PNB Statement of Faith and Baptist Principles (as per our Constitution)
We believe in:
Download the proposed statement of belief (June 2017)
1. The Divine inspiration and infallible knowledge of the Old and New Testaments, in the original form of it, as the complete inspired Word of God, and accept it as the final authority for faith and life.
2. One God, the only true and living God-the-Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one Being, three Persons.
3. Jesus Christ being conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, truly God and truly man.
4. God creating man in His own image, and that man sinned and therefore deserve the judgement of death, both physically and spiritually; and that every man is born with a sinful nature that results in (in the case where a person has already reached moral responsibility) personal debt as a result of violation of God's law.
5. The Lord Jesus that died for our sins as a substitute according to the Word, so that all who believe in Him may be justified by His blood.
6. The bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, in His ascension, and His present Office as High Priest and Advocate.
7. The bodily return of Jesus Christ.
8. The Holy Spirit as a Person, His redemption and His presence in every believer.
9. That all those who accept the Lord Jesus Christ by faith, have been born again by the Holy Spirit and thereby becomes children of God.
10. The resurrection of the just and the unjust, the everlasting life of the saved, and eternal damnation of those who reject the offer of salvation.
11. The true Church existing of believers that by faith, through grace, came to salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ; that the character of the church on earth should take on the character of the spiritual Church, and that rebirth and personal witness of salvation in Jesus Christ essential is to church membership.
12. The Lord Jesus Christ instituted two sacraments; Baptism and the Holy Communion, and that it should be maintained by every believer in obedience to, and faith in God. Baptism by submersion of the believer in water as identification with Christ's death and resurrection, and the Communion by taking bread and wine as symbols of Jesus' body and blood on the cross, and to do it in memory of Him – until He comes again.
13. That God has instituted the marriage as a heterosexual relationship between a natural man and a natural woman, who are legally married to each other.
We further fully align ourselves with the BAPTIST UNION OF SOUTHERN AFRICA’S PROPOSED STATEMENT OF BELIEF 2017
Baptist Principles:
1. The DIRECT HEADSHIP of CHRIST over every believer and over the local Church. Thus we understand that Christ exercises His authority over the believers and the local church, without ever relinquishing His authority to others.
2. The CHURCH consists of everyone who is redeemed by the Lord Jesus Christ and are born again by the Holy Spirit. The local church, an epitome of the Universal Church, is a community of believers in a given place where the word of God is preached, and where the ordinances of the Holy Communion and Baptism of the believer is practiced. It is fully autonomous and remains so despite responsibilities who voluntarily from time to time may be undertaken or delegated.
3. The BAPTISM of the BELIEVERS is a step in obedience to Jesus Christ, and is a sign of personal confession, faith and rebirth; comprising the submersion in water in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit.
4. The CONGREGATIONAL PRINCIPLE, namely that each member has the privilege and responsibility to apply their gifts and talents within the Church. We recognize that the Lord gives gifts to the Church which includes Overseers, (which are called Pastors and Elders) whose responsibility it is equip the saints for their service, doing this with a servant attitude, as well as Deacons whose responsibility it is to ensure that all congregational activities are functioning properly. This principle also urges the members' commitment to participate in the appointment of Church leaders during fully-fledged Church meetings, subject to the guidance of the Lord Jesus and the authority of the Word, which is the highest authority of the local Church.
5. The PRIESTHOOD of ALL BELIEVERS, which we understand that every believer has direct access to God through Christ as our High Priest, and participate with Him in His work of reconciliation. This requires our involvement in prayer, worship and faithful engagement - to be a witness for the Lord Jesus, even to the end of the Earth.
6. The principle of RELIGIOUS FREEDOM, it means that no believer will be prescribed by the Government or any secular body/group of believers, in the matters concerning his/her faith. The right to personal beliefs are respected. Every believer has the right to interpret the Word responsibly, and act accordingly.
7. The principle of the SEPARATION of the STATE and the Church, through the provision of God, the two differ in their respective functions. The Church must never engage and identify with the State in what they believe or do, or be directly controlled by the State. The State is responsible to see to law and justice, to ensure everything is orderly in the community and the well-being of the community is attended to. The Church is responsible for the spreading the Gospel and bringing God's will to man.