The Seven Churches in the Book of Revelation

Here is a series of Sermons that have just been fantastic for our Mission Work to hear as the Church has come to a close and we hope they will bless you also.

Blessings,
The Members of Westminster

The Seven Churches in Revelation 

by Pastor Jess Stanfield

No Room For Pesimissim in a Victorious Gospel


Church of Ephesus: Full Heads, Cold Hearts 



What to Do With Full Heads, Cold Hearts Pt II


Church of Smyrna: Remain Faithful

Apostolic Gifts Grow the Church

Pergamum: Compromise of the Gospel



Pergamum: The Throne of Statan



The Church at Thyatira: Tolerating Jezebel



The Church at Thyatira - Tolerating Jezebel - Part 2



Sardis and The Sin of Laziness

Sardis and The Sin of Laziness II

Philadelphia: An Open Door

Philadelphia: An Open Door II



Laodicea: A Pitiful Church



A Summary of the Seven Churches



We hope these messages from Revelation have been a blessing to you as they were to us.  For more on the series in Revelation by Pastor Jess Stanfield please go to Sermon Audio or to Zion's Web Page at: http://www.zionpresbyterian.org/

RPCUS-Family Bible Conference in Bluefield, Virginia

It's that time of year again folks, time to register for the Family Bible Conference in Bluefield, Virginia. 

This year's conference is on:

Follow this link for more information and registration.  The conference is June 22-26, 2010.  Hope you can come!!!

RPCUS- Family Bible Conference http://reformedfamilybibleconference.com/

RPCUS Distinctives and the Westminster Standards, Part 6 -9/19/09

A Continuation...part 6 of 6

By John M. Otis

Conclusion

The RPCUS views itself as a denomination in the great tradition of Southern Presbyterianism. We do not believe that we are the only legitimate Presbyterian denomination, but we do believe that God has raised us up to be guardians of a special treasure — the Westminster Standards. We believe that they set forth the system of doctrine taught by the Bible. We believe that strict subscription to them is expected of a confessional or creedal church. Strict subscription extends to every doctrine in every chapter of the Confession. We are as narrow or restrictive as the wording of the Confession of Faith. We do say to all our Reformed brothers, “Come, join us, and stand with us as together we champion the causes of King Jesus.

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RPCUS Distinctives and the Westminster Standards, Part 5 -9/18/09

A Continuation...part 5 of 6

By John M. Otis

Congregational Voting Limited To Male Heads of Households

The fourth distinguishing characteristic of the RPCUS is that we believe that only male heads of households have a right to vote in a congregational meeting. The RPCUS believes that other Presbyterian and Reformed denominations do not go far enough in limiting the role of women in the church. I Corinthians 14:34 ,35 states, “Let the women keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but let them subject themselves, just as the Law also says. And if they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is improper for a woman to speak in church.” The text is clear that women are prohibited in speaking in church worship services. If they have theological questions they are to look to their own husbands. The governing principle is that they are to be in subjection. To speak in worship is not to be in subjection. The contrast is clear in the passage – “for they are not permitted to speak, but let them subject themselves,…” I Timothy 2:11-14 gives a similar admonition – “Let a woman quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being quite deceived, fell into transgression.”

Many denominations have correctly understood this passage as a prohibition against women officers (teaching and ruling elders and deacons). However, they have fallen short of its total prohibition. A congregational vote is an exercise of rule in the church. It is an exercise of ecclesiastical power. One of the foremost responsibilities of a congregation meeting is the selection of church officers, from the pastor to ruling elders and to deacons. This selection has tremendous and long term affects in the ministry of any particular church. The selection of officers is probably the most important decision in the life of any church. Since it is not unusual for women to constitute a greater number of communing or voting members in a church, this means that women can out vote the male members and determine who is to be church officers. It is not uncommon for Presbyterian pulpit committees ( a committee selected by the congregation to locate prospective pastors and bring recommendations to the congregation for a vote) to be comprised of at least one woman. This means the woman’s vote carries even more power, seeing that the pulpit committee is not that large. The ability to select one man over another as a church officer is an exercise of authority or rule in the church. It is totally out of accord with biblical admonitions that the women are to be submissive to men and remain quiet in church. I Corinthians 11:3 is very forthright in the line of authority – “But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ.” The principle of submission is magnificently brought out in I Peter 3:5,6 regarding the submission of wives to their husbands – “For in this way in former times the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being submissive to their own husbands. Thus Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, and you have become her children id you do what is right without being frightened by any fear.” Yes, this context along with I Corinthians 11 has primary reference to the relationship of husbands and wives; however, the principle of womanly submission to male headship is not totally restricted to the marriage relationship, for we noted earlier that Paul’s prohibition against women having authority over men is also grounded in the principle of submission. Note carefully that Paul prefaces this prohibition by I Timothy 2:11 which says, “Let a woman quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness.” For a woman to possess the power of a congregational vote is totally inconsistent with the cultivation and manifestation of submission to male headship in the life of the church.

The question might be raised by some, “The RPCUS has sought to give a biblical defense of their prohibition against women’s suffrage, but where in the Westminster Standards is this position defended?” First, any doctrine that is biblical is also a doctrine that is either explicitly or implicitly set forth in the Standards. As we examine the Westminster Standards, we will find no explicit chapter or catechism question and answer dealing with the issue of women’s suffrage in the life of the church, but we should not be misled to think that the issue is not addressed in some form. For example, we do not find any explicit mention in the Westminster Standards prohibiting women from holding church office. Are we to interpret this to mean that the Standards do not have a position regarding this issue? In the historical context, this was not an issue. However, the Westminster Standards are not completely silent regarding the role of women in the church. We can implicitly build a case by looking at the Scriptural proof texts given in the document entitled, The Form of Presbyterial Church Government.” In the section of this document dealing with pastors, we find the following comments concerning the public reading of the Scriptures: “That the priests and Levites in the Jewish church were entrusted with the public reading of the word is proved. That the ministers of the gospel have as ample a charge and commission to dispense the word, as well as other ordinances, as the priests and Levites had under the law, proved, Isa. Lxvi. 21. Matt. xxiii. 34 where our Saviour entitleth the officers of the New Testament, whom he will send forth, by the same names of the teachers of the Old.” It is clear from this statement that a parallel is being drawn between the priests and Levites of the Old Testament with ministers of the gospel in the New Testament. Obviously, there are dissimilarities between the two groups, but there are similarities as well. The similarities are addressed in the proof texts. Deuteronomy 31:9-11 and I Timothy 3:2 are cited. In these two proof texts, we find that Moses wrote the law, giving it to the priests, the sons of Levi for them to publicly read to the congregation of Israel. We are told in I Timothy 3:2 that one of the qualifications for an elder is that, if he is married , he is to be the husband of one wife. Hence, we see that the Westminster Standards do implicitly teach from their proof texts that only males are to hold church office.

In The Form of Presbyterial Church Government, we read in the section on ordination the following definition: “Ordination is the solemn setting apart of a person to some publick church office.” The proof text given for this point is Numbers 8:10-22. This portion of Scripture deals with the presentation of the Levites to the Lord for their priestly service. Numbers 8:9,10 reads, “So you shall present the Levites before the tent of meeting. You shall also assemble the whole congregation of the sons of Israel, and present the Levites before the Lord; and the sons of Israel shall lay their hands on the Levites.” Only the male representatives were engages in setting apart other males for religious service. Keil and Delitzsch state in their commentary on Numbers, “Moses was then to cause them to draw near before the tabernacle, i.e., to enter the court, and to gather together the whole congregation of Israel, viz., in the persons of their heads and representatives. After this the Levites were to come before Jehovah, i.e., in front of the altar; and the children of Israel, i.e., the tribe princes in the name of the Israelites, were to lay their hands upon them…..that by this symbolic act they might transfer to the Levites the obligation resting upon the whole nation to serve the Lord in the persons of its first born sons, and might present them to the Lord as representatives of the first born of Israel, to serve Him as living sacrifices” (Commentary on the Old Testament, p. 48).

It is vital to note that the phrase “the whole congregation” is expressed in terms of male heads who laid hands on other male representatives for religious service. This principle is carried forward into the New Testament in the ordination of ministers of the gospel. The Form of Presbyterial Church Government states, “Every minister of the Word is to be ordained by imposition of hands, and prayer, with fasting, by those preaching presbyters to whom it doth belong.” If church elders, who are to be males, are installing other elders into church office by the laying on of hands, it is totally inconsistent to imagine women have any part in the selection of these elders by a congregational vote. The problem with our churches is that they seem to think that the existence of women’s suffrage in the broader society must or should be exercised in the church. The legitimacy of women’s suffrage in the civil realm is an equally important issue that should be given a biblical critique, but it is beyond the scope of this paper to give such an assessment.

It is interesting to note the impact of this view upon women in the RPCUS. This author has talked with women in our churches about the prohibition of female voting in congregational meetings. They did not view this prohibition as an act of tyranny or as an attempt to control or subjugate the women in the church. Some said that they viewed this prohibition as a blessing in that they felt relieved of the burden of responsibility that more properly belongs to their husbands.

The point is: Church sessions, don’t be afraid to enact this policy. If your church is grounded in the Word of God, your women will desire faithful male headship in all areas of life, including local congregational life. Regardless of what you think the response of the women in your church will be, you must act biblically. Be courageous, and the Lord will honor you.

RPCUS Distinctives and the Westminster Standards, Part 4 -9/17/09

A Continuation...4 of 6

By Rev. John M. Otis

The Postmillennial Distinctive

A third distinctive of the RPCUS is that we are a postmillennial denomination. We do not practice eschatological liberty because the Westminster Standards do not allow such liberty. Again, the operating principle of the RPCUS is that we subscribe to all the doctrines of every chapter of the Confession. All forms of premillennialism are unacceptable viewpoints. Dispensational premillennialism is fundamentally out of accord with the Standards by espousing a view that denies covenant theology, which is the clear position of the Standards. Historic premillennialism is out of accord due to the following reasons: 1) It believes that the kingdom of God in its fullest sense will not be present on earth until Christ’s second coming when He establishes an earthly reign of at least a thousand years. 2) It believes that the effects of the gospel will not bring about worldwide conversion and cultural renewal. It believes that the world is steadily getting worse, culminating in a great apostasy, the rise of the antichrist, and the Great Tribulation at the end of the church age. 3) It believes in two bodily resurrections. The first, commonly called the Rapture, occurs at Jesus’ second coming. The second bodily resurrection, commonly known as the Great White Throne Judgment, occurs at the end of the millennial reign of Christ.

Where are the tenants of historic premillennialism out of accord with the Westminster Standards? The Confession and Larger Cathechism do not differentiate as separate events the second coming of Christ, the last day, and the great day of judgment. All these events are contemporaneous, meaning that these are all facets of one great event. There are not two bodily resurrections but only one, and there is no time separation between these events such as a thousand-year reign of Christ. Chapter 32 sections II and III of the Westminster Confession refer to the last day as the day of resurrection for both the righteous and unrighteous. Chapter 33 speaks of the Day of Judgment where the righteous and the unrighteous will be judged. Chapter 33 section III associates this great Day of Judgment with Christ’s Second Coming. Larger Catechism question # 87 states, “What are we to believe concerning the resurrection? Part of the answer states, “We are to believe, that at the last day there shall be a general resurrection of the dead,… both of the just and unjust: when they that are then found alive shall in a moment be changed…” The answer to Larger Catechism question # 88 refers to the day of resurrection, the Day of Judgment, and Christ’s Second Coming as one event. Question # 88 states, “What shall immediately follow after the resurrection?” The answer states, “Immediately after the resurrection shall follow the general and final judgment of angels and men; the day and hour whereof no man knoweth, that all may watch and pray, and be ever ready for the coming of the Lord.”

Shorter Catechism question # 28 asks, “Wherein consisteth Christ’s exaltation? The answer states, “Christ’s exaltation consisteth in His rising again from the dead on the third day, in ascending up into heaven, in sitting at the right hand of God the Father, and in coming to judge the world at the last day.” We can see that the Shorter Catechism links Christ’s coming and His judgment of the world with the last day.

Larger Catechism question and answer # 56 links Christ’s coming with the last day, which is also the Day of Judgment. The question states, “How is Christ to be exalted in his coming again to judge the world?” The answer states, “Christ is to be exalted in his coming again to judge the world, in that he, who was unjustly judged and condemned by wicked men, shall come again at the last day in great power, and in the full manifestation of his own glory, and of his Father’s, with all his holy angels, with a shout with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God, to judge the world in righteousness.” Historic premillennialism has always associated I Thessalonians 4:16 with the Rapture, where Christ descends with a shout, with a voice of an archangel, and with a trumpet. Yet, the Rapture is supposedly separated from the Day of Judgment by at least a thousand years. The Larger Catechism refutes this notion, and it emphatically states that Christ, “shall come again at the last day in great power…” Moreover, the Catechism states that Christ is exalted “in his coming again to judge the world.” Hence, the Second Coming and the great Day of Judgment are one event!

Amillennialists would agree with every correction that we have pointed out with reference to the premillennialists. There are great similarities between amillennialists and postmillennialists, but the basic difference between the two is paramount and is of such magnitude that an amillennialist would not pass a theological exam in the RPCUS. While the amillennialist does believe that Jesus is presently reigning in this age, he is essentially pessimistic in his view of history. He does not believe that the gospel will prosper in bringing about the Christianization of the world. He believes that culture will continue to decline , leading to a great apostasy which culminates in Christ’s Second Coming at the end of this millennial age.

Some might say that the RPCUS’ postmillennial position is too dogmatic and too narrow in denying amillennialists entrance into the denomination. Yet, the distinguishing mark of postmillennial eschatology is central. It believes in the victory of the gospel in space and time during the present millennial age. The Great Commission of Christ in Matthew 28:18-20 will be accomplished in history prior to Christ’s Second Coming. The knowledge of the glory of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea as promised in Isaiah 11:9 and in Habakkuk 2:14. King Jesus will take possession of His inheritance as was promised Him by the Father in Psalm 2:7,8. Verse 8 says, “Ask of Me and I will surely give the nations as Thine inheritance, and the very ends of the earth as Thy possession.” From His ascended throne in heaven, King Jesus exercises His kingly reign by subduing His enemies, making them a footstool for His feet just as Hebrews 10:12,13 says, “but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time onward until His enemies be made a footstool for His feet.”

The postmillennialist asks every amillennialist, “How can a sovereign God, who has foreordained the end from the beginning and who has all power, ever lose?” The Great Commission is not the foreordination of defeat but of victory. This optimism is seen in the Larger Catechism question and answer # 54, “How is Christ exalted in his sitting at the right hand of God?” Part of the answer states, “Christ…doth gather and defend his church, and subdue their enemies;…” Shorter Catechism question # 26 asks, “How does Christ execute the office of a king?” The answer is: “Christ executeth the office of a king, in subduing us to himself, in ruling and defending us, and in restraining and conquering all his and our enemies.” One of the proof texts given by the Westminster delegates on this question and answer is Psalm 110 and I Corinthians 15:25. The Corinthian passage says, “For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.”

Larger Catechism question # 191 states, “What do we pray for in the second petition?” The answer is: “In the second petition, (which is, Thy kingdom come,) acknowledging ourselves and all mankind to be by nature under the dominion of sin and Satan, we pray, that the kingdom of sin and Satan may be destroyed, the gospel propagated throughout the world, the Jews called, the fulness of the Gentiles brought in, the church furnished with gospel officers and ordinances, purged from corruption,…”

This portion of the Lord’s prayer is unquestionably postmillennial. A prayer for the kingdom of sin and Satan to be destroyed is a prayer for the victory of the gospel in the millennial age. Since the first promise of the Messiah in Genesis 3:15, there has been enmity between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent. We know the seed of the woman (Christ and His seed, i.e., his people) shall have ultimate victory over the seed of the serpent (Satan and His seed, i.e., his followers). We know that the woman’s seed is the church of Christ, all the elect of God, and the serpent’s seed is all the reprobate, the children of the Devil. In Genesis 22:17 we have the promise that Abraham’s seed will possess the gates of their enemies. Galatians 3:29 identifies the church as the seed of Abraham. To possess an enemy’s gate is to conquer one’s enemy. In Matthew 16:18, Jesus promised His church that the gates of Hell would not be able to withstand the assault of the church. From II Corinthians 10:3-5 we learn that the church has divinely empowered spiritual weapons for the destruction of fortresses. The church destroys ungodly speculations and brings all thoughts captive to Christ’s obedience. We know that Jesus’ millennial reign shall be victorious as noted by Psalm 2; Psalm 110; I Corinthians 15:20-28; Hebrews 10:12,13; and Ephesians 1:20-23. Since prayer is a means ordained by God to bring about His sovereign decrees, would God have us pray for something that He does not intend to accomplish? Of course not!

When we are commanded to pray that the gospel be propagated throughout the world, we are praying that the gospel accomplish its intended purpose – that of the Christianization of the world’s nations. This is the promise of the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20. In verse 18 Jesus said that he possessed all authority in heaven and earth. In light of this fact, Jesus commanded His church to go and make disciples of the world’s nations. Since Jesus said that he would be with the church to the end of the world, this means that His sovereign power would always be energizing His church to fulfill her task.

The prayer for the Jews to be called to Christ is a fulfillment of what was promised in Romans 11:26 that all ethnic Israel would be saved, that she, the natural branch, would be grafted back onto the tree. The prayer that the fullness of the Gentiles be brought in is a prayer for the Christianization of the world in accord with Matthew 28:18-20 and what was promised in Psalm 22:27,28 that all the families of the nations will worship God. It is also a prayer for the fulfillment of the promise in Isaiah 2:2-4 that the peoples of the earth will stream to the mountain of the house of the Lord to learn the ways of Jehovah, and the nations will beat their weapons of war into tools of productivity to the glory of God.

The Westminster Standards are postmillennial. What the RPCUS wants to hear from its candidates is that they believe in the success of the gospel during the millennial age before the Second Coming of Christ.

RPCUS Distinctives and the Westminster Standards, Part 3 -9/16/09

A Continuation...3 of 6

By Rev. John M. Otis

The Theonomic Distinctive

A second distinguishing feature of the RPCUS is that it is a theonomic denomination. We are quite aware of the controversy in the Reformed world over this point, and we are grieved that this is even an issue, for we believe that the Scripture and the Confessional Standards are quite clear. Without discussing great detail, the debate has focused upon the continuing validity of the judicial or case laws of the Old Testament for our modern culture. The position of the RPCUS has been that it simply adopts at face value chapters 19 and 23 of the Westminster Confession of Faith pertaining to the law of God and to the civil magistrate. Several key points need to be made. First, the RPCUS adopts chapter 23 in its entirety as originally framed by the Westminster delegates. We reject the revisions to the Confession made by the Adopting Act of 1729. It took exception to section III of chapter 23 of the Westminster Confession pertaining to the duty of the civil magistrate. The Adopting Act viewed this section as extra-essential and not as a necessary point of doctrine. One problem with referring to sections of the Confession as extra-essential and not necessary is: What is the basis for determining what is not essential and necessary? A very dangerous precedent is set, and it paves the way for abandoning the doctrines of the Standards. This is what happened historically in the PCUS in its eventual slide into apostasy.

The RPCUS also sees a great error in what the Synod of New York and Philadelphia did in 1788 in amending chapter 23 of the Confession regarding the duties of the civil magistrate. It deleted portions of section III of chapter 23. The section that it deleted was: “it is his duty, to take order, that unity and peace be preserved in the church, that the truth of God be kept pure and entire, that all blasphemies and heresies be suppressed, all corruptions and abuses in worship and discipline prevented or reformed, all the ordinances of God duly settled, administered and observed. For the better effecting whereof, he hath power to call synods, to be present at them, and to provide that whatsoever is transacted in them be according to the mind of God.” Several Scriptural proof texts are provided by the Westminster delegates to demonstrate the legitimacy of this section. The point is: The civil magistrate, though a separate institution from the church, is still accountable to God to be as Romans 13:4 says, “a minister of God to you for good…” The civil magistrate as God’s minister is commissioned to uphold the law of God as revealed in Scripture. One of the proof texts in the Confession cites King Josiah and his thorough abolishment of pagan worship centers in Israel. This section of the Confession clearly renounces the idea of religious pluralism in a Christian culture. Non-Christian religions are not given equal footing with Christianity. In fact, they are not to be tolerated in the sense that they are not to be allowed by the state to proselytize a community.

A second point emphasized by the RPCUS is that chapter 19 section IV of the Confession is not vague or unclear in its meaning and application. The section reads, “with regard to the nation of Israel, To them also, as a body politick, he gave sundry judicial laws, which expired together with the state of that people, not obliging any other now, further than the general equity thereof may require.” The controversy over the issue of theonomy revolves around the phrase, “not obliging any other now, further than the general equity thereof may require.” Many in the Reformed community who oppose theonomy say, “Since the nation of Israel has expired as a political body, the judicial laws of Moses do not apply to us at all.

The theonomic position is that the ceremonial laws of the Old Testament are no longer obligatory upon God’s people. They foreshadowed the atoning work of Christ. Now that the reality has come, there is not a need for the types and shadows of the old covenant. The judicial or case laws are still to be enforced, however, for these laws are specific illustrations of how to carry out God’s moral law as summarized in the ten commandments. Greg Bahnsen, the author of Theonomy In Christian Ethics, wrote, “The case law illustrates the applications or qualification of the principle laid down in the general commandment” (p. 313). Bahnsen further stated, “The case laws outside of the Decalogue (also called “judicial laws” in Reformed literature) are thus moral in character. Because their details are often communicated in terms of ancient Israel’s culture, these laws are not binding as such on us in today’s culture; rather, we are now required to keep the underlying principle (or “general equity”) of these laws” (Greg Bahnsen, “God’s Law and Gospel Prosperity: A Reply to the Editor of the Presbyterian Journal,” p. 15).

Accordingly, the phrase, “general equity,” in the Westminster Confession indicates that the underlying principle of the case law is what is obligatory upon us today. Bahnsen has said, “Likewise, as an application of the sixth commandment, “Thou shall not kill” the law of God required Israelites to place a fencing around the roofs of their houses. The underlying principle of this law still applies to us today, even though we may not apply it to entertaining on flat roofs since this is not part of our cultural experience; instead we might apply it today by placing a fence around our backyard swimming pools – again, in order to protect human life and thus obey the general precept of God’s law” (Ibid. p.14).

The meaning of “general equity” is not open to a variance of meaning or application. The meaning of words must always be understood in the historical context in which they are found. How did the English Puritans who wrote the Confession understand the meaning of these words? How did the American Puritans understand their meaning and application? We need to let the authors of the Confession speak for themselves, and then the mystery of the debate over theonomy should be over! The theonomic position should not be seen as an ethical innovation. It is a restatement of standard Puritan and Reformed thought.

One of the most important works done in recent time is Martin A. Foulner’s book, Theonomy and the Westminster Confession, published in 1997. Foulner has given us a masterful compilation of quotes by the English and American Puritans, which forever settles the issue from an historical and scholarly point of view. The Puritans of the 17th Century were theonomists! Who better to gives us an understanding of the meaning of chapter 19 of the Confession than those English Puritans who attended the Westminster Assembly and helped formulate the wording of the Confession? Two notable delegates of the Westminster Assembly were George Gillespie and Samuel Rutherford. Regarding the applicability of the Mosaic judicial law, Gillespie said, “I heartily yield that a lawful magistrate, whether Christian or heathen, ought to be a keeper or guardian of both tables; and as God’s viceregent, hath authority to punish heinous sins against either table, by civil or corporal punishments, which proves nothing against a distinct church government for keeping pure the ordinances of Christ” (George Gillespie, Aaron’s Rod Blossoming; or, the Divine Ordinances of Church Government Vindicated, 1646 as quoted in Martin Foulner’s Theonomy and the Westminster Confession, p. 14).

Samuel Rutherford, another delegate of the Westminster Assembly, used language similar to that of the Confession when he wrote, “It is clear the question must be thus stated, for all the lawes of the old Testament (which we hold in their morall equite to be perpetual) that are touching blasphemies, heresies, solicitation to worship false Gods and the breach of which the Godly Magistrate was to punish, command or forbid onely such things as may be proved by two or three witnesses…” (Samuel Rutherford, A Free Disputation Against Pretended Liberty of Conscience, p. 47 as quoted in Foulner, p. 16).

In 1649 the Commissioners of the Westminster Assembly wrote A Solemn Testimony Against Toleration. In it they said, “For it cannot be shown that any part of that power which magistrates had under the Old Testament is repealed under the new, neither can any convincing reason be brought, why it should be of narrower extent now nor then. Are not blasphemies, heresies and errors dishonourable to God, and destructive unto souls as well now as of old?” (Quoted in Foulner, p. 33).

In his book, Theonomy and the Westminster Confession, Foulner quotes from other English Puritans who attended the Westminster Assembly and who believed in carrying out the punishments of the Mosaic judicial laws. These other Puritans were Jeremiah Burroughs, Herbert Palmer, William Reyner, Richard Vines, Thomas Hodges, and Philip Nye.

In keeping with Puritan tradition, the RPCUS affirms that the Westminster Standards are theonomic documents; therefore, nothing short of affirming the general theonomic position is acceptable for all officers of the RPCUS. In saying this, we need to clarify a very important point. The RPCUS endorses theonomy as it is stated in chapters 19 and 23 of the original Confession. There are some theonomists today who believe the dietary laws of the Old Testament are still operative; however, this is a position not held by many other theonomists. The predominant opinion of these is that the dietary laws fall more under the ceremonial law than they do under the judicial laws. Moreover, there is sometimes difference of opinion among theonomists in how the principles of the case laws should be enforced. For example, are federal regulatory agencies such as the FAA and OSHA legitimate applications of the principles of the case laws of the Old Testament. Some theonomists have said “yes” and others “no.” Herein is a certain latitude of differing thought within the overall theonomic position.

The RPCUS, as a presbyterial examination body, wants to hear from a prospective officer that he endorses the basic theonomic position of the Westminster Confession as stated in chapter 19 section IV. The presbytery often asks further questions of the candidate to determine what he understands to be the meaning of “general equity.” If the candidate says, “I believe the Mosaic civil or judicial laws are still valid in the application of their basic principle,” then this would be considered as an acceptable answer.

RPCUS Distinctives and the Westminster Standards, Part 2 -9/15/09

A Continuation...2 of 6

By Rev. John M. Otis

A Commitment To Presuppositional Apologetics

The RPCUS advocates a presuppositional approach to apologetics in the Van Tilian tradition. The heart of presuppositional apologetics is its insistence that the debate between Christianity and all competing systems of philosophy occurs at the worldview level. Individuals always define and interpret the facts according to their governing presuppositions, i.e., their worldview. Accordingly, it is pointless to argue endlessly with the unbelievers about “the facts.” Rather, we must challenge the foolishness of the unbeliever’s philosophy of fact, his worldview. Accordingly, apologetics will always involve a debate about ultimate starting points or presuppositions. These presuppositions constitute the highest authority to which one can appeal. One’s ultimate starting point is the foundation that one assumes to be true, an assumption that is often made without critical analysis or independent verification. It is one’s foundational axiom.

The Christian’s ultimate starting point is self-attesting Scriptures. The Scriptures are our foundational axiom. God’s word must be the ultimate staring point instead of subjective human experience or the independent facts of the universe. “A presuppositional method of apologetics assumes the truth of Scripture in order to argue for the truth of Scripture. Such is unavoidable when ultimate truths are being debated” (Greg Bahnsen, A Biblical Introduction To Apologetics, Classroom syllabus 1976, p. 34).

One of the central issues in apologetics is the issue of certainty. Why do we believe Christianity to be the only true religion? On what basis do we believe Christianity to be true? First, Christianity can never be reduced to a probability statement. Christianity is not probably true; it is an absolute certainty. The Bible does not ask men to first establish the Bible’s reliability and then put their trust in it. The Bible makes absolute demands upon man. The Bible testifies to its own authority. Our certainty rests upon the Scripture’s self-attestation to its authority and truthfulness. The Bible is not open for independent verification. Van Til saw that it was sinful for man to call into question the Bible’s veracity. Man must bow in humility to the Bible’s authority and repent of his own autonomous thoughts.

Among some Reformed brethren, there are two other apologetic methodologies. Some are Christian rationalists, being followers of Gordon H. Clark, and others are evidentialists. For Clark, the ultimate test for truth is coherence, and undergirding this is the supremacy of the law on non-contradiction. A person chooses a self-consistent system over against a self-contradictory one (Gordon Clark, A Christian View of Man and Things, p.34). Clark maintained that systematic consistency is a test for revelations from God. Clark said, “If Bible doctrines are self-consistent, they have met the only legitimate test of reason. This test of logic is precisely the requirement that a set of propositions be meaningful, whether spoken by God or man” (quoted in Gilbert Weaver, The Concept of Truth In the Apologetic Systems of Gordon Hadden Clark and Cornelius Van Til, p.77).

Clark put great emphasis upon the use of reason, for Clark said, “The intelligibility of the Scripture presupposes logic. Therefore, anyone who is in the business of selecting first principles would seem to do better by choosing the law of non-contradiction as the axiom rather than Scripture. Scripture without logic would have no meaning” (Ronald Nash, ed. The Philosophy of Gordon H. Clark, p.64).

Regarding the issue of certainty, Clark made the following comments: “Logical consistency therefore is evidence of inspiration; but it is not demonstration. Strong accidents do happen to occur, and no proof is forthcoming that the Bible is not such an accident” (quoted in Howard F. Vos, ed. How May I Know My Bible is Inspired, Can I trust My Bible, p. 24).

Regarding the use of Scripture in apologetics, Clark said, “the first reason for believing the Bible is inspired is that the Bible claims to be inspired … It is circular. We believe the Bible to be inspired because it makes the claim, and we believe the claim because it is inspired and therefore true. This does not seem to be the right way to argue” (Ibid. p. 10). Essentially, Clark believed that the apologist’s task, in part, was to reduce anti-Christian systems to absurdity. Clark maintained that Christian propositions are consistent with each other and thereby show the validity of the axiom that Christianity is truth. Hence, logical consistency is Christianity’s test for truth. We will reserve analysis of Clark’s methodology until we have listed another major approach to apologetics.

E.J. Carnell was an advocate of another major approach to apologetics known as evidentialism. Carnell said that truth is what God says it is. How do we know when God is speaking truth? We must test truth claims to determine their validity. Regarding one’s starting point for apologetics, Carnell has said, “I have always been warmly attracted to the Cartesian starting point, for it has close affinities with my own procedure” (E.J. Carnell, Christian Commitment, p. 37). The Cartesian starting point is: I think therefore I am. Carnell continued, “Here is what I defend: I think therefore, I am morally obliged to admit to reality of my own existence” (Ibid).

Regarding the relationship of faith to evidences, Carnell has said, “We have defined generic faith as a resting of the mind in the sufficiency of the evidences, saving Faith is a cordial trust in the person and work of Christ. But saving faith is built on the foundation of generic faith, for we could never yield ourselves to cordial trust unless the whole man rested in the sufficiency of the evidences” (Carnell, Christian Commitment, p. 267). For the evidentialist, the truthfulness of the Bible rests upon the weight of evidences. For the Christian apologist, the preponderance of evidence proves Christianity to be true. Evidentialism demands that man, even non-Christian man, be the determining judge of what constitutes a legitimate proof; therefore, man is the ultimate starting point for truth, not the Scripture itself.

Having set forth three major approaches to apologetics, which one does the Westminster Standards advocate? In chapter 1 section IV, the Westminster Confession states, “The authority of the holy scriptures, for which it ought to be believed and obeyed, dependeth not upon the testimony of any man or church, but wholly upon God, (who is truth itself,) the author thereof; and therefore it is to be received, because it is the word of God.” The Confession goes on to describe the uniqueness of the Scriptures as being spiritual in content, possessing great doctrines, having majestic literary style, setting forth a unity of doctrine spanning all sixty –six books, which were written by different authors over centuries of time. The Confession says that these are “arguments whereby it doth abundantly evidence itself to be the word of God; yet, not withstanding, our full persuasion and assurance of the infallible truth, and divine authority thereof, is from the inward work of the Holy Spirit, bearing witness by and with the word in our hearts” (Westminster Confession of Faith, chapter 1 section V).

The Westminster Confession clearly adopts a presuppositional approach to apologetics. The Bible’s internal testimony to its inspiration and authority is our starting point. God has sovereignly revealed Himself in its pages, and his Word exercises unquestionable authority over all men. Some might say, “The RPCUS is being rather narrow or nit-picking in what it deems as an acceptable apologetic approach.” The issue at stake is no minor one. One of the great doctrines of the Westminster Standards is that of the sovereignty of God. Man exists to bring glory to His sovereign God, and any perspective that detracts from this central point diminishes this doctrinal truth. Man’s experiences, his observations, and his reasoning can never be the criteria upon which man stands as judge over God. Any apologetic methodology that begins with man and not with God as He is revealed in Scripture is insulting to the God of Scripture. The God of the Bible cannot come to us in any other way than that which is consistent with Himself. God has revealed Himself as the I AM THAT I AM, one who is self explanatory, one who is accountable to no one but Himself. If God chooses to reveal Himself in Scripture, then the Scripture needs no verification. The Bible’s self-attesting authority demands that man submit his whole being (mind, heart, and will) to the word of God. Yes, the Bible is the most rational explanation of the universe, and the evidences or facts of the universe do point to Christianity’s truthfulness. However, this alone is not what makes Christianity the only true religion. The Bible is not true because of the facts, but the facts are true because the Bible is true! An overriding doctrine of the Standards is that man, the creature, is the servant of God the creator, not vice versa. The Clarkian and evidentialist approaches to apologetics must be abandoned because they are not faithful to Scripture nor to the Confessional Standards. It is on this basis that the RPCUS insists that its officers adopt a presuppositional approach to apologetics.

RPCUS Distinctives and the Westminster Standards, Part 1 -9/14/09

Rev. John M. Otis

Pastor & Evangelist in the RPCUS

Introduction

The governing constitution of the RPCUS (Reformed Presbyterian Church in the United States) is the original Westminster Confession of Faith with its accompanying Larger and Shorter Catechisms, the Form of Presbyterian Church Government, and the Directory For Public Worship of God. Outside of its general commitment to the doctrines of the Reformed Faith found in the Westminster Standards, the RPCUS is known for its adherence to four specific areas in addition to all other Reformed doctrines in the Standards. The purpose of this article is to outline these distinctives, giving documentation from the Standards for their insistence. There are those in the Reformed community who already have a perception of the RPCUS’ distinctives, and others are unaware of them. This paper will clarify those distinctives.

What are the particular distinctives characterizing this denomination? First, we affirm a presuppositional approach to apologetics. We also acknowledge ourselves to be a theonomic denomination. Third, we believe in a postmillennial eschatology. Fourth, the RPCUS advocates that all areas of ecclesiastical authority be exercised by biblically qualified males. Specifically, the RPCUS only allows male heads of households to participate in congregational voting.

The question that has been raised by some Reformed brethren is: To what extent does the RPCUS demand subscription of its officers to these distinctives? The answer is: The RPCUS requires all of its teaching and ruling elders along with its deacons to subscribe to these distinctives. These distinctives are not the only emphases of the denomination, for they are only part of that total Reformed system of doctrine set forth by the Standards. Allegiance to these four distinctives does not mean that the RPCUS is obsessed with only these four areas. The denomination is committed to all of the Reformed doctrines set forth by each chapter of the Confession. Moreover, the RPCUS insists that these four distinctives are inseparable from the entire system of doctrine delineated by the Standards. The denomination would not see contrary views as acceptable exceptions to the Standards.

The reason why we are drawing attention to these four distinctives is because other Presbyterian denominations permit divergent views in these areas. For example, some Presbyterian denominations practice eschatological liberty. They permit their officers to hold to historic premillennial and amillennial schemes. In rare instances, dispensational premillennialists have been accepted into various presbyteries. The RPCUS does not practice eschatological liberty. We do not believe that the Standards are eschatalogically vague. We believe that eschatology plays a key role in the overall system of doctrine taught in our Standards and in the Word of God. For one’s future view powerfully impacts one’s present actions.

Before we discuss these four distinctives, we need to define “strict subscription” to the Westminster Standards. Strict subscription does not mean that we view the Westminster Standards to be on par with Scripture. The Scripture alone is preeminently authoritative. The Westminster Confession of Faith is careful to make this point in chapter 1 section X which reads, “The supreme Judge, by which all controversies of religion are to be determined, and all decrees of councils, opinions of ancient writers, doctrines of men, and private spirits, are to be examined, and in whose sentence we are to rest, can be no other but the Holy Spirit speaking in the scripture.”

The RPCUS believes that the ordination vow taken by all of its officers is itself a strict subscription to the Westminster Standards. The vow reads, “Do you sincerely receive and fully adopt the Confession of Faith and the Catechisms of this church as containing the system of doctrine taught in the Holy Scriptures?” Strict subscription does means that one adopts all the doctrines set forth in every chapter of the Confession. Someone might ask, “How far does the RPCUS take its demand for subscription?” The answer is : It goes as far as every chapter of the Confession and every question of the Larger and Shorter Catechisms.

Strict subscription does not mean that one must adopt every wording of the Standards as the best explanation of the system of doctrine. Of course, we must be careful with any modification of words seeing that words are the vehicles that convey thought. Moreover, we must be careful not to twist the meaning of words in order to create a different sense than originally intended. This type of perversion was done by the 1972 PCUS General Assembly pertaining to the meaning of the phrase, “containing the system of doctrine.” The General Assembly said with reference to the Standards, “On the other hand, since they are said to contain the system rather than to be equated with it, allowance is made for the possibility that they may incorporate elements which neither belong to it nor are essential to it” (quoted in Morton Smith, How Is The Gold Become Dim, p. 224). The 1972 PCUS General Assembly further stated, “none of us will traduce or use any opprobrious terms of those that differ from us in these extra-essential and not necessary points of doctrines” (Ibid.). Even though this wording is in the 1729 Adopting Act, the meaning of the words “extra-essential” and “not necessary points of doctrine” came to be so broadly interpreted that it would embrace non-Reformed doctrine and heresy. It became the agenda of the PCUS to act as if it was committed to the Westminster standards, but functionally it abandoned its foundational tenets. By its own admission, the PCUS in its later days confessed to being a loose subscriptionist denomination.

The doctrines and wording of the Westminster Standards are clear. The RPCUS expects all of its officers to give allegiance to every doctrine of every chapter of the Confession. This doctrinal allegiance applies only to elders and deacons — not to church members. All that is required to become a member in any church of the RPCUS is to give a credible profession of faith to the church session. In essence, there is nothing extraordinary about the RPCUS’ expectations. We simply believe in subscription to our Constitution. There are undoubtedly some of our Reformed brethren who think we are too narrow because we are presuppositional, theonomic, postmillennial, and limit congregational voting to male heads of households. The RPCUS insists that these particular distinctives are not extraneous doctrines to the Standards; rather, they are the doctrines of the Standards.

About the RPCUS -9/11/09

What Does The RPCUS Stand for?

The Reformed Presbyterian Church in the United States

OUR ORIGIN

The Reformed Presbyterian Church in the United States, (RPCUS), was born in 1983 out of the continuing struggle to uphold the all-embracing, inerrant authority of the Bible as the Word of God, to maintain the purity of the church, and to proclaim the truth of the Reformed Faith “in all openness unhindered.” We believe that God has called us into existence to glorify him by being faithful to the Word of God.

OUR FAITH

Without hesitation, mental reservation or embarrassment, we hold to the (original) Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms, which we believe are the system of revealed truth taught in the Bible. We are called of God to defend, expound, and apply that system of truth, and
the worldview based on it, with all of its distinctives, in an age of synthesis and apostasy.

We emphasize our sincere commitment to the Westminster
Standards, not because we place them on par with the Bible, or because we slavishly follow the doctrines of men, but because those Standards are truly our confession of faith. We believe them to constitute a true and accurate statement of the teachings of the Bible. Only the Bible is infallible and unamendable. The Westminster Standards are amendable,
and are not inerrant or closed-ended. However, we believe that, because these Standards assert the very system of revealed truth of the Bible, we require of all our ministers, elders and deacons strict subscription to the Westminster Standards.

OUR TRAITS

Our churches can be identified by four traits:

1. The faithful and vigorous preaching and teaching of the whole Word of God.
2. The administration of the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
3. The loving and patient practice of preventive, corrective, and restorative discipline.
4. The zealous carrying out of the mandate of Christ to “MAKE THE WORLD’S NATIONS CHRIST’S DISCIPLES.”

OUR GOVERNMENT

We believe that Christ is the Head of the church and the state, and that he has appointed a government in the hands of church officers, which government and jurisdiction are distinct from civil government. He has called his church to plant, nourish, equip and reproduce Presbyterian churches, i.e., churches shepherded by elders elected by the congregation to represent Christ and to administer His Word. When the elders of a local congregation meet officially, they are called the Session. When the elders from each church in a certain locality meet officially to shepherd the churches committed to their charge, they are called a Presbytery. And when the elders from all the churches in a
denomination meet officially they are called the General Assembly. This connection between our churches manifests the unity of Christ’s Body in the world with our common confession of faith and our common government, Acts 15.

OUR ECUMENICITY

We believe in the unity and catholicity of Christ’s Church. Therefore, we seek to fellowship with all who love the Lord Jesus Christ and his Bible. We seek fraternal relations with all churches who sincerely hold to the historic Reformed and Presbyterian Confessions and Catechisms, such as the Reformed Presbyterian Church in North America, Covenanter; the Reformed Church in the United States, Eureka Classis; the Presbyterian Church in America; the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, the Free Presbyterian Church; etc.

We welcome into our membership any church or minister who shares our distinctives and our strict subscription to the Westminster Standards. We welcome into our churches all who can make a credible profession of faith in Jesus Christ, with their children, Acts 16:31.

One of our greatest joys is working with churches, groups
and individuals who are “on the way” or in transition between synthetic brands of Christianity and the authentic Christianity of the Reformed Faith. We recognize that there are churches and groups of families around the nation and world, leaning for the first time in our direction, who are being attracted by the truth and power of Reformed
Christianity. We long to be of any assistance possible to them. Many of our strongest members and churches came out of non-Calvinistic backgrounds.

OUR MAKE-UP

Our people come from a variety of races and backgrounds, from one end of the economic, intellectual, social spectrum to the other. We are a multiplicity of peoples, languages, and races, woven by the Holy Spirit into one united body in Christ. And we praise God for what he is making of us; so we work and pray diligently “to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

OUR FOCUS

The focus of our church’s life, fellowship, worship, work and mission is GOD IN CHRIST, who is the “Savior of the world” and “the King of kings, and Lord of lords.” We strive, with the help of the Holy Spirit, not to be doctrine-centered, law-centered, church-centered, or man-centered, but to be Trinity-centered in all we are and do, because ” of Him, through Him, and to Him are all things. to Him be the glory forever.” As Augustine said: “let God be all in all to thee, for in Him is the entirety of all that thou lovest.” We are “determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.”

OUR MISSION

We believe that the mission of the church is the Great Commission of Jesus Christ, Matthew 28:18-20, which involves person-winning (evangelism and discipleship), family-winning (church planting and Christian education), and culture-winning (world mission, world evangelization, and Christian reconstruction) — “MAKING THE WORLD’S NATIONS CHRIST’S
DISCIPLES.”

OUR WORSHIP AND PRAISE

We believe in the joyful singing of God’s praises with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, which are expressions of biblical truth, with all the musical instruments made available to us. We place a high value on the singing of the 150 Psalms and other portions of the Bible in our worship services. We also firmly believe in the Westminster Confession’s regulative principle of worship that only what God commands in the Bible can be done in our worship of him. our churches use such songbooks as THE TRINITY HYMNAL, the Covenanter’s THE BOOK OF PSALMS, and the Christian Reformed Church’s THE PSALTER-HYMNAL.

OUR LOCATIONS AND MINISTRIES

Our ministers have been involved in evangelistic endeavors throughout these United States, and in world missions in El Salvador, Chile, Paraguay, Argentina, South Africa, Germany and Scotland. We are closely identified with Whitefield Theological Seminary in Lakeland, Florida.
We have a monthly magazine of twenty-four to forty-eight pages, The Counsel of Chalcedon, which goes into homes, churches, schools, and businesses of thousands of people around the world. We have an extensive pro-life ministry through such projects as the North Georgia Reformation Center, which includes a home for unwed mothers, and which offers loving care discipleship and vocational training.

Our particular churches and mission works are involved in a
wide-range of ministries in their efforts to win the world for Christ by serving others, Mark 10:45. At present our influence far exceeds our numbers. We praise God for that, while at the same time working, praying, and strategizing for extensive and intensive church growth — spiritually, numerically, geographically, and heterogeneously.

OUR FUTURE

We believe that God in his covenant has promised his church a glorious future in Jesus Christ, Isaiah 2. We look forward to the future, knowing that it, with all its struggles, afflictions, and progressive, victories, belongs, not to the humanists, but to the faithful people of God, I Cor. 3:21-22. We are future-oriented in our present responsibilities.

Our vision for life and the future is determined by the promises of God’s convenant and of Christ’s kingdom. We pray that God would use usto bring the covenantal blessings of salvation to all the families of all the nations of the world, Psalm 22:27f; Galations 3:7-29. We believe that the kingdom will leaven the whole loaf of human life and society, as it advances toward total victory, Mark 4:21-32. We work, pray and hope for the day when “the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea,” Isaiah 11:9.

Why a PCA Pastor Joined the RPCUS -9/10/09

Why I Want to (and did) Join the RPCUS

Henry E. Johnson

Pastor, Trinity Presbyterian Church

Tazewell, VA

The house was slowly yet steadily being undermined. More and more of the foundation was exposed as the excavation proceeded. The team of demolition experts was hitting the exposed foundation with hammers. Each blow created cracks in the foundation. These cracks steadily crawled up the walls. However, the occupants of the house lauded the progress that was being made by their wisdom and broadmindedness. The mantra that they had sung for years grew louder as more and more elders joined them. “Diversity is our strength,” they sang as they honored the very men who were gradually destroying the very foundations upon which the house rested. They rejected any warnings that the course they were on spelled disaster for the house and those in it. “We need to be charitable rather than criticize these men who are so broad minded. We personally don’t see the issues the way they do, yet we certainly don’t want to offend them by asking them to adhere to our own personal interpretation of Scripture. After all we are one big happy family. We don’t want to be so parochial as to “bind anyone’s conscience” or exclude anyone who says they love Jesus.”

Such is the sad state of the PCA.

Praise God for the RPCUS, a reformed denomination that is seeking to live out the original motto of the PCA, my present denomination: True to the Scriptures, the reformed faith and the great commission.

Why do I want to join the RPCUS? Let me summarize the reasons.

1) I want to be part of a denomination that is True To The Scriptures. We must bow before the authority of God and His Word, the Bible. Not only is the inerrancy and infallibility of the Scripture crucial, but also the sufficiency of Scripture is vital to Biblical Christianity. We must have the Bible as our only rule of faith and practice; the only rule in every area of life.

2) I want to be part of a denomination that is True To The Reformed Faith. The Lord God brought a great reformation in the 1500’s and 1600’s. He brought His Church back to the Bible. We are spiritual heirs of this great work of God. We must be willing to stand with those great men and women upon the Word of God. We must not shrink back from the Bible and the truth of Scripture known as the reformed faith, the faith that John Calvin, John Knox and Martin Bucer preached and lived!

3) I want to be a part of a denomination that is True To The Great Commission. Only the Jesus of the Bible can save people, families, churches, institutions and whole cultures from the ravages of sin and death and hell. Future generations need a Biblical denomination that will stand unflinchingly as she proclaims the Gospel from the whole counsel of God in the Scriptures.

First, the RPCUS is a denomination that seeks to bow before the authority of the Scriptures, even when it is not politically correct in the eyes of our culture to do so. True To The Scriptures. Several examples will suffice.

Creation. There is no other teaching in Scripture that is more foundational and central to the remainder of Holy Scripture and Biblical Christianity than creation. The RPCUS clearly has taken its stand with the Westminster Standards. The Bible teaches that God created the heavens and the earth in the space of six days [six twenty-four hour days] and rested on the Sabbath day [seventh day], thereby instituting the Sabbath day and declaring it very good. What difference does it make? The seeds of neo-orthodoxy are found in the accommodating views that we see today such as: the day age theory, gap theory, and the poetic view of creation. These views cuddle up to an evolutionary view of origins and make room for interpretations of Scripture that do violence to the Bible’s own interpretation of itself. It is the chief tool of neo-orthodoxy to take the Word of God and make it say something that it really doesn’t say or mean. By this contorted method of hermeneutics, which is the kingpin of neo-orthodoxy, such issues as homosexuality and abortion have been championed and legitimized in our culture. This same method of interpreting the Scripture has been used to deny such cardinal doctrines as the virgin birth and the bodily resurrection of Christ. The very seeds of apostasy and unbelief are being sown and nurtured in my own denomination today. Man after man comes up to me and says, “Well now, Henry, I personally believe in the twenty-four hour day, but you just can’t force that view. Scripture just isn’t clear and just doesn’t say.” I want to be part of a denomination that is willing to take a stand on what the Bible clearly teaches regardless of its popularity.

The roles of men and women. A growing number of elders in the PCA advocate women becoming deacons. Others advocate women leading in worship services and preaching the Word of God as long as it is “under the oversight of the session”. This erroneous position is held even in the face of the very clear teaching of I Timothy 2 (forbidding the women in the church to teach or exercise authority over a man in the church), and I Timothy 3:1ff (a qualification for elders and deacons being “the husband of one wife”). In the PCA accommodation to the values of our egalitarian, evolutionary, and humanistic culture is becoming more prevalent than submission to the Bible. We also see women being allowed to lead worship services, teach men in adult Sunday school classes and even “preach” in PCA churches. Where will it end? Only the Lord knows. But if these men are consistent with the hermeneutic that they have adopted, then they will find themselves or their disciples advocating the same thing that we see in the neo-orthodox denominations of our day. Here the position is purported that there is no distinction between men and women in the church or in the home, in spite of Scripture (Genesis 1,2,and 3,; 1Timothy 2,3, and 5; Proverbs 31; Ephesians 5). The Lord God has given a glorious work to men and women to serve the Lord together. Although they do not labor in the same roles, they do complement each other as they work together as a team. The neo-orthodox position is not God’s design, however politically correct it may be. The RPCUS believes that the Scripture and not the whims of a godless culture must be the rule. The RPCUS unashamedly seeks to live by the Word of God in the roles of men and women. That means no woman may hold the office of deacon or elder or may lead men in teaching and public worship. There are no elders advocating, let alone practicing such things in the RPCUS. This is why I want to join the RPCUS.

Christian Education. In distinction to the PCA, where the seeds of rebellion against God are being sown, nurtured and watered, the officers of the RPCUS believe, preach and practice the Covenant in the Christian nurture of our children. Malachi 4:6 declares, “And He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the land with a curse.” When a person is converted, one of the first things that needs to take place is the application of the Gospel to his family. The home must be brought under the sway of Jesus Christ and His saving power. If the church of the Lord Jesus is going to prosper, if we would see this culture turned back from the brink of destruction and disaster, if the church is to be made strong and vibrant again, then it must be filled with families that are strong, solid, covenantal families under the rule of the Lord Jesus Christ. While everyone ought to give their children a distinctly Christian Education, an elder must. (See Ephesians 6:4 and Deuteronomy 6:4-8, 1 Timothy 3:1-7.) A distinctly Christian Education is where either: 1) the parents are exercising their responsibility to teach the children the fear of the Lord directly; or 2) are delegating that responsibility to someone in a good Christian school who will give their child an education based upon the Bible, focusing upon the Lord Jesus Christ, and bringing every thought captive to Him. In the PCA we have men who say, “Yes, we want our young people to be trained and taught to have a Christian worldview.” Yet they see no problem turning these young people over to the public school system of the day. This system is based upon the premise that you don’t need Jesus Christ and the Bible to know truth. Proverbs 1:7, Colossians 2:3-4. Romans 1:18-32 reveals God’s assessment of so-called neutral thinking that leaves God and His Redeemer out of the equation of truth. Through instruction and personal example, the elders must show their congregations how to fulfill the great commission. A fundamental way they do this through giving their children a distinctivly Christian Education. How can it be that men who are elders in the PCA could be so blind as to think that the public school system is good and acceptable in the sight of our covenant God? Modern public education clearly repudiates Proverbs 1:7 (”The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.”) and Colossians 2:3 (”in Christ Himself are hidden all of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”). The commands of Scripture are plain concerning the teaching of children, (Deuteronomy 6:4-25 and Ephesians 6:4). How can elders deny such plain Scripture? Yes, we want to reach out to people who do not yet understand these things. Yes, we want to work with people where they are as they come to the Lord Christ. However, we must begin with the elders holding up the standard of God’s Word. Martin Luther said, “I am much afraid that schools will prove to be the great gates of hell unless they diligently labor in explaining the Holy Scriptures, engraving them upon the hearts of youth. I advise no one to place his child where the scriptures do not reign paramount. Every institution in which men are not increasingly occupied with the Word of God must become corrupt.” This denial of the covenant by God’s people, especially the elders in the PCA, is a tragedy, but praise God He is raising up a denomination full of elders who bow to the authority of God and his Word. The RPCUS is a denomination that is not ashamed of the God-given goal of every Christian, not only for individuals but also for our children. (Joshua 24:15 – “but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord;” 2 Corinthians 10:5 – “We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of Christ, and we are taking every thought captive to Christ”). It is the practice of every elder in the RPCUS to give his children a distinctly Christian Education.

Numerous other examples of the commitment of the RPCUS to be true to the Scripture include:1) The RPCUS believes and proclaims the application of the law of God in every realm of life. [See Romans 13 and the Westminster Standards, application of OT law to every realm of life, personal family church civil etc. See the exposition of the ten commandments in the WLC Q&A 91-154 and the 19^th Chapter of the WCF.( There is a growing antagonism to the law of God in the PCA.)] 2) The RPCUS not only says it is Presbyterian, but it also practices Biblical church government. We are Presbyterian not congregational, or hierarchical in our view of church government. (The PCA is increasingly becoming more congregationalist and hierarchical. There have been recent rulings that higher courts may not determine the rulings or the makeup of the lower courts. Also, the permanent committees and agencies of the church are functioning more like boards and autonomous self-determining bodies.) 3) The RPCUS will not allow practicing Masons to serve as elders in any of its churches. The PCA, however, has numerous elders who are also Masons. 4) The RPCUS stands against the unbiblical practices and philosophy of the “anything goes mentality” of the church growth movement. (The PCA has churches that use clowns, “baseball Sunday”, and dance classes on Sunday afternoon to attract people to the Gospel). 5) The RPCUS uses the qualifications of the Bible to assess church planters and missionaries. (The PCA requires her church planters and missionaries to pass a secular humanistic psychological test to be ‘qualified’ with the blessing of the hierarchy of Atlanta.); 6) The RPCUS is committed to the purity and the peace of the church and practices loving biblical discipline. (Today we see a hesitation and many times the outright refusal of the modern church, including the PCA, to practice loving Biblical church discipline for the glory of Christ, for the safe-keeping of the rest of the flock, and for the reclamation of the offending brother.) The RPCUS stands with Jesus and the Apostles upon the Word of God in this practice, see Matthew 18:15ff and 1 Corinthians 5:1ff.

True To The Reformed Faith.

Martin Luther once said, “If I profess with the loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of the truth of God except precisely that little point which the world and the devil are at that moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Christ. Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved and to be steady on all the battlefield besides is mere flight and disgrace if he flinches at that one point.” The reformers were not ashamed of any part of the Bible. They proclaimed the whole counsel of God. They declared Jesus Christ as the focus of Scripture, and in His face they preached the whole counsel of God. All 66 books of the Bible teach us of Jesus and His saving power, of His rule for faith and life. The Reformers summarized the main teachings of Scripture in the historic creeds especially the Westminster Standards. The RPCUS is not ashamed to believe and preach all these doctrines. The PCA has a growing minority of men who will preach through the Scriptures and the Standards for fear that they will not be palatable enough for the appetite of the people in the pews. The length of sermons is a good indication of the spiritual plight of many elders in the PCA. There is also a lack of desire for the bread of heaven by the people in the pew. When a 10-15 minute sermonett suffices, you see an impoverished people. Hosea 4:6. It has been said that such ‘sermonettes’ will only produce ‘Christianettes’. As a result, we see a country full of shallow superficial ‘Christianettes’ who are taking our country into the realm of darkness at breakneck speed. Praise God for a denomination like the RPCUS. Not ashamed to stand with Luther, Calvin, Knox, with the Apostles, with those who love the Word, the Sovereign God and His revealed will, His very Word the Bible!

True to the Great Commission.

The RPCUS believes the great commission according to Scripture (Matthew 28:18). First, she believes that Jesus is the reigning King upon His throne. The One who sends us to preach the Word is Great. The scope is great. We are sent with the message of life to dead sinners, see Ephesians 2 and Ezekiel 37. Only Jesus Christ can and will save His lost sheep. The Father draws all His elect to Christ by his Spirit through the preaching of the Gospel. The RPCUS believes WLC Q&A # 191 and the power of God to accomplish all His good promises concerning the spread of the Gospel to the ends of the earth. The Lord has sent us to disciple all the nations. Did He send us on a fool’s errand? No. The Bible indeed give us great promises of the Lord yet bringing a great harvest, not only of individuals to come and bow before the Lord Jesus, but whole nations running to the Savior and loving His law and walking in His ways (See Psalm 2, Psalm 22 Psalm 45,47,110, Isaiah 2, 9,11,52,53, 60,61, Matthew 13, Romans 16:20-27 and Revelation 15:3-4). The content of the Gospel is the glorious claims of our Lord Jesus Christ. Repent and believe is what we declare. Justification by grace through faith alone in Christ is the only source of our righteousness before the Sovereign of the universe. He grants repentance and faith to all His lost sheep. The content of the Gospel is also, “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” Look at the preaching of the great herald of Messiah, John the Baptist, in Luke 3:18-20. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is focused on the person and work of Christ and also speaks the whole counsel of God from the whole of Scripture to the whole of life! There is not a single area of life that is is excepted from the sovereign claims of Jesus Christ. Not only a person’s heart and mind, but also his entire being is obligated to serve Jesus. His family, his business, his money, his time, his culture, the institutions, and the civil government ought to be laid as a living sacrifice at the feet of Jesus by people who love and embrace Jesus as their King and Savior. This is what the apostles preached. This is the Gospel according to Scripture. The RPCUS believes and spreads this Gospel. This is why I want to join the RPCUS.

Psalm 11:3-6 says “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” It then shows us the Lamb upon His throne. He is the One to whom we look to rebuild the foundations. It is time to start rebuilding. By the grace of God the old foundation is being laid again for the house of God in this land. I believe that the time for me to work for reformation in my present denomination is drawing to a close. We ought to do all within our power to hand down to our children and grandchildren a faithful bride. It is time to build upon the Rock of Ages and His Word, the Bible, to see the church revived and made strong again. May He grant reformation to His bride in our day. He is on the throne. He is at work building His Kingdom. It is with confidence in the One who said that He would build His church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it that I take my stand with Martin Luther, who once reportedly said, “Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me”. It is because of these reasons that I joyfully look forward to joining with my brothers and sisters in the RPCUS in humble obedience to my triune God.

True To The Scriptures, The Reformed Faith, And The Great Commission.

It still is a great motto, this motto that was prominently displayed in the beginning of the PCA. It is my prayer that our Lord will bring revival and reformation to the church of the Lord Jesus Christ in these United States. May the PCA repent and return to her first love. It is also my prayer that until she turns from her wanderings in the wilderness, He will keep the fire of His Gospel burning in the pulpits and in the hearts of the RPCUS. May He use her to fan into flames the spark of revival and reformation that burns in His faithful bride. May His Spirit send His fire to sweep over this entire nation and beyond. May He give grace to many of my brothers who would despise the day of small beginnings, “Not by might, not by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord.”