Doctrinal Classes
To provide our members an in-depth study of our church doctrine and a solid foundation from which to grow in the knowledge of our Saviour Jesus Christ, Providence offers a series of classes, one of which is taught each term. Members are encouraged to complete this series as the Lord leads them.
Doctrinal Classes
- The Majesty of God (currently being offered)
- The Supremacy of Christ
- The Ministry of the Holy Spirit
- Church History: From Christ to Today
The Majesty of God (currently being offered)
We will be following J. I. Packer’s Knowing God. This book takes an in depth look at who God is and how we should respond to God’s character. We will be studying the attributes or characteristics of God so that we may fully know and understand Him in context of our finite capacity to understand the infinite God.
Book:Knowing God
Outline:Knowing God
Handout:Attributes of God
The Supremacy of Christ
This is the second of four doctrinal courses. This study on the Supremacy of Christ focuses on treasuring Christ in our lives. Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and His supremacy in all things will be discussed. This class considers the person of Christ (including his coming in the flesh); the deity of Christ (“who is God overall”); Christ as creator and sustainer of all creation; Christ's sacrifice for our sins and His justification, sanctification, and glorification of Christians; the offices of Christ (Prophet, Priest, and King); Christ as head of the Church; his resurrection, ascension, and second coming. The theme for the study is 1 Timothy 1:17.
The second quarter of this 2-quarter class will focus on Christ's characteristics as described in John Piper's book "Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ".
For Outline, click here.
Book Used:Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ
Ministry of the Holy Spirit
The Ministry of the Holy Spirit is a study of the work of the Holy Spirit in the Christian life. Our book for this class is “I Believe in the Holy Spirit” by Michael Green. Michael Green does an excellent job of covering the various aspects of the Holy Spirit’s work in the Christian life from a reformed standpoint. He summarizes both Old and New Testament teachings on the Holy Spirit and covers the various aspects including the Trinity, Church, Mission, Baptism, and Spiritual Gifts. We have supplemented this text with R. C. Sproul’s “The Mystery of the Holy Spirit” Chapter 9 on the Fruit of the Spirit. This is an excellent study on Galatians 5:18 – 23 and provides good coverage of the one topic not explicitly addressed by Michael Green. In the area of Spiritual Gift’s Michael Green introduces some Neo-Pentecostal aspects not held by Providence Baptist Church. We do not want to create confusion for those interested in Providence Baptist Church and have documented our beliefs on these vital subjects in this Doctrinal Overview.
For Study Outline, click here.
Book Used:I Believe in the Holy Spirit
Handout:Using Your Spiritual Gifts at Providence
History of the Church
This is the last of our four doctrinal courses. The study on Church History focuses on the doctrines and spread of the Church from Acts 1 - Present. This course focuses on the Early Church, Medieval Church, Reformation, and Modern times. This includes the development of the various denominations present today and their doctrinal basis. This course will last 3 Quarters (9 months).
For Outline, click here.Book Used: The Church in History
Resources:
The Edict of Milan
Scriptural Canon
The Apostle's Creed
The Nicene Creed
The Anthanasian Creed