Our Presbyterian Heritage
What Do Presbyterians Believe?
There is no strict set of beliefs that unites Presbyterians or separates them from other followers of Christ. Like other Christians, Presbyterians believe in:
THE TRINITY—God exists in the Trinity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
GOD—the Creator of the Universe.
CHRIST—the incarnation of God on earth. Christ is the Son of God, the Revealer of God and the Savior of humanity.
THE HOLY SPIRIT—the presence of God in the world and in the believer.
THE CHURCH—a universal company of Christ’s followers.
FORGIVENESS OF SIN—made possible by the crucifixion of Jesus.
LIFE EVERLASTING—shown by the resurrection of Jesus.
THE BIBLE—the inspired Word of God.
SOME PRESBYTERIANS BELIEFS
HEAVEN—The souls of the faithful are reunited with God in a warm and loving relationship.
HELL—Separation from God may exist now as well as in the hereafter.
VIRGIN BIRTH—Jesus’ birth was miraculous.
MARY—Mary is honored as the mother of Jesus. She was the special person chosen to bear the Son of God.
RESURRECTION—The resurrection of the body refers to the reuniting of the spiritual body and physical body.
CONFESSION—This is voluntary and made directly to God. But it may be made in the presence of a pastor.
SALVATION—God grants the gift of grace, which enables us to gain the faith necessary for salvation.
THE CROSS—The empty cross symbolizes the risen Christ who opened the Kingdom of Heaven.
THE SACREDNESS OF MARRIAGE—Presbyterians try to curb divorce by encouraging young people to prepare seriously for marriage.
CHANGE—Presbyterians admit different understandings of the Confessions of Faith. This is because they believe that the Holy Spirit constantly heightens truth.
PARENTHOOD—There is nothing in the church’s teaching that discourages intelligent, unselfish family planning.
EDUCATION—Presbyterians stress education, both for the ministry and for the laity.
THE “ONLY” CHURCH—No Christian church has exclusive possession of the church government authorized by Christ.
THE SACRAMENTS—These include baptism and communion.
Presbyterians interpret the Bible very much like other Protestants do. Ultimately, however, every Presbyterian must find a personal set of beliefs through study, contemplation and worship.
Presbyterians Have Two Main Sources for Inspiration and Guidance in Their Faith
The Bible
The Bible is an inspired record of the revelation of God to all. Presbyterians have always believed that the Bible is the most authoritative source of faith and practice for all people.
Presbyterians do not believe that the authors of the Bible were “pens of God” as the pre-Christian writers believed. Instead, they believe the authors were inspired by God to reveal God to all people.
About our unique name:
“Presbyterian” derives from the Greek word presbuteros, or elder. From earliest times, congregations were led by those who demonstrated maturity through experience and spiritual growth. Presbyterian churches are “elder churches,” governed as representative democracies by elected lay people and called pastors.
What is “reformed” theology?
Presbyterians belong to the historic stream of Christian believers who, beginning in the 1500s in Europe, began to “re-form” their faith on the basis of biblical principles instead of relying on Catholic church traditions.
Those who are reformed in their faith believe that the Bible is the final arbiter of spiritual thinking and practice: God’s Living Word (Jesus) continues to speak over the centuries through the Written Word (scriptures of the Old and New Testaments).
Creeds and Confessions
Creeds and Confessions are statements of doctrine that express the beliefs of a church or congregation. They include:
the Apostles’ Creed
the Nicene Creed
the Scots Confession, 1560
the Heidelberg Catechism
the Second Helvetic Confession
the Westminster Confession of Faith
the Larger Catechism
the Shorter Catechism
the Theological Declaration of Barmen
the Confession of 1967
“A Brief Statement of Faith” 1991