What should I be looking for in a church?

OBW · 06-12-2017, 04:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevin

I'm trying to check up with Christ Commission Fellowship (CCF). CCF is conservative Evangelical but does not identify itself as either Reformed nor Arminian to avoid unnecessary identification with a myriad of traditions and practices from mainline protestant denominations. CCF is Trinitarian; believes in the full inspiration, inerrancy, and supreme authority of the 66 books that comprise the Holy Scriptures; and salvation by grace through faith in Jesus alone, based on His divinity and humanity and His finished work on the cross. Beats me with this one. I haven't yet made my full decision because I have just recently out the LC, wondering where to start my life.

I sent an email to Got Questions Ministries about this Evangelical church.

Sounds pretty much like a Bible church other than the fact that most (all?) of them are probably Calvinist. But they don't agree on everything. The only absolutely similar thing is the name. So it doesn't mean much.

As for the kind of doctrinal statement that you semi-quoted, it seem typical. And while everywhere that I have been since the LRC holds to the same general statements, I sort of wish they would make their doctrinal statement a little less dogmatic. Mostly about the whole "inerrancy" thing. Not because I think there are errors in the Bible, but because "inerrancy" so often doesn't really mean that. More like it means "we believe that the Bible — all 66 books — support our positions on all the other things we believe that are not stated in this short document. And it means that every bit of inspiration that I receive out of 5 words in a row is inspired by God. And it means that my interpretation of unclear passages is the correct one, supported by the "inerrant" Bible.

Almost nothing that needs that kind of inerrancy is that important for your Christian life. Seems more like a trump card for a doctrinal debate than what the Bible said about itself — profitable for teaching, reproof, and instruction in righteousness.