Finding out what a church believes about a particular issue can be challenging. Statements of faith are generally meant to be concise summaries of doctrine and there are often areas that people have questions about which are not covered. For churches that preach more through passages of scripture and books of the Bible than topical series, it may be difficult to view a list of sermon titles to find where the pastor has discussed a subject. Whether you have been a member of First Boynton for years, have recently joined, attend regularly, or are considering visiting, you may have questions about what we believe. In an effort to help answer those questions, the elders have put together a series of position papers on a variety of topics, from church leadership to complementarianism; from recommended authors to reformed theology.
These position papers are meant to give readers a brief and clear understanding of what we believe and teach at First Baptist of Boynton Beach. The goal of these papers is not to say everything that could be said about any of these issues, or to give a thorough defense of these positions, but rather serve to answer the foundational question, “What do you believe about…?” Our hope is that after reading these papers you will know where we stand on these topics. We have also provided and will continue to provide links to messages that give more in-depth explanations and defenses of these positions. We welcome any questions you may have as you read through them.
Each of the papers shares four features that should be understood before reading them. First and foremost, they are scriptural. We want you to be able to immediately see that these are positions that we believe are taught in God’s word. Each paper has a key verse associated with it that we view as central to understanding our position, as well as scripture references throughout. Second, there is a summary paragraph at the beginning that lays out the position as concisely as possible so you know what you will be reading before you read it. Third, the introduction to each paper is designed to help you understand why we are writing about this particular issue and what is at stake in understanding it. Finally, the end of each paper helps answer the question, “So what?” What we believe as Christians has a direct impact on how we live, and we want you to know how we are impacted when we hold these positions.
It is our prayer and hope that these papers will be a blessing to you as you read them. If you would like to follow-up in anyway after reading a paper, please e-mail Keith Baker, at pastorkeith@firstboynton.com and we will get back to you.
For the Glory of God,
The Elders at First Baptist Church of Boynton Beach