I took the doctrinal statement from a large local protestant church and did an review of the doctrines, their origin, etc. Results below:

1. The Bible

• Belief: "We believe the Bible to be the verbally inspired Word of God, without error in the original writings, and the supreme and final authority in doctrine and practice."

• Origins:

  • Verbal Inspiration and Inerrancy: The belief in the divine inspiration and truthfulness (inerrancy) of Scripture is ancient, found in the writings of early Church Fathers (e.g., Irenaeus, Origen, Augustine in the 2nd-5th centuries).

  • "Without error in the original writings": While the concept of inerrancy is ancient, the specific emphasis on "original writings" often became a point of theological precision and defense in the post-Reformation era, particularly as textual criticism developed.

  • Supreme and Final Authority (Sola Scriptura): This specific formulation, asserting the Bible as the sole supreme and final authority, is a hallmark of the Protestant Reformation (16th century). It was a foundational principle articulated by reformers like Martin Luther (early 1500s) in direct opposition to the Catholic Church's teaching on the co-equal authority of Scripture, Tradition, and the Magisterium.

2. The Trinity

• Belief: "We believe there is one God, that the Father and the Son and the Spirit are each God, and that the Father and the Son and the Spirit are each a distinct person."

• Origins: This doctrine is ancient Christian orthodoxy. It was developed and formally defined through the early Ecumenical Councils, notably the First Council of Nicaea (325 AD), which affirmed the divinity of the Son, and the First Council of Constantinople (381 AD), which affirmed the divinity of the Holy Spirit, solidifying the doctrine of one God in three distinct Persons.

3. Jesus Christ

• Belief: "We believe the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God, fulfill prophecy, and redeem sinful man. We believe He accomplished our redemption through His substitutionary sacrifice on the cross, His burial, and His bodily resurrection. We believe our redemption and salvation are guaranteed by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead and that He is the only means of salvation."

  • "We believe that Jesus Christ is the visible image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, the Creator and Sustainer of heaven and earth, and the Head of the church. We believe the Lord Jesus Christ is now in heaven, exalted to the right hand of God where, as High Priest to His people, He serves as our Advocate and intercedes for us."

• Origins: These are all ancient Christian doctrines.

  • Incarnation (God becoming man), Virgin Birth, Substitutionary Sacrifice, Bodily Resurrection, Only Means of Salvation, Ascension, High Priesthood, Advocacy: These core tenets of Christology and soteriology are found throughout the New Testament and were affirmed and elaborated upon by the early Church Fathers and Ecumenical Councils (e.g., Council of Chalcedon in 451 AD defining Christ's two natures; various creeds from the 4th-5th centuries affirming His life, death, resurrection, and ascension).

4. The Holy Spirit

• Belief: "We believe God the Holy Spirit is a person who restrains evil in the world and convicts men of sin, righteousness, and judgment. He dwells in all who believe in Jesus. From the moment of belief in the Son, the Spirit baptizes believers into the body, seals them for salvation, regenerates them to new life, bestows spiritual gifts on each one, and is fully present to continually fill (control and guide) His own."

  • "Some gifts of the Holy Spirit, however, such as speaking in tongues and the gift of miraculous healing, were given to certain individuals as authenticating signs for the early church... Furthermore, we believe the gift of tongues in the New Testament always presents itself as a known language... and not as a private prayer language."

• Origins:

  • Personhood, Conviction, Indwelling, Regeneration, Bestowal of Gifts, Filling: These aspects of the Holy Spirit's work are ancient Christian doctrines, rooted in the New Testament and affirmed by early Church Fathers (e.g., First Council of Constantinople in 381 AD affirming the Spirit's divinity).

  • Baptism into the Body (by the Spirit): This concept, while rooted in 1 Corinthians 12, gained more distinct theological emphasis in Protestant theology (especially evangelicalism) to describe the spiritual incorporation into the Church, often separate from water baptism.

  • Cessationism (of tongues and miraculous healing): The belief that certain miraculous gifts ceased after the apostolic age is a doctrine that arose within Reformed theology during the Protestant Reformation (16th century), notably with John Calvin, partly in response to claims of Catholic miracles. It was further developed by later Protestant theologians (e.g., Benjamin Warfield in the late 19th/early 20th century).

  • Tongues as always a known language, not private prayer language: This specific interpretation of the gift of tongues gained prominence in conservative Protestantism in the 20th century, particularly in response to the rise of Pentecostal and Charismatic movements.

5. Angels, Fallen and Unfallen

• Belief: "We believe angels are spiritual beings who were created as sinless personalities and that they occupy different orders and ranks. They presently exist in both fallen and unfallen states, the former including Satan and his angels."

  • "We believe Satan, by his own choice the enemy of God and His people, is the originator of sin, that led our first parents into sin and now rules as 'the god of this world.' We believe he was judged at the cross and that ultimately he will be cast into the Lake of Fire."

• Origins: These beliefs are ancient Christian doctrines, rooted in Old and New Testament accounts and consistently affirmed by early Church Fathers and throughout Christian history. The reality of angels, their creation, the fall of some (Satan and demons), and their ultimate judgment are foundational.

6. Man

• Belief: "We believe man was created innocent and in the image and likeness of God, but that man sinned, bringing both physical and spiritual death to himself and his posterity... Man can do nothing to merit God’s favor, and as such, is in need of salvation... Mankind’s sinful nature is rebellious toward God and His good design for life and worship... Mankind’s rebellion causes confusion about good and evil, and harm to people, ultimately ending in judgment, despair and death."

  • "We believe God created mankind in His image, forming each person in the womb from conception... until the point of death... and created His people, male (man) and female (woman), as He created them sexually and biologically different, but with equal personal dignity and value."

  • "We believe that God ordained marriage as a lifelong union between one man and one woman... Those who accept and live within God’s design for sex, biological gender, and marriage experience the blessing of His good design... and decisions to change, alter, or modify God’s will in marriage, sex, or gender are part of man’s brokenness and lead to despair."

  • "We believe that God loves and pursues mankind despite our rebellion... He offers forgiveness, healing and abundant life to anyone who turns to Him in humility."

• Origins:

  • Creation in God's Image, Fall, Physical/Spiritual Death, Need for Salvation: These are ancient Christian doctrines, foundational to understanding human nature and the need for redemption, rooted in Genesis and affirmed by early Church Fathers.

  • "Man can do nothing to merit God's favor" (Total Depravity emphasis): While Augustine (5th century) laid groundwork, the strong emphasis on humanity's complete inability to initiate salvation or do spiritual good without divine grace (Total Depravity) was a central tenet of the Protestant Reformation (16th century), particularly in Calvinism and Lutheranism.

  • Sanctity of Life (from conception to death), Male and Female Creation, Equal Dignity: These are ancient Christian doctrines, rooted in biblical anthropology and consistently affirmed throughout Church history.

  • Marriage as lifelong union between one man and one woman: This is an ancient Christian doctrine, rooted in biblical teaching (Genesis, Matthew 19) and consistently upheld throughout Church history.

  • Explicit rejection of changing/altering God's will in sex/gender/marriage as "brokenness": While based on ancient principles, this specific, direct, and explicit phrasing addressing modern concepts of gender identity and sexual orientation is a prominent articulation within conservative Protestantism (late 20th and 21st centuries).

  • God's Love, Pursuit, Forgiveness: These are ancient Christian doctrines, central to the biblical narrative and Christian theology from the earliest times.

7. Salvation

• Belief: "We believe salvation is a sovereign gift of God and is received by man through personal faith in Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for sin. We believe man is justified by grace through faith apart from works. We believe that Jesus Christ is the only means of salvation and that no one is saved apart from a conscious and personal decision to trust in Christ as his or her one and only Savior. We believe all true believers elect of God, once saved, are kept secure in Christ forever."

• Origins:

  • Sovereign Gift of God, Faith in Christ, Only Means of Salvation: These are ancient Christian doctrines, rooted in the New Testament.

  • Justified by grace through faith "apart from works" (Sola Fide): This is a defining doctrine of the Protestant Reformation (16th century), championed by Martin Luther.

  • "Conscious and personal decision to trust in Christ": While conversion is ancient, the emphasis on a single, explicit "decision" as the moment of salvation became particularly prominent in Evangelical Protestantism during the Great Awakenings (18th-19th centuries) and continues to be central.

  • "Once saved, are kept secure in Christ forever" (Perseverance of the Saints/Eternal Security): This doctrine was systematized by John Calvin in the 16th century and formalized at the Synod of Dort (early 17th century). The term "eternal security" itself gained prominence in the late 19th/early 20th centuries within some Evangelical groups.

8. Sanctification

• Belief: "We believe sanctification, which is a setting apart unto God, is positional, progressive, and ultimate. Positionally, it is already complete since the believer is in Christ and is set apart unto God as Christ is set apart unto God. Since the Christian retains his sinful nature, however, there is need for progressive sanctification whereby he grows in grace by the power of the Spirit. Ultimately, the child of God will be set apart from sin in his practice (as he is now in his position in Christ) when he is taken to be with Christ and shall be like Him."

• Origins:

  • Progressive and Ultimate Sanctification: The concept of growth in holiness and ultimate perfection is ancient Christian doctrine, found throughout the New Testament and early Church writings.

  • Positional Sanctification (as distinct from progressive): The theological distinction between "positional" (immediate, forensic) and "progressive" (experiential, ongoing) sanctification gained particular emphasis and articulation within Protestant theology, especially Reformed theology, during and after the Reformation (16th-17th centuries), tied closely to the doctrine of justification by faith alone. The idea of retaining a "sinful nature" in a way that necessitates this distinction is also part of this post-Reformation theological development.

9. The Church

• Belief: "We believe the Church, the Body and Bride of Christ, is a spiritual organism, made up of all born-again persons of this present age. We believe the Church began at Pentecost and that a believer is placed into the Church by the baptizing work of the Holy Spirit. We believe the Church is distinct from Israel."

  • "We believe the local church is an assembly of professed believers in Jesus Christ who are voluntarily joined together in one locality for the purposes of worship, study of the Word of God, observance of the ordinances, Christian fellowship, equipping for and practice of Kingdom service, specifically stewarding our lives for the purpose of fulfilling the Great Commission."

• Origins:

  • Church as Body and Bride of Christ, Spiritual Organism, Made up of Born-Again Persons: These are ancient Christian doctrines, rooted in the New Testament. However, the emphasis on the Church as primarily a "spiritual organism" of "born-again persons," often downplaying its visible, institutional, or sacramental aspects, is a hallmark of the Protestant Reformation (16th century).

  • Church began at Pentecost: This is an ancient Christian understanding of the Spirit's outpouring and the Church's public manifestation.

  • Believer placed into Church by Spirit's baptizing work: This is an ancient Christian doctrine (1 Cor 12:13), though its interpretation and relationship to water baptism became a point of divergence in the Reformation.

  • Church is distinct from Israel: This is a core tenet of Dispensationalism, a theological system that was formally developed and popularized in the 19th century (John Nelson Darby, 1830s-1840s).

  • Local church as "assembly of professed believers... voluntarily joined together": This reflects a congregational polity and emphasis on voluntary association that emerged strongly during the Protestant Reformation and its aftermath (16th-17th centuries), particularly among Anabaptists, Puritans, and Baptists, in contrast to hierarchical or state-church models.

10. The Ordinances of Baptism and the Lord's Supper

• Belief: "We believe Christ instituted the ordinances of water baptism and the Lord's Supper, both of which are to be observed by believers until He returns."

  • "We believe by water baptism a believer publicly identifies with Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. We believe that infants of believing parents may be dedicated to the Lord but should not be baptized until they can personally articulate their faith and the purpose of baptism."

  • "We believe the Lord's Supper is a memorial of Christ's death and an expression of our faith in His future coming that is to be continually practiced by all believers. We believe every Christian has a right to partake of the elements of the Lord's Supper but that participation must always be preceded by solemn self-examination."

• Origins:

  • Instituted by Christ, Observed by Believers: This is an ancient Christian belief.

  • Calling them "ordinances" (vs. sacraments): This terminology and the understanding of these rites as symbolic acts rather than channels of grace is a defining characteristic of the Protestant Reformation (16th century).

  • Water baptism as public identification (symbolic): This emphasis on the symbolic nature of baptism is a Reformation development.

  • Believer's Baptism (rejection of infant baptism): This doctrine, requiring personal faith for baptism, was a core tenet of the Anabaptist movement which emerged in the early 16th century.

  • Lord's Supper as a "memorial" (symbolic): This view, emphasizing remembrance and symbolism over a real presence or re-presentation of sacrifice, was articulated by reformers like Huldrych Zwingli in the 16th century.

11. The End Times

• Belief: "We believe in the personal, future coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe in the rapture of the church, the great tribulation on earth, and the visible and bodily return of Jesus Christ to the earth, commonly called the Second Coming. We believe Jesus will rule the nations and establish His millennial kingdom and ultimately his eternal kingdom on earth."

• Origins:

  • Personal, Future Coming of Christ (Second Coming): This is an ancient Christian doctrine, rooted in the New Testament and affirmed by early creeds.

  • Rapture of the Church (especially pre-tribulation) and a literal Millennial Kingdom: These specific eschatological tenets are hallmarks of Dispensationalism, a theological system that was formally developed and popularized in the 19th century (John Nelson Darby, 1830s-1840s). While some earlier figures might have had proto-dispensational ideas, this distinct sequence is a post-Reformation development.

12. The Eternal State

• Belief: "We believe the souls of believers in Jesus Christ do, at death, immediately pass into His presence, and there remain with Him until the resurrection of our earthly bodies at His coming for the Church, when our souls and imperishable bodies shall be with Him forever in glory. We believe the souls of unbelievers remain after death in constant misery in Hades until the final judgment of the Great White Throne at the close of the millennium when soul and body reunited shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to be punished with everlasting separation from the presence of the Lord."

• Origins:

  • Souls of believers immediately with Christ at death, Resurrection of bodies, Eternal Glory in Heaven: These are ancient Christian doctrines, found in the New Testament and early Church teachings.

  • Souls of unbelievers in misery in Hades, Final Judgment, Lake of Fire (everlasting separation, not annihilation): These are ancient Christian doctrines, rooted in the New Testament (e.g., parables of Jesus, Revelation) and affirmed by early Church Fathers.

  • "Final judgment of the Great White Throne at the close of the millennium": The placement of the Great White Throne judgment after a literal millennium is specific to Dispensationalism, a 19th-century theological development. The general concept of a final judgment is ancient, but its precise timing relative to a millennium is not.

  • No Purgatory: The absence of Purgatory in the statement reflects the Protestant Reformation's (16th century) rejection of this Catholic doctrine.