47-9. The Bible teaches that the following are proper elements of worship service: reading of Holy Scripture, singing of psalms and hymns, the offering of prayer, the preaching of the Word, the presentation of offerings, confessing the faith and observing the Sacraments; and on special occasions taking oaths.
[DIGEST: What we have now as chapter 47 was not part of either the Proposed Book of Church Order (1973) or the Book of Church Order as adopted by the first General Assembly later that same year. Rather, this chapter, with its nine paragraphs, dates to 1975 when this text was presented by the Constitutional Documents Committee, as part of its proposed revision of the Directory. [M3GA, 3-15, pp. 55-56] This chapter, originally numbered as chapter 48, presents entirely new text not previously part of any prior Presbyterian Book of Church Order. The chapter was renumbered as chapter 47 when the original chapters 8 and 9 were merged in 1980. No changes to paragraph 47-9 have been made since adoption in 1975.
ANTECEDENT TEXTS:
1975, 48-9, [M14GA, p. 339]
The Bible teaches that the following are proper elements of worship service: reading of Holy Scripture, singing of Psalms and Hymns, the offering of prayer, the preaching of the Word, the presentation of offerings, confessing the faith and observing the Sacraments; and on special occasions taking oaths.
[No comparable text in any of the following editions:]
1. PCA 1973, Adopted text, as printed in the Minutes of General Assembly
2. Continuing Presbyterian Church 1973, Proposed text
3. PCUS 1933
4. PCUS 1925
5. PCUS 1894
COMMENTARY:
Morton H. Smith, Commentary on the Book of Church Order, 6th edition, 2007, p. 402-404.
This paragraph affirms that the elements listed are taught in the Bible. Let us note some of the passages teaching each of these elements. We shall limit ourselves to those passages of Scripture treating
worship services, other than the tabernacle or temple worship, which has been fulfilled in Christ, and thus ended.
Neh 8:2. "And Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly, both men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month. 3. And he
read therein before the broad place that was before the water gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women, and of those that could understand. And the ears of all the people were [attentive] unto the book of the law. 4. And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose. And beside him stood Mattithiah, and
Shema, and Anaiah, and Uriah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand. And on his left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchijah, and Hashum, and Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, [and] Meshullam. S. And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people. For he was above all the people.) And when he opened it, all the people stood up. 8. And they read in the book, in the law of God, distinctly. And they gave the sense, so that they understood the reading." |
Here we have the basis of the synagogue worship, which the Christian Church followed, with the reading of the Word, and the explaining of its meaning, or the preaching of the Word to the people. It is to be observed that though this was an Old Testament example of worship, it was not associated with the temple and sacrificial system.
In the New Testament we find Jesus going to the synagogue, and reading the Word and then proclaiming its meaning in Luke 4.
16. "And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and he entered, as his custom was, into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. 17. And there was delivered
unto him the book of the prophet Isaiah. And he opened the book, and found the place where it was written, 18. 'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he anointed me to preach good
tidings to the poor: He hath sent me to proclaim release to the , captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19. To proclaim the acceptable year of the
Lord.' 20. And he closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant, and sat down: and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21. And he began to say unto them, Today
hath this scripture been fulfilled in your ears. . . . 44. And he was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee." |
It might be argued that these are both examples of Jewish worship, not specifically of the Christian Church. Peter set the example for all Christian preaching as he first quoted Joel, and then expounded
on this text in the sermon at Pentecost, Acts 2.
From these passages we see both the reading and the preaching
of the Word. As to the singing of Psalms and hymns, we find the two parallel passages in Ephesians and Colossians, which call for this to be
done.
Eph. 5:19. "Speaking one to another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your hearts to , the Lord"; Col. 3:16. "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms [and] hymns [and] spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts unto God." |
We shall discus the question of whether the word hymns speaks of uninspired hymns or not under chapter 51. Certainly the idea of singing to the praise of God is taught here.
That prayer was a part of worship may be seen in the early description of the Church, Acts 2:44, "And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and the
prayers."
The presentation of offerings is implied in Paul's instruction about offerings in I Cor. 16:1-2, "Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I gave order to the churches of Galatia, so also do ye. Upon the first day of the week let each one of you lay by him in store, as he may prosper, that no collections be made when I come."
The PCA added the phrase, "confessing the faith" because it appears that there were examples of such confessions being made in theNT church, it is this that allows the practice of using the Apostle's
Creed, or passages from the Confession or Catechisms in the worship service. An example of such a creedal statement is found in I Tim. 1:15, "Faithful is the saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ
Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief." Here the Apostle is giving his sanction to the use of such a creedal affirmation.
That the sacraments should be observed is obvious in the way in which both of the sacraments are presented. Baptism is commanded as a part of the Great Commission, Matthew 28:18-20, "And Jesus came to them and spake unto them, saying, All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth. Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things which I have commanded you: and lo, I will be with you always, even unto the end of the world."
The Lord's Supper is presented as that which our Lord commanded us to do. I Cor. 11:23-25, "For I received of the Lord that"which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which he was betrayed took bread: and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, This is my body, which is for you: this do in remembrance of me. In like manner also the cup, after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood: this do, as often as ye drink [it], in remembrance of me."
The matter of taking oaths, and making vows, which may be subsumed under the taking of oaths is seen in the fact that both Jesus and the Apostle Paul took oaths. Jesus, while on trial, when placed under
oath responded to the High Priest, Matthew 26:63-64, "But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou art the Christ, the Son of
God. Jesus said unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, henceforth ye shall see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven."
Rom 1:9, "For God is my witness, whom I serve in my spirit in the gospel of his Son, how unceasingly I make mention of you, always in my prayers."
Phil 1:8. 'For God is my witness, how I long after you all in the tender mercies of Christ Jesus."
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