Historic Documents in American Presbyterian History
THE JUSTIFICATION CONTROVERSY
An Index of Documents
In recent years Professor Norman Shepherd published a book
titled The Call of Grace: How the Covenant Illuminates Salvation and
Evangelism (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2000). Release
of this book renewed a discussion which originally took place between
the years 1975 and 1983 and which focused on questions about Professor
Shepherd's teaching on the subject of soteriology [salvation], and specifically
on the doctrine of justification by faith. It was alleged that Professor
Shepherd was teaching a view of justification in which the works of the
Christian life were seen as necessary to the completion of the believer's
salvation. Formal charges were never brought against Professor Shepherd
during the time that he remained a member of the Orthodox Presbyterian
Church, though he was eventually asked to leave the employ of Westminster
Theological Seminary in 1982. He subsequently became a member of the Christian
Reformed Church and pastored two churches in that denomination. He later retired
from active pastoral ministry and began a active period of writing and speaking.
As this matter continues to be of concern to the Church, an effort has
been made to gather related documents together into a synthetic collection,
to facilitate historical review and further discussion. What follows is
a listing of documents on file in the PCA Historical Center which are
relevant to this issue. A collected set of the documents listed below
are available for viewing in the Reading Room of the Historical Center.
Qualified researchers may also write to obtain copies of these materials.
Note:: This is a synthetic collection, drawn from collections housed
at the PCA Historical Center and from donations by various individuals.
Source references are provided in brackets at the end of each entry, with
the denotation "xg" indicating that this is a photocopy of the
document rather than an original copy. Documents and other materials known
to exist but not in the present collection are indicated in green text.
Additional listings will be added as time permits.
1975
• "The
Covenant Context for Evangelism," a paper presented at the 1975 Pre-Synodic
Conference at Geneva College, Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. Subsequently
published with other papers from the Conference as The Church and Her
Ministry (Pittsburgh, PA: The Board of Education and Publication,
Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America, 1975), pp. 100-114.
1976
• Article:
"The Covenant Context for Evangelism," by Norman Shepherd, The
New Testament Student and Theology, (Nutley, NJ: Presbyterian and
Reformed Publishing Company, 1976), pages 50 - 75.
• 1 October 1976, Shepherd, Norman, The Relation of Good Works to Justification
in the Westminster Standards, a paper presented to the faculty of
Westminster Theological Seminary, 53pp. [MS
53]
1977
• undated
- Reid, William Stanford, Faith and Justification: A Consideration
of the Views of Norman Shepherd [4 pp., date uncertain but perhaps
as early as 1977 [Reid elsewhere says he was the first to write on this
matter; the 9 Oct. 79 List gives 21 March 1977 as the date of this paper
]
• July, 1977 - Ferguson, Sinclair B., Book
Review of The New Testament Student and Theology in The Banner
of Truth, Issues 166 - 167, July - August, 1977, pages 59 - 63; see
especially pages 60 - 63.
• November 1977 - Shepherd, Norman, More
on Covenant Evangelism: A Reply from Norman Shepherd [to the review
by Sinclair Ferguson], Banner of Truth, Issue 170, pages 22 - 26.
1978
• 3
January 1978 - Shepherd, Norman, Response to a Special Report of the
Faculty to the Board on the Discussion on Faith and Justification,
16pp, including appendices A - D. [MS 53]
• 31 January 1978 - Godfrey, W. Robert, Letter
to the Board of Trustees of Westminster Theological Seminary, 5pp.,
including appendix A. [MS 53]
• 1 March 1978 - Shepherd, Norman, A Further
Response to a Special Report of the Faculty to the Board on the Discussion
of Faith and Justification, 5pp. [MS 53]
• 25 April 1978 - Clowney, Edmund P., Remarks
of E.P. Clowney, Read at the April 25, 1978 Faculty Meeting [handwritten
notes, 7 pp.]
• 25 April 1978 - Faculty of Westminster Theological
Seminary, Report of the Faculty to the Board on Faith and Justification,
4pp. [MS 53]
• undated, Hughes, Philip E. - Some Reasons
for Dissenting from the Majority Report of 21 April 1978 [11 pp.]
• 15
May 1978 - Robertson, O. Palmer, Letter to the Board of Trustees of
Westminster Theological Seminary, 3pp., [MS 53]
• 17
May 1978 - Robertson, O. Palmer, Nineteen Erroneous Or Misleading Statements
in Norman Shepherd's October, 1976 paper on "The Relation of Good
Works to Justification in the Westminster Standards," 10pp. [MS
53]
• June
1978 - Shepherd, Norman, Reprobation in Covenant Perspective: The Biblical
Doctrine [Transcript of the second lecture before the Christian Reformed
Ministerial Institute], 18pp. [MS 53]
• 4
November 1978 - Gaffin, Richard B., Reply to the Dissent of Dr. Hughes,
16pp. [MS 53]
• 18
November 1978 - Shepherd, Norman, Letter to the Presbytery of Philadelphia
(OPC), with attachment, Thirty-Four Theses on Justification in Relation
to Faith, Repentance, and Good Works [8 pp.]
1979
• 8
February 1979 - Shepherd, Norman, The Grace of Justification, 22pp.
[MS 53]
• 28
May 1979 - Poythress, Vern S., Cover Letter and response paper, Systematic
Theologizing in the Justification Controversy, 18pp. [xg, MS 53]
• July
1979 - Mitchell, John, Open Letter to the [OPC] Presbytery of
Philadelphia, et. al., 12pp., with cover letter from Joe Kickasola
to Carl Bogue, dated 12 September 1979 [xg, MS 53]
• undated,
Robertson, O. Palmer, Genesis 15:6 -- New Covenant Expositions of an
Old Covenant Text, 42pp. [MS 53]
• 9
October 1979 - List of 13 Documents sent by Members of the Special Board-Faculty
"Justification" Committee, to Representative Outside Colleagues.
[MS 53]
• 20 October 1979 - Hendricksen, William, Letter of response
regarding Shepherd’s views, 1 pg.
• 3 November
1979 - Nicole, Roger, Letter of response regarding Shepherd’s views,
5 pp.
• 9
November 1979 - Klooster, Fred, Letter of response regarding Shepherd’s
views, 4 pp.
• 12
December 1979 - Sproul, R.C., Letter of response regarding Shepherd’s
views, 7 pp.
1980
• 14
January 1980 - Murray, Iain H., Letter of response addressed to Drs. O.
Palmer Robertson and Paul G. Settle, regarding Shepherd's views, 3pp.
[xg, MS 13]
• 2
February 1980 - Hendricksen, William, Letter of response regarding Shepherd’s
views [1 pg.]
• 13
February, 1980 - Lloyd-Jones, D. Martyn, Letter of response regarding
Shepherd’s views [2 pp.]
• 21
and 28 March 1980 - Shepherd, Norman, The Biblical Doctrine of Reprobation,
appearing in The Banner, volume 115, Numbers 12 and 13, pages 16
- 17 and 18 - 19, respectively. [xg, MS 53]
• 30
April 1980 - Godfrey, W. Robert, Letter to the Board-Faculty Committee
on Justification, Westminster Theological Seminary, 3pp. [xg,
MS 53]
• 6
May 1980 - Knudsen, Robert D. and Kuschke, Arthur W., Letter to the
Board-Faculty Committee to Prepare a Statement on Justification, Westminster
Theological Seminary, 5pp. [xg, MS 53]
• 6
May 1980 - Robertson, O. Palmer, Norman Shepherd's 'Covenant Perspective:'
An Analysis of His Public Statements, 7pp. [xg, MS 53]
• 12
May 1980 - Kline, Meredith G., Further Comments on Professor Shepherd's
Theology, 3pp. [xg, MS 53]
• 19
May, 1980 - Robertson, O. Palmer and Settle, Paul G., Cover letter and Minority Report of 13 May 1980.
• 27
May 1980 - Westminster Statement on Justification, 17pp.
over letter by Donald J.MacNair urging caution in regard to the merger
with the OPC, in light of the controversy. [35 leaves] together with the of 27 May 1980, 17 pp. [MS 19]
• 9
June 1980 - Reid, W. Stanford, Calvin K. Cummings and Everett H. Bean,
Letter to OPC Presbytery of Philadelphia, submitting Minority Report of
13 May 1980 [xg, MS 53]
• 1
August 1980 - Robertson, O. Palmer, Letter to Donald J. MacNair, 2pp.
[xg, MS 19]
• 27 August 1980 - MacNair, Donald J., Letter to the Fraternal Relations
Committee of the RPCES, 2pp. [MS 19]
• 15
September 1980 - Shepherd, Norman, Letter to the Presbytery of Philadelphia
of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, particularly regarding the circulation
of the Minority Report, 7pp. [xg, MS 53]
• 30
December 1980 - Shepherd, Norman, Cover letter to Carl W. Bogue [1pg.]
with attached copy of Minutes for the Presbytery of Philadelphia (OPC),
18 November 1978 through 22 November 1980, 123pp. [xg, MS 53]
• undated
- Frame, John W., Some Comments on the Justification Issue, 1pg.,
several lines missing at the bottom of the page [xg, MS 53]
1980 - Shepherd, Norman, Doctrine of the Holy
Spirit, Course #ST311, Westminster Theological Seminary, (Philadelphia:
Westminster Media, 1980), 43 audio cassettes.
1981
• 16
February 1981 - Robertson, O. Palmer, Letter to Dr. Morton H. Smith, 3pg. *Added 12 Nov. 02
• 10
March 1981 - Shepherd, Norman, Letter to Dr. Carl W. Bogue, 1pg., as attachment
to copy of 15 September 1980 Letter to the Presbytery of Philadelphia (OPC) [xg, MS 53]
• 4
May 1981 - Dear Friends of the Reformed Faith, Cover Letter [2pp.]
bearing typescript signature list of 45 names, with attached Letter of
4 December 1980 addressed to the Trustees of Westminster Theological Seminary,
6pp.
• 19
May, 1981 - Gaffin, Richard B., Jr., Open Letter, “To those concerned
for the ministry of Westminster Seminary” [4 double-sided pages, 8 pages
total length]
• 22 May 1981 – Clowney, Edmund C., Cover letter
and attached Westminster Statement on Justification, dated 27 May,
1980, 28 pp. [PCA Stated Clerk Records, Box 17, File 26]
• 1 June
1981 - Gaffin, Richard B., Jr., "Dear Colleague in the Reformed Faith"
[one page cover letter attached to Open Letter of 19 May 1981.
• 22 June 1981 - "To
the Faculty of Westminster Theological Seminary" [reply to the 28
May WTS faculty vote from the "co-signers of the letter of concern"
• June 1981 - Clowney, Edmund P., Letter to
Westminster Alumnus, 2pp. [xg, MS 53]
• 17
September 1981 - Barker, William Shirmer, II, Correspondence with Robert
G. Rayburn [2 pp.]
• 21
November 1981 - Minutes of the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees
of Westminster Theological Seminary, 1 pg.
• 14
December 1981 - Dear Fellow Students and Alumni, Letter
in support of Professor Shepherd with 16 signatures affixed, 6pp. [xg,
MS 53]
• 1981 - Report of Advisory Committee #13
(OPC) regarding Complaint #1 [xg, MS 53]
• 1981
- Robertson, O. Palmer and W. Stanford Reid, Justification at Westminster
Theological Seminary: The History of a Modern Controversy [25 pp.]
• 1981
- Zins, Robert M., Professor Norman Shepherd on Justification: A Critique,
(Dallas: Dallas Theological Seminary, Th.M. thesis).
• undated - A Resolution on OP - PCA Union
for the PCA Assembly including Minority Report to Board of Trustees
(13 May 1980), pp. 403 - 436 of PCA Commissioner's Handbook [MS 53]
• undated - Personal Resolution from TE
Carl W. Bogue, and accompanying papers, pp. 437 - 465 of PCA Commissioner's
Handbook [MS 53]
1981 - Shepherd, Norman, Life in Covenant with
God, Lectures presented at the French Creek Bible Conference, Sandy
Cove, MD (Philadelphia: Westminster Media, 1981), audio cassettes.
1982
• 17
February 1982 - Shepherd, Norman, Letter to Carl W. Bogue, Jr. [xg, MS
53, restricted access]
• 26
February 1982, Reason and Specifications Supporting the Action of the
Board of Trustees in Removing Professor Shepherd Approved by the Executive
Committee of the Board, [18pp. and concluding with 21 November 1981 Statement of the Board of Trustees of Westminster Theological Seminary
Regarding the Dismissal of Norman Shepherd [1pg.]; with attached Amendment
[circa 1982] from the PCA addressing the justification issue in regard
to the invitation for the joining and receiving of the OPC.
• 16
August 1982 - Shepherd, Norman, Letter of supporters, 10pp. [xg, MS 53]
• undated
- no author indicated, Shepherd's Dismissal From Westminster Seminary,
historical overview written in third person; appears to have accompanied
above letter of 16 August 1982, 3pp. [xg, MS 53]
1983
• undated,
Robertson, O. Palmer, and The Current Justification Controversy,
[80 pages] [Box 16, File 22]
• 7
March 1983 - Knight, George W. III, Robert L. Reymond and O. Palmer Robertson,
Letter to the Committee of Forty-Five
• June, 1983 - Robertson, O. Palmer, Resolution
before the 11th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church
in America, 1pg. Also printed in 11MGA64. Answered in the negative §11-24,
III, 11, p. 76 (Handled in I-79, p. 133).
1987
• 16-17 January 1987 - "In Covenant with the Lord : Lectures Presented by the Rev. Norman Shepherd, January 16-17, 1987, Garden Grove Orthodox Presbyterian Church [five audio cassette tapes, including 1. Creation and Covenant; 2. Election and Covenant; 3. Old and New Covenant; 4. Evangelism and Covenant; 5. Assurance and Perseverance]
2001
• March/April,
Karlberg, Mark W., The Changing of the Guard: Westminster Theological
Seminary in Philadelphia (Unicoi, TN: Trinity Foundation, 2001), 47pp.
[last update : 21 March 2006] |