Good Morning,
The last several years have seen a number of confessional standards go through a review on these Thursday devotions. We’ve done the whole of the Westminster Standards less the Sum of Saving Knowledge. Yet, I wonder how much we understand about those words’ “confessional” and/or “standards”. Before we jump into another set of questions and answers I wanted to spend a moment defining some words. Those of us in ARP circles can sometimes find ourselves assuming that everyone knows what we are talking about. I’ve said in morning worship this last few weeks that our hope at Bethany is that people would come to faith/join us who maybe have never sang a Bible Song or know who Ebenezer Erskine is. Every now and then it is good to think more deeply about who we are so that we can present ourselves not as above, but as humble in the face of new faces and names. We also can in our own way think we know, or just assume that everyone who is ARP from the womb gets what we are on about when we talk about the Westminster Confession of Faith, or more fundamentally what oaths and vows are.
Chapter 22 of the WCF is oft neglected. Entitled, “Of Lawful Oaths and Vows” it says in its opening section:
A lawful oath is part of religious worship, wherein, upon just occasion, the person swearing solemnly calls God to witness what he asserts, or promises, and to judge him according to the truth or falsehood of what he swears.
And in section 3:
Whosoever takes an oath ought duly to consider the weightiness of so solemn an act, and therein to avouch nothing but what he is fully persuaded is the truth.
Taken together when we talk about “standards” and “confessions” what we mean is the standard in other words the rules by which we agree. To confess something is to say that this is what you believe the Bible teaches and all those who are in agreement with you are vowing to support and uphold that confession of faith together in the church in a way that is mutually supportive. When ministers and elders stand in front of a congregation and answer the questions and answers before the people of God, they are also as the first section of Ch. 22 note above asking the Lord of Lords to confirm their sincerity and invoking Him to help them in keeping this vow (ARP FOG 8.17.3):
Do you accept the doctrines of this Church, contained in the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms, as founded on the Word of God and as the expression of your own faith and do you resolve to adhere thereto?
Notice again the language of “. . . expression of your own faith”. The elder or deacon confirming this part of the Q/A is saying that not only have they read the whole of the Westminster Standards, that they have examined them and are vow that they in their heart of hearts not only know what is in there, but believe it with their whole mind, soul, and body. These are strong words. That’s what it means to confess to a standard. These are not low matters of quick decisions. If a man is not willing to do his due diligence and prepare himself for these offices then he is making a mockery not only of the church, but of Christ in whom he has sworn before in public worship.
While not all believers take the same vows (at least not in a Presbyterian church, our Dutch brothers have what is termed confessional membership) as officers when it comes to the Westminster Standards all who do join an ARP congregation will testify that they have read and gone over the WCF, WSC, and WLC and confirm that what we as a denomination believe is founded upon the word of God. It is not man’s mere opinion, but our common confession.
In closing, when we talk about standards, confessions, etc . . . the question can come up “why do we have these things at all?”. It’s a good question. You will sometimes hear people say, “I have no creed but the Bible!”. Which of course is ironic because that is in itself a creed, a vow, a confessional standard. We have these standards, these grounds of truth, so that we can summarize in a sure fashion our own faith. They are not meant to be a cudgel or a type of burden. They are to be seen as a freeing testimony to the grace of God and His goodness, a help to teach young and old about the Christian religion, and to show the means by which we receive the blessings of our Lord.
Blessings in Christ,
Rev. Benjamin Glaser
Pastor, Bethany ARP Church
