ARTICLES OF RELIGION  

         THE AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL ZION CHURCH 

I—Of Faith in the Holy Trinity: (Deut. 6:4; Neh. 9:6; Isa. 6:3; Jer. 10:10; Ps 90:2; Eph. 4:6; 1 John 4:13–16; 1 Tim. 1:17)

42. There is but one living and true God, everlasting, without body or parts, of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness; the maker and preserver of all things, visible, and invisible. And in the unity of this Godhead there are three persons, of one substance, power, and eternity—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

II—Of the Word, or Son of God, who was made Very Man: (1 Tim. 2:5; 1 Cor. 8:6; John 1:1–3, 14; John 16:28; Acts 3:26; John 6:69)

43. The Son, who is the Word of the Father, the very and eternal God, of one substance with the Father, took man’s nature in the womb of the blessed Virgin; so that two whole and perfect natures, that is to say, the Godhead and Manhood, were joined together in one person, never to be divided; whereof is one Christ, very God and very Man, who truly suffered, was crucified, dead, and buried, to reconcile his Father to us, and to be a sacrifice, not only for original guilt, but also for actual sins of men.

III—Of the Resurrection of Christ: (Matt. 28:1; 1 Cor. 15:12–28; John 5:19–30)

44. Christ did truly rise again from the dead, and took again His body, with all things appertaining to the perfection of man’s nature, wherewith He ascended into heaven, and there sitteth until He shall return to judge all men at the last day.

 IV—Of the Holy Ghost: (Matt. 28:19; John 16:7, 13; Rom. 8:16; 2 Pet. 1:21; 2 Cor. 3:17)

45. The Holy Ghost, proceeding from the Father and the Son, is of one substance, majesty, and glory with the Father and the Son, very and eternal God.

 V—The Sufficiency of the Holy Scripture for Salvation: (Ps. 19:7; John 5:39; 1 Tim. 3:16; 2 Tim. 3:15; Jas. 1:21)

46. The Holy Scriptures contain all things necessary to salvation: so that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man that it should be believed as an article of faith or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation. In the name of the Holy Scriptures, we do understand those canonical books of the Old and New Testament, of whose authority there never was any doubt in the Church. The names of the canonical books are:

Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, The First Book of Samuel, The Second Book of Samuel, The First Book of Kings, The Second Book of Kings, The First Book of Chronicles, The Second Book of Chronicles, The Book of Ezra, The Book of Nehemiah, The Book of Esther, The Book of Job, The Psalms, The Proverbs, Ecclesiastes of the Preacher, Canticle or Songs of Solomon, Four Prophets the Greater, Twelve Prophets the Less. All the books of the New Testament, as they are commonly received, we do receive and account canonical.