- The Confession on the Role of the Ministry of the Word

8. The Confession on the Role of the Ministry of the Word

What does the Confession of Faith attribute to the ministry of the word? Is it instrumental in the effectual call unto life as articulated by the standard reformed position? The Confession declares this in 1689.14.1: “The grace of faith, whereby the elect are enabled to believe to the saving of their souls, is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts, and is ordinarily wrought by the ministry of the Word; by which also, and by the administration of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, prayer, and other means appointed of God, it is increased and strengthened.”

According to the Confession that summarizes the teaching of Scriptures, that which is ordinarily wrought by the ministry of the word – by the preaching of the good news of the glorious salvation that God has accomplished in Christ – is faith in Jesus Christ. It is ‘belief in the truth, to which He called you by our gospel.’ 2Th 2:14. It is certainly not instrumental in any remote way in the begetting of life. Don’t confuse the sovereign work of the Spirit in begetting life, and the work of the gospel preacher in bringing such to a belief in the truth. The ministry of the word is the means to calling an effectually called elect to believe in the gospel truth. In order to believe in the gospel truth, an effectually called elect needs to be informed and instructed in what to believe… and the gospel is the only outward and all adequate means God has ordained to accomplish conversion to Christ (1689.20.4). For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent?” Romans 10:13-15. The conversion of Cornelius, the Berean Jews, and Lydia are specific and apt illustrations of this blessed truth. They were regenerated people brought to belief in the truth by the ministry of the word. “And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?” asked apostle Paul. The regenerated need to hear the gospel if they are to be brought to faith in Jesus Christ. He did not ask, “And how shall they be born again by the gospel of which they have not heard.” Had they not been born again, how could they hear in order to believe?

The grace of faith, whereby the elect are enabled to believe to the saving of their souls, is a saving grace of salvation. Faith is not alone in the person justified. Faith is not the only evidence of salvation already bestowed at effectual calling. If that were the case, what then does ‘saving of their souls’ mean? The saving of their souls through faith speaks of the blessedness of consciously knowing and personally experiencing the salvation bestowed by grace at effectual calling unto life while the elect were still ungodly and in enmity against God.
Therefore the 1689.20.4 summarizes thus: “Although the gospel be the only outward means of revealing Christ and saving grace, and is, as such, abundantly sufficient thereunto; yet that men who are dead in trespasses may be born again, quickened or regenerated, there is moreover necessary an effectual insuperable work of the Holy Spirit upon the whole soul, for the producing in them a new spiritual life; without which no other means will effect their conversion unto God.” Outward means to reveal Christ and saving grace cannot possibly be the instrumental means to effectual call to grace and salvation by Jesus Christ. An outward means to reveal Christ and saving grace can only reveal Christ and saving grace that are already there by effectual calling. The gospel cannot reveal what is not already present. Turning on the light reveals the furniture already in the room. It is not the means to produce them!

Please note carefully that Chapter 20 is unique to the 1689, i.e., absent in the WCF (1647). This is quite significant! Something must have transpired during the intervening period that had made the Particular Baptists believe that chapter 20 became necessary. This chapter sheds clear light on how those old Particular Baptists differed from the ‘standard reformed position’ regarding the biblical role of the gospel in the redemptive purpose as well as the meaning of ‘faith… is the sole instrument of justification’. More on this in Section VIII when we consider the fifth theological statement in the official letter.]

The Confession states clearly the function of the gospel as the outward means of revealing Christ and saving grace… the only means to reveal, to make manifest the effectually called elect through belief in the truth and faith in Christ. The function of the gospel is to bring those already effectually called to faith in Jesus Christ. Only such have Christ and saving grace in them. Only such will manifest faith in Christ. The gospel is not instrumental in regenerating life at all, but making manifest the life already freely bestowed by God’s grace.

The gospel is the outward means to reveal, to make manifest, to evidence, to demonstrate, to show that Christ and saving grace which is already present, i.e., the effectual call, justification and regeneration and adoption that has ALREADY been applied to an elect. Faith that answers to the gospel call is also the outward means to evidence the salvation already bestowed, that justification has taken place, since faith is not alone in the person justified.

2Tim 1:9-10 says, “Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.”

The gospel preaching brings to light or demonstrates the presence of life and immortality, i.e., the grace and salvation by Jesus Christ, in the regenerated elect. The gospel is likened to a light. It is to be shone, i.e., preached everywhere. When the gospel light falls on any solid work of grace that God has begun in an elect by effectual calling, a shadow of that solid work will be produced. Faith in Christ is solicited by the gospel call. The presence of the shadow, i.e., faith in Jesus Christ, in the presence of the gospel light is the evidence, proof and demonstration of the solid work of grace, of life and immortality already bestowed by grace. The absence of shadow, the absence of faith under the pure gospel light indicates the absence of such work of grace. I believe there are cases where the false gospels fail to produce any shadow even though there might be solid work of grace. The only relation that the gospel light sustains to the solid work of grace is its being the exclusive means or instrument appointed by God to reveal that solid work of salvation by God’s grace. The truth illustrated is self-evident. The gospel ministry is ‘from faith to faith’ declares the apostle Paul. It is preached by those who have faith in Jesus Christ to those who have been given the gift of faith to believe in Jesus Christ. Therefore it is said to be ‘from faith to faith’ Romans 1:17.

Faith in Christ reveals that a person is in a justified state, since it is ONLY the just that shall live by faith. ‘The just shall live by faith’ – means that only a justified person can live by faith… and living by faith begins with believing in Jesus Christ made known through the gospel. Therefore faith in Christ demonstrates that a person is a justified man. That’s what believing the gospel does. The gospel is a means “abundantly sufficient thereunto” to reveal what God has done in calling His elect out of spiritual death to spiritual life in His sovereign and gracious act of effectual calling.

This understanding may differ from the ‘standard reformed position.’ I believe it is consistent with the teaching of Scriptures as summarized by the Confession. So I will keep company with the old fathers who framed the Confession. They said the gospel is the only divinely ordained ‘means of revealing Christ and saving grace’ that was already applied at the effectual calling when God called an elect ‘out of that state of sin and death to grace and salvation by Christ Jesus.’ [10.1] The gospel brings to light and reveals the eternal life and eternal salvation already bestowed. Gospel reveals life. It does not assist or co-operate in any way in the begetting of life. It does not play any role in the begetting of eternal life, though it is most necessary as the means for the conversion of the regenerated elect to Christ. Therefore the gospel is most necessary to be preached… for the conversion and gathering of God’s regenerated elect into the NT church.


8. Conclusion

Some people sincerely elevate the gospel and the ministry of the word (Acts 6:4) higher than it is divinely intended – it is the instrumental means for regeneration of life. Others sincerely denigrate the preaching of the gospel and the ministry of the word – that gospel preaching is unimportant. The former are presumptuous, the latter are contemptuous. Both are inconsistent and deficient. Those who believe the ‘His Word’ in 1689.10.1 refers to the ‘Gospel preaching’ belong to the former group. They believe that gospel preaching is the necessary instrumental means for regeneration. Many believe in baptismal regeneration, others in decisional regeneration, and some in gospel regeneration. The Scriptures teach direct and immediate free grace regeneration by the Spirit of God, and mediated conversion by the communication of the gospel.

You are now informed of what I, pastor of SDC do actually believe on the point you regard as ‘error.’ I don’t believe that the gospel preaching plays any role – directly or remotely – in the effectual calling to life – justification, regeneration and adoption – of an elect. I believe in attempting to respond to your first complaint, I have touched indirectly on some other complaints raised in your letter, for some of the points are related.

Thank you for your patience in reading and considering the above. I hope I have given you sufficient good reasons why I as pastor of SDC interpret the 1689 Confession and the Scriptures with a different understanding from the ‘standard reformed position’ as espoused by your churches. I hope you appreciate my present understanding, even if you cannot agree with me.