POSITION STATEMENTS

The following statements are meant to offer clear and concise summaries of the Center for Biblical Unity's (CFBU) positions on selected topics that are currently facing the church and culture.

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Creeds and Confessions

In addition to our official statement of faith, a unifying expression of our faith can be found in the Nicene Creed. We also find the confirmations and denials laid out in the Chicago Statements on Biblical Inerrancy and Hermeneutics to be a helpful summary of our guiding principles. Although these statements do not have the same level of authority as Scripture, we believe they provide a helpful and accurate summary of the core truths of the historic Christian faith. They also establish critical boundaries for solid biblical teaching.

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Although the founders of CFBU are classical Protestants, we have attempted to construct our statement of faith to include traditional Roman Catholic and Orthodox thinkers as well.

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Authority of Scripture

We recognize that there are various approaches within Christianity when it comes the authority of Scripture (e.g., prima scriptura, sola scriptura, solo scriptura, apostolic succession). CFBU affirms that Scripture is the supreme authority over the church and the Christian, and that it is sufficient for salvation and Christian growth. This does not mean, however, Scripture is the only authority. We value tradition in the history of the church and see it as having a level of authority, but not equal authority to, Scripture. God has also given humanity other tools through general revelation to discover truth, such as logic, math, and science. All of these can provide insight into the created order, and when rightly interpreted will not contradict special revelation.

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Christ and Culture

We recognize there are various approaches within Christianity when it comes to how Christians ought to engage the broader culture. CFBU advances a version of the "Christ transforming culture" model. We believe that human culture was initially good, but subsequently corrupted by humanity's Fall. Since Christ is redeeming all of creation, however, individual Christians, as well as local churches, can and should work to transform culture to the glory of God. This is done first and foremost through the preaching of the Gospel, church planting, building families and encouraging work. Over time, however, we would expect that the Gospel's impact on transformed lives would have a transforming effect on the broader culture.

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Women in Ministry

CFBU affirms the impact that women can have in the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19; John 4:39) and as full disciples of Jesus (Luke 10:39), capable of learning deeply about their faith through the study of theology and apologetics. Women participate equally with men in the priesthood of all believers (1 Peter 2:4–5, 9–10).

 

We believe the Holy Spirit is the owner and dispenser of the spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:7,11) and that all believers have a responsibility to steward these gifts (1 Peter 4:10). Spiritual gifts are not specified in Scripture as being connected to biological sex.

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CFBU is not a church. We are not pastors. We don't administer the sacraments, nor do we engage in church discipline. Our role is to provide teaching and consulting support local churches, Christian schools and ministries to have a biblically faithful view of race, unity and justice. 

 

We acknowledge the strong historical precedent that only men were ordained to the office of bishop and priest for the purpose of leading local churches. CFBU has chosen to leave the decision about the ordination of women to the Spirit-guided consciences of particular congregations. For this reason, you are likely to find CFBU speakers, volunteers, and Board members on both sides of this issue. We expect all those affiliated with CFBU to act with gentleness and humility when discussing this issue.

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Sexuality

We believe God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as either male or female (Gen. 2). Each of these sexes reflects the image of God in its own unique way (Gen. 1:26–27).

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We believe marriage joins one man and one woman in an exclusive union and provides the sole God-ordained context for sexual intimacy.

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We believe that all sexual relations outside of a committed heterosexual marriage constitute sin. This includes sexual sins such as fornication, adultery, homosexuality, and the use of pornography.

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Our desire is to demonstrate God’s love for all people. The same redemption is available to those who struggle with sexual sins as it is for all sinners. We want to come alongside anyone who struggles with sexual sin, including those who struggle with porn addiction and gender identity discordant with their birth sex, and encourage them to find healing, wholeness, and their true identity as a new creation in Jesus Christ.

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Sanctity of Life

Procreation is a gift from God. A new human being enters the universe, created in the image of God, at the moment of conception. This human being deserves our protection, whatever the circumstances of conception.

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Predestination and Free Will

One of the major controversies among Protestant Christians is the extent of predestination and free will. We believe the Bible affirms both. You will find CFBU employees, volunteers and Board members on both sides of this discussion. As such, we expect all those affiliated with CFBU to act with gentleness and humility when discussing this issue.

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Cessationism vs. Continuationism

One of the major controversies among Protestant Christians is the extent to whether certain spiritual gifts mentioned in the New Testament remain available to the church, or whether their operation ceased with the close of the Apostolic age or shortly thereafter. While the co-founders of CFBU are continuationists, you will find CFBU employees, volunteers and Board members on both sides of this discussion. As such, we expect all those affiliated with CFBU to act with gentleness and humility when discussing this issue.

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Race Issues

All humans are created in the image of God, which forms the foundation for human dignity, value, and worth. CFBU maintains a stand that there is one human race with many ethnicities. The Bible does not categorize humans according to the modern construct of race.

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CFBU is committed to the equality of all humans. We understand that individuals of all ethnicities are capable of engaging in demeaning behavior toward others. Christians should defend members of all ethnicities against race-based mistreatment, including black to white, white to black, black to brown, etc.

 

We believe that all who believe in and profess Christ are adopted into the family of God and are now brothers and sisters. The New Covenant invites people from every nation, tribe and tongue to become part of a new humanity through Jesus Christ. The church is God’s strategic agent in a fallen world to proclaim and embody the unity and diversity of God’s people that will be manifest in the new creation (Ephesians 2:16; Revelation 21:1–4, 9–14). This is the foundation for unity. 

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Christians should no longer regard ourselves or each other from worldly categories or frameworks (2 Cor. 5:16-17). As such, we renounce the ideas of secular approaches to unity such as Critical Race Theory or "racial reconciliation" trainings. CFBU expects that staff, volunteers, and board members uphold a biblical view and approach to unity, maintaining the dignity, value and worth of every image bearer. 

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Integration of Creation and Scripture

Sincere Christians who hold to the infallibility of Scripture differ on various issues related to the integration of Scripture and creation. While the co-founders of CFBU are old-earth creationists, you will find CFBU employees, volunteers and Board members on both sides of this discussion. For this reason, we ask that all those affiliated with CFBU to act with gentleness and humility when discussing these issues.

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However, there are a few critical issues at the core of our faith related to the creation of humans on which historic Christians can agree. These include the following:

• God created the first humans, male and female, as unique creatures bearing His image (Gen. 1:26-27).

• The first human pair were the result of the Creator's direct and miraculous intervention (Gen. 2).

• God created one human race (Acts 17:26).

• The diversity of physical features experienced by various people groups is the result of microevolutionary processes.

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