Comments on: New Confessions http://www.joethorn.net/2007/05/22/new-confessions/ theology. church. culture. life. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 04:58:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: GUNNY HARTMAN http://www.joethorn.net/2007/05/22/new-confessions/#comment-3336 GUNNY HARTMAN Sat, 26 May 2007 04:13:09 +0000 http://www.joethorn.net/2007/05/22/new-confessions/#comment-3336 As our church always uses a "hack" of the Abstract of Principles, I feel ya, Joe. I like the link to the past and the first SBC doctrinal statement, but there was some verbiage that was confusing and some issues weren't really dealt with to our satisfaction with regard to our 2006 needs. I think we've seen efforts in this regard with the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message, which I saw/see as a great improvement, but it's a bit hard (at least in our SBC world) to have great precision where there is not great unity theologically. Even those attempts that span denominational lines are going to be limited because they can't address issues of ecclesiology, so they will be incomplete. Yet, these issues help us to ask and answer what are the lines of commonality that join us, especially in what many are seeing as a post-demoninational world. i think that's an overstatement or at least a premature assessment, but you don't have the commonality in that regard that was once there, nor the same measure of loyalty or commitment to that vehicle to enact change. In short ... let's do it! As our church always uses a “hack” of the Abstract of Principles, I feel ya, Joe.

I like the link to the past and the first SBC doctrinal statement, but there was some verbiage that was confusing and some issues weren’t really dealt with to our satisfaction with regard to our 2006 needs.

I think we’ve seen efforts in this regard with the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message, which I saw/see as a great improvement, but it’s a bit hard (at least in our SBC world) to have great precision where there is not great unity theologically.

Even those attempts that span denominational lines are going to be limited because they can’t address issues of ecclesiology, so they will be incomplete.

Yet, these issues help us to ask and answer what are the lines of commonality that join us, especially in what many are seeing as a post-demoninational world. i think that’s an overstatement or at least a premature assessment, but you don’t have the commonality in that regard that was once there, nor the same measure of loyalty or commitment to that vehicle to enact change.

In short … let’s do it!

]]> By: Josh Montague http://www.joethorn.net/2007/05/22/new-confessions/#comment-3335 Josh Montague Thu, 24 May 2007 23:49:42 +0000 http://www.joethorn.net/2007/05/22/new-confessions/#comment-3335 I'm wondering if pseudo-confession was a bad word choice. I’m wondering if pseudo-confession was a bad word choice.

]]> By: Josh Montague http://www.joethorn.net/2007/05/22/new-confessions/#comment-3334 Josh Montague Thu, 24 May 2007 23:48:15 +0000 http://www.joethorn.net/2007/05/22/new-confessions/#comment-3334 Joe, I just returned from the Gospel Coalition conference. There's a great pseudo-confession coming out of the work of the GC's council. It will be posted on www.thegospelcoalition.org in a few weeks. We received a copy and an initial read-thru was pretty exciting. I'm really thinking of using it in our church plant. If you're interested, I could scan it and send it your way. Joe, I just returned from the Gospel Coalition conference. There’s a great pseudo-confession coming out of the work of the GC’s council. It will be posted on http://www.thegospelcoalition.org in a few weeks. We received a copy and an initial read-thru was pretty exciting. I’m really thinking of using it in our church plant. If you’re interested, I could scan it and send it your way.

]]> By: Damon Titus http://www.joethorn.net/2007/05/22/new-confessions/#comment-3333 Damon Titus Thu, 24 May 2007 14:11:32 +0000 http://www.joethorn.net/2007/05/22/new-confessions/#comment-3333 Joe, I think the idea of writing a confession that reads narrativley and ties theology to the history of redemption is a great idea. I see it using the biblical narrative to express sound theology in a culturally savvy way. You use the glory of the story to highlight and shape the glory of the theology it expresses. Seems like the two go hand-in-hand, as understanding what God has done in history, and how He has done it helps us know who He is. I don't know if your familiar with the Gospel summary "Two Ways to live", but it follows a basic history of redemption, and uses a more narrative approach to present the message of salvation. I wonder if the kind of confession you're talking could follow a model like this. At least it would be something to look at for ideas. Joe,
I think the idea of writing a confession that reads narrativley and ties theology to the history of redemption is a great idea. I see it using the biblical narrative to express sound theology in a culturally savvy way. You use the glory of the story to highlight and shape the glory of the theology it expresses. Seems like the two go hand-in-hand, as understanding what God has done in history, and how He has done it helps us know who He is.

I don’t know if your familiar with the Gospel summary “Two Ways to live”, but it follows a basic history of redemption, and uses a more narrative approach to present the message of salvation. I wonder if the kind of confession you’re talking could follow a model like this. At least it would be something to look at for ideas.

]]> By: PCA Guy http://www.joethorn.net/2007/05/22/new-confessions/#comment-3332 PCA Guy Thu, 24 May 2007 01:34:28 +0000 http://www.joethorn.net/2007/05/22/new-confessions/#comment-3332 The reason Presbyterians will not undertake a "rewrite" of the Westminster Confession of Faith is because too many people are attached to 17th century theological terms. It makes them feel comfortable. Many of the PCA pastors who have suggested updating the Confession, or even begin to incorporate theological terms into language for postmoderns, become labled as "undermining the Gospel" and a host of other things, which simply are not true. Take for instance the extremely dangerous resolution which will be voted on in this year's general assembly. A stacked study committee was commissioned to explore the "Federal Vision controversy" in the denomination. If adopted, it could open the doors for teaching elders in good standing to be tried by their Presbyteries for being closer to Calvin and many of the Westminster Divines, than Dabney, Thornwell and other Southern Presbyterians. It will also basically show that the denomination I love dearly is unwilling to use fresh expressions of language for our theology. It's sad to me that we, as a small denomination, are more interesting in heretic hunting in our own circles rather than expressing our faith in an accessible way. It can be done. Change just scares people. The reason Presbyterians will not undertake a “rewrite” of the Westminster Confession of Faith is because too many people are attached to 17th century theological terms. It makes them feel comfortable.
Many of the PCA pastors who have suggested updating the Confession, or even begin to incorporate theological terms into language for postmoderns, become labled as “undermining the Gospel” and a host of other things, which simply are not true.

Take for instance the extremely dangerous resolution which will be voted on in this year’s general assembly. A stacked study committee was commissioned to explore the “Federal Vision controversy” in the denomination. If adopted, it could open the doors for teaching elders in good standing to be tried by their Presbyteries for being closer to Calvin and many of the Westminster Divines, than Dabney, Thornwell and other Southern Presbyterians. It will also basically show that the denomination I love dearly is unwilling to use fresh expressions of language for our theology.

It’s sad to me that we, as a small denomination, are more interesting in heretic hunting in our own circles rather than expressing our faith in an accessible way.

It can be done. Change just scares people.

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