About Us
Table of contents (click on topic to jump to the section below)
Mission of Whitcomb Ministries.
The mission of Whitcomb Ministries is to provide clear teaching of God’s Word, to God’s people, from Genesis to Revelation. The ministry features the clear presentation of both topical and systematic studies from Dr John C. Whitcomb, Norma A Whitcomb and others, providing insights into key issues of our times. (return to top)
We believe the Word of God, the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, to be verbally inspired in all parts, and therefore wholly without error as originally given of God (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Peter 1 :21). This record is final, authoritative, and unchanging! We believe the Bible to be the all-sufficient rule for faith and conduct (apart from integration with any other discipline) through the power of the Holy Spirit to regenerate, sanctify, and equip the believer for life and service (Jn. 17:17; Heb. 4:12; James 1:18-27).
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We believe in the One True God (Deut. 6:4; Isa. 44:6), existing eternally as three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Luke 3:22; Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14). This tri-unity is clearly set forth in the form and formula of Christian baptism (Matt. 28:19-20).
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We believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, in His pre-existence and deity (Jn. 1:1-3), incarnation by virgin birth (Jn. 1:14; Matt. 1:18-23), sinless life (Heb. 4:15), substitutionary death (2 Cor. 5:21), bodily resurrection (Luke 24:36-43), ascension into heaven and present ministry (Heb. 4:14-16), and coming again (Acts 1:11). Further scriptural evidence of His pre-existence as God the Son is found in John 8:58; His deity, Jn. 20:28, 1 Jn. 5:20; and His coming again, Jn. 14:3.
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We believe in the Holy Spirit, in His personality (Jn. 16:7-15); and deity (Acts 5:3-4); and His work in each believer: baptism and indwelling at the moment of regeneration (1 Cor. 12:13; Rom. 8:9); and filling (Eph. 5:18) to empower for Christian life and service (Eph. 3:16; Acts 1:8; Gal. 5:22- 23). We believe that the Holy Spirit provides to each believer one or more spiritual gifts “for serving one another” (1 Peter 4:10); and gifted men to the Church for perfecting (Eph. 4:11-13). However, apostolic sign-gifts and miracles, even in the early Church, were not for all believers (1 Cor. 12:28-30) and ended with the apostolic era (1 Cor. 13:8; 2 Cor. 12:12; Heb. 2:3-4). We also believe that Spirit baptism is a once for all action, at the moment of regeneration (Eph. 4:5; 1 Cor. 12:13).
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We believe in man’s direct creation in the image of God (Gen. 1 :26-28), his subsequent fall into sin resulting in spiritual death (Gen. 3:1-24; Rom. 5:12), and the necessity of the new birth for his salvation (Jn. 3:3-5). We believe in the recent, direct creation of the heavens, the earth, and all their hosts, without pre-existing material, in six literal 24-hour days (Gen. 1:1-2, 25; Exod. 20:11; Jn. 1:3; Col. 1:16; Heb. 11:3). We believe in the sanctity of human life (Gen. 9:6; Ps. 139:13-16) and in the distinct function of men and women in the home and the church (Eph. 5:22-33;1 Tim. 2:8-15).
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We believe in a complete and eternal salvation by God’s grace alone, received as the gift of God through personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished work (Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:5-7; 1 Peter 1:18-19).
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We believe in the one true Church, the body and bride of Christ (Eph. 1:22-23; 5:25-32), composed of all true believers of the present age (1 Cor. 12:12-13); and the organization of its members in local churches for worship, for edification of believers, and for world-wide gospel witness, each local church being autonomous but cooperating in fellowship and work (Eph. 4:11-16). We believe confession of faith and triune immersion to be the two essential scriptural requirements for membership in the local church (Matt. 28:16-20; Acts 2:38). Each local church shall determine its own additional membership requirements (Acts 2:42-47), and the discipline of its own members (1 Cor. 5:3-5). Triune immersion may not be circumvented except for medical reasons of a physical nature.
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We believe the Christian life consists of a life of righteousness, good works, and separation unto God from the evil ways of the world (Rom. 12:1-2), manifested by speaking the truth (James 5:12), maintaining the sanctity of the home (Eph. 5:22-6:4), settling differences between Christians in accordance with the Word of God (1 Cor. 6:1-8), not engaging in carnal strife but showing a Christ-like attitude toward all men (Rom. 12:17-21), exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23), and maintaining a life of prayer (Eph. 6:18; Phil. 4:6), including the privilege, when sick, of calling for the elders of the church to pray and to anoint with oil in the name of the Lord (James 5: 13-18). Not engaging in carnal strife is understood to include not only war but also church and personal relationships. This is to reaffirm the biblical teaching on nonresistance (not to be equated with pacifism) in war and peace (Matt. 5:39-41; Luke 6:27-29; Jn. 18:36).
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We believe the Christian should observe the ordinances of our Lord Jesus Christ, which are (1) baptism of believers by triune immersion (Matt. 28:19) and (2) the threefold communion service, consisting of the washing of the saints’ feet (Jn. 13:1-17), the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor. 11:20, 33-34; Jude 12), and the communion of the bread and the cup (1 Cor. 11:23-26). We believe that only triune immersion and only threefold communion meet the biblical mandates of our Lord Jesus Christ concerning ordinances (Matt. 28:20; Jn. 13:13-17).
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We believe in Satan’s existence and personality as the great adversary of God and His people (Rev. 12:1-10), his judgment (Jn. 12:31), and final doom (Rev. 20:10).
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We believe in the personal, visible, and imminent return of Christ to remove His Church from the earth (1 Thess. 4:16-17) before the tribulation (1 Thess. 1:10; Rev. 3:10), and afterward to descend with the Church to establish His millennial kingdom upon the earth (Rev. 19:11-20:6). We believe the tribulation will be a seven-year period (Dan. 9:24-27) following the rapture of the Church; and we believe the thousand-year kingdom will include the literal fulfillment of God’s covenant promises to ethnic Israel (Jer. 33:14-26; Ezek. 36:25-28; 40-48; Rom. 11:23-32).
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We believe in the conscious existence of the dead (Phil. 1:21-23; Luke 16:19-31), the resurrection of the body (Jn. 5:28-29), the judgment and reward of believers (Rom. 14:10-12; 2 Cor. 5:10), the judgment and condemnation of unbelievers (Rev. 20:11-15), the eternal life of the saved (Jn. 3:16), and the eternal punishment of the lost (Matt. 25:46; Rev. 20:15). We understand eternal punishment to be a conscious state (Rev.14:11).
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Theological Position
Biblical creationism, traditional dispensationalism, premillennial eschatology, pretribulational rapture, presuppositional apologetics, and literal interpretation.
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Whitcomb Ministries is a non-profit organization registered in the state of Indiana. The business elements are overseen by a Board of Directors.
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Dr Whitcomb was born on June 22, 1924, in Washington, DC, to Col. & Mrs John C Whitcomb Sr. His early years (age 3 - 6 years) were spent in China. During high school he attended McCallie School in Chattanooga, TN. He spent one year at Princeton University before being drafted into the United States Army where he served in Europe from 1944 until 1946. After the war he returned to Princeton and earned a degree in history. While at Princeton in February 1943, he came to know the Lord under the guidance of Dr. Donald B Fullerton and the Princeton Evangelical Fellowship. Dr Whitcomb entered Grace Theological Seminary as a student in 1948 where he earned a MDiv in 1951, Th.M in 1953 and ThD in 1957. He joined the faculty at Grace Theological Seminary where he served as Professor of Theology and Old Testament, Director of Postgraduate Studies and other positions from 1951 to 1990.
Dr Whitcomb is internationally known as an author and teacher. He is best known for his role as co-author with Henry Morris, PhD, of The Genesis Flood, published in 1961. The Genesis Flood is considered one of the most influential books of the 20th Century, and marks the beginning of the modern creation movement. In addition to the Genesis Flood, Dr Whitcomb has published a number of books on science and the Bible, commentaries, and other works highlighted on this web site.
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Norma A Whitcomb's Biosketch.
Norma Whitcomb is a homemaker, a dedicated contributor to her husband’s ministry and to Whitcomb Ministries. She was a former elementary and junior high school teacher; and a missionary and Bible College teacher for eleven years in the Philippines. She is a Bible teacher and seminar speaker to ladies in the U. S. and abroad. See A Window for Women for a complete biographical sketch of Mrs Whitcomb, her life story, her books and other material that she is offering to women.
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The books that are featured by Whitcomb Ministries include those written by John Whitcomb and Norma Whitcomb as well as Coming to Grips with Genesis by Terry Mortenson, PhD, and Thane H Ury, PhD.
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Dr Whitcomb has developed a series of Bible study aids in the form of chronological charts. The initial charts were developed to assist students of the Old Testament historical books to synchronize different systems of dating the reign of Hebrew and Gentile kings, prophets and major events. The popularity of these charts, and recognition of the need for chronological clarity on eschatology and dispensations led to an expansion to the current offering of ten charts.
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Position Papers and Monographs
Dr Whitcomb has published numerous short articles and position papers on a variety of topics ranging from creation, to the Genesis flood, to Jewish sacrificial systems, to the second coming of Christ, and others. A variety of papers have been preserved and are available on this web site. In addition, Dr Whitcomb prepares a monthly topical article (Monthly Meditations) which is sent to subscribers by email (see top-right corner)l, and can be downloaded from this web site.
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Over the past 50 years a number of Dr Whitcomb’s sermons and lectures have been recorded. Whitcomb Ministries features topical lecture series on CD or DVD (link). Individual messages are also available through SermonAudio (link). Dr Whitcomb can be heard on the radio (Encounter God’s Truth - debut on SermonAudio.com/Whitcomb)
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Christian Workman Studies in Theology
Among the most important legacies of Dr Whitcomb are the thousands of students that he and his close colleagues have taught and mentored over the years. Dr Whitcomb and others recognized the importance of providing structured and thorough Biblical teaching at a seminary level within the local church, which is “the pillar and support of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15) in this Age of Grace. Christian Workman Studies in Theology is a program which offers the recorded lectures of seminary faculty and pastors linked to detailed syllabus materials that cover an entire seminary education. Through this ministry Christians around the world can now earn the equivalent of a seminary education without leaving their homes, families, support systems and ministries.
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