BBN's Doctrinal Statement

• We believe in the Bible, which is verbally inspired by the Holy Spirit in the original manuscripts and is the infallible and authoritative Word of God. It is the sole authority for the Christian faith and conduct.
• We believe in the Triune Godhead in Three Persons-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
• We believe in the personality of Satan, called the Devil, and his present control over unregenerate mankind.
• We believe in the fall and lost estate of man, whose total depravity makes necessary the new birth.
• We believe in the deity of Jesus Christ, His virgin birth, death, bodily resurrection, present exaltation at God’s right hand, and personal, imminent, and pre-millennial return.
• We believe in the atonement by the substitutionary death and shed blood of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
• We believe in the resurrection of the saved unto everlasting life and blessedness in heaven, in the Church, the Body or Bride of Christ, consisting only of those who are born again, for whom He now makes intercession in heaven and for whom He shall come again.
• We believe in the resurrection of the unsaved unto everlasting punishment in hell.
• We believe in Christ’s great commission to the Church to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature, baptizing and teaching those who believe.

What does BBN teach?

• What do you teach about salvation?
  We teach that all humans are lost and condemned by God because all have sinned and come short of God's expectations. (Romans 3:23) We also teach that all who are condemned will die and go to hell to pay for their sins. (Romans 6:23) We present Jesus Christ as God's payment for sins, available to all who trust in His death, burial and resurrection as their payment to God. (John 3:16, John 1:12) The Bible says that all who trust in Jesus Christ and His payment for their sins will be saved. (Romans 10:9-13)
  
  
• Who is Jesus Christ?
  Jesus Christ is the Son of God (John 3:16) He is the Creator of the universe. (Colossians 1:16, 17) He is the God/Man. (Colossians 1:15 Isaiah 9:6)
  
  
• Please tell me about water baptism. When should a person be baptized? Does water baptism have anything to do with salvation?
  Water Baptism is an outward demonstration of an inward transaction, the acceptance of Jesus Christ. It pictures the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and of the new believer. It indicates that the person is admitting death to the old nature and life to the new nature. It is following the example of Jesus Christ, Who was baptized by John the Baptist. It is a work of righteousness. (Matthew 3:15)
  A person should be baptized soon after trusting Jesus Christ as personal Savior. Since it is a picture of the salvation of the person, baptism should not precede salvation. Infant baptism is not correct for two reasons: (1) No infant is baptized in the Bible. (2) An infant has not made a personal acceptance of the Savior as payment of sins.
  Our Savior called baptism a work of righteousness. He said to John the Baptist, when John hesitated to baptize Jesus, "Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness." Matthew 3:15 (The word translated "fulfill" in the KJV means to "accomplish, execute, complete" etc. All of these imply a work or task, which makes baptism a work of righteousness.) Salvation is all of grace, and not of works. (Ephesians 2:8, 9)
  
  
• Who is the Holy Spirit?
  The Holy Spirit is one person of the Trinity. Like God the Father, He does not have a physical body visible to human eyes. His work is to "reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:" (John 16:8) He is the One Who convicts a person of his/her need of a Savior (Jude 1:15) and guides Christians into all truth. (John 16:3) He is our Teacher. (John 14:26) He is constantly pointing us to Jesus, and not to Himself. (John 15:26) He is our Comforter. (John 14:26) He is the Person Who gave the Bible through the men who wrote it down on parchment. (2Peter 1:21) 
  
  
• What do you teach about spiritual gifts?
  We teach that God gave two types of spiritual gifts. Prior to the completion of the Canon or Bible, both Old and New Testaments, God gave signs to the nation of Israel or to individual Jews. These ranged from a pillar of fire by night and a pillar of cloud by day to miraculous events like healings, raisings from the dead, supply of food or water, to a donkey speaking to his rider. There were the equivalent to road signs along the way to point out the correct route. (Jeremiah 32:21) These were necessary, since a written record of God's direction had not been completed. When the Bible was complete, these sign gifts ceased (I Corinthians 13:8-10) The sign gifts that have ceased are, prophecies, tongues, and words of knowledge. There are also spiritual gifts given to equip Christians for the work God has for them. These are listed in Ephesians 4. Christians are also given the "fruit of the Spirit" to accomplish the Christian life.
  
  
• Should speaking in tongues be practiced today?
  The subject of speaking in tongues has been presented in various ways. Some say that it is the ultimate test of a person's personal filling by the Holy Spirit. Others would teach that it is a universal gift given to every Christian, and without it a person cannot be sure of salvation. It should be noted that nowhere in the Bible is this taught. When the Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas what he had to do to be saved, tongues are not even mentioned in the answer given. When Paul gave the definition of the gospel to the Corinthian Church in the 15th chapter of his first epistle to them, he never mentioned tongues. (By the way, the Corinthian Church was the one that exhibited the "gift of tongues" more than any other New Testament church.) When he wrote to the Galatians about the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22, 23, he never mentioned tongues there either.
  Consider also that "unknown tongues" or a "heavenly language" is never mentioned in the Bible. If you have a translation of the Bible that is accurate, you will find that words that are not in the original manuscripts, but have been added by those who prepared the text of your Bible, are in "italics." Note that "unknown" is in italics in First Corinthians 14:2, 4, and 13,14,19,27.
  The gift of tongues was given to Peter on the day of Pentecost so that all the Jews present on that day, from all over, heard him preach in their own "heart language." Tongues were also a sign gift on occasion, to show that what was happening was of God. Peter saw that in Acts 10, to show him (a Jew) that God was giving salvation to a Gentile (Cornelius). First Corinthians 1:22 says, "For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:" When the Bible was complete, this sign gift ceased (I Corinthians 13:10) 
  
  
• What about Eschatology? Do you teach that the rapture occurs before the tribulation begins?
  It is the teaching about future events. The Bible foretold a number of events that were future at the time of the writing of that portion of the Bible. The Exodus of Israel out of Egypt was foretold to Moses, and by him to the Israelites and to Pharaoh before it happened. The captivity of Israel by various kingdoms was foretold by God. He has also laid out the future events to come on the earth, and we can rely on that teaching because we know that He accurately predicted past events before they came to pass. Eschatology today would be considered the teaching on the rapture, the tribulation, the second coming, the Millennium (one thousand year reign of Christ), the Great White Throne judgment and the New Heaven and the New Earth. The Book of Daniel and the Book of Revelation are the two most often taught books on Eschatology. 
  We teach the Pre-tribulation Rapture of Christians. That is based on several Bible passages like Revelation 4:1, 2, where John is invited up to Heaven to view what is taking place there. The church (a term used to describe Christians in this time) is very evident in Revelation 2&3, but is not mentioned after that in the Book of Revelation. Noah is a type of the Christian in the world. He believed God and rode out the flood by being above it, in an ark "pitched within and without." The Hebrew word translated here as "pitched" means "redemption-payment, ransom, or satisfaction." It is a symbol of the blood of Jesus Christ, that seals us from the flood of the world, or the terrible events of the tribulation. 
  Paul gives a description of the rapture in I Thessalonians 4:13-18. In his second letter to them, Paul corrected what was the false teaching in the church at that time. They were in fear that the Day of Jesus Christ (the judgment of the world) was very near. He began his teaching on this by saying, "Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand." (II Thessalonians 2:1, 2) He reminded them of his teaching in the first letter that we will be gathered together with Him in the air before these events they feared will come to pass.
  
  
• What about divorce? Is there ever a time when divorce is permissible?
  God intended for a man and woman to be joined in marriage for life. In the Garden of Eden, with the first couple (Adam and Eve), God said, "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh." Since the Christian is spoken of as being a part of the body of the Church and the Church is called the Bride of Christ, we believe there should not be a separation in the marriage until the death of one or both of the partners in the marriage.
  In the Old Testament, God allowed for the legal processing of divorces for the settling of estates and custody problems. He established a "bill of divorcement" that was to be given to a wife being divorced. However, Jesus said in Matthew 19:3-12 that God gave that "bill of divorcement" because of the hardness of the hearts of Israelites. It was not an indication of a change in His will for married couples. Jesus does tell us the only permissible reason for divorce is adultery; however as a Christian couple divorce is never an option. Jesus will help any Christian marriage through tough times, even adultery.
  
  
• Should a divorced person be a pastor or church leader?
  Since the qualifications for a pastor of church leader specify that the leader should be the husband of one wife, ruling his household well, it would seem to disqualify those who are not doing that. A divorced person is not the husband of one wife, any longer, and apparently has not ruled his own household well. For more information, read I Timothy 3 or Titus 1. 
  
  
• Can you tell me about eternal security?
  Eternal security is the name given to the doctrine that teaches that we are saved eternally when we trust Jesus Christ as our personal Savior. John 3:16 reads, "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." The phrase "everlasting life" means life without end. John 10:27-29 reads, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one." By the way, the word translated "any man" should really read, "any".
  
  
• Would you teach that I could lose my salvation?
  Your salvation is not yours to keep or to lose. You received your salvation because Jesus Christ died for your sins and you accepted him as your personal Savior. He also becomes your Shepherd and as such, He will keep you for "His name's sake." Shepherds in the Middle East are known for their care of the sheep committed to them for protection. If a shepherd loses a sheep, his name is defiled and his reputation is soiled. King David knew that when he wrote, "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want....Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever." He did not say, "I might dwell in the house of the Lord for ever." He knew his Shepherd, and he knew what a shepherd is. Read Psalm 89 to see the promise and covenant God made with David and with the Seed of David (Jesus Christ) and with His seed (the Christian). Although chastening may be necessary, desertion and ending eternal life is not taught here.
  
  
• Is the Bible God’s Word or contain God’s Word?
  The Bible IS God's Word. If it were not, who would determine what is and what is not the Word of God? Now remember the Bible, thoroughly correct and accurate, contains three elements. It contains what God is saying to man directly. (For example, Exodus 20, the Ten Commandments.) It also contains what man says. (The Book of Ecclesiastes, the testimony of Solomon.). There are portions where the words are the words of Satan, the archenemy of God. (Genesis 3:4&5) "And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." 
  What God says is always right. God will not lie. What man says may or may not be true. He is reporting what he observes, as Solomon stated, "man under the sun." What the devil says may be a part truth, but a whole lie. However, the entire Bible is inspired of God and given to man by the Holy Spirit. Second Timothy 3:16, 17 reads, "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, throughly furnished unto all good works."
  
  
• Is the Bible the sole authority for the Christian faith and conduct?
  The Bible was given by God to man so that he could know the mind of God and God's will. It is the only safe guide for doctrine. It gives faith and it provides a guide to proper conduct. (Second Timothy 3:16, 17)