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IPHC Church Manual - Extension Loan Fund

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Constitution<br />

Article V. Understanding the Articles of Faith<br />

instances identical in word, with certain sections of the historic<br />

Augsburg Confession. This is particularly true of the first and<br />

second Articles.<br />

Moreover, they expand and elucidate the doctrinal tenets as<br />

set forth in the Apostles’ Creed. This statement is particularly<br />

applicable to the first four of our Articles. It is in the next nine<br />

that our doctrinal distinctives appear more definitely.<br />

We shall comment upon our Articles of Faith by paragraph as<br />

they are numbered in the <strong>Manual</strong>. Please read carefully all<br />

Scripture references in the order given.<br />

1. God and the Trinity<br />

We are Trinitarian, as opposed to Unitarian, in our faith.<br />

We do not believe in “three Gods” as the Unitarian, or<br />

“Jesus only,” teaching maintains that we do; but we believe<br />

there are “three persons, of one substance, of eternal<br />

being, and equal in holiness, justice, wisdom, power, and<br />

dignity; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.” Not three<br />

Gods, but one God, subsisting in three persons, the Trinity<br />

in unity (Matthew 3:16, 17; 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14;<br />

1 John 5:7).<br />

2. Christ<br />

We believe in the incarnation of Christ through the virgin<br />

birth, which we hold without question, as written in the<br />

Word of God (Isaiah 7:14; 9:6; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke<br />

2:26-35). We believe He was a perfect, sinless human<br />

being in whom dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily<br />

(Colossians 2:9), that He was very God and perfect man.<br />

We believe He lived a sinless life and died upon the cross<br />

as an all-sufficient atonement for our sins, for our personal<br />

transgressions and also for original sin.<br />

3. Christ’s Resurrection<br />

We believe in the bodily resurrection of Christ, in His<br />

triumphant ascension into heaven, and that He (in His<br />

35

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