Main Page: Difference between revisions

From TChapman500.com (The Bible)
Jump to navigation Jump to search
No edit summary
Line 1: Line 1:
__NOTOC__
__NOTOC__
== General Information ==
== General Information ==
The Statement of Faith below contains most of the important doctrines.  Other doctrines are indexed through one of the following links.
The Statement of Faith below contains most of the important doctrines.  Other doctrines are indexed through one of the following links.
Line 7: Line 8:
* [[:Category:Heresies|Heresies]]
* [[:Category:Heresies|Heresies]]


== Statement of Faith ==
== What I Believe ==
[[Jesus|Yeshua]] (Jesus) is both the son of God and is God, yet is also a manHe was born of a virgin, lived a [[Sin|sinless]] life, yet [[Death|died]] a sinner's death and was raised from the dead after being in the grave for three days '''and three nights''', as prophesied in [[https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2012%3A40&version=NKJV Matthew 20:40]].  He then became the first and only person to ascend into [[Heaven]].
I believe that [[Jesus|Yeshua]] (Jesus) is the son of God, the Anointed One (that is, the Messiah/Christ), and is God in the fleshI believe that he was born of a virgin, that he lived a [[Sin|sinless]] life, [[Death|died]] for us, and was raised from the dead after being in the grave for three days '''and three nights''' in accordance with [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2012%3A40&version=NKJV Matthew 20:40], then became the first any only person to go to [[Heaven]].
 
I believe that [[Salvation|salvation]] comes through faith in Yeshua (Jesus) and [[Repentance|repentance]].  I believe that faith produces obedience not only to Yeshua, but also to the one who sent Jesus.  And that this obedience is the proof of faith above even performing miracles in the name of Yeshua.  Repentance is turning from (forsaking) sin and turning to obedience to God, which is not a work, but is a condition of the heart.  Evil works result in condemnation and good works are incapable of saving '''because''' of this condemnation.  It is God who forgives one of bad works, but he only forgives those who turn from their evil works.
 
I teach that something is only a doctrine if it is explicitly defined as such in the [[Bible]].  Whatever is claimed to be a doctrine that is not explicitly defined as such in the Bible is a false doctrine and merely a human teaching.  Likewise, I teach that sin is defined only by [[Torah|God's law]].  Whatever God has forbidden in his law is forever a sin, and whatever is not forbidden in God's law is forever permissible, even if that something is contrary to God's design.  Likewise, I teach only the days defined as holy in God's law are holy, and making any other day holy is setting up a [[Golden Calf]].  Consequently, I believe that the [[Deuteronomy 13 Test]] is the first test to discern false teachers, even over testing if someone acknowledges that Yeshua (Jesus) is the Anointed One or the son of God.  Also, I believe that keeping God's law is the '''only''' definition of loving God.
 
I believe that the [[Deuteronomy 13 Test]] and the [[Deuteronomy 18 Test]] are the first tests for distinguishing between true and false teachers.  Deuteronomy 18 warns against those who speak in the name of other (false) gods while Deuteronomy 13 warns against those who lead people to serve other gods either by blatantly advocating for idolatry, or through deceiving people into not obeying God's Law.  Deuteronomy 13 also defines loving God as keeping his Law and idolatry as rejecting his Law.  If anyone fails either of these tests, then that person (by definition) is teaching idolatry and it is therefore irrelevant if they get any other doctrine correct, including any core doctrines.
 
I believe that [[Genesis]] is the foundation of the [[The Gospel Message|Gospel]] and the rest of the [[Bible]], and that the whole Bible and Gospel message relies on Genesis being a straight-forward, truthful historical account of the beginning of creation.  I believe that the Bible contains the written records of God's words and actions.  I believe that the Bible is a material document while the word of God is itself immaterial.  I believe that calling the Bible "the word of God" is an acceptable but inaccurate oversimplification (but not to be taken literally), and that specifying that it is the "written word of God" is much better.  I also believe that the whole Bible, starting in Genesis, is the final authority in all matters, and that the New Testament must be interpreted in light of the Old Testament.


Anyone who denies that Yeshua is the son of God [[https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20John%204%3A15&version=AKJV 1 John 4:15]], or denies that he came in the flesh [[https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+John+4%3A2-3&version=AKJV 1 John 4:2-3]], or denies that he is the Messiah [[https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20John%202%3A22&version=AKJV 1 John 2:22]] is not part of the [[The Body of the Messiah|Body of the Messiah]] and is a false teacher.  Those who deny that Jesus is God are in error, but are still apart of the Body.  The doctrine that a person must accept the doctrine of the [[Trinity]] in order to be considered part of the Body of the Messiah is false doctrine.
I believe in the [[Resurrection|resurrection]] of the [[Righteousness|righteous]] and of the wicked.  I believe that the resurrection of the righteous unto eternal life on a New Earth will come first, and the resurrection of the wicked will happen later (on [[Judgement Day]]) to answer for every wicked deed that they have done, and to perish in the [[Lake of Fire]].  I believe that human beings '''are''' souls [[https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%202%3A7&version=AKJV Genesis 2:7]], rather than having souls.


[[Salvation]], and forgiveness of sins, comes only through [[Faith]] in Yeshua the MessiahIt cannot come from [[Prayer|prayer]], [[Repentance|repentance]], [[Baptism|baptism]], or obedience to God's Law.  However, nobody who rebels against God's commandments has any salvation until they stop their rebellion.  Obedience to God's commandments proves that your faith is genuine [[https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+2%3A14-26&version=AKJV James 2:14-26]].  Also, trinitarian baptism was added to Scripture and is rejected as a false practiceBaptism is to be done '''only''' in the name of Yeshua (Jesus).
I believe that human beings are made in both the [[Image and Likeness of God|image of God]] and likeness of God.  And that the word "image" always refers to visual representation while the word "likeness" refers to all other shared traitsTherefore, being made in the image of God refers to the human body being made to look like God while being made in the likeness of God means being made to have other traits in common with God, such as emotion, reason, and a drive for justiceI also believe that both the image of God and likeness of God are very good.


The Law of God and the Law of Moses are the same thing.  It is called the "Law of Moses" because God gave his Law through Moses, not because it came from Moses.  The Law of God is also known as "God's Law" or "the Law" (Paul uses this phrase to refer to other laws as well) or "Torah".  The doctrine that the Law of Moses and the Law of God are separate is [[:Category:Heresies|heresy]], and has the sole purpose of justifying rebellion against God's Law.
=== Core Doctrines ===
A core doctrine is any doctrine that is both explicitly defined as a doctrine in the [[Bible]] '''and''' is explicitly stated in the Bible as being a requirement for salvation.  Anyone who denies these doctrines is not a Christian.


Any interpretation of the teachings of the Apostles or of Jesus that involves them nullifying any or all of the commandments in [[Torah]] is rejected as false teaching. Likewise, any teaching that makes obedience to God's Law to be in opposition to the doctrine salvation by grace through faith in Yeshua (Jesus) is [[:Category:Heresies|heresy]] and rejected as a justification for idolatry/willful sin. Jesus and the Apostles taught obedience to God's Law.  And on numerous occasions, Paul specifically warned against using faith and grace as an excuse to refuse to keep God's Law.  Likewise, any interpretation of any work of God that involves God doing something that he has declared as unjust in his Law is an incorrect interpretation of what God has done.
* Yeshua (Jesus) is the son of God [[https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20John%204%3A15&version=AKJV 1 John 4:15]].
* Yeshua (Jesus) has come in the flesh [[https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+John+4%3A2-3&version=AKJV 1 John 4:2-3]].
* Yeshua (Jesus) is the Anointed One (aka:  Messiah/Christ) [[https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20John%202%3A22&version=AKJV 1 John 2:22]].
* Yeshua (Jesus) died and was raised from the dead [[https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%2010%3A9-10&version=NKJV Romans 10:9-10]].
* Salvation is through faith in Yeshua (Jesus) [[https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%203%3A16&version=NKJV John 3:16]] and Yeshua alone [[https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2014%3A6&version=NKJV John 14:6]].
* Obeying God's law is the definition of loving and following God while the rejection of God's law is the definition of idolatry (following false gods) [[https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy%2013%3A1-5&version=NKJV Deuteronomy 13:1-5]].


The whole [[Bible]], starting in [[Genesis]], is the final authority in all mattersThe Bible contains the written record of the Word of God, but is not itself the Word of God, since the Bible is material and the Word of God is immaterialThe doctrine of [[Biblical Inerrancy]] is unbiblical and incorrect, and the Bible is not an "all or nothing book". Inerrancy is only required where a book within the Bible claims to be quoting God directly or giving a historical account of something that God did.
== What I Reject ==
I reject the teaching that one must believe in the [[Trinity]], or must believe that Yeshua (Jesus) is God in order to be a "true Christian"I also reject the claim that we must accept the virgin birth of Jesus or anything else to be a "true Christian" that the Bible does not explicitly require.  I also reject the claim that the Trinity is doctrine or that "it's not mentioned in Scripture but it's concepts are clearly taught".  I reject the practice of using the Trinity as a litmus testFurthermore, teaching that one must believe in the Trinity to be saved is presenting a different [[The Gospel Message|gospel]] than salvation by faith in Yeshua, thereby bringing the curse in [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians%201%3A8-9&version=NKJV Galatians 1:8-9] upon those who teach it.


[[Genesis]] is the foundation of [[Torah]] and the rest of the Bible, and is the foundation of the [[Gospel Message]] of [[Jesus|Yeshua]] the MessiahOnly if Genesis is a truthful account of creation does the rest of the Bible stand.  And only if Genesis is a truthful account of creation is the [[The Gospel Message|Gospel]] of any use.  The rest of Torah is also foundational because sin only exists if God's Law is still in full forceFor sin is the transgression of God's commandmentsAnd where there are no commands to transgress, there is no sinWhere there is no sin, there is no penalty for sinAnd where there is no penalty, there is no need for salvationTorah and the writings of the [[The Prophets|Prophets]] point towards [[Jesus|Yeshua]] and the [[Gospel Writing|Gospels]] prove that God's promises of salvation have been fulfilled.  But the Gospel writings, like Genesis, must be truthful eyewitness accounts in order to be of any value.
I reject the teaching that Yeshua (Jesus) did away with God's law, as he clearly stated in places like [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%205%3A17-20&version=NKJV Matthew 5:17-20] that he did not abolish the law, and said that there would be consequences for those who taught such things.  [[Deuteronomy 13 Test|Deuteronomy 13:1-5]] also makes it clear that Yeshua cannot be the Messiah if he abolished God's lawLikewise, I reject the claim that Paul taught against God's lawI also reject the division of the law into "moral law", "ceremonial law", and "civil law"Likewise, I reject the distinction of the "Mosaic law"/"law of Moses" from the "law of God"The whole law is from God while Moses was merely the vessel that God used to deliver his law to usLikewise, I reject the teaching that the law of God is restricted only to the [[The Ten Commandments|Ten Commandments]]


The [[Deuteronomy 13 Test]] and the [[Deuteronomy 18 Test]] are the first tests for distinguishing between true and false teachersDeuteronomy 18 warns against those who speak in the name of other (false) gods while Deuteronomy 13 warns against those who lead people to serve other gods either by blatantly advocating for idolatry, or through deceiving people into not obeying God's LawDeuteronomy 13 also defines loving God as keeping his Law and idolatry as rejecting his LawIf anyone fails any of these two tests, then what they believe concerning the deity of Jesus is irrelevant, for such people, '''by definition''', are leading people to serve false gods.
I reject the doctrine of [[Penal Substitutionary Atonement]] as a perversion of the [[Gospel]], a perversion of God's love and motives for providing a path to salvation, and a perversion of justiceLikewise, I also reject [[Total Depravity]] and [[Infant Damnation]]I also reject [[Dispensationalism]], [[The Rapture]], and [[Calvinism]]I also reject infant baptism along with any form of baptism that does not involve submerging the whole body in water, or baptism that is not done in the name of Jesus alone ([[False Scriptures|Matthew 28:19]] was changed from "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations in my name").


Yeshua did not come to do away with the Law of God or in any way make it so that God's Law is not in full forceOn the contrary, he warned many times against setting aside the commandments of God, such as in [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+5%3A17-20&version=NASB Matthew 5:17-20] and [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+7%3A6-13&version=NASB Mark 7:6-13]And commanded us to live on every word that comes from the mouth of God [[https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+4%3A4&version=NASB Matthew 4:4]].  Those who claim that [[Christian|Christians]] don't need to keep the Law fail the [[Deuteronomy 13 Test]] and lead people into [[Idolatry|idolatry]], which is serving/worshiping other (false) gods.  Furthermore, the division of the Law into "moral", "civil", and "ceremonial" laws is [[:Category:Heresies|heresy]] and exists solely to justify rebellion against GodThe only correct way to divide God's Law is into commands for how to love God, and commands for how to love others [[https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2022%3A36-40&version=NASB Matthew 22:36-40]].  The commands concerning how to love God are falsely labeled as the "ceremonial law" in order to justify rebellion.
As stated above, only the days God declared as holy in his law are holyTherefore, I reject all extrabiblical holidays that are used to honor God, including Sunday [[Sabbath]], Christmas, Good Friday, Easter, Palm Sunday, Halloween, and Valentine's DayAll of which are idolatrous and therefore dishonor God regardless of the heart of the observer, and (with the exception of Palm Sunday) are of pagan origin with all of their practices being paganism dressed in Christian clothingExtrabiblical holidays for purposes not related to honoring God (or a false god), such as birthdays, are okay.


God's name is '''not''' "Yehovah" or "Jahovah".  That name originated by putting the vowel points of the Hebrew word "adonai" (literally means "lord") onto the tetragramaton.  The scribes deliberately put the wrong vowel points on the name of God to remind the reader to never say God's name, lest they "accidentally mispronounce" it, thereby "profaning the name of God".  Of course, this means if the reader does pronounce the name according to the vowel points, then he/she is doing exactly that.  The correct name of God is '''probably''' Yahweh.  The name "Yahovah"/"Jahovah" is rejected as a profaning of God's holy name.  Furthermore, any name for God that cannot be spelled with "YHWH" in that order with exactly two or three vowels between those letters is rejected as the name of another (false) god.  Using "adonai" (a title) as a substitute for God's real name is unacceptable.  Nevertheless, Yahweh is correctly referred to as "the Lord".
God's name is '''not''' "Yehovah" or "Jehovah".  That name originated by putting the vowel points of the Hebrew word "adonai" (literally means "lord") onto the tetragrammaton.  The scribes deliberately put the wrong vowel points on the name of God to remind the reader to never say God's name, lest they "accidentally mispronounce" it, thereby "profaning the name of God".  Of course, this means if the reader does pronounce the name according to the vowel points, then he/she is doing exactly that.  The correct name of God is '''probably''' Yahweh.  The name "Yehovah"/"Jehovah" is rejected as a profaning of God's holy name.  Furthermore, any name for God that cannot be spelled with "YHWH" in that order with exactly two or three vowels between those letters is rejected as the name of another (false) god.  Using "adonai" (a title) as a substitute for God's real name is unacceptable.  Nevertheless, Yahweh is correctly referred to as "the Lord".


The name of Jesus in Hebrew is "Yeshua", which is a contracted form of the word "Yehoshua".  "Yehoshua" is Hebrew for "God saves" or "God is salvation".  Therefore, using "Yehoshua" to refer to the Messiah is acceptable, but "Yeshua" is preferable when using his Hebrew name.  All other "Hebrew names" used to refer to our Lord are rejected as the name of another (false) god.  It does not matter if you refer to the Lord by his Hebrew name, or by his name in your native language.  For example, usage of either "Yeshua" or "Jesus" to refer to the Lord are equally acceptable.
The name of Jesus in Hebrew is "Yeshua", which is a contracted form of the word "Yehoshua".  "Yehoshua" is Hebrew for "God saves" or "God is salvation".  Therefore, using "Yehoshua" to refer to the Messiah is acceptable, but "Yeshua" is preferable when using his Hebrew name.  I reject all other "Hebrew names" used to refer to our Lord as the name of another (false) god.  I also reject any claim that you must refer to the Lord only by his Hebrew name.


Only the holidays listed in [[Torah]] are acceptable to use to honor/worship God, and only in the manner instructed in God's LawExtrabiblical holidays (and extrabiblical additions to biblical holidays) used to honor/worship God are idolatry by definition and only dishonor GodExtrabiblical holidays for other purposes (eg: birthdays) which do not involve worship of any god are okayWhat is not okay, is adapting a pagan holiday for any purposeValentine's Day, Good Friday, Easter, Halloween, Christmas, and the Sunday Sabbath are all pagan holidays, along with anything that originates in the Catholic Church.
I reject the doctrine that the [[Bible]] is '''literally''' the Word of God.  The Word of God is immaterial and is alive ([https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews%204%3A12&version=NKJV Hebrews 4:12]).  The Bible however, is a material document that contains records of what God has spoken (see above).  I also reject as Trojans the doctrines that the Bible is [[Biblical Inerrancy|without error or contradiction]], and the doctrine that every word in the Bible is exactly what God has dictatedThe rejection of these teachings in no way diminishes the importance of Scripture, but the acceptance of these teachings is destructive to the faith.  Essentially, I reject most forms of fundamentalism as being destructive to the faith, as it interferes with one's God-given ability evaluate the evidence.


The [[Image of God]] and the [[Likeness of God]] are separate concepts and are not to be conflated.  The former refers to what the human form looks like (as the word "image" always refers to a visual representation) while the later refers mankind being like God in other ways.  The conflation of the Image of God with the Likeness of God, and the nullification of the literal meaning of "the Image of God", is a serious error and is one of the primary reasons why the [[Pornography|pornography]] industry exists.  The other primary reason is the satanic lie that the human body is inherently "obscene", "indescent", or "inappropriate" and must therefore be hidden from the view of others, especially from children or members of the opposite gender (save between spouces).  Like everything else that God created, the human form is very good and is supposed to be seen by others (for images are made to be seen)The doctrine that the Image of God was in any way lost or marred by [[The Fall]] is [[:Category:Heresies|heresy]].  Furthermore, there is no biblical general mandate for clothing.  Making what God did in [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+3%3A21&version=AKJV Genesis 3:21] into a mandate is reading into the textAnd the phrases "uncover/see someone's nakedness" is a [[Hebrew Idiom]] which always refers to a male-to-female sexual relationship.  And it never refers to someone seeing or causing another person to be naked, with the exception of [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+9%3A23&version=AKJV Genesis 9:23], where the literal meaning is used '''in addition to''' the idiomatic meaning.
I reject as [[:Category:Heresy|Heresy]] the doctrine of the [[Afterlife]], the doctrine of [[Eternal Conscience Torment]], and the doctrine that the righteous go to [[Heaven]] when they dieI also reject the doctrine of [[Soul Sleep]], as the Bible clearly states that souls die [[https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ezekiel%2018%3A4&version=NKJV Ezekiel 18:4]].  I also reject completely the doctrine that human beings have a dualistic nature of body plus soul (it's body plus breath equals soul [[https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%202%3A7&version=AKJV Genesis 2:7]]), and the doctrine that "soul" and "spirit" are interchangeable or that they have a supernatural nature to them.  As a side note, I reject the teaching that all spirits necessarily have a supernatural or formless nature to them, as the word for "spirit" simply means "wind" and can describe anything that is not seen, but has effects that are seen.


The doctrine of the [[Afterlife]] is [[:Category:Heresies|heresy]].  From the beginning [[https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+3%3A19&version=AKJV Genesis 3:19]], God has made it clear that when a person dies, that person returns to dust.  The righteous do not go to [[Heaven]] when they die, nor do the wicked burn in [[Hell]] when they die.  Both return to dust until the first or second [[Resurrection|resurrections]].  The first resurrection will be at Yeshua's (Jesus) second coming, where the righteous will be raised to eternal life.  And the second resurrection will come after the Thousand-Year Reign of Yeshua, where the wicked will be raised to give an account of all of their sins, then be thrown into the [[Lake of Fire]] where they will perish.  The doctrine that the wicked burn forever in eternal, conscience torment is a heresy which has tainted the translation of Scripture, particularly the book of Revelations.  Yeshua promised a resurrection and eternal life for those who believe in him, not Heaven.
I reject the doctrine that the [[Image and Likeness of God|image of God]] was lost or marred by [[The Fall|the Fall]], or the doctrine that "image" and "likeness" in this context are synonymousI also reject the doctrine that modesty is in any way about covering up the human body.  Rather, as defined in [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Timothy%202%3A9-10&version=NKJV 1 Timothy 2:9-10], is about putting on humility, self-control, and Good works; taking off attention-seeking pride and the flaunting of wealth.

Revision as of 04:01, 6 May 2025


General Information

The Statement of Faith below contains most of the important doctrines. Other doctrines are indexed through one of the following links.

What I Believe

I believe that Yeshua (Jesus) is the son of God, the Anointed One (that is, the Messiah/Christ), and is God in the flesh. I believe that he was born of a virgin, that he lived a sinless life, died for us, and was raised from the dead after being in the grave for three days and three nights in accordance with Matthew 20:40, then became the first any only person to go to Heaven.

I believe that salvation comes through faith in Yeshua (Jesus) and repentance. I believe that faith produces obedience not only to Yeshua, but also to the one who sent Jesus. And that this obedience is the proof of faith above even performing miracles in the name of Yeshua. Repentance is turning from (forsaking) sin and turning to obedience to God, which is not a work, but is a condition of the heart. Evil works result in condemnation and good works are incapable of saving because of this condemnation. It is God who forgives one of bad works, but he only forgives those who turn from their evil works.

I teach that something is only a doctrine if it is explicitly defined as such in the Bible. Whatever is claimed to be a doctrine that is not explicitly defined as such in the Bible is a false doctrine and merely a human teaching. Likewise, I teach that sin is defined only by God's law. Whatever God has forbidden in his law is forever a sin, and whatever is not forbidden in God's law is forever permissible, even if that something is contrary to God's design. Likewise, I teach only the days defined as holy in God's law are holy, and making any other day holy is setting up a Golden Calf. Consequently, I believe that the Deuteronomy 13 Test is the first test to discern false teachers, even over testing if someone acknowledges that Yeshua (Jesus) is the Anointed One or the son of God. Also, I believe that keeping God's law is the only definition of loving God.

I believe that the Deuteronomy 13 Test and the Deuteronomy 18 Test are the first tests for distinguishing between true and false teachers. Deuteronomy 18 warns against those who speak in the name of other (false) gods while Deuteronomy 13 warns against those who lead people to serve other gods either by blatantly advocating for idolatry, or through deceiving people into not obeying God's Law. Deuteronomy 13 also defines loving God as keeping his Law and idolatry as rejecting his Law. If anyone fails either of these tests, then that person (by definition) is teaching idolatry and it is therefore irrelevant if they get any other doctrine correct, including any core doctrines.

I believe that Genesis is the foundation of the Gospel and the rest of the Bible, and that the whole Bible and Gospel message relies on Genesis being a straight-forward, truthful historical account of the beginning of creation. I believe that the Bible contains the written records of God's words and actions. I believe that the Bible is a material document while the word of God is itself immaterial. I believe that calling the Bible "the word of God" is an acceptable but inaccurate oversimplification (but not to be taken literally), and that specifying that it is the "written word of God" is much better. I also believe that the whole Bible, starting in Genesis, is the final authority in all matters, and that the New Testament must be interpreted in light of the Old Testament.

I believe in the resurrection of the righteous and of the wicked. I believe that the resurrection of the righteous unto eternal life on a New Earth will come first, and the resurrection of the wicked will happen later (on Judgement Day) to answer for every wicked deed that they have done, and to perish in the Lake of Fire. I believe that human beings are souls [Genesis 2:7], rather than having souls.

I believe that human beings are made in both the image of God and likeness of God. And that the word "image" always refers to visual representation while the word "likeness" refers to all other shared traits. Therefore, being made in the image of God refers to the human body being made to look like God while being made in the likeness of God means being made to have other traits in common with God, such as emotion, reason, and a drive for justice. I also believe that both the image of God and likeness of God are very good.

Core Doctrines

A core doctrine is any doctrine that is both explicitly defined as a doctrine in the Bible and is explicitly stated in the Bible as being a requirement for salvation. Anyone who denies these doctrines is not a Christian.

  • Yeshua (Jesus) is the son of God [1 John 4:15].
  • Yeshua (Jesus) has come in the flesh [1 John 4:2-3].
  • Yeshua (Jesus) is the Anointed One (aka: Messiah/Christ) [1 John 2:22].
  • Yeshua (Jesus) died and was raised from the dead [Romans 10:9-10].
  • Salvation is through faith in Yeshua (Jesus) [John 3:16] and Yeshua alone [John 14:6].
  • Obeying God's law is the definition of loving and following God while the rejection of God's law is the definition of idolatry (following false gods) [Deuteronomy 13:1-5].

What I Reject

I reject the teaching that one must believe in the Trinity, or must believe that Yeshua (Jesus) is God in order to be a "true Christian". I also reject the claim that we must accept the virgin birth of Jesus or anything else to be a "true Christian" that the Bible does not explicitly require. I also reject the claim that the Trinity is doctrine or that "it's not mentioned in Scripture but it's concepts are clearly taught". I reject the practice of using the Trinity as a litmus test. Furthermore, teaching that one must believe in the Trinity to be saved is presenting a different gospel than salvation by faith in Yeshua, thereby bringing the curse in Galatians 1:8-9 upon those who teach it.

I reject the teaching that Yeshua (Jesus) did away with God's law, as he clearly stated in places like Matthew 5:17-20 that he did not abolish the law, and said that there would be consequences for those who taught such things. Deuteronomy 13:1-5 also makes it clear that Yeshua cannot be the Messiah if he abolished God's law. Likewise, I reject the claim that Paul taught against God's law. I also reject the division of the law into "moral law", "ceremonial law", and "civil law". Likewise, I reject the distinction of the "Mosaic law"/"law of Moses" from the "law of God". The whole law is from God while Moses was merely the vessel that God used to deliver his law to us. Likewise, I reject the teaching that the law of God is restricted only to the Ten Commandments

I reject the doctrine of Penal Substitutionary Atonement as a perversion of the Gospel, a perversion of God's love and motives for providing a path to salvation, and a perversion of justice. Likewise, I also reject Total Depravity and Infant Damnation. I also reject Dispensationalism, The Rapture, and Calvinism. I also reject infant baptism along with any form of baptism that does not involve submerging the whole body in water, or baptism that is not done in the name of Jesus alone (Matthew 28:19 was changed from "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations in my name").

As stated above, only the days God declared as holy in his law are holy. Therefore, I reject all extrabiblical holidays that are used to honor God, including Sunday Sabbath, Christmas, Good Friday, Easter, Palm Sunday, Halloween, and Valentine's Day. All of which are idolatrous and therefore dishonor God regardless of the heart of the observer, and (with the exception of Palm Sunday) are of pagan origin with all of their practices being paganism dressed in Christian clothing. Extrabiblical holidays for purposes not related to honoring God (or a false god), such as birthdays, are okay.

God's name is not "Yehovah" or "Jehovah". That name originated by putting the vowel points of the Hebrew word "adonai" (literally means "lord") onto the tetragrammaton. The scribes deliberately put the wrong vowel points on the name of God to remind the reader to never say God's name, lest they "accidentally mispronounce" it, thereby "profaning the name of God". Of course, this means if the reader does pronounce the name according to the vowel points, then he/she is doing exactly that. The correct name of God is probably Yahweh. The name "Yehovah"/"Jehovah" is rejected as a profaning of God's holy name. Furthermore, any name for God that cannot be spelled with "YHWH" in that order with exactly two or three vowels between those letters is rejected as the name of another (false) god. Using "adonai" (a title) as a substitute for God's real name is unacceptable. Nevertheless, Yahweh is correctly referred to as "the Lord".

The name of Jesus in Hebrew is "Yeshua", which is a contracted form of the word "Yehoshua". "Yehoshua" is Hebrew for "God saves" or "God is salvation". Therefore, using "Yehoshua" to refer to the Messiah is acceptable, but "Yeshua" is preferable when using his Hebrew name. I reject all other "Hebrew names" used to refer to our Lord as the name of another (false) god. I also reject any claim that you must refer to the Lord only by his Hebrew name.

I reject the doctrine that the Bible is literally the Word of God. The Word of God is immaterial and is alive (Hebrews 4:12). The Bible however, is a material document that contains records of what God has spoken (see above). I also reject as Trojans the doctrines that the Bible is without error or contradiction, and the doctrine that every word in the Bible is exactly what God has dictated. The rejection of these teachings in no way diminishes the importance of Scripture, but the acceptance of these teachings is destructive to the faith. Essentially, I reject most forms of fundamentalism as being destructive to the faith, as it interferes with one's God-given ability evaluate the evidence.

I reject as Heresy the doctrine of the Afterlife, the doctrine of Eternal Conscience Torment, and the doctrine that the righteous go to Heaven when they die. I also reject the doctrine of Soul Sleep, as the Bible clearly states that souls die [Ezekiel 18:4]. I also reject completely the doctrine that human beings have a dualistic nature of body plus soul (it's body plus breath equals soul [Genesis 2:7]), and the doctrine that "soul" and "spirit" are interchangeable or that they have a supernatural nature to them. As a side note, I reject the teaching that all spirits necessarily have a supernatural or formless nature to them, as the word for "spirit" simply means "wind" and can describe anything that is not seen, but has effects that are seen.

I reject the doctrine that the image of God was lost or marred by the Fall, or the doctrine that "image" and "likeness" in this context are synonymous. I also reject the doctrine that modesty is in any way about covering up the human body. Rather, as defined in 1 Timothy 2:9-10, is about putting on humility, self-control, and Good works; taking off attention-seeking pride and the flaunting of wealth.