Much controversy has existed over the issue of whether the Presbytery (or any other assembly) can generally condemn erroneous opinions, books, or statements. It seems to me that the opinion that presbyteries or assemblies cannot condemn erroneous opinions without a judicial case before them is a novelty.

First, we see in the Bible in Acts 15 that the Council of Jerusalem affirmed a particular position and (consequently) condemned an erroneous opinion. They did not depose ministers who held to this position at that time. They simply stated the point and sent it out to the Churches.

Second, the entire history of the Church proves this point. Councils have always been convened in order to decide matters of doctrine without having a judicial case before them.

Third, it seems to be a logical outflow of the ministerial authority of the Church. If a minister can proclaim what the Bible says, condemning error and promoting the truth, then why can they not do it together in the Presbytery or a larger assembly?

Finally, our Book of Church Order (along with most other Presbyterian church orders) states explicitly that the presbytery has power “to condemn erroneous opinions which injure the purity or peace of the Church…” (13-9.f.).

According to John Aspinwall Hodge, this was constantly affirmed by the General Assembly in the 19th century. He notes:

In the opinion of the General Assembly any of our church courts have the right and responsibility to bear witness against any printed publication which is circulated within their bounds, which in its judgment inculcates injurious opinions, whether the author be dead or living, or whether in our denomination or not. Any church court may warn its Church against any erroneous book, even when it is not thought necessary to arraign the author as a heretic (What is Presbyterian Law as Defined by the Church Courts?, 1882, pp. 124-125).

From this summary statement, we can see that the General Assembly considered this power to be very broad indeed.

Hodge concluded this section by saying, “This right is regarded as one of the most precious and powerful means of bearing testimony and of guarding the Church from error” (Ibid., p. 125). And this is indeed the case. When the Presbytery or an Assembly makes a deliberation, it does have a powerful force, much more than if just one individual were to make such a statement.

It is important to point out that this does not have the same binding authority as the Constitution. The significance of such deliberations and condemnations are described in the PCABCO 14-7:

Actions of the General Assembly pursuant to the provision of the BCO 14-6 such as deliverances, resolutions, overtures, and judicial decisions are to be given due and serious consideration by the Church and its lower courts when deliberating matters related to such action. Judicial decisions shall be binding and conclusion on the parties who are directly involved in the matter being adjudicated, and may be appealed to in subsequent similar cases as to any principle which may have been decided.

Such a condemnation should be given due weight and considered to be “the deliberation of the General Assembly (or other body) at that time.”

In sum, any governing body in the Presbyterian Church is not only permitted to condemn erroneous opinions, they have a duty and privilege to do so. In a world where erroneous opinions constantly arise, we should make use of this tool for the defense of the truth and to bear witness to the glorious gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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J. Wesley White is pastor of New Covenant Presbyterian Church in Spearfish, S.D. You can read his blog here.