Biola University 2014–15 Catalog
who shed the blood, and are born again by the quickening, renewing, cleansing work of the Holy Spirit, through the instrumentality of the Word of God. All those who receive Jesus Christ as their Savior and their Lord, and who confess Him as such before their fellow men, become children of God and receive eternal life. They become heirs of God and joint- heirs with Jesus Christ. At death their spirits depart to be with Christ in conscious blessedness, and at the Second Coming of Christ their bodies shall be raised and transformed into the likeness of the body of His glory. 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 dispensation, 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. Note: This doctrinal statement, presented here as originally conceived by the founders of the organization, has been and continues to be the stated theological position of Biola University. Where “man” is used, referring to the human race, it includes both genders. In addition, the following theological distinctives indicate the organization’s understanding and teaching position on certain points which could be subject to various interpretations: 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 intelligent 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 providentially 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 material, and his spiritual nature immediately from God). Inadequate origin models hold that (a) God never directly intervened in creating 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 foundational 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. 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 position in these theological distinctives. 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 suitability for employment. Teaching Biblical Studies Academic study of the sacred Scripture differs from other disciplines 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 issues 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 themselves 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. Diversity Statement We believe that Biola University has been uniquely situated within a geographic region of great diversity in language, culture, and ethnicity for the purpose of fulfilling its mission of biblically-centered education, scholarship and service. Within this cultural milieu the University is called not only to respect this diversity, but to reflect it as well, for Christ intends his Church to be a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, and multi-national body of believers. We believe it is our purpose, therefore, to create an environment in which all believers, regardless of race, color, national origin, gender, age, economic status or physical ability, can pursue knowledge and personal development as they strive to become all God intends them to be. In order to maximize the learning of students and expose them to the diversity that exists in the culture at large, we seek to foster an understanding and appreciation of those elements in every culture that enhance human dignity and are consistent with scriptural teaching. We are dedicated to expanding opportunities for Christians of all cultures, and ethnic backgrounds to attend Biola, to be employed here, and to participate in the fellowship and mission to which we are called, always keeping in mind our desire to pursue excellence in all we do. We are committed to work for the establishment of a community composed of believers from every race, culture, and class who are united in their devotion to Jesus Christ, their obedience to His Word, and in their willingness to serve one another. Biola University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnic group identification, gender, age, or physical or mental disability. However, as a private religious institution, the University reserves the right to exercise preference on the basis of religion in all of its employment practices and student admissions.
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