One of the core theological works which has always been at the centre of Presbyterian teaching has been the Westminster Confession of Faith. But how relevant is it to today’s society?
The most valuable attribute of the Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF) is that it is a support to understanding the Scriptures, not a substitute for the Bible or more authoritative than the Bible itself as the Book of Mormon is within the religious cult of Mormonism.
Using the Full Copy of the WCF as a basis for this analysis, the section on the Bible has emphasised the importance of daily devotion and quiet time to read the Scriptures.
Like the child that moves from milk to solid food, this section stresses the importance of regularly reading God’s Word to avoid the crisis of going on a spiritual hunger strike. If I am to grow in the Christian faith, I will require three elements - reading and prayer, worship, and inter-acting with a fellowship of believers.
Without doubt, the most encouraging sections fall under the banner of Salvation, especially God’s Covenant with mankind. It is not an agreement, deal, document, or memorandum of mutual understanding. It is a clear covenant from God guaranteeing eternity with Him provided I accept Jesus as my Saviour.
This covenant of eternal salvation was guaranteed by Christ’s death on the cross and His resurrection. Indeed, under the doctrine of free will, we have been given that choice either to accept His salvation, or to reject it.
However, one section which has always challenged me throughout my Christian journey has been the concept of predestination as outlined in the section God’s eternal decree. Is it a case of ‘once saved, always saved’? Can the back-slider who has fallen away from the faith enter heaven if they die without asking God back into their lives?
In the interpretation of this section, I struggle with any analysis which suggests that God - even before we are born - has already decided who will go to heaven and who will end up in hell. The doctrine of free will enables me to believe that we have a choice - if we choose Christ as our Saviour, we are predestined for heaven; if we fail to choose the gift of Salvation, then hell will be our eternal predestined location.
There are a number of WCF doctrines which wholeheartedly encourage me in my faith and witness. Primarily, creation and how God made this world. This helps me cope with the science lobby which bombards us with evolutionary theories.
However, under the banner of Salvation, it is the sections dealing with justification, saving faith, repentance unto life and especially sanctification which sustain me in my spiritual journey. As a life-long Presbyterian, the WCF sections on the perseverance of the saints and the assurance of grace and salvation can sustain a believer when faced with the challenges and temptations of life. As a working journalist for the past 46 years, these specific sections have been a bedrock when coping with the challenges of covering the Troubles and working in the tabloid world.
When reporting on the evils of mankind, a key foundation pillar which has constantly sustained me spiritually has been God’s covenant on Salvation.
No matter how bad the world becomes as a result of the fall of man, God’s covenant is unbreakable. I felt this section so strongly when I toured the Auschwitz-Birkenau Nazi death camp in Poland for a feature on International Holocaust Memorial Day.
The Nazis were able to murder 3,000 every 30 minutes during the camp’s operations. I was physically ill during that assignment, but it was constantly reminding myself of God’s covenant of eternal peace with Him in heaven which sustained me through that day.
If there is one WCF section which is both encouraging, yet challenging simultaneously it is Christian liberty and the liberty of conscience. I am often asked - how can I show Christ and witness if I am a tabloid reporter? It is this section which enables me in all conscience to answer this.
I can show Christ with a strict observance of the ninth commandment - thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. In practical terms, I ensure that every story I publish or broadcast is one hundred per cent legally, ethically and factually correct.
The specific liberty of conscience part does not mean we can act as we choose. The journalists’ Code of Practice Rule 14 Confidential Sources states: “Journalists have a moral obligation to protect confidential sources of information.” You only have to betray that code once and your credibility as a reporter is severely compromised.
If I betray that trust, either verbally or grammatically, then it will be my Christian faith which will be questioned. However, the WCF liberty of conscience part has often placed me in an ethical dilemma in terms of protecting the identity of those sources, especially those who are involved in paramilitary activity. This can place WCF Christian ethics on a collision course with practical journalism ethics.
This can also lead to a crisis of conscience when it comes to the section on lawful oaths and vows. In summary, legitimate oaths and vows may be taken and should be kept with the utmost care. No one should vow to do something ‘forbidden in the Word of God.’ In my Christian life, what about the trade unions I have signed up to in journalism and lecturing?
There are codes of conduct which I have vowed to uphold in both occupations. In journalism, what methods should I use to get my stories; in lecturing, what do I do when faced with pro-abortion, or pro-LGBT issues? This WCF section is a very real challenge for me.
When it comes to the sacraments, especially the Lord’s Supper, the WCF challenges me to question why other Christians have to have communion every Sunday compared to the Presbyterian tradition of only two or three times in a calendar year. I am concerned that frequency of communion dilutes the meaning of that sacrament.
I fully agree with the Presbyterian interpretation of baptism, especially infant christening. It is for the parents and does not guarantee the salvation of the child. As a Presbyterian minister’s son married to a Baptist pastor’s daughter, this has led to some interesting debates in our marriage. Indeed, this issue has been the most contentious of our 34 years of married life.
Whilst the issue of baptism is not a theological challenge, under the WCF section of church censures. In summary, it states: “Leaders are appointed within the Church in order to exercise loving discipline over its members. One aim, among others, is to reclaim those who have erred.”
However, it is my experience that this gives some elders too much power over the clergy. In a church dispute, what genuine independent intermediary body do our Presbyterian clergy turn too? Put bluntly, as a life-long trade unionist, there needs to be a specific trade union for clerics because there is the real danger that in a dispute within a congregation can the Kirk session or Presbytery be seen as a neutral body?
Practically, this has become the most challenging section of the WCF. I know this from my own experience when in 1978 my late father, Rev Dr Robert Coulter MBE, even though he had the support of the majority of the Kirk session and the backing of the Ballymena Presbytery, was left with no other alternative but to resign as minister of Clough Presbyterian congregation.
As a Christian based on my own upbringing, this section of the WCF needs radical reform. On a practical basis as a born again believer, this is one of the single biggest challenges for me personally as I reflect on the WCF.
As for the section on synods and councils, it is vital that a denomination has a workable church structure of governance so that Biblical teaching, especially on issues of the state of men after death and the resurrection of the dead, as well as the last judgement can be effectively and theologically accurately communicated to congregations.
While the Church can place an emphasis on good works as a form of evangelical witness, theologically there needs to be a greater emphasis placed on the WCF section on Christ the mediator. The summary states: This significant chapter describes how Jesus Christ reconciles people to God. It sets out how Christ as ‘very God and very man’ ‘satisfied the justice of his Father’ and ‘purchased redemption.’
It has always been an encouragement to me as a born again believer that when it comes to salvation, it is in Christ alone. I do not need to rely on good works, or my upbringing in Presbyterianism or my broadcasts in favour of salvation. Surrendering my life to Christ as outlined in St John 3:16 is all I required. As a challenge, we as a denomination need to emphasise this more strongly to prevent a liberalism gaining any foothold.
The most valuable attribute of the Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF) is that it is a support to understanding the Scriptures, not a substitute for the Bible or more authoritative than the Bible itself as the Book of Mormon is within the religious cult of Mormonism.
Using the Full Copy of the WCF as a basis for this analysis, the section on the Bible has emphasised the importance of daily devotion and quiet time to read the Scriptures.
Like the child that moves from milk to solid food, this section stresses the importance of regularly reading God’s Word to avoid the crisis of going on a spiritual hunger strike. If I am to grow in the Christian faith, I will require three elements - reading and prayer, worship, and inter-acting with a fellowship of believers.
Without doubt, the most encouraging sections fall under the banner of Salvation, especially God’s Covenant with mankind. It is not an agreement, deal, document, or memorandum of mutual understanding. It is a clear covenant from God guaranteeing eternity with Him provided I accept Jesus as my Saviour.
This covenant of eternal salvation was guaranteed by Christ’s death on the cross and His resurrection. Indeed, under the doctrine of free will, we have been given that choice either to accept His salvation, or to reject it.
However, one section which has always challenged me throughout my Christian journey has been the concept of predestination as outlined in the section God’s eternal decree. Is it a case of ‘once saved, always saved’? Can the back-slider who has fallen away from the faith enter heaven if they die without asking God back into their lives?
In the interpretation of this section, I struggle with any analysis which suggests that God - even before we are born - has already decided who will go to heaven and who will end up in hell. The doctrine of free will enables me to believe that we have a choice - if we choose Christ as our Saviour, we are predestined for heaven; if we fail to choose the gift of Salvation, then hell will be our eternal predestined location.
There are a number of WCF doctrines which wholeheartedly encourage me in my faith and witness. Primarily, creation and how God made this world. This helps me cope with the science lobby which bombards us with evolutionary theories.
However, under the banner of Salvation, it is the sections dealing with justification, saving faith, repentance unto life and especially sanctification which sustain me in my spiritual journey. As a life-long Presbyterian, the WCF sections on the perseverance of the saints and the assurance of grace and salvation can sustain a believer when faced with the challenges and temptations of life. As a working journalist for the past 46 years, these specific sections have been a bedrock when coping with the challenges of covering the Troubles and working in the tabloid world.
When reporting on the evils of mankind, a key foundation pillar which has constantly sustained me spiritually has been God’s covenant on Salvation.
No matter how bad the world becomes as a result of the fall of man, God’s covenant is unbreakable. I felt this section so strongly when I toured the Auschwitz-Birkenau Nazi death camp in Poland for a feature on International Holocaust Memorial Day.
The Nazis were able to murder 3,000 every 30 minutes during the camp’s operations. I was physically ill during that assignment, but it was constantly reminding myself of God’s covenant of eternal peace with Him in heaven which sustained me through that day.
If there is one WCF section which is both encouraging, yet challenging simultaneously it is Christian liberty and the liberty of conscience. I am often asked - how can I show Christ and witness if I am a tabloid reporter? It is this section which enables me in all conscience to answer this.
I can show Christ with a strict observance of the ninth commandment - thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. In practical terms, I ensure that every story I publish or broadcast is one hundred per cent legally, ethically and factually correct.
The specific liberty of conscience part does not mean we can act as we choose. The journalists’ Code of Practice Rule 14 Confidential Sources states: “Journalists have a moral obligation to protect confidential sources of information.” You only have to betray that code once and your credibility as a reporter is severely compromised.
If I betray that trust, either verbally or grammatically, then it will be my Christian faith which will be questioned. However, the WCF liberty of conscience part has often placed me in an ethical dilemma in terms of protecting the identity of those sources, especially those who are involved in paramilitary activity. This can place WCF Christian ethics on a collision course with practical journalism ethics.
This can also lead to a crisis of conscience when it comes to the section on lawful oaths and vows. In summary, legitimate oaths and vows may be taken and should be kept with the utmost care. No one should vow to do something ‘forbidden in the Word of God.’ In my Christian life, what about the trade unions I have signed up to in journalism and lecturing?
There are codes of conduct which I have vowed to uphold in both occupations. In journalism, what methods should I use to get my stories; in lecturing, what do I do when faced with pro-abortion, or pro-LGBT issues? This WCF section is a very real challenge for me.
When it comes to the sacraments, especially the Lord’s Supper, the WCF challenges me to question why other Christians have to have communion every Sunday compared to the Presbyterian tradition of only two or three times in a calendar year. I am concerned that frequency of communion dilutes the meaning of that sacrament.
I fully agree with the Presbyterian interpretation of baptism, especially infant christening. It is for the parents and does not guarantee the salvation of the child. As a Presbyterian minister’s son married to a Baptist pastor’s daughter, this has led to some interesting debates in our marriage. Indeed, this issue has been the most contentious of our 34 years of married life.
Whilst the issue of baptism is not a theological challenge, under the WCF section of church censures. In summary, it states: “Leaders are appointed within the Church in order to exercise loving discipline over its members. One aim, among others, is to reclaim those who have erred.”
However, it is my experience that this gives some elders too much power over the clergy. In a church dispute, what genuine independent intermediary body do our Presbyterian clergy turn too? Put bluntly, as a life-long trade unionist, there needs to be a specific trade union for clerics because there is the real danger that in a dispute within a congregation can the Kirk session or Presbytery be seen as a neutral body?
Practically, this has become the most challenging section of the WCF. I know this from my own experience when in 1978 my late father, Rev Dr Robert Coulter MBE, even though he had the support of the majority of the Kirk session and the backing of the Ballymena Presbytery, was left with no other alternative but to resign as minister of Clough Presbyterian congregation.
As a Christian based on my own upbringing, this section of the WCF needs radical reform. On a practical basis as a born again believer, this is one of the single biggest challenges for me personally as I reflect on the WCF.
As for the section on synods and councils, it is vital that a denomination has a workable church structure of governance so that Biblical teaching, especially on issues of the state of men after death and the resurrection of the dead, as well as the last judgement can be effectively and theologically accurately communicated to congregations.
While the Church can place an emphasis on good works as a form of evangelical witness, theologically there needs to be a greater emphasis placed on the WCF section on Christ the mediator. The summary states: This significant chapter describes how Jesus Christ reconciles people to God. It sets out how Christ as ‘very God and very man’ ‘satisfied the justice of his Father’ and ‘purchased redemption.’
It has always been an encouragement to me as a born again believer that when it comes to salvation, it is in Christ alone. I do not need to rely on good works, or my upbringing in Presbyterianism or my broadcasts in favour of salvation. Surrendering my life to Christ as outlined in St John 3:16 is all I required. As a challenge, we as a denomination need to emphasise this more strongly to prevent a liberalism gaining any foothold.
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| Follow Dr John Coulter on Twitter @JohnAHCoulter Listen to commentator Dr John Coulter’s programme, Call In Coulter, every Saturday morning around 10.15 am on Belfast’s Christian radio station, Sunshine 1049 FM. Listen online. |
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