I like Mike’s Spurgeon quote….
Years ago our long time local church was able to separate from the PCUSA over doctrinal issues. It cost the congregation a tremendous amount of money, as ours like many other churches I know of had to pay a ransom for the building and property we were in. This was because the PCUSA Corporate structure held the title. This was despite the local congregation having paid for the whole cost of acquiring and building it. The break was made and our church decided to become part of the EPC. Which was a slightly more conservative church than the newest Presbyterian denomination the ECO.
For those who wish to know the most significant separation occurred almost 100 years ago when J. Gresham Machen and others separated over the Liberalism in the Presbyterian Church and formed the OPC. The OPC remains the most true to its Orthodox name, but is quite small. Many years later another group became concerned and formed the PCA, which today has the majority of those who separated, or were attracted to it by a number of popular pastors, including Tim Keller.
It was about 20 years later another group separated and became the EPC…and 14 years ago the last group decided they had the best ideas of a new denomination and formed the ECO.
In my opinion, if you examine each of these you will see progressively more liberal denominations. Of course these vary by individual churches or even within regional Presbyteries. This is logical, although all left the more liberal PCUSA, the most conservative or Biblically Orthodox left first, leaving subsequent congregations each a bit more liberal. The final group the ECO, takes pride in having the best of what was the PCUSA and the modern ideas of the most current leaders, and tries to offer the most flexibility while still trying to say they are separate from the PCUSA.
One key non-doctrinal issue in all of the latest rounds of departures from the PCUSA, was the financial building and property rights I mentioned above.
In the meantime, the recent history of the PCUSA shows a lot of money coming into their coffers, but a significant decline in members. Though even having lost 75% of their members, they are still almost 50% more in population that the largest of those who have left.
(Note: URCNA is a reference, it’s actually Reformed not Presbyterian and was itself a separation from the liberal Reformed Denomination. The small TURCWC I’m currently taking a Sabbatical at is one of the solid churches in that group, It has on 25K members, a tiny denomination, many mega churches today have more members, just as a church.)
Another interesting dimension of the EPC denomination. And I believe one that attracted the leaders of our church to choose it to join is the doctrinal statement.
They call it Essential Tenets and you can see it here.
It’s good in that it opens with affirming the Bible, and Ends (or almost ends) with affirming the Westminster Confession. I like to say they frame or bookend the specific points in the Essentials they make between these two solid rocks.
But then add:
In Essentials … Unity
In Non-Essentials … Liberty
In All Things … Charity
Those sound good on the surface. But of the years I’ve come to realize that there is a definitional problem with the wiggle room in the Non-Essentials. That can be a very Broad Way…..If one looks at the history of many churches you can see specific examples of where some of these Biblical errors below have creeped in.
A simple reading a few scriptures can illustrate:
2Ti 3:15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2Ti 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
In an extreme form things can creep into even the early church. Today with so much diversity of information and opinion this might even be a greater risk.
Jude
Jud 1:3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
Jud 1:4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul
Act 20:26 Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men.
Act 20:27 For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.
Act 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
Act 20:29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
Act 20:31 Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.
Act 20:30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
Peter
2Pe 2:1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
2Pe 2:2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
2Pe 2:3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.
Again I’m not specifically referring to our local church, but pointing out the risk. We are in a battle as Paul describes in Ephesians 6. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones has 68 sermons on that passage. And the Word of the Lord, the Bible plays a big part in the Armor we are to take up. In his sermon on Authority of Scripture he comments something like this.
It’s not Unity or Doctrine, BUT UNITY IN DOCTRINE.
When things are deemed Non-Essential one must be careful.
On the other side…he has some good sermons on Schism in the Church, Part 1 & 2.
Eph 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Eph 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Ephesians 6:14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
Dr. Lloyd-Jones boldly proclaims that putting on truth will put the Christian at odds with the world. Doctrine will divide while the world will fight to put unity above truth. Paul said that the Christian must hold on to truth, for without it they are already spiritually defeated.
- There is confusion today about what the truth is. Many emphasize a general spirit of love and unity over particular truth. But you can’t put on a vague spirit, you need something concrete like truth.
- Some say truth can’t be defined or analyzed, only felt. But feelings are subjective, variable and unreliable. We need objective truth.
- Others say criticism and defining right and wrong doctrine is wrong. But the Bible clearly defines truth and condemns error. The church has always done this.
- The question is: what is the truth and how can we know it? It can’t be based on human reason, feelings or any church. Only Scripture is the authority.
- Human reason is inadequate and always changing. We can’t rely on our own reason against the devil’s subtlety.
- Feelings are subjective, variable and unreliable. They can be counterfeited. If we rely on feelings, we have no answer to false teachings.
Rainbow Trout 