A series of articles exploring “The Distinctives” of the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster to coincide with our 75th Anniversary. The purpose of these articles is to identify our key beliefs and practices, our identity as a Church and the behaviours to which we must be held to account as Christians.

OUR CORE DOCUMENTS

Among the documents which articulate the doctrinal basis of the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster we have be following:

The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments; our ultimate standard, the only rule of faith and practice.
Our standards which are subordinate to Scripture:
- The Westminster Standards; The Confession of Faith, the Larger & Shorter Catechisms.
- The Articles of Faith of the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster.
- The Distinctives of the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster.
- The Book of Church Order.

This series of articles will consider the role of “The Distinctives”, particularly.

WHY THE NEED FOR STANDARDS?

In laying down a basis for these articles it is profitable to take a step back and consider the need for standards which are subordinate to Scripture.

The ultimate aim of standards is as follows:

To define Biblical doctrine.
To identify the stance of the Church with respect to false doctrine.
To lay down the standards of behaviour which are expected of Christians.
To codify the practices and procedures of the Church, in order to ensure that all things are done decently and in order.
To identify the peculiarities of one particular denomination or fellowship of believers.

BIBLICAL AND HISTORICAL PRECEDENTS FOR STANDARDS

There is clear Biblical precedent for formulating truth and practice in such a manner:

In several places in the New Testament we have examples of early creeds which were theological definitions:

“For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.” (1st Corinthians 15:3-4)

“But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” (1st Timothy 3:15-16).

Standards of behaviour expected of Christians were laid down by the Apostles in their writings:

“Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good” (Ephesians 4:25-27)

“Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as
the servants of God. Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.” (1st Peter 2:13-17)

Procedures were also formulated for dealing with internal Church matters and teaching was orchestrated for training up the second generation of Church leaders. The pastoral epistles (1st & 2nd Timothy and Titus) are model templates that the Church can develop in every age and culture.
In the New Testament the word faith meant two things. Firstly there is the act of faith when the sinner trusts Christ alone for salvation. This act is subjective. The sinner exercising the regenerated will given him of the Holy Ghost, trusts Christ alone. Secondly the faith is objective. It is a body of beliefs and practices which we follow. In this sense Jude teaches us to “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude v3).
Throughout Church history the Church has taken up these New Testament principles formulating theological definitions and Christian standards when responding to challenges in their own generation. The most famous example coming out of the early centuries of Christendom was “The Apostles Creed”. Another is “The Nicene Creed” of 325 AD when the Church closely defined the doctrine of the Trinity and the Deity of Jesus Christ in response to the false teachings of Arius. The Reformation Churches took this a step further in not only formulating Confessions of Faith but also Catechisms for the instruction of the young. The Westminster Standards represent the most mature of post Reformation thought, and they remain the Confessional standard for subscribing Presbyterian Churches everywhere.

THE PURPOSE OF DISTINCTIVES

As a denomination we believe that God had a distinct purpose in calling the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster into being. There are other denominations which follow the Presbyterian model and which subscribe to the Westminster Confession of Faith. If that is so what is our purpose and what is our reason for being? It is these questions which “The Distinctives” address. They identify our unique place within the evangelical community of churches.

“The Distinctives”, however, are not to be regarded as more important than “The Westminster Confession of Faith” or “The Articles of Faith”. There is a real danger that in our quest to appear different and validate ourselves “The Distinctives” become an end in and of themselves.

The Distinctives are valuable only insofar as they reflect and apply our theological framework, which is ultimately grounded in the Scriptures.

Therefore “The Distinctives” viewed in this light are not merely a unique Free Presbyterian position, but a biblical standard as to where the Christian Church ought to be.

“The Distinctives”, therefore, are not only a challenge to our own hearts. They are also a call to Christians everywhere, to be where God wants them to be.

This in no way means that one must be a Free Presbyterian in order to belong to God’s kingdom. Such a view would be both unbiblical and dangerously sectarian. We believe in the vast invisible body of believers, the majority of whom do not belong to our immediate fellowship circle.

Therefore, not all of these “Distinctives” are fundamentals of the faith. We are at liberty as Christian people to hold the truth in love, while respecting the differing views of other brothers and sisters. That being said, we do advance earnestly and humbly why we believe these principles are in keeping with our doctrinal framework and the Word of God.

Ultimately, while “The Distinctives” define our position, they also hold us to account personally. They call us to obedience and guide us into the Christlikeness to which we have been called.

In this way, “The Distinctives” serve not only as a badge of separation, but also, as a guide to faithful Christian living.

WHAT ARE THE DISTINCTIVES

“The Distinctives” can be summarised under the following headings.

Together, these distinctives reflect our doctrinal commitments, our ecclesiastical position, and our practical Christian living.

Reformed in Doctrine, believing in the divine authority and verbal inspiration of the Bible and the great fundamental doctrines of grace it contains.
Protestant in Conviction, gladly taking its stand
alongside the great Christian leaders of the Reformation. We adopt the twin pillars of Protestantism—namely, a positive witness for Christ and a protest against all spiritual error—which are cherished and defended.
Separatist in Practice, believing in the Biblical doctrine of separation in the area of ecclesiastical and personal fellowship.
Presbyterian in Government, being overseen by elders and deacons chosen by each congregation from its communicant membership. The Free Presbyterian Church stands for a born-again membership and seeks for men genuinely born-again by the Spirit of God and dedicated to the extension of the Kingdom of Christ, to be its ministers, elders, and deacons.
Biblical in Worship, believing that worship must be reverent, God-glorifying and Christ-exalting. Therefore, we repudiate the modern trends towards minimizing the preaching of the Word, the incorporation of contemporary worship and song, dress that is immodest and inappropriate, and rejection of the head covering for women.
Sanctified in Behaviour, requiring its members to lead godly lives in obedience to the Scriptures which call on God’s people to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world.
Evangelistic in Outreach, in obedience to the great commission of Christ to “go ye into all the world and preach the gospel”. A vigorous programme of evangelistic preaching, missionary endeavour, and media ministry is actively pursued with the great objective of leading sinners to an experimental knowledge of Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord.

The following articles in this series will unpack these “Distinctives”, drawing out the major themes, relating them to The Scriptures and our subordinate standards.