Quite often, what is seen as a strength carries with it its own set of liabilities. Such is the case for many a denomination's foundational set of confessions. Confessions provide a denomination's interpretation of the Scriptures. It also allows denominations to distinguish themselves from other denominations. But how a denomination's members, especially its leaders, regard these confessions will determine if an adopted set of confessions hurts more than it serves its denomination. This is what Roger Olson (click here for a bio) addresses in one of his recent blogposts.
What Olson successfully does is to distinguish when allegiance to a denomination's set of foundational confessions crosses the line in terms of what is healthy and biblical (click here for the article). Olson, who produces a very good and challenging blog to read, makes a distinction between what he calls 'creedalism' and being confessional. And the difference between the two lies in the height of the pedestal on which one places the confessions of their denomination.
Certainly, to make a set of confessions foundational to a denomination is to elevate the importance of those confessions over the other writings of the members of the denomination. To make a set of confessions foundational is to say that these confessions define the beliefs of those who belong to a given denomination. So that set of confessions is regarded as special.
But when people start to quote from their denomination's set of confessions too many times or regard those who disagree with non-essential individual points of their denomination's set of confessions as being those who should not be in the denomination, then we have the problem of creedalism.
Olson notes that there are two problems with creedalism with one problem leading into the other. The first problem is that we are elevating a given set of confession to a point where, either by de facto or de jure, the confessions are being treated as if they are at least as important as the Scriptures. This is what is being referred to as a paper papacy. For while the Roman Church regards the Pope as being infallible when he speaks ex cathedra, so too do members of a denomination think their that their set of confessions speak infallibly when they put their confessions on a pedestal that is too high. And that can be done by those who are oblivious to what they are doing. That is because while given members of a denomination may not formally declare that their confessions are on par with the Scriptures, they act like their confessions are equal to the Scriptures by how they use the confessions to address issues in a discussion.
Jesus noted this problem in the Pharisees of his day. In Mark 7:1-12 (click here for the Scripture passage), Jesus told the Pharisees that they were using their traditions to set aside what was commanded by God in terms of how one should treat their parents. The traditions were to the Pharisees back then what a given set of confessions is to a denomination. They contain the interpretations of God's word. And by putting their traditions on too high a pedestal, the Pharisees were paying more attention to their traditions than to God's word. And, as will occur, when those traditions misinterpret God's word, the result is some will set aside God's word in order to follow the traditions. And that is exactly what often occurs with those who put their denomination's set of confessions on too high a pedestal.
Putting the confessions on too high a pedestal can be indicated by how a person talks to those who disagree with either a statement from one's denomination's confessions or how to interpret a statement from the confessions. And this should not surprise us because, more than we care to admit, how we regard and treat God is revealed by how we treat others. Olson's point here is that not allowing room for enough disagreement with one's denomination's set of confessions leads to unnecessary divisions in one's own denomination. It can also lead to unnecessary divisions within the Church. The latter occurs when people believe that they have everything to teach and nothing to learn, to adapt a Martin Luther King Jr. statement, from those from other denominations.
Olson does a wonderful job in addressing an important part of life in denominations. Yes, a given set of confessions can be important to us; but they can also be too important. And when they are the latter, we run the risk of setting God's word aside for them or we actually divide Christians into opposing groups. Both are serious sins that cause great damage to the Christian life and to the Church. I highly recommend that people read this article on Roger Olson's blog.
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