Before We Get Started...

Some general observations:

1. I wish to reiterate my statement about the Confession's subordination to Scripture. Some who consider themselves non-creedal or even anti-creedal will accuse confessional Christians of putting another authority before the Scriptures. While recognizing the danger I point out that history has shown this rarely happens. Every commentary on the Confession I've examined takes great pains to compare the Confession's statements with Scripture. Denominations that subscribe to the Confession (or like documents) tend to bend over backwards to maintain the unique authority of Scripture.

2. Why even bother with the Confession, then? Aren't the Scriptures sufficient to instruct us in all things necessary for Christian faith and practice? Yes, certainly. But those same Scriptures tell us that God has provided the church with pastors and teachers. Do we believe that we are the first generation of Christians who have read the Bible and have tried to discern its teaching? Have we nothing to learn from the many faithful and wise who have preceded us? In order for me to profit from riding a bicycle it is not necessary for me to reinvent one out of raw materials.

3. Many Christians (and not a few critics) are unhappy with the evident anti-Roman Catholic flavor of the Westminster Confession. The term "Catholic bashing" often comes up in discussions of the Confession's statements. It is very important to recognize the historical context in which this document was produced. Firstly, English Puritanism was very much a product of the Protestant Reformation, particularly the Calvinist/Reformed branch. The Reformers perceived that Roman Catholicism had departed from the biblical gospel in many particulars. Secondly, recall that there had been a movement back toward Rome on the part of the English king and many of his bishops in the first half of the 17th century. The writers of the Confession were at pains to distinguish and defend the doctrines contained therein from those of Rome. I will re-address this issue whenever it becomes pertinent.

4. The Confession is internally self-referential. Its teachings build one upon another. It is therefore important not to take each chapter as a fresh beginning but to remember what the Confession has previously established. For instance, the discussion of God's decrees in chapter III presupposes the definition of God given in chapter II.

5. There exist a number of good resources for independent study of the Confession. Works by A. A. Hodge, G. I. Williamson, John Gerstner, R. C. Sproul, and Joseph Pipa may prove useful to the student wanting to delve deeper than will often be possible in this blog. I wish to acknowledge my indebtedness to these authors, many of whose insights will appear in the posts to follow as they provided the source material for much of the content of the Sunday school lessons on which these posts are based. I also here acknowledge the contributions of Doug Thiessen, a fellow ruling elder at Grace EP Church and my co-teacher during the 2006-2007 academic year and this class.

Tomorrow: The Holy Scriptures.