Our Beliefs

We at NTRF believe in the Doctrines of Grace, hold to New Covenant Theology and agree with the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy. The essential tenets of the faith to which we subscribe are identical to those found in the doctrinal statements of any sound evangelical institution. Our favorite statement of faith is the First London Baptist Confession of 1644.

Our hope is that you will find our web site enjoyable reading and that it will help you to gain a better understanding of the church as it was originally set up by the Apostles. We believe that the basics of New Testament church life are generally relevant to any culture, any time, with few exceptions.

Some of the basics, as we see them, are:

• The Lord’s Supper celebrated weekly as a full, fellowship meal and as the main reason for the weekly church meeting (Ac 2:42 , 20:7, 1Co 11:18 -20, 11:33 ). In the center of the feast there is to be the one cup and the one loaf (1Co 10:16 -17), both symbolizing and creating unity. The mood of the meal is to be joy, not solemn reflection, because the focus of the Lord’s Supper is the excitement of the Second Coming. It is a rehearsal dinner for the future Wedding Banquet of the Lamb (Re 19:6-9)!
• Church meetings that are interactive and spontaneous, per 1 Corinthians 14, rather than performances by professionals. Every one of the brothers is to be free to contribute to the meetings (via a teaching, a song, a testimony, a prayer, etc.). Open participation is to be the norm, not the exception. The over arching directive for anything said in the meeting is that it must edify the church (1Co 14:26 ).
• A commitment to New Testament patterns (apostolic tradition) for church practice (1Co 11:2, Phlp 4:9, 2Th 2:15) and well as apostolic teaching for church theology (Ac 2:42). NTRF advocates historic, orthodox Christian theology poured into the wineskin of New Testament church practice. Concerned questions, and the burden of explanation, ought to fall on those who seek to deviate from apostolic tradition, not on those who wish to keep it.
• Consensus decisions made by all the brothers, following Christ as Head of His church. Thus, elder-led more so than elder-ruled churches. Though elders are very important to the functioning of the church, decisions are generally to be made by the church corporately, not by its elders only (Mt 18:15-20, Lk 22:24-27, 1Pe 51-4).
• Home-sized and home-based churches (thus, smaller rather than larger fellowships) that are linked together into networks of other autonomous house churches (Ro 16:5, 1Co 1:27-29, Col 4:15, Phlm 2). City-wide church activities might include larger rented facilities where evangelism, leadership training, the equipping of the saints, multi-church Bible studies, public worship, etc. occur. However, the regular Lord’s Day meeting of the local church is to be in homes. Primary and weekly are the local house church meetings; secondary (and optional) are larger (multi-church) gatherings.
• Church as more of a family than a business. Meeting in homes helps foster community, accountability and intimacy among the members of the body. Further, churches are to be family friendly. The church and the family are to be integrated, not segregated. Age-graded Sunday School and Children’s Church only serves to further divide families. Children belong in church meetings and Bible studies with their parents.
• Generous giving to support church workers (such as missionaries and qualified elders) and those in need. Without the overhead of such expenses as the construction and upkeep of a sanctuary for each congregation, more money is free to be directed to where needed most.

This type of church is largely lay-led, simple, easy to reproduce, intimate, personal, inexpensive, and down-home. It is also the biblical pattern. Indeed, how can we improve on God’s design?

Such a church in an Asian or Latin country would certainly look different in outward style than one in a posh suburb of London. The food, music, and homes would be unique to each culture, but the internal basics would still be the same.

In stating the above convictions, we do not intend to imply factiousness, elitism, spiritual superiority, nor arrogance. We love and appreciate all those who belong to Christ, regardless of how they live out their church life (Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, etc.). Yet these are deeply held convictions with us, and we humbly present them to the church at large in hopes of persuading our brothers and sisters to enjoy the benefits of New Testament church practice along with us!

The churches represented by the various authors on our web site have all made a conscious effort to seek to follow the traditions of the Twelve in their church practice. In short, we believe that the patterns for church life evident in the New Testament are not merely descriptive, but are actually prescriptive (1Co 11:2, 2Th 2:15). Thus, even though we are quite “traditional” in the New Testament sense, what we advocate is rather nontraditional by contemporary standards.

Our desire is to provide resources and training in how the early church met together in community. To this end, we have posted many Articles on our web site, offer live streaming Audio messages, and there are ready to print PDF files for teachers. Our Publications Page details the various books, tapes, and manuals we produce. We also conduct Weekend Workshops on our Lord’s design for His church.

To Jesus alone be all the glory, power, and honor!