We believe that the Bible is God's Word for His people (Psalm 119:105) and that all scripture is inspired by God. (2 Timothy 3:16)

We grieve that Biblical authority is too often not taught in our seminaries, churches or our Sunday Schools , and the entire message is often watered down to a touchy-feely experience. God's Word should not be manipulated to be whatever we want it to be, or to conform to the culture of the day.

We abandon God when we abandon His Word, and we abandon His Word when we choose what parts of it we will believe and what parts we will water down, explain away or deny.

God calls us to be faithful to His Word and we mock Him at our peril. We WILL reap what we sow, and rapidly declining membership is testimony to that truth.

The following are our chief concerns regarding the PCUSA’s stance on the authority of scripture:

1. One of the basics of our Reformed faith declared through the “solas” of the Reformation, “sola Scriptura” is often lost in divisions surrounding our current understanding of the inerrant truth of Scripture.
   Matt. 5:17-19; John 8:31; 14:15-24;17:17; Luke 21:33; II Tim 3:16; James 1:21-22
2. Although we consider this of secondary importance to the issues of Christology, our differences concerning the authority of Scripture are probably the source of the greater number of the divisions among us, including the preeminent one of being unable to declare any mutual understanding of orthodox Christology:

• Belief in the basic truthfulness of Scripture would open us to a mutual understanding of Christology.
  Mark 10: 16 John 1:1-18; 3:16-18; 5:39-40,46; Acts 4:10-12; I Tim. 2:3-6; I John 3:24-4:3; 5:11-12; II John 9-11
• “The Trinity: God’s Love Overflowing” paper “received” by the 2006 General Assembly, could not have been written without disregarding Scriptural principles surrounding the holiness of God, His jealous guarding of His sovereign power, His sole right to name Himself, and writings concerning the Jewish tradition surrounding their care in the use of His name. Although “received” and not “approved” this deeply flawed paper will still be used and disseminated by our national offices as a resource. It should have been disapproved as deeply flawed. For many this paper was even worse than the approval of the “Peace Unity and Purity Report.”
  Ex. 3: 5-6, 14; 20: 4-7; Lev. 10: 1-3; Matt. 6: 6-9; John 10: 31-33
• An acceptance of the clear teaching of Scripture concerning God’s sovereignty in the creation of life, His gracious blessing in giving children, and His involvement with the pre-born would alleviate our divisions over the abortion issue.
  Ex. 22: 22-24; Job 10:8-12; Ps. 22:9; 129:3-5; 139:13-16; Is. 44:2; Jer. 1:5
• Our differences concerning the clear teaching of Scripture concerning the sin of homoerotic behavior and sex outside of the covenant of marriage has led to some of our most visibly divisive battles, and has probably become the current final straw for many of the churches now seeking to leave us after the General Assembly approval of the “Peace Unity and Purity Report.”
  Lev. 18: 20-29; Deut. 22:0-21, 28-29; Mark 10: 6-12; Romans 1: 24-32; I Cor. 5: 9-12; 6: 9-11; 8-I Tim. 1: 8-11; James 4: 3-4; Jude 3-7
• Sadly we seem to have lost our faith in the power of the Spirit to change lives, make us “new creations,” and release us from the bonds of sin.
  Mark 9: 23; 10: 27; II Cor. 5:16-19; James 4: 7-8
• Our lack of vitality as believers, as congregations, and as a denomination often finds its basis in a lack of serious teaching and preaching about several basic Scriptural teachings—the doctrines of the tithe, of hell and judgment, and of the life-saving necessity and Christ’s commandment for evangelism.
  • On the tithe: Gen. 14:20; Mal. 3:8-11; Luke 16:13;
  • On judgment: Matt. 25:31-46; Mark 16:15-16; Luke 6:19-26; Heb.9:27; Heb. 10:26-27
  • On evangelism: Matt.28:18-20; Mark 8:34-38;Mark 13:10; Luke 12: 8-9; Luke 24: 46-48