 Committee affirms statement saying Jesus Christ is the Lord By John H. Adams The Layman Online Tuesday, June 18, 2002
The outcome June 17 was a unanimous (58-0) affirmation of "Hope in the Lord Jesus Christ" – a tract written by the Office of Theology and Worship of the Presbyterian Church (USA) – and called on church groups to study the five-page document. If adopted by the 214th General Assembly this week, "Hope in the Lord Jesus Christ" may become the last word in a volcanic controversy that erupted in 2000 when a Presbyterian minister asked at a denominational Peacemaking Conference, "What's the big deal about Jesus?" His rhetoric inflamed Presbyterians who believe Jesus is who he said he is – the way, the truth and the life, and no one gains salvation except through him – and sent denominational leaders groping for the right words to respond. In 2001, both the General Assembly Council and the General Assembly adopted statements intended to cool off the firefight – but both statements were ambiguous and seemed to leave open the possibility that Jesus is only one Lord among many. During debate on the measure adopted by the 2001 General Assembly, which described Jesus as "unique" but not as the sovereign Lord of all, several commissioners said openly that they believed other faiths were just as effective as Christianity. Nonetheless, the 2001 General Assembly instructed the Office of Theology and Worship to prepare a paper on Christology and salvation. The result was "Hope in the Lord Jesus Christ," which both affirmed the Biblical and Reformed assertions that salvation is through Jesus Christ alone. The document also reflects the theological modesty of the Reformed tradition in being unable to state unequivocally how Jesus might save someone who has not heard the gospel. Discarded by the committee were four overtures about the saving work of Christ – "T-shirt" sized declarations, as one committee member said. None of the advocates of those four overtures spoke against "Hope in the Lord Jesus Christ." Their argument was that the 214th General Assembly also should issue a brief rejoinder to the statements by the 213th General Assembly and the General Assembly Council. The winning overture (02-2) affirming "Hope in Jesus Christ" came from the Presbytery of Redstone and others. Five people spoke as advocates for it. Dennis Macaleer of the Pittsburgh Presbytery said that, in a way, he wanted to thank Dirk Ficca, who made the "What's the big deal about Jesus statement." "Dirk Ficca, I'm glad you asked. This document, 'Hope in the Lord Jesus Christ,' explains what the big deal about Jesus is," Macaleer said. "Last year's general assembly tried to clarify our theology, but it just muddied the water." He told the committee that the overture is not a new confession, "but a careful articulation of one aspect of the Christian faith. It explains it to us so that we can use it in our life." David Abdo of First Presbyterian Church in Fresno, Calif., called "Hope in the Lord Jesus Christ" "a more thoughtful, more attractive statement" that "makes very clear this proclamation about Christ to those inside and outside the church." Jim Cahalan, an elder from Edmond, Okla., where the overture originated, said people had to hear the debate in 2001 "to appreciate how horribly last year's general assembly handled Christology." John Burgess, formerly the head of the denomination's Office of Theology and Worship and now a professor of systematic theology at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, said, "This statement is strong theologically. It says modestly what we need to say modestly. And it says clearly what we need to say clearly. It acknowledges that our complete knowledge of God is beyond our human capacity. But it says clearly what we have to say clearly - it affirms that Jesus Christ is the only Lord and Savior … it affirms that all people everywhere are called to place their faith, hope and love in Jesus Christ." Merwyn Johnson, a professor of systematic theology at Erskine Theological Seminary in South Carolina, called for the adoption of overtures 02-2 and 02-20, both supported by the Presbytery of the Foothills. He said 02-20 was the "real unity overture of this General Assembly." The overture called on the 214th General Assembly to "affirm that Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, is the eternal Son of God and the only source of salvation for all of humanity. In Christ and Christ alone the church receives its unity, mission, and ministry." The committee's motion affirming "Hope in Jesus Christ" said that action answered 02-20 and three other overtures. |
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