Korean congregations oppose deleting ordination standard
The Layman Online, August 1, 2001
The 360-congregation National Korean Presbyterian Council has called on “all Presbyterians to stand firm and uphold our current Constitution concerning ordination standards, and abide by the plain teaching of Scripture concerning sexual purity.”
In a letter to the General Assembly Council of the Presbyterian Church (USA), the Korean council expressed “grave concern” over the vote by the 2001 General Assembly that called on presbyteries to delete the “fidelity/chastity” ordination standard from the Book of Order.
“We find it ironic that in an age of unprecedented spiritual ambiguity, the General Assembly voted to move the church from clarity to a position of increased confusion on the ordination issue,” the council said.
The letter assailed a core argument of those who want the denomination to endorse ordination of practicing, self-affirming homosexuals. Many say that Scripture and the confessions should not be the last word on homosexuality, but that Jesus Christ – apart from Scripture – should.
“We categorically reject any attempt in the church to make Christ, Scripture, and our confessions into three distinct and mutually exclusive categories,” the Korean council said.
“While we agree that the confessions are subordinate documents to the Bible, we strongly oppose the dangerous notion that the mind of Christ can be known apart from Scripture. We believe in the Word made flesh in Jesus Christ, and reject the modern revival of Gnostic thought that claims that a ‘higher knowledge’ of Christ is attainable apart from Scripture.
“Our view is that this society values novelty a great deal, much like the Athenians at Areopagus, but we do not believe that Jesus has a ‘new word’ for his church concerning sexuality, but rather is calling his bride anew to return to her first love, and to be holy, as God is holy.”