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THE CHURCH AND ITS CONFESSIONS |
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Purpose of
Confessional
Statements
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- The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) states its faith and bears witness to God’s grace in Jesus Christ in the creeds and confessions in The Book of Confessions. In these confessional statements the church declares to its members and to the world
who and what it is,
what it believes,
what it resolves to do.
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| Church as Community |
- These statements identify the church as a community of people known by its convictions as well as by its actions. They guide the church in its study and interpretation of the Scriptures; they summarize the essence of Christian tradition; they direct the church in maintaining sound doctrines; they equip the church for its work of proclamation.
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Confessional
Statements as
Subordinate Standards |
These confessional statements are subordinate standards in the church,a  subject to the authority of Jesus Christ, the Word of God, as the Scriptures bear witness to him. While confessional standards are subordinate to the Scriptures, they are, nonetheless, standards. They are not lightly drawn up or subscribed to, nor may they be ignored or dismissed. The church is prepared to counsel with or even to discipline one ordained who seriously rejects the faith expressed in the confessions. Moreover, a more exacting amendment process is required to change the confessions of the church than is re-quired to change the Constitution in matters of government, worship, or discipline. 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,” that is, “The church reformed, always reforming,”1 according to the Word of God and the call of the Spirit. |
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Faith of the
Church Catholic |
In its confessions, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) gives witness to the faith of the Church catholic. The confessions express the faith of the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Churchb in the recognition of canonical Scriptures and the formulation and adoption of the ecumenical creeds, notably the Nicene and Apostles’ Creeds with their definitions of the mystery of the triune God and of the incarnation of the eternal Word of God in Jesus Christ. |
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Faith of the
Protestant
Reformation |
In its confessions, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) identifies with the affirmations of the Protestant Reformation. The focus of these affirmations is the rediscovery of God’s grace in Jesus Christ as revealed in the Scriptures. The Protestant watchwords—grace alone,c faith alone,d Scripture alonee —embody principles of understanding which continue to guide and motivate the people of God in the life of faith. |
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Faith of the
Reformed Tradition |
- In its confessions, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) expresses the faith of the Reformed tradition. Central to this tradition is the affirmation of the majesty,f holiness,g and providence of Godh who creates,i sustains,j rules,k and redeemsl the world in the freedom of sovereign righteousness and love.m Related to this central affirmation of God’s sovereignty are other great themes of the Reformed tradition:
- The electionn of the people of God for service as well as for salvation;o
- Covenant life marked by a disciplined concern for order in the church according to the Word of God;
- A faithful stewardship that shuns ostentation and seeks proper use of the gifts of God’s creation;
- The recognition of the human tendency to idolatryp and tyranny,q which calls the people of God to work for the transformation of society by seeking justice and living in obedience to the Word of God.
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Reflect a
Particular Stance |
- Thus, the creeds and confessions of this church reflect a particular stance within the history of God’s people. They are the result of prayer, thought, and experience within a living tradition. They serve to strengthen personal commitment and the life and witness of the community of believers.
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Back to the Book of Order Table of Contents
1An alternate translation for “Ecclesia reformata, simper reformanda” is “The church reformed, always to be reformed.”
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