With the news of another “truly Reformed” defender of the true Reformed faith running into the open arms of Rome, we are being treated (this time quite ironically) with another chorus of “this is where the Federal Vision leads you!” rigmarole.
If you think the so-called “Federal Vision” guys have been encouraging people to go into the Roman Church, you simply haven’t been paying attention.
See this from Jim Jordan and this from Peter Leithart and this and this from us here — and that’s just to take a few of the more recent examples. Similar stuff has been put out for years from our side. We’ve published articles, given lectures, hosted seminars demonstrating the errors of Rome and Constantinople and held a full conference on the issue of why the Reformation was important and vital for the well-being of the Church. To anyone who hasn’t slept through the last decade, it’s been plain that we have no inclination, no fascination, and certainly no determination to join ourselves with sectarians (like the RCC and the EOC) when we can be happily and sincerely catholic where we are.
But, I guess our critics might respond, “But why should we start paying attention to what you actually believe at this point?”
Oh. Yes. Right. Point taken.
Nevermind.
I’ve worked in central Mexico as a church planter for 9 years now. I started working through Federal Vision materials shortly after we arrived. At first, without having really given it careful consideration, I feared “FV” would eventually work me out of a job (ministering to Mexican Roman Catholics)! Nine years later, after long bouts of reading, listening, discussing … reading, listening and discussing, I would not only consider myself an “FV dark” (if we must label), but I would also affirm what Pr. Wilkins wrote in the above: Now that I’ve come to view the Bible through a thoroughly covenantal lens, I’m MORE convinced than ever that not only does this biblical-covenantal vision NOT need to lead to the egregious errors of Rome, to the contrary, it has rather given me the theological/pastoral tools, and therefore the confidence, with which to biblically engage with lost Roman idolaters, Mariolaters, and covenant breakers unto a renewed repentance, faith, and fidelity in Christ alone.
I don’t have a dog in this fight, but the arguments against FV are the same types of arguments I’ve been hearing for more than 30 years years about other movements within Reformed circles. Strawmen are easy to burn and give off a lot of heat. In reality, the arguments are often poorly constructed and more often than not put the opposing positions in the worst light possible.
Not even for a visit? But don’t you like the smells?
Steve,
Repudiating Rome and Constantinople is what you THINK you’ve been doing. All your words and denials aside, we know what you REALLY believe (even though you yourself apparently don’t know what you believe). We have back-masked all those lectures and articles (don’t ask how. It’s a secret.) What we have discovered is terribly concerning. In one lecture, you were saying, “I kiss the ring of the Pope” over and over again. Jordan said he chanting a Psalm from the Eastern tradition, but when back-masked he was communicating subliminally, “Kiss the icons you idiots.” Yes we over here in a unnamed neighboring State in a specific PCA presbytery have discovered all this and are ready to expose you. We know the thoughts and intentions of your heart better than you do.
Lovingly,
LD (I’m only giving you these initials because I desire to stay anonymous)
“In the Westminster Confession alone we trust. Scriptural authority be hanged!” – anti-FV crowd
We all know of your deep down desire to go to South Bend for a ball game, even if you’re not theading to Rome.
I think that the charge the federal vision leads to Catholicism is a little exaggerated. I do believe there is some truth to it though, even though that is not what is intended by the federal visionists. Perhaps the federal vision does not directly lead to Catholicism but it does open up doors that could lead to Catholicism. When I was a federal visionist the embracing of baptismal regeneration, the rejection of the regulative principle and more of an emphasis on the visible church definitely opened up doors that eventually led me to Catholicism. I must say one of the biggest things from the federal vision that eventually led me to Catholicism wasnt the federal vision itself, it was the reaction of TR presbyterians to the federal vision. What I mean by that is I saw a number of TR’s who openly condemned federal visionists as heretics and people who are leading others to hell, their words not mine. I just couldn’t see how this was the one body with one faith in Ephesians 4 4-5. This also led me to questions like how one can determine what is an essential doctrine and what is not, who is a heretic and who is not. I couldn’t come to any other answer than the Magisterium of the Catholic Church. A whole lot more can be said here but I would say there is some truth to the statement that the federal vision leads to Catholicism but it may not directly lead to Catholicism.