The report of the Presbyterian Church in America‘s Ad Interim Study Committee on Federal Vision, New Perspective, and Auburn Avenue Theologies has been released in advance of their upcoming General Assembly. The report is published in the PCA’s web magazine byFaith online.
The Report
The report is 28 pages long when I print out the printer friendly version, contains a preface that serves as the transmittal letter, six sections including the analysis, declarations, and recommendations, and extensive footnotes. From an initial scan of the document it looks well written and in general I found it to read well and the analysis and conclusions were understandable. Not everyone will agree with the conclusions. The committee was composed of four Teaching Elders (clergy) and three Ruling Elders.
There are nine declarations which the committee unanimously agrees upon. In each case the decision is that the particular area “is contrary to those [the Westminster] Standards.” These declarations include the Federal Vision viewpoints of 1) rejecting the bi-covenantal structure of Scripture, 2) that an individual is “elect” by virtue of his membership in the visible church, 3) that Christ does not stand as a representative head, 4) that strikes the language of “merit” from our theological vocabulary, 5) that “union with Christ” renders imputation redundant, 6) that water baptism effects a “covenantal union” with Christ, 7) that one can be “united to Christ” and not receive all the benefits of Christ’s mediation, 8) that some can receive saving benefits of Christ’s mediation…and yet not persevere in those benefits, and 9) that justification is in any way based on our works. (emphasis theirs)
The final content section of the report has five recommendations for the General Assembly. This includes the usual type that the GA commend the report to the church for careful consideration and study and that the Study Committee be dismissed with thanks. One recommendation is that the GA reminds the church that while the Westminster documents are subordinate to Scripture, they have still been adopted by the PCA “as standard expositions of the teachings of Scripture in relation to both faith and practice.” The report also recommends that elders be reminded that they need to make know to their courts where they differ with the standards and the Sessions and Presbyteries responsibility to condemn erroneous opinions.
In a related development, over the weekend Louisiana Presbytery has adopted and issued a Rational For Louisiana Presbytery’s Decision Regarding The Vindication Of TE Steven Wilkins. (this links to a MS Word file) This document was prepared for the Standing Judicial Commission of the PCA which is now dealing with Louisiana Presbytery’s examination of Steven Wilkins. That decision is still pending.
Response
I don’t see a response yet from TE Steve Wilkins or his Auburn Avenue Presbyterian Church or the Louisiana Presbytery. The blogosphere has however come alive, sort of. So far the posts are mostly just “it’s out,” and one of the more interesting of these is Anglicans Ablaze where the author, Robin G. Jordan, reminds us that one of the developers of the earlier New Perspectives on Paul theology was Anglican Bishop N. T. Wright. This earlier work is addressed in the report. Several of these blogs also repeat the Declarations and/or Recommendations and one prints the report in full. The report was released only about 24 hours ago and I suspect that it will take a day or two for some digestion and critical analysis. Also, I am expecting comment shortly by Doug Wilson, one of the Federal Vision theologians, on his blog “Blog and Mablog.” I see nothing posted there today as of my writing this over lunch hour.
I can’t say that I will be able to keep up with all the responses in the blogs but will provide links to any I find especially insightful, particularly those from primary sources or that have significant polity implications.