DATE: June 1, 1998

TO: The Biola Community

SUBJECT: Board Action of May 22, 1998

At their May 22, 1998 meeting, Biola’s Board of Trustees passed the following motion:

We as a Board strongly affirm the historical doctrinal statement of Biola University. We issue the following statement of affirmation:

As we celebrate our 90^th year of God’s faithfulness to Biola University, it is especially appropriate that we reaffirm our faithfulness to Him. Since our founding in 1908, Biola has been committed to the teachings of God’s inerrant, holy Word. We affirm the unity and triunity of God, the divine and human natures of our incarnate Lord Jesus Christ, his substitutionary death for our sins, and His sure return in glory. In order to clarify further Biola’s understanding of the doctrinal statement, the Board of Trustees has issued the following statement:

Biola strongly affirms its historical position on the authority of Scripture. As our doctrinal statement says:

The Bible, consisting of all the books of the Old and New Testaments, is the Word of God, a supernaturally given revelation from God Himself, concerning Himself, His being, nature, character, will and purposes; and concerning man, his nature, need and duty and destiny. The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are without error or misstatement in their moral and spiritual teaching and record of historical facts. They are without error or defect of any kind.

Biola holds steadfastly to the Bible as the sole authority in all matters of faith and practice. While certain creeds, councils, and traditions have been helpful in clarifying doctrine, the Bible alone is inspired and, therefore, infallible. All other writings of man—written by individuals or by groups—are liable to err. Holy Scripture alone is the only norm and rule by which all doctrines are to be evaluated and judged.

Biola strongly affirms its historical position on justification by faith alone. As our doctrinal statement says:

Men are justified on the simple and single ground of the shed blood of Christ and upon the simple and single condition of faith in Him who shed the blood, and are born again by the quickening, renewing, cleansing work of the Holy Spirit, through the instrumentality of the Word of God.

Salvation, including justification, comes to all people solely through and only at the time of faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross. Good works done by the grace of God are always the fruits of salvation and are never understood as a qualifying condition for our salvation. However important baptism is understood to be, baptism or any other rite is never needed for salvation. Faith alone saves, faith alone is necessary, faith alone is sufficient.

For 90 years, Biola been true to the fundamentals upon which it was founded and will continue to hold firmly to these positions.