Scripture
A Bible-believing Presbyterian church, Trinity Presbyterian Church confesses that the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the Word of God, the only rule of faith and life.
System of Doctrine
Here is a brief summary of some of the major points of Trinity Presbyterian Church’s system of doctrine, which is also called the Reformed faith or Calvinism:
1. Doctrine of Scripture
The Word of God, which consists of the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy God. Inspired by God, the Bible is entirely trustworthy and without error, and its teachings are to be believed and obeyed.
2. Doctrine of God
God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth. The one true God is personal, yet beyond our comprehension. He is completely self-sufficient and unbounded by space or time. In the unity of the Godhead there are three “persons”: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are one God, the same in substance, equal in power and glory.
3. Doctrine of Creation
God created the heavens and the earth, and all they contain out of nothing, by the word of His power, in the space of six days, and all very good. After God had made all other creatures, He created man, male and female, after His own image.
4. Doctrine of Sin
Sin is any lack of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God. Because of the sin of the first man (Adam), all mankind is corrupt by nature, dead in sin, and subject to the wrath of God
5. Doctrine of Salvation
By a covenant of grace, God has established that sinners may receive forgiveness and eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ. Faith in Christ has always been the only way of salvation for fallen sinners.
6. Doctrine of Christ
Christ, the Son of God, became man by taking to Himself a true body and human soul, being conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary and born of her, yet without sin. He lived a sinless life and died on a cross, bearing the sins of His people and received God’s wrath for them. He rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, where He sits as Lord and rules over His kingdom. He will return to judge the living and the dead, bringing His people with glorious, resurrected bodies into eternal life, and consigning the wicked to eternal punishment.
7. Doctrine of Justification
Justification is an act of God’s free grace, whereby He pardons all our sins, and accepts us as righteous in His sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and received by faith alone.
8. Doctrine of Adoption
Adoption is an act of God’s free grace, whereby we are received into the number, and have a right to all the privileges, of the sons of God.
9. Doctrine of Sanctification
Sanctification is the work of God’s free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness.
10. Doctrine of the Sacraments
A sacrament is a holy ordinance instituted by Christ, wherein by sensible signs, Christ, and the benefits of the new covenant, are represented, sealed, and applied to believers. There are two sacraments in the New Testament, baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
Confession of Faith and Catechisms
At the time of its birth, the Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC), of which Trinity Presbyterian Church is a member, adopted the original American edition (1789) of the Westminster Confession of Faith, the Larger Catechism, and the Shorter Catechism, which present the basic teachings of the Bible. The Confession and Catechisms are the church’s secondary standards in that they are subordinate to the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. All of Trinity’s church officers—ministers, ruling elders, and deacons—are required to receive and adopt the Confession and Catechisms as containing the system of doctrine taught in the Bible.
For more information see:
Book of Church Order
The Book of Church Order, published by the OPC, contains the Form of Government, the Book of Discipline, and the Directory for the Public Worship of God. These documents, which are consistent with the teachings of Scripture, regulate the government, discipline, and worship of the OPC, and all church officers must receive and approve them.
For more information see:
The information on this page adapted with permission from Welcome to the OPC.