Here is the third and final installment of Dr. R. Scott Clark's short series on church membership. He devotes himself to answering common questions/objections to this topic. Here is an example:
Sean asks,
Is there any consideration that the elders of a church have to be worthy of being submitted to? And should they abuse their posts, they abdicate their authority? Aside from gross sexual sin, I rarely see elders brought under discipline or called to account for incompetent and slothful leadership?
Answer: There is at least one false premise in the question. The first question is not whether the elders are “worthy” of submission. The first question is whether a congregation has the marks of a true church. Is the “pure gospel” preached? Is there a “pure administration” of the sacraments? Is discipline exercised? These functions are discharged by sinful officers. If those officers have disqualified themselves by gross sin, they should find themselves under discipline and removed from office. If we predicate our submission to elders and ministers on the degree of their sanctity we shall have accepted the Donatist view that the efficacy of ministry of the church is dependent upon the personal qualities of the minister. This is contrary to Philippians 1:15-17.
Read the rest here:
Are Church Members “Free Agents”? Pt 3: Questions Answered « Heidelblog
4 comments:
Dave, fascinating posts on Heidelblog.
As you might imagine, my concern for "church hopping" has been higher in recent years, since we found it necessary to leave our church of 15 years and "darken the door" of Christ Covenant.
I read all three parts of his "free agent" series. He says chances are those folks who come from typical evangelical churches did not belong to a "true church" at all. If that's true, what, if anything, do you understand him to be saying about their salvation?
We met with friends again last weekend from our former church. They were asking lots of questions about CCC. I stressed the positives of our beliefs and for the most part avoided the negatives of the practices at our former church. But some direct comparisons were unavoidable. And of course I find my former church wanting in those comparisons.
Until now we have prayed for our friends at our former church and talked to them if they have initiated it. But the Heidelblogger might recommend that I urge them to leave!
Joe
Joe,
I understand Dr. Clark to be arguing the point that if people are not part of the visible church then their salvation is in question precisely because it is the visible church (its elders) who are charged with determining the validity of a profession of faith. No individual believer has that authority.
This flows from Matthew 16 and the 'keys of the kingdom.' Those keys were first given to the apostles but then passed to the elders as the apostolic age came to a close. Peter hints at this when he writes in I Peter 5:1-2 "To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ's sufferings...Be shepherds of God's flock." It is the shepherds (elders) who hear professions of faith and determine whether a person has been released from their sins or is still bound in sins (Matthew 16:19). Both the WCF and the Heidelberg Catechism are consistent on this point.
I think that the whole membership question is one that ought to be raised with our 'free agent' friends. Again, WLC Q 45 puts in terms that are hard to deny: Christ is King, He reigns over all creation while seated at God's right hand, but He specially rules His people through the visible church. To that church He has given officers, laws and censures. It is pretty hard for someone to say that they are submitting to the lordship of Christ while simultaneously thumbing their nose at the institution He ordained to care for their souls. I think it was Cyprian who said, "No one can have God for their father unless they have the church as their mother." This thinking was picked up by Luther and Calvin.
I know its hard to keep raising this question with our 'free agent' friends but it needs to be done. Biblical Christianity is so unlike modern-day evangelicalism.
Pastor Dave,
I came across a blog post on the Desiring God blog (March 31st) that might interest you...Six Reasons Why Pastors Should Blog. We're thankful you've "taken the plunge"!
Thanks Jeannette! I'll look it up.
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