The objective of CHRISTIANITY TODAY is to help restore to Protestantism those principles and purposes established by the Apostles, recovered by the Reformers, and now generally held by Protestant denominations in their constitutions and official articles of faith.
To accomplish this objective, CHRISTIANITY TODAY reaffirms its belief that the Bible is the very Word of God, inspired and infallible, and inerrant as God gave it, and is to be interpreted in a grammatico-historical manner, whereby the precise meaning of a passage is gathered from the Scriptures themselves.
Samuel Bolton, a leader of the Westminster Assembly, expressed the above principle in these words: “The Word of God, and God in his Word, the Scripture, and God in Scripture, is the only infallible, supreme, authoritative rule and judge of matters of doctrines and worship, of things to be believed, and things to be done.”
Among the most vital issues confronting Protestantism today is that of the mission of the Church. This must be carefully ascertained and defined.
The Church is a spiritual body of which Jesus Christ is the sole Head. The Church must manifest herself in the world and conduct herself in no other manner than that shown by Christ while he was upon earth or as he has directed in Holy Scripture.
As a spiritual body, the Church has a message primarily for the spiritual needs of mankind. Once she shifts her emphasis from spiritual to secular matters, her influence wanes; and this is a danger she faces today. In the New Testament we find our Lord and the Apostles living in the midst of social, economic, and political evils as great as any in our times; yet we find their ministries primarily directed to the spiritual needs of mankind and are assured that only as the hearts of men are changed can these evils be eliminated. However competent or informed the corporate Church may be or become in social, economic, or political affairs, these matters are beyond her proper, God-given jurisdiction. When the Church keeps to her divinely appointed mission, the Holy Spirit leads men to perform the will of God in all areas of life. Nothing herein stated deals with the responsibility of the pulpit, the Christian press, or the individual Christian in regard to social, economic, and political affairs. Subsequent statements will appear on these subjects.
The Church must adhere strictly to the infallibility of the Scriptures. So long as the Church interprets Scripture correctly, the Church will be kept from error. But when she becomes involved in a secular, controversial issue, those who oppose the Church’s position on this issue will question the ability of the Church to speak authoritatively on ecclesiastical and spiritual subjects.
We, the Board of Directors of CHRISTIANITY TODAY, proclaim the eternal verities that have long been accepted by believers. We reaffirm the dedication of ourselves and this magazine to the glory of God and the salvation of mankind. We invite the prayers and cooperation of all who will join us in advancing the Kingdom of God and supporting the faith of our fathers.
The Board of Directors, CHRISTIANITY TODAY
Harold John Ockenga, Chairman
