30 Nov GS 1986 art 101

Posted at 12:19h in CanRC, GS 1986 by

GS 1986 ARTICLE 101

Text Apostles’ Creed

A motion, reading:

“Synod decide to declare the document which br. L. VanZandwyk added to his letter about the word ‘Christian’ and to which he gave the title ‘I believe … a “Christian” Church’ is inadmissible on the basis of its harsh, unbrotherly, and therefore unchris­ tian, language.”

The motion is ADOPTED.

Committee 1 presents a majority report and a minority report.

A.    MATERIAL

–  Agenda VIII, C, 1 –   9

Letter from the Church at Burlington East re insertion of the word “Christian” in section Ill of the Apostles’ Creed.

Letter of Dr. J. Faber re the same.

Letter from the Church at Houston re the same. Letter from the Church at Toronto re the same. Letter from the Church at Orangeville re the same.

Letter from the Church at Edmonton (Immanuel) re the same. Letter from the Church at Burlington West re the same.

Letter from br. L. VanZandwyk re the same.

Letter from the Rev. B.J. Berends re the same.

An amendment reading: “change Recommendation 2a of the majority report as follows, to instruct the Standing Committee for the Book of Praise to insert the word “Christian’ in the Hymn version of the Apostles’ Creed, if this is possible” is ADOPTED.

The majority report reads as follows.

B.    OBSERVATIONS

  • 1. The arguments to remove the word “Christian” from the adopted version of the Apostles’ Creed are based mainly on two points:
    • a.     The original and authentic Latin “received text” of the Apostles’ Creed speaks of “the holy, catholic church” (without Christian). This is the argu­ment of ” catholicity .”
    • b.     The text in English has always followed the “authentic Latin text (without Christian).” This is the argument of “ecumenicity” and ” apostolicity.”
  • 2.     The appellants argue that the Canadian Reformed Churches have from the begin­ning (Synod 1958) used the English text (without “Christian”) and that the man­ date of the Committee on Translation and Revision of the Confessional and Liturgical Forms (appointed in 1974) allowed the use of the “received text ” (without “Christian”) – “comparison of the Dutch version with the original languages.”
  • It follows from this that Synod 1974 did not “remove” the word “Christian” (ac­ cording to the appellants) but rather objected to the “reinstating” of this word.
  • 3.     It is nowhere stated by the appellants that the “reinstating” of the word “Chris­ tian” is contrary to the Word of God and the Reformed confessions. On the other hand, some who wish to retain the word “Christian” see its removal as a loss of an important tenet of faith, if not an attack on the confession.
  • 4.     It is considered “a discrepancy” or oversight of Synod 1983 that it did not in­sert the word “Christian” in the Hymn 1A version of the Apostles’ Creed, in Lord’s Day 21 (Q. 54) of the Heidelberg Catechism, and in the Canons of Dort, Chapter II (Rejection of Errors, Paragraph 1).

C.    CONSIDERATIONS

  • 1.    Although it is true that the commonly “received text” speaks of “holy. catholic church,” which text is followed especially in English-speaking countries, this does not mean that other texts in use in other areas do not have good historical validity or present value. The addition of the word “Christian” in the age of the reformation does not deny “catholicity” in terms of the contents of the confes­sion concerning the church.
  • There is no reason to assume that the addition of the word “Christian” in the English text would mean “an obstacle to possible unity” among English-speaking Christians or that this addition has any negative effect with respect to “ecumenici­ty” and “apostolicity.”
  • 2.    Prior to 1974, no general synod dealt with the exact version and translation of the Apostles’ Creed. It is therefore to be understood that only after 1974 con­flict arose on this point.
  • When the churches in 1958 adopted the Dutch text of the Heidelberg Catechism as the authentic one, it was thereby implied that the Dutch version of the Apostles’ Creed (including “Christian”) was also the official version. It has not been prov­en that when that synod recommended the (Christian Reformed) English text of the Heidelberg Catechism for use in the churches, it thereby decided that the version of the Apostles’ Creed contained therein was the official one. The opposite is indicated in the fact that the churches subsequently undertook to come to an official and accepted translation.
  • It is therefore an overstatement to say that the Canadian Reformed Churches have, since 1958, officially and exclusively adopted that version of the Apostles’ Creed which is in agreement with the so-called “authentic Latin text” or “received text.”
  • 3.     a. The deletion of the word “Christian” from section Ill of the Apostles’ Creed was considered by Synod 1983 to be “an impoverishment of our catholic and undoubted Christian faith.”
    • b.    The expression “Christian church” has its roots in the teaching of the Holy Scriptures (Matthew 16: 18; 18: 20; Galatians 1: 22), was known in the ear­ly church, and purposely used in the time of the great Reformation. It therefore is a part of the catholic and apostolic faith which may also be con­ fessed in our time.
    • c.     The suggestion to remove the word ” Christian” from a creed on the basis of historical and textual grounds should not be construed as an attack upon the Scriptural truth that Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church.
  • 4.    It is correct that “discrepancies” with respect to the text of the Apostles’ Creed in the Book of Praise be removed. However, it is not clear whether synod may independently change copyrighted material (tune of Hymn 1A).

D.    RECOMMENDATIONS

Synod decide:

  • 1.    Not to accede to the requests of Dr. J. Faber and the Churches at Burlington, Houston, Toronto, Orangeville, and Edmonton (Immanuel).
  • 2.     a. To instruct the Standing Committee for the Book of Praise to insert the word “Christian” in the hymn version of the Apostles’ Creed, if this is possible.
    • b. To have the word “Christian” inserted in the text of the Heidelberg Catechism Lord’s Day 21, Q . 54, “What do you believe concerning the holy, catholic, Christian church?,” and the Canons of Dort, II (Rejection of Errors, Par. 1).

The minority report reads as follows.

B    OBSERVATIONS

  • 1.     The arguments to remove the word “Christian” from the 1983 General Synod’s adopted version of the Apostles’ Creed are mainly based on two points:
    • a.     The original and authentic Latin “received text” of the Apostles’ Creed speaks of “the holy, catholic church” (without “Christian” ).
    • b.     The text in English has always followed the “authentic Latin text (without ‘Christian’).”
  • 2.     The appellants argue that the Canadian Reformed Churches have from the begin­ning (Synod 1958) used the English text (without “Christian”) and that the man­ date of the Committee on Translation and Revision of the Confessional and Liturgical Forms (appointed in 1974) allowed the use of the “received text” (without “Christian”).
  • It follows from this that Synod 1974 did not “remove” the word “Christian” but objected to the “reinstating” of this word .
  • 3.     Some of the appellants who wish to retain the word “Christian” see its removal as a loss of an important tenet of faith, if not an attack on the confession.

C.    CONSIDERATIONS

  • 1.     The English text of the Apostles’ Creed has always followed the original and authentic Latin “received text ” (without “Christian”).
  • 2.     From 1958 until the 1972 edition of the Book of Praise the churches used the English text of the Apostles’ Creed (without “Christian”), without anyone voic­ing objections against that text or requesting insertion of the word “Christian.”
  • 3.     Synod 1974 rightly stated that the Committee on the Church Book should not have made the unauthorized insertion of the word “Christian” in the Apostles’ Creed.
  • 4.    Synod 1983 wrongly spoke of a change of policy when Synod 1974 referred the Committee for Doctrinal and Liturgical Forms to the original languages.
  • 5.     It was in accordance with their mandate given by Synod 1974 when the Com­mittee on Translation and Revision of the Confessional and the Liturgical Forms reported in 1979 and 1980 that they had taken as basis for their translation of the Apostles’ Creed the Latin “received text” (without “Christian” ).
  • 6.     Synod 1974 did not have to consult with the sister-churches abroad because synod restored the English text to its original form as used by the churches since 1958.
  • 7.     Synod 1983 stated, but did not prove that “the deletion of this word (” Chris­ tian ” ) is an impoverishment of the expression of our catholic and undoubted Christian faith.”

D.    RECOMMENDATION

Synod decide:

  • To delete the word ” Christian” in section Ill of the Apostles’ Creed as printed in the Book of Praise on pages 436 and 482.

The amended recommendations of the majority report are ADOPTED . Consequently, the minority report is not voted on.

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