Bill James of Emmanuel Church, Leamington Spa, encourages churches to maximise on what they stand for
Many evangelical churches have a very brief basis of faith.
Indeed, some believers are uncomfortable with any doctrinal definitions at all; they would prefer to say simply that they believe the Bible. In the words of Charles Beecher in the 19th century we stand not for ‘creed power’ but for ‘the Bible, the whole Bible, and nothing but the Bible’. Surely, they claim, this is a faithful reflection of the Reformation doctrine of Sola Scriptura. All we need is our Bibles and the aid and direction of the Holy Spirit himself.
This article is a brief appeal to look to our church forefathers of the 17th century, and to follow their example of adopting substantial confessions of faith for our churches (whether that be the Westminster Confession for Presbyterians, the 1689 London Baptist Confession, or the Savoy Declaration for Congregationalists). There are four reasons why this is important.
1) Confessions are valuable in combating error
Ever since the beginning of church history, heresy and error has been refuted by the formulation of doctrinal statements. Indeed, the development of creedal statements in the early church was essentially a reaction to heretical teachings, for example on the doctrine of the Trinity. Then, at the time of the Reformation, further confessional statements were required to clarify biblical teaching on salvation and the nature of the church.
In combating heresy, it is not enough to say that you believe the Bible. Everyone who professes to be a Christian will agree with you, including Roman Catholics, Unitarians and Jehovah’s Witnesses. The problem is that their interpretation of what the Bible teaches is very different to our own. Theological ideas need to be clearly expressed and words carefully defined.
Historically, we see that weakness in our doctrinal confession will leave us open to downgrade in the future. The Quakers’ resistance to any clear statement of faith left them open to subjectivism and mysticism. The General Baptists’ minimal statement of faith in the 17th century made them vulnerable to Arian teaching in the 18th century. At the beginning of this article, I quoted Charles Beecher, who advocated a ‘Bible only’ position. He was in fact a theological liberal, uncomfortable with orthodox doctrine.
Some say that the historic confessions are now outdated and that we face new challenges to orthodoxy. Yet while modern heresies wear new clothes, most are remarkably similar to the challenges faced by our forefathers. There are some contemporary issues (e.g. ministries of women) where supplementary statements may be required. But as we address contemporary concerns, we do so by standing on the shoulders of a rich and deep theological tradition.
2) Confessions are a clear expression of the gospel
The business of the church is not simply to refute error, but also positively to promote and to expound the gospel. Indeed, in 1Timothy 3.15, the church is described as being the pillar and ground of the truth. In other words, the church is the means God uses both to preserve and to uphold the truth of the gospel – both presenting the gospel to the outside world so that they might be converted, and also expounding the gospel within the church so that God’s people might be reminded of the truth and instructed and edified according to God’s revelation.
It is therefore at the heart of the church’s ministry to be clear about the message which it teaches. It is reasonable to expect that elders and deacons should be able to subscribe to a substantial confession of faith. Elders are responsible for teaching ministry in the church and for refuting error (Titus1.9). Deacons are expected to ‘hold the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience’ (1Timothy 3.9). If the confessional position is clear, then new church members will understand the teaching position of the church they are joining. A church membership might be quite diverse in background and doctrinal convictions, but they will not be surprised if they hear preaching and teaching which articulates Reformed theology or a particular view of the church, if that is the declared position of the leadership.
3) Confessions declare our unity with the historic Christian faith
We live in an individualistic and subjective age. There is an impatience with the wisdom of history or submission to external authority. This attitude infects the modern church; each believer claims the right to determine the truth by reading the Bible for himself with the aid of the Holy Spirit. Yet how arrogant it is to believe that a true and faithful interpretation of Scripture begins with me. Certainly I must not believe anything just because it appears in a confession; all must be tested by Scripture. But just as I depend upon the Holy Spirit to illuminate and guide me in a faithful understanding of his words in Scripture, so I believe that the same Spirit has been at work in teachers and theologians of the past.
Adoption of an historic confession links us to the legacy of the Puritans and the Reformers, who were themselves consciously maintaining the traditions of the early church’s confessions and creeds.
Scripture itself speaks of handing down the tradition of gospel teaching from one generation to the next (2 Timothy 2.2). Pastors are servants of the tradition, not the other way around. In other words, individual pastors might come and go, but the tradition endures. The Reformers’ doctrine of Sola Scriptura did not mean the abandonment of the historic faith, but that Scripture alone is the source of authoritative divine revelation. By this means they refuted the novel teaching that the Roman Catholic church was a new and distinct source of revelation.
It is characteristic of spiritual immaturity to be driven this way and that by the current trends of culture and theology (Ephesians 4.14). Before we embrace the latest theological fads and fashions, we need to ask if they resonate with the historic testimony of the church.
There is another, very practical reason why it is important to identify with the historic Christian faith. In a day when biblical Christianity is under attack, and we might be regarded as ‘fundamentalists’ (which has come to mean wacky extremists), it is important to demonstrate that we are in the mainstream of historic biblical Christianity.
4) To confess our unity with other believers
The historic confessions emphasise our unity with other orthodox Protestant believers. The 1689 Baptist Confession and the Savoy Declararation were deliberately framed around the Westminster Confession of Faith. While there are differences on such issues as baptism, the nature of the church and its government, there is overwhelming agreement on vital doctrines. We have a fundamental unity with one another, in congregations around the world, stretching back over hundreds of years.
Conclusion
We all know that the adoption of a confession of faith does not in and of itself guarantee the preservation of doctrinal orthodoxy. And what value would there be in preserving such orthodoxy if there was no spiritual life or vitality? Of course we also need the fullness of the Spirit; we need zeal and love and godliness as we grow to maturity together in Christ.
Yet history teaches us that minimal confessions leave us open to error. And positively, a good confession lays foundations for future doctrinal reformation. The appointment of Dr Al Mohler as President of Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville has led to a dramatic reformation of that institution which had become theologically liberal. His appointment was based on the conviction of the trustees that they needed to return the seminary to the confession of faith instituted by the founders.
So there is a strong case for the adoption of an historic confession of faith, both to serve our churches well, and to provide a theological legacy for generations yet to come.
