PCA CHURCH HISTORY Flashcards
Discuss the controversy between modernism and fundamentalism. Be sure in your answer to identify and explain the significance of the Auburn Affirmation (who signed it? Why? When?), the “five fundamentals”, Harry Emerson Fosdick, and J. Gresham Machen.
Riding on a high tide of German higher criticism, liberalism infected the American church in the late 19th century. The issue would come to the fore in the Presbyterian Church (USA) in 1923, when 150 ministers signed ( 1924 added 1274) an affirmation denying the necessity of subscription to the five” fundamentals” for ordination to the gospel ministry in the PC(USA). Harry Emerson Fosdick, was the leader of the group.
While many other institutions had fallen under the spell of liberalism, Old Princeton remained the bastion of Calvin-ist orthodoxy and intellectual defense of the Christian faith. When re-structuring of her board was ordered by the General Assembly, an action which would surely change her character, many of her orthodox faculty, under the lead-ership of New testament Scholar J. Gresham Machen (1881-1937), left to form Westminster Theological Seminary in 1929. When Machen and his followers objected to their tithes to missions going to non-Christian, pluralistic mis-sions work, and established the Independent Board for Presbyterian Foreign Missions, they were defrocked by the PC(USA). They went on to found the Orthodox Presbyterian Church in 1936. Soon finding that they had been bound only by a common enemy, Machen and his fellow Old School Calvinists, and the dispensationalists, parted ways. Thus, under the leadership of the fiery Carl Mclntire, the Bible Presbyterian Church was formed out of the dispensa-tional group.
Trace the historical roots of the RPCES. From which major branch of Presbyterianism did the RPCES come? Why is the RPCES important in PCA history? Be sure in your answer to identify and explain the significance of the Independent Board for Presbyterian Foreign Missions, J. Oliver Buswell, Robert Rayburn, Francis Schaeffer, and Carl Mclntire.
Conservatives in the PCUSA formed their own denomination, the Presbyterian Church of America (1973), because of the modernists movement in the PCUSA—however, when the common cause of battling the modernists grew less intense because of the successful formation of the new denomination, differences began to face among conservatives. These differences were along the lines of eschatology and the use/nonuse of alcoholic beverages. This difference split the denomination. The group favoring pre-millenialism and complete abstinence from alcohol formed the Bible Presbyterian Church (1938). The Presbyterian Church of America renamed themselves a year later to Orthodox Presbyterian Church (1939). The Bible Presbyterian Church split in (1956), once under Carl McIntyre who was resolved to keep mission boards and seminaries out from under denominational control. This split resulted in the Bible Presbyterian Church, Collinswood synod (McIntyre’s group) and the Bible Presbyterian Church, Columbus synod. The Columbus synod changed their name to the Evangelical Presbyterian Church and soon merged with the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America, general synod to form the Reformed Presbyterian Church Evangelical Synod (RPCES) Thus, the RPCES came out of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, Northern Presbyterian Church.
Trace the history of the formation of the PCA. When, where, and why did the PCA begin? From what major branch of Presbyterianism did early members of the PCA come? Be sure in your answer to identify and explain the signifi-cance of the Presbyterian Evangelistic Fellowship, Concerned Presbyterians, the Presbyterian Journal, Morton Smith, Jack Williamson, Ken Keyes, and Aiken Taylor.
The Presbyterian Church in America was formed in 1973, under the name The National Presbyterian Church. The church was formed as a continuing biblical Presbyterian denomination, out of the Presbyterian Church in the United States (the” Southern Presbyterian Church”). Due to the rampant liberalism, especially in the form of Barthianism, in that denomination, several organizations had been formed to preserve the gospel witness in that denomination. These included the Concerned Presbyterians, Presbyterian Churchmen United, the Presbyterian Evangelistic Fellowship, and Reformed Theological Seminary. When things had progressed to such a stage where a majority of these men came to a conviction that the PC(US) was no longer a viable organ of gospel wit-ness, they organized to form the Presbyterian Church in America. The first General Assembly was held at Briarwood Church in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1973. Col. Jack Williamson was elected as the first moderator and Morton Smith was elected Stated Clerk. Two other denominations were asked to merge with the PCA: The Orthodox Presbyterian Church, and the Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical Synod. The RPCES accepted, and, in 1982 joined and was received by the PCA bringing with them Covenant College and Covenant Seminary. Today the PCA continues to offer itself as a biblically based denomination: True to the Scriptures, the Reformed faith, and obedient to the Great Commission.
Taylor Editor of PJ
Keyes: Concerned P
What are some distinctives of the PCA?
- “God alone is Lord of the conscience and has left it free from any doctrines or commandments of men (a) which are in any respect contrary to the Word of God, or (b) which, in regard to matters of faith and worship, are not governed by the Word of God. Therefore, the rights of private judgement in all matters that respect re-ligion are universal and inalienable. No religious constitution should be supported by the civil power further than may be necessary for protection and security equal and common to all others.”
- “In perfect consistency with the above principle, every Christian Church, or union or association of partic-ular churches, is entitled to declare the terms of admission into its communion and the qualifications of its ministers and members, as well as the whole system of its internal government which Christ has appointed. In the exercise of this right it may, notwithstanding, err in making the terms of communion either too lax or too narrow; yet even in this case, it does not infringe upon the liberty or the rights of others, but only makes an improper use of its own.”
- “Our blessed Savior, for the edification of the visible Church, which is his body, has appointed officers not only to preach the Gospel and administer the Sacraments, but also to exercise discipline for the preservation both of truth and duty. It is incumbent upon these officers and upon the whole church in whose name they act, to censure or cast out the erroneous and scandalous, observing in all cases the rules contained in the Word of God.”
- “Godliness is founded on truth. A test of truth is its power to promote holiness according to our savior’s rule, “by their fruits you shall know them” (Matthew 7:20) No opinion can be more pernicious or more absurd than that which brings truth and falsehood upon the same level.”
- ” While, under the conviction of the above principle, it is necessary to make effective provision that all who are admitted as teachers be sound in the faith, there are truths and forms with respect to which men of good character and principles may differ. In all these it is the duty both of private Christians and societies to exer-cise mutual forbearance toward each other.”
- “Though the character, qualifications and authority of church officers are laid down in the Holy Scrip-tures, as well as the proper method of officer investiture, the power to elect persons to the exercise of authority in any particular society resides in that society.”
- “All church power whether exercised by the body in general, or by representation, is only ministerial and declarative since the Holy Scriptures are the only rule of faith and practice. No church judiciary may make laws to bind the conscience. All church courts may err through human frailty, yet it rests upon them
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to uphold the laws of Scripture though this obligation be lodged with fallible men.”
8. “Since ecclesiastical discipline must be purely moral or spiritual in its object, and not attended with any civil effects, it can derive no force whatever, but from its own justice, the approbation of an impartial public, and the countenance and blessing of the great Head of the Church.”—Preliminary Principles of the BCO
