All those who persistently reject Jesus Christ in the present life shall be raised from the dead and throughout eternity exist in the state of conscious, unutterable, endless torment and anguish. The Church consists of all those who, in this present dispensa- tion, truly believe in Jesus Christ. It is the body and bride of Christ, which Christ loves and for which He has given Himself. There is a personal devil, a being of great cunning and power: “The prince of the power of the air,”“The prince of this world,”“The god of this age.” He can exert vast power only so far as God suffers him to do so. He shall ultimately be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone and shall be tormented day and night forever.
origin models hold that (a) God never directly intervened in creat- ing nature and/or (b) humans share a common physical ancestry with earlier life forms. Though there may be many fillings of the Holy Spirit, there is only one baptism which occurs at the time of regeneration. The gifts of the Spirit are given to believers according to the Will of God for the purpose of building up the Church. During the founda- tional era of the Church (i.e., the time of Christ and the Apostles) God gave special manifestations of the overtly supernatural and miraculous gifts (e.g., tongues, healings, miracles) as “signs” that witness to the validity of those bearing new canonical revelation (c.f. 2 Cor. 12:12; Heb. 2:3-4). Beyond the foundational era, God in His sovereignty may grant any spiritual gift and work miraculously for the benefit of His Church at any time. The Bible is clear in its teaching on the sanctity of human life. Life begins at conception. We abhor the destruction of innocent life through abortion-on-demand.
This doctrinal statement, presented here as originally conceived by the founders of the organization, has been and continues to be the stated theological posi- tion of Biola University. Where “man” is used, refer- ring to the human race, it includes both genders. In addition, the following explanatory notes indicate the organization’s understanding and teaching position on certain points which could be subject to various interpretations:
Note:
Confession before men is viewed as tangible fruit of salvation and not as a qualifying condition for salvation.
Biola University does not necessarily deny employment to persons merely for lack of firm personal convictions on any teaching posi- tion in these explanatory notes. However, Biola University does weigh carefully the understanding and personal convictions of employment applicants on these points as well as the nature of their prospective work assignments, in determining their suitabil- ity for employment. Teaching Biblical Studies Academic study of the sacred Scripture differs from other disci- plines in a university setting in that the primary text is God’s Word, which underscores the importance of making instruction relevant to faith, learning and living. At Biola every effort is made to be academically credible, theologically orthodox and practically relevant. Whether engaged in a critical discussion of the text, or a theological debate about a particular doctrine, the discussion must finally come to the meaning for life today. Though faculty members in all departments share a commitment to the convictions reflected in the University doctrinal statement, they reflect a healthy diversity regarding other contemporary is- sues and interpretation of specific passages. Whether a divergent view is held by others on campus or not, care is taken to represent opposing positions fairly, so that students can decide for them- selves in a genuine educational environment. In practice, the task of teaching biblical studies is not limited to those within that department. Rather, the integration of Christian thought into all fields of inquiry is the goal of the entire teaching faculty. In this sense it is desired that every course contribute to the development of a Christian worldview for the Biola graduate.
In fulfillment of God’s historical purpose for humanity to rule and establish God’s kingdom on earth (Gen. 1:28; Ps. 8:4-8; Matt. 6:10 Heb. 2:6-9), the Scriptures teach a millennial reign of Christ with his saints on earth following his literal return. The nation of Israel, having been redeemed, will play a central role in bringing the blessings of salvation to all nations during the millennium in fulfillment of biblical prophecies (e.g., Is. 2:1-4, 11:1-12; Jer. 23:5-6; Ezek. 37; Amos 9:9-15; Zech. 14; Matt. 19:28; Acts 1:6, 3:19-21; Rev. 20:4-7). Following the millennium, this kingdom will be merged into the eternal kingdom (I Cor. 15:22-28). Before these millennial events, the believers will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air (I Thess. 4:13-17). The time of this “rapture” is unknown, and thus believers are to live constantly watchful and ready. The existence and nature of the creation is due to the direct miraculous power of God. The origin of the universe, the origin of life, the origin of kinds of living things, and the origin of humans cannot be explained adequately apart from reference to that intel- ligent exercise of power. A proper understanding of science does not require that all phenomena in nature must be explained solely by reference to physical events, laws and chance. Therefore, creation models which seek to harmonize science and the Bible should maintain at least the following: (a) God providen- tially directs His creation, (b) He specially intervened in at least the above-mentioned points in the creation process, and (c) God specially created Adam and Eve (Adam’s body from non-living ma- terial, and his spiritual nature immediately from God). Inadequate
General Information
2007–2009 Catalog
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