Wilson has responded to my post on the fallacy of composition here. Certainly, he offers some food for thought here. I am not convinced ultimately by his attempt at evading the fallacy of composition, and here’s why. The standards for a denomination and the standards for an individual are different. We don’t require (at least in the PCA) subscription to the WS for admission into the church. We do require subscription to the WS for office-holders. This means that any old person who believes the Gospel can be admitted into the PCA church, as long as they promise to submit to and grow in the teaching of the church. But the denomination as a whole is held to a more narrow standard. This is why the fallacy of composition argument holds against Wilson’s position. We do not hold members to the same standards to which we hold office-bearers. Therefore, the denomination has a much greater responsibility to be correct on doctrinal matters. Doctrinal orthodoxy should be a goal for every member. However, that can be a matter of careful and longsuffering training. Whereas, in the case of office-bearers, they need to have their theological ducks in a row (although, of course, that is not all that is required) before they take office. Add to this my previous qualification that justification by faith alone can be taught using other words, and presto, no narrow sectarianism here, nor any presumptive and trigger-happy denomination blasting. I would argue that there are many denominations that teach justification by faith alone, even if they don’t use those words. But there are denominations that outright deny it. Those are apostate denominations. Practically speaking, I’m not sure there is much difference between saying that a denomination that doesn’t have justification by faith correct is corrupt versus saying it is apostate. I can’t think of any way in which I would treat a member of such a church differently. I would speak the true Gospel, explain justification by faith alone, and pray that the Lord would convict them of sin, and show them their need of Jesus. I still would argue, however, that a church that denies justification by faith alone denies the Gospel. If they deny the Gospel, then they are without one of the marks of the true church, namely, the Word faithfully preached. That would imply that that church is not a true church.
Jeff has completely missed the point here. We use the same basic membership questions that Jeff mentions there, and we have no problem asking our people to affirm these things and commit themselves to live in a certain way, a way that befits followers of Christ. But we do not demand that they trust in “living in this certain way” for their justification. We demand the opposite. We require them to not trust in what they are doing, and we also teach them not to trust in what they are saying. We teach them to trust in Christ, not to trust in themselves trusting in Christ. We do call upon them to confess their faith in Jesus alone. This is what we teach them to do, and it is how we lead them. What we do not do is tell them that their salvation hinges on whether they say the magic words just right, or have their face looking “just so” while they say it. We don’t tell them that they are apostate if they get some detail about justification wrong. To do so would be for us to deny sola fide.
This, I believe, is an illegitimate extension of what Jeff was saying. The point is not whether the words are just right. The point is whether they believe the truth, and I am absolutely confident that Jeff would agree with me here. Wilson just committed the word-concept fallacy: Jeff never said that a person has to say the magic words in just the right way. Jeff did say that a person must believe the substance of what justification by faith alone says. The point here is the doctrine, not the words, the concept, not the actual wording. We can put the question this way for clarification: would Wilson allow anyone into his church who believed that he was saved because justification consists in faith plus works? Surely, Wilson would not allow such a person to become a member. That person does not understand the Gospel. That is all that Jeff is saying. A person must understand the Gospel to be admitted into the church. They must show that they understand the Gospel. Otherwise they are not making a credible profession of faith.
Green Baggins 