» News: PCA Federal Vision / NPP Committee Report Modified

The Presbyterian Church in America's Federal Vision / NPP study committee report appeared on the news magazine By Faith Online on about the 7th of May (printout of original). This week, the PCA posted another draft, newly formatted, to the General Assembly website (pdf). The two drafts are nearly identical, content-wise, but the committee made at least one content change that some bloggers online have noticed.

In one section, the original report reads:

Furthermore, some FV writers have also denied that the covenant can be viewed from two different aspects. John Barach observed that "the Bible doesn't know about a distinction between being internally in the covenant, really in the covenant, and being only externally in the covenant." Likewise, Steve Wilkins argued that "all in covenant are given all that is true of Christ." Doug Wilson has implied that all baptized covenant members are participants in Christ in the same "strong sense," writing that "the person who did not persevere was not given less of Christ."

In response to this section of the report, Douglas Wilson notes that the writing referenced by the committee for this "implication" actually affirms the opposite. Likewise, the response of Jeffrey Meyers notes this error.

The revised report reads this way:

Furthermore, some FV writers have also denied that the covenant can be viewed from two different aspects. John Barach observed that "the Bible doesn't know about a distinction between being internally in the covenant, really in the covenant, and being only externally the covenant." Likewise, Steve Wilkins argued that "all in covenant are given all that is true of Christ."

The sentence regarding Wilson's views has been removed in the version of the report that will be distributed to GA commisioners in the General Assembly in Memphis this June. The questions some are asking online include: what motivated the change? which report is the official one? will further changes be made prior to the GA meeting?

In an attempt to understand the factors motivating the committee to change the report, RN contacted the committee on May 17th to inquire about the content change. Committee Chair, Paul Fowler provided no explanation and noted in an email, acquired by RN, to his fellow committee members, "Any suggestions on how to respond? Since we agreed not to respond to such sites, I am not sure what to do?" In the end, Fowler responded "We simply will not get involved in the blogs."

Previously, on May 16th, Fowler responded favorably to our request for a response from the committee concerning Meyers' paper, writing, "We will respond when we have opportunity to evaluate it."

We will continue to develop this story and keep you informed if Fowler or the committee releases further clarification.

» News: Mid-America Reformed Seminary Issues Theological Statement

Mid-America Reformed Seminary this week released a fifty-page statement titled "The Doctrinal Testimony Regarding Recent Errors" (pdf). According to the cover letter by Cornelis Venema, president of the seminary, the statement resulted from a request by the seminary's board to "to compose a clear statement concerning the doctrine of justification by faith with respect to current controversies relating to this doctrine, so that the Board may consider the statement for approval at its next meeting." Venema presents the statement as unanimously approved by the faculty and board of the seminary.

The statement clearly identifies the views it opposes - "New Perspectives on Paul" and "Federal Vision". The report states, "These errors are bringing about confusion within the churches, and are so egregious that they are undermining, even bringing about the abandonment of, the testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ."

Mid-America, located in Dyer, IN, is an independent seminary in the Reformed tradition. Current faculty members include: J. Mark Beach, Nelson D. Kloosterman, Alan Strange, Mark D. Vander Hart, Cornelis P. Venema, and Charles K. Telfer.

Previous faculty engagements with these controversies include Venema's article Getting the Gospel Right, and Strange's article Understanding the "Federal Vision", both in the February 2007 issue of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church's denominational magazine, New Horizons.

Corrections: 5/19/07 - corrected spelling of Venema's first name, changed second paragraph from characterizing the report as "targeting" certain views to "opposing" certain views in response to a reader's suggestion.