6. In the Old Testament God speaks in the person of the Father
In the Old Testament God speaks as one person, whom the New Testament equates with the Father of Jesus Christ, although the term ‘Father’ was not normally used to speak about God in Israel. However, it is clear that the God of the Old Testament is both sovereign and invisible in a way which is fully in agreement with the person of the Father as revealed to us by Jesus. The Father is the one whose will Jesus (as the Son) has come to obey and fulfil and he is the one person of the Godhead who remains both permanently invisible and transcendent at all times. The Son and the Holy Spirit are not very extensively described in the Old Testament but they are eternally present in God and participate fully in all his acts, especially the great work of creation, and there are many references to the person and work of the promised Messiah, as well to the work of God’s Spirit among the people of God and in the broader world.
1. I would appreciate a link to the entire "statement" in order to see #6 in context.
2. As it stands, it is not compatible with the Belgic Confession or Heidelberg Catechism. Nor is it in agreement with the Nicene or Athanasian Creeds. Why? I am referring to the following: "
but they are eternally present in God and participate fully in all his acts, especially the great work of creation...". The Son and Holy Spirit are not "present in God", but rather they ARE God and share the exact same attributes as the Father; One GOD in three persons. Secondly, they "participate" in all HIS acts... etc. His = ???; God, the Father, or who/what? It reads as if the Son and Holy Spirit are not God.
3. What are the implications of a statement of faith in organizations...? That would be determined by the members who I am going to
assume have given assent to the "Statement". Whether they are somehow bound to the statement, i.e., that any that contradicts or denies the Statement would face discipline, which I seriously doubt is the case.
What they apparently did was to formulate a statement using the "lowest common denominator theology" of the whole. There would be no room for "nitpicking" as was the case in every orthodox Reformed confession and catechism ever written. Each word and phrase was carefully chosen to express the truth of Scripture and to hopefully disallow the possibility of anyone introducing heresy into the churches, which is a confession's two-fold purpose: 1) teach believers biblical doctrine and 2) guard against the wolves, both from within and within.
Again, I would really appreciate a link to the full "Statement".
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