CDM Archive

Discipleship Ministries of the PCA

Charles

Why Baptize Infants?

by

chd-inside.jpgPeople often ask the important question of why Presbyterians baptize infants. Recently, a pastor asked if there was a way to ordain a person to the office of ruling elder who was reformed in everyway except he could not commit to “infant baptism.” I faced it as a pastor on one occasion and have responded to that question often as coordinator of CEP.

What makes the practice of infant baptism, also called covenant baptism, so difficult is that we equate baptism with one’s salvation. Once we do that we are not far from a position the Protestant reformers tried to correct- namely the doctrine of sacerdotalism. That means the sacraments are more than means of grace. They convey saving grace on the recipients. So to be saved, one has to have faith in Christ and be baptized.

Some are also confused about baptism in general and specifically infant baptism because the doctrine of the covenant is not understood. Baptism is a sign of the covenant of grace whereby we are saved. Who are to be the recipients of baptism? Believers and their children! In the book of Acts we read of certain adults being converted to Christ, being baptized, and their households with them, which obviously included children. God promises in the covenant of grace that he will be our God and the God of our children. Baptism is a sign of that covenant promise.

In the previous “In Case You’re Asked,” I dealt with teachings in the PCA’s Book of Church Order relating to the baptism of covenant children. Without repeating those references, I will expand on the covenant promise and the doctrine of children in the covenant.

Recently, I took part in a discussion that grew out of a series of questions:

How do we become children of God? What do we have to do to become a child of God? Are covenant children presumed elect and regenerate until they give us a reason to believe differently or are we to presume that they are unregenerate until we see signs of being born again? People have debated these questions through the years. But what difference does it make which way we go with this? After all, people on both sides agree that salvation is by grace through faith and there is no other name given under heaven whereby we must be saved.

The truth is that we baptize infants, neither to make them children of God nor to pronounce their salvation. They are already children of God and therefore heirs of the covenant promises. Baptism is not an empty sign. It is filled with deep theological meaning. It declares that the recipients belong to God, to a believing family, and therefore to the church of Jesus Christ. They are entitled to all the benefits of the covenant.

Several months ago I was sent a copy of a reprinted classic written sixty-three years ago. The book, The Presbyterian Doctrine Of Children in the Covenant, A Historical Study of the Significance of Infant Baptism in the Presbyterian Church, is byLewis Bevens Schenck, a professor at Davidson College, North Carolina for more than forty years. Schenck focuses on the argument between Charles Hodge and James Thronwell, two outstanding Presbyterian theologians and churchmen. Thronwell and Robert Dabney believed that “baptism makes the child a child of the covenant” while Hodge advocated that children were baptized because they were children of the covenant. Schneck maintains that because God’s promise to Abraham included children, they were to be identified. Therefore, the covenant sign of circumcision, the Old Testament version of New Testament baptism, publicly marked the children.

The children of the promise are sealed through baptism because “they are presumed to be partakers of the regeneration signified in baptism.” Frank James, professor at Reformed Theological Seminary, wrote in the introduction of this volume, “Schneck especially appreciates and follows Calvin’s broad understanding of regeneration which is understood to mean not only the beginning of spiritual life but progressive sanctification as well,” page xii. (We refer to “progressive sanctification” in the book Life of Faith by A. W. Pink in the review section.)

In America since the second great awakening and the beginnings of the revival movement, there has been a steady de-emphasis on the covenant and its meaning among Christians. The revivalistic view posits there has to be some big event in a person’s life leading to his or her conversion. (See the book review Live to Tell in this issue.) That doctrine takes the heart out of God’s covenant promises. There has been the tendency to view even our covenant children as outside the parameters of the covenant until they repent and believe. Hence, we must evangelize our covenant children. It is true we must disciple our covenant children by teaching them who they are and the significance of their baptism from the very beginning. But we must also help them understand the necessity of believing in Christ and repenting of their sins. That means that believing parents disciple their children by treating them as covenant children, rather than assuming that they are not until a particular time.

Bob Palmer reminds us in the lead article of God’s great displeasure over his people’s neglect of the covenant and its signs. Schneck goes to great lengths to point out that neglecting to baptize our covenant children is tantamount to ingratitude toward God and neglect of our children’s spiritual well being. Frank James says this about believing families who presume their children to be unregenerate, “This was intolerable and detrimental to the child, not to mention the fact that it betrays the covenantal structure of God’s relationship with his people,” page xv.

In the discussion mentioned above, someone asked me what real difference it makes whether we presume covenant children are elect or are in the process of being regenerated. I responded, “It makes great difference both in how we view covenant children and how we train and instruct them.” We disciple covenant children on the presumption that they are children of God and are to be baptized and taught all things whatsoever Christ has commanded. We do not presume that they are children of the darkness; that would cut across everything that the covenant promise represents.

Baptism is a sign and seal with great biblical and theological implications. And just as we did not establish the covenant, neither did we determine the sign of the covenant. Those were God’s gracious and loving acts. God is the signifier and signified in baptism whether it be for a covenant child or a covenant adult. I like to remind the people during a covenant baptismal service, especially of an infant, that this event marks the beginning of teaching this precious covenant child who he or she is in Christ and what this sign of baptism signifies. It is not merely a ritual. Certainly it contains mystery but God reveals his truth to us in order that we might understand and obey him. When we participate in baptism, by faith we will see the very hand of God working through his promises to us and to our children.

To conclude, Schneck writes, “The covenant idea of education had been extensively supplanted in the popular mind and ‘well nigh lost’ to the world. The principle of the Reformed faith, that the child brought up under Christ influence should never know a time when love to God was not an active principle in its life,” (page 153).

I would use Schneck’s book in a seminary Christian education course or among the local church leadership. I do not believe that it is possible to read this book without it profoundly affecting your participation in the sacrament of baptism as a church member. So in case you’re asked why we baptize infants, be prepared to respond with grateful and gracious assurance, “Because they are children of the covenant. They belong to the King and his sign and seal are to identify them as his.”

The Life of Faith: What Has God Done for You?

by

A.W. Pink is not unknown to most of you. He has written extensively both topical books and commentaries. He writes as a 20th century Puritan. His most famous work, The Sovereignty of God, continues to sell. He is also known for his commentary on the Sermon on the Mount. Whether or not you are familiar with Pink, this is a good introduction to or reminder of his ability to communicate the doctrines of grace.

The book is a collection of articles written by the author in numerous publications and as usual, he focuses on God in reminding us that it is not about us but about him. You will delight in each of the ten chapters especially beginning with ‘The Design of the Atonement.’ That chapter centers on the atonement, which was designed to bring honor and glory to the triune God by the redeemed, God’s elect. He also reminds us that the intent and design of the atonement was intended to provide complete satisfaction to God for our sins thus bringing us into his presence and fellowship with him.

He also has some unique thoughts on the coming of the Holy Spirit and the role of the third person of the trinity in God’s plan. Pink says that the coming of the Holy Spirit is second in importance only to the coming of Christ. He is also quick to say, as he does with the coming of Christ, the coming of the Spirit is the fulfillment of prophecy.

Pink also has some interesting thoughts on the topic and location of adoption within God’s plan of redemption. Usually we place adoption after justication in the Ordo Salutis but Pink suggests that we have to be adopted and then regenerated. His point is that we are not made children of God by the new birth. We were not made children of God by Christ’s death on the cross. We were children of God from before the foundation of the world by his electing grace. Regeneration simply gives the children of God “a nature suited to their relation.”

His treatment of the necessity of spiritual growth is worth the price of the book. While he reminds us that although we are to make spiritual progress or grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord, our growth does not make God loves us any more than he always does. However, without spiritual growth we will not experience the fullness of all that God has prepared for those who love him. Pink is also clear that God does not fill our lives with assurance of our salvation without “carefulness and diligence.” Pink actually includes two chapters on this topic. What he wants us to remember is that spiritual growth requires the inner working of the Holy Spirit plus a desire on our part to grow in grace.

He also addresses the topic of ‘progressive sanctification” which has troubled many Christians over the years. He makes clear the right and wrong use of that idea. In principle, we are fully sanctified already in Christ but our experience of that is progressive and dependent on our obedience. Of course in Pink’s fashion, he makes it clear that spiritual growth is not optional.

You might also find his chapter on the law, where he clearly distinguished the law of Moses from the Ten Commandments, a helpful read. Pink says that while the law of Moses was required for all Jews and Gentile proselytes, the ten commandments are universally binding on all men for all times and peoples. (A good thought in light of some current debates about the public display of the Ten Commandments.) This will be a good book for personal reading, family study, or even a Sunday school class.

The Battle Belongs to the Lord

by

Scott Oliphint has written an excellent primer on apologetics that underscores the place of apologetics in God’s scheme. Oliphint is a professor of apologetics at Westminster Theological Seminary and has served in the pastorate before assuming his seminary position. He emphasizes that apologetics require complete dependence of God’s Word and Spirit. He wisely shows the importance of doing apologetics from a biblical perspective. Recognizing the usual connection between apologetics and philosophy, he highlights that “defending the faith” requires a solidly biblical base in that discipline. In contrast to other writers on this subject, Oliphint reminds us how we must begin with God’s revelation rather than man’s reason. To do this requires having the Scriptures at the heart of apologetics.

Oliphint further explains throughout the book how we are to use reason, logic, and persuasion as we co-labor in that process. Obviously, we are not fideist in the sense that we are only to have faith. We are to be able to give a reason for our hope in Christ. And, because authority is the real issue, his thesis is clear: we must be certain that our authority is God and that when doing apologetics, we rely on the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit.

Defending the Christian faith is not something that only a privileged few are called to do. All Christians are to be ready to defend and give reason for our Christian faith and hope. To do that, Oliphint focuses on the need of complete reliance on the Holy Spirit, using the Word as our basis of knowledge and truth. “Thinking God’s thoughts after him” is the key both to defending and setting forth our Christian case. Coming to the Christian faith is not the result of the work of man but of God’s grace in revealing and opening our eyes to the truth. Therefore Oliphint challenges Christians to use God’s approach rather than man’s philosophy in that process. That however does not discard the Christian philosophy.

This book will appeal to both the entire body of believers, not only professionals in ministry. It is clearly written, easy to read, and will be a good source of study for a Sunday school class, as well as for personal study. Oliphint has avoided the technical language where possible without being simplistic. The book includes two appendixes that will be appreciated: one focuses on the Holy Spirit and Apologetics and the second gives a lengthy list of Scriptures related to the topic.

Redeeming Pop Culture: A Kingdom Approach

by

When I first received this manuscript from P & R, two things intrigued me; first, knowing T. M. Moore and appreciating his writings and second, the title had to do with kudzu. The publishers have given it a more sophisticated title but the metaphor of kudzu still runs throughout the book. Kudzu, as Moore explains, is that green tenacious southern vine that grows everywhere in the south. While it has unusual charm and can serve a good purpose, it can easily overgrow and overwhelm everything in its path.

This is a book that I recommend because we are engulfed in pop culture that reaches into every area of our lives. Our decisions about food, clothing, music, even worship and lifestyle are strongly influenced by pop culture. Ken Myers’s book, All God’s Children and Blue Suede Shoes, was one of the first books that challenged us to understand that in the 20th century, as a result of the rapid spread of modernity; we added pop culture to our high culture and folk culture. In many ways, pop culture is a dumbing down kind of culture that is not all bad but has the rudiments of unsophistication. It promotes doing what feels good verses making careful and deliberate decisions.

Our challenge, as Moore reminds us, is not to take on the impossible by eliminating the kudzu, but rather concentrated on controlling it. Of course that is an endless job. Those who are willing to see the problem and rise to the challenge will find this book helpful in that endeavor.

We are given four ways of dealing with pop culture. According to Moore, none of them are complete in themselves; therefore, we are challenged to take a more biblical approach. This requires keeping abreast of trends, artists, and things like the TV media. As evangelical Christians, we cannot ignore pop culture because we are here on a mission and that requires a certain relationship to pop culture that will enable us to carry out our task of making disciples.

Moore points out that the impact of pop culture stems from its appeal to our emotions. He builds on earlier writings of Jonathan Edwards to make his case. “Anything that captures the hearts and imagination of so many people, and with so much passion and intensity, should certainly be of concern to evangelical Christians,” writes Moore.

Dealing with pop culture is a kingdom activity, and we totally agree. He delineates five aspects of our kingdom calling: 1. Our calling is spiritual in nature, 2. It entails both temporal and material, 3. The calling is uniquely fitted to each individual Christian, 4. Our calling has a communal dimension, and 5. It also has eschatological dimensions.

You will not only learn about pop culture and how Christians are to handle it, but will also learn about the kingdom of God and what being a kingdom Christian involves.

Having recently completed a manuscript on kingdom discipleship, I welcomed this as a companion to use alongside. One of my points is that it is essential in discipling Christians to help them to understand that effectiveness, survival, and ministry requires that we be self-conscious kingdom Christians. Moore says, “We cannot effectively engage the popular culture of our day without first resolving to seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness as the top priority in all we do.” He further states, “By taking a kingdom approach to our involvement with popular culture-as opposed to an unthinking, merely pleasure-oriented approach-we may expect to benefit in all these ways, achieving better understanding, better communications, better recreating, better celebration, and better culture.”

This is a good personal read and study book, but it could also be used with a group. The six chapters could easily be stretched into 12 classes, if necessary.

Does the Church Really Need Leadership

by

Do churches really need leadership? In principle you will answer yes, of course. But in practice, that principle may be challenged. Every church has positional leadership, those who fill the form of leadership, but not every church has functional leadership. Because of our understanding of the priesthood of all believers, we believe there are general and special offices in the church. Those who fill the special offices, elder and deacon, are chosen from the general offices, members of the church.

That automatically reminds us that leadership involves both formal and informal leaders. As we see in the Scriptures, the church is made up of both. Hence, the challenge is twofold: for both categories to function with a unity of spirit and purpose and for both to do what God intends within those roles.

For the past two years, the Presbyterian Church in America has had a group of people involved in a “strategic planning process.” It was intended to encourage and assist local churches, presbyteries, and denominational agencies towards planning within a generally agreed on framework. The results of that effort have been represented, discussed, and now commended to churches and presbyteries by the last two general assemblies.

Officers’ Threefold Responsibility

Formal church leadership has three particular responsibilities and opportunities. First, ordained leaders have the responsibility of “keeping the purity of the faith.” The Apostle Paul wrote to Titus that the leaders must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine. Failure to exercise that responsibility creates what the late Martin-Lloyd Jones calls “a church that ceases to make a difference.”

Knowing and contending for the faith is a prime responsibility of church leadership, especially the eldership (see the book of Jude). If this is not done, the church not only flounders in its mission, but the people are not properly discipled and the foundations are shaky. That is why one requirement for church officers is that they be sound in the faith.

A second responsibility and privilege focuses on shepherding God’s flock. In 1 Peter 5 elders are referred to as shepherds. “Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly as God would have you“(1 Pet. 5:2, ESV). Shepherding requires personal contact. The PCA Book of Church Order says officers are to know the people, pray with and for them, and visit in their homes, primarily to inquire into their spiritual growth, needs, and development.

Recent TV reporters polled people in the street as to their knowledge of the leaders. They could name the president of the United States but for many, which was as far as they could go. Knowing the pastor of the church is fine and good, but knowing the collective leadership is also important in order to cultivate a willing following. The Bible teaches that sheep know their shepherd and shepherds, their sheep.

A third responsibility and privilege of the ordained leadership is to oversee the planning process. In the same passage, 1 Peter 5, elders are instructed to have “oversight” of the flock. Oversight requires many things, such as leading the flock in the right direction, seeing that the people are trained and equipped for service, and following the right shepherd.

The Planning Process

This article singles out the third responsibility of overseeing the planning process. Some have said that planning is not for the church because it is a management model and the church should not follow that model. Our understanding of leadership, however, is determined by our theology-our understanding of who God is. We learn from the Bible that God himself was a master planner. Before the foundation of the world, God developed a plan, and with creation began implementing that plan. Planning is a very godlike process. Christians could even say that planning is one of the most godlike things that we can do because planning is simply seeking by faith to discern God’s direction for our church. It is asking and answering in faith several strategic questions:

Who are we as a church?

Why do we exist?

What are we supposed to be doing?

Where are we in that process?

Where do we believe God wants us to go?

What do we have to do in order to focus own our part?

How can we know that we are doing the above?

Once you begin to get an overall picture of what you believe God would have you be and do as a church, then you can ask essential questions such as: what should be our key result areas for ministry? How should we organize or structure ourselves to facilitate effectiveness in those areas? How do we train, mobilize, and organize our people to be involved in our church’s ministry? How can a clear plan enable us to make better decisions and choices?

Biblically based leadership, according to Peter, requires that leaders first set the direction for the church. Failure on the part of leadership causes churches to “wing it,” or “fly by the seat of their pants” in their efforts, causing them to be ineffective. Leaders following a biblical model set the course and insure that all things necessary for that course are put into place.

When we encourage churches to do strategic faith planning, we are simply asking the leadership to ask God what kind of ministry, present and future, that he would have this church to have. That is a simple question that requires much prayer, biblical instruction, and common sense.

We have heard testimony after testimony from church leaders saying, “I have done that type of planning in my business for years but have never thought about doing that in the church.” One of the things I realized during my doctoral studies was how many biblical principles were actually used in “managerial psychology.” Principles were borrowed from Scripture, but with a different objective, namely profit. The world always operates on God’s borrowed principles. The Westminster Divines were bold enough to underscore the sufficiency of Scripture in the Westminster Confession of Faith but they also said:

“…There are some circumstances concerning the worship of God, and government and government of the Church, common to human action and societies, which are to be ordered by the light of nature, and Christian prudence, according to the general rules of the Word, which are always to be observed.”

Those who understand the concepts of “common grace” and “all truth is God’s truth” understand something of what they were saying. Though oriented to a limited or specific circumstance in the WCF, that principle applies to the whole of life.

Good Planning Facilitates

Good planning actually enables the leaders understanding of how the church is to be God’s salt and light in the world around them. God’s truth is not circumstantial in that it changes from situation to situation. But the context in which we communicate God’s truth does change. We see through the scriptures how God’s people adapted their method of communicating God’s message to their particular circumstance. Had that not been true, there would have been only one of the four Gospel books. Only one of Paul’s epistles would have been necessary.

Good leadership is able to ask and answer numerous strategic questions about their church’s role and mission to the world around them. Two main questions that should constantly challenge leaders are: who are we and what should we or shouldn’t we be doing in serving God’s purpose? How leaders respond to those questions will often determine a church’s effectiveness of ministry and how they communicate that ministry clearly to the people. Effective leaders will always be careful to plan and to communicate to their people their church’s purpose or mission. They will curtail the temptation of the “tyranny of the urgent.” Without a clear plan it is easy to do urgent things at the expense of doing the important things.

Why “strategic faith planning?” Strategy refers to direction. Faith reminds us that we walk by faith and not by sight. Even though in the planning process we are attempting to ask God what he wants us to be and do, we need to follow God’s lead which requires us at times to flex with God’s working. Walking by faith, requires learning that God would sometimes have us alter or correct our present course of action.

We have seen a number of PCA churches and other related organizations make great strides as a result of the planning process. Frank Brock, past president of Covenant College, has said that the process of planning may be as valuable, or more so, than the plan itself. It can encourage a spirit of unity and purpose that Paul speaks of in Ephesians. It can facilitate each part doing its work in the local church’s ministry. It can keep a people humble before the Lord, as they seek to know the role of their church and their place in the church.

What is the difference between a plan and a framework? The framework is the setting in which planning is done. In this case the PCA provides that unifying framework. Being Revived, Bringing Reformation is a booklet written by the General Assembly Steering Committee. Subtitled A Framework for Planning for the Presbyteries and Churches of the Presbyterian Church in America, it lists four strategic priorities. These are: empowering health and growth for new and existing churches, developing leadership for the future, increasing denominational understanding and effectiveness, and engaging the culture.

The framework further states the identity for which the PCA is known. The first characteristic of the PCA is its commitment to biblical inerrancy and authority. That commitment is expressed with our reformed theology. Because of the church’s interdependence, mutual accountability and cooperative ministry are two other distinguishing marks of the PCA. The mission statement of the PCA is expressed in the following manner:

“The mission of the Presbyterian Church in America is to glorify and enjoy God by equipping and enabling the churches of the PCA to work together to fulfill the Great Commission by making disciples of all nations, so that people will mature as servants of the triune God, will worship God in spirit and in truth, and will have a reforming impact on culture.”

Being Revived, Bringing Reformation will be a helpful tool with both its framework and listing of PCA agencies and individuals who can offer assistance in the planning process.

It is available from our CEP bookstore 1-800-283-1357 or www.pcanet.org/cep.

Conclusion

While leaders in the church must be concerned about the purity of the faith and shepherding God’s people, they need to be people of vision who know how to set direction for the church’s ministry, communicate that clearly to the church, and through training and guidance, help each member know where he or she fits in that overall ministry. That requires not only knowing how to develop plans, but also how to coordinate the interpersonal relationships among the people necessary to implement the plan.

We ask leaders up front, what do you think God wants your church to be and do and where are you in that process? Our suggestion is local church leaders can develop a planning leadership team made up of both formal and informal leaders, male and female. They can explain to the planning team exactly what they want them to do and give them resources to accomplish that task. The elders can then monitor their progress and keep the congregation informed to encourage prayer for the planning team. CE&P has numerous suggested resources to use along with the PCA’s strategic planning framework to assist in the planning process. Contact our office at 678-825-1100 for assistance.

Godly leaders are a key to a church’s effectiveness and godly leadership requires a delicate balance between people and task and when given the choice, they always come down on the people side of the ledger. Jesus demonstrated that principle so clearly when he washed his disciples’ feet and then when he finally died on the cross as the atonement for our sins. Godly leaders are always in need of the renewing power of the Holy Spirit, hence constantly in need of the prayers of the people. When we find a church in an unhealthy mode, it generally reflects the type of leadership in that church.

Good planning is a means of seeking to understand God’s will for the church, as well as a means of enabling the leadership to mobilize the membership for ministry/service. It will also enable the church to make better decisions on how to use their resources to accomplish God’s purpose.

Questions for discussion:

Does my church have an overall plan of ministry?

Does our congregation understand our church’s plan for ministry?

Are our leaders helping us know where we participate in our church’s ministry?

Am I being trained and equipped to use my gifts in a manner that contributes to helping our church’s ministry?

Is our church attempting to be strategic (directional or intentional) in what it does?

How is our church’s ministry determined and driven by our theology?