Editing Open Brethren (section)

===Theology===
The Open Brethren are generally [[Dispensationalism|dispensational]], [[Rapture|pre-tribulational]], and [[Premillennialism|premillennial]] in their theology (although there are many variations) and they have much in common with other conservative evangelical Christian groups. Most of them teach the "[[eternal security]]" of the true Christian, with each believer being subject to "[[Divine grace|grace]]" and not "[[Biblical law in Christianity|law]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gracebeliever.com/articles/articles/stronger.htm|title=Which Is Stronger: Law Or Grace?|access-date=2009-07-18|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304114318/http://www.gracebeliever.com/articles/articles/stronger.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==== Justification by faith ====
Justification by [[faith]] alone (''[[sola fide]]'') states that it is by grace through faith alone that Christians receive salvation and not through any works of their own (see Ephesians 2:8, Romans 3:23). Open Brethren have a strong emphasis on the concept of [[salvation]]. The brethren teach that the consequence of human sin is condemnation to eternal death in hell. [[Jesus|Christ]]'s death on the cross paid sin's penalty and his resurrection is evidence that eternal life is available to any who will have it. The only requirements are that each individual accepts the substitutionary payment of his own sin by faith in Christ's death.

==== Believer's baptism ====
The Open Brethren teach that [[Believer's baptism|baptism]] plays no role in salvation, and is properly performed only after a person professes [[Jesus Christ]] as Saviour. Baptism is an outward expression that symbolises the inward cleansing or remission of a person's sins which has already taken place at salvation. Baptism is also a public identification of that person with Jesus Christ. In many assemblies, an individual is considered a member of that assembly once he or she is baptised.

In other assemblies, however, an individual (after baptism) must show a commitment to a particular assembly by faithful attendance to as many assembly meetings as possible. In such assemblies, it is usually the recently baptised individual who will request fellowship, but not always, as any concerned assembly member may contact the individual to determine their intentions with regard to assembly fellowship. Once it is shown that the individual desires acceptance into assembly fellowship, that desire is then communicated to the gathered assembly so that all members may have opportunity to express any concerns regarding the applicant. Once the applicant meets with the approval of the assembly members, an announcement is made to the gathered assembly that the applicant will be received into full assembly fellowship, which would be the first Sunday (Lord's Day) following the announcement.

Open Brethren emphasise baptism by full immersion. This mode is preferred for its parallel imagery to the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. Immersion baptism is also seen as a practice established by the baptism of Jesus Christ by John the Baptist and is therefore Biblically based. Baptism may occur in any body of water that will allow full immersion, though many Brethren assembly halls will have a baptistry. Baptismal services are celebratory and are often linked to an evangelistic meeting.
[[File:Cregagh St Gospel Hall.JPG|thumb|200px|right|Cregagh Street Gospel Hall, [[Belfast]]]]

====Dispensationalism====
Most Brethren have always considered what many call [[Dispensationalism]] to be the proper interpretation of what the apostles taught. Many of them believe that Brethren pioneer [[John Nelson Darby]] was the first in modern times to "rediscover" this "forgotten" teaching of the apostles. A number of influential non-Brethren Evangelical leaders were influenced by Darby's teaching, men such as [[D. L. Moody]] and, indirectly, [[C. I. Scofield]], who popularized this view through his [[Scofield Reference Bible]]. In essence, Dispensationalism as taught by the Brethren sees a clear distinction between "law" and "grace", Israel and the Church. It also holds that the Church, consisting of all genuine NT believers, will be [[rapture]]d when the Lord returns '''in the clouds''', not to the earth, with the spirits of the NT believers who had previously died. At this time the bodies of the living believers will be transformed and the bodies of the NT believers who had previously died will be resurrected and united with their spirits. This will be followed by a seven-year [[Great Tribulation]] during which God will turn his attention back to the Jews, who will ultimately recognize The Lord Jesus Christ as their [[Messiah]], thus triggering his return '''to the earth''' to save them from annihilation. This period will be followed by a thousand-year [[Millennium]] during which The Lord Jesus Christ will reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Although generally held by most Brethren, both historical and contemporary, there have always been some Brethren who rejected Dispensationalism. [[George Müller]] and [[G. H. Lang]] were among the prominent Brethren leaders who never accepted this doctrine, and non-Dispensationalism has always been followed by a significant minority of Open Brethren in the United Kingdom. Until much more recently, however, Dispensationalism was much more universally held among Brethren outside of the United Kingdom.

====Eternal security====
Most of the Brethren pioneers such as Groves, Darby and Muller were convinced [[Calvinism|Calvinists]]. By the 1930s, however, a strong [[Arminian]] strain developed in many parts of the Brethren movement, especially in North America.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Stevenson|first1=Mark R.|title=Early Brethren Leaders and the Question of Calvinism|url=http://www.brethrenhistory.org/qwicsitePro/php/docsview.php?docid=1563|website=Brethrenhistory.org|publisher=The Brethren Archivists and Historians Network|access-date=4 August 2015|archive-date=23 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923194449/http://www.brethrenhistory.org/qwicsitePro/php/docsview.php?docid=1563|url-status=dead}}</ref> Today, it is common to find Brethren advocates for both theological systems, with the caveat that even those who embrace Arminianism in the main will still generally hold to the fifth point of Calvinism, which Brethren call the [[eternal security]] of the believer<ref>{{cite web|last1=Abigail|first1=Shawn|title="Plymouth Brethren" FAQ|url=http://www.brethrenonline.org/faqs/Brethren.htm|website=BrethrenOnline|access-date=1 June 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20160518150855/http://brethrenonline.org/faqs/Brethren.htm|archive-date=18 May 2016}}</ref>—the doctrine that it is impossible for a true Christian to lose his or her salvation. Even today, it is rare to find a Brethren preacher or an official Brethren publication questioning this doctrine.

====Gifts of the Holy Spirit====
Although some of the early Brethren pioneers were initially interested in the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit such as [[miracles]], [[healing]] and [[speaking in tongues]] that were being practised by the [[Catholic Apostolic Church]] of [[Edward Irving]], with whom many of the early Brethren were acquainted, they soon adopted a [[Cessationist]] position, which was to remain the prevailing Brethren view for the best part of two centuries. Cessationism holds that the sign gifts were given to the early Church only, for the specific purpose of authenticating the [[Apostles in the New Testament|Apostles]], and "ceased" with the death of the last Apostle, usually believed to be [[John the Apostle|John]], around the end of the first century.

Until very recent times, this doctrine was the nearly unanimous view of Brethren preachers and Brethren institutions (publications, Bible colleges, and missions agencies). A few prominent Brethren did question it: G. H. Lang expressed doubts about it in the 1920s,<ref>{{cite web|last1=Randall|first1=Ian|title='OUTSIDE THE CAMP': BRETHREN SPIRITUALITY AND WIDER EVANGELICALISM IN THE 1920s|url=http://brethrenhistory.org/qwicsitePro/php/docsview.php?docid=408|website=brethrenhistory.org|access-date=10 December 2015|pages=31|archive-date=11 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151211050123/http://brethrenhistory.org/qwicsitePro/php/docsview.php?docid=408|url-status=dead}}</ref> and [[Harry Ironside]], perhaps the most influential Brethren preacher who ever lived, rejected it in principle in 1938. Although he condemned [[Pentecostalism]],<ref>{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=Q-npoRWoZuUC&q=%22Ironside%22+%2B+%22Pentecostal%22+%2B+%22Madhouse%22&pg=PA146|title=The Holiness-Pentecostal Tradition: Charismatic Movements in the Twentieth Century|isbn=9780802841032|access-date=2015-05-09|last1=Synan|first1=Vinson|date=25 August 1997|publisher=Wm. B. Eerdmans }}</ref> the "package" in which the sign gifts were most often seen, he nevertheless said that he did not believe that the age of miracles had ceased.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://bible.prayerrequest.com/4934-harry-ironside-collection-28-files/4/63/ |title=Harry Ironside Collection: Ironside, Harry A. – Addresses on the First Epistle to the Corinthians: 12-Christ's Gracious Provision |access-date=2015-05-09}}</ref> Most Brethren preachers, however, remained unwilling to compromise on this stance. Although Brethren theologian [[Ernest Tatham]] published a book, ''Let the tide come in!'' in 1976, saying that he had been mistaken in his previous support for Cessationism,<ref>{{cite book|last1=Tatham|first1=C. Ernest|title=Let the Tide come in!|date=1976|publisher=Creation House|isbn=9780884190059|pages=150}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Greetings in Christ's HOLY Name|url=http://www.lydiaofpurple.com/Let%20the%20Tide%20Come%20In.htm|website=Lydia of Purple|access-date=1 June 2015}}</ref> most Brethren remained opposed to the [[Charismatic movement]]. A handful of Brethren assemblies around the world did begin to embrace the Charismatic movement in the late 1970s and early 1980s, but it remained very much a fringe element among Brethren until the early 2000s.

Today, Brethren attitudes to the "sign gifts" are much more diverse than in the past. In the early 2000s, [[Netherlands|Dutch]] theologian Willem Ouweneel became one of the first high-profile Brethren leaders to publicly endorse the charismatic movement without leaving the Brethren.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.fishpond.co.nz/Books/TBJoshua-Willem-Ouweneel/9781852403546|title=T. B. Joshua by Willem Ouweneel|access-date=2015-05-17}}</ref> A significant minority of Open Brethren assemblies in New Zealand, along with some in Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom, have embraced the Charismatic movement over the past fifteen years, and many more now describe themselves as cautiously receptive to it. Other assemblies, however, have responded by formalising their commitment to Cessationism. Despite the traditional Brethren aversion to having written statements of faith, some assemblies have recently adopted a statement of faith denying the continuity of the sign gifts. In India, too, some Brethren assemblies have embraced the Charismatic movement, but most prominent [[Indian Brethren]] preachers, such as [[Johnson Philip]], principal of '''Brethren Theological College''' in [[Kerala]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gospelmi.org/page_to_print.cfm/bible-schools|title=Bible Schools|publisher=Gospel Missions of India|access-date=2015-05-25|archive-date=25 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150525095854/http://www.gospelmi.org/page_to_print.cfm/bible-schools|url-status=dead}}</ref> remain opposed.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.biblebeliever.co.za/Brethren%20Assemblys/Brethren%20Information/Brethren%20Movement%20in%20Indiar.htm#Doctrinal|title=The Brethren Movement in India|author=Dr Johnson C. Philip|access-date=2015-05-25}}</ref>