Beliefs

 

The "Gospel Hall brethren" are a group of independent Christian assemblies throughout the world that fellowship with each other through a set of shared Biblical doctrines and practices. Theologically, we are evangelical and dispensational. Gospel Halls follow the "pattern" of New Testament church doctrine and practice found in the Bible. As such we recognise no central ecclesiastical authority, no formal creed, no prescribed liturgy nor any ordained salaried ministry. Each assembly is an autonomous locally functioning body of baptised believers, recognising the final authority of the Bible and led by a plurality of elders. Though assemblies meeting in Gospel Halls do not usually print an official statement of faith, preferring to reference the Bible alone as our authority, the following are many of our core beliefs:

 

(learn more on the Wikipedia page; the following Bible quotations are from the King James Version unless otherwise noted)

 

 

• The verbal, plenary inspiration of the Bible

 

"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works."

- 2 Timothy 3:16-17

 

• The Trinity (One God in three persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit)

 

"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." (ESV)

- Matthew 28:19

 

"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all." (ESV)

- 2 Corinthians 13:14

 

• The creation of the world and human beings by supernatural acts of God

 

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."

- Genesis 1:1

 

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him, and without him was not any thing made that was made."

- John 1:1-3

 

"By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible." (ESV)

- Hebrews 11:3

 

"For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse." (ESV)

- Romans 1:19-20

 

• The deity, eternal sonship, virgin birth and impeccability of Christ.

 

"Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill [Jesus], because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God."

- John 5:18

 

"I and my Father are one."

- Jesus, John 10:30

 

"Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel."

- Isaiah 7:14

 

"Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit." (ESV)

- Matthew 1:18

 

"[Jesus] committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness." (ESV)

- 1 Peter 2:22-24

 

• The substitutionary death, bodily resurrection and ascension of Christ

 

"For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve.

- 1 Corinthians 15:3-5

 

"And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."

- 1 John 2:2

 

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
- John 3:16

 

"All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all."

- Isaiah 53:6

 

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you" (ESV)

- 1 Peter 1:3-4

 

• The ministry of the Holy Spirit in conversion, sanctification and witness

 

"In [Christ] you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory." (ESV)

- Ephesians 1:13-14

 

"And when [the Holy Spirit] comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment." (ESV)

- John 16:8

 

• The universal condemnation of all humanity as a result of the fall in Eden

 

"...by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned"

- Romans 5:12

 

"For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ." (ESV)

- Romans 5:17

 

"For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. (ESV)

- Romans 3:22b-25

 

• The need for the new birth for sinners to be made right with God

 

"Jesus answered and said unto him, 'Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.'"

- John 3:3

 

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." (ESV)

- 2 Corinthians 5:17

 

"And you were dead in the trespasses and sins which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the bodya and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved--" (ESV)

- Ephesians 2:1-5

 

• Justification by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone

 

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."

- Ephesians 2:8-9

 

"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."

- Romans 5:1

 

"...if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."

- Romans 10:9

 

"But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life." (ESV)

- Titus 3:4-7

 

• Baptism by immersion in water after personal salvation

 

"While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles...Then Peter declared, 'Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?'" (ESV)

- Acts 10:44-45; 47

 

• Eternal life in heaven for the believer, and eternal damnation for the unbeliever

 

"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."

- John 3:36

 

"But as it is written, 'Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.'"

- 1 Corinthians 2:9

 

"But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life." (ESV)

- Revelation 21:27

 

"Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." (ESV)

- Revelation 20:11-15