Giving Bible readers what God said not what translators think God meant
UASV & CPH Statement of Faith
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Christian Publishing House and the Updated American Standard Version (UASV) hold to the historical, conservative Christian faith, which includes a firm belief in the inerrancy of Scripture.
Apostolic Christians
“Apostolic” refers to the apostles, the earliest followers of Christ Jesus who were sent out to spread the Christian faith. The Greek term (Χριστιανούς Christianous/Χριστιανός Christianos) transliterated as Christians/Christian is found only three times in the Greek New Testament, represents followers of Christ Jesus, who grew the Christian faith in the first century.—Ac 11:26; 26:28; 1Pe 4:16.
What Does It Mean to Be a Christian? The word “Christian” should logically refer to a way of life that mirrors the attitudes, values, and conduct that comes from Christ’s sermons and that he exemplified in his life. Jesus said to his followers: “You are my friends if you do what I command you.” (John 15:14) Jesus’ teachings impacted all facets of their lives. Christ’s disciples, in the beginning, were called “the Way.” (Acts 9:2) Shortly after that, “in Antioch, the disciples were first called Christians.” (Acts 11:26) This name led them to lead a way of life that was vastly different from that of the world of mankind alienated from God that surrounded them. The early Christians followed Bible teachings grounded on Christ’s teachings and the New Testament authors who were inspired by God (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet 1:21), which meant having no part in “sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these.”—Galatians 5:19-21.
Ephesians 4:17-24 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)
The Old and the New Person
17 This, therefore, I say and bear witness to in the Lord, that you no longer walk as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 being darkened in their understanding,[1] alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; 19 who being past feeling gave themselves up to shameless conduct,[2] for the practice of every uncleanness with greediness. 20 But you did not learn Christ in this way, 21 if indeed you have heard him and have been taught in him, just as truth is in Jesus, 22 that you take off, according to your former way of life, the old man, who is being destroyed according to deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and put on the new man,[3] the one created according to the likeness of God in righteousness and loyalty of the truth.
[1]Thought(s), Intention, Purpose: (διάνοια dianoia) This refers to the mind, the place of reason, understanding thinking (Eph. 4:18), a mental disposition, a way of thinking, a manner of thought (Col. 1:21). It also can refer to the thought(s), that is, the content of what one is thinking. (Lu 1:51) It can also refer to preparing one’s mind for action (mental perception). – 1 Pet. 1:13.
[2]Shameless Conduct, Sensuality, Debauchery, Promiscuity, Licentiousness, Lewdness: (ἀσέλγεια aselgeia) This is one who indulges in sensual pleasure without any regard for morality. This behavior is completely lacking in moral restraint, indulgence in sensual pleasure, driven by aggressive and selfish desires, unchecked by morality, especially in sexual matters. This refers to acts of conduct that are serious sins. It reveals a shameless, condescending arrogance, i.e., disregard or even disdain for authority, laws, and standards. – Mark 7:22; Rom. 13:13; 2 Cor. 12:21; Gal. 5:19; Eph. 4:19; 1 Pet. 4:3; 2 Pet. 2:2, 7, 18; Jude 4.
[3] An interpretive translation would have, “put on the new person,” because it does mean male or female.
First-century Christians were zealous in proclaiming God’s Word and making disciples. (Matt. 24:14; 28:19-20; Acts 1:8) The early Christians were morally clean and law-abiding. They desired to be good citizens and loyal subjects of the Roman Empire, as long as they were not asked to violate God’s Word. They look down on the deterioration and vices of paganism. In their private lives, they aspired to be peaceful neighbors and faithful friends. They did not abuse alcoholic beverages, they were hardworking and clean-living. They were surrounded by persisting corruption and promiscuous and unprincipled pagans in sexual immorality. They were loyal to their principles found in God’s Word, honest, and truthful. Their sexual morals were pure: the marriage binds were respected, and family life was unadulterated. Such were the characteristics and qualities of being a Christian in the first century.
EDWARD D. ANDREWS (AS in Criminal Justice, BS in Religion, MA in Biblical Studies, and MDiv in Theology) is CEO and President of Christian Publishing House. He has authored 170+ books. Andrews is the Chief Translator of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV).
Writing a statement of faith not only confirms the UASV/CPH’s belief system, but it helps readers to stay on the same page when sharing what we believe. We have added the basics here and will be adding to it and clarifying over time, as well as link articles that fully explain.
DOCTRINAL VIEWS
UASV/CPH God: Personal Creator and Lord of the universe, the Redeemer of His people, the ultimate author and principal subject of Scripture, and the object of the church’s confession, worship, and service. UASV/CPH believes in only one God who reveals himself as God the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. UASV/CPH believes in a single God who is both three and one; the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, “one in essence and undivided.” The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are three “unconfused” and distinct divine persons (hypostases) who share one divine essence (ousia); uncreated, immaterial, and eternal.
The NT does not present a systematic presentation of the Trinity. The scattered segments from various writers that appear throughout the NT reflect a seemingly accepted understanding that exists without a full-length discussion. It is embedded in the framework of the Christian experience and simply assumed as true. The NT writers focus on statements drawn from the obvious existence of the Trinitarian experience as opposed to a detailed exposition.
The NT evidence for the Trinity can be grouped into four types of passages. The first is the trinitarian formula of Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:13/14; 1 Pet. 1:2; Rev. 1:4–6. In each passage a trinitarian formula, repeated in summation fashion, registers a distinctive contribution of each person of the Godhead. Matthew 28:19, for example, follows the triple formula of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit that distinguishes Christian baptism. The risen Lord commissioned the disciples to baptize converts with a Trinitarian emphasis that carries the distinctiveness of each person of the Godhead while associating their inner relationship. This passage is the clearest scriptural reference to a systematic presentation of the doctrine of the Trinity. A translator and textual scholar must be (1) honest in all his work, (2) follow the truth regardless, (3) and obey God, not man.
UASV/CPH believes that each church should be autonomous, but at the same time, there needs to be a structure to carry out the great commission. (Matthew 24:14; 28:19-20; Acts 1:8)
UASV/CPH does not follow and man, such as Calvin, Arminius, Wesley, Luther, or any other. We follow Christ and God’s Word.
UASV/CPH believes that the Lord’s Supper memorializes the death of Christ.
UASV/CPH believes that humanity is fallen. We are mentally bent toward evil. (Gen. 6:5; 8:21) Our hearts are treacherous, and we cannot fully understand them. (Jer. 17:9) Our natural desire is to do bad. (Rom. 7) The good news is that Christ came to pay the penalty for sin on the cross and is now paid in full. That penalty means God offers forgiveness and new life as a free gift.
UASV/CPH believes that a true born-again Christian’s salvation is a path or a journey that runs from the moment he accepts Christ up unto his death or until Christ brings the last enemy, death, to nothing.
UASV/CPH Family: A group of persons united by the ties of marriage, blood, or adoption, enabling interaction between members of the household in their respective social roles. God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society.
UASV/CPH Baptism: The Christian rite of initiation practiced by almost all who profess to embrace the Christian faith. In the NT era, persons professing Christ were fully immersed in water as a public confession of their faith in Jesus, the Savior. This was accomplished in direct obedience to the explicit mandate of the Lord (Matt. 28:16–20). UASV/CPH rejects infant baptism.
UASV/CPH Homosexuality: Sexual relations between people of the same sex. When discussing homosexuality, the biblical emphasis is on behavior, and the verdict is always that it is sinful.
CPH’s Viewpoint on Death.
UASV/CPH believes in a real heaven, Sheol, and Hades (eternal destruction). Those who have been saved will live eternally, and those who die without being saved will face eternal destruction. If you reject Jesus Christ, you will be off of the path of salvation. If you couple that with apostasy, you can go beyond repentance and lose your salvation.
Sheol: (שְׁאֹל sheol) Sheol occurs sixty-six times in the UASV. The Greek Septuagint renders Sheol as Hades. It is the grave. It has the underlying meaning of a place of the dead, where they are conscious of nothing, awaiting a resurrection, for both the righteous and the unrighteous. (Gen. 37:35; Psa. 16:10; Ac 2:31; John 5:28-29; Acts 24:15) It corresponds to “Hades” in the NT. It does not involve torment and punishment.
Hades: (hades) Hades (ᾅδηςhadēs) is the standard transliteration of the Greek into English, which occurs ten times in the UASV. (Matt. 11:23; 16:18; Lu 10:15; 16:23; Ac 2:27, 31; Rev. 1:18; 6:8; 20:13, 14.) It has the underlying meaning of ‘a place of the dead, where they are conscious of nothing, awaiting a resurrection, for both the righteous and the unrighteous.’ (John 5:28-29; Acts 24:15) It corresponds to “Sheol” in the OT. It does not involve torment and punishment. Adam was told, “in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die.” (Gen. 2:17) The Bible says, “the soul that sins will die.” (Eze 18:4, 20) The apostle Paul says, “the wages of sin is death.” (Rom. 6:23) Paul also said, “those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These ones will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, from before the Lord.” – 2 Thessalonian 1:8-9.
Gehenna: (γέεννα geenna) occurs 12 times and is the Greek name for the Valley of Hinnom, southwest of Jerusalem (Jer. 7:31), where the horrendous worship of Moloch took place, and it was prophetically said that where dead bodies would be thrown. (Jer. 7:32; 19:6) It was an incinerator where trash and dead bodies were destroyed, not a place to be burned alive or tormented. Jesus and his disciples used Gehenna to symbolize eternal destruction, annihilation, or the “second death,” an eternal punishment of death.
UASV/CPH’sviewpoint on hellfire. What did Jesus teach about hell? Is hellfire a part of divine justice? Is hellfire just? Is hellfire just? Hell is the English rendering of Sheol, Hades, and Gehenna. Sheol and Hades refer to the grave, and Gehenna is used figuratively for destruction, as it was an incinerator.
Genesis 2:17 Updated American Standard Version 17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die.”
What is the punishment for sin here? What is the punishment for rebellion here? Was there some footnote that added eternal torment? Why would God hold back eternal torment from Adam? Was it just/right to not inform Adam of eternal torment? Was the serpent [Satan] right, saying God was withholding knowledge from Adam and Eve? Or, maybe … it was exactly as God said. “you eat from it you shall surely
UASV/CPH believes that there are currently 41,000+ denominations that claim to be Christian, and most are false. Members come into the church personally, individually, and freely. No one is “born into the church.” Only those who have a personal faith in Christ comprise the true church in the eyes of God, and only those should be counted as members of the church.
THE RAPTURE
The word “rapture” occurs nowhere in the Bible. But those who believe in the resurrection of believers to heaven at the Second Coming of Christ cite the apostle Paul’s words at 1 Thessalonians 4:17 to support their belief. The Bible shows that before the start of the millennium (thousand-year reign of Christ), there will be a period called the “great tribulation.” Jesus said, “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.” (Matthew 24:21; Revelation 20:6) The rapture ahead of the great tribulation.
The Rapture takes place just before the millennium (thousand-year reign of Christ), where Christ will begin the resurrection of those asleep in death. Christ’s resurrection of these holy ones from death will occur at the start of the great tribulation and continue as other holy ones died throughout up until just before the start of Armageddon. Some within the church in Thessalonica had died. So, we find the apostle Paul comforting and encouraging the living members with the resurrection hope. He wrote, “But we do not want you to be ignorant,[1] brothers, about those who are sleeping in death,[2] so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.” (1 Thess.4:13) He then reminds them, “Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those fallen asleep in death through[3] Jesus.” (1 Thess.4:14) Paul then informs them, “For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.” (1 Thess.4:15) In other words, at the start of the great tribulation, Christ will resurrect those who have been asleep in death first. He explains this in 1 Thess.4:16, “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.” Thus, those faithful Christians among the Thessalonians and all up unto just before the great tribulation who have died would be resurrected first to be with Christ. Following this, just before Armageddon, “Then we who are alive, who remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.” (1 Thess.4:17) Who are the ones “who are alive”? Those “who are alive” would be those alive during the great tribulation. They are to be “caught away” “to meet the Lord.”
“Caught away,” how? Who are these ones “caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord”? These are the holy ones with a heavenly hope who are alive just before Armageddon. If we look at Romans 6:3-5 and 1 Corinthians 15:35, 36, 44, these holy ones must die before they can be resurrected to heaven. However, unlike the Thessalonians and many other Christians who had been asleep in death for 2,000 years or less, these holy ones do not need to remain dead awaiting the second coming of Christ. Paul says of such ones, “Look, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep in death,[4] but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye …” – 1 Cor. 15:51-52; See Revelation 14:13.
Therefore, the term “rapture” should not be used here because it sends the wrong message as to what the Bible says. Yes, those who are alive at the time who will be serving with Christ as kings, priests, and judges, ruling over the earth for a thousand years (Rev. 5:9-10), will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. – 1 Thessalonians 4:7
Evangelical Dictionary of Theology says,
New Heavens and New Earth. The biblical doctrine of the created universe includes the certainty of its final redemption from the domination of sin. The finally redeemed universe is called “the new heavens and new earth.”
In the OT the kingdom of God is usually described in terms of a redeemed earth; this is especially clear in the book of Isaiah, where the final state of the universe is already called new heavens and a new earth (65:17; 66:22). The nature of this renewal was perceived only very dimly by the OT authors, but they did express the belief that a human’s ultimate destiny is an earthly one. This vision is clarified in the NT. Jesus speaks of the “renewal” of the world (Matt. 19:28), Peter of the restoration of all things (Acts 3:21). Paul writes that the universe will be redeemed by God from its current state of bondage (Rom. 8:18–21). This is confirmed by Peter, who describes the new heavens and the new earth as characterized by righteousness and as the Christian’s hope (2 Pet. 3:13). Finally, the book of Revelation includes a glorious vision of the end of the present universe and of the creation of a new universe, full of righteousness and of the presence of God. The vision is confirmed by God in the awesome declaration: “I am making everything new!” (Rev. 21:1–8).
The new heavens and the new earth will be the renewed creation that will fulfill the purpose for which God created the universe. It will be characterized by the complete rule of God and by the full realization of the final goal of redemption: “Now the dwelling of God is with men” (Rev. 21:3).
The fact that the universe will be created anew shows that God’s goal for humans is not an ethereal and disembodied existence, but a bodily existence on a perfected earth. The scene of the beatific vision is the new earth. The spiritual does not exclude the created order and will be fully realized only within a perfected creation.[5]
God created the earth to be inhabited, to be filled with perfect humans, who are over the animals, and under the sovereignty of God. (Gen 1:28; 2:8, 15; Ps 104:5; 115:16; Eccl 1:4) Sin did not dissuade God from his plans (Isa. 45:18); hence, he has saved redeemable humankind by Jesus’ ransom sacrifice. It seems that the Bible offers two hopes to humans who have been redeemed, (1)a heavenly hope or (2)an earthly hope. It also seems that those with the heavenly hope are limited in number and are going to heaven to rule with Christ as kings, priests, and judges either on the earth or over the earth from heaven. The latter, over the earth, fits better with the context and the Greek. It seems that those with the earthly hope are going to receive eternal life here on a paradise earth as it was originally intended.
For almost all faithful Christians, what is the true resurrection hope? It is not a rapture. Instead, they have an earthly hope of eternal life on earth under Jesus Christ as king of God’s Kingdom.
[2] Lit (κοιμωμένων koimōmenōn) ones sleeping, i.e., falls asleep in death
[3]Presence; Coming: (παρουσία parousia) The Greek word which is rendered as “presence” is derived from para, meaning “with,” and ousia, meaning “being.” It denotes both an “arrival” and a consequent “presence with.” Depending on the context, it can mean “presence,” “arrival,” “appearance,” or “coming.” In some contexts, this word is describing the presence of Jesus Christ in the last days, i.e., from his ascension in 33 C.E. up unto his second coming, with the emphasis being on his second coming, the end of the age of Satan’s reign of terror over the earth. We do not know the day nor the hours of this second coming. (Matt 24:36) It covers a marked period of time with the focus on the end of that period. – Matt. 24:3, 27, 37, 39; 1 Cor. 15:23; 16:17; 2 Cor. 7:6-7; 10:10; Php 1:26; 2:12; 1 Thess. 2:19; 3:13; 4:15; 5:2.
[4] lit (koimēthēsometha) sleep, i.e., sleep in death
[5] Walter A. Elwell, Evangelical Dictionary of Theology: Second Edition (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2001), 828–829.
UASV/CPH affirms, wholeheartedly agrees, and accepts Scripture’s full or absolute inerrancy in the original languages.
UASV/CPH further affirms, wholeheartedly agrees, and accepts that literal translation of Scripture is the Word of God to the extent that they faithfully represent the original.
UASV/CPH affirms, wholeheartedly agrees, and accepts that the Bible in the original languages is infallible, authoritative, authentic, accurate, and true,
UASV/CPH affirms grammatico-historical interpretation (i.e., plain-normal interpretation/“when the plain sense of Scripture makes common sense, seek no other sense”) as the position of the Protestant Church since the Reformation. The meaning of a text is what the author meant by the words he used.
UASV/CPH rejects historical-critical interpretation developed in the rise of the Enlightenment that seeks to dismiss or denigrate the plain, normal meaning of Scripture or apply a meaning foreign or contrary to the literal sense (allowing for figures of speech).
UASV/CPH affirms, wholeheartedly agrees, and accepts that the critical text of Westcott and Hort of 1881, the Nestle-Aland, and the United Bible Society (WH NU) is the preferred and trusted text in Bible translation.
UASV/CPH fully rejects the Textus Receptus (TR), i.e., the Received Text, as corrupt and untrustworthy.
