2015/1 Our Views

2015/1 Our Views On Church Life And Ministry

Introduction

Many new Christians find it confusing when faced with so many âbrandsâ of Christianity around them. It can be distressing for even those who have been Christians for longer to find churches disagreeing with one another over so many issues. The better-informed Christians would know that there are nuances (i.e. finer shades of differences) even between Reformed Baptist churches world-wide. The older members (i.e. those who have been members longer) of our church would know that we have been cultivating certain characteristics that mark us out as a grouping of churches. All Christians will be helped to know the similarities and differences that exist between the churches, and how best to respond to them.

Aim and Objectives

The aim of this series of talks is to clarify our views on issues that Reformed Baptists are disagreed about, for the comfort and strengthening of the faith of our church members, and those who are associated with us.

To achieve this aim, the following objectives will be pursued:

(i) To show where the Reformed Baptists stand in relation to other churches.
(ii) To show what constitute the irreducible characteristics of a Reformed Baptist church.
(iii) To explain our views on issues that Reformed Baptist churches are disagreed about.

Biblical Basis
Throughout, we would want to be guided by biblical principles, and not by our preferences or church tradition.

(i) The sole authority of Scripture (2 Tim. 3:16-17; Rev. 22:18-19).
(ii) Contending for the faith (Jude 3; Gal. 1:9).
(iii) Fundamentals & non-essentials (Heb. 6:1-3; 1 Cor. 3:1-3).

Issues Treated

Ecumenism & Separation (2 Cor. 6:14-18)
The Bible Version We Use (2 Pet. 1:19-21)
How The Church Is To Be Ruled(1 Pet. 5:1-4)
The Lordâs Day – which day, how to keep, work, play, dress, the spirit.
Congregational Singing – the matter, the manner, the choir, the music, our anthems.
Tithing and Collections – the principle, the manner of collection, self-support & mutual support.
Baptism and Lordâs Table – who & how, open & closed communion.
Corporate Prayer & Fasting.
Weddings – why, where, how, preparation.
Thanksgiving for Babies – why, how, no infant baptism or confirmation, no consecration.
Deaths And Funerals – why burial, not cremation, infant salvation & burial.
The Family Worship (Deut. 6:1-25)
Christmas, Easter, Reformation Day, plays, Sunday Schools pictures of Christ.
Home schooling, Christian schools.
Good Works – in local church, wider needs, disasters, outreach.
Evangelism and Missions – local growth & wider church planting, missionaries sent & supported.
Head covering? Roles of women. women ministers.
Appropriate dressing – Sunday best, decency vs. trend, for men & ladies.
The call to the ministry. Calling, stand-ins, full-time workers. Theological degrees, their value & abuse, training in church or college, accreditation or none.
Finance – Self-supporting & being supported, fund raising methods. Treasurer & trustees.

Conclusion

(i) Not all churches are agreed on all these issues. The more issues we are agreed upon, the sweeter will be our fellowship.

(ii) If a church does not have a stand on all these issues, it will be more open to problems arising from them. Furthermore, the members will not be helped much when confronted with these issues.

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Study1: Ecumenism And Separation (2 Cor. 6:14-18)
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We believe in biblical separation – from sins, wrong teachings, and worldliness. We do not agree with the modern ecumenical movement. We do not agree with separatism that displays a harsh, censorious, and combative spirit.

1.1 What is ecumenism?
(i) Ecumenism, or “oecumenism”, comes from the Greek word “oikoumene”, which means “the whole inhabited world”.

Ecumenism in the past sought to unite Christians around the truth, over against errors. The ecumenical councils of the first three centuries consisted of gatherings of church leaders to discuss and condemn heresies, and issued statements on true teaching. The Council of Nicaea, in AD 325, produced that Nicene Creed which gives the biblical teaching on the Trinity.

(ii) The modern ecumenical movement seeks to unite, or show unity among, Christians and churches separated by doctrine, practice, and history, at the expense of truth. It began in the late 19th century, when liberalism spread worldwide.

Ecumenical-minded people often appeal to Eph. 4:3 and John 17:21 as the biblical basis for unity, but overlooks serious errors of doctrine and practice in those involved.

1.2 What is biblical separation?
(i) The Bible commands God’s people to be separate from sins (1 Pet. 1:14-16; 2 Thess. 3:6, 11, 14-15), wrong teachings (2 John 9-11; Rom. 16:17-18; Gal. 1:9), and worldliness (2 Cor. 6:14-17; 1 John 2:16).

Separation must be applied at the personal level as well as at the church level. Separation does not mean no contact with the unconverted. Otherwise, how are they going to hear the gospel and know the truth (Rom 10:17; Matt. 5:13, 14)? It applies to those professing to be Christians, and are adamant in their errors.

(ii) Our church has no fellowship with the Roman Catholic Church because of its many serious errors, including teaching salvation by works. We also do not have fellowship with charismatic churches such as the Assemblies of God and other churches obviously infected by charismatic doctrine and practice, e.g. healing, tongue-speaking, entertainment-style of worship, etc.

On the personal level, we have friends who go to such churches, but we do not hide our disagreement with their churches and seek to win them to the truth.

1.3 True Christian unity.
(i) John 17:21 is about the inherent unity of those who are “in Christ”. This unity is seen in the world when believers are integrated into the life of a local church, as required by the Bible’s teaching (Matt. 28:18-20; Heb. 10:24-25).

The key passage for how Christian unity is to be expressed is Eph. 4:1-16. True Christian unity cannot be created by man, and is not meant to be expressed in structural organizations (3). Instead, it is governed by correct doctrine (4-6), practice (1), and spirit (2).

(ii) Truth – in doctrine, practice & spirit – determine the degree of fellowship we may have with other churches. This may be expressed by the concentric circles below:

C: Christian – Trinity, the Bible is God’s word, Salvation in Christ (grace, justification).
E: Evangelical – C + Bible the sole authority.
R: Reformed – E + Five Pts + Confessions + Reformation valued.
RB: Reformed Baptist – R + 1689 Confession + autonomy + baptism

(iii) Like-minded churches may associate together for mutual good and for advancing the gospel. Often, fellowship between otherwise like-minded churches (in doctrine & practice) is hampered by a bad spirit in the leaders, e.g. a sense of rivalry, pride, individualism, etc. (cf. Rom. 12:16). A local church should not be a member of an ecumenical organization. Also, the local church must guard against the infiltration of individuals who intend to do harm.

As a general rule, a Christian must separate from a church or or an organization that is ecumenical or that tolerates fundamental errors, although there might be rare occasions when a preacher has the opportunity to proclaim the truth to a mix gathering. Separation is also needed towards individuals who are adamant in practising and propagating errors.

A Christian must have a charitable attitude towards other believers who have limited opportunity to be exposed to good teaching. Seek to do them good by weaning them away from errors such as tongue-speaking, partying, etc. Differences on non-fundamentals of the faith, e.g. the mode of baptism, the Bible version used, head-coverings for women, etc., should not be a hindrance to fellowship.

Conclusion

Practising a biblical separation that fosters true Christian unity requires wisdom and courage from God. It will be good to focus upon advancing the gospel, seeking the glory of God and doing good to man, without compromising on the truth.

Notes:
1. The Tragedy of Compromise, by Earnest D. Pickering, is relevant to this subject.
2. The Forgotten Spurgeon, by Iain Murray, contains important lessons in making a stand for the truth.

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Study 2: The Bible Version We Use (2 Pet. 1:19-21)
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We adopt the New King James Bible as the official Bible of the church, encouraging its use while not forbidding the use of other versions. We highly respect the King James Version but object to it being promoted as the only Bible to be used by English-speaking believers. We uphold the traditional view of the verbal, plenary, inspiration of the Scriptures (VPI), and reject the idea of verbal, plenary, preservation (VPP).

2.1 The Importance of a good version.
(i) Not everyone has the ability, opportunity, nor inclination to study the original languages of the Bible, viz. the Hebrew & Aramaic of the OT and the Greek of the NT. Indeed, it is not required that we know these languages before we hear the gospel & come to faith (Matt. 28:18-20; Rom. 10:17; 1 Cor. 14:6, 9, 11-12). Recognizing this the 1689 Confession states that “the Scriptures are therefore to be translated into the ordinary language of every nation…” (1689:1:8). Today, the Bible has been translated into many languages, with many versions in English.

(ii) It is specified in our Church Constitution that the NKJV is the official version of the church. Why specify one version for the church? (a) We do not want the church to be divided over the Bible version used; (b) We recite the Psalms, and other portions of the Bible, as part of worship; (c) Preaching is made easier without the mind of hearers being troubled by different translations all the time; (d) Memory passages for members, children, and Sunday School teaching are standardized. Note that we have not forbidden other versions from being used by individuals. In fact, it is sometimes necessary and helpful for preachers to consult other versions.

(iii) Churches have been divided over Bible versions, due to two extreme groups: (a) the liberal-minded, who think of the welfare of others and desire them to have an easily understood version, ignoring the fact that the accuracy of translation is an important factor; (b) the conservative-minded, who value the word of God but is skewed in thinking by fear of change and by personal preference, to the extent of being unhappy with others who disagree. With the advent of the internet, bad ideas are propagated with good ones. We must beware of being influenced by wrong, or extreme, views.

2.2 Why choose the NKJV.
(i) Some basic facts about translation.

Inspiration: The Holy Spirit moved God-chosen men to write His word without suppressing their personalities (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:21). It was not a process of dictation, in which the persons became mere robots or machines. The original writings (“autographs”) were infallible (not capable of being wrong) and inerrant (without error in words and facts).

Transmission: (a) The original autographs, written on papyrus and maybe also animal skins, perished due to use, fire, natural decay, etc. The OT was copied by scribes with extreme care down the centuries. Between 7th and 10th century AD, the Masoretic Text was compiled which became the official OT text. When compared with the Dead Sea Scroll (c. 150 BC) discovered in 1948, with the MT of AD 900-1000, they were almost identical. In the 3rd and 2nd century BC, the OT was translated into Greek, called the Septuagint, which was quoted much in the NT. (b) The NT has similarly been copied and transmitted, so that there are various families of manuscripts that are extant. Protestants have relied on the family of manuscripts called the Textus Receptus (or Received Text), until recent days when textual critics begin to use other families of manuscripts such as Codex Sinaticus and Codex Vaticanus.

Canonization: It is clear that God guided His people to recognize which books were Scriptures and which were not, so that by the time of Christ and the apostles, the OT canon was fixed. Similarly, by the mid-2nd century AD, the NT canon was fixed. In 1546, the RC declared the 14 books of the Apocrypha as part of the Bible. All Protestant Confessions of Faith reject these (e.g. 1689:1:3).

Translation: As the Christian faith spread, the Bible was translated into many languages. Two competing principles of Bible translation are Formal Equivalence and Dynamic Equivalence – one focusing on literal faithfulness, the other on readability, respectively.

(ii) Criteria for choosing NKJV. We choose the NKJV because:

(a) It uses the Masoretic Text and the Textus Receptus as the bases of translation, although other texts were consulted.

(b) It uses the principle of Formal Equivalence, which we believe to be more suitable for important documents.

(c) It uses modern English, cf. Matt. 8:19; Phil. 3:20; 1 Pet. 2:9. The principle is that the Bible is meant to be readily understood, without the need to learn another language, even old English.

(iii) Why VPI (Verbal, Plenary Inspiration) and not VPP (Verbal, Plenary Preservation)? Recent days saw the rise of the VPP view in Evangelical circles. It claims that God miraculously preserved His word in the transmission process, so that the apographs underlying the Masoretic Text and the Textus Receptus contained no scribal error. The KJV of 1611 is regarded as the most reliable English Bible, while all others are corrupt. We reject VPP because:

(a) It wrongly understands the expression in the Confessions (Westminster & 1689), that the inspired word of God was “by his singular care and providence kept pure in all ages” as meaning “miraculous preservation of Scripture such that no scribal error entered”. We do not doubt God’s special care of His word, through His imperfect people. We do not deny the doctrine of providence, which is different from miraculous intervention. Inerrancy applies in a direct sense to the autographs, and in a derivative sense to the apographs. Scribal errors came in, but not to the extent of affecting any doctrine, e.g 2 Sam. 15:7. The 1.5% textual differences are mostly alleged discrepancies, capable of reasonable explanation, e.g. 1 Chron. 21:25 cf. 2 Sam. 24:24. We do not need to believe in a perfect Bible in the sense that the VPP advocates mean. All the Bible passages they use do not support VPP but VPI, e.g. 2 Tim 3:14-17; Ps. 12:6-7; Mat. 5:18.

(b) It requires miraculous intervention in the Masorets of the 7th to 10th centuries AD and the KJV translators of 1611 to sieve out the texts for the MT and the TR.

(c) Its proponents wrongly and unfairly imply that all others are neo-evangelicals, favour unreliable manuscript texts like those of Westcott and Hort, adopt liberal textual criticisms, and deny the power of God.

Conclusion

(i) Do not be drawn away by the ideas of VPP or KJV-only. Understand why we favour the NKJV to the NIV and other versions that use the dynamic equivalence principle of translation, or are mere paraphrases.

(ii) Value the Bible as God’s word, written by inspiration, transmitted down by special care and providence of God, “profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work”.

Notes:
1. On how we get our Bible, see: (a) “Jensen’s Survey of the OT”, pp. 1-51 (Moody Press); (b) “Nothing But the Truth”, Brian Edwards (Evangelical Press).

2. “Alleged discrepancies of the Bible”, John W. Haley (Baker).

3. A short helpful article on the traditional view of VPI, see “Inerrancy and Inspiration of the Bible”, Matt Slick, at: http://carm.org/inerrancy-and-inspiration-bible .

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Study 3: How The Church Is To Be Ruled (1 Pet. 5:1-4)
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We hold to the form of church government known traditionally as Independency, which is different from Episcopacy, Presbyterianism and Congregationalism. We believe in the priority of the ministry, the validity of ruling elders, the unity of the elders, and rule by elders with congregational consent. We reject the Absolute Equality/Parity view of the eldership and congregational democracy.

3.1 The Biblical Form of Church Government
(i) Implications of “the sole authority of Scripture”.

If Scripture is the sole authority in all matters of faith and practice, church government should follow its teaching as well.

The “Regulative Principle” is usually applied to worship, when it should cover government as well. The Regulative Principle states that whatever is taught in Scripture should be followed. The Permissive Principle teaches that whatever is not forbidden by Scripture may be done.

Based on the sole authority of Scripture, we believe there is a divinely ordained form (“jus divinum”) of church government.

The Bible is the only, and sufficient, law of God to govern the church.

(ii) The forms of church government .

Historically, there have been four forms of government, the last two often treated as one.

(i) Episcopacy, where there is hierarchy of individuals who have the power of rule (Anglican Church, Methodist churches, Roman Catholic Church).
(ii) Presbyterianism, where there is hierarchy of committees of individuals who have the power of rule (Presbyterian groups, Reformed churches in Europe, Borneo Evangelical Church also known as SIB).
(iii) Independency, where the local church is autonomous, the power to rule is in the church, the execution of rule is by elders, involving congregational consent (Reformed Baptist churches, Plymouth Brethren churches, Congregational churches).
(iv) Congregationalism, where the power of rule is in the church, the congregation makes the decisions, and the church officers carry out the decisions (General Baptists, most independent churches).

Note: Congregational churches hold to Independency as their form of church government. Congregationalism as a form of church government is held by most independent (spelled with lower case “i”), i.e. free/autonomous churches.)

(iii) If Jesus Christ is the Head of the church, and only Mediator between God and man, He must be submitted to as our Prophet, Priest and King.

Prophethood speaks of doctrine (including Confession of Faith and preaching), priesthood speaks of worship (including meetings and prayer), and kingship speaks of church government (including form of government, discipline, and missions).

Since Christ is the only Head of the church (Eph. 5:23-24; Rev. 1:12-13), and the Bible the only law, Episcopacy and Presbyterianism have to be rejected.

Other factors decide which, Independency or Congregationalism, is the Bible form.

3.2 The Rulers and the Manner of Ruling.
(i) The rulers of the church are elders, who rule as a body, led by the pastor.

Priority of ministry: All pastors are elders, but not all elders are pastors (Eph. 4:11; 1 Tim. 5:17). Usually, there is one pastor, who leads the eldership, and is full-time in preaching and teaching.

Validity of ruling elders: Ruling elders do not preach on a regular basis, and generally are not full-time officers. They are those who lead, “to stand before” (Rom. 12:8), and engage in administrations, “to steer” (1 Cor. 12: 28). They share the rule with the pastors (1 Tim. 5:17).

Unity of eldership. The elders together rule, having authority over all aspects of church life (1 Tim. 5:17).

(ii) The elders are the ones who rule.
The word “proistemi”, to rule (1 Tim. 3:5; 5:17) means to stand before in rank, to preside. The word “hegeomai”, to have the rule (Heb. 13:7, 17) means to lead or command with official authority.
It follows that elders must take initiatives and make decisions for the church.

(iii) With congregational consent.

The examples of Scripture show that the decisions of the elders do not become the decisions of the church until the congregation gives its consent, or “common suffrage” (Acts 15:6, 16:4 cf. 15:22, 23, 25; 1 Cor. 5:4-5; 2 Cor. 8:19).

The congregation has a duty to agree, unless there are good reasons not to. In the odd occasions when there is no congregational consent, the elders must wait while teaching and persuading the congregation of the rightness of the decision. Circumstances often change, and new factors come to light, affecting the elders and/or the congregation on the decision.

Conclusion

(i) We reject the Absolute Equality/Parity view of the eldership, where all elders are pastors.

(ii) We reject congregational democracy, where the congregation rules.

(iii) We practise rule by elders, with congregational consent, in which there is priority of the ministry of God’s word. This is Independency.

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Ourviews13: Family Worship (Deut. 6:1-25) Aug. 2012

o Believing parents, led by the father, should conduct daily family worship except on those days when the family meet with others in church for worship or Bible study.

I. Why do we have family worship?
1. God’s people were commanded to have family worship even before entering the promised land (Deut. 6:4-9).
– The nation of Israel was a theocracy, meeting to worship God as a nation in Jerusalem three times per year. New Testament believers are to be gathered as local churches, gathering to worship God once a week (Matt. 28:18-20; Rev. 1:12-13, 20). The transition from a nation gathered in worship to local churches gathered in worship occurred with the establishment of synagogues when the Jews returned from exile.
– The universal church (Matt. 16:17; Eph. 5:22-24) is to manifest itself in the world as local congregations (Matt. 18:15-17; 1 Cor. 12:12, 24-27).

2. Examples are given of the benefits of family worship (Dan. 1:1-21; 2 Tim. 1:5; Luke 2:41-52).
– Parents, especially the fathers, are responsible for the spiritual health of the family (Eph. 6:1-2; 1 Pet. 3:1-2, 7).
– The qualifications of elders include the ability to rule the family well (1 Tim. 3:4-5).
– The family is often used to illustrate the life of the church. God is our Father, we are His children, believers are brothers and sisters (Mark 3:32-35; Eph. 3:14-16; James 2:14-16; etc.). The importance of family worship to the health of the church is recognized in the Reformed and Puritan tradition.

3. Too many Christian families fail to provide spiritual nurture to their children. We want our children to be raised up in an all-rounded way: physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually. The last is often neglected.
– Our church teaches, reminds, and maybe admonishes parents on the need for family worship. We do not impose or check on parents with regard to this matter.

II. How do we conduct family worship?
1. General considerations:
– Husband and wife should have prayer time together even before children arrive. This will naturally become the family worship when they arrive.
– Bringing the baby to church for thanksgiving is reflective of the right spirit before God. Will not our God bless such a family?
– Praying for meals and whenever appropriate will set the tone of life before God, e.g. birthdays, embarking on a journey, scout camps, graduation, etc.
– The whole family is to attend all the main meetings of the church. Children should be taught to look forward to church meetings.
Parents are to continue praying for their children when they leave home for studies or work (Job 1:5).

2. The family worship:
– Keep it to a reasonable length, of not more than half-an-hour. The best time for most families is after dinner.
– Begin with a hymn, even if it is one stanza, or the first and last stanzas. Read a Bible passage each day, systematically. When children are young, use the children’s Bible. The father closes the meeting with prayer.
– Memorizing the Catechism and selected Bible passages should begin when the children are able to speak. This can be done after the reading of the days Bible passage. Repeat one or two sentences/verses each night, for two or three nights, before proceeding. Repeating the same sentences/verses for too many nights may cause boredom. Covering too many sentences/verse in too short a time may not be manageable to the children. Constant revision is the key to memorizing passages.
– As the children grow up, memory passages can be done in unison, after which a short chapter/passage of a Christian biography may be read.
– Five to ten minutes to be spent on general talk in which the children are asked about their school, sports, friends, and thoughts. Take the opportunity to impart general knowledge and awareness of current events, e.g. safety, personal hygiene, interaction with opposite sex, family values, etc.

3. Bible passages worth memorizing:
– The gospel: Isa. 55:6-9; John 1:1-18; 3:16-21.
– The word of God: Psalm 19:7-11; Prov. 3:1-8.
– The Christian life: Psalm 1; Prov. 5:1-23; James 1:21-27; Rom. 8:1-11.
– Praising God: Psalm 100; Phil. 4:4-9.
– Facing trials: Psalm 23; 57; Rom. 8:28-39.

4. Helpful books:
– For parents on parenting, at least one to be read: (1) Christian Living In The Home, by Jay E. Adams (P & R Pub.); (2) Christian Parenting, by Roger Elsworth (Evangelical Press); (3) Shepherding A Child’s Heart, by Tedd Tripp (Shepherd Press); (4) The Christian Father’s Present To His Children, by John Angel James (Northampton Press).
– Bible readings: The Child’s Story Bible, by Catherine Vos (Banner of Truth Trust); The Lord of Glory, by Jim Cromarthy (Evangelical Press).
– Books for family reading: Family Reading, A Sad Little Dog, Take Care In The Bath, You Sank My Boat – short stories by Jim Cromarty (Evangelical Press). Food For Cannibals, The Pigtail and Chopsticks Man, A Mighty Fortress – biographies written for children by Jim Cromarty. Children’s books published by Christian Focus Publications.

= Time invested in your children will pay invaluable benefits. God honours the efforts of faithful parents by granting salvation to the children. Our children will have to continue walking with the Lord when we are no more on earth.

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