Christ is our creed, and His resurrection is our confession. The New Testament is our standard for beliefs and practices. The following is simply showing our convictions of what the Scriptures teach. We are honest to reconsider our convictions in the light of the Scriptures.
Christ's Words and the Scriptures:
We believe the Gospels with all the Christian Scriptures that God and His Spirit sent the Word as God in the flesh (Isa 8:16; Mark 1:1; John 1:1, 14). Israel's prophets predicted that a Child will be born, a Son who is the Mighty God and everlasting Father, and one who governs His kingdom upon David's throne (Isa 9:6–7; 48:16). We find that Jesus Christ is infallible, and so are His words (2 Cor 5:21; Heb 4:15; 1 Pet 2:22). Jesus revealed that His words are spirit and life (John 6:63), and His words will never pass away (Matt 24:35; Mark 13:31; Luke 21:33). Christ revealed that He gave those words to His Apostles and prophets through His Spirit (John 15:20; 16:12–13; 17:8). Christ's Apostles and prophets are His scribes who wrote the New Testament Scriptures (Matt 23:34; Eph 3:3–5). We know that the Scriptures are inerrant and breathed out by God, and the Bible is the all-sufficient authority for Christian beliefs and practices (2 Tim 3:16–17; cf. 1 Tim 5:18). The apostolic writers completed and collected the Christian Scriptures under the oversight the Apostles in the first century (2 Pet 1:16–21; 3:15–16; 1 John 1:1–4; cf. Luke 1:1–3). We believe that God’s revelation to humanity is complete being able to make the person of God complete unto every good work (2 Tim 3:16–17). Those who add to the Gospel are accursed (Gal 1:6–12; 3:15; 2 John 9). We obey the New Testament with its principles, commands, and precedents. Jesus fulfilled the Law (Matt 5:17). The Old Testament foreshadowed the new covenant of Christ (2 Cor 3:7–17; Heb 8:7–13).
God, Christ, and His Spirit:
According to the Scriptures, God is the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit who are all one God, three Persons, and equal in Deity (Matt 28:19–20; John 10:30; 2 Cor 13:14). We believe that God did not create the Word who is eternal as God (Gen 1:26; 3:22; Matt 28:19; Luke 3:22; Acts 10:37–38; Rom 8:9–11; 9:5). God sent His Spirit to the apostles (John 14:26; 16:12–13). God the Father is the Head of Christ, and Jesus is the fullness of Deity bodily (1 Cor 11:3; Col 2:9). We are convinced that the Word was God who came in the flesh as the Christ (John 1:1, 14; Phil 2:5–8; Col 1:15–20). In the beginning, Jesus was with God and created humanity male and female. We believe the Genesis account of creation because Jesus accepted the Genesis account (Exod 20:11; Mark 10:6).
Christ's Way of Salvation:
The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation (Rom 1:16; 1 Cor 1:18; 15:1–2). The Gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Cor 15:3–4). We believe the way of salvation according to the Scriptures that one must hear, believe, repent, confess, be baptized, and live faithfully to be saved (Rom 10:9–10, 17; cf. Rom 6:3–7). The means of salvation is faith, and the conditions of salvation consist of the believer who upon confession of faith repents by dying to one's sins, is baptized being buried with Christ in His death, and rises resurrected into newness of life in Christ (Rom 6:3–7; Eph 2:4–6; Col 2:12–13). We find that immersion in water in the name of the Lord is the exact point of salvation for which one receives the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38; 22:16; 1 Pet 3:21). We also conclude that baptism is only for repented believers, and not for innocent children and infants "for such are the kingdom of Heaven" (Matt 19:14; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38). God saves by grace when He raises us alive in Christ from our death in sin and we are not saved by our own works (Eph 2:1–10). We see that true faith is obedient and produces works (Matt 7:21; Heb 5:9; Jas 2:24). We believe that God is not far from anyone, and that everyone can be saved and come to repentance (Acts 17:26–27; 1 Tim 2:4; 2 Pet 3:9).
The Church of Christ:
Jesus built the church and bought the church with His blood (Matt 16:18; Acts 20:28). The church is God's people (1 Pet 2:5, 9). Jesus also cleansed the church by the washing of water (Eph 5:26). Jesus taught that people will recognize the church of Christ by their love for one another (John 13:35). We are convinced to strive for God's instruction that elders shepherd each church (Titus 1:5–9). These elders are the shepherds or "pastors" (Acts 20:28; 1 Pet 5:1–3). Christ’s Word governs each congregation individually since there is no mention of church hierarchy in the Scriptures. We understand that every church of Christ follows the Scriptures in worship, organization, salvation, evangelism, and service in love. However, each congregation is not perfect because churches consist of imperfect people who have all sinned. The church of Christ avoids denominational sectarianism (1 Cor 1:10; Eph 1:22–23; 4:4). Denominating the church is dividing the church. This is wrong and an abomination according to Scripture (Rom 16:17; 1 Cor 1:10; Gal 5:19–21; cf. Prov 6:19). Denominations err and divide among one another on the authority of Scripture, worship, organization, salvation, evangelism, and benevolence. We desire unity in Christ and no part of such division.
Christ's Morality:
Because of Jesus's commands, we even more so love our neighbors as ourselves and love our enemies (Matt 5:43–44; Luke 6:27, 31, 35; 10:27). We also find that the killing of a human life in the womb is sinfully negligent, and this action is an abomination to God (Gen 9:5–6; Prov 6:17). Likewise, Jesus taught and defined God's beloved institution of marriage as between a man and a woman (Matt 19:4–6; Mark 10:6–9; 1 Cor 7:2). Pre-marital sexual relations and all sexual relations outside of marriage between one man and one woman are sexually immoral (Mark 7:20–23; Heb 13:4). Those who practice sexual immorality like all who willfully sin will not inherit the kingdom of God and have stored up wrath in eternal fire (1 Cor 6:9–10; Gal 5:19–21; Eph 5:5; Col 3:5–6; Jude 1:7; Rev 21:8).
Marriage and Divorce according to Christ:
Marriage is one man and one woman for one life with one exception (Mark 10:6; 1 Cor 7:2). Jesus defined adultery to include divorcing and marrying another (Matt 19:9). The one exception for remarriage is when the other spouse has committed fornication, which is extramarital sex (Matt 5:32; 19:6, 9; Mark 10:11–12; Luke 16:18). Only widows and those who divorce a spouse for fornication can remarry (Matt 19:9; Rom 7:3; 1 Cor 7:39). We believe that a believer must repent of an adulterous marriage before baptism (Acts 2:38; 1 Cor 6:9–10). God commands that someone can only marry another when that marriage is not adultery (Matt 19:9; Mark 10:11–12; Rom 7:3; 1 Cor 7:39). Churches of Christ maintain that the separation of spouses is sometimes necessary for reasons other than fornication; although, God commands those separated to "remain unmarried or else be reconciled" (1 Cor 7:2, 5, 10–15).
Christ's Worship and the Assembly:
By reading Scripture, worship is in and out of the assembly. Jesus taught that worship would no longer be in Jerusalem where David brought the temple worship, but that true worship must be in spirit and truth (John 4:21–24). As the church is the Temple and Christians are the priests, Christians offer spiritual offerings unto God by our praise, good deeds, and sharing (Heb 13:15–16; 1 Pet 2:5, 9). We find the purposes of the assembly are to worship God and to edify one another in fellowship (1 Cor 14; Heb 2:12; 10:24–25). From reading Scripture, the assembly consists of the Lord’s Supper, prayer, singing, preaching (reading), and fellowship with collection (1 Cor 4:17; 11:17–34; 14:15; 1 Cor 16:1–2). By biblical precedent, Christians observe the Lord’s Supper on every Lord's Day, which is every first day of the week. The Lord's Supper consists of unleavened bread and fruit of the grapevine (Matt 26:26–29). For worship in praise, the church sings with one voice in one accord (Acts 4:24; Rom 15:6; Heb 2:12). We believe that teaching, praying, and singing must only consist of understandable words without lifeless instruments and, or body percussion (1 Cor 14:7–15; Eph 5:19; Col 3:16). While Christians praise and thank Jesus, we pray in requests primarily to God the Father in Jesus's name (Eph 5:20). When speaking, Christians seek to only speak the oracles of God (1 Pet 4:11; cf. 1 Cor 14:26). To continue the Gospel work with generosity and benevolence, Christians gather a collection with a cheerful heart (2 Cor 9:7). In assembly, God has given men the blessing to lead by example in speaking before the congregation, and God gave this role to men because He formed man first (1 Tim 2:12–13). Women are equal heirs of eternity and God has blessed women with a glory of man and their conduct is influential upon men (Gen 1:27; 1 Cor 11:7; Gal 3:28; 1 Pet 3:1). Both men and women are one in Christ having the same value, created in God's image, and share the same spiritual inheritance (Gen 1:26–27; 1 Cor 14:34; Gal 3:28; 1 Tim 2:12).
The End Times according to Christ:
The church is a part of God’s eternal purpose and that the church is the Kingdom and Nation of Christ on earth (Mark 9:1; John 18:36; Eph 3:10–11; Col 1:13; Heb 12:28; 1 Pet 2:9). Christians are living during the millennial reign of the saints with Christ or possibly just after the millennial reign as Christians await Jesus’s second coming (Rev 20). When Christ comes, He will come with saints of whom God bodily raises the dead (1 Cor 15:35–58; 1 Thess 4:13–5:11). God will destroy the world by fire and that there will be a new heaven and new earth where righteousness dwells (2 Thess 1:7–9; 2 Pet 3:7–13; Rev 21:1).
Afterlife according to Christ:
According to Jesus, there are only two destinations after death of paradise or torment (Luke 16:19–31; 23:43). When a Christian dies, that believers goes to live with Christ (2 Cor 5:8; Phil 1:23). When Christ comes back, Jesus declared that the just will go to a resurrection of life and the unjust to a resurrection of judgment (John 5:28–29). Jesus also revealed that the righteous will go into eternal life and the wicked to eternal punishment (Matt 25:46; cf. Dan 12:2). God is not far from anyone and all can find Him (Acts 17:26–27; Rom 1:20–21). Those who do not know God and do not obey the Gospel store up wrath and separate themselves from God and these will go to Gehenna fire (Isa 50:11; Rom 2:1–11; 2 Thess 1:7–9; Jude 1:7; Rev 14:11).