A Pilgrimage Of Faith, J.B. Toews, 1993

to the Holy Scriptures We believe that all Scripture is inspired by God as men of God were moved by the Holy Spirit, We accept the Old and New Testaments as the infallible Word of God and the authoritative Guide for the faith and life of Christian discipleship. We believe that the Old Covenant was preparatory in nature, finding its fulfillment in the New Covenant. Christ is the key to understanding the Bible; the Old Testament bears witness to Him, and He is the One whom the New Testament proclaims, Ps, 19; 119:105; 200 IDENTITY AMID DIVERSITY Lk. 24:27,44; Rom, 1:18-23; 2 Tim. 3:15-17; 2 Pet 1:16-21; Heb. 1:1-2; 8:5-13.* This statement from the 1976 Confession of Faith is clear and consistent with the historic position of the Mennonite Brethren. The statement also expresses our Christocentric un- derstanding of Scripture. The provision of redemption and the life of the redeemed are anchored in the incarnation of God in Christ who lived, died for our sins, rose from the dead, and ascended into Heaven. Bom-again believers under the guidance of the Holy Spirit seek daily nurture from Scripture. To understand biblical teaching in specific questions of life and practice, Mennonite Brethren seek to follow the example of Acts 15-a principle of community hermeneutics. A statement recorded in the 1878 Conference of Mennonite Brethren expressed this principle: The Conference has been called for brethren of like faith from our scattered churches to see whether at the hand of the Bible it is not possible to bring into harmony differed views gleaned from the study of the Word of God and then proceed as a church fellowship according to the same rule (Phil. 3:l6) under the banner of the cross of Christ.22 The final application of scriptural truth for believers emerges from the fellowship of the redeemed community as they gather to study the Word together with prayer and de- pendence on the illumination of the Holy Spirit. Tor it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us* (Acts 15:28). <rWhat does the Bible say™ has been a continuous point of ref- erence throughout Mennonite Brethren history. Emphasis on the New Birth The Mennonite Brethren movement emerged in an ethno- 201 A PILGRIMAGE OF FAITH religious environment where being born of Mennonite par- ents was a condition for baptism and church membership. In the larger church, from which the Mennonite Brethren seced- ed, issues of faith and culture had become confused.*3 Mennonite Brethren recognized that all people are sinful by nature, guilty before God and in need of forgive