Temple of Praise Ministries International
Statement of Faith
Our Core Beliefs
Explore All of Our Core Beliefs |
The Holy Bible is the Word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit, and the only foundation of our doctrine.
We accept the canon of the Bible, which was born in the early Christian centuries and confirmed in its present form in connection with the Reformation. The Bible was written in specific historical, cultural, and linguistic circumstances. Knowing them, or a hermeneutic approach, helps to understand and explain the Bible and to apply its message and principles to the present day.
In the understanding of the Bible, we profess the Lausanne Declaration on the authority and power of the Bible:
“We acknowledge the divine inspiration, truthfulness, and authority of all the writings of the Old and New Testaments as the only written word of God, free in all that it teaches, and the only infallible guide of faith and practice. We also recognize the power of the Word in completing God’s saving purpose. The message of the Bible is addressed to all mankind. God’s revelation in Christ and the Scriptures is unchanging. Through it, the Holy Spirit speaks even now. In every culture, he enlightens the minds of God’s people to understand revealed truth in a fresh way. In this way, the Holy Spirit reveals to the whole Church more and more of God’s multifaceted wisdom.”
In the Pentecostal churches of Finland, we believe that God also speaks through charismatic gifts. However, we do not consider anything that is above or in conflict with God’s Word to be God’s word. Nor is serving with spiritual gifts a substitute for the authority of God’s Word and the preaching of the Word. Charismatic gifts and phenomena are subordinate to the Word and must always be evaluated in the light of the overall revelation of the Bible.
In the work of the gifts, we consider it important to balance the principles of God’s Word and the direct influence of the Holy Spirit. For example, in the use of the gift of prophecy, we follow the apostle Paul’s instruction: “Do not quench the Spirit, do not belittle the gift of prophecy. Test all things, and keep what is good” (1 Corinthians 1:1). 1 Thesalonians 5:19–21). The Holy Spirit always leads to the Word and teaches us to respect it.
All understanding and following Bible truth requires the quickening influence of the Holy Spirit. Through it, the Bible invites people to an open conversation with God and influences them in a hidden way.
There is one, eternal God in three persons: the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. God is the creator of heaven and earth.
We believe that the Christianity revealed in the Bible is the belief in one God who works and reveals Himself in three persons. We consider it important that the doctrine of the Trinity is based on belief in one indivisible God. There are no other gods besides the God revealed in the Bible, and the Trinity of God does not mean three gods. Both the Old and New Testaments proclaim belief in one God. “Listen, Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.” “There is only one God… we have only one God, the Father. From Him all things come, and to Him we are on our way.”
We believe that our God is the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. The Bible speaks of one of the three different persons of God. “I will turn to the Father, and he will give you another Comforter, who will be with you forever.” We believe that the three persons of God are inseparable and inseparable from each other, equal in divinity, power, and glory.
Everywhere and wherever God works, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit are involved. In this way, God’s work is also one and indivisible.
The triune God created everything from nothing, visible and invisible, by the power of his word. He holds all things together, constantly creates something new, and takes everything created towards the goal he has set.
Trinitarian statements in the New Testament speak of the trinity of God. “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit come to all of you!” It follows from the Trinity of God that just as the Father is the eternal God, so Jesus Christ is God and the Holy Spirit is God. The persons of the Godhead are equal in power, divinity, and glory.
Each person of the Godhead has a role to play in God’s plan of salvation. “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, greets the elect who… God the Father, according to His plan, has sanctified by His Spirit to live in obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkled clean with His blood.”
Likewise, each person of the Godhead has his own role in building up the church: “There are many kinds of gifts, but the Spirit is the same. There are also many kinds of ministries, but the Lord is the same. The effects of God’s power are many, but He who works everything in all of us is the same.”
We believe that the doctrine of the Trinity of God is the foundation of the biblical doctrine of salvation.
[1] Deuteronomy 6:4.
[2] 1. Cor. 8:4–6.
[3] John 14:16.
[4] Genesis 1:1–3.
[5] Isaiah 43:19; Kol. 1:15–17; Hebrews. 1:1–3; John 5:17.
Jesus Christ is the Son of God, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born as a man from the Virgin Mary, and lived a sinless life, teaching and performing miracles. By his death on the cross, Jesus atoned for the sin of the world, rose from the dead, and ascended into heaven at the right hand of the Father.
We believe that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the whole world. He has a unique position in God’s plan of salvation. Salvation is based on Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection. The word “Jesus” comes from the Hebrew word for savior, and the Greek word “Christ” means the Messiah, or anointed one.
The conception and incarnation of Jesus was a miracle performed by the Holy Spirit. At baptism, the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus and anointed him for a public ministry. In the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus performed miracles, healing the sick, freeing those afflicted by evil forces, and expressing in many ways the power of the coming kingdom of God.
The main focus of Jesus’ teaching was on the nature and coming of the kingdom of God. It signifies God’s righteous and loving dominion and man’s obedience. In this case, the ethics of the Sermon on the Mount are also put into practice. The kingdom of God is already present as an inner reality manifested among believers, but in its fullness it will only come as a result of the second coming of Jesus.
The New Testament names Jesus as the Son of God. Jesus’ most frequently used term for himself, the Son of Man, also most often refers to his divine power. According to the Old Testament, there is no savior but God. Based on this, the New Testament recognizes Jesus Christ as the only savior, Savior, and God. At the same time, the New Testament connects the person of Jesus to the Trinity of God, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
The New Testament proves that Jesus Christ was also a perfect man. As a human being, he is our brother, who identified himself perfectly with the human part, including suffering and trials. However, Jesus lived a holy, sinless life and sacrificed himself. Therefore, he is perfectly able to save us, and he also prays for us.
All the Gospels culminate in the story of Jesus’ passion and resurrection. In his death on the cross, God’s love for the world was proven. Christ not only bore our sins, but God “made him a sin for our sake”. On the basis of Christ’s innocent substitutionary death, we have received a once and for all atonement for our sins. The resurrection confirmed the significance of his work of atonement, when Jesus conquered the power of death. Christ’s resurrection also gives us permanent hope for our own resurrection.
After completing the atonement, Christ sat down on the throne at the right hand of the Father Almighty. He will come back to establish his kingdom and create a new heaven and a new earth. Until then, the Holy Spirit will continue his work and teach believers in Jesus.
[1] Hatch. 1:35
[2] Mark. 1:10; Luke. 3:22
[3] Luke. 4:16–18
[4] Mark 1:11; Luke. 3:22; Matt. 3:16–17; Matt. 16:15–16; John 3:16; 18; 1 John 4:9; Hebrews. 1:5; 5:5; Rom. 8:32; Gal. 4:4
[5] Matt. 8:20; Mark 2:10; Luke. 5:24; John 1:51
God created man in His own image and fellowship, but in the Fall, man was separated from God. By believing in Jesus, a person receives the gift of righteousness and is born again as a child of God.
Man was created in the image of God. He became a thinking, willing, and feeling person, a manifestation of God’s good creation.
Based on creation, each person is unique and valuable, and as such, an object of God’s love. Man is an eternal being who is meant to live in communion with God.
The first human couple disobeyed God’s will and fell into sin. As a result, the connection with God, one’s own self, one’s neighbors and creation was broken. When separated from God, man became a guilty, sickly, and mortal being.
All of Adam’s descendants have inherited depravity at birth, because of which man is unable to save himself by his right moral choices or by the power of his will. This condition leads all people to an unbelieving and rebellious attitude towards God. The Fall of Adam drew God’s judgment upon both himself and the humanity descended from him. Man is spiritually dead, and his will is not free.
Christ atoned for the sin of the whole world on the cross. Christ’s atonement comes into effect for the individual when he believes the word of reconciliation and receives God’s grace.
However, because of Christ’s atoning work, a small child is free from perishable judgment. As the child grows up and becomes responsible, sin becomes a personal reality in his life. Depravity leads him to wrong attitudes, choices, and actions, causing guilt. That is why it is important to guide the child from an early age to the knowledge of God’s grace and forgiving love. For example, people with severe intellectual disabilities are in the same position as small children, who lack the cognitive prerequisites to understand and receive the message of the gospel.
In justification, the saving work of Jesus Christ is donated for the benefit of man. Justification has no degrees of growth, but is of a one-size-fits-all nature and makes man perfectly accepted before God.
Justification takes place by grace through faith in Jesus and means a change of position before God. Faith is born from receiving the message of the Gospel, which is influenced by the Holy Spirit. Within a person, a new birth takes place and he becomes a child of God. He is forgiven of sins because of the work of Christ and becomes a partaker of the divine life, which begins to work in him the fruit of the Spirit.
[1] Genesis 1:26–27, 31
[2] Ps. 139:13–16; John 11:24–26; Ef. 2:10
[3] Genesis 3:8, 17–18; Rom. 5:12–14
4] This has been called original sin in Western theology. The concept has theologically countered the fallacy of Pelagianism.
[5] Rom. 3:23
The Holy Spirit awakens a person spiritually so that he can receive the salvation prepared by God, and the Holy Spirit will come to dwell in him. Jesus Christ baptizes the believer with the Holy Spirit, who distributes gifts of grace to build up the church as in the time of the apostles. The believer is meant to live in the fullness of the Holy Spirit, bearing the fruit of the Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is one person of the triune God, whose influence is essential for human salvation and the life of faith. Because man has been separated from God because of the Fall, he is not able to renew his relationship with God by his own strength or ability. The Holy Spirit makes it possible for a person to receive the salvation offered by God despite the deterrent effect of sin.
When a person receives salvation, he is born again, when the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in him and the person becomes the temple of the Holy Spirit. The presence of the Spirit in a person sustains and increases the new life received in rebirth. The Holy Spirit creates an interaction in which man responds to God’s gracious initiatives.
The influence of the Holy Spirit received in the believer in the new birth is manifested in the strength against sin and selfish nature, as well as in the growth of the fruit of the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. This fruit is manifested in the growth of character, in the fact that the believer is increasingly transformed towards Christ-likeness.
The baptism of the Holy Spirit can be referred to in a variety of expressions that emphasize the different dimensions of the experience. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is a separate experience following rebirth, but it can also take place immediately upon rebirth. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is the expansion of the action of the Spirit received in the believer in the person who is born again. In it, Christ equips the believer with the power to serve, to bear witness and to live in the fullness of the Spirit.
A common sign of the baptism of the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts is speaking in tongues. Other signs may also occur. The influence of the Holy Spirit manifests itself in the praise of God, inspired speech, vision, and prophecy, among other things. These are all divine graces that are not indicative of the maturity or level of the believer’s spiritual life.
A life inspired by the Spirit is followed by the search for and practice of various gifts. The Holy Spirit imparts supernatural gifts and enlivens the gifts, graces and ministries given to man.
The New Testament encourages us to seek spiritual gifts for common edification. They embody the eschatological and prophetic nature of the activity of the Spirit-empowered church. The church is called to proclaim God’s great saving works.
The prerequisite for all genuine spirituality in the life of the believer and the church is the refreshing influence of the Holy Spirit.
[1] John 1:12–13; John 3:5–7; Rom. 8:9; 1. Cor. 6:19
[2] Gal. 5:22.
[3] 2. Peter 1:4–8; Ef. 4:11–16
[4] Acts 1:4–5, 8; Acts 11:16; Acts 2:2–4; Acts 9:17; Acts 10:44
[5] Acts 10:44–48; Acts 8:14–17
Communion is a memorial and fellowship meal that Jesus has set for his followers, where he is present through faith. The Eucharist proclaims the atonement of Jesus and is a participation in his death and resurrection.
We believe that the Eucharist instituted by Jesus has a profound significance in the spiritual life of the Christian congregation and its members. Communion is a sacred meal that is distinguished from other meals by its nature and essence. The celebration of the Eucharist plays an important role in our worship life, because it visibly proclaims the core message of our faith: God’s atonement in Christ.
In Pentecostal churches, communion is seen as a memorial meal, because through it the reality of both Jesus’ death and his resurrection is revealed to us anew. Communion is also celebrated as a communion meal, because in it we get to experience living communion with the risen Lord and his church. Thus, the Eucharist is not merely a commemorative meal, but Christ is truly present in it through faith. However, the exact form of Christ’s presence has not been defined, because it is a hidden influence of the Holy Spirit for man. As visible material signs of God’s work of salvation, the bread and wine represent the body and blood of Christ. In this way, they convince of the complete adequacy of the work of Calvary. The expressions “the cup of the Lord” and “the table of the Lord” used by the Apostle Paul indicate the gift nature and holiness of the Lord’s Supper.
From the teaching conveyed by the New Testament, it is also possible to deduce other dimensions related to the celebration of the Eucharist. The Eucharist is a covenant meal because it is a visible manifestation of the New Covenant in the sacrificial blood of Jesus, in which God is committed to a once and for all and perfect act of salvation. Following the example set by Jesus, communion is a meal of thanksgiving. That is why worship and praise are a natural part of the Eucharist. In connection with the Eucharist, the Bible also encourages self-examination of one’s own relationship with other parishioners. At the same time, the believer can trust in the blood of Jesus, which has been shed for the forgiveness of sins.
The celebration of communion is always accompanied by the expectation of Jesus’ coming, because Jesus announced that after the institution of communion, he will not taste the bounty of the vine until he drinks it new with his own people in the kingdom of God.
The celebration of communion is an integral part of the parish and it is usually enjoyed in the church service. However, communion can be taken, for example, to the sick and elderly in the parish, so that they too can participate in communion. In Pentecostal churches, communion is blessed by elders, deacons, and pastors, as well as the faithful authorized by them. Usually parishioners distribute communion to each other on the basis of the general priesthood.
There are different practices in Pentecostal churches when it comes to participating in Holy Communion. In some parishes, communion is only meant for those baptized after conversion (closed communion practice), in others communion can be attended by all those who acknowledge Jesus as their Savior (open communion practice). In some parishes that normally require the baptism of believers, a believer who belongs to another Christian church and occasionally attends the service may also be invited to communion (communion hospitality). Each parish decides on its own practice. The same applies to the number of communion services.
The celebration of communion is a special spiritual celebration for the congregation, which is associated with the reality of God’s presence. That is why communion is a regular and integral part of the life of the parish.
[1] Matt. 26:26–29; Mark. 14:22–24; Luke. 22:19–20; 1. Cor. 11:23–26.
[2] 2. Cor. 5:19; 1. Cor. 11:26.
[3] Luke. 22:19; 1. Cor. 11:24.
[4] 1. Cor. 10:16–17; commune (Lat.) = fellowship, communion meal, the name used for communion
[5] John 3:8; Definitions used in theology include the real present and the spiritual present as well as transubstantiation and consubstantiation
All people will experience bodily resurrection. The righteous will be resurrected in the resurrection of life, and the wicked will be resurrected in the resurrection of judgment.
We believe that all people will experience resurrection. Although the Bible mostly speaks of the resurrection of believers, the belief in the resurrection of all people and the conditions after the resurrection (eternal life or eternal separation from God) is already evident in the Old Testament. Jesus himself taught about the resurrection several times. All will rise from their graves to the resurrection of either life or judgment. The subject also occupies an important place in Paul’s teachings. The Apostle John also confirms the doctrine of the resurrection.
The whole Trinity of God is present in the resurrection. The Father awakens believers by the Spirit, and the dead hear the voice of the Son of God. [5] There is an important connection between Jesus’ own resurrection and man’s resurrection: Jesus rose from the dead as the firstborn. The resurrection of Jesus is the foundation of hope and trust for believers. In addition, it inspires Christians to live out the kingdom of God, which includes, among other things, the purposeful fulfillment of missionary missions.
We believe in the resurrection of the body. The Bible’s doctrine of bodily resurrection is a special feature of Christianity that expresses the holistic value of the human being. The resurrection is not just the resurrection of an old body. In the resurrection, man receives a new, imperishable body, which resembles the old body but is formed in a different way. Paul compares the old temporal body to a seed, and the new spiritual body to a plant that rises from a seed. A similar transformation will take place in the Ascension. The new body is connected to the old body. The resurrection body of Jesus gives us an indication of what our resurrection body is like. The body of Jesus was recognizable, physically touchable, and food-consuming between the resurrection and the ascension, but independent of physical laws. In the new body, man is free from the sufferings, imperfections, and needs of the temporal world.
In the resurrection body, man is allowed to live eternally and in perfect essence in union with God.
[1] Dan. 12:2.
[2] Matt. 22:29– 32; John 5:25–29.
[3] Acts 5:25–29. Acts 24:14–15; 1. Cor. 15: 51– 52; 1. Tess. 4:13-17.
[4] Rev. 20:4-6, 12-13.
[5] Rom. 8:11; John 5:21; John 5:27–29.
Jesus Christ will draw His congregation to Himself according to His promise, after which He will come as King to rule the whole world. God will create a new heaven and a new earth. This is the eternal portion of the righteous.
Christendom’s Views on Jesus’ Second Coming
The anticipation of Jesus’ second coming has been a part of the Christian faith since the birth of the church. It is closely related to the teaching of the rapture of the church and the so-called great tribulation period.
There are usually three different views on the timing of the rapture of the parish:
1. the church will be caught up to Christ in heaven before the great tribulation,
2. The church will be caught up to Christ in heaven in the middle of the tribulation before its most difficult phases, and
The 3rd church will be caught up to Christ at the end of the tribulation period, when Christ will visibly come to earth.
The first two views contain the idea of a two-stage coming of Christ, while the third view contains only one coming. Thus, the key difference between the concepts is whether Christ will come more than once at the end of the Tribulation Period. The differences of opinion are based on various exegetical questions and their interpretations, as well as biblical theological starting points.
The idea of two comings (the rapture of the church and the return of Christ) involves different views on the details of the end times, which are explained in several scriptures. The main reasons for the above views about the coming of Jesus are:
1. The end-time tribulation is seen as a unique event related to the salvation of Israel and different from the rest of the general tribulation experienced by the church,
2. The actual rapture texts differ from other scriptures about the coming of Jesus to such an extent that they are thought to speak of different things,
3. Certain biblical texts refer to the absence of the church from the great tribulation,
4. The coming of the Lord is understood to take place at any moment, i.e. it no longer requires the fulfillment of any prophecy.
Those who advocate the view of the one and single coming of Jesus leave the details of the end times open, but emphasize the diversity and simultaneity of the events of the return. The justification for this view is as follows:
1. The difference between the Rapture texts is understood as complementing the texts describing the coming of Jesus, so there is no need to assume two different comings – there is only one return once and for all.
2. The tribulation of the end times is no different from other tribulations and persecutions related to the history of the church. Therefore, the tribulation of the end times is not a reason to remove the church from the earth.
3. God’s people in the Tribulation Age are understood as a church and not merely as converted Jews,
4. Some of those who hold this view may not see the Lord’s coming as immediate as they do in thinking about the two comings.
The Finnish Pentecostal Movement’s Views on the Second Coming of Jesus
In the Finnish Pentecostal movement, the general view of the time of the rapture of the church has been that the church was raptured to heaven before the tribulations of the end of the era. In recent decades, other kinds of end-time interpretative alternatives have also begun to become more common.
Since the definition of the date of the rapture of the church is exegetically controversial, and since our interpretation of the Bible is incomplete, the detailed interpretation of this doctrinal question should avoid being too strict and confrontational.
Traditionally, the Finnish Pentecostal movement has believed that Jesus will return before the Millennium. This is also accompanied by the view that certain signs must occur before Jesus returns to earth to reign as king: the gospel will be preached to all nations, the great tribulation will befall humanity, false messiahs and prophets will perform signs and wonders, the antichrist will appear,[12] and God’s promises to Israel will be fulfilled.
The expectation of Jesus’ return gives Christians an enduring hope for the fulfillment of justice, ultimate salvation, and the liberation of all creation from the curse of sin. Essential to the return of our Lord Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the expectation and longing of His church. One of the hallmarks of living Christianity has always been the appearance of Jesus to his own people and the dawn of a new era ruled by him. This was already embodied in the early Christian greeting: “Come, Lord Jesus”.
There is a consensus that Jesus’ return will be sudden, visible, personal and bodily. Thus, Jesus’ return does not only mean that people will begin to follow his teaching and loving example, but that the same Jesus who once left the Mount of Olives for heaven will return to reign personally as Lord and King. While the Bible promises that Jesus’ royal return will surely happen, no human can know exactly when it will happen.
The New Heavens and the New Earth as an Eternal Part of the Righteous
The Pentecostal movement in Finland has traditionally represented the belief in a concrete new heaven and earth, where the righteous will receive an eternal part in the resurrection body.
Eternal life also refers to the quality of life. Life in the new heaven and earth will be full of joy and will mean freedom from all sin, suffering, sickness, and sorrow. [18]
The role of the righteous in the New Jerusalem is described by God’s presence and sight,[19] worship and praise of God, domination, rest, and fellowship with other righteous people.
Everlasting life in the New Jerusalem signifies the attainment of the ultimate goal of God’s people, bringing complete joy and fulfillment.
[1] 1. Thess. 4:16–17; Matt. 24:21–22.
[2] The tribulation of Jacob (Jeremiah 30:7), Zechariah 30:7. 12:10, Rom. 11:25–27.
[3] The rapture texts used are usually 1 Corinthians 1:25–27. 1 Thess 4:16–17; John 14:3; 1. Cor. 15:51–52; Texts that refer to the coming of Jesus include, for example, Matt. 24:27; 2. Thess. 1:7–8.
[4] 1. Thess. 1:10; 5:9; Luke. 21:36; Revelation 3:10.
[5] For example, Matt. 25:13. 1. Thess. 4:16–17; 1. Cor. 15:51–52.
Our Apostolic Creed
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THE APOSTOLIC CREED
I believe in God, the Father, the Almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, our Lord, who was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and buried, descended into hell, rose from the dead on the third day, ascended into heaven, sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, and from there will come to judge the living and the dead, and to the Holy Spirit, the holy common church, holy communion, forgiveness of sins, resurrection of the body and eternal life.