The Sebastian case: Words mean what?
The Layman April 2002 Volume 35, Number 2, April 8, 2002
“The question is,” said Alice, “whether you can make words mean so many different things.” – Through the Looking Glass, Lewis Carroll.
Yes, you can, declared the presbytery court in Central Florida in its ruling outlawing the Confessing Church resolution of First Presbyterian Church in Sebastian.
The ruling sent shock waves through the Confessing Church Movement but did not shrink its potency. Still growing, the movement now comprises 11 percent of the congregations in the Presbyterian Church (USA), 16.2 percent of its members, 19 percent of all Presbyterians who are in worship on a given Sunday and 22 percent of tithes and offerings collected from Presbyterians during a year.
They did not become the spiritually healthiest, most deeply committed and most generous Presbyterians in the denomination by twisting words to mean what they don’t mean.
To the contrary, when they said “Jesus alone is Lord and Savior,” they echoed the very words of Christ himself: “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except by me.”
Likewise, their commitment to the Scripture as the infallible rule of life and faith is drawn from Jesus himself, who never cast one whit of doubt about the authority of the Word of God.
And, in declaring that they intend to live the Holy Life, they follow the commandment of Christ: “Be holy, even as my father in heaven is holy.”
In an attempt to create a virtually new theological lexicon, the Florida presbytery court erroneously held up the Book of Order as the highest authority in the church – even higher than Scripture and The Book of Confessions.
It stated key words in the resolution, such as “implore” and “urge,” constituted a requirement to force officers to take oaths that are at variance from the Book of Order. Neither “implore” nor “urge” rises to the level of a requirement – and, even if they did, they neither add to nor subtract from the revelation of God through Jesus Christ.
In a polity reflection on constitutional interpretation, the PCUSA’s stated clerk said the presbyteries themselves were free to determine the meaning of “fidelity” and “chastity.”
Sadly, there are those in the denomination who do twist words to avoid the reality of their plain meaning. The Presbytery of Redwoods ordained a lesbian who publicly acknowledged that she was sexually involved with another woman. She passed through the presbytery’s examination after declaring that she was “chaste” according to her definition of chaste.
Meanwhile, the presbytery court would punish First Presbyterian Church in Sebastian for speaking plainly and authoritatively. We expect the final judgment before the Word himself will be “Well done, good and faithful servant.” In the meantime, exoneration in the higher courts of the PCUSA would be a welcome prelude.