The 16 Fundamental Doctrines Explained

By Eliud A Montoya

“What we believe is so important… and defending our beliefs is critical […]  Rev. Montoya has gone to great lengths to provide clarity and biblical support to the things we treasurer dearly, our fundamental doctrines.”
—    DR. DOUG CLAY – AG General Superintendent

This book i

• Language: English
• Publisher: Palabra Pura
• Release date: Apr 7, 2020
• ISBN: 9781951372002

Book preview

PREFACE

I found it particularly necessary now, though I had been thinking about it for several years, to publish a writing on doctrine because there are evangelical groups that with the most laudable sincerity have deprived themselves of a vital and powerful foundational teaching.

Of these evangelical groups, I draw my attention to focus primarily on the Pentecostal groups as I cannot have it any other way.

Currently, Pentecostal groups collectively represent a very large percentage of total evangelical Christianity worldwide and this can be confirmed by very expeditious, varied and reliable information.¹ However, much of these groups have unknowingly turned to other affiliations in practice, leaving only an imitation of their fundamental principles. Others still, attract at my season and perhaps with more thorough study of their reality, we are able to conclude that they are more than anything self-styled Pentecostals.

With your permission my beloved reader, I would like to write without reserve, without partialities, and without regrets, all that comes to mind and whatever the Holy Spirit may place upon me on the subject. I judge it vital to retake the path set by our ancestors; we must remark the boundaries that today are tremulous or perhaps no longer exist, as they were at the onset of the advancement of the kingdom of God since His first children.

I do not wish that the doctrines we were brought up with remain like a clouded thought on a frail memory; nor that they remain in the gloomy vaults of forgotten libraries. I want the truth that gave life to the dead, and pulled the most hardened prisoners from the dungeons, and pulverized the strongest lies, to shine. And for that, I will utilize the evidence that is with me and with my beloved reader: the biblical texts. The Word of God is the anvil of the centuries. The historical evidence of the walkers serves us in our biblical walk, but the walk itself is irrefutable evidence. God is witness to His own words and this is what gives us strength to follow them with a steadfast heart.

The Old Paths

God spoke to Jeremiah and gave him a word to give to His people: "Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.’’ (Jer. 6:16).

The old paths that God referred to were not the ones of our grandparents followed fifty years ago, or the path of our ancestors followed. Instead He referred to the paths traced by Jesus Christ himself.

According to most historians, the Church began almost 2000 years ago (around 30 D.C.) ² on that glorious day in which the Holy Spirit was sent to earth as the fruition of Christ’s promise: And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. (Luke 24:49).

Those eleven disciples joined by another 109, were united unanimously in prayer, supplication, and search. Harmoniously humbled before the presence of God, participating in the same faith and I dare say that perhaps all of them were visual witnesses of the resurrection of the Lord. Peter was there, covered by the mantel of forgiveness of Christ, reflecting His words, feed my Lambs. John was there, still with the sensation of having leaned his head on his beloved Master. Nathanael was there, who in his interior could say: He kept his promise; indeed, I saw things I never imagined I would see when all of a sudden a thunderous and mysterious sound described later by Luke as a rushing mighty wind a mysterious and divine sound filled the house where they were.

That day marked the beginning of the old paths. The paths that the Holy Spirit illuminated; the paths of Jesus Christ. Therefore, the old paths are those that were walked by the Lamb’s apostles, that of the first Christians. That of Paul and later the churches he taught and their collaborators.

Together we will explore different facets of this restful path. God’s path is a restful path: ye shall find rest for your souls. It is a path peppered with beautiful words of the glorious Gospel, where our souls can rest and find satiation.

The Resting Periods on the Path

The Pentecostal doctrine was configured in the second decade of the twentieth century.³ It was a time of rediscovery of biblical truths. After the first historical events of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at the beginning of the 20th century and the consolidation of the churches in 1914, and then after the threat that the doctrine would suffer distortion under the unitary mentality, the Assemblies of God emerged under the initiative of men like E.N. Bell, and J. Roswell Flower. Other classic Pentecostal denominations also emerged such as the Church of God, the Christian and Missionary Alliance, Church of the Open Bible, and others. Then the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, etc, and others, but without going into minuteness details of history, one of the principal newly founded denominations—Assemblies of God—adhered to the ideas of the Keswick Conference in Keswick, United Kingdom.⁴ While it kept a fresh memory of the famous message: The finished work of Calvary preached by William Howard Durham, which marked a milestone in the doctrinal thinking of the newly formed movement.⁵

The result of all of these marvelous events was a pure and clean doctrine with eternal transcendence. An unmovable doctrine with unfathomable depths that renders its believers the complacency of the Almighty. It does not mutate, nor evolve. It remains perennial, never losing its freshness, its validity. Beautiful splendor of impossible light to overshadow and unique face of unfading beauty.

The doctrine discussed in this book is simply precious, with nuances of beauty, which cannot be fully captured by the author nor the reader, nor any other. We cannot fully understand their immeasurable worth.

The original Pentecostal doctrine is based on the faith in God, in the supernatural holistic God, in the humanly unattainable. The reader should understand that the doctrine cannot be compared to the Christian habits of many practice in today’s world because it is a faith issue. This is because doctrine can only reasonably be understood when it is discussed amongst itself, when it is spoken and responded to in itself. Apart from that there is no scientific reason, nor human practice despite however humble and pious it may seem that can give proof.

Doctrine does not admit exceptions, nor tolerances; it does not admit resignations or reticence either as the blessings of God envelop every human being without exception. Understand that to live the doctrine is to live in the faith of the Son of God, in its absolute truthfulness, on its marked course. It is to live a life contrasting endlessly with death.

To believe and live the doctrine is to live in a foreign world, apart from a physical world. It is to live in a sharp reality: the reality of the Creator of reality. Because of that, to believe and live the doctrine is strange and odious for unbelievers. Christ expressed Himself correctly when He said: If ye were of the world, the world could love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. (John 15:19).

The Doctrine is a Path of Victory

Therefore the doctrine is a path of rest, peace, and victory. Each one of the points in the doctrine is one of rest, a summit of reached victory. When we understand each of the topics that make the doctrine and once we have integrated them into our lives, we will find peace, rest, and a marvelous sense of victory over mankind’s enemies. In the doctrine we find an entire organism in which dysfunction does not exist, nor black holes. We find only one piece without superior mysteries to what God has established. We find a miraculously assembled puzzle, where each one of its pieces correspond neatly with those around it.

I will not deny myself the opportunity to summarize this concept for you: God’s doctrine, in each and every point is a path of faith, which results in a life of victory and plenitude. I am aware that those who fail, their objective is to justify their failures, and even attempt to establish their failure as a norm. Yet failure does not belong in the path of the true children of God because it is not about our abilities, it is about a simple and full faith in the merits of Christ and of the benefits of His death and resurrection. It is about the supreme joy of His gift post-resurrection, (without such a gift it would be impossible to enjoy His first gift which was Himself): the Holy Spirit.

It is because of this, a requirement that the reader take on the attitude of faith of the wise for good and to remember that without faith it is impossible to please God. Perhaps there are watersheds of this water of eternal life, where the reader, who may have been with a vicious mind and in a jail of bitterness, may find it impossible to admit. However, the reader must remember that just as a person blinded by his jail of darkness suddenly sees sunlight, his eyes will not take in that moment, but if they wait a bit, the light will begin to have effect, their eyes will adjust, and a new world will emerge; in this case: a spiritual world will emerge, God’s dimension.

The Glories of the Doctrine

The doctrine does not allow mixtures and will always remain superior to actions, thoughts, discovery or elucidation by man. The doctrine does not contradict science but instead sees it as an inexperienced child lacking sufficient seriousness, unfit to be fully trusted on its own. The doctrine is of God, and that which is of God is light-years away in wisdom and perfection. Human knowledge is an undecided follower, a lame cripple that indecisively attempts to take a step to reduce the gap of infinite distance. Therefore, I see it fruitless to address God’s creation in scientific terms, whether spoken or decreed, as if such demonstration had some real value. I say this because each and every one of the glorious doctrines belong to us, are ours, they are goals that have been reached and there is no scientific branch that can snatch them from us. I say this also because we live in a world in which science is glorified before the very merits of Christ, and Believers are judged as simple minded, uncivilized and ignorant. However, we will later see the outcome of those who grotesque and arrogantly believe this.

Science has attempted to poke its nose into all areas, and the problem with allowing an immature child to participate in anything, is that they will boast of knowing everything (while knowing nothing) and thus will bring about dangerous consequences. I dare even to say that the effects of these consequences proliferate eternally in Christianity of many of our day, perhaps even at the very bottom of the list, but also in, the Pentecostals. Despite this, what corresponds has no demerits if is useful to the propagation of the glorious doctrines.

This book is an explanation of these glorious doctrines. We shall discuss what relates to purity and infallibility of the Scriptures. These were inspired by the Holy Spirit and transmitted by pious and holy men. Having a copy of the Bible in our language is a great marvel of God.

This precious book refers to the nature of God in which we have deposited our soul. To whom we have decided to love and worship. And even though it could go in the same, for being sublime and extended it refers apart of the nature of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.

The doctrine discussed in this book also describes the nature of mankind without Christ and without God. Not from a philosophical, metaphysical, or psychological standpoint. Instead it is from a Biblical perspective. We will then understand Man after knowing God, when he makes the choice to repent and obediently follow faith. Basically, Man in his new nature.

The glories of the doctrine signal the era of the Holy Spirit who has his maximum expression through and in the baptism of Christ and in his most evident feature: speaking in other tongues. The use of the tongues as a gift from God is beneficial to the believer. It is important, useful, and of supernatural character.

This book will take us to the occupation of Man. The blessing of the two ordinances of the Lord: the fundamental mission of the church and the ministry.

Finally, we will then look at the hope of the New Man, and future occurrences (including the final destination of the incredulous). And this, even though their ignorance cannot impede our enjoyment of other beautiful doctrines, God decided to show them to us so that we may delight in them, not only in the present, but also in the destiny of creation under heaven and of ourselves as the redeemed by the precious blood of His Lamb and Son. He chose to show this to us so as to complete the puzzle and minimally satisfy this curiosity for knowledge as to what is to come by not giving us too many details, but granting us great hope. Certainly we do not know the minute details of eschatology, nor can we establish doctrines based off of what is supposed or off of the interpretations in Revelations of the world based on the lines written by the Apostle John, who though divinely inspired, does not offer detailed explanations. Despite this however, we still enjoy knowing the evident mile markers of what is to come.

Chapter I–The Inspiration of the Scripture

The Scriptures—the Old Testament like the New Testament—are our norm of faith and conduct. Of faith because in them we find what we believe; of conduct because in them we find how to conduct ourselves. All of the Scripture has the same authority because it is inspired by God. The Holy Spirit tells us through Paul: All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. (2 Tim. 3:16–17).

A. Christ is the Center of the Scriptures

The Scriptures on its own are not a medium of salvation, as it is only through Christ that we can be saved. (John 14:6). However, the Scriptures give testimony of Him (John 5:39). Therefore, the center of the Scriptures is Christ himself.

All of the Scriptures should be viewed through Christ. The Old Testament guides us to Christ, it prophesies of Christ, it gives us evidence of God’s interaction with humanity to guide us to Christ, it presents us allegories of Christ, and it reveals the Lord Jesus in various manners in each book of the Old Testament. Genesis presents Christ in the Creation, in the plurality of Genesis 1:26, in the seed of woman in Genesis 3:15, in the let us go down in Genesis 11:7; in Adam, the first man, Christ the last Adam (1 Cor. 15:45); Abel, the figure of Christ, presenting the first sacrificial lamb; Abraham and his descendants, in whom all the nations of the world would be blessed; in Melchisedec, etc.

Exodus presents Him as the paschal lamb; Leviticus: Christ as our high priest (Heb. 7:11–17); Numbers: the bronze serpent (Num. 21:9; John 3:14); Deuteronomy: the prophet amongst the sons of Israel (Deut. 18:18; Acts 3:22, 7:37); Joshua: figure of Christ (The name Joshua is Jesus in Hebrew), who introduces us to the Promised Land.

In the book of Judges the people of Israel never remained in liberty with only one savior, which takes us to Christ: the Savior who is strong enough to maintain our liberty. The Angel of the Lord is revealed to Manoah, a theophany, in the book of Judges (Judg. 13:20). The redeeming kin, Christ the redeemer of the church (Book of Ruth). The life of David, an archetype of Christ, is described in 1st and 2nd Samuel. In the books of Kings: Christ is the King of kings, in the line of David (1st and 2nd Kings; 1st and 2nd Chronicles). Ezra, a shadow of the maximum teacher, Jesus of Nazareth; Nehemiah, the lead constructor in the midst of great opposition, Christ the foundation of the church (Eph. 2:20) whose strength Hades can never triumph against (Matt. 16:18). Esther, the savior princess, Christ the Prince and Savior (Acts 5:31). Job prophesied of Christ when he said, For I know that my redeemer liveth… (Job 19:25a). The Psalms contain many references to Christ (e.g. Ps. 2, 16, 22, 34, 41, 69, 110, 118, etc.). The Proverbs signal Christ in Chapter 8. In Ecclesiastes, we see man vainly seeking Worldly satisfactions, yet Christ is the only one who can satisfy our souls (John 4:13–14). Song of Solomon presents the relationship of the King with the Shunamite woman, a symbol of Christ and the Church. In the book of Isaiah, we see many references of Christ, but Isaiah Chapter 53 and Isaiah 7:14, are two very commonly cited passages by Christ.

Jeremiah prophesied of Christ saying, Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. (Jer. 23:5–6). In Lamentations, we see Christ, who is given the name of Faithful and True (Rev. 19:11) giving us His mercies every morning (Lam. 3:23) wiping away all tears (Rev. 7:17). Ezekiel saw Jesus seated in His throne of glory (Ezra 1:26–27) and presents Jesus as the good-shepherd (Ezra 34:11–31; John 10:11). Daniel prophesied over the coming of Christ in Daniel 9:25. Hosea speaks of Him in Chapter 11:1 (see also Matt. 2:15). Joel prophesied as the salvation that God would send through Christ: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered… (Joel 2:32; Acts 2:21; Rom. 10:13).

The Lord tell us through Amos, Seek ye me, and ye shall live (Amos 5:4) and all those who hear the voice of Christ will live (John 5:25); in Obadiah we see the final reign of Jesus Christ (Obad. 1:21); Jonah served as a symbol of Christ who would resurrect on the third day (Matt. 12:39, 16:4). Micah prophesied the birthplace of Jesus Christ: Bethlehem in Judah (Mic. 5:2; Matt. 2:1). Nahum prophesied of one who would bring good tidings, that publisheth peace! (Nah. 1:15).

In the book of Habakkuk we see Jesus as the fortress that makes us sure-footed and makes us walk upon high places (Hab. 3:19); we see him as the salvation of the people (Hab. 3:13). Zephaniah describes Jesus as the sacrifice the Lord has prepared (Zeph. 1:7). Haggai describes Jesus as the desire of the nations (Hag. 2:7); Zechariah spoke of Jesus when he said, And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan (Zech. 3:2) and again when he said, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH (Zech. 6:12–13). He speaks again of Christ as the King who would arrive mounted upon a colt the foal of an ass (Zech. 9:9) and prophesied the amount of money Christ would be sold for (Zech. 11:12). Zechariah also prophesied of Christ when he said: And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in the bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. (Zech. 12:10).

Malachi, the last book of the thirty-nine that make up the Old Testament, spoke prophetically of Christ as the Sun of righteousness… with healing in his wings. (Mal. 4:2).

These are only some examples of the thousands of citations we can find throughout the span of the Old Testament which speak of our Lord Jesus Christ. Each message should be passed through the sieve of the person of Christ. Because of it, Luke testifies in regards to the conversation that Jesus had with two of his disciples en route to Emmaus, And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning to himself. (Luke 24:27).

B. God’s Interaction with Man

There is no doubt that God’s desire has always been to have constant communication with man. His intention was not to merely create life and abandon it to its downfall, leaving it only food to make it through the night. He created man for His delight and communion. He wanted to be Mankind’s God, recognized, worshiped but also immediately available. We see this yearning for communication in Genesis, when God would present Himself to speak with Man. (Gen. 3:8). These were the most primitive prayers.

However, God’s treatment of Mankind has not always been the same. Although every human has a conscience that dictates what is good and what is evil, before Christ, Man could never fully understand God. And although there is none on the face of the Earth who can say—now nor in the future—that they fully know God, we can read of Christ, No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. (John 1:18). Therefore, Christ has given us understanding of the Father and has opened a universe of maximum knowledge of God that Mankind can now explore. This is why the writer of Hebrew spoke of the huge leap in the knowledge of God with Christ fulfilling the role of the High Priest, And they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. (Heb. 8:11; see also Jer. 31:34).

It is highly probable that a five-year-old in today’s world knows more about God as compared to a person of older age in years before Christ.

God has revealed Himself from time to time to Man through history and we see His revelation was particular to some, it was a clearly demarcated line. First with Adam, then with Seth and his descendants, then with Enos, Cainan, Mahalaleel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech and Noah.

God’s interaction with the antediluvian generation were perhaps brief, inadvertent, and fugacious. We do not see indications that God directed a single word to any of them. The first man we see registered that God spoke to after Cain, hundreds of years afterwards was with Noah.

With Noah, a new treatment of God with Mankind began. Noah marks a new generation, a new lineage. Noah was the first with whom God made an express covenant, and God told him But with thee will I establish my covenant… (Gen. 6:18). But then over time, a new and more powerful pact emerges, the one God made with Abraham.

Over a long timespan God made a few other pacts with men, until He finally made a pact with the nation of Israel and said, Write thou these words: for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel. (Ex. 34:27).

The interactions God has had with humanity have been distinct. God ordered Adam and Eve to populate the earth, to govern over it, to have dominion over the animals, to care for the Garden of Eden, and to not eat the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. To Noah, He simply ordered him to make an ark, gave him instructions throughout the flood process, and then placed his foot back on solid ground. To Abraham, He calls him His friend and establishes him as a landmark of faith.

God’s treatment of Abraham differed from that of others, and the order He gave to the Patriarch were not the same He gave to