Sam Storms has joined the Theology Unplugged cast! Here is our first installment of a three part series called “How Long Should Your Doctrinal Statement Be?”
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Sam Storms has joined the Theology Unplugged cast! Here is our first installment of a three part series called “How Long Should Your Doctrinal Statement Be?”
[display_podcast]
Other ways to get TUP:
6 replies to "Theology Unplugged (with Sam Storms): How Long Should Your Doctrinal Statement Be?” – Part 1"
It’s funny that we the Statement of Faith for Elders at Piper’s Church was mentioned in this podcast because we were just discussing the nature of it among me and some friends at the church I attend (also in the Minneapolis area). Everyone without fail had a very negative view of having to agree to such an extensive and detailed set of beliefs in order to be a elder in a church. It seems to promote debatable non-essentials to the place of essentials by making those who deny any of the beliefs of the church second class citizens (Bethlehem’s Elder Statement is 43 pages long by the way).
Furthermore once you create a document that elders are required to adhere to which can in turn only be changed by elders who adhere to that document are you really any less draconian then the Catholic Church? Aren’t you saying in essence that the document (and by association John Piper acting with the Elders who wrote the document) is an infallible authority? Any elder 100 years from now at Bethlehem who even had an inkling that something in the document should be changed would instantly be forced to resign since they are no longer in full agreement with the document. In some ways the document is the Pope and the Elders are the Cardinals.
Don’t get me wrong I have no problem with us writing doctrinal statements that strongly affirm the essentials of Christianity and even affirm those doctrines which makes us denominationally unique (i.e. believer’s baptism in a baptist church), but once you start spelling out every last detail, even on non-essential, debated matters in you’re own denomination, and requiring complete adherence to such a statement in order to be a leader, I think a line has been crossed.
I have to agree with Michael on this one. I think our doctrinal statements should be: “Must be teachable and in submission to the historic orthodox understanding of the Scripture.” This way, a discussion about what is orthodox teaching from Scripture is pondered by everyone, leading to further thought and union in faith. I can’t help but think that doctrinal statements too often stifle thought in the members of the church. Ironically, then, it makes them less orthodox than more orthodox, simply because they stop thinking about it once they sign off on it.
Is the implicit understanding or assumption that doctrinal statements are needed?
Is the length of this doctrinal statement by The Gospel Coalition okay?
The authors of the TGC confessional statement thought it was important to put in the following part for their doctrinal statement:
Creation of Humanity
We believe that God created human beings, male and female, in his own image. Adam and Eve belonged to the created order that God himself declared to be very good, serving as God’s agents to care for, manage, and govern creation, living in holy and devoted fellowship with their Maker. Men and women, equally made in the image of God, enjoy equal access to God by faith in Christ Jesus and are both called to move beyond passive self-indulgence to significant private and public engagement in family, church, and civic life. Adam and Eve were made to complement each other in a one-flesh union that establishes the only normative pattern of sexual relations for men and women, such that marriage ultimately serves as a type of the union between Christ and his church. In God’s wise purposes, men and women are not simply interchangeable, but rather they complement each other in mutually enriching ways. God ordains that they assume distinctive roles which reflect the loving relationship between Christ and the church, the husband exercising headship in a way that displays the caring, sacrificial love of Christ, and the wife submitting to her husband in a way that models the love of the church for her Lord. In the ministry of the church, both men and women are encouraged to serve Christ and to be developed to their full potential in the manifold ministries of the people of God. The distinctive leadership role within the church given to qualified men is grounded in creation, fall, and redemption and must not be sidelined by appeals to cultural developments.
Good grief TUAD!
(Anyone that has been following the other active discussions on this blog at this time will know what I mean and so will TUAD.)
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