What’s Evangel Presbytery?

Evangel

Evangel Presbytery is an association of Reformed Churches that unite together for accountability, leadership, encouragement, and the Glorification of God.

Commitments

We seek to plant and strengthen churches that boldly proclaim the whole counsel of God, guard the sacraments, shepherd souls with love and discipline, and stand immovable against the idols of our age.

Documents

Evangel Presbytery’s Constitution comprises the following, all as adopted by the Presbytery: The Westminster Standards, The Doctrinal Declarations of the Presbytery, the Book of Church Order, and the Historic Creeds.

What’s a Presbyterian?

The word “Presbyterian” comes from the Greek word Presbuteros which means Elder, which we find in quite a few places in the Scriptures (Acts 11:30, 14:23,15:2-6, 20:17,22, 1 Tim. 5:17, Titus 1:5, 1 Peter 5:1, James 5:14, etc.) Combining this with the often synonymously used word episkopos (which means overseer) we come to the office of Elder. The word presbyteros captures with it the idea of the dignity of the office of an elder, whereas the word episkopos expresses the function of the office. The name derives from all this, that we must have a plurality of elders on a local church lkevel, as well as on regional and even national levels. This allows the Church to function organically together, organized, able to handle false teachers, cultural battles, church discipline, etc..

Historically, this dates back to John Knox in the 16th century when the Reformers were dealing with the Roman Catholic Church abuses and its unbiblical, hierarchical, and authoritarian ecclesiology, but has its reach to the whole world. The war against Britain for independence for America was called the “Presbyterian Revolt” because the form of the government that America sought to create was Presbyterian. There are 8 fundamental preliminary principles to our Presbyterianism:

• God alone is Lord of the conscience and has left it free from any doctrines or commandments of men (a) which are in any respect contrary to the Word of God, or (b) which, in regard to matters of faith and worship, are not governed by the Word of God. Therefore, the rights of private judgment in all matters that respect religion are universal and inalienable.
• In perfect consistency with the above principle, every Christian Church, or union or association of particular churches, is entitled to declare the terms of admission into its communion and the qualifications of its ministers and members, as well as the whole system of its internal government which Christ has appointed. In the exercise of this right it may, notwithstanding, err in making the terms of communion either too lax or too narrow; yet even in this case, it does not infringe upon the liberty or the rights of others, but only makes an improper use of its own.
• Our blessed Savior, for the edification of the visible Church, which is His body, has appointed officers not only to preach the Gospel and administer the Sacraments, but also to exercise discipline for the preservation both of truth and duty. It is incumbent upon these officers and upon the whole Church in whose name they act, to censure or cast out the erroneous and scandalous, observing in all cases the rules contained in the Word of God.
• Godliness is founded on truth. A test of truth is its power to promote holiness according to our Savior’s rule, “By their fruits ye shall know them.”⁴ No opinion can be more pernicious or more absurd than that which brings truth and falsehood upon the same level. On the contrary, there is an inseparable connection between faith and practice, truth and duty. Otherwise it would be of no consequence either to discover truth or to embrace it.
• While, under the conviction of the above principle, it is necessary to make effective provision that all who are admitted as teachers be sound in the faith, there are truths and forms with respect to which men of good character and principles may differ. In all these it is the duty both of private Christians and societies to exercise mutual forbearance towards each other.
• Though the character, qualifications and authority of church officers are laid down in the Holy Scriptures, as well as the proper method of officer investiture, the power to elect persons to the exercise of authority in any particular society resides in that society.
• All church power, whether exercised by the body in general, or by representation, is only ministerial and declarative since the Holy Scriptures are the only rule of faith and practice. No church judicatory may make laws to bind the conscience. All church courts may err through human frailty, yet it rests upon them to uphold the laws of Scripture though this obligation be lodged with fallible men.
• Since ecclesiastical discipline derives its force only from the power and authority of Christ, the great Head of the Church Universal, it must be purely moral and spiritual in its nature.

When you view these 8 things alongside the Three Marks of a True Church (which are as follows):

• The most fundamental of the three marks of a true church is the pure preaching of the gospel. Apart from the gospel preached, there is no church.
• The second of the three marks of a true church is the pure administration of the sacraments.
• The third mark of a true church, church discipline, has a largely negative connotation in our culture, but the biblical idea is both positive and negative.

Distinctives

The 5 Solas – Sola Scriptura

God’s word is the only reliable authority to teach us what is true, what is our duty, and what are the promises of God.

Since the most basic Reformed belief is that God’s word is preserved for us in the Bible alone, its method of study and the results of its study are unique. We call the Theology this method produces “Reformed” because it always seeks to be reshaping its beliefs and practices around the one perfect standard, the Bible.

Since God chose human language to communicate his truth to us, we must study the Bible’s words and grammar carefully. Reformed scholars place great importance upon learning the original biblical languages and the history behind each biblical book so that their teachings will be solidly grounded in what God has made known.

The Bible makes it possible to learn with confidence what God has said. Unclear passages need to be understood by cautiously comparing them with other passages where God has spoken more directly on each topic.

There is an important warning for us to remember: We need to be careful not to allow ideas to be introduced into our thinking and world-view which do not come from the Scriptures, but are from our own feelings, assumptions, or imaginations.

This is how we as Reformed Christians approach what God says about himself, about us, about salvation, about what belongs in worship, about how our church operates and is governed. This is what makes us fundamentally different.

One of the consequences of this approach is a very different view of our human nature. There is nothing in all of Scripture to support the idea that we on our own can do anything morally good or honoring to God. Adam represented us all in Eden by the covenant appointment of the Creator. When he sinned all who would be born from him by natural generation bore his guilt, were separated from fellowship with God, and were wholly inclined to live for their own glory and comfort rather than for the glory of the one who made them.

There is nothing humans are able to do in that fallen estate that would remove their guilt, change their nature, or restore them to fellowship with the God they offend by their motives and misdirected interests. Paul quotes from the Psalms as he summarized this uncomfortable but undeniable fact in Romans 3:10-12, “as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”

Soveriegnty

One of the greatest distinctives we have is the Soveriegnty of God, that God is presented in His word as one who is really Sovereign over all of creation. Nothing controls or limits him. The fundamental principles of the Reformed faith demand that we should not invent ideas to explain human responsibility beyond what God has revealed in his word. For example, to imply that the Sovereign election of only some to life is unfair, is to assume a principle that comes from our own fallen understanding of the world not from any text of the Bible.

God is Sovereign over all things, our salvation too. It is his grace, not our own choice, that determines who will be saved from judgment by the work of Christ. Both our choice and faith in Christ are evidences of the transforming work of God’s grace in us. They are not the cause of grace. That would contradict what the Bible tells us about human moral inability and about God’s unchangeableness and kingship over everything.

God’s Sovereignty is also seen in the success of what Jesus came to do in his death for sin. If he came intending to save all fallen humans, then he failed. But if he came to save only those given to him by the Father (John 6:37,44; 17:9), then he fully succeeded and accomplished the eternal plan of an unchanging God.

The Reformed principle of using the Bible alone roots out the humanistic idea that claims power for individuals to force God to shape or to change his plans according to what they desire. Grace must remain grace. If our work, choice, or decision determines our salvation, then grace is no longer grace. It becomes an artifact of human merit. That is absolutely incompatible with what the Scriptures teach.

The Church

Our study of Scripture leads us to speak of the church in two different but not completely distinct senses. Together they help us understand the covenant community God founded by grace. The members of that community are to represent Christ’s kingship to those around them.

There is a sense in which the church is Invisible. Only God knows who are the true Christians. The Westminster Confession (25.1) says, the invisible church “consists of the whole number of the elect that have been, are or shall be gathered into one, under Christ the head thereof… .”

The New Testament also speaks of a Visible church. The Westminster Confession (25.2) says, the visible church “consists of all those throughout the world that profess the true religion; and of their children and is the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ, the house and family of God …”

Those redeemed by God’s grace know they need to be accountable to one another as well as to their Eternal Lord. They know that God requires them to follow the organizational structure he established for them. They should become active members in a local congregation, part of the Visible Church.

In the early years after the death of the Savior, local churches were established in each community. They did not assume they could know who was truly regenerated by grace. The invisible church remains invisible to us. The church that is visible to us is made up of those who profess to trust in Jesus Christ as their Redeemer and Lord, and who submit to Baptism as a sign and seal of God’s work upon their hearts.

The covenant community includes the children of believers. While those converted to Christianity must show evidence of saving faith to receive Baptism, their children are to be baptized as well, just as the children of believing Israelites received the sign and seal of the Covenant prior to the resurrection of Christ. Adults however were always required to profess a credible faith before receiving the sign of the Covenant in both eras. Just as the Old Testament provided for believer’s circumcision of those converted to Judaism, the New Testament provides for believer’s baptism when the lost turn to the Savior from a prior life of unbelief. No where in the New Testament does it say that from that time on children of Christians were no longer to be considered a part of the Covenant community, or that they had to wait to come as pagans later in life by profession of faith. Such a change would have raised great concern and confusion for parents who grew up under God’s promises to their children before the coming of the Savior, yet such a reversal and exclusion does not appear in any of the Scriptures written after the coming of our Savior.

Baptism does not save anyone, nor does it mean that everyone baptized is truly saved. Israel was God’s covenant people in the past, but among those who were called by that name were many who proved to be only superficially Israelites. The same is true today of both adults and children in the church. Some of those who are part of the church on earth are truly forgiven by grace. Some are only outwardly identified with the followers of Christ. They are not so in the eyes of God.

If it becomes evident that a member does not submit to the teachings and grace revealed to us in Scripture, that person should be counseled to turn to the Savior in faith with a credible repentance. If they will not come to Christ in this way, they should be removed from the roll of the church both to show the rebellious their need for the Savior, and to preserve the integrity of the church before the watching world. Those removed are not to be shunned or shamed. The goal is to see them restored by a true turning to Christ.

It is there in the local congregations that we make our faith and our Savior’s lordship most visible. We join together as a Christian community to worship, to learn, to encourage godliness in one another, and to carry out the all that Christ commissions his church to do.

As a church we provide opportunities for service in the name of Christ. It is our duty to encourage one another in helpful fellowship. Hebrews 10:24 says, “consider how to stir up one another to love and good works.” 1 Corinthians 12 details the need for all to work together sharing and respecting one another’s gifts in our personal ministries for Christ.

We should gather for worship in the way prescribed in Scripture. Out of love for God we want to keep his Sabbath holy and keep our worship centered upon God and his glory. Regular Sunday worship was the common practice of the church from its beginning. Hebrews 10:25, “not neglecting to meet together …”, Acts 20:7,”On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, …”

The church is also there to manage the stewardship of believers over the things God has given them. 1 Corinthians 16:2 “On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.”

Charities, missions, and special needs agencies regularly ask for contributions. Many of them might appear sound and worthy of support. It’s hard for an individual believer to investigate to make sure the claims are true, and that it would be promoting things that are really good and true. No one can support every good cause. To help us make these choices, the church should offer sound direction.

First, we ought to support the Lord’s work in the local church. Then by our offerings beyond that we should generously give to Christ-honoring ministries approved and recommended by the officers of the church. This is the method God gives us in Scripture for financing worship, and providing for the legitimate needs of the church family, the community, and the world at large.

Another responsibility of the church is to guard the Sacraments. They are to watch over how they are administered, and who is admitted to them. All who partake of the Lord’s Supper must have truly repented and come to Christ as their Redeemer. They must also rightly understand what the Sacrament represents and the purpose for which the church gathers for that Sacrament (1 Corinthians 11:27-34).

The officers, qualified and ordained according to 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1, are the only ones with God given authority to admit someone to, or to bar them from the Sacraments. Jesus made this clear in Matthew 16 and 18. It is not to be a personal decision. It is the “Lord’s Table,” not ours to govern by our own rules and practices. It is necessary to keep disobedient and unbelieving members from the Sacraments if they refuse to repent in true sorrow for their sins, and to turn to Christ for forgiveness and deliverance. Likewise, it is the officer’s responsibility to add believers to, and to remove members from the role of the church.

Together and individually we are told to provide a witness to the person and work of Jesus Christ. It is our duty to confess him before others (Romans 10:9-10). It is through our words and example that the message of God’s grace in Christ is spread to the world. As members of a local church family we can do so much more to make a public testimony to the Lordship of Christ than we can as individuals. Together we can display the love, support, and care our Lord provides in his church.

The church is to provide leadership by biblically ordained officers. The Bible has a great deal to say about how a church ought to be organized and managed. It is within this structure of the local church that order is preserved. Without some kind of defined membership, the local church would be without the leadership described in Hebrews 13:17 or 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13, and no one could obey these commandments of our Lord.

Membership in a local congregation is a serious matter. To live outside the bounds of a local church is to abandon New Testament Christianity by replacing God’s way with our own ways.

Summary

A Presbyterian is someone who respects and honors the authority Christ has placed on Earth (Romans 13) who consistently submits themselves to the Word of God (Reformed), who seeks to Glorify God with everything they do (1 Corinthians 10:31). Our form of government enables us to better serve the Church and the Sheep, the education of strength of our Pastors in their preaching to our souls and equipping us for the Work of the Lord.