A Recurring Question

A half year ago in our September issue (p. 14) I observed that developments within our denomination are compelling a lot of loyal church members to face the question whether they should remain in it or become part of a Bible–believing, confessionally Reformed church outside of it. The decision last year to admit women to the office of deacon is only the last of a series of official actions which disregard the Bible, the creeds and the church order and, in fact, are thereby destroying the bonds which hold us together as a denomination. In that situation, many, be it reluctantly, are compelled to ask whether the Lord would have them continue, often, it seems, unsuccessfully, to oppose this policy within the mother church, or leave it to seek church fellowship in a new or other church body in which they can conscientiously have a part and whose policies they can support.

Discussion in Renewal: Dr. James DeJong

This question was the subject of an unusually frank discussion in the January 15 (and an earlier) issue of the Renewal magazine in Sioux Center, Iowa.

Dort College professor, James A. De Jong, disturbed by talk of secession, raised the issue. “When does a church reach such an intolerable degree of apostasy, indifference, or flagrant doctrinal deviance that it becomes impossible for a faithful, Bible-believing Christian to remain identified with it?” He observed that (1) “Christians must distinguish between core or essential ingredients of the faith and those that are secondary.” (2) Although the “authority ofScripture” is essential in a Protestant creed, one does not need to split churches over exegetical differences, and (3) that it is not true that churches once going astray cannot be Reformed, as various reformations and revivals demonstrate. (4) In his opinion neither the Scripture nor the example of the Reformers permit schism or withdrawal from a church because of its errors. (5) He suggested that one must stress the good in the church not its weaknesses, lest he be guilty of raising “discord, sects and mutiny.” Subsequently he stated, “I find it pastorally ill–advised to breach the subject of separation within the context of any current issues in the Christian Reformed Church.” He considered raising “that issue in the current . . . debates and discussions might well be the most serious doctrinal deviation of all.”

J. Tuininga’s Reply

A reaction to his view came from Rev. Jelle Tuininga (from Lethbridge, Alberta), who is familiar to readers of the OUTLOOK. Although he made it plain that he shared De Jong’s warning against a separatistic or divisive attitude “One must always strive for genuine Reformation and healing by being obedient to God’s Word and the Reformed standards, by being faithful where we are . . .” he felt that DeJong’s writing had been “somewhat one-sided”, tending “to overlook somewhat t he serious nature of doctrinal deviation . . . and the serious duty of every office–bearer and member ‘to exert himself in keeping the Church free from such errors.’” “And we may not avoid that often unpleasant task by accentuating the positive to the neglect of the negative. We may not lull ourselves to sleep by pointing out all of the good things that remain.”

“Dr. De Jong went so far as to say that we ought not to separate ourselves from an apostatizing church, but must wait until we are expelled . . . . I beg to differ here. The Belgic Confession bids us ‘diligently and circumspectly to discern from the Word of God which is the true Church,’ and ‘to separate themselves from all those who do not belong to the Church,’ including sects ‘that call themselves the Church.’ It is no easy matter to say just where the line must be drawn, and that may vary from congregation to congregation and from individual to individual. In the final analysis that is a matter of one’s Christian conscience before God. But the Reformed churches have always upheld the right and duty of believers to secede from a ‘church’ which it no longer manifests clearly the marks of the true church, difficult and heart–breaking as that decision may be in the exist ing circumstances. ‘Our Testimony’ which was published . . . not long ago, states that when the call to reformation and renewal goes unheeded, ‘then true believers are obligated for the sake of Christ’s honor to separate themselves from such a company which will not correct its doctrine or pattern of life according to God’s Word.’ That is a clear biblical demand.”

The Bible Teaching on Separation

In agreement with Tuininga’s observations, we ought to notice t hat it is not true that t he Bible does not justify separation unless one is expelled from a church. The Apostle Paul separated himself and the believers from the synagogues in which he had been meeting and preaching when they opposed the gospel (Acts 18:6,7; 19:9). The Bible tells us to “have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them” (Eph. 5:11). It commands us “in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ” to “withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition” received from the apostles (2 Thess. 3:6).

John Calvin’s View

The views of Reformers such as John Calvin on this matter have been widely misunderstood and misapplied. His views were clearly stated in his Institutes. Although he “would not support even the slightest errors”, He was also convinced that “we must not forsake the church because of any petty dissensions”. He stressed the need to distinguish between fundamental doctrines “so necessary to know that they should be certain and unquestioned by all men as the proper principles of religion” and “other articles of doctrine disputed which still do not break the unity of faith” (IV, 1,12). He insisted that one must separate from the “corrupted church” of the papacy. “If anyone recognizes the present congregations—contaminated with idolatry, superstition and ungodly doctrine—as churches (in full communion of which a Christian man must stand—even to the point of agreeing in doctrine), he will greatly err. For if they are churches the power of the keys is in their hands; but the keys have an indissoluble bond with theWord, which has been destroyed from among them” (IV, II,10). Although there were still Christians in that institution it could no longer be considered a true church.

Pressure to Tolerate Error

Currently within our churches we are being urged, if we cannot personally accept various views and practices which are in conflict with the Bible, the creeds and the church order, at least to tolerate such errors on the part of others within the church and its leadership. There must be more freedom to differ and more room for conflicting opinions and practices, we are told. The trouble is that the differences which we are being urged to tolerate are not the “petty dissensions” Calvin talked about. They concern the basis of our faith: Is the Bible the decisive guide to our faith and life or is it not? Do we believe in God who “worketh all things after the counsel of his will” (Eph. 1:11), or do we believe in a non–sovereign, essentially pagan god who does not? These are the kinds of issues that are really being raised among us and we are being pressed to tolerate differing opinions about them. If we give in to that pressure we are really agreeing to be part of a church which is being reduced to a mere debating society in which truth and error have equal standing; instead of being “the pillar and ground of the truth which the Bible says the Lord’s church must be” (1 Tim. 3:15). The church which refuses to distinguish between truth and error has already in principle surrendered to the devil whether or not it is still willing to tolerate a few inoffensive conservative preachers who may be useful to help it retain a conservative image.

May anyone who really loves the Lord and His gospel permit himself to be so used to support an evil cause?

Concern not only for ourselves, but also for our children, who must be guided and guarded as far as we are able from stumbling (Mat.18:6), compels us to consider not only our immediate congregational environment but also the direction which the churches’ training of our children and of their leaders is charting for the future. The Lord plainly instructed us that faithfulness to His covenant revelation and promise commits us to separation from whatever opposes it. “Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? Or what communion hath light with darkness . . . or what portion hath a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement hath a temple of God with idols?” “Wherefore come ye out from among them and be ye separate, saith the Lord” (2 Cor. 6:14-7:1)

We need to work and pray for reform and not discount the possibility that the Lord may give that as He has recently given it in a large degree among the Missouri Lutherans. We must also face the fact that He also lead us to renewed Bible–believing and confessing church fellowship and service by route of succession as He has recently done with many Presbyterians and did with our forefathers.

“Speaking Truth in Love”

As our problems multiply and decisions have to be made there will probably be differences of opinion between people equally committed to the Lord and His gospel which will lead some to take one course and others for the present to hold to the other … If that ocurs we may well learn an important lesson from the Presbyterians who have organized the PCA denomination. They deliberately sought to avoid misunderstandings and hostilities between those who seceded earlier and those who for a time felt conscience-bound to continue to struggle for the faith in the old church. This biblical policy of seeking to “speak the truth in love” in these difficult situations has encouraged the rapid growth of the new denomination committed to the Biblical, Reformed faith. Let us together pray that the Lord may guide us also in His way of Reformation.