1995 Issue 4 - What is the Future of Presbyterianism? Christ's Headship Over the Church - Counsel of Chalcedon

8/12/2019 1995 Issue 4 - What is the Future of Presbyterianism? Christ's Headship Over the Church - Counsel of Chalcedon

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Christ's Rights Ignored

When was the last timeyou heard

a sermon expounding the biblical

texts related to church government?

In the majority of denominations,

you will probably never hear one

sermon

on

the subject. In an

age

in

which every

sennon

must be a three

point

path

to dynamic Christian

living, such studies are avoidedlike a

bad rash. Two explanations for this

neglect are immediately apparent.

l) Discussions

concerning church

government will tend to

polarize Christians

of

differing denominational

affiliations.

In

an

ecclesiastical culture that

is

driven by

ecumeni-

caIism, most preachers are

afraid to say thus saith

the Lord on the topic of

churchgovernment. Such

sermons would have the

inevitable outcome

of

calling certain church organizations

unbiblicaI. Arid we couldn't

do

that

now, could we?

(2) Pastors are afraid of boring

their congregations with studies that

appear unrelated to dailyliving. Most

pastors simply do not understand

or

appreciate the relationship that Christ

sustains to his church. s a result,

theyare unwilling to

do the necessary

study and meditation in order

to

present the biblical data in a manner

that will elevate the subject in the

minds of theirpeople, and teachthem

its relevance to Christian living.

These concerns, however, are

illegitimate when viewed in the light

of Christ's headship over his church,

and

the all-sufficiency of Scripture.

Because of these, every Christian

pastor and layman ought

to

be vitally

concernedaboutchurchgovernment.

Christ is

tlte

Only

Head o

His

Church. Thisgreattruth

s

clearly set

fonh in Scripture (Eph. 1:22;5:23-24;

Col. 1:18)

and

affirmed in

our

Standards (Westminster Confession

of Faith, Chapter 25,

Sec.

1; Chapter

30 Sec.

1

The Church of the Lord

Jesus Ch,ist owes her existence

t

him, has been purchas

ed

by his

precious blood, and must be careful

to frame all of her affairs by his Word.

We live in an age in which Chlist's

headship has been trampled upon by

the majority of

profeSSing

churches.

Rather than submit to his Word,

we

have been content to run his church

like a country club: according to the

latest fashions, whims, and methods

of the

world tha, are guaranteed t

bring success.

Christ'sWord

is

ourallsufficirnt

guide. As our

Head, Christ has given

us

prinCiples of biblical

Church

Government that we must diligently

learn, faithfully apply, and zealously

defend. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 stresses

the all-suffiCiency

of

the Bible as

our

gUide in faith

and

obedience: Every

scriprureinspired

of

God

is also

profitable

for teaclting,for

reproof,for

correction,

forinstTUctiOl1 which is

in

righteousness.

Tltat

the man of

God may

be complete,

furnished

completely

unto every good

work ASV) As church government

is a good work, we must

be

careful

to

frame our theory and practice by

Ch,ist's revealed will.

Church government, therefore,

contraty to the prevailing spirit of

our age, is an extremely important

aspect of

our

Christian profession. It

is vital to the Crown Rights ofJesus

Christ, and the all-sufficiency of

Scripture. That

the

subject is so

neglected

is

a sure sign of weakness

in the church, and God's imminent

judgment upon her. Accordingly,

among the many pressingand weighty

issues that occupy

our minds and

reconstructiveeffons,

lam

convinced

that we must give

our

attention to the

Bible's

teaching

on churc

h

government.

In the

light

of this

dilemma, I wish to ask the question,

What

is

the Future of

Presbyterianism?

Surely the Refonned

churches differ from the

gloomy picture

painted

above. We maintain strict

subscription to the

Westminster Standards,

and endeavor

to

preach

the whole counsel of God.

Surely those who come

here

and

have been here

for

many years

are

committed Presbyterians.

A:,

for

our

children, they

will l

ea

rn

to

appreciate

the

Bible's

teaching

on

the subject and zealously

defend it. I hope so. One

thing

is

cenain, however. Presumption on

our

pan

will mean

the death

of

our

Presbyterian principles. Because

the

vast majority

of the

evangelical

community, includinga large portion

of those

who

have

joined

themselves

to

Presbyterian churches, have

ignored the Bible's teaching

on the

subject, in theory

and

in practice, we

must hold

f011h the

light With great

clarity and conviction.

But

by

far, the most important

reason why

we

must renew

OUl

efforts

in this area is the crown rights

of

King

Jesus. Since

the

Bible

teaches

Presbyterianism

as

the Christ

ordained government

in

his church,

then we had better be faithful in

teaching these great tluths to

our

members and

young

people.

We.

must be careful to ensure that

our

children will be Presbyterians after

us. Our goal must be churches filled

April, 1995 THE COUNSEL

of Chalcedon

15


2/4

with people who

are

not only

Presbyterian

by

birth, but more

importantly, by the

powerful

conviction, of the Holy Spirit wrought

upon

them

through

consistent

exposure to divine truth.

Presbyterianism in Crisis

Here are some evidences that

Presbyterianism is in crisis:

Church members leave our

churches and join others with

disregard

to

church government

issues.

Church

membership today is

like square dancing:

just

Presbyterianismas the apostolic model

of church government.

Church

members do

not

understandwhyReformed Christians

are

such

"sticklers" for religious

dogma.

Why

don't we

go

with the

times and adopt methods of church

growth like other local churches?

Why don't we modifyourworship to

make it more appealing to modem

man?

f

Christians were steeped in

the age

old

principles

of

Presbyterianism, they would

understand thatwe cannotnecessarily

and civil liberty played a significant

role in

our

War for Independence. It

was the Presbyterians, the friends of

civillibeny and religious toleration,

who took the lead in withstanding

the tyranny of King George III. In

England, our glorious War for

Independence came to be called"the

Pres

byterian War. To the

trumpet-call of the Revolution so

universal and cordial was the response

of

the Presbyterians that ardent

devotees ofKing George, Lord North

and Parliament could scarce see any

pick your partner This is

clear proof

that

most

Christians

do

not

appreciatethe importance

of

this suhject, and that

they are willingto

sacrifiCe

obedience

to

Jesus Christ

on the altar on

con

venience, personal needs,

or

pride.

t

is

up t you

lover

one else in arms for the

colonial cause but

Presbyterians." (W.P.

Breed D.O. Presbyterians

and the Revolution, p.

14-15)

''Noris it

very wonderful

that

many

others, untaught

o

Presbyterianism

t

remedy this crisis

t

res-

cue her divinely inspired

principles

from

the

gutter

o

indifference

neglect

and ignorance.

We must not allow

them

to

forget

that

Presbyterian principles

exerted

a powerful

influence on our own

Constitution through the

Presbyterian Dr. John

to

consider

Presbyterian

prinCiples

as

a

portion

of

Divine

revelation, and surrounded by many

circumstances tending to deepen

the

impressiort

that

a

forms of

h Protestartt

faiuiiriequiiUYScripturm,are

kept

in

the Church only by the force ofhabit,

or

personal attachment

to

some

worthy

minister, and

are

ready

to

fling

the

nominal professi(mof

aposto1icprinciples

away from them,

s

soon as

the

time

comes that the secession from the

Presbyterian

Church c rt

advance their

worldly interests, please their

superiors,

feed their revenge.

or

gratify

a

whim.

(Thomas Witherow, The

Apostolic

Church

-

Which

Is

it?

p.

82)

Church members are uncertain

concernihg the Bible's telichings on

the subject. They certainly cannot

defend PreshyterianisjIl from the

Bible. While Reformed Christians

ardently defend postmillennialism,

God's sovereignty, and nfant haptism,

wemiJstbeequallyzealousindefending

adopt the latest methods, exciting

ideas,

doctrines, and

modes of

worship that spring up overnight in

so many churches today.

Church members simply do not

appreciate

the legacy of

Presbyterianism.

We must not allow them to forget

that it was

for

many of the leading

prinCiples of Presbyterianism, the

right of individual congregations to

choose theitpastor, public ordination,

and the exclusive headship of Christ

over his blood-bought Church, -hat

many of

our

Reformation brothers

and sisters went to the stake. The

Protestant break with papal tyranny

was not only accomplished through

the reformation of doctrine and

worship, but also andequallythrough

the reformation

of

church

government.

We must notallow them to forget

that the Presbyterian zeal forreligious

16

f THE COUNSEL of Chalcedon April,

1995

Witherspoon. We enjoy civillibeny

today because our founding civil

document bears the marks

of

the

representative form of government

found

on

the.pages.cf-BoIJ$Gnpture,

and zealously defended by

Presbyterians everywhere.

The

lukewarm and odious

indifference to Presbyterian principles

that

in this day meets

one everywhere,

calls

loudly

for

a

remedy

of some kind.

The

best I know

is

from

the

textbook of

the

Divine Word to teach

the

people

publicly and privately what

Presbyterianism really is. Had

we

entered

into

one vast

conspiracy

to let

our

principles die out

of

the

memory

of

theworld, wecould

rtot adopt

any

course

more likely to accomplish ottr end than

never to hear them from

the pUlpit. But

i we wish the people to know and value

them, it

is very plain

that we show that

we know and

value them ourselves.

(Thomas Witherow

pp,86-87)

It is

up to

you, lover of


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4/4

The

Principle of

Appeal

(Acts 15)

Do our people understand that

Presbyterianism

is

the only form of

church government that provides a

way

whereby controversies can

be

settled without

schismatic

departures from

the

body

to

which

vows have

been

made? Individual

members can appeal

to

their sessions,

sessions

o

other churches in

Presbytery,

and to

the Presbytery at

large.

f

necessary, they can appeal

to a

court

composed of elders from

the entire church. While such

appeals are usually unnecessary it s

a great privilege to have a form

of

church government

in

which Christ

has

provided for the just resolution

of

family quarrels. In

an

age

when

most church members

feel

that the

way

to

resolve the ir differences with

a church s to leave, ourpeoplemust

be taught to appreciate Christ's

method of resolving disagreements

in his house.

The

Headship of Christ

(Eph. 1:22; 5:23-24; Col. 1:18)

We have already had occasion to

note that

this

is

the leading principle

of

our- system. Christ is the only

Head

of

his

church,

and

he has

nowhere

given this right

to

anyman.

Those in our care must have this

great Biblical truth constantly

brought

to thei r attention. Anything

done

in

his church

must

be

in

accordance

to

hiS Word. Hence our

people must be taught

to

weigh

everything, government, worship,

and

doctrine according

to

this great

prinCiple.

When we

see the

consciences

of

God's people tender

toward Christ's right to rule

in

his

church the darkness in the churches

today will be expelled, she will be

the light

of

the world, and the

blessing of Christ will rest upon his

faithful Bride.

If

only

lovers of truth had more

frequently placed this central truth

before the people of God, Christ's

Church

might

have then been

preserved from the corruption of

doctrine and worship she

has

experienced during this century, the

tyranny of those who lord

it

overthe

consciences of Christ's flock,

and

the migration of

some from

Protestantism

to

the bondage of

Rome and Orthodoxy. For Christ's

sake, teach the flock of God the

important implications of Christ's

exclusive headship over his church.

Conclusion

So what

is

the

future

of

Presbyterianism? That all depends

upon us. Our generation must

reaffirm the importance of biblical

church government

to

friend

and

foe alike We mustzealously defend

Christ's right to reign alone in his

church,

by

his Word,

and

through

his duly called and elected officers

We must teach our children and

congregationsnot only the nature of

biblical church goverrnnent,but also

its historic legacyand importance in

our daily lives But above all, those

around

us must see that we have a

burning Presbyterian vision. They

must see that "Presbyterian" is

not

simply the name

on our

street sign,

but as our all-consuming passion

for church government that honors

Christ, secures our dearly purchased

liberties,

and

will bring thebleSSings

ofpeace

to

every hl.\man institution

Christian brothers, the future of

Presbyterianism is glorious

and

secure if we will take the words of

Thomas Witherow to heart:

If

we wish

to

have

Presbyterianism. the religion of the

Church universal, we must let the

world knaw that we cherish a warm

and

devoted attachment to its

principles. We

should not halt

between two opinions,

linging

to

one sect and

giving

influence

to

another. We should cease to be a

18 TilE COUNSEL of Chalcedon April, 1995

lukewarm and hybrid generation

Presbyterians only

in

name. This

is

not a time

for

inconsistency and

doubt- but for decision, for energy,

for

action. Presbyterianism should

be

on the move Every hour

we

delay

to enter on some

vigorous

course

of

policy, our interests, as a

denomination,

suffer.

In our

circumstances,

hesitation and

inactivity arefraughtwithdanger,

if

not denominational death. Every

pulpit we

can command

in

the

kingdom should strike instantly to a

high Presbyterian key. If

as

a

denomination, wewould be faithfUl

to the troth ofGod; ifwewould have

the people

to

understand and to love

our system; if we would marshal

public opinion against renegadism,

and hold

it

up to contumely and

scorn; i f we would push our

Presbyterianism,

and call

the

attenctonofourfellow- Christians

to

its

Scripturality and

its vigour; i we

would have our friends to follow,

and our enemies to fear us- then

we

should

learn

toregardour distinctive

principles

as

our pride and glory,

and preach and teach them, till the

people know them like the alphabet,

and

an

unWilliiigWiiYfdbecoiri.pelled

to listen. The Church that forgets to

assert and teach her

peculiar

principles lives in

such a

world

as

this only by suffrance; her own

children are cold to her; and, when

she sinks to dust, she shall have few

to

loment her fall. But the Church

that thunders

its

opinions

in

the ears

of

mankind, and which neither orce

nor

lattery can silence, is a Church

that will have many bitter enemies,

but many warm friends- it will have

many to hate, butitWillhave some to

love, and some

to

diefor it- i t may be

everywhere spoken against, but,

faithful

to

the troth

of

God

it will

have saints and martyrs, and,

in

due

time,

bring

the

world

to

its

feet.

(Thomas Witherow pp. 88-89) n

Documents

1995 Issue 4 - What is the Future of Presbyterianism? Christ's Headship Over the Church - Counsel of Chalcedon