Lighthouse Baptist Church

• Our Beliefs
  • What Type of Church are We?
  • Statement of Faith
    • Scripture
    • God
    • Christ
    • The Holy Spirit
    • Angels
    • Man
    • Sin
    • Salvation
    • The Church
    • Last Things
  • Our Vision

The Doctrine of The Scripture

I believe the Bible is the inspired word of God written. The Bible is contained in sixty-six books (39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament) exclusively and is inerrant, authoritative, and infallible in every area it touches. The proper method for interpreting the Scripture is the grammatical-historical-theological method utilizing a dispensational framework.

1. The Bible is the inspired word of God written. Inspiration is the supernatural influence of the Holy Spirit of God (2 Pet 1:21b) upon men whom God providentially prepared (Jer 1:5; Ga 1:15) to receive His special revelation given in concrete verbal form so that their writings (evidenced by their personalities and styles) as a whole and in every part are the very words of God (1 Co 2:13; 2 Tim 3:16-17).
2. The Bible exclusively consists of sixty-six books, thirty-nine in the Old Testament and twenty-seven in the New Testament. God has providentially preserved the text of Scripture (Ps 119:52,60) in the totality of Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic manuscripts and allowed the church to recognize its inspiration and authority. The Bible is clear (Deut 30:11-14; Ps 119:130), complete (Deut 4:2; Jn 16:13; 1 Co 13:8; Rev 22:18-19), sufficient (Mt 4:4; 2 Pet 1:3; 2 Tim 3:15), and self-authenticating (Jn 10:35; 17:17).
3. The Bible is inerrant in the original autographs (1 Co 14:37 cf. 2:13) and as such is authoritative and infallible in every area it touches upon (2 Pet 1:3; 2 Tim 3:15-17). The fact that the Bible is God breathed ensures its inerrancy (2 Tim 3:16 cf. Jn 17:17 and Tit 1:2).
4. An accurate interpretation of any given text requires the application of the grammatical-historical-theological method for interpretation. This method involves interpreting any given text of Scripture on the basis of the grammar and syntactical relationships of the words used and bearing in mind the clear teaching of the entire body of Scripture on the subject of study. This approach insists on the normal interpretation of Scripture based on authorial intent and the univocal nature of language.
5. In conjunction with the grammatical-historical-theological method of interpretation, I believe that the application of a dispensational framework be employed when interpreting the Bible. A dispensational approach sees a distinction between Israel and the Church in origin, purpose and destiny (1 Co 10:32). The dispensational framework of interpretation recognizes that God’s revelation of Himself has been progressive and that He has chosen to deal with man in unique ways throughout the various stages of history. Thus, man’s responsibilities to God have varied according to the stewardship given him by God in His revelation (Ex 6:3; Eph 1:10; 3:9; Heb 1:1-2; 7:18-19). God’s ultimate purpose and unifying center of His activity in His dispensational program is to glorify Himself by entering into a rule of loving sovereignty and fellowship with man and to dwell with Him forever (Is 43:7; Ro 11:36; 1 Co 15:28b; Col 1:16).