June 1996 New Horizons

Cornelius Van Til and the Identity of the OPC

by Charles G. Dennison

Machen and Van Til On December 4, 1936, about six months after the formation of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, J. Oliver Buswell wrote to J. Gresham Machen for the last time. Machen would die before he could finish a response. It is obvious from a draft fragment which survives that Machen had trouble formulating his reply. One thing giving Machen difficulty was Buswell's attack on the "Westminster apologetic," at the center of which stood Professor Cornelius Van Til. Buswell charged that the seminary was moving in a novel direction, away from the apologetics of scholars such as Machen himself. Instead, it was promoting a philosophical apologetic which weakened the students' practical usefulness. According to Buswell, the new apologetic was "substanceless theorizing." Machen remained loyal to the natural theology of his Princeton training, yet was publicly committed to Van Til. His ambivalence is explained in two ways. First, he found in Van Til a man as loyal to Westminster Seminary and the ... Read more

Reflections on the Last Ten Years of the OPC

by Donald J. Duff

When the Forty-third General Assembly met in 1986 to celebrate the semicentennial anniversary of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, the church was considering whether to join the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) and be received as part of that denomination. This process was known as joining and receiving, or J & R. The proposal to join the PCA failed narrowly. The General Assembly commissioners voted 78 to 68 in favor of it, but approval required a two-thirds affirmative vote. As a result of the failure of J & R, several churches (including many "New Life" churches) voluntarily realigned with the PCA. In the years 1987-1990, twelve churches (and most of a thirteenth) left, and overall membership declined from a high of 19,422 in 1988 to a low of 18,164 in 1990. Giving was significantly affected as well. But since 1990, the trend has been reversed. In recent years, whole congregations have come out of the PCA and elsewhere to join the OPC. By the end of 1995, the total membership stood at ... Read more

Courage!

by John P. Galbraith

Yes, COURAGE! Not the timid question, Do you have courage? Rather, the resounding exhortation, Be courageous! But why? Because we face an enormous task and determined opposition. But we are encouraged to be courageous because the living God—our God—is with us. The battle is not ours, but his. Years ago, the church in the wilderness stood poised on the shores of the Jordan River, gazing into the Promised Land. They were about to launch the church's first drive to conquer Satan's territory, a foretaste of the worldwide task now given to us. Their soldiers were armed with the battle gear of the day. They were anxious, no doubt, but willing to face whatever dangers there would be. Then God told their leader, Joshua, how they should face their task and why: "Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them" (Josh. 1:6). Be fearless. Don't be afraid, my children; I love you. And because I love you, I promise ... Read more

A Reflective Journey

by Theodore J. Georgian

The approaching sixtieth anniversary of our church startled me when I realized that I've lived through nearly fifty of those years, having begun preaching in my first charge in the fall of 1948. What follows are my selective observations on church life, with special focus on the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. In making them, I entertain no delusions of having superior wisdom, unique experiences, or timeless insights. First, let me tell you what this church means to me. After wandering in an ecclesiastical wasteland, I found my spiritual home in the OPC, and I thank the Lord for our church. It is here that my wife and I nurtured our children, who, by God's mercy, are now serving him, two in the OPC and one in the PCA. As more than one church father has taught, the church is our mother. I thank God for our church's commitment to our sovereign Redeemer and to Reformed orthodoxy, for which she enjoys something of worldwide renown. I am aware of her warts and failures; in recent years, I have been concerned ... Read more