THE CHURCH AS THE PILLAR OF TRUTH by J. Parnell McCarter
Postmodernism “can be described as a set of critical, strategic and rhetorical practices employing concepts such as difference, repetition, the trace, the simulacrum, and hyperreality to destabilize other concepts such as presence, identity, historical progress, epistemic certainty, and the univocity of meaning.” (see http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/postmodernism/). Postmodernism attacks Enlightenment rationalism, but much more importantly attacks Biblical Christianity. It does so by attacking the notions of truth, communication of truth, and the progressive and ultimate conquest of truth over error. At a time when erroneous postmodern philosophy is popular, it is little wonder that alternative theories of the church are popular from the one taught in scripture. The definition of the (visible) Christian church taught in scripture and described in the Westminster Confession is this:
“The visible Church, which is also catholic or universal under the Gospel (not confined to one nation, as before under the law), consists of all those throughout the world that profess the true religion; and of their children…”
As we read in scripture:
“Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in.” – Isaiah 26:2
“Thus saith the LORD; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the LORD of hosts the holy mountain.“ – Zechariah 8:3
“…the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth…“ – I Timothy 3:15
The true reformed Protestant church cannot and will not succumb to postmodern attacks upon it. It will not embrace an alternative model of the church from the one God’s word prescribes. It will adamantly insist upon full adherence to true reformed confessional standards which summarize scriptural doctrine, like the Westminster Standards. Postmodernism may sneer and laugh that any confessional standards can be true, but God’s people will reject such foolish postmodern mockery. The one who said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” is on our side and not theirs. And the gates of hell will not stop Him from building His true church until the earth contains nothing but His true church.