Often our answer is “polity,” as that is the easier way of responding to these questions. Presbyterian polity has distinct elements that set us apart. We are organized in councils, from sessions to presbyteries to synods and finally to the General Assembly. These councils are made up of elders — “teaching elders” and “ruling elders” who have equal authority in presbyteries, synods and at General Assembly (see G-2.0301). The Book of Order’s Form of Government provides definitions and directions.
Our denomination’s identity is also stated in our confession of faith, the Book of Confessions, which articulates our distinct understanding of the Christian faith. That’s the claim we make in Chapter Two of the Foundations of Presbyterian Polity section of the Book of Order. In the contents of the Book of Confessions we “identify the church [our denomination] as a community of people known by its convictions as well as by its actions” (F-2.01; italics added).
The Book of Confessions is a complicated way to state our confessional convictions. As Chapter Two acknowledges, “The creeds and confessions of this church arose in response to particular circumstances within the history of God’s people” (F-2.01). The documents have different forms, organize their theological claims in different ways, are shaped by different emphases and were formulated in different languages.
Meaning that the Book of Confessions is like the Bible, which is also a single book made up of an array of books that differ in profound ways. Even amid Scripture’s diversity, we are able to see some things about God, and the created order, and how to live faithfully. Our ability to do so with the Bible can give us confidence in our ability to do so with the Book of Confessions.
Being subordinate to Scripture, the Book of Confessions can be revised to make it a fuller expression of the faith rooted in Jesus Christ, the Word of God. New contexts illuminate aspects of Scripture and our confession of faith that had not been so clear before. New insights emerge. New challenges to the faith arise. They must be addressed. There are times when the things learned need to be considered for inclusion in the Book of Confessions. In that discernment, we live the subordination of our confession of faith to the Word of God, both incarnate and written.
“Yet the church, in obedience to Jesus Christ, is open to the reform of its standards of doctrine as well as of governance. The church affirms "Ecclesia reformata, semper reformanda secundum verbum Dei," that is, “The church reformed, always to be reformed according to the Word of God” in the power of the Spirit” (F-2.02).
That’s an oft-quoted phrase in our life together, though it is frequently abbreviated to “the church, reformed and always reforming.” The abbreviated form misses the passive tense (“to be reformed”) and the final qualification (“according to the Word of God”), which remind us that revision and reform are not what we do, but what God does through us. The passive verb and final qualification resist the temptation to make reform just a matter of keeping up with trends.
Chapter Two of the Foundations of Presbyterian Polity ends with three paragraphs about relationships. These paragraphs articulate the identity of the PC(USA) by mapping the doctrines that we share with particular parts of the church universal. They map relationship.
Relationship. A word rarely heard to describe the confession of faith and our Book of Confessions. Yet it applies. The great hope of being a confessional denomination, like the PC(USA), is that our complex confession of faith can build relationships within our denomination. Making ways to connect us with one another.
One way it does so is by giving us a shared set of theological affirmations to build with and from. The complexity of the Book of Confessions can be a help with this: Common theological affirmations are explored and used in different ways, modeling and enabling us to do the same. The Book of Confessions can provide a shared vocabulary. Like “sovereignty,” and the particular way the documents in the Book assess the relationship of divine sovereignty to human sovereignties. The Book of Confessions, particularly alongside the second part of our denomination’s constitution, the Book of Order, sets before us a vision of faithful life together.
For reflection
- In what ways does our confession of faith help us build relationship within the PC(USA)? Between the PC(USA) and other denominations?
- What is something you have learned about how to understand the Bible that can help you understand the confessions?
Barry Ensign-George is a teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). He has served as a pastor in Iowa and at the denominational level in the Office of Theology & Worship.
Throughout 2025, monthly Regarding Ruling Elders articles will focus on the Foundations of Presbyterian Polity as included in our Book of Order. Ruling elders can benefit from these reflections as they consider their own ministries and call to serve as leaders in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
© 2025 Barry Ensign-George
Work licensed for publication in “Regarding Ruling Elders: A Monthly Series for Serving Faithfully.” Congregations and mid councils may print copies for educational use. Permission is needed for any other use, including copying and reprinting.
Subscribe to receive notifications of monthly Regarding Ruling Elders articles. Visit the PC(USA) Leader Formation website for more resources for ruling elders and deacons. For more information, email Martha Miller, editor of Regarding Ruling Elders.
No comments:
Post a Comment