Jesus Work Ministry             Spiritual growth & Christian living resources. Spiritual warfare & Deliverance ministry

Jesus Work Home |Christian Living and Growth |Audio Sermons |Spiritual Warfare |Deliverance Ministry |Prayer and Fasting |Prayer Guide |Breaking Curses |Breaking Strongholds |Forums, Guest Books |Free Online Books |Bibles |Store |News |More

    

[Ch1 Scripture True Word of God] [Ch2 Interpreting Scripture] [Ch3 God Trinity Unity] [ch4-idols-God-Christ-saints] [Ch5 Worship of God] [Ch6 God's Providence] [Ch7 Creation] [Ch8 Cause of Sin] [Ch9 Free Will] [Ch10 Predestination] [Ch11 Jesus Christ] [Ch12 Law of God] [Ch13 Gospel &Promises] [Ch14 Repentance] [Ch15-Justification] [Ch16 Faith and Good Works] [Ch17 Global Church] [Ch18 Church Ministers] [Ch19 Church Ministers] [Ch20 Baptism] [Ch21 Holy Communion] [Ch22 Religious Meetings] [Ch23 Prayers-etc] [Ch24 Holy Days Fasting] [Ch25 Catechizing] [Ch26 The Dead] [Ch27 Ceremonies] [Ch28 Church Possessions] [Ch29 Celibacy, Marriage] [Ch30 Magistrate] [Helvetic Confession Summary] [Back to Homepage]

JESUS WORK MINISTRY
KEY PAGES:

 Jesus Work Free Email Login

Audio Sermons and all Audio Format Content in Brackets()
1. Christian Fundamentals
   (1. Audio Sermons & Content)

2. General Christian Principles
   (2. Audio Sermons & Content)

3. Prayer, Fasting & Holy Spirit
   (3. Audio Sermons & Content)

4. Spiritual warfare, Deliverance
   (4. Audio Sermons & Content)

5. Christian Evangelism Ministry
   (5. Audio Sermons & Content)

6. Body of Christ Discipleship
   (6. Audio Sermons & Content)

7. Family, Marriage, Singleness
   (7. Audio Sermons & Content)

8. True Financial Freedom
   (8. Audio Sermons & Content)

9. Bible Study -OT & NT
   (9. Audio Sermons & Content)

Christian Living & Growth
  
Christian Audio Sermons MP3

 Bibles online: Christian Maps
 
World & Christian News
 
Bargains on Mega Store
 
Forums, Blogs, Guest Books
 
Free stuff and other offers
 
About Jesus Work Ministry
 
Support Jesus Work Ministry

JESUS WORK MINISTRY


CHAPTER 1: Of The Holy Scripture Being The True Word of God

CANONICAL SCRIPTURE. We believe and confess the canonical Scriptures of the holy prophets and apostles of both Testaments to be the true Word of God, and to have sufficient authority of themselves, not of men. For God himself spoke to the fathers, prophets, apostles, and still speaks to us through the Holy Scriptures.

And in this Holy Scripture, the universal Church of Christ has the most complete exposition of all that pertains to a saving faith, and also to the framing of a life acceptable to God; and in this respect it is expressly commanded by God that nothing be either added to or taken from the same.

SCRIPTURE TEACHES FULLY ALL GODLINESS. We judge, therefore, that from these Scriptures are to be derived true wisdom and godliness, the reformation and government of churches; as also instruction in all duties of piety; and, to be short, the confirmation of doctrines, and the rejection of all errors, moreover, all exhortations according to that word of the apostle, "All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof," etc. (II Timothy 3:16-17). Again, "I am writing these instructions to you," says the apostle to Timothy, "So that you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God," etc. (I Timothy 3:14-15). SCRIPTURE IS THE WORD OF GOD. Again, the selfsame apostle to the Thessalonians: "When," says he, "You received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it, not as the word of men but as what it really is, the Word of God," etc. (I Thess. 2:13) For the Lord himself has said in the gospel, "It is not you who speak, but the Spirit of my Father speaking through you"; therefore "He who hears you hears me, and he who rejects me rejects him who sent me" (Matt. 10:20; Luke 10:16; John 13:20)

THE PREACHING OF THE WORD OF GOD IS THE WORD OF GOD. Wherefore when this Word of God is now preached in the church by preachers lawfully called, we believe that the very Word of God is proclaimed, and received by the faithful; and that neither any other Word of God is to be invented nor is to be expected from heaven: and that now the Word itself which is preached is to be regarded, not the minister that preaches; for even if he be evil and a sinner, nevertheless the Word of God remains still true and good.

Neither do we think that therefore the outward preaching is to be thought as fruitless because the instruction in true religion depends on the inward illumination of the Spirit, or because it is written "And no longer shall each man teach his neighbor..., for they shall all know me" (Jer. 31:34), And "Neither he who plants nor he that waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth" (I Cor. 3:7). For although "No one can come to Christ unless he be drawn by the Father" (John 6:44), And unless the Holy Spirit inwardly illumines him, yet we know that it is surely the will of God that his Word should be preached outwardly also. God could indeed, by his Holy Spirit, or by the ministry of an angel, without the ministry of St. Peter, have taught Cornelius in the Acts; but, nevertheless, he refers him to Peter, of whom the angel speaking says, "He shall tell you what you ought to do."

INWARD ILLUMINATION DOES NOT ELIMINATE EXTERNAL PREACHING. For he that illuminates inwardly by giving men the Holy Spirit, the same one, by way of commandment, said unto his disciples, "Go into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation" (Mark 16:15). And so in Phillippi, Paul preached the word outwardly to Lydia, a seller of purple goods; but the Lord inwardly opened the woman's heart (Acts 16:14). And the same Paul, after a beautiful development of his thought, in Romans 10:17 at length comes to the conclusion, "So faith comes from hearing and hearing from the Word of God by the preaching of Christ."

At the same time we recognize that God can illuminate whom and when he will, Even without the external ministry, for that is in his power; but we speak of the usual way of instructing men, delivered unto us from God, both by commandment and examples.

HERESIES. We therefore detest all the heresies of Artemon, the Manichaeans, the Valentinians, of Cerdon, and the Marcionites, who deny that the Scriptures proceeded from the Holy Spirit; or did not accept some parts of them, or interpolated and corrupted them.

APOCRYPHA. And yet we do not conceal the fact that certain books of the Old Testament were by the ancient authors called apocryphal, and by the others ecclesiastical; in as much as some would have them read in the churches, but not advanced as an authority from which the faith is to be established. As Augustine also, in his De Civitate Dei, book 18, ch. 38, remarks that "In the books of the Kings, the names and books of certain prophets are cited"; but he adds that "They are not in the canon"; and that "those books which we have suffice unto godliness.”

 

[About Jesus Work] [Contact Jesus Work] [Statement of Faith] [Prayer of Salvation] [Christian living] [Audio Sermons] [Deliverance Ministry] [News] [Store]
© 2004- Jesus Work Ministry - JesusWorkMinistry.com [Privacy Policy] [Ministry Mission] [Support Jesus Work] [Website Administration Center]
 (Freely copy and share for spiritual growth, non-commercial and for evangelism use, acknowledging authors. Contact Jesus Work Ministry for any other use)


Jesus Work Ministry: Non-profit Christian resource ministry for effective spiritual growth and Christian living. Spiritual growth and Christian living resources include topics (articles, books, MP3 audio sermons) on Christian doctrine, basic Christian principles, prayer, fasting, Christian spiritual warfare, Christian deliverance and healing, evangelism ministry, body of Christ discipleship (Christian discipleship), charity ministry, Bible study, prophecy, Christian marriage, Christian singleness, Christian dating, biblical financial prosperity (biblical financial freedom), etc. Major resource center on spiritual warfare, Christian deliverance and healing ministry. Plus free Christian audio sermons - MP3, available for free download from partner Christian websites and our website.

[Ch1 Scripture True Word of God] [Ch2 Interpreting Scripture] [Ch3 God Trinity Unity] [ch4-idols-God-Christ-saints] [Ch5 Worship of God] [Ch6 God's Providence] [Ch7 Creation] [Ch8 Cause of Sin] [Ch9 Free Will] [Ch10 Predestination] [Ch11 Jesus Christ] [Ch12 Law of God] [Ch13 Gospel &Promises] [Ch14 Repentance] [Ch15-Justification] [Ch16 Faith and Good Works] [Ch17 Global Church] [Ch18 Church Ministers] [Ch19 Church Ministers] [Ch20 Baptism] [Ch21 Holy Communion] [Ch22 Religious Meetings] [Ch23 Prayers-etc] [Ch24 Holy Days Fasting] [Ch25 Catechizing] [Ch26 The Dead] [Ch27 Ceremonies] [Ch28 Church Possessions] [Ch29 Celibacy, Marriage] [Ch30 Magistrate] [Helvetic Confession Summary] [Back to Homepage]

Search our Websites 

 

JESUS WORK MINISTRY
Contact us on non-Christian ad

Click here to share this website for Jesus Work

   Bookmark this Website

Subscribe to our insightful free Christian newsletter