Presby Views

[ratchet30]

Hi! Can someone explain the basics of the Presbyterian view on creeds, baptism and the lord's supper?

And, does the PCA have their own periodical devotional and magazine?

 

[hedrick]

Presbyterians hold Scripture as the authority. However we read it as a community. We don't send everyone off into their own corner to come up with their understanding. The community often feels the need to articulate its understanding. The first Reformed confessions were written to define and defend the Reformed faith, when it was new. Some groups only have those confessions. The PCUSA (or which I'm a part) has adopted a few more recent confessions, in order to take a public position on issues important to the time.

The confessions are an authority, although a secondary one. People can challenge them, but someone who disagrees with the overall approach of the Reformed faith probably doesn't belong in our churches. More conservative churches, such as the PCA that you mention, use them more strongly as an authority. However even there it is common for people to object to a few items. In that case it is up to the Session or other body to judge whether the objections are serious enough to make it inappropriate for the person to be a member or officer.

The Reformed tradition sees baptism as a formal sign of our membership in Christ, and of our death to sin and rebirth to new life. Reformed theology sees faith as something that is initiated by God. God calls us to faith, and give us grace to accept it. In some churches, baptism is seen as a sign of our acceptance of Christ. In the Reformed tradition it's more a sign a Christ accepting us. We believe that God's acceptance comes before our response, and that we are called even as infants. Our faith grows as we grow. There are types of faith appropriate for various ages. But those who are in Christ are in Christ from the beginning. Hence it is appropriate to baptize them as infants.

We believe that Christ is truly present in communion. There was an interesting argument between Luther and Calvin during the 16th Cent. Both took Jesus' "this is my body" seriously, but both also rejected transubstantiation (not so much because what it said about Jesus' presence, but because it said that in order to Christ to be present the bread had to disappear). However they disagreed over where Jesus was after his resurrection. Calvin believed that Jesus body is a normal human body, so it can only be present in one place at a time, even after the resurrection. Hence for him, although Christ was truly present in communion, and we commune on his body and blood, that had to be mediated by the Holy Spirit. Luther believed Christ's body could be everywhere, so it was present directly to the believer in communion, in and together with the bread and wine.

Someone else will have to comment on the PCA.

 

[file13]

Hi! Can someone explain the basics of the Presbyterian view on creeds, baptism and the lord's supper?

Howdy brother! My family and I recently became members of the PCA, so hopefully I can help here.

The PCA holds to the Westminster Standards as a summary of what the church understands Scripture to teach. This means that the pastors and elders agree to uphold these standards, which means you're going to get the faith reflected in these creeds from the pulpit and from the church. However you don't have to swear by these creeds to be a member, you just have to profess a faith in Christ, be baptized, and admitted to the Lord's supper.

Here's the actual profession folks make to become members from the Book of Order (57-5):

(All of) you being here present to make a public
profession of faith, are to assent to the following declarations and promises, by which you enter into a solemn covenant with God and His Church.
1. Do you acknowledge yourselves to be sinners in the sight of
God, justly deserving His displeasure, and without hope save
in His sovereign mercy?
2. Do you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God,
and Savior of sinners, and do you receive and rest upon Him
alone for salvation as He is offered in the Gospel?
3. Do you now resolve and promise, in humble reliance upon
the grace of the Holy Spirit, that you will endeavor to live as
becomes the followers of Christ?
4. Do you promise to support the Church in its worship and
work to the best of your ability?
5. Do you submit yourselves to the government and discipline
of the Church, and promise to study its purity and peace?
​

So to be a member you don't have to swear by everything in the confession, but you probably should be familiar with what's there and not have any major hang ups about any serious issues there if you do decide to become a member because you're gonna get from the church.

As for the views of Baptism and the Lord's Supper, I think you're best just looking at the Westminster Confession rather then me trying to repeat them here:

1. Chapter XXVII Of the Sacraments
2. Chapter XXVIII Of Baptism
3. Chapter XXIX Of the Lord's Supper

And, does the PCA have their own periodical devotional and magazine?

Magazine, yes, byFaith Magazine. I don't know of any official devotional, but I know a lot of folks personally use Tabletalk as a daily devotional (as you probably know, R.C. Sproul is in the PCA).

Hope this helps and God bless brother!