Our Binding to the Confessions – The Importance of Confessional Membership (2)

Functions of the Five Confessions
In our Creeds (the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed) and the Three Forms of Unity—the Belgic Confession (BC), the Heidelberg Catechism (HC), and the Canons of Dort (CoD)—we have derived standards with ecclesiastical authority. These confessions serve various functions, all grounded in Scripture.

As summaries of the Gospel, they help glorify the great deeds and attributes of the Triune God (especially the Creeds). They witness to and defend the truth of God’s Word toward those outside the church (especially the BC); they reject heresies (especially the CoD and BC); they are valuable in the education of the church (especially the HC); and they serve as a standard for unity in the truth—both within the local true church and among the true church throughout time and place.

These important functions can also be seen in how the confessions support the attributes of the true church, which describe what the church is.
The unity of the church is upheld by all the confessions, particularly the Three Forms of Unity. Regarding the church’s holiness, the confessions show its boundaries over against heresies. The catholicity of the church is supported by the shared confession across the world and throughout history—especially in the Apostles’ Creed. Finally, the apostolicity of the church is affirmed as the true doctrine is promoted, explained, and defended by these confessions.

To summarize: the confessions of the church contribute to its unity, holiness, truth, and faithfulness to the apostolic words. For these functions to be realized, the confessions must be applied actively in the church’s life and in the lives of its members. Merely regarding them as historical documents is insufficient—they must be active and functioning so that the church may remain reformed and continue to be reformed.

Binding of Members at Profession of Faith: Dutch vs. Canadian (Book of Praise) Form
Each confessing member must promise before God and His holy church their commitment to God’s Word and to the confessions. Only by this commitment may one be admitted to the Holy Supper.

The Dutch Form (1978):

1. Do you confess that the doctrine of the Old and New Testament, summarized in the Apostles’ Creed and taught here in this Christian church, is the true and complete doctrine of salvation?
2. And do you promise, by the grace of God, steadfastly to continue in this doctrine in life and death?

The Book of Praise (1984):

1. First, do you wholeheartedly believe the doctrine of the Word of God, summarized in the confessions and taught here in this Christian church?
2. Do you promise, by the grace of God, steadfastly to continue in this doctrine in life and death, rejecting all heresies and errors conflicting with God’s Word?

There are three differences between the Dutch and Canadian versions of the form:

1. The Dutch form refers to the Apostles’ Creed and indirectly to the other confessions with the phrase “taught here in this Christian church.”* The Canadian version is more direct in mentioning “the confessions.”**
2. The Canadian version includes an additional requirement: “rejecting all heresies and errors conflicting with God’s Word.” This stresses the importance of rejecting heresies and errors—a vital aspect of remaining a truly Reformed church and church member. In the Dutch form, this rejection is only implied by the reference to the reformed doctrine.
3. The Dutch version provides a more detailed description of the doctrine of the Old and New Testament as “the true and complete doctrine of salvation.”

To fulfill the obligations connected to our commitment to God’s Word and the confessions, a deepening knowledge of both is required, according to each person’s granted abilities. This knowledge should lead to the continuous appropriation of their content.

Our binding should also lead to compliance—applying the doctrine in everyday life. This results in the ongoing education in God’s Word, continual testing of the spirits both within and outside the church, and self-examination of one’s behavior, speech, and thoughts—leading to growth in faith to the glory of God. This is the intent of the second vow: to continue steadfastly in this doctrine in life and death.

Binding of Parents at Baptism
In the Dutch Form, parents are asked:

1. Do you confess that the doctrine of the Old and New Testament, summarized in the Apostles’ Creed and taught here in the Christian church, is the true and complete doctrine of salvation?
2. Do you promise, as father (mother), to instruct your child in this doctrine while it grows up, to the best of your ability?

In the Book of Praise:

1. Do you confess that the doctrine of the Old and New Testament, summarized in the confessions and taught here in this Christian church, is the true and complete doctrine of salvation?
2. Do you promise, as father and mother, to instruct your child in this doctrine as soon as he (she) is able to understand, and to have him (her) instructed therein to the utmost of your power?

Again, the Canadian form is clearer about the binding to all the confessions**, whereas the Dutch form conveys the same issue through the phrase “taught here in the Christian church.”*

                                                                                                                                                                                                  (to be continued)

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Footnotes:

* The Church Order, Article 61 (Book of Praise 1984), summarizes this as: “public profession of the Reformed (!) faith.”  The Dutch Church Order, Article 60, states (translated): “the profession of faith according to the Reformed doctrine.”

Dr. H. Bouwman, Gereformeerd Kerkrecht II, 1934, p. 302: “De Remonstranten maakten bezwaar tegen het woord ‘alhier’, omdat zij niet instemden met de Gereformeerde belijdenis, en wilden lezen: ‘en diensvolgens in de christelijke kerk geleerd wordt’. Deze verandering is in de uitgaven van 1590 en 1611 opgenomen. Maar de Dordtsche synode heeft, naar het getuigenis van Trigland, het woordje alhier hersteld, en de tweede doopvraag geformuleerd, zooals deze nog bij ons in gebruik is. De doopouders betuigen dus bij de doopsbediening steeds hunne instemming met de H. Schrift en met de belijdenis der kerk, zooals deze in de Gereformeerde kerk geleerd wordt.”

Translated:  “The Remonstrants objected to the word ‘here,’ because they did not agree with the Reformed confession, and wanted it to read: ‘and accordingly is taught in the Christian church.’ This change was included in the editions of 1590 and 1611. But the Synod of Dort, according to the testimony of Trigland, restored the word ‘here,’ and formulated the second baptismal question as it is still in use among us. Thus, during the administration of baptism, the parents always express their agreement with the Holy Scripture and with the confession of the church, as it is taught in the Reformed church.”

** Overtures have recently been sent to the General Synod Aldergrove of the CanRC (to be convened on May 6, 2025), proposing that the word “confessions” be replaced with “Apostles’ Creed” in the forms. This raises the question: does the phrase “taught here in the Christian church” still imply adherence to all the confessions of the church? If not, confessional membership will be incomplete and could easily open the door to tolerance of various heresies and errors.