OPC Acquits Kinnaird, Indicts Itself


July 2003

Friends,
At its General Assembly last week, the Orthodox Presbyterian Church reversed the conviction of an elder who had been convicted of teaching justification by faith and works contrary to the Scriptures and the Confession. There was no change in the elder's views; the OPC GA simply overturned his conviction.

Two prominent men, whose names you would immediately recognize, had this to say about the OPC decision:

"The OPC is done for! When a Reformed denomination formally approves an elder's theology that maintains that I must appear before God someday with my tattered covenant faithfulness in tow in addition to the perfect righteousness of Christ in order to be justified before God, that denomination has apostatized. How long will it be before the PCA does the same thing?"

and

"Thanks for forwarding the e-mail concerning the Kinnaird issue. I had known of Kinnaird's heretical teachings. If the report of the OPC decision is correct, the OPC has now fallen away from the gospel fundamentally and manifests itself as a false church. Where can I find the decision of the OPC in full? Grievous. Almost unbelievable, even though by this time in my ministry I have braced myself to expect anything. And this damnable subterfuge that it is defending the Reformed position against the Lutheran, Calvin against Luther! Is there anyone in the OPC who not only will speak out boldly but say, 'Here I stand'?"

The answer to that last question is, of course, that to say "Here I stand" would be "Lutheran," and therefore unwelcome in the OPC.

The church that Machen started in 1936 is no more. The irrational, dialectical theology that has plagued the OPC for decades has finally ended in apostasy.

The trail of error that leads from Cornelius Van Til and John Murray through Norman Shepherd (whom Van Til defended in the OPC 20-some years ago), is not difficult to trace, yet there are many dreamers who still deny it.

God is judging America.

Denominations that once spoke the Gospel are now preaching another gospel, which is not another.

May God strengthen his remnant that remains. May he keep them safe and give them courage as witnesses to the truth that men, especially churchmen, despise: Salvation by a righteousness wholly outside the believing sinner.

John Robbins
The Trinity Foundation
July 5, 2003

For further reading go to Review Archives at www.trinityfoundation.org