The missing Confession and Catechisms

Here are a few citations from the Confession and the catechisms which the ad interim PCA study committee didn’t think were worth mentioning when analyzing the Federal Vision and New Perspective:

WCF 15.3: Although repentance be not to be rested in, as any satisfaction for sin, or any cause of the pardon thereof, which is the act of God’s free grace in Christ; yet it is of such necessity to all sinners, that none may expect pardon without it. [The words, “repent” and “repentance,” are never used in the report at all]

SC Q. 85. “What doth God require of us that we may escape his wrath and curse due to us for sin?
A. To escape the wrath and curse of God due to us for sin, God requireth of us faith in Jesus Christ, repentance unto life, with the diligent use of all the outward means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption.

LC Q. 153. What doth God require of us, that we may escape his wrath and curse due to us by reason of the transgression of the law?
A. That we may escape the wrath and curse of God due to us by reason of the transgression of the law, he requireth of us repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ, and the diligent use of the outward means whereby Christ communicates to us the benefits of his mediation.

I think this is odd given the direct bearing of these texts on the questions they were dealing with.

Further reading:  The Necessity of New Obedience: The Westminster Standards, Repentance, and Pardon

  • 30 Reasons Why It Would be Unwise for the PCA General Assembly to Adopt the Federal Vision Study Report and Its Recommendations (PDF, HTML).

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