lord’s Supper) - WE BELIEVE the Church to be a body of baptised believers associated by a
covenant of faith and fellowship of the Gospel. and that this body is visible, having
absolute right of the Gospel, and that this body is visible, having absolute right of
self-government. (Matt 16:18; Acts 2:41) - WE BELIEVE in the absolute necessity of maintaining the purity and unity of the
local Church, according to the Word of God, in doctrine, discipline and practice by
those who are members of the Church by virtue of their obedience to Christ in
salvation and water baptism. (1 Cor 1:8) - WE BELIEVE in the water baptism of believers which symbolizes the believer’s
union with Jesus Christ in his death, burial and resurrection. (Rom 6:1-4;
1 Cor 15:1-3) - WE BELIEVE that in the Lord’s Supper the members and only members of the
local Church by the sacred use of the bread and cup containing the fruit of the vine,
are to commemorate together the sacrifice the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for us; and
preceded always by solemn self-examination. The observance of the Lord’s
Supper commemorates and proclaims the Sacrifice of our Savior for all mankind
till His return. (Matt 26:26-30; 1 Cor 11: 23-31)
I. Personal and Ecclesiastical Separation - WE BELIEVE that the life of the believer is to be separated from worldliness by
consistent Christian living and conduct before God and man, and to be in the world
as a witness to the life-giving Light. (1 John 2:15-17; 1 Pet 1:16,17; 2 Cor 6;14-18) - WE BELIEVE that it is unscriptural for Churches of unlike faith to cooperate with
one another to perpetuate the Lord’s Work as unity without doctrinal agreement is
gross disobedience in the sight of God Almighty. (Rom 16:17)
16 - WE BELIEVE in the principles of the unequal yoke and of unadulterated truth. Here
the spiritual law of opposites is set forth and the believer is commanded to come
out, to be separate and to not touch the unclean thing. The “way of Cain”, the “error
of Balaam” and the “gainsaying of Korah” set forth the basic elements of apostasy
at any time, and especially during the end of the Church age. The antidote is found
in 2 Timothy 4:1-2. (2 Cor 6:11-18; Deut 22:9-12, Jude 3; Tit 1:9-16).
J. Separation of Church and State; Role of Civil Government - WE BELIEVE that the Church and state are two different institutions ordained by
God for different purposes and as such they should remain separate during this
present world. (Matt 22:21) - WE BELIEVE that civil government is of divine appointment, for the interests and
good order of human society; that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously
honored and obeyed; except only in the things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus
Christ who is the Lord of our conscience. (Rom 13:1; Acts 5:29; Rom 13:7;
1 Pet 2:13-14)
SECTION B – PRACTICES - BAPTISM: The observance of the Baptism of believers is by immersion on personal
confession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. (Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 2:41; 8:35-38;
10:44-48) - THE LORD’S SUPPER: The remembrance of the Lord’s death through the Lord’s
Supper shall be observed regularly, and all baptised members in the local Church
whose conduct is consistent with their confession of their faith shall be received at
the Lord’s table. (Luke 22:14-29; Acts 2:42, 46; 20:7; Rom. 14:1-9; 15:7;
1 Cor. 5:6-8; 11:23-26) - FELLOWSHIP AND DISCIPLESHIP: Every member subject to the worship of
Christ shall participate in fellowship, prayer and instruction of believers and the
exercise of spiritual gifts for the edification of the Church. (Rom. 12:6-8;
1 Cor. 12; Eph 4:1-16; Heb 10:23-25; 1 Peter 4:7-11) - EVANGELISM & MISSION: The local Church in obedience to the Lord Jesus
Christ, both as individual and collective witnesses, shall proclaim the gospel to their
families, immediate neighbor, nation as well as to regions beyond.
(Matt. 28:18-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:44-48; Acts 1:8; 1 Peter 2:9; 3:15) - STEWARDSHIP: Every member has the responsibility and privilege to contribute
of his gifts, talents, time and resources to the work of God and the extension of His
Kingdom. It is also the responsibility and privilege of each member to tithe and
contribute willingly, regularly and generously according to his ability as God
enables. (Rom. 12:1-13; 1 Cor. 6:19-20; 16:1-2; 1 Cor. 8 & 9) - LEADERSHIP: The Pastors, Elders or Bishops, hencefore Pastors (Acts 14:23,
Phil 1:1, Jas 5:14), are God’s appointed overseers of the Church and as such are
under a serving responsibility to take this with propriety and honor, to dispatch their responsibility and duties faithfully with the prime objective of “shepherding the flock” as Christ would desire.
a. The Pastors’ qualification for office is specified in 1 Tim. 3:1-7 and duties are
outlined in 1 Peter 5:1-3. The Pastors as enjoined by scripture shall receive due
respect and recognition by all Church members (1 Tim. 5:17-19).
b. The Deacons’ qualification for office is specified in 1 Tim. 3:8-13; and duties
involve their assisting the Pastors in the administration and Service of the
Church (Acts 6:1-4). - WORSHIP: All members shall meet regularly for the public worship of God the
Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and shall maintain family and personal devotion
(Ps. 27:4; Heb. 10:24, 25; Song 1:6; Ps 122:1; Ps. 1:1-3). Music is a vital part of
worship. It is clearly taught in Scripture that God wants us to sing unto the Lord
with all our hearts, and to make a joyful noise unto the Lord. We are to use psalms,
hymns and spiritual songs, where lyrics should be consistent with biblical doctrine
and the music consistent with the lyrics, intention and presentation of the song
(Ps 95:1-2, 100:1-2; Eph 5:19; Col 3:16).
Maranatha Baptist Church