296、教会首先和最重要的事就是认识并承认一位神。没有这种认识和承认，与神结合是不可能的；在教会，这意味着不承认主。主在约翰福音教导了这一点：
信子的人有永生；不信子的人不得见永生，神的震怒停留在他身上。（约翰福音3:36）
另一处：
你们若不信我永在，必要死在罪中。（约翰福音8:24）
296、教会的第一和首要原则是认识并承认它的上帝。因为没有那种认识及确信就没有联合，因而在基督教会没有对主的确信就意味着没有与主联合。主在《约翰福音》中这样教导：
信子的人有永生；不信子的人得不着永生，神的震怒常在他身上（约翰福音3:36）。
以及另一处：你们若不信我是基督，必要死在罪中（约翰福音8:24）
296. The first and foremost duty of a church is to know and acknowledge its God, since without this knowledge and acknowledgment there can be no joining with God. In the Christian church, then, there is no joining with God without acknowledgment of the Lord. The Lord tells us this in John:
Those who believe in the Son have eternal life. Those who do not believe in the Son will not see life; instead, the wrath of God abides on them. (John 3:36)
And elsewhere,
If you do not believe that I am, you will die in your sins. (John 8:24)
296. The most basic and important thing in any religion is to know and accept its God. Without this knowledge and acceptance, there is no relationship with God. This is what Christianity is like if we do not accept the Lord. The Lord taught this in John: “People who believe in the Son will live forever. But people who do not believe in the Son will not see life. God’s anger will stay in them” (John 3:36). And in another place, “Unless you believe that I am, you will die with your faults” (John 8:24).
296. The first and leading principle of the church is to recognise and acknowledge its God. Without this recognition and acknowledgment it is impossible to be linked with Him, and so in the church this means without acknowledging the Lord. This is taught by the Lord in John:
He who believes in the Son has everlasting life. But he who does not believe the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains with him. John 3:36.
And elsewhere:
Unless you believe that it is I, you will die in your sins. John 8:24.
296. The first and foremost thing of the Church is to know and acknowledge one God; for apart from that knowledge, and acknowledgment there is no conjunction; such is the case in the Church which is without the acknowledgment of the Lord. This the Lord teaches in John 3:36, "He that believeth on the Son hath eternal life: but he that believeth not on the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." And in another place, "Unless ye believe that I am, ye will die in your sins" (John 8:36).
296. The first and primary principle of the church is, to know and acknowledge its God; for without that knowledge and acknowledgment there is no conjunction; thus, in the church, without the acknowledgment of the Lord. This the Lord teaches in John:
He who believeth in the Son hath eternal life, but he who believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the anger of God abideth with him (3:36).
And in another place:
Except ye believe that I am, ye shall die in your sins (8:24).
296. Primum et primarium ecclesiae est, cognoscere et agnoscere suum Deum; nam absque cognitione et agnitione illa non est conjunctio; ita in ecclesia absque agnitione Domini. Hoc docet Dominus apud Johannem,
"Qui credit in Filium, vitam aeternam habet; qui vero non credit Filio, non videbit vitam, sed ira Dei manet apud illum" (Johannes 3:36);
Et alibi,
"Nisi credideritis quod ego sim, moriemini in peccatis vestris" (Johannes 8:24).