It is difficult to pin down a core set of beliefs that apply to all Presbyterians. Two different Presbyterians might worship together in the same pew, but have very different views on various Biblical and social topics. If you attend a Presbyterian meeting or Bible study, or pick up Presbyterian publication, you will likely hear open and healthy debates on many issues. This diversity of beliefs arises due to our understanding of church, the Bible, and what it means to be Christian. There are, however, common threads in our beliefs, which are outlined below.
Who am I?
Questions about self often lead to questions about God. What sets us off from all other creatures is the restlessness surrounding our existence. The Christian faith helps us answer these questions about self by giving us an identity:
- We are created in God’s image—“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27-28).
- And we are sinners for whom Christ died—“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures…” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).
The Sovereignty of God
The world belongs to God. He created it. He sustains it. He alone controls its destiny. This belief means that we must seek His guidance in all matters and endeavor to live a life based on love and mercy as He commanded. God's sovereignty is not limited to what happens within the church walls.
The Trinity: God Three in One
At baptism, the minister says, “I baptize you in the name of the father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”—an expression of our belief in the Trinity. We know God as:
- Father—creator of the heavens and the earth along with all things
- Son—God with us, who came into the world to save it
- Holy Spirit—who sustains the world and works to bring our faith to completion.
The Universal Church
Newcomers in the Presbyterian Church are sometimes confused when Presbyterians, a group of Protestants, affirm their faith by stating The Apostles Creed, which professes faith in “the holy catholic church.” In this case, catholic simply means “universal.” Although churches divide themselves into denominations based on beliefs, Presbyterians believe that God’s church is universal, existing everywhere at all times. God transcends the walls we have built and the labels we place upon our churches, and is head of the universal church that unites all Christians.
Salvation through Faith Alone
Presbyterians believe that “by grace we have been saved through faith” (Ephesians 2:8).
Being a good person and doing good deeds are not enough, because no one is perfect except Christ. In spite of our imperfections and failures, however, God loves us. And because He loves us, He saved us by offering His only son to be the salvation of man. We are saved through faith in Christ. This does not, however, mean that we are not called to do good deeds. Faith in Christ means believing in him as our Savior, and following his teachings. We are saved by faith alone, but faith is never alone.
The Confession and Forgiveness of Sin
Presbyterians believe that confessions of our sins are made directly to God, which may or may not be stated in the presence of a minister. Through personal and shared Confessions, we admit our mistakes and acknowledge that we are fallible. Although we, as Christians, must strive to love God and one another through our words, thoughts, and actions, we often fall short of the goal. But God is compassionate and full of love for us. In spite of our faults, we are forgiven in Christ, made possible when he was crucified to atone for the sins of man. Sin is so ingrained in our humanity that it colors all of our reality. No Presbyterian worship is ever complete without a Confession of Sin and the Assurance of Pardon—“The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting. I declare to you, in the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven.”
Everlasting Life
When we put our trust in Christ as the son of God and do all we can to follow his teachings, we are rewarded with everlasting life. In heaven, the faithful live with God in a pure, loving relationship that exceeds our earthly experiences.
The Bible
In the same way that Presbyterians believe in faith alone, we also believe in scripture alone. The Bible alone teaches all that is necessary for our salvation from sin and is the standard by which all Christian behavior must be measured. As the inspired Word of God, the Bible serves as a record of how God revealed His will to the people. While Presbyterians recognize that different interpretations of Scripture are possible, we caution against taking Scripture out of context and molding it to fit our own personal agendas. To that end, the Presbyterian Church stresses scholarly study for all its members. We consider the Bible to be the living Word of God, which means that God continues to reveal His truth to the faithful. While these truths are not new, we are continually enlightened through the study of Scripture and the gift of the Holy Spirit, which allows us to gain new understandings.
The Sacraments
Presbyterians believe in two sacraments: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, practices that were sanctioned by Christ.
The Sacrament of Baptism
Baptism is an outward sign of an inward cleansing. In Baptism, we are consecrated in Christ—that is, we become part of his family. It is a public statement of faith and intent, and takes place in the church.
Infants and children are heirs of the covenant and are baptized based on the faith and promises of one or both parents—“The promise is for you, for your children and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls” (Acts 2:39). In the Presbyterian Church, members of the congregation are the child’s godparents and affirm the following question: “Do you, as members of the church of Jesus Christ, promise to guide and nurture this child by word and deed, with love and prayer, encouraging him/her to know and follow Christ and to be a faithful member of his church?”
Presbyterians believe that the amount of water used at the time of baptism is of no consequence—sprinkling or immersion are both accepted ways of administering the water. Sprinkling is justified on the basis that many baptisms were performed in New Testament times in places where immersion would not have been possible.
Once baptized in any Christian church at any age, the sacrament of baptism is not performed again. Presbyterians also believe that people are not denied salvation solely because they are not baptized.
The Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper
The Lord’s Supper, also called Communion or the Eucharist, is a time for Christians to renew their strength and faith in Christ. Christ sanctioned the Lord’s Supper as he ate his last meal with his disciples the night before his crucifixion. During the Lord’s Supper, the bread and wine symbolize the body and blood of Christ, and remind us of his sacrifice for us. It is also a reminder of his promise that, for the faithful, his death and resurrection has conquered death, and that all who accept him as the Christ will share eternity with him. Although the elements of bread and wine are not actually his body and his blood, the act of taking Communion is. Christ is present when Communion is served and, therefore, it should be taken with reverence. The Lord’s Supper is an act repeated over and over until Christ returns to establish his kingdom—“For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes (I Corinthians 11:26).
Learn More . . .
You can learn more about Presbyterian beliefs by visiting the Presbyterian Church U.S.A Web site at PCUSA.org and reading the series What Presbyterians Believe.
First Presbyterian Church
710 Southwest Drive
Jonesboro, AR 72401
Phone: 870-932-4101
E-mail: fpcjb@suddenlinkmail.com
Bibliography
The Office of the General Assembly. The Book of Confessions: the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Part I, 2007.
The Office of the General Assembly. The Book of Order: the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Part I, 2007.
PC(USA). “Presbyterian 101: a general guide to the facts about the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)”
Available from
http://www.pcusa.org/101/; accessed March 3, 2009
PC(USA). Learn About Being a Presbyterian, Channing L. Bete Co., Inc., 2000.
Park, Kevin. “One Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic.” Presbyterian Outlook, September 4, 2006.
