Derry Presbyterian Church - What Presbyterians Believe

CHAPTER VIII

Our Fellowship in the Church

INTRODUCTION

Those who have followed this study thus far have doubtless reached the conclusion that salvation is an individual experience. It is an individual experience, but historically this individual experience has developed in the fellowship of the church. Ordinarily the individual experience is deeper, richer, and more meaningful because it arises and is developed in the fellowship of the church.

Presbyterians believe in the church. They hold a high doctrine of the church. They follow John Calvin in recognizing both an invisible and a visible church. Let us begin with these topics as we consider some of the important things that Presbyterians believe about the church.

A. THE INVISIBLE CHURCH

The Confession of Faith, Chapter XXVII, Article I, defines the invisible church in these words:

“The catholic or universal church, which is invisible, consists of the whole number of the elect, that have been, are, or shall be gathered into one, under Christ the head thereof; and is the spouse, the body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all.”

Observe that the church consists of God’s elect in all ages. This church is described as universal or catholic. This does not mean, of course, the Roman Catholic Church which recognizes only the authority of the Roman hierarchy and the pope in Rome. It means all believers in all ages, including those who are or have been associated with the Roman church and all other branches of the Christian church. This church is past, present and future, but one church. It is the bride and the body of Christ, and He alone is its head. It is not, as some sects and branches of the church like to claim, a particular group within a denomination. God is not limited to such groups, and the church of Christ is not limited to such groups even though some people mistakenly convince themselves that this is so. The Presbyterian doctrine of the church as stated in the Confession, does not limit the invisible church to any visible branch of the church of Christ on the earth.

B. THE VISIBLE CHURCH

The Confession of Faith defines the visible church and its function in these words:

“The visible church, which is also catholic or universal under the gospel (not confined to one nation as before under the law), consists of all those throughout the world that profess the true religion, together with their children; and is the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ; the house and family of God, through which men are ordinarily saved and union with which is essential to their best growth and service.” (Chapter XXVII, Article II).

1. INCLUDES ALL TRUE BELIEVERS IN CHRIST

Protestants sometimes ask does the church include members of the Roman church? This Presbyterian statement would suggest that all true believers in Christ, whatever their denomination, belong to the body of Christ. The church consists of all persons throughout the world that profess the true religion, together with their children. The Presbyterian Church in all candor does not encourage participation in the modern sects which spring up around one individual. That neither we nor the Roman Catholics nor the members of other religious bodies who claim that no one can be saved except through membership with their particular group have the right to judge the faith of another should be underscored. God is the final judge. Presbyterians are committed to follow the teachings of the scriptures as faithfully as possible. They seek to bring others into the richer, larger faith that belongs to the children of God whenever and wherever they may do so.

2. INCLUDES MEMBERS OF OTHER EVANGELICAL CHURCHES

The Presbyterian Church makes no claim to have all the truth revealed in the Bible. At the same time it proclaims what is called a Reformed faith based on the teachings of the Bible. We believe that salvation comes only through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. While it is true that the Christian Gospel is proclaimed by the church, it does not necessarily follow that men and women are saved by accepting the dogmas of the church. Presbyterians ordinarily receive letters of transfer from, and grant letters of transfer to, all leading evangelical church bodies. They likewise recognize the baptism of persons in such church bodies and do not re-baptize these persons as though their former baptism were invalid. These things are done because of the Presbyterian doctrine of the church, which includes all genuine believers in Christ, together with their children.

3. INCLUDES FELLOWSHIP WITH OTHER CHURCH BODIES

Can Presbyterians hold Christian fellowship with other bodies than their own? Most Presbyterians believe that they can. Some Presbyterians, in the interest of what they believe to be pure doctrine, are inclined to be more exclusive. The official statement in the Confession of Faith reads as follows:

“This catholic church has been sometimes more, sometimes less, visible. And particular churches, which are members thereof, are more or less pure, according as the doctrine of the gospel is taught and embraced, ordinances administered, and public worship performed more or less purely in them.” (Chapter XXVII, Article IV.)

In most cases the touchstone of fellowship is the ministry of the sacraments (Baptism and the Lord’s Supper) the word (the scriptures as the inspired rule of faith and life), and worship. These are considered necessary to the proper interpretation of the Gospel of Christ. It is the duty and the function of the church to use all of the means of God’s appointment to convince and convert sinners, and to build them up in the most holy faith. While it is believed that the Presbyterian form of church government conforms most accurately to that indicated and taught in the scriptures, other forms of church government are recognized, and members following them are not excluded from the concept of the visible church.

Even though some churches and congregations have degenerated so as to become apparently not the churches of Christ, Presbyterians believe that “there shall always be a church on earth to worship God according to His will.” (Confession of Faith, Chapter XXVII, Article V.)

It is sometimes asked, Do the service agencies, such as those supported by United Fund contributions, help to make up the church? Strictly speaking, they are not a part of the fellowship which, in a particular congregation, affirms its faith in Christ. But they serve as the outreaching arms of the church, just as Christian colleges, orphanages, hospitals, and other institutions do. They help to make up the Kingdom of God because they are motivated by, and largely supported by members of the visible church.

C. THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH

“The Lord Jesus Christ is the only head of the church, and the claim of any man to be the vicar of Christ and the head of the church, is without warrant in fact or in Scripture, even anti-Christian, a usurpation dishonoring to the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Confession of Faith, Chapter XXVII, Article VI.)

This statement remains true to the New Testament doctrine of Christ as the head of the church. As was indicated in an earlier chapter, we believe that God by His Spirit made the scriptures our only rule of faith and life, and that no church or Council made them so. There were certain Councils which affirmed that the members of the church believed the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the word of God. This was a declarative and not an authoritative pronouncement.

Presbyterians do not accept as final the authority of the pope as do our Roman Catholic friends. Nor do we accept as authoritative the many special interpretations of current cult leaders who claim to have special authority. We are subject to our highest church courts but follow our consciences. We seek to be true to the scriptures and to let Christ remain the head of the church which He purchased with His own blood. We reject the usurpation of Christ’s place by any man who holds to a tradition totally unwarranted in the scriptures.

It is because of a desire to prevent such usurpation that the Presbyterian church bodies elect moderators of Sessions, Presbyteries, Synods and Assemblies to serve for a specified time only. It is for this reason that Presbyterians constantly seek the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit, so that they might serve Christ the head of the church and accomplish His will in their service. For Christ, not a man or any group of men, is the sole head of the church which bears His name.

D. THE PLACE OF THE CHURCH IN GOD’S PLAN

Let us seek to discover the place of the church in God’s plan of redemption as this is revealed in the Old Testament and the New Testament.

1. IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

The church as the organized body of believers in Christ does not appear as such in the Old Testament. However, as is indicated, for instance in Hebrews 11, there was a succession of the faithful who looked forward to the full realization of their faith in Him whom God would send. The New Testament witnesses to the fact that Jesus of Nazareth, Son of God and Son of man, is the one in whom that faith had full realization. The preaching of the book of Acts gives eloquent witness to this fact. The Old Testament prophets underscored the fact that the program of God would be accomplished, not through the unfaithful multitudes, but through a spiritual remnant of God’s people. Paul in Romans, chapters 4 and 9, argues that the promises of God were to the spiritual rather than merely the physical seed of Abraham. Therefore the Old Testament people of God and the New Testament believers in Christ are one body in the sight of God.

In Jer 31:31-34 we have an excellent statement of the fact that when the covenant people as a whole failed to claim their privileges under God, He would establish with them a new covenant written on their hearts. This covenant was realized partially in the remnant of the Hebrews that returned later from captivity, but more fully in the church established by Jesus Christ. Thus the Old Testament points toward the inwardness of the Kingdom of God, and the New Testament writers, following the teaching of Christ, see in Him the Messiah who would establish God’s Kingdom, and in His church the spiritual flower of Old Testament Judaism. This proposition may be more clearly established by a recognition of the New Testament teaching concerning the church.

2. IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

The New Testament not only is rooted in the Old, but it clarifies the redemptive purpose of God in Jesus Christ and the church which He established to carry on His work in the world. According to Mark 3:14-15, Jesus chose and appointed the twelve “to be with him, and to be sent out to preach and have authority to cast out demons.” He trained the twelve, together a larger number of believers, to carry on His work after His departure from the earth. He promised His presence and power to believers who would carry His Gospel into all the world. (See, for instance, Matt 28:16-20 and Acts 1:8.) The book of Acts tells how they made a wonderful beginning in this task, and how they were enabled to witness through the power of His Spirit. Christ built His church on the conviction stated in Matt 16:15-18, that He was the Messiah, the Son of the living God. The change from the use of the masculine gender, “Thou art Peter,” to the neuter gender, “and on this rock” points to the conviction expressed by Peter and not to a person who claims the prerogatives of Christ. Believers in Christ went out to do the work committed to them by the head of the church. They were the branches of which He served as the vine. They were called to bear His fruit in the world, and they had His promise to be with them to the end of the world.

The New Testament letters present this same view of the place of the church in God’s plan of redemption for the world. In I Cor 12 Paul presents the church as the body of Christ. In Eph 5:21-33 and Col 1:18-23, the church is the body of Christ of which He is the head and into which He pours His fullness. With all of its imperfections, the church is viewed as the body of Christ on the earth, the appointed fellowship to carry on His will in the world. Through it, as through the Old Testament Kingdom, God is working out His plan of redemption for mankind.

E. PRESBYTERIAN AND DISPENSATIONAL VIEWS OF THE CHURCH

A high doctrine of the church has been held by Presbyterians for many generations. However, in recent years another doctrine of the church has been embraced by some Presbyterians. The special type of premillenialism which serves as its rootage was advanced, as might be expected, by a person not in the Presbyterian tradition. His name was John Darby, who founded and all but wrecked the early Church of the Plymouth Brethren. His doctrines in part have been accepted and developed into modern dispensationalism by one of the great Bible teachers of recent times, the late Dr. C. I. Scofield. It is natural for Presbyterians to feel the conflict between the dispensational views advanced by Dr. Scofield in his annotated Bible and the doctrines of historic Presbyterianism at certain points, for they stem from different points of view.

The question most frequently asked is stated in this form: Why is it that the Presbyterian Church does not generally accept dispensationalism? The official reasons are stated in a pointed pamphlet which is the report of a special committee to the 1944 Assembly. This may be secured for five cents from a Presbyterian bookstore. It is not our purpose here to discuss all of the details of this report. Let us recognize some of the good points of persons who hold this type of theology and perhaps some of the reasons why Presbyterians as a whole do not recommend dispensationalism as a system of thought.

1. GOOD POINTS OF MANY DISPENSATIONALISTS

A great many Presbyterians who follow Dr. Scofield’s seven dispensations (periods of time in which men are tested by a special revelation from God) are deeply spiritual persons. They are sincerely concerned about the church and its lack of spiritual vitality. They are evangelistic in spirit. They are very much interested in the study of the Bible. They have had an experience which gives them a zeal for God. Usually they are conservative in theology, desiring always to defend the faith which they believe was once for all delivered to the saints. Many of them are most loyal to the Presbyterian Church and to their local pastor and congregation. It would therefore be very unfair to gather up all dispensationalists into one group and condemn them in the name of Presbyterianism. The Bible does not deliver itself on this subject, and neither do the Presbyterian Standards of our church. It is a theology and a movement which has developed since the Westminster Assembly of 1643 was called to meet.

2. BASIC DIFFERENCES BETWEEN DISPENSATIONALISM AND PRESBYTERIANISM

There are a few basic elements in dispensationalism as a theology which are at variance with the Presbyterian faith. One is the Presbyterian emphasis on salvation by faith alone as contrasted with the emphasis on testing (which at times is hard to distinguish from being saved) by different methods in different periods. The period under the law, for instance, is a period where, according to the New Testament, grace was also operative. Without the grace of God the Hebrews could not have been delivered from Egypt. Without God’s grace the remnant could not have been saved after the captivity.

Another difference lies in the use of the term dispensation. Dr. Scofield divides all time into seven dispensations. Presbyterians believe in an Old Testament dispensation (which looks forward to the coming of Christ) and a New Testament dispensation (which recognizes Christ as having already come).

Still a third basic difference is the view of the sovereignty of God and the purpose of God in the two systems of thought. In dispensationalism the purpose of God is believed to center primarily in the Jewish people, and to have been thwarted when the Jews rejected Christ as Messiah. A quick change in plans instituted the church age, which is a sort of interlude before the renewal of God’s purpose with His people, who are physical descendants of Abraham. The Jews are to be restored to a place of prominence at the return of Christ, which is believed to be imminent. Historic Presbyterianism refuses to surrender its belief in the sovereign purpose of God as having been made from all eternity. If God’s purpose has to be changed when the Jews reject Christ, why not at any other time that man chooses to disobey God? Does not such a view weaken our view of God?

Again, while dispensationalism looks upon the church as a temporary and intermediary part of the secondary purpose of God, as already apostate and hardly worth saving, Presbyterians follow what they believe to be the New Testament teaching concerning the church as an integral and necessary part of God’s plan from all eternity. They believe that Christ established the church to continue to witness and to do His work in the world. They believe that Paul was right in arguing in Romans 4 and 9 that the promises of God were intended for the spiritual seed of Abraham, and not merely for his physical seed. Therefore they view the predictions of Jesus concerning His suffering, death and resurrection as a part of the redemptive purpose of God, and the establishment of the church as the living witness to this redemptive purpose of God in Christ. Dispensationalists and Presbyterians agree that the church must witness, the former with more zeal than the latter. They differ as to the importance of the visible church in God’s plan. Dispensationalists sometimes are divisive, putting their own understanding of Christian truth above loyalty to the local church or denomination. This is a part of the privilege of Protestantism, and is evident at times in other dispensational groups. But there is a basic difference between Presbyterian and dispensational theology concerning the place and the importance of the church in God’s plan of redemption for the world.

Another difference between the Presbyterian Standards and dispensationalism is the emphasis on the present and the end of the world. Dispensationalism gives a much greater and more central place to the expected events associated with the return of Christ than does historic Presbyterianism. In dispensational thought, the return of Christ is expected to usher in a series of events which result in the physical restoration of the Jews to an earthly kingdom in Palestine, and in which the faithful saints who have been witnessing to Christ will be united with them in a rule with Christ for literally one thousand years. Many Presbyterians expect a rule of Christ for a thousand years after His return, but do not associate with this belief some of the other ideas advanced by dispensationalists. Other Presbyterians give greater emphasis to their task of striving to establish the Kingdom of God here and now, leaving to Christ the question of the consummation of events in the world by whatever pattern He chooses. Again we repeat that this difference is possible because there is no clear deliverance in the Presbyterian Standards on this subject. The Presbyterian Church as a whole and the Presbyterian Standards give the emphasis to the ongoing obedience of God’s people to His revealed will, not to a special series of events at the end of the present age. The belief in the return of Christ is clear and unmistakable, and Presbyterians hold this doctrine with all purpose and tenacity. But they may and do hold it without a system of events such as men have advanced in relation to this great and historic return. The Presbyterian teaching on this subject is set forth in a later chapter.

3. THESE DIFFERENCES LEAD TO DIFFERENT INTERPRETATIONS OF SCRIPTURE

All of these differences result from and lead to differences in interpretation of the scriptures. It is not, as some suppose, a difference in taking the scriptures literally or figuratively in two complete systems of thought. Dr. Scofield, for instance, is very literal when he interprets certain verses of the Revelation, chapter 20. He refuses to be literal in his interpretation of the messages to the churches in the same book, chapters 2 and 3. According to his teaching, the message to the church at Ephesus is not to the church at Ephesus, but to the church in a period of time that he has set. So also are all of the other messages. His system of thought determines where he will take passages literally and where he will take them figuratively. The same is true in part of Presbyterianism. However, as has been pointed out, Presbyterians reject certain dispensational doctrines because they are at variance with what they believe to be clear teachings of the scriptures in both the Old and the New Testaments as a whole, as well as specific teachings of Christ and the apostles. The difference is not one of judgment upon another set of ideas so much as it is one of loyalty to one’s understanding of the scriptures.

4. THE PURPOSE OF THIS PRESENTATION

It is to be hoped that this brief presentation of differences will bring greater understanding and harmony, and not greater misunderstanding and strife among Presbyterians. It should be pointed out that dispensational views are held to a greater or less extent by many who use the Scofield Reference Bible. Let Presbyterians learn from those who are more zealous and more spiritually concerned than they are. And let dispensationalists who are members of Presbyterian churches understand more clearly that the reason why ministers and others do not promote their doctrine more zealously is that they are loyal to the scriptures and the historic Presbyterian faith. Let both together become better witnesses to the saving power of Christ, to the doctrine of His abiding presence to guide and help, and to His ultimate return in His good time to consummate the redemptive work which has been going on for thousands of years.

F. THE RELATION OF CHRIST TO THE CHURCH

In the light of the discussion which has proceeded, we may summarize the relation of Christ to the church in five statements:

1. Christ is the Saviour of believers in the church. He has always been the one through whom salvation comes. He will always serve this redemptive function.

2. Christ is the Lord and only head of the church. No intermediary or vicar was appointed by Him to take His place and none is needed to usurp His place in the church. He guides the church by the power of His Holy Spirit whenever and wherever the church is responsive to hear and to heed His voice.

3. Christ is related to the church as the vine is related to the branches or as the head is related to the body. He supplies the life, the power, the direction needed for the life, the growth, and the work of the church. The church commits itself to Him to carry out His directions as it draws daily strength from Him.

4. Christ is constantly working in and through the church in the person of the Holy Spirit. The promises of the book of Acts and the experiences described in the New Testament do not cease at the end of the first century. They belong to the church universal. They belong to us insofar as we will dare to claim them.

5. Christ will consummate the work of the church in the final judgment and will take all believers to the church triumphant in glory. The details are not all clear, but the truth shines through all the clouds of misunderstanding. He who has overcome the world will overcome the evil forces in the world and will claim His own forever.

As these statements indicate, Christ has the central and significant place in the life and thought of the church. Presbyterians are not ashamed to give Him His rightful place as Lord and head of the church which He purchased with His own blood.

G. THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH

The mission of the church is well stated in Matt 28:16-20. The risen Lord sent out believers to make disciples of all nations. They were to do this by preaching the Gospel of redemption through Him who had become incarnate in the flesh, who had been crucified and raised for their redemption. These disciples were sent out to teach all that He had commanded them. The teaching which is now summarized in the Gospels and in the New Testament as a whole provides a rich content of Christian teaching. His instruction was to teach men to observe, to obey all that He had commanded. Thus the church which fulfills its mission must both preach to and teach all men. It is important to say, “Christ died for your redemption,” but it is equally important to present every man mature in Christ through his deeper and wider understanding of the Christian faith. Presbyterians seek to obey this command by using all of the means of spiritual growth, including the proper observance of the two sacraments instituted by Christ. These means of growth will be discussed more fully in the next chapter.

The mission of the church is to do the work of Christ in the world until He comes. It is not sure when He will return, but is to remain faithfully at its task until that time. The church has the glorious mission of making Christ known, of proclaiming His Gospel and of applying it in all the relationships of life. To this mission the church may well consecrate itself day by day, week by week, month by month, year by year.

H. THE SOURCE OF POWER FOR THE CHURCH

The Holy Spirit brings to the believing church the power of God for its great task. The experiences described in the book of Acts reveal how ordinary and weak Christians were used in a remarkable way to make Christ known in a hostile world. In every age since that time the power of God has been offered to the church. The church has not always caught the vision of its Lord and has not always dared to claim His power to obey His command. Whenever it has become usable, it has received His power to obey. God’s power is available to the church today. Let us study, pray, work, and obey that we may receive this power through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Then and then alone will the church march to accomplish its redemptive mission.

The high view of the church which is set forth in our Presbyterian Standards properly leads to a glorious experience of the power of God in the body of Christ. He longs to pour out His Spirit upon the church of the twentieth century. He longs to fill your church with the power it needs for a new obedience. Let us all become usable so that we may receive power in His name.