A PERIODICAL FOR YOUNG AND OLD

THE CONFESSION OF FAITH ARTICLE XXXII (continued) Of the Order and Discipline of The Church

The authority given to the church is different than the authority of the government. The government receives the sword, but the church uses the keys of the kingdom of heaven. The sword is a symbol of force by which to rule, while the key is more the symbol of serving, a moral authority. The government receives the authority to punish the trespasser, while the censure of the church is more as a medicine to heal.

Censure is not only in respect of our daily life, but it is also in respect of doctrine. Not only an unchristian conduct is condemned, but also an unchristian doctrine. We may neither give room to the lie in the church, nor to the wickedness in our daily life. Although we must be faithful in censure, it should always be done in the spirit of meekness. It should be such a wonder that we are not living in the same sin, and it is only due to the restraining hand of the Lord. For example, if you visit a person in prison, you should not look down upon that person, but realize that if the Lord had left us a moment unto ourselves, we would also be behind the bars. Censure is to be used out of love for the Lord and out of love for our neighbor, and never out of revenge. This is the way that censure must be administered.

To maintain unity in the church according to God’s Word, both in conduct and in doctrine, our fathers decided that every officebearer must sign the forms of unity and promise to subject themselves to God’s Word and these three forms of unity. We know that these forms are human institutions and stand under the authority of God’s Word, but we may not deny that they are according to God’s Word and give a good insight into the Truth. The forms of unity have a binding power for the church only if it can be proved that they are according to God’s Word; if the opposite can be proved, they would then lose their authority. However, if we make a careful study of them, we will find out that they are according to the Scriptures. No officebearer is allowed to make changes in these forms by himself; it may only be done by a General Synod. But we do not find errors and contradictions in these forms contrary to God’s Word.

Our article does state, “And therefore, we reject all human inventions, and all laws which man would introduce into the worship of God, thereby to bind and compel the conscience in any manner whatever.” Human inventions and laws may not rule the church, because it is God’s house and the body of Christ. We have only to take notice of the church of Rome, which is full of human institutions contrary to God’s Word or the spirit thereof. Calvin was very much opposed to them, and thought that every law in the church made by man without the backing of God’s Word and used to instruct the people in how to serve the Lord should be rejected. Calvin was not an advocate of many laws and provisions. Those rules stimulate only to sin, because our sinful nature is drawn to the forbidden and thus the outcome can be the opposite of that originally proposed. Only that which is not according to God’s Word can be censured.

The weak or the sinners should be warned with patience, love and meekness. That is the reason why our fathers have also applied the censure in steps. Censure already begins with the ecclesiastical admonition by the consistory, which goes together with a temporary denial of taking part in the Lord’s Supper, as it is the calling of the consistory to keep the Lord’s Table holy. They will also lose the other rights of a full member, as long as this censure is applied. If no attention is paid to these admonitions or silent censure, the three steps will follow, which will also be made known to the congregation. Of silent censure, nobody may know of it except the consistory and the trespasser. Such a censured member does not immediately lose his membership (this can only happen by excommunication or withdrawal), but by this censure he loses the rights of his membership—he may not take part in baptism or in the Lord’s Supper, he may not vote, etc. He, of course, may come to church, where he will receive a place just as anyone else, and this can be blessed by the Lord to return him from his ways, but also to his conversion; “the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which is lost.”

The three steps of censure take place only if there is no repentance. After admonition, the first step of censure follows, meaning that the sin but not the name of the sinner is announced in the congregation. They are asked to remember him in their prayers. If the sinner hardens himself, it is DeWilde, Box 142, Monarck, Alberta, Canada. TOL1MO Tel. No. 403/824-3698.

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