A.—SCRIPTURE

The Kuyper Foundation recognises the divine inspiration and infallibility of the Old and New Testaments as originally given in the Hebrew and Greek, and their supreme authority in all matters with which they deal. However, we recognise that Scripture itself makes use of a wide variety of literary forms, idioms and expressions, e.g. poetry, proverb, allegory, parable, apocalyptic symbolism, hyperbole, historical narrative etc., and that our understanding of Scripture must take account of and give full weight to the literary forms and context in which it is written. Only when Scripture is understood as speaking in its own idiom and context can it be said to have final authority.

B.—DOCTRINAL BASIS OF BELIEF

(as set forth in the second schedule of the Trust Deeds)

(1) The divine inspiration and infallibility of Holy Scripture (the Bible) as originally given, and its supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct. (2) The unity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in the Godhead. (3) The universal sinfulness and guilt of human nature since the Fall, rendering men subject to God’s wrath and condemnation. (4) Redemption from the guilt, penalty, and power of sin only through the sacrificial death (as our Substitute and Representative) of Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God. (5) The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. (6) The necessity of the work of the Holy Spirit to make the death of Christ effective to the individual sinner, granting him repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ. (7) The indwelling and work of the Holy Spirit in the believer. (8) The expectation of the personal return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

C.—ECUMENICAL CREEDS AND REFORMED CONFESSIONS

In addition to the above Doctrinal Basis of Belief the Kuyper Foundation recognises, but does not necessarily endorse every article in, the ecumenical creeds and Reformed confessions of the Christian Church: i.e. the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed, the Athanasian Creed, the first four ecumenical Church councils (Nicaea, Constantinople, Ephesus I, Chalcedon), the Belgic Confession, the Heidelberg Catechism, the Canons of the Synod of Dort, the Thirty-Nine Articles of the Church of England, the Westminster Confession of Faith, and the Savoy Declaration.