Sample Questions

EFCA Ordination Council

(based on the guidelines for the ordination paper)

Article 1: God
1. What does it mean that God is the Creator? Why is this important?
2. How do you interpret Genesis 1?
3. How does your interpretation of Genesis 1 relate to your view of Scripture?
4. Describe the essential attributes of God. Why is it necessary, or important, to have a working
understanding of the nature and attributes of God?
5. What does it mean that God is holy? What are the implications of his holiness?
6. Describe the doctrine of the Trinity. How do you teach this doctrine from Scripture?
7. What is the importance of the truth that God, as “three equally divine Persons,” eternally exists “in a
loving unity?”
8. Describe one contemporary denial of the doctrine of the Trinity. Why is it heretical?
9. What does it mean that God has “limitless knowledge and sovereign power”? Why is this significant in
contemporary debates about God?
10. What is the significance of God graciously purposing from eternity to redeem a people for Himself? .
11. How does redemption relate to the creation? What impact does your view have for our present
stewardship of the earth’s resources?

Article 2: The Bible

1. Explain your understanding of the development of the canon of Scripture.
2. What are the canonical issues involved with Mark 16:9-20? John 7:53-8:11?
3. Describe one modern day canonical dispute. How would you respond to it?
4. How do you understand the process of inspiration and its result? What implications does this doctrine
have on your life and ministry?
5. What do the words “verbally inspired” mean?
6. What is “inerrancy,” and why is it important? What does it mean that this concept is applied to “the
original writings”? How do inerrancy and infallibility relate?
7. Are modern translations of the Bible inerrant? How are they reliable?
8. What is the difference between general and special revelation?
9. How helpful is general revelation when it comes to knowing God, viz. is it salvific?
10. What does the clarity of Scripture mean and what are its implications?
11. What does it mean, both doctrinally and practically, that the Scriptures are sufficient?
12. In relation to how and what we know, why is it important to state that the Scripture, God’s Word, is “the
ultimate authority by which every realm of human knowledge and endeavor should be judged?”
13. Regarding the truth of God’s Word, what is to be your response? What is the implication for your life
and ministry?

Article 3: The Human Condition

1. What does it mean that Adam and Eve were created in the image of God? What are the implications of
this doctrine for us today?
2. How do you understand the fall of humanity and its effects?
3. What does the fall teach us about the nature of sin?
4. Who is Satan, and what role does he play in the fall of Adam and Eve? What is he working to
accomplish today?

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5. How do you understand “union with Adam?” What does it mean that we “are sinners by nature and by
choice”? Briefly explain these concepts from Romans 5:12-21.
6. What does it mean that we are alienated from God?
7. What does the wrath of God mean and what is its significance?
8. From what are we rescued? To whom are we reconciled? How are we renewed?
9. Why is it important to state exclusively that this work is accomplished only through God’s saving work
in Jesus Christ?

Article 4: Jesus Christ

1. What is the significance of the incarnation? Why was it necessary for our salvation?
2. Explain your understanding of the Hypostatic Union of Jesus Christ. How do you understand Phil 2:7?
3. What were some of the Christological heresies as the early church attempted to understand and explain
the hypostatic union?
4. Why is it important that Jesus be known as “Israel’s promised Messiah?” What is its importance for our
understanding of Jesus? What about our understanding of the Bible?
5. What is the virgin birth, why is it essential, and what is its significance for our understanding of
christology and soteriology?
6. What is the significance of Jesus’ perfect obedience (both active and passive) for our salvation?
7. Could Jesus have sinned? How do you understand the temptations?
8. Why did Jesus die?
9. What is the importance of Jesus’ resurrection?
10. How do you understand the nature of Jesus’ resurrection body?
11. What is the significance of the ascension and session of Jesus Christ?
12. What is the significance of Jesus’ ministry as High Priest and Advocate and how does this affect your
life and ministry?

Article 5: The Work of Christ

1. What is it about Jesus’ person and work that accomplishes our salvation?
2. What does it mean that Jesus is “our representative and substitute?”
3. Why was Jesus’ shed blood necessary for our salvation?
4. Why is the centrality of the cross essential?
5. What is the significance of Christ’s sacrificial death being “perfect” and “all-sufficient?”
6. What is the value and necessity of His death?
7. How does the fact that this is the only way in which our sin is addressed compare with those embracing
a wider hope of salvation beyond Christ and His work?
8. What is atonement? Define propitiation and expiation, and explain the difference.
9. Define redemption (cf. article 1). What does it mean to be reconciled to God and what is its
significance?
10. What is your understanding of 2 Corinthians 5:21? Explain your view of “imputation.”
11. Why is Jesus’ resurrection considered as an element of our salvation?
12. What is the significance that Jesus’ resurrection is “victorious?”
13. Who and what did Jesus overcome?
14. What does it mean that Jesus’ work is the “only ground for salvation?”
15. What does “salvation” mean biblically? Explain your understanding of it.

Article 6: The Holy Spirit

1. Who is the Holy Spirit?
2. How is the ministry of the Holy Spirit similar and dissimilar between the old and new covenants?

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3. Why did the Holy Spirit come, viz. why did Jesus send “another?” What does it mean that the Holy
Spirit “glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ?”
4. Why is the ministry of the Holy Spirit essential in the “world?” What is the guilt of which He convicts?
5. What is “regeneration?” Where in the order of salvation does regeneration occur?
6. How do you understand the teaching about the baptism of the Holy Spirit from 1 Cor 12:13? Regarding
the Holy Spirit’s ministry, what are the differences between baptism, indwelling, filling and walking?
7. What does it mean that you are in “union with Christ?”
8. What is the meaning and significance of “adoption?”
9. What are biblical evidences of the work of the Holy Spirit?
10. What role do the gifts of the Spirit play in the body of Christ? Is that role different today than during
apostolic times?
11. How are the gifts of the Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit similar? How are they different? How do they
function in your life?

Article 7: The Church

1. How do you understand “justification” (cf. Romans 3:21-26)?
2. Define “grace” and “faith” and explain how grace and faith in Christ are related to justification.
3. What is the significance of the emphasis on “alone?”
4. How are the scriptural metaphors of “the body of Christ,” “the bride of Christ,” and “the Head of the
Church” to be understood?
5. What is the relationship between the “true church” and the “local church?”
6. What does it mean to be a “believers’ church?” Why is membership important for a local church? What
responsibilities do members have in a local church?
7. Address the various types of church government. What is the biblical defense of congregationalism?
8. Within congregationalism, how should the Pastor(s), Church Board (Elders and Deacons), and
Congregation function together for effective church ministry?
9. What is your understanding of the statement that the “EFCA shall be an association and fellowship of
autonomous but interdependent congregations of like faith and congregational government?” What does
“autonomous but interdependent” mean? Why is denominational affiliation important for you and the
congregation?
10. What is the meaning and purpose of baptism? What are the various modes of baptism?
11. What is the meaning and purpose of the Lord’s Supper? What are the various ways this is understood?
12. How do baptism and the Lord’s Supper relate to one another, i.e. is there a biblical order? How do they
“confirm and nourish the believer?”

Article 8: Christian Living

1. How do you understand the doctrine of sanctification? How is it related to justification?
2. What is the purpose and function of “works” in the life of the believer?
3. What is the relationship between a believer’s sanctification and assurance?
4. Why is love for God preeminent and why is this at the heart of understanding the Ten Commandments
and is considered the first and greatest commandment of the whole of the Christian life? How does this
relate to other gods and idolatry?
5. How does our preeminent love for God (and God’s prior love of us) serve as the basis for our love for
others? Is there an importance to this order?
6. Why is it important to distinguish between “the faith” understood as a body of truth and “faith”
understood as the way in which one lives, viz. having been justified by faith, we live by faith?
7. Living out our faith begins with “the household of faith,” which is evidenced in “care for one another.”
Why is this important?
8. What is the biblical teaching of “the poor” and “the oppressed?”
9. How do you understand the local church’s responsibility and role in the world, particularly ministering
with compassion and justice?
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10. What is spiritual warfare? How should we combat the spiritual forces of evil?
11. What is the importance of the command to “make disciples” and what are the God-ordained means of
doing that?
12. The scope of this ministry is “all people.” Support this biblically and explain the importance and
practical outworking of this in the local church.
13. Why is it important to distinguish between the gospel and the entailments of the gospel? How does the
gospel relate to deeds of mercy and compassion? What are the implications of equating them (e.g. the
social gospel), and what are the implications of creating an absolute disjunction between them?
14. We are always to bear witness to the gospel in both proclamation (“in word”) and in life (“in deed”)?
Give examples of how we can witness to the gospel “in…deed.”

Article 9: Christ's Return

1. Briefly describe your position on the second coming of Jesus Christ. Include your views on the
tribulation, the rapture of the church, and the millennium.
2. How is your view different from other positions on the millennium? Please define the other positions.
3. Why is it essential to state explicitly that Christ’s return is “personal” and “bodily?”
4. What is your understanding of the relationship between Israel and the Church as it pertains to
eschatology? Comment on Rom 11:25-27.
5. How do you understand Jesus’ teaching of the kingdom and how does the kingdom relate to
eschatology?
6. Why is it important to include a statement of humility regarding the exact time of Christ’s return, viz.
“at a time known only to God?”
7. How do you understand biblically “constant expectancy,” and what does it mean to live this way? What
is the importance of the word “demands?”
8. How do you define and understand the “blessed hope?” How does the biblical teaching of the Lord
Jesus Christ’s return bring you hope?
9. How does Christ’s return motivate you “to godly living, sacrificial service and energetic mission?”

Article 10: Response and Eternal Destiny

1. What is the gospel? Is the gospel a universal message?
2. What does it mean to “believe the gospel,” viz. what is the importance of belief?
3. Define “repentance.” What is the role of repentance in conversion?
4. What does it mean to “receive the Lord Jesus Christ?”
5. What is the importance of the universal command to believe, the exclusivity of believing the gospel of
the Lord Jesus Christ and the eternal consequences grounded in ones response to Jesus?
6. What is the importance of the “bodily” resurrection of the dead (note Jesus’ bodily resurrection and
bodily return), and what does this teach us about humanity?
7. What is your understanding of the Judgment Seat of Christ and the Great White Throne Judgment of
Revelation 20?
8. Will believers face future judgment? Explain the meaning of 2 Corinthians 5:10, cf. 1 Corinthians 3:12-
15.
9. What is the destiny of unbelievers? What is the destiny of the unevangelized? What does it mean that
unbelievers are condemned?
10. What is the nature of Hell, and does “eternal conscious punishment” mean?
11. What happens to a believer who dies before the return of Christ?
12. How do you describe “heaven” and “life after death?”
13. What is the relationship of the “new heaven and new earth” to the millennial Kingdom of Christ?
14. Why is it fitting to conclude a doctrinal Statement of Faith with a worshipful (doxological) note?