The Evangelical Methodist Church
catechism the journey of faith __________
“We should so work as if we were to be saved by our works; And so rely on Jesus Christ, as if we did no works.” —Francis Asbury: God’s Circuit Rider (1745-1816)
The Evangelical Methodist Church
CATECHISM Published by the authority of the 30th General Conference of the Evangelical Methodist Church, held in Indianapolis, Indiana March 12-15, 2010 General Editor: Dr. Edward W. Williamson, General Superintendent Department of Publications Editor: Mrs. Peggy Trim, Deaconess
Copyright Š 2012 by the General Conference of the Evangelical Methodist Church Department of Publications PRINTING 2012
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the Department of Publications. All Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (NIV) of the Bible unless otherwise noted. Printed in USA by 48HrBooks (www.48HrBooks.com)
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Evangelical Methodist Church International Headquarters P. O. Box 17070 Indianapolis, IN 46217 Location: 6838 South Gray Road Indianapolis, IN 46237
Additional copies of this publication may be ordered by contacting the Department of Publications at:
Phone: 317-780-8017 Email: publications@emchurch.org www.emchurch.org
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Table of Contents Foreword .................................................................................. 6 Lesson 1: Our History and Commitment ............................... 7 Lesson 2: The Articles of Religion ....................................... 15 Lesson 3: A Biblical View of the Scriptures ........................ 39 Lesson 4: A Biblical View of God and Humanity ................. 41 Lesson 5: A Biblical View of Sin and Redemption .............. 47 Lesson 6: A Biblical View of God’s Plan for Salvation ........ 51 Lesson 7: Sanctification ..................................................... 55 Lesson 8: A Biblical View of the Church and the Sacraments ......................................................... 59 Lesson 9: A Biblical View of Eternity .................................. 65 Lesson 10: Missions ............................................................ 69 Lesson 11: Our Government: Congregational and Connectional ............................................... 79 Lesson 12: Membership Responsibility ………. .................... 83 Lesson 13: Membership ...................................................... 89 Membership Covenant ...................................... 90 Appendix A: John Wesley’s The Scripture Way of Salvation A Break-Through Sermon .................................... 91 Appendix B: The Scripture Way of Salvation, John Wesley’s Sermon in Modern English … ............... 99 Appendix C: Explanatory Notes, Evangelical Methodist Articles of Faith ……………………… ................. 113 Appendix D: Basic Denominational Principles .................. …..127 Answers to Lesson Questions ................................................ 129
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Forward The General Board of Christian Education congratulates you for taking this step in expanding your knowledge of the basic doctrinal teachings to which the Evangelical Methodist Church adheres. The EMC is Wesleyan in doctrine which promotes purity of heart and a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It is the desire of this Board that as you embark upon your journey through this study you will come to know the EMC better and appreciate its stand for holiness. While this study perhaps will not answer all your questions, it will serve as a foundation upon which you, as a student, may build your understanding of the Wesleyan tradition. As you work your way through this study, you will not only develop a better understanding of what the EMC is, but also establish personal disciplines of study which will serve you well as you grow in your personal relationship with the Lord. While this study gives you a basic understanding of the EMC, it also gives you information for becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ. Another study, Discipleship Training, A Venture in Learning and Accountability offered by the General Board of Christian Education, will help you become more disciplined in your daily walk with the Lord. It will also give you tools to disciple others, thus fulfilling the Great Commission that Jesus gave the Church while it waits for His return. The pastor and lay leaders will enlarge and supplement this material to accommodate their local church mission statement and unique missional ministries. 2010-2014 General Board of Christian Education Members: Rev. Debbie Miller, Chair Rev. Dan Cottrell Dr. William Dean Rev. John Gentry Mr. Benoit Kitenge Rev. Robert Perkins Rev. Daniel Stiles
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esson 3 A Biblical View of the Scriptures
There have been many debates and disagreements over the authority, trustworthiness and accuracy of the Bible, even among Christians. These conflicts will most likely continue, so it is important for a person to know his/her position on the Bible. We (The Evangelical Methodist Church) agree with John Wesley's belief that there is only one book, the Bible, which has absolute authority, is completely trustworthy, is completely accurate and is inspired by God, not by people. We base this belief on 2 Timothy 3:16 (NLT), which states that “all Scripture is inspired by God…” The word inspired means God-breathed. Because of these things, we can rely on the Bible to show us the true way to salvation and also how to live our daily lives. There are 66 books (39 Old Testament and 27 New Testament) included in the Word of God (the Bible) which we call the canon. These books were accepted by the early Christian church to be true and to have authority, and we also accept these books and only these books. The word canon refers to the books that have been accepted as inspired by God. Both the Old and New Testament books have full authority, and they do not conflict with each other. Even though forty people wrote down the words of the Bible, we believe the Holy Spirit gave them the words to write; these words came from the heart of God. Therefore, the word of God was communicated without error. According to 2 Peter 1:20-21: “…you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” 2 Timothy 3:16 (NLT) states that, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives.” So when we are faced with different beliefs, we will be able to know which one is true and which one is false. Therefore, the Bible shows us how to become all we are meant to be through faith in God, and we can also help others discover the true way of life. (See Appendix C, Explanatory Note #12, Doctrine of Scripture, pg. 117.)
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Lesson 3 - REVIEW A Biblical View of the Scriptures TRUE OR FALSE: 1._____ We believe in the absolute authority of the Bible, both for salvation and daily living. 2._____ There are 27 books in the New Testament. 3._____ The Bible was written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. 4._____ In the Bible, the word of God was communicated without error. COMPLETION: 1. The ______________________ includes the books that have been accepted as inspired by God. 2. ____________________________ means “God-breathed.� 3. There are ________ books in the Old Testament. 4. _________________________ is the Scripture passage that tells us that the Scriptures are not a matter of one's own understanding. Questions for Discussion: 1. What is the relationship between the Old and New Testament? 2. Why is it important that the Bible is the only inspired Word of God? 3. How is the Bible useful to our everyday lives?
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