Sad and Pathetic
Michael Brown
in Ecclessiology, Strange Stuff, In the News Today
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4 Comments
The Pope and the Christian Reformed Church. Read about it here. (HT Shane Lems and Kim Riddlebarger)
No, those are not representatives from the CRC kissing the pope's ring in the picture to the left, but hopefully the picture makes the point. The question is this: Does the CRC believe the Three Forms of Unity or not? If so, will someone please give a copy to Rev. Dykstra? Apparently, he has forgotten what it says with regard to justification sola fide and the marks of a true church. Our unity as Christians is in the truth we confess. Attending the Pope's ecumenical prayer service led by Pope Benedict XVI does NOT "demonstrate that unity." And what exactly is this nebulous thing called the "Reformed world and life view"? How about a Reformed confession? You know, that thing to which Reformed ministers subscribe and promised before witnesses to uphold and defend.
I realize that there are still some faithful ministers in the CRC, but as far as I am concerned, the sooner the denomination drops the title "Reformed" from their name, the better it will be for everyone.
Reader Comments (4)
Mike,
As an outgoing office-bearer in the CRC who just last night endured three hours of a "Classis Renewal" pow-wow, all I can say is, "If only the Dutch Reformed took their confessional tradition as seriously as they take their world-and-life view (and day schooling philosophy which only serves to perpetuate a glorified culturalism)--nay, more--the better it would be for everyone."
Oh, how much more could be said here!
Thanks, Zrim. I appreciate your comments on this as one who serves in the CRC.
I find it interesting that Owen’s classic work on the doctrine of justification was written in a context not all that different from our own.
In it, Owen writes: “Some late writers, indeed, among the Protestants have endeavoured to reduce the controversy about justification with the Papists unto an appearance of a far less real difference than is usually judged to be in it” (Works, 5:67).
Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose!
Owen's remark on the same page says it all: “In my judgment, Luther spake the truth when he said, ‘Amisso articulo justificationis, simul amissa est tota doctrina Christiana.’ And I wish he had not been a true prophet, when he foretold that in the following ages the doctrine hereof would be again obscured.”
!