what bcom teaches about…
Eternal Security
We emphasize Holy living and a surrendered life at all times. We exhort all believers to keep short accounts with God so that the question of eternal security never needs to be a point of personal fear.
End Times
The fullness of Godâs plan to have His Son Jesus rule the earth will come at Christâs return at the 7th trumpet which will commence His literal 1000 year reign. We are premillenial in our eschatology. We donât believe the full reign and control of righteous government is possible apart from Jesus literally ruling the earth after He returns. We believe the Church needs to be aware of and prepared for the season of His coming, so as to avoid being one whose love grows cold in those days. 1 Thessalonians 5:3-6 says, âWhile people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.â
The Holy Spirit
When we receive salvation through Jesus Christ, we enter into a personal relationship with God, marked by the indwelling presence of His Holy Spirit. To effectively serve the Lord and to live a holy life, we must receive His power and gifts through the baptism with and continual infilling of the Holy Spirit.
Gifts of the Holy Spirit
We believe that the gifts of the Holy Spirit described in the New Testament are available to believers today and necessary for the health and growth of the church. Though we are charismatic and believe that the gift of tongues is available to believers today, we do not âforceâ this gift upon anyone, nor do we believe it is the only evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Baptism
- Baptism is an act of obedience to the command of Christ, fulfilled by individuals who have submitted themselves to His sovereignty. Jesus commands those He sends in His name to make disciples and baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
- Baptism is emblematic of spiritual cleansing through divine forgiveness and the newness of life experienced by believers by virtue of their identification with Christ in His death and resurrection.
- Baptism provides an opportunity for believers to make a formal profession of their faith before the Church.
The Creation Account in Genesis
We believe in the creation of the world in literal days, Adam and Eve, the fall of man, and the great flood as historic events and people. We do not teach the gap theory or day-age theory, except to make students aware of them as other interpretative theories. We would hold to some form of the young earth view, although not strictly Ussherâs chronology (4004 B.C.).
Reformed Theology
We do not teach reformed theology, except as it relates to teachings in which various viewpoints are examined. We are definitely evangelical, but in terms of a general theological viewpoint, we would be considered Wesleyan.
Women in Ministry
At Bethany we have no theological problem with a woman speaking in a church, taking leadership of a meeting, speaking the word of the Lord or using her gifts in the same way that a man would. We have female professors who teach male students and find this totally appropriate. Philip had four daughters who prophesied; in the last days Joel said the Spirit would be poured out on both sons and daughters to do the works of the Kingdom; Priscilla was a key speaker of the Word of God in Acts; Deborah was judge of Israel and many other examples illustrate Godâs apparent endorsement of women teaching and leading groups with
men and women in them. Two-thirds of missionaries today and in all of missions history have been women. We support women in ministry and joyfully send them in service to Jesus in all parts of the world.
Christian Feminism
We are not Christian feminists, if what is meant by that is the idea that women need to be liberated from their oppressed lives and be free to do whatever a man can do. We believe that God made men and women equally and that they are both of equal worth to God. In no way is woman inferior to man, neither morally nor in her abilities.
Marriage
In Godâs plan for order and human happiness, he did create man for a certain work and woman for a certain work. We believe that marriage is a God-ordained and God-desired institution between one man and one woman, and we celebrate two believers joining themselves in marriage. We also believe that the first commandment God gave stands and it is His desire that we be fruitful and multiply through bearing children. We mention this because our culture is quickly following the European mentality. With this mindset, children are often seen as an inconvenience and as a hindrance to material prosperity and âfreedomâ for adults to do as they please with their time.
Open Theism
We do not support open theism. Open theism is a doctrinal position that has gained momentum over the past 5 years in the evangelical church. Naturally, it can be expected that the topic will arise in various classroom discussions. We recognize the sovereignty of God from an Armenian perspective. Though we have such a conviction, we would in no way ostracize a student who was grappling with doctrines of Calvinism or open theism. Open theism has a leg or two to stand on, which is why it has gained some recognition, and those issues must be discussed. On the other hand, it is a precarious stool that has only two legs, which is why we stand where we do.
Emergent Church Movement
We love the contributions made by this movement as they relate to our sensitivity to those outside of the church and their perceptions of the church. At the same time, there seems to be a tendency in this movement towards relativism on a variety of issues with which we are not comfortable, nor do we promote. Godâs moral code is clear and we are to live by that standard and boldly preach that others align themselves with Godâs standards as well.
