Doctrinal Commitments

Emmanuel Christian School holds to the following doctrinal commitments and expects every teacher and staff member to adhere wholeheartedly to each without reservation.

  • The inspiration, inerrancy, and sufficiency of scripture.

  • The fallen sinful condition of all humanity by birth and by choice (depravity of man).

  • The virgin birth and deity of Jesus Christ.

  • The vicarious penal substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ for sinners.

  • The bodily resurrection of Jesus from the grave.

  • Salvation by grace alone through faith alone, through Christ alone.

For other specific doctrinal positions, Emmanuel Christian School follows the doctrinal standards of Emmanuel Baptist Church. Emmanuel Christian School employees are expected to generally adhere to this confessional statement.

Mr. Batten preaching in our chapel service. Emmanuel has chapel every Friday. You can learn more about chapel here.

Historic Creeds of the Church

Our school often refers to and recites the historic creeds of the church. These creeds are simply recitations of the content of Scripture that help us summarize and memorize what the Bible says. They also help us make sure that what we believe about the teaching of Scripture is the same as what the Church has believed throughout its history.

 

One creed, The Apostle’s Creed, sets forth the bare minimum of Christian teaching at Emmanuel and must be agreed upon by all families who join our school. The Apostle’s Creed, while not actually produced by the apostles, explains their doctrine “in sublime simplicity, in unsurpassable brevity, in beautiful order, and with liturgical solemnity.” It has rightly been called an ecumenical symbol of faith, and it ensures that our school practices a Biblical ecumenism that is rooted in church history.

*Another historic creed embraced at Emmanuel is the Nicene Creed. This statement of faith was originally adopted in the city of Nicea by the first Council of Nicea in 325 AD. Don’t be surprised if this creed might be assigned as required memory work at some point during your time at Emmanuel. You can read it at https://www.classicaldifference.com/nicenecreed/

 

The Apostle’s Creed

I believe in God, the father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our lord who was conceived by the holy spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic* church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

*that is, the true Christian church of all times and all places

Contemporary Issues

  • We believe in the sanctity of human life traceable to the “breath of life” breathed into Adam in the Garden of Eden. We believe that life begins at conception and that abortion and euthanasia are therefore the unscrupulous ending of human life forbidden by God in the scriptures. We further believe there is a significant distinction to be made between the sacredness of human life created in the “image of God” and animal life instituted by God for man’s welfare. The image of God in man also implies a dignity to all human life regardless of age or ability. Thus, we are categorically opposed to abortion and euthanasia. (Job 1:21, 12:10, & 27:3; Genesis 1:26-28 & 2:7; Ruth 4:13; Proverbs 6:17b; 2Kings 8:12)

  • We believe in the holy covenant of marriage. After creating male and female, God created marriage for them (Gen. 2:18-25). Marriage is a covenant in which a man and woman leave their parents and form a lifelong monogamous bond for the purposes of: picturing the relationship of Christ and His Church (Eph. 5:22-33), companionship (Gen 2:20), procreation (Gen 1:28; Mal. 2:15), pleasure (Prov. 5:18-20; Heb. 13:4), and a deterrent from temptation (I Cor. 7:2, 9). Thus, marriage is a permanent covenant broken only by death and specific scriptural exceptions such as unrepentant adultery, Mt 19:9. Furthermore, all expressions of sexuality outside of the bonds of marriage are deemed sinful sexual immorality. These include, but are not limited, to acts and lifestyles such as homosexuality, bestiality, prostitution, polygamy, polyandry, and polyamory. (Hebrews 13:4; Genesis 1:28 & 2:18; Matthew 19:1-6; Romans 1:26-28) We further believe that those practicing such acts should be treated with love, respect and presented the life changing news of the Gospel. Church membership is available to all those who repent of their sin and believe the Gospel (1 Cor. 6:11).

  • We believe that God deliberately created the equal yet distinct genders of male and female. Both genders, as image-bearers of God, share equal personhood and worth, with equal access to God (I Cor. 11:11-12; Gal. 3:27-28; I Pet. 3:7). The New Testament intensifies the equality between genders with equal baptism (Matt. 28:19; Acts 2:41) and reception of spiritual gifts (Acts 2:17-18; I Cor. 12:7; I Pet. 4:10). We believe that though equal in person and worth, God created complementary roles for each gender (Gen. 2:18; I Cor. 11:9; Eph. 5:22-28). We believe that one’s gender is chosen by God and is part of one’s personhood, thus we oppose the transgender lifestyle.

  • We believe the entire human race, as created by God, finds its ancestry in Adam and Eve and share a common blood, genetic source, and continue to be image-bearers of God. Common ancestry renders all humans members of the same Adamic Race. This human brotherhood denounces all forms of racism as denials of an individual’s oneness in Adam. Furthermore, racism and segregation among believers is a denial of our oneness in Christ and in Christ’s Church.

 

Everything Else…

For other specific doctrinal positions, Emmanuel Christian School follows the doctrinal standards of Emmanuel Baptist Church.

Emmanuel Christian School employees are expected to adhere generally to this confessional statement.