The term Reformed theology is used in different ways by different people. Some use it narrowly to refer to the doctrines of grace, while others use it more broadly to describe an entire theological system. Because the term can mean different things, we want to be clear about the ways Cape Cod Bible Church gladly shares convictions commonly associated with Reformed theology, as well as the places where our understanding of Scripture leads us to differ.

At CCBC, agreement with every position outlined below is not required for church membership. We do, however, ask members to pursue unity in the body by not promoting doctrines contrary to what the church teaches. What follows is only a brief overview. For a fuller explanation of our doctrinal convictions, please see our “What We Teach” page.

1 - We affirm the five Solas of the Reformation.

We gladly confess that salvation is according to Scripture alone, by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, to the glory of God alone.

2 - We affirm the doctrines of grace.

We believe the Bible teaches the truths often summarized by the acronym TULIP, as seen in passages such as Romans 8–9, Ephesians 1–2, and John 6–10. These doctrines magnify God’s sovereign grace in salvation and humble us before His mercy.

3 - We differ from some forms of covenant theology.

While we share many important convictions with Reformed believers, we do not embrace every feature of covenant theology. In particular, our understanding of Scripture leads us to the following convictions:

A - We believe the Bible should be interpreted according to its literal, historical, and grammatical meaning.

We seek to understand each passage in its original context, paying careful attention to grammar, historical setting,

literary form, and the progress of God’s revelation. We value seeing Christ and redemption across Scripture, but we do not

believe that framework should override the literal, grammatical, historical meaning of particular texts. For that reason, we

differ from approaches that allow a redemptive-historical framework to reinterpret the plain meaning of specific

passages.

B - We believe Scripture maintains a distinction between Israel and the church.

We understand the promises, blessings, and judgments given to Israel in the Old Testament as being given to a particular

people in a particular historical setting. We also believe the New Testament’s references to Israel are best understood as

referring to ethnic Israel unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

C - We believe baptism is for those who have personally professed faith in Christ.

We practice believer’s baptism by immersion, understanding baptism to be a public act of obedience for those who have

repented of sin and trusted in Christ. We see this pattern in passages such as Matthew 28:18–20, Acts 8:12, and Acts 18:8.

D - We believe Christ inaugurated the kingdom of God in His first coming and will visibly reign on the earth in the

millennial kingdom when He returns.

We rejoice that Christ is reigning now, and we also believe Scripture teaches that He will return bodily and rule on the

earth in fulfillment of God’s promises.

E - We appreciate historic confessions while recognizing Scripture alone as our final authority.

CCBC has substantial agreement with documents such as the Westminster Confession of Faith and the 1689 London

Baptist Confession. These confessions are valuable witnesses to biblical truth, but they do not govern the church. Scripture

alone is the final authority for our faith and practice.

In summary, we are grateful for the many essential doctrines of Christianity that have been clearly taught and defended within the Reformed tradition. At the same time, we believe Scripture alone must determine the content of our faith, the shape of our theology, and the practice of the church.