The Trinity Review

THE TRINITY REVIEW For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare [are] not fleshly but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. And they will be ready to punish all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled. (2 Corinthians 10:3-6) Special Issue © 2016 The Trinity Foundation Post Office Box 68, Unicoi, Tennessee 37692 October 2014 Email: [email protected] Website: www.trinityfoundation.org Telephone: 423.743.0199 Fax: 423.743.2005 Troubler of Israel: Report on Republication by the Orthodox Presbyterian Church Assessing the Teaching of Professor Meredith G. Kline by Mark W. Karlberg The republication report opens by stating the Though acknowledging that Scripture, not the mandate given to the committee of five members: Westminster Standards, has the last word in “The 81st General Assembly, in response to an theological disputes, in point of fact the report overture from the Presbytery of the Northwest, reverses the priority, giving first place to the elected a study committee ‘to examine and give its confessional teaching. The second grievous error in advice as to whether and in what particular senses the the thinking of the committee is the false supposition concept of the Mosaic Covenant as a republication of that Kline’s formulation of covenant theology has the Adamic Covenant is consistent with the doctrinal been the impetus and the cause of the long-standing system taught in the confessional standards of the division in the church and seminary (notably, Orthodox Presbyterian Church.’” In view of the Westminster East and West). Here again, we find an mandate the committee chose to focus on the attempt at rewriting the history of the dispute, teachings of Meredith G. Kline as the means of shifting the center of attention away from the true examining and advising the church on theological cause––the teaching of Norman Shepherd, former issues dividing its membership asunder. The systematics professor at Westminster Theological committee notes: “On the one hand it may seem that Seminary in Philadelphia. the mandate of the committee is merely one of confessional exegesis. It certainly involves this, and Background to the Study your committee has taken pains to work with and The modern-day controversy regarding the comment upon every area of the standards that is interpretation of the Mosaic Covenant (the so-called relevant to the mandate. On the other hand, the doctrine of “Republication”) has been simmering for committee has also worked on numerous passages of over forty years. More exactly, it began in the late Scripture, especially since the very confession we 1960s in the womb of Westminster Seminary and the were tasked to study states quite clearly that ‘in all OPC in the thinking of Shepherd’s predecessor, controversies of religion, the church is finally to systematician John Murray. (Shepherd was chosen appeal unto them [i.e., the Scriptures]’ (WCF 1.8).”1 by Murray to fill his position on the seminary faculty 1 Northwest Theological Seminary stoked the controversy, only aggressive promotion of the Shepherd-Gaffin theology. [The to close its doors in 2016, having failed to garner financial report as provided on the OPC website provides no pagination, support. The demise of the seminary is in large part due to its a major oversight.] Trinity Review / Special Issue October 2016 upon retirement. Prior to Murray’s death Shepherd operation (both sides did recognize the principle of claims to have received Murray’s approval of his natural law binding upon all God’s image-bearers, new thinking on the doctrine of the covenants and human and angelic, requiring perfect obedience). justification––approval was sought on Murray’s The “Puritan” view maintained that the Mosaic death-bed upon a visit to Scotland.) Covenant was exclusively a covenant of grace (like Traditional, mainstream Reformed theology has the new covenant established by Christ), a covenant taught––from the time of the Protestant Reformation lacking the “merit” (or “works”) principle as a down to the present day––that the Mosaic Covenant component of the administration of God’s covenant is an administration of the single, ongoing “Covenant with his elect people. Crucial here, additionally, is of Grace” spanning the entire period of redemptive recognition of the requisite theological distinction history (from the Fall to the Consummation). between decretive election to salvation (applicable to Peculiar to the Mosaic economy, however, is the all those for whom Christ died) and national, operation of the works-inheritance-principle in a theocratic election (the election of ancient Israel very restricted sphere or manner. A number of under Moses as covenant-mediator).2 explanations have been provided within historic Shepherd’s dismissal from the faculty of Reformed theology concerning this unique Westminster did not bring closure to the raging covenantal arrangement in the period extending from dispute. The legacy left by Shepherd, aggressively Moses to Christ, what is the old economy of nurtured by Gaffin who remained on the seminary redemption. Dissatisfied with this element in faculty, became ever more deeply entrenched, Reformed doctrine Murray set out to “recast” the despite all efforts to eradicate heterodox teaching doctrine of the covenants, at the very time that from the seminary and the church. In 2004 the 71st Barthianism was on the ascendency in most General Assembly of the OPC adopted its brief Reformed circles in Europe and elsewhere. Murray “Statement on Justification,” in an effort to address clearly was not a Barthian, but his novel teaching did the unresolved debate concerning the foundational imbibe some of the new thinking that was quickly doctrine of justification by faith apart from the good gaining ground. And so it was Murray who opened works of the believer (faith alone as the “instrument” to door at Westminster to the radical deviation in of justification). The Statement concluded by covenant theology struck by Shepherd and his announcing the erection of a study committee staunchest supporter, Richard Gaffin, Jr., co-author, comprising seven members “to critique the teachings if not father of the New Theology. of the New Perspective on Paul, Federal Vision, and From the broader vantage point of the history of other like teachings concerning the doctrine of scholastic Reformed orthodoxy, Murray’s view gave justification and other related doctrines, as they are expression to the theology of English Puritanism, related to the Word of God and our subordinate notably, the view that came to dominate in the time standards, with a view to giving a clear statement to after the framing of the Westminster Standards. the presbyteries, sessions and seminaries, and report From that point onwards, there were two distinct back to the 72nd GA” (emphasis mine). The major interpretations of the Mosaic Covenant within study report on justification was presented and international Calvinism, one which acknowledged received by the 73rd General Assembly in 2006; it the works-inheritance principle as an administrative principle operative within the Mosaic covenant of grace, the other denying any such covenantal 2 The Puritan-Murray view insists that the Mosaic Covenant, from God for faithful covenant-keeping (i.e., human “merit”). like the new covenant, is a covenant of grace (having no works- The ground of inheritance, in this view, is (non-soteric) grace, inheritance principle in its administration). It therefore follows but grace nevertheless (not “works”). Consistently applied, the that the principle enunciated in Leviticus 18:5 (“do this and result of this thinking dissolves the crucial antithesis between live”) is, in proper covenantal context, at one with the grace- the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace, in terms of inheritance principle. And looking to the prelapsarian covenant, the principle of inheritance (reward). Clearly, this is not the it is likewise argued that there is no works-inheritance principle, intent of the framers of the Westminster Standards, despite if by that we mean that Adam would earn reward and blessing confusion in theological formulation. 2 Trinity Review / Special Issue October 2016 was reprinted and posted on the denomination’s little sympathy and support among some faculty website in 2007.3 colleagues in Philadelphia, those who had exercised A decade later, the study report entitled “Report the greatest influence on the direction of the of the Committee to Study Republication” was seminary and the OPC. The decision finally to form presented and received at the 83rd General Assembly a denominational study committee came after several in 2016. Curiously, the OPC did not move in any years of debate and petition to General Assembly.5 official capacity to take up this highly divisive topic The 83rd General Assembly ended one day earlier among its constituency long before now, waiting than had been scheduled, and the presentation of the instead for the passing of Professor Meredith G. committee report was reserved until the final Kline, who had challenged the views of Murray and afternoon of the Assembly, one of the last items to be Shepherd on the doctrine of the covenants as early as addressed. Doubtless, it was determined to withhold the 1960s. (Given his importance in the life of the discussion of the study report on so volatile a subject seminary and the denomination, criticism of Murray in order not to distract the Assembly from the other has been difficult for many to hear, let alone accept.4) business that was scheduled. (The report was not Kline held tenaciously to the view of classic publicly made available until September 2, 2016, Reformed theology; regrettably, his position found when it was posted on the denominational website.) 3 The “Report on Justification” provides scant attention to 4 Cornelis P.

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