Vineyard stands firmly in the center of orthodox Christian teaching. We adhere to the historic creeds of the Christian Church (see Appendix B). Out of loyalty to Christ and the gospel, we have come to a number of convictions concerning the clear teaching of the Bible. At the same time, we have not included in our statement of faith much that can be legitimately debated by orthodox Christians. In other words, we do have boundaries, but our boundaries are broad and inclusive. On the spectrum of Christian churches:

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• We are orthodox.

• We are evangelical.

• We are empowered evangelicals.

 

God the King and the Holy Trinity

 

WE BELIEVE that God is the Eternal 1 King 2. He is an infinite, 3 unchangeable 4 Spirit, 5 perfect 6 in holiness, 7 wisdom, 8 goodness, 9 justice, 10 power 11 and love. 12 From all eternity 13 He exists as the One 14 Living 15 and True 16 God in three persons 17 of one substance,18 the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,19 equal in power and glory. 20

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1 Deuteronomy 33:27; Romans 1:20; 2 Psalm 95:3; Isaiah 43:15; 3 Psalm 147:5; Job 11:7-9; 4 James 1:17; 5 John 4:24; 6 Matthew 5:48; 7 Isaiah 6:3; 1 Peter 115-16; 8 Psalm 104:24; Proverbs 2:6; Isaiah 28:29; 9 Exodus 33:19; Psalm 63:2; Psalm 31:19; 10 Psalm 33:5; Psalm 89:14; Isaiah 30:18; 11 Exodus 15:6; 12 1 John 4:8; 13 Isaiah 43:13; 14 Isaiah 45:5; 1 Corinthians 8:4; 15 Psalm 42:2; Psalm 84:2; 16 Jeremiah 10:10; 17 John 1:18; John 10:30; John 14:9; John 14:16-17; John 14:26; John 15:26; 2 Corinthians 3:17-18; 18 John 1:1; John 1:14; 2 Corinthians 3:17; 19 Matthew 28:19-20; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Revelation 1:4; 20 Revelation 5:13; Ephesians 3:14-21

 

God the King: The Creator and Ruler of All Things

 

WE BELIEVE that God’s kingdom is everlasting. 21 From His throne,22 through His Son, His eternal Word,23 God created,24 upholds 25 and governs 26 all that exists: 27 the heavenly places,28 the angelic hosts,29 the universe,30 the earth,31 every living thing 32 and mankind. 33 God created all things very good. 34

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21 Psalm 45:6; Psalm 145:13; Daniel 4:3; 22 Psalm 93:1-2; 23 John 1:1-3; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Colossians 1:15-16; Hebrews 1:1-2; 24 Genesis 1:1; Psalm 95:3-5; 25 Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 1:3; 26 Psalm 103:19; Psalm 104:24-29; 27 Psalm 96:4-6; 28 Psalm 89:11; 29 Psalm 103:20-21; 30 Colossians 1:16-17; 31 Psalm 104:5; 32 Psalm 103:22; 33 Psalm 22:28; Psalm 47:8; 34 Genesis 1:31

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Counterfeit Kingdom: Satan and Demonic Hosts

 

WE BELIEVE that Satan, originally a great, good angel, rebelled against God, taking a host of angels with him. 35 He was cast out of God’s presence and, as a usurper of God’s rule, established a counter-kingdom of darkness 36 and evil on the earth. 37

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35 Revelation 12:7-9; 36 2 Corinthians 11:14; Colossians 1:13-14; Ephesians 6:12; 37 Mark 3:22-26; Ephesians 2:1-2; 1 John 5:19

 

The Kingdom in the Creation of Man, the Fall and The Doctrine of Original Sin

 

WE BELIEVE that God created mankind in His own image, male and female,38 for relationship with Himself and to govern the earth. 39 Under the temptation of Satan, 40 our original parents fell from grace, 41 bringing sin, 42 sickness 43 and God’s judgment of death to the earth. 44 Through the fall, Satan and his demonic hosts gained access to God’s good creation. 45 Creation now experiences the consequences and effects of Adam’s original sin. 46 Human beings are born in sin, 47 subject to God’s judgment of death 48 and captive to Satan’s kingdom of darkness. 49

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38 Genesis 1:26-27; 39 Genesis 1:26; 40 Genesis 3:1; Revelation 12:9; 41 Genesis 3:8; Romans 1:21; Romans 5:16; 42 Romans 5:12; 43 John 5:14; 44 1 Corinthians 15:22; 45 John 8:44; 1 John 5:19; 46 Romans 8:20-23; 47 Psalm 51:5; 48 Ezekiel 18:4; Romans 2:5; Romans 2:12; Hebrews 9:27; 49 Galatians 1:3-5; Galatians 4:8-9; Colossians 1:13

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God’s Providence, Kingdom Law and Covenants

 

WE BELIEVE that God did not abandon His rule over the earth 50 which He continues to uphold by His providence. 51 In order to bring redemption, God established covenants 52 which revealed His grace to sinful people. 53 In the covenant with Abraham, God bound Himself to His people Israel, promising to deliver them from bondage to sin and Satan and to bless all the nations through them. 54 

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50 Psalm 24:1; Psalm 96:10; 51 Isaiah 40:22; Hebrews 1:3; 52 Romans 9:4; 53 Ephesians 2:12; 54 Genesis 17:3-8; Genesis

12:2-3; Genesis 15:4-6; Romans 4:3-5; Romans 4:16; Romans 4:20- 25; Galatians 3:6-9; Galatians 3:13-14

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WE BELIEVE that as King, God later redeemed His people by His mighty acts from bondage in Egypt 55 and established His covenant through Moses, revealing His perfect will and our obligation to fulfill it. 56 The law’s purpose is to order our fallen race 57 and to make us conscious of our moral responsibility. 58 By the work of God’s Spirit, 59 it convicts us of our sin 60 and God’s righteous judgment against us 61 and brings us to Christ alone for salvation. 62

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55 Exodus 15:3-18; 56 Exodus 19:3-6; Exodus 24:3-4; Exodus 24:7; Romans 8:3-4; Romans 8:12- 14; 57 Deuteronomy 5:1-3; Deuteronomy 30:15-18; Galatians 3:23-25; 58 Psalm 25:8-10; Romans 7:7; 59 John 15:26; John 16:8-11; 2 Corinthians 3:14-17; 60 Romans 7:13; Galatians 3:19; Galatians 3:21-22; 61 Romans 2:1-11; 62 Galatians 3:24; Philippians 3:8-9

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WE BELIEVE that when Israel rejected God’s rule over her as King, 63 God established the monarchy in Israel 64 and made an unconditional covenant with David, 65 promising that his heir would restore God’s kingdom reign over His people as Messiah forever. 66

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63 1 Samuel 8:6-8; 64 1 Samuel 8:21-22; 1 Samuel 9:15-16; 1 Samuel 10:1; 1 Samuel 10:24; 65 2 Samuel 7:11b-16; Psalm 89:34-37; 66 Isaiah 9:6-7; Isaiah 11:1-5; Jeremiah 23:5-6; Ezekiel 34:23

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Christ the Mediator and Eternal King

 

WE BELIEVE that in the fullness of time, 67 God honored His covenants with Israel and His prophetic promises of salvation 68 by sending His Son, 69 Jesus, into the world. 70 Conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, 71 as fully God and fully man in one person, 72 He is humanity as God intended us to be. 73 Jesus was anointed as God’s Messiah and empowered by the Holy Spirit, 74 inaugurating God’s kingdom reign on earth, 75 overpowering the reign of Satan by resisting temptation, 76 preaching the good news of salvation, 77 healing the sick, 78 casting out demons 79 and raising the dead. 80 Gathering His disciples, 81 He reconstituted God’s people 82 as His Church 83 to be the instrument of His kingdom. 84 After dying for the sins of the world,85 Jesus was raised from the dead on the third day, 86 fulfilling the covenant of blessing given to Abraham. 87 In His sinless, perfect life 88 Jesus met the demands of the law 89 and in His atoning death on the cross 90 He took God’s judgment for sin 91 which we deserve as law-breakers. 92 By His death on the cross He also disarmed the demonic powers. 93 The covenant with David was fulfilled in Jesus’ birth from David’s house, 94 His Messianic ministry, 95 His glorious resurrection from the dead, 96 His ascent into heaven and His present rule at the right hand of the Father. 97 As God’s Son and David’s heir, 98 He is the eternal Messiah- King,99 advancing God’s reign throughout every generation and throughout the whole earth today. 100 

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67 Mark 1:15; Galatians 4:4; 68 Romans 1:2-4; 69 John 1:14; 70 John 1:17-18; 71 Luke 1:30-35, 72 John 1:14; Philippians 2:5-7; 73Romans 5:19; 1 Corinthians 15:22; 1 Peter 2:22, 2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 8:29; 74 Luke 3:21-22; Luke 4:16-21; 75 Mark 1:14-15; Luke 11:20; Luke 17:20-21; 76 Luke 4:1-13; 77 Luke 4:43; 78 Luke 4:40; 79 Luke 4:41; 80 Luke 7:14-17; 81 Mark 1:16-17; 82 Mark 3:13-15; 83 Matthew 16:18; 84 Luke 9:1-2; Luke 10:1-17; 85 John 1:29; John 6:51; John 4:9-10; 86 Mark 8:31; 1 Corinthians 15:3-5; 87Galatians 3:13-14; 88 Acts 3:14-15; Hebrews 4:15; 89 Romans 5:18-19; 90 1 Peter 2:24; 91 Galatians 3:13; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 92Romans 1:18; Romans 1:32; Romans 2:12; 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10; 93 Colossians 2:13-15; 94 Matthew 1:1; 95 Luke 1:68-72; Luke 2:10-11; Matthew 9:27; 96 Acts 2:24-28; 97 Acts 2:29-36; 98 Romans 1:1-4; 99 Hebrews 1:1-3; 100 1 Corinthians 15:24-26; Ephesians 1:19-23; Revelation 5:5

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The Ministry of the Holy Spirit

 

WE BELIEVE that the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Church at Pentecost in power,101 baptizing believers into the Body of Christ 102 and releasing the gifts of the Spirit to them. 103 The Spirit brings the permanent indwelling presence of God to us 104 for spiritual worship,105 personal sanctification,106 building up the Church, 107 gifting us for ministry,108 and driving back the kingdom of Satan by the evangelization of the world 109 through proclaiming the word of Jesus 110 and doing the works of Jesus. 111

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101 Acts 1:8; Acts 2:1-4; 102 1 Corinthians 12:13; 103 1 Corinthians 12:4-7; 104 John 14:16-17; 105 Romans 12:1; Ephesians 5:18-20; 106 Romans 8:3-4; 107 1 Corinthians 14:12; 1 Corinthians 14:26; 108 Romans 12:4-6; 109 Luke 11:20; 1 John 3:8b; 110 Ephesians 6:10-20; 111 John 14:12-13; Romans 15:18-19; 1 Corinthians 4:20

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WE BELIEVE that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Jesus Christ 112 and that He is our abiding Helper,113 Teacher,114 and Guide. 115 We believe in the filling or the empowering of the Holy Spirit,116 often a conscious experience,117 for ministry today. 118 We believe in the present ministry of the Spirit 119 and in the exercise of all of the biblical gifts of the Spirit. 120 We practice the laying on of hands for the empowering of the Spirit,121 for healing,122 and for recognition and empowering of those whom God has ordained to lead and serve the Church. 123

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112 Romans 8:9-10; 113 John 16:7; 114 John 14:26; 115 John 16:13-15; Romans 8:14; 116 Luke 24:49; Acts 4:31; 117 Acts 8:18-19; Acts 19:1-2; 118 1Corinthians 2:4-5; 2 Corinthians 4:7; 2 Corinthians 6:4-7; 119 Joel 2:28-29; Acts 2:15-17; 120 1 Corinthians 12:7-11; 1 Corinthians 14:1; 1 Corinthians 14:5; 1Thessalonians 5:19-21; 121 Acts 8:14-17; Acts 19:6; 122 Mark 1:41; Luke 6:18b-19; Mark 16:18; 123 Acts 13:1-3; 1 Timothy 4:14; 2 Timothy 1:6

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The Sufficiency of Scripture

 

WE BELIEVE that the Holy Spirit inspired the human authors of Holy Scripture 124 so that the Bible is without error 125 in the original manuscripts. We receive the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments 126 as our final, absolute authority, the only infallible rule of faith 127 and practice. 128

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124 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21; 1 Corinthians 2:12-13; John 14:26; 125 Psalm 19:7-9; Psalm 119:30; Psalm 119:43; Psalm 119:89; Matthew 5:17-18; John 3:34; John 10:35; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; Revelation 22:6; 126 Luke 24:44; 2 Peter 3:15-16; Revelation 22:18-19; 127 Isaiah 40:8; Matthew 24:35; 128 Matthew 7:21; Matthew 7:24; Luke 1:38; James 1:22-25

 

The Power of the Gospel Over the Kingdom of Darkness

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WE BELIEVE that the whole world is under the domination of Satan 129 and that all people are sinners by nature 130 and choice. 131 All people therefore are under God’s just judgment. 132 Through the preaching of the Good News of Jesus and the Kingdom of God 133 and the work of the Holy Spirit, 134 God regenerates,135 justifies,136 adopts 137 and sanctifies 138 through Jesus by the Spirit 139 all who repent of their sins 140 and trust in Jesus Christ as Lord 141 and Saviour.142 By this they are released from Satan’s domain and enter into God’s kingdom reign. 143

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129 Luke 4:5-7; 1 John 5:19; 130 1 Corinthians 15:22; Ephesians 2:1-3; 131 Romans 1:21-23; Romans 1:32; 132 Romans 1:18; Romans 2:5; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Ephesians 5:6; 133 Mark 1:14-15; Acts 8:12; Acts 28:31; Ephesians 5:5; 134 John 16:7-11; 135 John 3:5-8; 1 Peter 1:23; 136 Romans 5:1-2; Romans 5:9; 137 Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6; 138 Ephesians 5:25; Hebrews 13:12; 1391 Peter 1:1-2; 140 Acts 2:38; 141 Romans 10:9; 142 1 John 4:13-15; 143 Colossians 1:13-14; Philippians 3:20

 

The Church: Instrument of the Kingdom

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WE BELIEVE in the one,144 holy,145 universal Church. 146 All who repent of their sins and confess Jesus as Lord and Savior are regenerated by the Holy Spirit 147 and form the living Body of Christ,148 of which He is the head 149 and of which we are all members. 150

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144 John 17:20-21; Ephesians 4:3-6; 145 1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 146 Matthew 16:17-18; 1 Corinthians 1:2; Ephesians 2:18-19; 1 Peter 2:9-10; 147 Titus 3:4-7; 148 Romans 12:4-5; 149 Ephesians 1:22; Ephesians 5:23; 150 1 Corinthians 12:27

 

Baptism and the Lord’s Supper

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WE BELIEVE that Jesus Christ committed two ordinances to the Church: water baptism 151 and the Lord’s Supper.152 Both are available to all believers.

151 Matthew 28:19-20; 152 1 Corinthians 10:14-17; 11:23-26

 

The Kingdom of God and the Final Judgment

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WE BELIEVE that God’s kingdom has come in the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ,153 that it continues to come in the ministry of the Spirit through the Church,154 and that it will be consummated in the glorious, visible and triumphant appearing of Christ 155 – His return to the earth as King. 156 After Christ returns to reign,157 He will bring about the final defeat of Satan and all of his minions and works,158 the resurrection of the dead,159 the final judgment 160 and the eternal blessing of the righteous and eternal conscious punishment of the wicked. 161 Finally, God will be all in all 162 and His kingdom, His rule and reign,163 will be fulfilled in the new heavens and the new earth,164 recreated by His mighty power, in which righteousness dwells 165 and in which He will forever be worshipped. 166

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153 Daniel 7:13-14; Matthew 4:23; Matthew 12:28; 154 Matthew 6:10; Matthew 10:7-8; Matthew 24:14; Mark 13:11; John 15:26-27; Romans 14:17-18; 155 Mark 13:26; Acts 1:9-11; 2 Thessalonians 2:8; 156 Revelation 19:11-16; 157 Matthew 25:31-32; 1 Corinthians 15:23-25; 158 Revelation 20:10; 159 1 Corinthians 15:51-52; 160 John 5:28-30; Revelation 20:11-15; 161 Matthew 25:31-46; 162 1 Corinthians 15:24-28; 163 1 Timothy 6:13-16; 164 2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:5; 165 Revelation 21:27; 166 1 Timothy 1:17; Revelation 7:9-12