The basis for all doctrines taught and practiced by the Church of God is the firm conviction that the Bible is the infallibly inspired Word of God, containing all things needful for salvation, faith, and practice. Paul wrote to a young minister, "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 maybe perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works,"(2Tim 3:16-17).
The Bible was given to man through verbal, plenary inspiration,that is, the Holy Spirit inspired the sacred writers even in their choice of words. Hence, the Bible does not contain or become the Word of God, but it is the Word of God. The Bible (not anyone of its various translations, however)is free from error of any kind. We say with the Psalmist, "Thy word is true from the beginning,"(Psalms 119:160)

The Godhead

The Church of God worships the only true God, the God of the Bible. God is a Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost (1John 5:7). The Father is Eternal (Deut 33:27); the Son is Eternal (Heb 7:3); and the Holy Ghost is Eternal (Heb 9:14). There are three distinct Persons, but one God:"...these three are one(1John 5:7). The Father is the creator of universe (Gen 1:1), through the Son (Col1:15-16), and the Holy Spirit (Gen1:2).

Man

The Church of God recognizes that man is also a trinity,consisting of spirit, soul, and body (1Thess 5:23). Man's physical nature is a product of procreative act of man and wife, and so is imperfect and posesses a depraved human nature (Gen 5:3). Man's spiritual nature, however is the direct result of a creative act of God (Acts 17:28; Heb 12:9; James 3:9), and it is pure and holy until defiled by committed sin at the age of reason (Rom 7:8-9; Matt 18:3).

Sin

The Church of God holds the Bible truth that sin is an act of rebellion againts a known law of God (John 15:22; James 4:17; 1John 3:4). There is no sin where there is no law of God (Romans 5:13), so no one in not a sinner until he obtains knowledge of God's just demands on him and then rebels. The act of sin causes one to forfeit his right to eternal life (Gen 2:17; Ezek 18:20,24; Romans 6:23), and renders him a slave to sin (John 8:34; Romans 6:16). All men succumb to the powers of sin upon reaching the age of reason and moral responsibility (Romans 3:23; Romans 7:9; 1John 8-10). All men, therefore, need a savior(Acts 17:30-31).

Salvation

The Church of God teaches the scriptural truth that salvation may be had only through Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12). Man cannot save himself (Isa 64:6; Jer 10:23; Rom 7:20-25); religious ceremonies cannot save man(Heb 10:8); baptism cannot save man, being merely a witness that one already is saved (1Pet 3:21). We are saved by the sacrifice of the soul and body of Jesus Christ (Isa 53:5,10; Matt 27:46).

The New Birth

The Church of God reconizes that "the new birth" is a Bible term that denotes cleansing from all sin (1Pet 1:21-22), entering the kingdom (John 3:5), and being saved (Mark 10:25-26). The new birth enables one to live free from sin (1John 3:9), and anyone who sins has not been born again (1John 3:8). One obtains a new heart at the moment of conversion (Ezek 18:31; Ezek 36:26), one that knows God (Jer 24:7), in which God's laws are written (Heb 8:10). "Our old man" is crucified (Romans 6:6-7) and put off (Eph 4:22-24) in the act of repentance and conversion, while the "new man" created in righteousness (Eph 4:24) is put on (Col 3:10). Indeed, one becomes an entirely new creation, the old life of sin having passed away (2Cor 5:17).

Baptism of the Holy Ghost

The Church of God affirms the Bible doctrine of the baptism of the Holy Ghost, while rejecting the erronous theories and unholy extremism of the modern self-termed "Charismatic" or Pentecostal movement. Jesus promised the baptism of the Holy Ghost (Acts 1:5); He commanded it to be received (John 20:22). The Holy Spirit baptism is received only after conversion (John 14:16-17; Acts 8:15-17; Acts 19:2-6). The purpose of the experience, the Bible teaches, is to comfort (John 14:16), to teach (John 14:26; John 16:7-15), and to empower for effective witnessing (Acts 1:8). He distributes the various spiritual gifts in the church (1Cor 12:11), and insures their proper operation (1Cor 17:7).

Inward Holiness

The Church of God boldly proclaims the Bible message of holiness, that is, freedom from sin in this life (Tit 2:12). Jesus demanded sinlessness (John 5:14; John 8:11); Paul demanded sinlessness (Rom 6:1); James demanded sinlessness (James 2:10); Peter demanded sinlessness (1Pet 4:1-2); John demanded sinlessness (1John 1:9-10; 1 John 3:7-10); Jude demanded sinlessness (Jude 24). God has provided grace for living free from sin (Titus 2:11-12). God has given all Christian a new divine nature, enabling them to live free from sin (2Pet 1:4); God has granted us deliverance unto holliness "all the days of our life" (Luke 1:74-75).

Outward Holiness

The Church of God unapolagetically upholds the Bible requirements for outward holiness (1Pet 1:15). These include: Modest clothing (1Tim 2:9), which is defined as covering the knee in all normal body postures (Exo 20:26; Exo 28:42-43). Christians are not to use ornaments of gold, silver, and jewels for personal adornment (1Tim 2:9-10; 1Pet 3:1-6). The Bible demands a distinction of the sexes in clothing, forbidding such style as slacks and pant suits for women (Deut 22:5). Christian men are to wear their hair short and Christian women are to wear their's long (1Cor 11:14-15). Outward holiness includes impeccable honesty (Pro 11:1; Rom 12:7), civil obedience (Rom 13:1-7), subjection to parental authority (Eph 6:1) and submission to the spiritual authority (Hebrews 13:17) Holiness is first God-ward, and then man-ward (Acts 24:16). >

Divine Physical Healing

The Church of God believes and practices the Bible doctrine of divine physical healing. The gift of healing is placed in the Church of God by the Holy Spirit (1Cor 12:18,28) and is a permanent endowment (Mark 16:18). The healing of our bodies is a part of the atonement (Isa 53:5; 1Pet 2:24), and may be obtained in several ways: by praying for oneself (James 5:13), but more frequently by the united prayers of God-called ministers (Mark 16:18; Acts 28:8; James 5:14-15). In case of the impossibility of contacting Bible-believing elders for the laying on hands for healing, hankerchiefs and cloths may be anointed and sent to the afflicted one, in Biblical tradition (Acts 28:12). Healing is a privillege of the children of God, but is not a commandment, and rest entirely on one's degree of faith (Rom 14:22). The Bible does not forbid the use of medicine or the consulting of doctors where one's faith is weak. Neither, however, does the Bible encourage the use of such. Divine healing is not the combined use of medicine and the prayers of the saints. It is the divine intervention by God.

The Ordinances

The Church of God practices the three ordinances that the Bible binds on all Christians. These are: water baptism in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost (Matt 28:19). Water baptism is to be administerd by immersion only (Mark 1:10; Acts 8:38-39). Feet washing is commanded to be practiced literally (John 13:14-17). This is not a Jewish custom, for the Jews washed their own feet, or had a servant to do so (Gen 18:4; 1Sam 25:41; 2Sam 11:8). The early church practiced it among themselves (1Tim 5:10). The communion supper is also commanded in the Word of God (Matt 26:26-29); Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:19-20) as memorial feast (Luke 22:19; 1Cor 11:26).

Physical Death

The Church of God holds the view set forth in the Bible concerning physical death. That is: Physical death is not penalty for sin, for all have sinned (Rom 3:23), but Enoch did not taste death (Heb 11:5). At the moment of physical death, the body begins its decay and the spirit returns to God for proper distribution (Ecc 12:7), either to a place of blissful rest called Paradise (Luke 23:43) or to a place of torment (Luke 16:23-24).

The Second Coming of Jesus Christ

The Church of God believes the Bible teaching concerning the second, personal coming of Jesus Christ (Acts 1:11) which is neither post-millenial nor pre-millenial. At his coming all the dead shall be resurrected at the same hour, both the righteous and the wicked (Daniel 12:2; John 5:28-29; Acts 24:15). Then those still living shall receive immortal bodies (1Cor 15:51: 1Thess 4:17) and their reward in heaven or their punishment in eternal hell-fire (matt 25:31-46). The earth and all temporal elements shall be annihilated (2Pet 3:10-12), Satan shall be punished in eternal fire (Rev 20:10), and we shall be with the Lord forever (1Thess 4:17).

The Church

The Church of God is the present day representation of the church as portrayed in the New Testament. The church was built by Jesus Christ, not a reformer nor group of reformers (Matt 16:18). One becomes a member of the church by virtue of salvation (Acts 2:47), not by any act of joining (Acts 5:13). The church is very visible organism (John 17:21). The church of the New Testament is called the "Church of God" (Acts 20:28), 1Cor 1:2; Gal 1:13; 1Tim 3:5). The church of God acknowledges no head other than Jesus Christ (Eph 4:14; Col 1:18; Col 2:19). Consequently, there can be no earthly headquarters or "general offices." Each congregation is a local representation of the universal church of God, which includes all saints in heaven and on earth (Eph 3:14; Heb 12:22-23).

Christian Unity

The Church of God is the answer to our Lord's prayer in John 17:20-21, "that they all may be one," being neither a denomination nor a movement founded by men, and including all the redeemed, excluding all sinners. The Church of God promotes the spiritual, visible, organic unity of all true believers. This is accomplished as we each one depart from humanly-organized denominations, all sectish groups that own a human headquarters or subscribe to a humanly constructed creed or Manual of Discipline, or that join believers into religious fellowship with unbelievers (2Cor 6:14-18)