Why I am no longer in the Church of Scotland (1)

Why I am no longer in the Church of Scotland (1)

At last, the Church of Scotland Evangelical Network has given us the weight reasons why their members choose to remain within the Church of Scotland, despite the growing moral and doctrinal apostasy of the denomination.

http://cosen.org.uk/why-im-in-the-church-of-scotland/

I suppose they are getting their argument in early before the denomination reveals the returns from presbyteries for and against allowing members and office-bearers to contract gay “marriages”. It does not matter what these returns are, or what the subsequent decision of the 2016 General Assembly is, these men (and women) are firmly committed to remaining with the denomination whatever may come.

I have to say that I am totally underwhelmed by the reasons given.  They are subjective; they are pragmatic; they appeal to extra-biblical revelation; and where they attempt to root themselves in Scripture they exhibit a level of hermeneutical incompetence that is shameful.

There is no equivalent umbrella body for those who are no longer in the Church of Scotland – although the Free Church seems to be the preferred choice of those who are committed to upholding Scripture and confessional Reformed theology.  If we were to ask a select number of those faithful men who have left the denomination why they left I am quite certain that their responses would be well reasoned arguments in terms of the teaching of Scripture, not vague and subjective appeals to emotionalism. 

(See the forthcoming book by David Randal “A Sad Departure – Why We Could not Stay in the Church of Scotland”  https://banneroftruth.org/uk/store/uncategorized/a-sad-departure/ )

I realise that trying to conduct a biblical debate with those professed evangelicals who refuse to leave is a bit like trying to nail blancmange to the wall – it is almost impossible to pin them down.  I am also increasingly coming to suspect that the difference between those who leave and the majority of those professed evangelicals who stay is the fault line of the authority and sufficiency of Scripture.  Many evangelicals are tainted with the same refusal to engage with and submit to Scripture’s teaching and authority as is exhibited in the denomination itself; the difference is merely one of degree..  It makes me wonder what they mean by calling themselves “evangelical” – a slippery term that has multiple definitions.  They certainly, in the main, could not be described as confessionally Reformed.

So let me return to some of the reasons given for remaining in.

Some are subjective, based on a sense of personal call not only to ministry but to ministry within a particular denomination or indeed a particular place.  Being convinced by this extra-biblical revelation they cannot submit to the actual NT teaching on the church, biblical purity, apostasy and discipline.  One writer says, “My staying does not depend on the GA or any other body making decisions I agree with; it depends on the presence of God.”  That puts it in a nutshell: no matter what heresy or sexual immorality the denomination tolerates or promotes, if I can sense the presence of God then I will stay.  Then there are the pragmatic arguments – “this is the best place to fish from”, an argument which even on its own pragmatism is subject to challenge.

One writer at least makes an attempt to base his argument on Scripture, citing Ephesians.  Ephesians mentions the “church”, the “Church of Scotland” has the word “church” in its name, therefore it must be identified with the true church of Ephesians and all that Ephesians says of the church must apply to the denomination.  Well, “the Roman Catholic Church” also has the word “church” in its name, so surely it must be a true church that we cannot leave.  

In fact, this point applies to all of the testimonies: if the principles contained in them has been applied in the past there would never have been a Reformation in Scotland! We would all have been obliged to remain in the “church” as it then existed because that is what some had been called to as priests and we cannot over-ride the divine call.  Similarly God had evidently been doing a work of renewal in Scotland (Hamilton, Wishart, Knox etc.) and that was evidence of his presence and therefore  we must remain within the true church (of Rome), and beside it was the best boat to fish from…

As a practical response to these testimonies I intend to publish a series on “Why I am No Longer in the Church of Scotland”, and a study on the Church in Ephesus and how it handled heresy.  I would invite biblical debate on any of the points I will be raising.