What do Anglicans Believe?

Amongst the one billion people on earth who claim to be Christians, approximately seventy-two million define themselves as Anglicans. 

 

What do we believe?

God the Father

 

We believe that God’s thoughts and ways are infinitely higher than man’s and cannot be fully comprehended or defined by mere men (Isaiah 55:8-9).  As God’s thoughts are unbounded by human limitations, so are His ways immeasurable by human standards of philosophy, culture, or science.

 

We believe that there is One, True, and Living God.

 

He is Eternal

 

Having neither a beginning nor an end. His wisdom, power, and goodness are infinite (He is present everywhere; He is all knowing; He is absolutely righteous and loving).

 

He created all things

 

Everything that exists, visible and invisible, was created by Him and owes its existence to Him.

 

The Holy Trinity

 

While difficult to define, the doctrine of the Holy Trinity is essential to our understanding of God.  Holy Scripture clearly teaches that in the unity of God there are three equal, eternal, and indivisible Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  We believe that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are equally God and united in One Being.  They are One in substance and equal in eternal majesty and glory.

 

God the Son

 

We believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ, the Son of God; the Second Person of the Trinity; God Incarnate.

 

Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God; the Second Person of the Trinity; God Incarnate.

 

We believe that He was conceived by the supernatural operation of the Holy Spirit in the flesh of the Virgin Mary. He was born in Bethlehem during the reign of Augustus Caesar and lived His entire human life in the Roman province of Palestine.

 

Fully God and Fully Man

 

Though eternally God, in becoming man Jesus took upon Himself a fully human nature (but without sin).  In Him neither His humanity nor divinity were confused, mixed, or mingled.  He was both truly God as the Second Person of the Trinity and truly man as the child of Mary and the “foster son” of Joseph, the carpenter of Nazareth.

 

His Gospel

 

During His brief earthly ministry He proclaimed the Good News of salvation to the world and explained the eternal purposes of God to everyone who would listen. Under the administration of Pontius Pilate, a Roman governor, He was betrayed by a friend, falsely accused, wrongfully condemned, and sentenced to death.

 

His Death and Resurrection

 

Jesus Christ suffered an agonizing death on the Cross.  He was buried by a small group of faithful friends in a borrowed tomb.  On the third day following His crucifixion He rose bodily from the dead and appeared alive to a number of His disciples.

 

His Ascension and Return

 

Forty days after His resurrection He ascended bodily into heaven in the presence of His disciples.  Some day (a day known only to God the Father) He will return to judge both the living and the dead.  The conclusion of human history on that great day will mark the triumph of the Kingdom of God that shall never end.

 

God the Holy Spirit

 

We believe that the Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Holy Trinity and as truly God as the Father and the Son.  He is not just a power, presence, or manifestation of God’s strength (as is often popularly misunderstood), but of equal glory, majesty, and substance as God the Father and Jesus Christ.

 

He has Spoken in Holy Scripture

 

He has spoken through the Prophets and Apostles in Holy Scripture.

 

Comforter and Strength of the Church

 

As was promised by Jesus before His Ascension into heaven, the Holy Spirit was sent as the Comforter of the Church (St. John 14:26).

 

We believe that God works powerfully in and through His Church in the Person of the Holy Spirit and that He endows His people with grace and spiritual gifts.

 

As Jesus taught His disciples, the Third Person of the Holy Trinity does not draw glory or attention to Himself, but rather points mankind toward Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

Christian Worship

 

We believe that Christian worship is both a privilege and a duty. We believe that worship is our opportunity to come before the presence of Almighty God and express our love, gratitude, and reverence toward Him.  As it is our privilege, it is also our duty as Christians to offer Him thanksgiving and praise as often as possible.

 

Focus

 

We believe that the focus of worship is Almighty God.  We should approach worship, therefore, in a manner consistent with His character, His attributes, and His personality.

 

Purpose

 

Christian worship must seek to underscore our belief in the majesty, dignity, and power of God.  Our relationship to our Heavenly Father loses none of its love or intimacy by showing Him due honor.  We revere Him as Lord - we love Him as Father - we worship Him as King of all Creation.

 

The Sacraments

 

We believe that there are two Sacraments instituted by Jesus Christ in the Gospels - Baptism and Holy Communion (St. Matthew 28:19; St. Luke 22:19-20).

 

The meeting of the spiritual and material worlds defies easy description or definition.  We are certain, however, that in the Sacraments God works invisibly and inwardly to strengthen and confirm our Faith in Him.  Baptism and Holy Communion are more than just symbols of our Christian Faith - they are the outward and visible signs of inward and spiritual grace imparted to us by Almighty God.

 

Baptism is a sign of God’s great covenant with His Church.  It is a visible seal of the `acceptance of the baptized into the fellowship of the Church.

 

Holy Communion or the Lord’s Supper is not only a sign of Christian love and fellowship; it is the one act of worship commanded by our Lord Jesus Christ.  In the broken bread we partake spiritually of the Body of Christ and in the Cup we partake spiritually of the Blood of Christ.

 

Holy Scripture

 

Completeness

                       

We believe that the sixty-six books of the Bible tell us all things necessary for salvation.

 

Inspiration

                                

We believe that the Bible was written by men fully inspired by God and therefore it is (in a unique and authoritative form) the Word of God.

 

Integrity

 

No doctrine or article of belief should be required as a matter of faith or taught as necessary to eternal salvation that cannot be found in Holy Scripture (or be proven by consistent and thorough application of plainly stated biblical principles).

 

Interpretation

 

As the primary goal of biblical interpretation is to understand the attributes, mind, and actions of God (as much as this task is possible) it should be undertaken with the utmost care, humility, and prayerful reliance upon Him.

 

The Church

 

We believe that the Church is the fellowship of all faithful people and that Jesus Christ Himself is the Head of the Church.

 

We believe that the visible Church is the manifestation of Christ’s invisible and spiritual Body (I Corinthians 12:27).

 

Distinguishing Marks of the Church

 

We believe that the Church is distinguished by:

 

•      The pure teaching of God’s Word.

•      The proper administration of the Sacraments.

•      Biblical morality and Order.

•  

Church Authority

 

We believe that the Church has authority in matters of Faith, morality, and ceremony, but the Church may never de­cree or require anything that is contrary to Holy Scripture.

 

Church Order

 

We believe that from the age of the Apostles there have been three Orders of ministry in the Church: Bishops, Priests, and Deacons.

 

For further reading we suggest you visit our Questions and Answer page.

Anglican Answers

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