What does knowing the truth produce in the Christian life? Truth changes things, changes us. To that end this is an introduction to a new monthly email letter taking us through what Village Seven believes doctrinally, specifically as found in our Creeds, Confessions & Catechisms. Too often we set up a false argument between learning something “theological” and learning something practical, as if the two never meet. All Scripture is useful for equipping the man of God for every good work. Village Seven believes that Holy Scripture as found in the Old & New Testaments are the supreme and only infallible rule of faith.(Westminster Shorter Catechism #2) In this monthly email I would like to take you through these Confessions & Catechisms not as a replacement for God’s Word, but as a tool to help us & our children grow in our understanding of Scripture. This is a ministry that is being overseen by Pastor Bryan Counts. All comments or questions should be sent to both Pastor Counts and myself at the email addresses listed below.

We are Christians. We are evangelical. We are Reformed, Confessional & Presbyterian. What is this Reformed, Confessional & Presbyterian business? For those of us who have taken our churches inquirer’s class we have learned some about this. Our Church, like many churches has a statement of beliefs that we think accurately reflects God’s Word. In our case we have adopted the Westminster Confession of Faith with the Larger and Shorter Catechism. The PCA church is convicted that these Confessions & Catechisms are faithful representations of what Holy Scripture teaches. In upcoming email letters we will begin with the Westminster Shorter Catechism. For now let’s get back to a bit of introduction & background.

The form of subscription historically required of its leaders in Presbyterian churches and still required in the PCA is worth our attention. Our ordained leaders take the following vow that reflects their agreement, or subscription to, these truths.

“Do you receive and adopt the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Catechisms of this Church, as containing the system of doctrine taught in Holy Scriptures?”

Table Talk Magazine explains it this way:

“In other words, the ordained is affirming that the Westminster Confession & Catechism state what he believes the Bible teaches. It is incumbent on those who make such a vow of subscription to be faithful in their preaching & teaching to proclaim the whole counsel of God as set forth in the Scriptures and understood by the Standards of the church. Failure to do so is a breaking of doctrinal integrity that the Lord expects of His servants. Often in our efforts to evangelize, the tendency is for us to press for an emotional response,without first properly conveying the great doctrines of the Christian faith to the individual. We need to recognize that a proper response of the heart or conscience can only be made after the truth of the Gospel has been imparted to the sinner. It is only as the truth of the Gospel is apprehended that a genuine Biblical response can take place. We see thus the need for doctrinal integrity on the part of all Christians who are witnesses of the Gospel to the world around us.”

As we seek to be a reflection of God’s glory it would seem a shame to let these Biblical doctrines be relegated to the pile of no longer relevant when the truth is there are not many new methods, books, ministry models, or programs more relevant and practical than the ones right under our noses in the Presbyterian tradition.

What is the goal? The desire is not to grow in head knowledge for it’s own sake, but to deepen our understanding of God’s word, grow in the grace of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, and to be a reflection of his glory.”

Together in the fellowship of the Gospel,

Eric Burns

Additional material
My thanks to Kip Russel for reminding me of this article by Kim Riddlebarger on Catechism.

Please send questions or comments to both Eric Burns (reynosababy@yahoo.com) and Pastor Bryan Counts (bcounts@v7pc.org).