Doctrine of Faith & Fundamental Truths

The apostle Paul knew the importance of sound doctrine. In his letters to young pastors Timothy and Titus, Paul uses the words of sound doctrine four times. (1 Timothy 1: 10, 2 Timothy 4:3, Titus 1:9, Titus 2: 1).

Doctrine literally means "something taught" or "teaching and instruction." Christian doctrine is a framework of fundamental biblical truths arranged in an orderly form. There are four that stand out as the foundational doctrines of the Assemblies of God and other Pentecostal groups.

• Salvation through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ
• The Holy Spirit and His dynamic work in Spirit-filled Christians
• Divine healing as part of the atonement
• The Second Coming of Jesus Christ

The Assemblies of God Statement of Fundamental Truths contains sixteen points (The official scholarly treatment of the sixteen points is from Menzies' Bible Doctrines: A Pentecostal Perspective) (WEBLINK: http://www.ag.org/top/about/bibliography.cfm) The statement adopted in 1916 says, "This statement of Fundamental Truths is not intended as a creed for the church, nor as a basis of fellowship among Christians, but only as a basis of unity for the ministry. The Statement has come to be recognized as the guideline for our faith and practice, for what we believe and how we are expected to live.

Sixteen points make up the Statement of Fundamental Truths.

Refer to Michigan District of A/G for indepth description of the 16 fundamental truths of the Assembly of God.

1. The Scriptures Inspired
2. The One True God
3. The Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ
4. The Fall of Man
5. The Salvation of Man
6. Ordinances of the Church
7. The Baptism in the Holy Ghost
8. The Initial Physical Evidence of the Baptism in the Holy Ghost
9. Sanctification
10. The Church and Its Mission
11. The Ministry
12. Divine Healing
13. The Blessed Hope
14. The Millennial Reign of Christ
15. The Final Judgment
16. The New Heavens and the New Earth