Written by Dr. Marcus J. Serven
Introduction:
What exactly is Presbyterianism? A belief in Presbyterianism is distinguished by three essential marks: (1) a belief in the sovereignty of God, (2) a belief in covenant theology, and (3) a belief in a church government led by elders. Presbyterian doctrines and practices are summarized in the historic Westminster Confession of Faith(1647) and the Westminster Larger and Shorter Catechisms. The practical outworking of these beliefs can be found in the Book of Church Order used by various Presbyterian denominations. The church historian, Dr. S. Donald Fortson III, describes who Presbyterians are in this way,
Being Presbyterian involves multiple layers of identity and connection. As Christians, Presbyterians are “catholic,” sharing the common heritage of ancient Christianity with all believers, of all times, in all places. Presbyterians are Protestant by conviction sharing the rich spiritual heritage of the sixteenth century in reaffirming the primacy of Scripture and the rediscovery of the Gospel. Within the sixteenth century Protestant Reformation, Presbyterians identify themselves uniquely with one of the church families known as the “Reformed Tradition.” In this stream, Presbyterians view themselves in special connection to the reforms of John Calvin, John Knox and the English Puritans. Historically, Presbyterians are also part of the evangelical movement; that is, they have embraced the legacy of the eighteenth century revivals (awakenings) in America and Britain and thus believe in the necessity of conversion experience, personal holiness and being missional. Each of these historic layers is equally important to Presbyterian identity…
S. Donald Fortson III, The Presbyterian Story, 7
The Sovereignty of God:
The Bible teaches that God is in control of all events, both the good and the bad. Sovereignty means that God rules and reigns in the midst of all circumstances, accomplishing all of his holy will (Genesis 50:19-21; Psalm 103:19; Proverbs 16:4; Ecclesiastes 7:14; Acts 2:22-24; Romans 8:28; James 1:2-4; 1 Peter 1:6-9). This does not mean that God is responsible for the evil behavior of men, rather that all men are “without excuse” for their sins and will answer to God for their wicked behavior (Matthew 25:31-32, 46; Romans 2:1-16, 14:10-12; 2 Corinthians 5:10). The doctrine of sovereignty in regard to salvation is best summarized by the “Doctrines of Grace” (which are also known as The Five Points of Calvinism):
- T – Total Depravity or Total Inability (Genesis 3:1-24, 6:1-8; Jeremiah 17:9-10; Mark 7:14-23; John 1:12-13; Romans 1:18-32, 3:9-18, 23, 6:23, 9:16). [Versus Human Ability or Pelagianism or Semi-Pelagianism]
- U – Unconditional Election (Matthew 13:3-9, 18-23, 24-30, 36-43, 24:22, 24, 31; Ephesians 1:3-5, 2:8-9; Acts 13:48; Romans 8:29-30, 33, 9:6-18; 2 Timothy 2:10). [Versus Conditional Election by Foreseen Faith]
- L – Limited Atonement or Definite Atonement or Particular Redemption (Isaiah 53:4-6; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Matthew 20:28; John 10:1-5, 14-15, 27-29). [Versus Universal Redemption or General Atonement or Amyraldianism]
- I – Irresistible Grace or Efficacious Grace (John 11:43-44; Acts 9:1-19, 16:14; John 6:44, 10:1-5, 27; 1 Corinthians 2:14; 2 Corinthians 2:15-16). [Versus Resistance of the Holy Spirit by Human Ability]
- P – Perseverance of the Saints or Eternal Security (Matthew 6:16-20, 24:13; John 3:3-8, 6:37, 39, 47, 10:27-29, 15:8; Romans 10:8-10; Ephesians 1:13-14; Philippians 1:6, 2:12-13; 1 Peter 1:3-5; 1 John 5:13). [Versus Falling from Grace or Losing One’s Salvation]
A Covenant Theology:
God has related to a certain people throughout history—His people. Thinking of National Israel as the people of God was the initial pattern for understanding this doctrine. However, it is clear that, “…they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel” (Romans 9:6). Thus, God’s people are those who are the spiritual descendants of Abraham rather than the physical descendants of Abraham (cf. Romans 2:28-29, 9:6-8; Galatians 3:7-9, 29; Ephesians 2:13-22). The relationship that God has enjoyed with His people has been shown through a series of expanding covenants. Each covenant had blessings that came with obedience and curses that came with disobedience. Each covenant is progressive, in that through time God has revealed more of His redemptive plan to successive generations. The ultimate expression of God’s covenantal relationship is revealed in the New Covenant which is accomplished by the redemptive work of Jesus Christ on the Cross. God’s covenant people are Believers, their children, and all who are in the visible church (cf. Genesis 12:2-3, 17:7-11; Deuteronomy 5:1-21, 7:7-9, 10:16; Psalm 103:17-18; Jeremiah 31:27-34; Acts 2:39; Romans 2:28-29; 1 Corinthians 7:14; Galatians 3:6-9, 29; Ephesians 2:14-16, 3:6-7; Hebrews 9). There are two Sacraments ordained by Jesus Christ: the Lord’s Supper and Baptism. The Lord’s Supper is a memorial feast where Christ is spiritually present in the hearts of every Believer–as taught by Martin Bucer, John Calvin, John Knox, Charles Hodge, A. A. Hodge, etc. Believers, both adult and children, are admitted to the Lord’s Table upon giving a credible confession of faith to the elders of the local church. Both adult Believer’s baptism and infant baptism are practiced in Presbyterian churches as a sign of our identification with Christ and and our entrance into the visible church. Infant baptism is based upon the covenant made by God with Abraham and all of his descendants (Genesis 17:7-14). The children of Believers are part of the covenant by virtue of their birth and are thereby entitled to its benefits and liable under its sanctions (cf. Acts 2:38-39; 1 Corinthians 7:14; Ephesians 6:1-4). In the New Testament the practice of circumcision has been superseded by baptism (Colossians 2:11-12).
A Church Government Led by Elders:
The Old Testament speaks of the practice of appointing elders. For example, Jethro gave his son-in-law Moses wise advice concerning the difficulty of leading the entire nation of Israel all by himself (Exodus 18:17-27). He urged Moses to pick out men of sound character to oversee all of the minor disputes. Moses would then be able to decide the major disputes that the elders could not handle. This practice was a prelude to the New Testament paradigm that would be developed by the Jesus Christ when he selected his disciples (Mark 3:13-19). The New Testament uses the Greek word presbuteros to refer to “elders,” and “older men” (Titus 2:2). For example, Paul instructed Timothy and Titus, both of whom were younger pastors, to seek out mature men to serve the local church as overseers or elders (2 Timothy 2:2). The specific qualifications for these local church leaders are given so that the character of each candidate might be thoroughly evaluated by the congregation (1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9). After evaluating a man’s life, doctrine, family, and character the church confirms the calling of God by electing that man an elder. Duly elected elders can serve Christ’s Church in several different capacities, such as Evangelists, Pastors, and Teachers (Ephesians 4:11). There are two other Greek words implying Church authority that the Bible speaks of as well: diakonos (deacon) and episkopos (overseer or bishop). Within a Presbyterian form of government deacons are elected by the congregation for the purpose of meeting the physical needs of the people, visiting the sick, and administering the possessions of the Church. In many respects, the Presbytery serves as the episkopos over a group of churches in a specific region, and is made up of the all the regional elders. Rather than investing authority in a single individual to serve as a bishop, the collective wisdom of a plurality of godly elders is emphasized in decision-making for the whole Church. Beyond that, the Church has an annual meeting of elders from all the regional Presbyteries for the purpose of gathering together in a General Assembly (Acts 15:1-35).
American Presbyterian Denominations (Current List):
— Presbyterian Church USA (PCUSA) [1,302,000 members]
— Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) [384,000 members]
— Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC) [145,000 members]
— Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians (ECO) [121,000 members]
— Cumberland Presbyterian Church (CPC) [87,000 members]
— Korean Presbyterian Church in America (KPCA) [55,000 members]
— Korean American Presbyterian Church (KAPC) [53,000 members]
— Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church (ARP) [39,000 members]
— Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC) [30,000 members]
— Reformed Presbyterian Church US (RPC) [7,800 members]
— Bible Presbyterian Church (BPC) [3,500 members]
— Covenant Presbyterian Church (CPC) [13 churches]
— Reformed Presbyterian Church, Hanover Presbytery (RPC, Hanover) [12 churches]
— Reformed Presbyterian Church, General Assembly (RPCGA) [7 churches]
— Reformed Presbyterian Church in the United States (RPCUS) [3 churches]
Source: “List of Presbyterian and Reformed denominations in North America” (Wikipedia, Accessed 4-29-2021) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Presbyterian_and_Reformed_denominations_in_North_America
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Dr. Marcus J. Serven, ThM and DMin
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