Our purpose in providing this Statement of Faith is not to advocate
doctrinal disputes or divisions, but to hold fast to essential
Christian doctrine and to embrace, love and learn from our Jewish
brethren and their distinctions as a community of faith. We realize
that the body of Christ will always have diversity among theology
and convictions until Jesus returns. This was evident by the
first-century believers and will continue until our LORD Jesus
returns. We hold to the reformers' position:
In essentials unity,
in non-essentials liberty;
in all things charity.
We believe that love is the greatest gift of them all and we are
commanded to pursue it first. It's time for the body of Christ
(particularly the Clergy) to stop disputing on non-essentials which
keep unbelievers out of the kingdom of God. We believe these are
the essentials of orthodox Biblical beliefs. Because of the
diversity of our members and various traditions, we allow differing
opinions and understanding of Christian beliefs such as the amount
of time in creation, various interpretations of the gifts of the
Holy Spirit, etc. Neither of these will send anyone to the lake of
fire and are non-essentials; however, the AOCI Executive Board does
affirm that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are for today and have not
passed away and so we also believe that this freedom applies to
this ministry.
THE
BIBLE: The Bible is our sole guide for truth and is the
inspired, infallible, authoritative Word of God. We affirm the 66
books for the Bible. Divine inspiration extends equally and fully
to all parts of the writings in the original manuscripts and is
therefore without error. All Scripture is profitable for
correction, rebuke, exhortation, and instruction.
JESUS
CHRIST: We believe in the Deity of our Lord Jesus Christ
and that all Scriptures center around Him. We believe in His virgin
birth, sinless life, miracles, vicarious atonement on the cross,
bodily resurrection, ascension to the right hand of the Father, and
in His imminent personal return in power and glory. Jesus is 100%
God and 100% human. He is the God-man. He is
NOT a created
being and is eternal. We believe in
ONE God in
three persons (the Trinity). 1+1+1=1. Hear, O Israel:
The LORD our God, the LORD is
One! שמע ישראל יהוה
אלהינו יהוה אחד׃
SALVATION: We believe in the New
Birth of the believer, in the salvation of lost and sinful people
through personal repentance, and in regeneration by the Holy
Spirit. "Ye must be born again." We affirm that a believer must
actively cooperate and participate in the sanctification process
(positional and progressive).
HOLY
SPIRIT: We believe in the present ministry of the Holy
Spirit by whose indwelling the believer is enabled to live a godly
life. We believe that the gifts are for today and should be
exercised with decency and in order. God is not the author of
confusion but of peace (1 Corinthians 4:32-33, 40).
JUDGMENT: We believe in the
resurrection of both the saved and lost: of them that are saved
unto the resurrection of life, of them that are lost unto the
resurrection of damnation. We believe that Hell is a literal
place.
SPIRITUAL
UNITY:
- We believe in the spiritual unity of all believers in our Lord
Jesus Christ, that all are united to the risen and ascended Son of
God, and are members of the Church, which is the Body and Bride of
Christ and which began at Pentecost.
- Its members are constituted as such, regardless of membership
or non-membership in the organized churches of the Earth. We are
NOT inclusivistic (meaning that those people outside of the
faith will be saved
- All clergy men and women who become members of AOCI should
exercise grace, love and unity with all members of AOCI as well as
to the Body of Christ at large.
- We believe marriage must be between one man and one woman.
- We do NOT believe in the ordination of homosexuals.
Positional
Statement of Faith Regarding Our Jewish Clergy
- Recognizing that
the Jewish people are God's CHOSEN people, we renounce all
anti-Semetic actions and words, regardless of the
source.
- We believe that
Christians should bless the Jewish people because, according to the
book of Genesis, God will bless those who bless Israel and curse
those who curse Israel.
- We recant and
renounce the works, words, and anti-semitic teachings of Martin
Luther concerning the Jewish people.
- We pray for the
healing, blessing, peace, prosperity, and divine protection of the
Jewish Nation. We pray for the peace of Jerusalem as commanded in
holy writ.
- With deep sorrow
and regret, the AOCI openly and honestly asks the Jewish people for
forgiveness for the harm that Martin Luther’s teachings have caused
and any contribution to their harm
- The Gospel is to
the Jew first and then the Gentile. Gentiles (believers in Christ
other than Jewish believers) have been grafted into the vine.
Christians must realize that they do NOT HOLD UP the ROOT
(Jews), but the ROOT SUPPORTS or HOLDS UP Christians
(cf. Romans 11:18). The oracles of God were committed to the Jew
first (cf. Romans 3:1-2).
- The AOCI DOES
NOT SUPPORT OR ENDORSE the dangerous doctrines of "Replacement
Theology" as taught in many Churches around the world. The New
Testament teaches that there is neither Jew nor Gentile, but the
Lord's desire is that there be ONE new man. According to
Ephesians 2:14-15 Yeshua HaMashiach has broken down the walls of
separation.
Again, the AOCI blesses
Israel and the Jewish people. Prayers are also offered for the
Middle East and for the salvation and peace of the Arab world. The
goal of this Association is to be a platform where all Jewish and
Christian Clergy can find "common ground" in which to worship the
living God, respect, fellowship, prayer, and a place which provides
an opportunity in which both communities of faith can learn from
each other.
It is not the intent of the AOCI to convert any Jewish Clergy man
or woman but to "unite under the banner of Adonai". This being
said, the AOCI will maintain and claim the name of Yeshua
HaMashiach as the Messiah of the world, and it is expected that our
Jewish brothers and sisters offer the same mutual respect regarding
this theological distinction between Jews and Christians.
May יהוה Adonai bring us all into the unity of the faith according
to His word.
Sincerely,
The AOCI Executive Board and Board of Advisors
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