Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - Nov/95

Contributor - Jeff Kingswood

Title - Who Married Jezebel?

Topic - Editorial

The marriage of Ahab to Jezebel was a disaster for the nation of Israel. With the wicked queen came not only her idols, but the priests to serve those idols (I Kings 16:29-33; 18:16-44). And with idolatry came the judgement of God.

As I perused the Minutes of the 1995 General Synod my attention was seized by the report of the Commission on Christian Unity' which introduced the idea of entering into full communion with several other denominations. This includes, among other things, ". . . provision for the orderly exchange of ordained ministers of Word and sacrament." The question leaped into my mind; Who married Jezebel?"

Normally when a minister wishes to enter the RCA the classis of the calling congregation examines that candidate. This is to ensure that the doctrine and life of the individual in question are consistent with scripture and the standards which we as a denomination hold up as the measuring stick of all that goes on in the faith and life of our congregations. However someone in the Christian Unity Commission (CUC) must have married Jezebel and now they're looking for a way to bring the priests of Baal into our midst.

The provisions for "exchange of ordained ministers" when applied to an apostate body such as the United Church of Christ mean that, without those checks or balances, a congregation may call a minister from that denomination who could well be a practicing homosexual or theological deviant. The UCC has okayed the ordination of practicing homosexuals for many years now and its theological practice has long abandoned any notion of orthodoxy. Is it too bizarre to suspect that there are some in our denominational hierarchy who have come up with the idea of this devious marriage so that they may bypass the troubles of the public debate on these issues that beset the United Church in Canada?

By adopting this mutual recognition of each other's ministry we seem to be doing good while at the same time it allows Ahab and Jezebel to bring the priests of Baal in through the back door.

All of this is of course merely symptomatic of an even greater problem in this document and that rests on the question: What on earth are we doing accepting a proposal to recognize in any way a denomination that has repeatedly denied, in word and practice, the faith which we as Reformed Christians hold dear?

This proposal begins by saying that we "Recognize each other as churches in which the gospel is rightly preached and the sacraments rightly administered according to the word of God. "2 The arguments presented by the CUC attempting to prove that this is indeed the case are far from persuasive. A freshman philosophy student could blow holes in the leaps of logic and unfounded premises that are used to bolster the rational for this marriage made in sheol.

Now to be opposed to Christian unity is of course something the liberal element of our denomination paints as akin to being against motherhood and apple pie. But what is true Christian unity? Christian unity is that which is described by our Lord Jesus in John 17:20,21. This is not a plea by our Lord that denominational barriers be broken down. This is a false application that is frequently made. This prayer describes the unity that each person who is savingly called has with others who share the same calling. We are one in Christ. That does not mean that we do not have real and significant differences that matter. In an age where doctrine is despised and feelings exalted this will not be a popular concept.

However, is it legitimate then to simply disregard our differences and start the Church of Unity and Good Feelings. No! We have differences in our understanding of scripture and the Christian life that must necessarily affect our views of the authority of Old and New Testament, the proper understanding of the sacraments, and even, at root, the nature and purpose of the Church.

We already recognize the ordained ministers of the Presbyterian, Lutheran, and UCC denominations and will accept them into our ministry without re-ordination if they pass the Classis examinations with regard to our Reformed doctrine and practice, and if they exhibit Christian character. Let's not throw that away. I hope that you will read the rest of the document. This is only the beginning. Real historic differences such as consubstantiation, the Lutheran doctrine that Jesus is actually in and around the bread and wine, are glossed over as historical mistakes. I am glad that the saints in heaven know no sorrow or Calvin and the other heroes of the Reformation would be weeping.

Fourteen years ago I left the Reformed Church in Canada to study and minister in a different denomination. Four years ago I returned because I believed that the Reformed Church in Canada still stood for Biblical and theological integrity. I believed that the faith in which I had been raised was still prized as a precious treasure from God given in our Lord Jesus Christ. We are on the verge of seriously compromising that heritage.

Esau traded his birthright for a bowl of hot stew. He at least got a decent meal out of the deal. At best, we who still value our faith and Reformed heritage will be left with a terrible taste in our mouth. At worst we will find the priests of Baal in our midst and the judgement of God on our heads.

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