August 2014 New Horizons

What the General Assembly Shows about Our Church

by Clifford L. Blair

The Orthodox Presbyterian Church held its General Assembly in Grand Rapids, Michigan, from June 4 through June 9 on the grounds of Kuyper College. It was my good fortune (providentially speaking) to be a commissioner and to be asked to share some highlights from the week. What follows is by no means a minute-by-minute or motion-by-motion account of the Eighty-first General Assembly, but some observations of one participant. If you are looking for details, a daily report (and extensive photos) are available online at www.opc.org. If you desire even more detail, you can look for the publication of the minutes. Most people in the OPC have heard the phrase “General Assembly,” and many have some idea of what it is and does, but for others it may seem obscure. A brief description of how our church is structured may be helpful to some—think in terms of three layers: 1. The local church is overseen by the pastor(s) and ruling elders, together called the session. The session is responsible for the ... Read more

How to Criticize Other Christians

by Samuel T. Logan, Jr.

I am dismayed by the hurtful way in which Christians often criticize other Christians. I cringe when I read a statement like the following made about a PCA minister in good standing: “The truth is that —— does not abide by the orthodox doctrines of the Christian Church. He uses a pseudo-intellectual, philosophical approach to propagate a man-made gospel. He is promoting a false gospel that is far from biblical truth.” Where do we go to get instruction about how we are to criticize other Christians whom we believe are speaking and/or acting unbiblically? Of course, the answer is that we go to the inspired and inerrant Scriptures. More specifically, we can go to the interpretation of Scripture provided by Q/A 143 and 144 of the Larger Catechism. Here is a quick summary of what the catechism says: 1. We must, of course, “appear and stand for the truth.” (This is absolutely essential, and it is something for which the OPC is well known.) 2. But we are to do so in a way that: ... Read more