Religious Convictions and Opinions, by Christopher Pope (Half the Battle)

(Click on boldfaced outline headings to reveal text.)

This is a full statement of my beliefs about Christian faith and practice. Not all my beliefs are held with equal certainty or equal priority. The things the Bible presents as essential matters of faith are foundational to my life. On subjects where the Bible's stance is not obvious, I seek to remain teachable and will hopefully refine my understanding and how I express it as I continue to learn.

On style: This is mostly for my own reference, and I have chosen to be relatively concise and precise at the expense of readability. Also, others have articulated their faith better than I could, and so I freely adapt language from classic confessions, systematic texts, and other sources. This results in an admitted inconsistency of style in order to achieve better substance.

Table of Contents

I. Christian Faith (Doctrinal Issues)
A. Theology and the Word of God
B. The Existence and Attributes of God
C. The Works of God
D. The Doctrine of Humanity
E. The Person of Christ
F. The Work of Christ
G. The Person of the Holy Spirit
H. The Work of the Holy Spirit
I. The Doctrine of Salvation
J. The Doctrine of the Church
K. The Doctrine of Last Things
II. Christian Practice (Worship and Moral Issues)
A. God's Requirements for Mankind (What Morality Is)
B. Walking with God (Worship and Trust)
C. Walking in Holiness (Right Living)
D. Walking in Love (Justice and Kindness)

I. CHRISTIAN FAITH

I.0. SUMMARY STATEMENT

As a Christian, I believe there is one true and living God, whose word to us is the Bible. I strive to believe all that the Bible says, and I believe that salvation from hell and eternity in heaven belong only to those who live to follow Jesus and trust in His death, burial, and resurrection for their peace with God. A genuine trust in Jesus bears the fruit of repentance from sin and obedience to God's will as it is revealed in the Bible.

I.A. THEOLOGY AND THE WORD OF GOD

I.A.1. Divine Revelation

(Definition of Truth; Truth and Pride; Doctrine of Revelation; Continuing Revelation; Revelation and Worship)

I.A.2. The Nature of the Bible

(Inspiration of Scripture; Purpose of Scripture; Authority of Scripture; Inerrancy of Scripture; Inerrancy and Salvation; Inerrancy and Historical Theology; Necessity of Scripture; Canonization of Scripture; Copying and Translation of Scripture; Recommended Versions of Scripture; The Endings of Mark; The Pericope of the Adultress)

I.A.3. The Meaning of the Bible

(Hearing of the Word; Audience of Scripture; Clarity of Scripture; Jesus as the Focus of Scripture; Interpretation of Scripture; Purpose and Context; Grammatical Interpretation; Literal Interpretation; Divine and Human Intent; Historicity of Scripture; Interpretation of the Law; Use of the Law; Poetry and Wisdom; Prophecy)

I.A.4. The Bible and Other Sources

(The Bible and Extrabiblical Knowledge; The Bible and Church Tradition; The Bible and Science; The Bible and Myth; Biblical Theology; Systematic Theology; Historical, Natural, and Speculative Theologies; The Sins of Influential Teachers)

I.B. THE EXISTENCE AND ATTRIBUTES OF GOD

I.B.1. The Nature and Identity of God

(The Divine Trinity; God as Personal; God as Spirit; God as Masculine; Names for God)

I.B.2. The Greatness of God

(God as Self-Sufficient; God as Immutable; God as Infinite; God as Transcendent; God as Immanent; God as Omnipotent; God as Omniscient; God as Sovereign; God and the Problem of Evil)

I.B.3. The Goodness of God

(The Glory of God; God as Responsive; God as a God of Order and Harmony; God as Holy; God as Just; God as Jealous; God as True; God as Faithful; God as Benevolent; God as Gracious; God as Patient; God as Loving)

I.C. THE WORKS OF GOD

I.C.1. Celestial Beings and the Supernatural

(Angels; The Beings of Genesis 6; The Angel of the Lord; Demons; Demonic Affliction and Possession; Satan; Cosmic Supernatural Warfare; Personal Spiritual Warfare; The Occult; Ghosts and the Paranormal; The Raising of Samuel)

I.C.2. Providence and Miracles

(The Nature of Providence; Providence and Prayer; The Wills of God; Discerning the Will of God; Divine Repentance; Providence and Free Will; Providence and Moral Accountability; Compatibilism; Providence and Physical Laws; The Nature of Miracles; The Purpose of Miracles; Where Miracles Happen)

I.C.3. The Beginnings of History

(The Creator as Lord of History; History and Prayer; God and Creation; The Nature of Genesis 1-2; The Appearance of Age; The Age of Creation; The Beginnings and Diversity of Life; The Beginning of Humanity; Death and Decay in Creation; The Genealogies of Genesis; Noah's Flood; The Tower of Babel; The Patriarchs; The Setting of Job)

I.C.4. The History of Israel

(Dispensations and Covenants; The Exodus; The Conquest of Canaan; The Chronology of the Kings; Prophecy and the Return from Babylon; The Source of Old Testament Writings)

I.C.5. The History of the Church

(The Time of Jesus' Birth; The Chronology of Jesus' Ministry; The Beginning of the Church; The Writing of Galatians; Paul's Imprisonments; The Source of New Testament Writings; Church History and the Seven Letters; The Protestant Reformation; The Origin of Baptists)

I.D. THE DOCTRINE OF HUMANITY

I.D.1. Human Nature

(The Purpose of Mankind; Man as a Living Soul; The Nature of the Body; The Capacity of the Spirit; The Image of God; Sinners and the Image of God; The Balance of Reason and Emotion; The Human Conscience; The Beginning of Human Life)

I.D.2. Gender and God's Design

(Mankind as Male and Female; Masculinity and Femininity; Gender Roles in the Family; Gender Roles in the Church; Gender Roles in Religious Education; Gender Roles in Society)

I.D.3. Sin and the Fall of Mankind

(The Nature of Sin; The Original State of Humanity; The Fall of Mankind; The Purpose of the Fall; Original Sin; The Severity of Sin; The Effects of Sin; Critical Race Theory and the Effects of Sin; Sin and Sickness; Disability and the Fall; Sickness and Healing; Repentance from Sin; The Unpardonable Sin)

I.E. THE PERSON OF CHRIST

I.E.1. The Nature of Christ

(Our Knowledge of Jesus; Jesus as the Messiah; The Deity of Christ; The Humanity of Christ; The Unity of Christ; Submission of Christ to the Father; Christ as Begotten by the Father)

I.E.2. The Incarnate Christ

(Old Testament Christophanies; The Incarnation of Christ; The Virginity of Mary; The Role of Mary; The Genealogies in Matthew and Luke; The Impeccability of Christ; The Passion of Christ; The Exaltation of Christ)

I.F. THE WORK OF CHRIST

I.F.1. Jesus as the Suffering Servant

(The Obedience of Christ; The Necessity of the Cross; The Cosmic Scope of the Cross; The Cross and Sin; The Cross and Israel; The Cross and the Church; The Cross and Our Identity in Christ; The Cross and the Christian Life; The Nature and Extent of the Atonement; Descent into Hell)

I.F.2. Jesus as the Risen Christ

(The Resurrection; The Ascension and Intercession)

I.G. THE PERSON OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

I.G. The Person of the Holy Spirit

(Personhood of the Holy Spirit; Deity of the Holy Spirit; Submission and the Holy Spirit)

I.H. THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

I.H.1. Activities Done by the Spirit

(The General Work of the Spirit; The Spirit in the Old Testament; The Spirit-Filled Messiah; The Spirit and the Spread of the Gospel; The Spirit's Work in the World; The Spirit's Work in the Church; Revival)

I.H.2. Activities Given by the Spirit

(Spiritual Fruit; Spiritual Gifts; Sign Gifts; The Purpose of Tongues; the Present State of Tongues; The Present State of Sign Gifts)

I.I. THE DOCTRINE OF SALVATION

I.I.1. Salvation as a Decree

(Divine Grace; Salvation and the Trinity; Divine Predestination; Divine Election; Divine Foreknowledge)

I.I.2. Salvation as an Event

(Regeneration; Effectual Calling; Conversion; Saving Faith; Beliefs Necessary for Salvation; Believing Repentance; The Sinner's Prayer; Justification in the Broad Sense; Justification and Forgiveness; Justification and Imputed Righteousness; Faith and Works; Adoption; Anointing; Assurance of Faith)

I.I.3. Salvation as a Process

(Lordship Salvation; Sanctification; Perseverance; Glorification; The Means of Salvation; Infant Salvation; Age of Accountability)

I.J. THE DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH

I.J.1. The Church as an Institution

(The People of God; The Church Defined; The Church as the Body of Christ; The Universal Church; Unity of the Church; The Church and the Law; The Law of Christ)

I.J.2. The Church as a Congregation

(Marks of a True Church; Church Successionism; Mission of the Church; New Testament Priesthood; Keys of the Kingdom; Church Orthodoxy)

I.K. THE DOCTRINE OF LAST THINGS

I.K.1. Death and the Afterlife

(The Value of Life; The Moment of Death; The Nature of Death; Knowledge of the Afterlife; Previews of the Afterlife; The Afterlife in the Old Testament; The Intermediate State of Paradise; The Intermediate State of Hell)

I.K.2. Principles of Eschatology

(The Kingdom of God; Inaugurated Eschatology; Prophetic Foreshortening; Signs and Predictions of the End; Hastening the Coming of the Day of God)

I.K.3. The Book of Revelation

(Sequence and Symbols of Revelation, Part 1; Sequence and Symbols of Revelation, Part 2; Sequence and Symbols of Revelation, Part 3)

I.K.4. The Consummation of the Age to Come

(The Salvation of Israel; The Present State of Israel; The Great Tribulation; The Parousia; The End-Time Resurrection; The Rapture; The Millennium; The Wicked in the Millennium; Judgment Day; Judgment for Believers; Judgment for Unbelievers; New Creation; Diversity in Eternity)

I.K.5. Conclusions

(The End Times and Our Understanding; The End Times and Our Present Life)

II. CHRISTIAN PRACTICE

II.A. GOD'S REQUIREMENTS FOR MANKIND

II.A.1. Obeying God, the Lord of All

(Man as Creature and Subject; God's Revealed Ethic; The Scriptures and the World; Sin and Judgment; Sin and Corporate Guilt)

II.A.2. Obeying God, the Father of His People

(The Christian as Son and Servant; The Debtor's Ethic; Legalism; Moralism; Resting in Christ)

II.A.3. Classifying Right Practice

(The Greatest Commandments; Imitation of God; Morality Inside and Out; Vice Lists and Virtue Lists; Moral Conflicts)

II.B. WALKING WITH GOD

II.B.1. Worship and Religion

(The Nature of Worship; The Nature of Religion; Religious Deconstruction; Reverence in Thought; Reverence in Action; The Object of Worship; Images of God; Occultic Activity; Freemasonry; Yoga and Eastern Martial Arts)

II.B.2. Individual Worship

(Private and Family Worship; Catechisms; The Christian Disciplines; Bible Intake; Bible Memorization; Meditation; Silence and Solitude; Holy Affections; Fasting; Prayer; The Significance of Prayer; Unceasing Prayer; Prayer and the Trinity; Prayer and Sin; Evangelism; The Necessity of Evangelism; Evangelism and Prayer; The Gospel Defined; Gospel Strategy; Lifestyle Evangelism; Relational Evangelism; The Value of Apologetics; Common Ground for Apologetics; Apologetic Strategy; Christian Service; Finding Places of Service; Stewardship; Holidays; Disciplines Within the Church)

II.B.3. Corporate Worship

    II.B.3.a. The Church as the People of God

(The Incompleteness of the Old Covenant; The Superiority of the New Covenant; Church Covenants; Creeds and Confessions; Church Membership; Laying On of Hands; Church Discipline; Excommunication and Restoration; Removal for Non-Attendance; Heresy; Protection from Harassment and Abuse; Reporting of Harassment and Abuse; Church Discipline and Harassment and Abuse)

    II.B.3.b. Church Leadership and Administration

(Congregationalism; Clarification on Local Autonomy; The Selection of Ministers; Personal Divine Call to Ministry; Nature and Duties of Elder Ministry; Submission to Elder Authority; Elder Ministry and Gender Roles; The Elder as a "One-Woman Man"; Marriage or Celibacy in Full-Time Ministry; Character Qualifications for Elder Ministry; Teaching Qualifications for Elder Ministry; Source of Elder Candidates; Number and Ranking of Elders; Pay Elders and Lay Elders; Delineation of Elder Duties; Elder and Non-Elder Staff; Nature and Duties of Deacon Ministry; Authority of Deacons; Qualifications for Deacon Ministry; The Practice of Ordination; Qualifications for Lay Leaders; Administration Within the Church; Sources of Church Funding; Allocation of Resources; Church Size; Multisite and Multiservice Churches; Seeker Sensitivity; Tasks of the Church)

    II.B.3.c. Worship in the Church

        II.B.3.c.i. Principles of Corporate Worship

(Corporate Worship; The Purposes of Corporate Worship; Biblical Worship; God-Centered Worship; The Gospel in Worship; Authenticity in Corporate Worship; Worship as a Means of Grace; Regulative vs. Normative Principles; Style and Selection in Worship; Non-Believers and Worship; Sunday Worship; Church Closings; Churches and the Sabbath; Old Testament Institutions)

        II.B.3.c.ii. Hearing the Word

(Worshiping in Bible Reading; Worshiping in Preaching; Sermon Preparation; Use of Others' Material in Sermons; Expository Preaching; Topical Preaching; Preaching and Application; Preaching and the Will of God; Preaching and Politics; Worshiping in Testimony)

        II.B.3.c.iii. Responding to the Word

(Worshiping in Prayer; Worshiping in Music; Music Leading; Congregational Music; Special Music in Worship; Concerts and Musicals; Clapping in Worship; Dancing and Lifting of Hands in Worship; Ecstatic Worship; Worshiping in Giving; Invitation to Believers; Invitation to New Converts)

        II.B.3.c.iv. The Ordinances of Christ

(Baptism; Baptism and Salvation; The Mode and Timing of Baptism; The Validity of Regenerational Baptism; Child Dedication; The Lord's Supper; Prerequisites for the Lord's Supper; Foot-Washing; Holidays)

    II.B.3.d. Discipleship

        II.B.3.d.i. Evangelism in the Church

(Discipleship Defined; Evangelism and Missions; Evangelism as a Congregational Task; Evangelism and Diversity; Child Evangelism; Evangelistic Tracts; Door-to-Door Evangelism; Street Preaching; Home and Foreign Missions; Missions Funding; Captive Missionaries)

        II.B.3.d.ii. Fellowship and Teaching in the Church

(Fellowship Defined; Small Group Ministry; Hospitality; Visitation; Teaching and Preaching; Sunday School and Bible Study Classes; The Goal of Church Teaching; Effective Teaching; Unity of Teaching Within the Church; Marks of a False Teacher; Extrabiblical Teaching in the Church; Churches and General Education)

        II.B.3.d.iii. Service in the Church

(Lay Ministry; Gender Roles in the Church; Interpersonal Ministry vs. Administration and Programming; Permission vs. Accountability; Prayer Ministry; Caution in Benevolence; Effective Mercy Ministry; Charitable Ministries; Recovery Ministry)

    II.B.3.e. Ministry Beyond the Local Congregation

(Cooperation of Churches; Boundaries of Cooperation; The Usefulness of Seminaries; Local Non-Church Gatherings and Parachurch Ministries; The Distinctness of the Church; Transparency and Accountability; Churches and the Community; Churches and the Larger Outside World; Churches and Persecution; Clarification on Religious Liberty; Churches and Politics; Christian Nationalism)

II.B.4. God-Esteem

(Godward Confidence; Walking by Faith; Faith as Courage; Humility)

II.B.5. Submission to God

(Teachability; Confession; Repentance; Obedience to Human Authorities; Civil Disobedience; Resistance by Force)

II.B.6. Waiting on God

(Suffering as a Christian Calling; Rejection of Asceticism; Patience; Perseverance; Contentment; Stewardship)

II.B.7. Joy in the Lord

(Joy; Thankfulness)

II.C. WALKING IN HOLINESS

II.C.1. The Essence of Holiness

(The Holiness of the Believer; Holiness in Thought; Holiness in Action; Being a Living Sacrifice; Self-Control; Self-Denial)

II.C.2. Family and Sexuality

    II.C.2.a. Love of Family

(Family Priority; Family Roles)

    II.C.2.b. Marriage

(Marriage as Companionship; Marriage and Child-Rearing; Marriage and the Gospel; Marriage and Cohabitation; Barriers to Marriage; Church Marriage Policies; Gender Roles in the Family; Polygamy; Adultery; Divorce; Remarriage)

    II.C.2.c. Children

(The Value of Children; Family Size; Birth Control and Fertility; Adoption; The Raising of Children; Obedience to Parents by Children; Honoring of Parents by Adults; Child Discipline; Corporal Punishment; Discipline by Non-Parents; Natural and Individual Behavior; Guiding Children's Life Decisions; Child Abuse)

    II.C.2.d. Singleness

(Singleness; Celibacy; Dating and Courtship; Single Parents)

    II.C.2.e. Sexuality

(The Christian Sexual Ethic as Counter-Cultural; Sexuality as a Revealed Ethic; Biblical Sexuality; Sexual Sin and Condemnation; Sexual Purity; Definition of Lust; Chastity; Modesty; Premarital Affection; Opposite-Sex Relationships; Same-Sex Relationships; Same-Sex Attraction; Gender Identity Issues; Response to LGBT Acquaintances; Sexuality and Consent; Claims of Sexual Victimization; Consensus Within Marriage)

II.C.3. Respectable Living

(Christian Liberty; Respectability; Respect for Others; Integrity; Clean Living; Sober-Mindedness; Literal Sobriety; Moderation; Personal Appearance; Etiquette; Honorable Speech; Profanity and Crudeness; Gossip; Manner of Life; Separation from Sinners; Group-Based Separation; Content of Entertainment; Musical Boundaries; Dancing; Fantasy Media; Satanism Scares)

II.C.4. Truth

(Honesty; Sincerity; Reliability; Loyalty; Wisdom; Sensibility; Skill; Knowledge; Basic Education; Adult Education; The Arts)

II.C.5. Diligence

(Productivity as a Virtue; Biblical Diligence; Priorities; Work Ethic; Rest; Employment; Unemployment; Stay-at-Home Parenting; Retirement; Debt; Gambling)

II.D. WALKING IN LOVE

II.D.1. Love as Compassionate Giving

(Love Defined; Compassion; Generosity; Giving to the Church; Giving Outside the Church; Wealth and Poverty; Voluntary Poverty)

II.D.2. Justice

(Justice Defined; Social Justice; Reservation in Judgment; Justice and Unconscious Bias; Justice and the State; Justice and the Church; Justice and the Christian; Christian Citizenship; Cherishing Life; Preserving Life; Respect for Life in Government; Respect for Life in Law; Respect for Life in Business; Respect for Life in Education; Respect for Life in Science and Technology; Respect for Life in Reproductive Technology; Respect for Life in the Church; Respect for Life in the Family; Respect for Our Own Lives; End-of-Life Decisions; Respect for the Dead; Justice and Sexism; Justice and Racism; Justice and Evangelism; Evangelism and Political Persuasion)

II.D.3. Kindness

(Benevolence; Acts of Kindness; Kindness and Faith; Kindness and Acceptance; Kindness to Animals; Gentleness; Online Christian Culture; Heart-Forgiveness; Forgiveness and Restoration; Institutional Forgiveness)

II.D.4. Harmony

(Unity; Diversity; Cooperation; Peace as a Virtue; Peace and Competition; Self-Defense; Anger)

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