The 1963 Baptist Faith and Message

• Preamble to the 1963 Baptist Faith and Message
• I. The Scriptures
• II. God
• III. Man
• IV. Salvation
• V. God's Purpose of Grace
• VI. The Church
• VII. Baptism and the Lord's Supper
• VIII. The Lord's Day
• IX. The Kingdom
• X. Last Things
• XI. Evangelism and Missions
• XII. Education
• XIII. Stewardship
• XIV. Co-Operation
• XV. The Christian and the Social Order
• XVI. Peace and War
• XVII. Religious Liberty
• XVIII. The Family

I. The Scriptures

The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is the record of God's revelation of Himself to man. It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter. It reveals the principles by which God judges us; and therefore is, and will remain to the end of the world, the true center of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried. The criterion by which the Bible is to be interpreted is Jesus Christ.

Ex. 24:4; Deut. 4:1-2; 17:19; Josh. 8:34; Psalms 19:7-10; 119:11,89,105,140; Isa. 34:16; 40:8; Jer. 15:16; 36; Matt. 5:17-18; 22:29; Luke 21:33; 24:44-46; John 5:39; 16:13-15; 17:17; Acts 2:16ff.; 17:11; Rom. 15:4; 16:25-26; 2 Tim. 3:15-17; Heb. 1:1-2; 4:12; 1 Peter 1:25; 2 Peter 1:19-21.