Doctrinal
Statement
1.
The Divine Authority & Inspiration of Scriptures.
We believe the Holy Bible to be “The Holy Scriptures”
as set forth in 2 Timothy 3;15, and as such are “given by
inspiration of God” (vs. 16), and therefore infallible,
perfect, without error and Holy. By Holy Bible we mean that collection
of sixty six books “containing the Old and New Testaments
translated out of the Original tongues and with the former translations
diligently compared and revised by His Majesty’s command
and appointed to be read in churches”, commonly called the
King James Bible, or Authorized Version of 1611 A.D.
2.
The Trinity of God.
We believe that there is only one God and Father (Ephesians 4;6/
1 Corinthians 8:4-6), and such a Blessed God and Saviour exists
eternally in three persons; God the Father, God the Son, and God
the Holy Ghost (Matthew 28:19). We believe that these Three are
the One and Only True and Wise God (Exodus 20:1, 2/ 1 Corinthians
12:3/ 2 Corinthians 3:17).
3.
The Deity & Virgin Birth of Jesus Christ.
We believe that Jesus Christ is God Almighty (John 10:30/ 1 Timothy
3:16/ John 1:1, 14/ Acts 20:28/ 1 Timothy 1:1), and has, does,
and shall eternally exist as the Son of God (Proverbs 30:4/ Daniel
3:25/ John 11:27/ 3:16). We believe Jesus Christ, as the Son of
God, took upon himself the likeness of sinful flesh (Romans 8:3),
being born of a virgin (Matthew 1:18-25/ Luke 1:26, 27), which
birth was altogether supernatural and miraculous, not being the
result of man’s seed (Luke 1:34), but of the Holy Ghost
(see Matthew 1:18-20).
4.
Salvation.
We believe that salvation in this age is the free gift of eternal
life from God (Romans 6:23), which is only given of God to the
sinner who being sorry for his sins after a godly sort (2 Corinthians
7:10, 11) repents, and turns to God (Acts 26:20) by believing
on Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, through the actual “faith
of Christ” (Galatians 3:22-25), which faith is itself “the
gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8, 9). We believe no one is saved
by simply claiming they are, or praying they are, when they have
not yet repented of their sin and turned to God, and brought forth
fruits meets for repentance (Acts 26:20/ 20:21/ 2 Timothy 2:25)
as evidence of the transforming work of God in their lives. As
strict Bible believers, we hold that no one can believe on the
Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 16:31) without “the faith of Jesus
Christ” (Galatians 3:22-25), and the proof of such is seen
daily in the lives of those who “profess that they know
God; but in works they deny him” (Titus 1:16), having not
“that faith” (Galatians 3:25) “which was once
delivered to the saints” (Jude 3); going to church while
“having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from
sin” (2 Peter 2:14) having “believed in vain”
(1 Corinthians 15:2) with the fantastical belief of devils (James
2:19) and not of God alone. Faith alone justifies (Romans 3:28/
Galatians 3:11), but not that faith which is alone (James 2:17).
5.
The Necessity, Effect and Meaning of Preaching.
We believe “it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching
to save them that believe” (1 Corinthians 1:21), and that
God Almighty “hath in due times manifested his word through
preaching” (Titus 1:3), the job of which He commits unto
men “called” and “sent” (1 Corinthians
1:17-26), and that such calling is a spiritual “vocation
wherewith we are called” (Ephesians 4:1) and gifted to minister
therein (vs. 8-12). We hold the absolute necessity of the preaching
of the gospel of Jesus Christ as the instrument of salvation in
each person’s life (Romans 10:13, 14/ 1 Corinthians 3:5/
15:1, 2), for it is “power of God” unto salvation
(1 Corinthians 1:18). As such, we hold that preaching is a unique,
and God inspired form of verbal communication that is distinguished
from all other forms of vocal communication. True preaching is
the forceful, verbal delivery of a specific Bible truth, wherein
the minister of God is commanded to “cry aloud, spare not,
lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression”
(Isaiah 58:1).
6.
Obedience to God before Man.
We believe with all our hearts that “we ought to obey God
rather than men” (Acts 5:29), and that in matters of conflict
between God’s command in our lives and the regulatory edicts
of man forbidding obedience to God, let others judge “whether
it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto man more than
unto God” (Acts 4:19). But “we cannot but speak the
things which we have seen and heard” (vs. 20). In balancing
these conflicts, it is the conscientious belief of the Street
Preachers’ Fellowship, that the Bible commands us to obey
God (Acts 5:29), and yet “be subject unto the higher powers”
(Romans 13:1) “not only for wrath, but also for conscience
sake” (vs. 5). By such, the Guild and its members shall
steadfastly obey God in continuing to preach the gospel to every
creature (Mark 16:15), and yet shall not resist the powers that
arrest us for doing so (Romans 13:2). However, the preaching of
the cross of Christ shall continue even unto “bonds, and
in the defense and confirmation of the gospel” (Philippians
1:7), knowing that by such, “many of the brethren in the
Lord, waxing confident by our bonds, are much more bold to speak
the word without fear” (vs. 14). Each member therefore,
shall “obey magistrates” (Titus 3:1) when called before
them to give account of our preaching, and shall with much “honour
to whom honour is do” (Romans 13:7) “answer for himself
…touching all the things whereof he is accused” (Acts
26:2).
7.
Remembering Them That are in Bonds.
We are commanded of God to “remember them that are in bonds,
as bound with them” (Hebrews 13:1), and that imprisonments
are and should be a common occurrence for the ministers of Christ
in such a wicked world we live, if we have proven ourselves as
the ministers of God by scripture and the power of God, and not
by our pathetic feelings (2 Corinthians 6:4/ 2 Corinthians 11:23-25/
Acts 4:1-3/ 5:17, 18/ 2 Corinthians 11:32/ Acts 12:1-5/ 16:22-24/
19:23-33/ 21:30-33). Accordingly, we believe it is a sin and a
violation of scriptures and our call to preach for a soldier of
the cross of Christ to not stand with our fellow soldiers when
they “answer” for preaching the gospel against the
will of man (2 Timothy 4:16, 17/ Hebrews 13:3). We believe it
an act of cowardice against Christ to be “ashamed of the
testimony of our Lord” and his “prisoner” in
chains (2 Timothy 1:8, 16) under the weak kneed presumption that
a preacher in jail must have done something wrong. Being commanded
to remember such “as bound with them” it requires
more of us than general thoughts at home of what that saint must
have done to cause him to be jailed for doing it. As members of
the Street Preachers’ Fellowship, we hold that the faithful
support of each member of the Guild who for the preaching becomes
one of God’s prisoners (2 Timothy 1:8) is more important
than our reputation, safety and freedom, and shall endeavor to
“seek them out” and minister unto them (vs. 17, 18)
as long as God gives us life and health. Accordingly, we believe
the preaching of the gospel such a righteous act of God, that
it behooves us to conduct our ministration in the same manner,
adhering to all the scriptural instructions for our preaching,
and as much as the Bible will allow, balancing the same with the
laws of the land, so that when we are imprisoned for preaching,
it will be “as a Christian” and not “as an evildoer”
(1 Peter 4:15, 16), God help us.
8.
The Sin and Weakness of Compromising.
We believe it is a sin against the “the profession of our
faith” (Hebrews 10:23) in Jesus Christ to compromise in
any area of the gospel ministry, and they that do so are “menpleasers”
(Ephesians 6:6/ Colossians 3:22), “gainsayers” (Titus
1:9/ Acts 10:29/ Jude 11) and wavering contradictors like “a
wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed” with the
opinions and arguments of men and not God (James 1:6, 7). We believe
a compromise is just that, a co-promise made to settle differences
without offending the wrong side, and such flies in the face of
God as a breach of faith when we are commanded to “hold
fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is
faithful that promised)”.
9.
Open Rebuke.
We believe that “open rebuke is better than secret love”
(Proverbs 27:5), and that the blame for the wicked condition of
society is totally on the record of Christian ministers who say
they love everyone, but openly rebuke no one. As preachers, we
are commanded to “Preach the word; be instant in season,
out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering
and doctrine” (2 Timothy 4:2), and in so doing, “endure
afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of
thy ministry” (vs. 5). We believe the obedience to the former
(vs.2) always results in the latter (vs. 5), and that such enduring
of “afflictions” is part and parcel of the “full
proof of thy ministry” (see 2 Corinthians 6:4, 5). The Bible
placing such ministerial rebukes and reproofs within the work
of an evangelists (2 Timothy 4:2-5), it defines the arena for
our rebukes and reproofs to be among the lost and wicked world.
Fear of doing that, silences the majority of Christian ministers,
and hides them and their preaching within the safety of their
church buildings. We believe it is the sin of cowardice and dereliction
of duty to God to only correct sin amongst the saints, while allowing
wickedness to take over our nation. Accordingly, we believe it
paramount to the call to preach, that we openly rebuke sin wherever
we find it wrought of men, and that for the preachers to cease
from openly rebuking sin, creates a society “that cannot
cease from sin” (2 Peter 2:14).
10.
The Calling Out and Naming of Sin.
We believe that a preacher cannot preach against sin without naming
it and calling it for what it is. In like reason, a preacher’s
rebuke of sin is worthless on its face, when he cannot personally
address the sinners that committed it. To rebuke sin and not the
sinner is the generalized ministration of cowards, who for want
of fear, preach against things and not people, against actions
and not actors, who preach against the committing of sin, but
cannot preach to the person committing it. Accordingly, it is
the belief of the Fellowship and its members that true Bible preaching
cannot be done without naming the sin as well as the sinner, and
will stand to the scriptures in support of its members before
the saints, and the courts of justice (see Matthew 23:13-17, 23-33/
James 4:4/ Acts 8:20-23/ 13:9, 10/ 14:14, 15/16:18/ 17:22/ 23:3/
1 Kings 21:17-24/ 2 Chronicles 19:1,2/).