Last month, a post I wrote expressing admiration of the PCA General Assembly's decision to not issue an in thesi declaration on an issue already settled by the Westminster Standards provoked a negative reaction from some who think such deliverances rather useful. The reactions of which I'm aware failed to persuade me on that point. However, a particular issue was raised in the "discusion" which I think warrants some further comment.
What ought we (that is, presbyterians) do regarding issues and errors not already addressed by the Westminster Standards? In my opinion, the major example of this class in our day is the entire area of sex and gender relationships, with specific reference to the nature and extent of male headship in the Church and home. My solution is rather simple: because the Church needs authoritative guidance, the confessional standards should be amended to give it.
I presented a paper, "A Time to Fight: Sex, Gender, and the Confessions of the Reformed Churches in North America" at a Presbytery of the Dakotas (OPC) symposium in September 2011 which argued precisely this point. That paper (a mere six pages in length) suggested a process for amending confessional standards throughout the Presbyterian and Reformed Churches and dealt with several standard objections to doing this kind of thing, so I won't repeat them here. While my paper dealt with a specific doctrinal issue, I believe my arguments could reasonably be deployed regarding other matters as well. The Reformed Presbyterian Church in North America, through her Testimony, has in effect long been amending the Westminster Standards, so I don't think my proposal as controversial as some might conclude.
Better, I continue to think, an amended confession than an impotent declaration.
1 comment:
I love the RPCNA Testimony. It's a great concept, and keeps the church ahead of the game when dealing with new attacks on it from the world around us.
I think the resistance to an additional denominational testimony is a sort of idolatry of the Westminster Confession - while a lot of people don't want to strictly hold to it, they also act as if it is so sacrosanct that they can't amend it or add to it. The Confession is not the Bible folks, and it is our duty as Reformed Christians to continue to speak to the pagan world.
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