What does it mean to be Presbyterian?

January 31, 2007AdminScottPresbyterian News and Analysis

By Chris Alford, Special to The Layman Online, January 31, 2007

What does it mean to be Presbyterian? And what does being Presbyterian have to do with Christian beliefs or the way a church is operated?

Printed resources
If you’d like to learn more about the historic, orthodox beliefs we hold about the person and work of Jesus Christ, the Bible, or other topics, we recommend these resources:

Online resources
Creeds and Confessions of the Presbyterian Church (USA) These are good questions, especially in these days when we hear so much talk in religious circles, and even in the secular media, about the Presbyterian Church (USA).

It’s fair to say that there are some significant debates and struggles in our present denomination, the Presbyterian Church (USA), particularly after the General Assembly of June 2006. The issues can seem confusing and the talk has sometimes been heated. Folks from all walks of church life have voiced passionate, conflicting views.

Yet, we believe that there are primarily two basic, and very important, issues at the center of these debates and struggles: the person and work of Jesus Christ and the authority of Scripture.

Our hope here is that we can share with you a bit about the history of our present denomination and, more important, some of the Biblical and orthodox beliefs we embrace. This information is not meant to be a complete, authoritative accounting of our Presbyterian theology. Rather, our aim is to explain in simple terms our views on a few pivotal issues, and then also point you to some additional resources.

The Lord Jesus Christ alone is the author and finisher of our faith. To the extent that this essay can help us clarify our beliefs more carefully, confess “Jesus is Lord” more boldly, and point others in love to Him more effectively, we give Him the glory.

What we believe about being Christian
Going to church does not make someone a Christian, nor does belonging to a particular denomination. Why? Christianity is not a religion, but a relationship: A relationship with Jesus Christ. To be a Christian means, simply and profoundly, to be a follower of Christ.

The word “Christian” is derived from the Greek word christos, or Christ, which means “anointed one.” To call Jesus the “Christ,” then, already is a kind of confession of faith.

This truth leads to another: We believe that to be a follower of Jesus, one also must follow and accept what Jesus said about himself. The idea may sound obvious, but even since the earliest days of the Christian church, many people have claimed to follow Christ, but not believed that he is Messiah – the Son of God – fully human and fully divine.

Biblical, orthodox beliefs
We hold to the Biblical, orthodox beliefs about Jesus, including these: He is the second person of the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the names by which God has chosen to make Himself known. He is of the same substance as God the Father. He is both fully God and fully man.

We confess, along with the saints through the ages, that “Jesus is Lord” and believe what he has said about Himself in Scripture, including, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

Following Jesus is more than doctrine. Following Jesus also means we invite him to live in our hearts – to be the Lord of our lives. Our lives then take on the character of Christ and Jesus himself lives and works through us incarnationally. According to Scripture, those who have given themselves to Jesus begin to assume His likeness. In other words, true followers of Christ behave like Christ (1 John).

Jesus said that the world would know His disciples by their love. This Biblical truth means that followers of Christ interact with the world around them in a way that he would: with a heart for people, having a godly perspective on sin (starting with our own), and putting love and compassion over all things.

What we believe about orthodoxy
The notion that all a person needs to rightly interpret Scripture is “me, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit” may sound good, but it can be unhealthy and it’s not entirely Scriptural. The view that a person or group can have a unique Scriptural insight that others don’t have can lead to the worse kinds of heresy. The same can be said of the notion that all interpretations of Scripture are equally valid. The proper and Biblical way to interpret Scripture is through the lens of Scripture itself.

But there’s another important step along the way, and we must go back into history to rediscover that well-worn and time-honored path.

Against Roman Catholic traditionalism, the Protestant reformers declared themselves as standing on “Scripture alone”(sola scriptura). This little phrase is one that believers may recognize even today, but many misunderstand it to mean that Christians should pay no attention to any source other than the Bible. In fact, Martin Luther and John Calvin made extensive use of the tradition of the apostles and the writings of the early church fathers in their study of Scripture and in their reformation of the church.

What sola scriptura really means is not “Scripture alone” but, rather, “Scripture above all.”

“Scripture first” (prima scriptura) would, in truth, be a better slogan for the Protestant view that the Bible is the ultimate source for Christian faith and practice. This classic, historical approach suggests that ways of knowing and understanding God that do not originate from the Bible are in second place (say, for example, writings of the church fathers). It says these things may be helpful in interpreting Scripture, but they may be tested and corrected by the Bible if they seem to contradict Scripture.

Presbyterians traditionally have turned to two main sources for inspiration and guidance in their faith: The Bible, first, and then also to various creeds and confessions (including the classic creeds from the early church, as well as other, later creeds such as the Westminster Confession).

Ironies in the present debate
One of the ironies in the present debate in the PCUSA is that some of the contentious points are not new at all. In fact, they are quite old. Here’s another irony: These important theological matters were debated and settled long ago when the early church fathers valiantly battled against heresies that threatened to destroy the Christian movement.

Orthodox means “right teaching.” It was in a time not unlike our present day that early church leaders hammered out what it means to be orthodox: They lived in a non-Christian, pluralistic society where most any belief was tolerated and embraced. It was in that difficult, even hostile, environment that the apostles and church fathers worked out the details of our faith, in consensus, and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Chief among the issues were the authority of Scripture and the nature of the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Here’s something else that may sound familiar: Some of the heretical teachings that the early church fathers battled against claimed that parts of the Bible were not inspired by God or weren’t applicable to “modern” Christians.

Early church leaders also fought against teachings alleging that Jesus was not entirely divine, or not entirely human, or was not the only way to God. Scripture is proven true again: “There is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:10).

Today, orthodox beliefs about Scripture and the nature of the person and work of Jesus Christ are being called into question and even ridiculed. Astonishingly, this even occurs within the church.

So, what are we to do when people calling themselves Christians deny foundational Christian beliefs such as the Trinity, or the two natures of Jesus Christ, under the banner of “contemporary relevance” or “fresh interpretation of Scripture?” We must return to our historic, classic, and orthodox Christian roots.

The church fathers faced a similar situation with heretics who claimed to “prove ” their own unorthodox heresies using Scripture. Not every interpretation of Scripture is equal. Some are unreasonable and some are opposed to what the universal Christian church always has believed. These interpretations are to be suspected of serious error.

What we believe about the Bible
Simply speaking, we believe about the Bible what the Bible says about itself: All Scripture is God-breathed – inspired by the living and unchanging God – and that, because its origin is divine, its truths are divine. It is alive, it is powerful, and it is authoritative.

We also believe that we don’t have to “prove” the Bible, but hold that our calling as believers is to understand and live out the message of the Bible with the help of the Holy Spirit. It’s also important to note that we do not worship the Bible: We believe that the Bible is the record of the divine revelation of God and, as such, it points humankind to the person and work of Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh. He is the object of our worship, not the Bible, for the starting place of faith is the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Often missed in the Biblical debates over orthodoxy is its theological companion, orthopraxy, or “right practice.” Believers must not forget that Scripture has a practical Purpose – namely, teaching and instruction so that Christians might be properly prepared for all good works (2 Tim 3:16-17). Orthodoxy and orthopraxy must go hand-in-hand. Both must be combined, for together they lead to the correct practice of loving others for the sake of Christ. One without the other leads to empty religion.

What we believe about Worship
Worship is the purpose of the church. Why? The answer begins with this foundational truth: Because we were born to worship. It is our reason for being. We must worship; we will worship something. We worship because that is how and why we were created.

Theologian A.W. Tozer has written:

“One of the greatest tragedies that we find, even in this most enlightened of all ages, is the utter failure of millions of men and women ever to discover why they were born. Deny it if you will – and some persons will – but wherever there are humans in the world, there are people who are suffering from a hopeless and depressing kind of amnesia. It forces them to cry out, either silently within themselves or often with audible frustration, ‘I don’t even know why I was born!’

“Those who have followed the revelation provided by the Creator God have accepted that God never does anything without purpose. We do believe, therefore, that God had a noble purpose in mind when He created us. We believe that it was distinctly the will of God that men and women created in His image would desire fellowship with Him above all else. In His plan, it was to be a perfect fellowship based on adoring worship of the Creator and Sustainer of all things.”

Worship must be the church’s purpose, not only because it is our “chief end,” and not only because it reminds us why we exist, but because it is the very thing that we will continue to do for all time. Worship will never end. In the meantime, our response to the world around us – the world that God created – is our response in worship of Him. He is the Creator; we are the created.

Corporate worship on Sunday is a culminating act of a person’s private worship through the week – the quality and depth of one affects the other. Corporate worship is the source of the church’s spirituality. Corporate worship produces fruit in the life of the church and the life of the believer. A church, or a believer, will wither and die on the vine if separated from authentic worship.

What we believe about the Church
The Bible uses several ways to describe the nature of the church. One well-known example compares the church to a body. We believe that the members of the church form the Body of Christ. Together we are, as Scripture says using another metaphor, “living stones.” Together, we form the living church: a connected community of sinners committed to becoming mature disciples of Christ.

Here’s another vivid picture of the church: The church is the Bride of Christ. Our responsibility is to get ready for the coming of the bridegroom for, some day at God’s direction, Jesus Christ will return for his bride. In the meantime, our singular purpose is to worship and adore the Son and then go about the tasks he has given us to undertake. Those tasks include going to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…” (Matthew 28:19).

What we believe about church buildings
We believe that buildings and property are not the church, but are merely tools. While it’s true that faithful people through the years labored and sacrificed to provide for what we have today, in a spiritual sense the buildings and property do not belong to us – nor do they belong to any human organization or religious denomination. This idea is not to suggest that structures have no meaning, for buildings can be an obvious reminder of the visible unity and connectional nature of the church. But, ultimately, church property is like all property: It belongs to God. Buildings are Kingdom resources over which we have present, temporary stewardship.

Like the tasks Jesus has given us to undertake, our stewardship of Kingdom resources is temporary – it will someday come to an end. This, then, is the reason that good stewards must go about their tasks with God-glorifying, Christ-centered, and Spirit-powered enthusiasm: We won’t go to heaven with “our” buildings or “our” money, for the only thing of value we’ll have in heaven will be crowns of glory. And we’ll be laying those at the feet of Christ.

What we believe about being Presbyterian
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