Project Description

2014/05

Distinctives

Features of Free Presbyterianism

THE PRACTICE OF PROTEST

At the beginning of the year members of our congregation convened a protest outside the Theatre at the Mill, Newtownabbey. We were there, with others, to register opposition to the staging of a production that mocked the Bible and belittled its message.
When the honour of God and His Word, the fundamentals of the faith, or public morals are slighted, a protest is to be raised. Contending against error, compromise and outright apostasy is to be  faithful to the clear commands of Scripture. This spirit of protest is to be exercised, be it against liberals, modernists or those soft-centred ‘evangelicals’ who associate with those they should not. After all, protest ‘against’ error, as well as ‘for’ the truth, is part of being a true ‘Protestant’!

Practicing the truth
The command to protest is clearly Scriptural. How often in the history of the Free Presbyterian Church the words of Jude 3 have been quoted as the means of explaining and justifying this spirit of protest! “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.”

Paul not only believed in preaching the gospel fervently, but he was also “set for the defence of the gospel” (Philippians 1:17). In his mind the Gospel needed to be preached and defended, and he determined to do so. He saw the Gospel minister in the New Testament age in the same mould as Ezekiel, who was commissioned to be as the watchman upon the walls of the city, crying out against all who would seek its harm.

The apostle goes further and teaches that one prominent mark of a faithful ministry is to contend against error. Writing to Timothy, he warned that there would be those, especially in the latter days, who would “depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils” (1Timothy 4:1). Timothy was challenged to warn of these errors, and expose those who promoted them: “If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained” (1Timothy 4:6).

And these New Testament commands are not innovations. They are following that well defined path traversed by the Old Testament prophets. The ministries of those such as Ezra, Nehemiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel, to name but a few, were evidently characterized by this spirit of protest against sin and departure from God.

Perpetuating the witness
To protest is always necessary. The requirement exists for all true churches and ministers of the Gospel today. God’s truth is ever under attack. The devil has sought to assail the Word of God from the beginning. He did so in the Garden of Eden and he continues to this day. He still ‘goes about as a roaring lion’. Faithfulness to God, therefore, requires this spirit of protest.

Churches and ministers who shy away from raising the voice of protest against error are failing in God’s eyes, no matter who else might commend them. Sadly, there have ever been those who are ashamed of the protesting element within the name ‘Protestant’. There are many who never open their mouths in protest against error and compromise from one year to the next. To observe them you would think that the devil is dead and that no error is presently being propagated by his minions! This is surely contrary to the teaching of the New Testament.

The Word of God would have us to protest against error because God in His infinite wisdom has committed the treasure of the gospel to earthen vessels. This in turn places a solemn duty upon the people of God generally, in every generation, and Christian ministers in particular, to defend the honour of God, His Word and His truth, against all attacks. The Lord could, if He so decreed, intervene directly and deal with those who oppose Him and His truth. He has infinite power to do so. However, He has ordered otherwise. He requires His people to own His truth in this world and to be prepared to contend for that truth when it is attacked. This is part of identifying with the Saviour. He defended His Father’s truth on earth, and the servant is not above the Master.

Protecting the flock
This spirit of protest is for the good of the sheep. The minister is an under-shepherd of the sheep and therefore he must be always on his guard, ever looking out for the welfare of the sheep. He must guard against the wild beast which would devour the sheep and the lambs of Christ’s flock. Like David, who went out against the bear and the lion, so we must go out against those who would harm the flock of God by their attacks on His truth. It is no coincidence that it was the same order of skills that David needed to employ to deal with Goliath and to exercise the duties of kingship. The welfare of Christ’s flock is seriously jeopardized where there is a failure to protest against error. Compromise and error subsequently creep in and become acceptable among God’s people where there is no voice of protest raised. Sadly, ever so many are more readily influenced by error than they are by truth!

Publicizing the error
Whether in the case of Old Testament prophets or New Testament apostles, this contending was done openly. These men took their cause to the public square and contended with error. Open compromise with error requires open protest and rebuke. Paul, for example, was open in pointing out the errors that had crept into the churches he founded. We have the inspired record of his warnings and entreaties for ever preserved in the Word of God. There were times when he rebuked whole churches, such as Corinth, in his first letter to that church. On another occasion he rebuked his fellow apostle, Peter, and also Barnabas who had dissembled and who for a time had sided with the Judaizers  who were doing so much harm to the New Testament church, cf. Galatians 2:11.

It has been the consistent practice of the people of God to have among them a spirit of protest and to be zealous of the honour of the Lord. Who are we to abandon these convictions?

God requires His people to own His truth in this world and to be prepared to contend for that truth when it is attacked. This is part of identifying with the Saviour.

Rev Brian McClung.