Lutheran Church Missouri Synod

Presbyterianism

By Dr. Richard P. Bucher

Demographics

There are approximately 4 million Presbyterians in the United States, distributed among nine denominations. The largest by far is the Presbyterian Church in the USA (PCUSA), which numbers 3.5 million members. PCUSA formed in 1983 by reuniting the two largest bodies (PCUS, southern and UPCUSA, national) which had separated at the time of the Civil War over the question of slavery. The PCUSA tends to be liberal in its interpretation of Scripture and attitude toward social issues. Many of the smaller bodies, such as The Presbyterian Church in America are more conservative, more strictly holding to the historic Reformed confessions.

Origin/History

Presbyterianism can be said to have originated from the teachings of John Calvin. The Scotsman, John Knox (ca. 1513-1572), after spending 5 years in Geneva under Calvin’s tutelage, returned to Scotland and thoroughly reformed the church according to Calvin’s theology and church government. The Scottish Presbyterians influenced the Puritan party in England. Both groups were instrumental in getting Parliament to convene the Westminster Assembly in 1643 for the purpose of reforming the Anglican Church according to Presbyterian principles. Out of this Assembly came the Westminster Confession (1647) and the Shorter and Longer Catechisms, as new doctrinal standards for the church. When the monarchy was restored in England in 1660, many Puritans and Scottish Presbyterians resettled in America. The first Presbyterian presbytery in America (association of local congregations) was formed in 1706 in Philadelphia.

Confessions: Official Statements of Faith

The official statements of the PCUSA are found in the Book of Confessions (BOC) (The Constitution of the Presbyterian Church U.S.A., Part I, Book of Confessions (Louisville: The Office of the General Assembly, 2002). They are: (1) The Nicene Creed; (2) The Apostles Creed; (3) The 1560 Scots Confession; (4) The 1563 Heidelberg Catechism; (5) The 1561 Second Helvetic [Swiss] Confession; (6) The 1647 Westminster Confession; (7) The 1647 Westminster Shorter Catechism; (8) The 1647 Westminster Larger Catechism; (9) The 1934 Theological Declaration of Barmen; (10) The Confession of 1967. Of these confessions the Westminster Standards (#6-8) have been most influential over the history of American Presbyterianism.The PCUSA view these confessions as “standards,” but they understand them to be provisional and temporary standards. The Introduction of the Book of Confessions states: “Confessions have a temporary authority (and are therefore subject to revision and correction) because faith in the living God present and at work in the risen Christ through the Holy Spirit means always to be open to hear a new and fresh word from the Lord” (BOC, xix). Ultimately, this means that Presbyterians may reject or change anything in their historic confessions. Contrast PCUSA’s view of their confessions with ours. We in the LCMS view the Confessions of the 1580 Book of Concord to be authoritative for us today because they are a correct exposition of the Word of God. Lutherans are not opposed to new confessions of faith. But they would refuse correcting or revising their confessions to fit the spirit of the times (“a new and fresh word from the Lord”).

Bible

Presbyterians believe that the 66 canonical books of the Bible are God’s divine revelation, the Word of God written. They also believe that Scripture alone is the highest authority in the church. They believe the Bible is inspired by the Spirit. The Presbyterians are fully committed to “biblical/historical criticism” as the way of interpreting the Bible. This leads some among them to reject the historicity of some of the people and events of the Bible, such as Adam and Eve, Noah’s flood, and some of the miracles and words of Jesus. They do not believe that all that the Bible says is true, but that only what it says about God (theology) is true. Throughout history, Presbyterians have tended to view the Bible more as a manual on how to live in a God-pleasing way, than as the good news of our salvation through Jesus Christ.

God

Presbyterians confess that the true God is the triune God. God’s sovereignty is stressed. The covenants of God are also emphasized. Presbyterians believe in theistic evolution.

Jesus Christ

Presbyterians believe that Jesus Christ is true God and true man in one Person, and that he died to atone for the sinful humanity and reconcile us to God. Christ, however, died only for the elect (see Westminster Confession, ch 8). Their official doctrine treats the virgin birth of Jesus as an open question, “One can find Presbyterians who affirm the virgin birth as a historical fact and others who see it as a symbol and believe it is not to be believed in a literal way. Clearly, belief in this doctrine is not essential for salvation, since it is a not a key part of the New Testament witness to Christ” (Donald K. McKim, Presbyterian Questions, Presbyterian Answers (Louisville: Geneva Press, 2003), 32). Lutherans would strongly object to this. The Virgin Birth is an essential doctrine because it is part and parcel of Christ being God. Many Presbyterians have also questioned whether Jesus rose bodily from the dead.

Sin

Presbyterians believe that as a result of the original sin “of our first ancestor -- whoever that was,” (Donald K. McKim, Presbyterian Beliefs (Louisville: Geneva Press, 2003), 48) all human beings are sinners by nature, guilty before God, and totally unable to change their condition. There is no freedom of the will in spiritual matters; rather the human will is in bondage to sin. With this Lutherans agree (except we belief that our first ancestor was Adam!).

Salvation

Presbyterians confess that a person is saved by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ.

Election/Predestination

The official teaching of Presbyterianism is expressed in chapter three of the Westminster Confession (1647): “By the decree of God, for the manifestation of his glory, some men and angels are predestined unto everlasting life, and others fore-ordained to everlasting death.” This is commonly known as double predestination. Scripture does not teach, however, that God predestined some to be damned. Christ died for all (2 Co 5:15) and God wants all to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim 2:4). In recent years, Presbyterians have downplayed the teaching of Calvin and the Westminster Confession on the predestination of the damned. But the predestination of the damned was the clear teaching of Calvin (see the handout “Calvin on Election”).

Grace

Presbyterians correctly define grace as God’s “unmerited favor” and God’s gift. They distinguish, however, between God’s special grace, by which he saves sinners, and his common grace which extends to all of creation. They also teach that though God invites all to be saved in Jesus Christ, only for the elect is God’s grace and calling “effectual.” Presbyterians believe “once saved--always saved.”
 

Faith

“Faith is trust, our appropriation of the death of Jesus Christ on the cross as the means by which God forgives our sin and establishes us in salvation . . . Faith is the gift of the Holy Spirit that enables us to receive the benefits of salvation for us” (McKim, Presbyterian Beliefs, 82.).

Means of Grace

Presbyterians believe that the preaching of the Word and the Sacraments (Baptism and the Lord’s Supper) are the means of grace (but see below) through which the Holy Spirit ordinarily works to create and nourish faith. They also teach that prayer is a means of grace (Westminster Confession, ch 16).

Baptism

Baptism is said to be a “sign and seal of the covenant of God’s grace.” Grace is said to be conferred in Baptism but not necessarily at the time of Baptism (Westminster Confession, ch 30). It is never made clear that Baptism actually saves, forgives, causes one to be born again OR whether it is merely signifies or symbolizes what has already taken place. Babies are baptized but not on the basis of their faith (which, according to Presbyterians they do not yet have), but on the basis of the faith of the parents and the local congregation. They thus enter into the covenant of grace, and are given the Holy Spirit, who at some later time creates faith in them.

Lord’s Supper

The Lord’s Supper is also a “sign and seal of the covenant of God’s grace.” It nourishes the Christian’s faith and communicates the benefits of his death to them. Presbyterians consider the teaching that Christ’s body and blood are truly (substantively) eaten along with the bread and wine “repugnant.” Christ’s body and blood are not really there but only symbolized. Rather Christ’s body and blood is present to communicants in the sense that the Holy Spirit lifts them spiritually up to Christ who is at the right hand of God. Members commune in the pews rather than at the altar (Presbyterian churches do not have altars, but tables), and pass the elements to each other.

Church

“The catholic or universal church, which is invisible, consists of the whole number of the elect, that have been, are, or shall be gathered into one, under Christ the head thereof . . . The visible church . . . consists of all those throughout the world that profess the true religion, together with their children” (Westminster Confession, ch 27).

Church Government/Polity

The word “presbyterian” comes from the Greek word “presbyter,” which means “elder.” Each congregation has a session that is made up ruling elders (laypeople) and the teaching elder (pastor) as moderator. Presbyteries, made up of sessions/congregations in a local district, examine, ordain, and install ministers, and review reports from sessions. Synods, cover a larger geographical area that includes many presbyteries. The highest judicial body is the General Assembly, which is the national body made up of lay and clergy delegates who are elected by their presbyteries.

Ethical Issues

Abortion: The official position of the PCUSA is to give “unrestricted access” to abortion prior to the child being able to survive outside of the womb on its own. After viability late term abortion is still acceptable but pastoral and medical counsel is advised and abortion is suggested only in cases of rape, incest, fetal suffering, and to preserve the health and life of the mother. By “health” they mean mental and physical health.

Homosexuality: The official position of the PCUSA is that, on the one hand, it “seems” that Scripture forbids homosexual behavior as sin, but on the other hand, it is not yet clear whether such homosexual orientation and behavior is by nature or can be changed. Homosexual behavior is sinful, the homosexual is not. Homosexual marriages are not allowed. The ordination of a practicing homosexual is not allowed (The preceding was affirmed by the 1993 and 1997 General Assemblies). This has been an issue of great contention during the past several General Assemblies. The pro-homosexual faction within the PCUSA has been gaining ground.

Ordination

The PCUSA ordains women as Pastors. But Scripture teaches the opposite in 1 Co 14:34-38, 1 Tim 2:11-3:2.

Fellowship

Since 2001, the PCUSA is in pulpit and altar fellowship with the ELCA, the United Church of Christ, and the Reformed Church in America.