A Congregation of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church      495 S. Franklin Rd.      Mt. Airy, NC 27030     (336) 783-0779     The Rev. Brenton C. Ferry
Covenant Reformed Doctrine The Regulative Principle What is not expressly taught or implied in the Bible is forbidden. This is called the regulative principle. It applies to three areas of the Christian life: doctrine, worship, and church government. Our church officers may only teach what the Bible teaches. Our church officers may only lead us in worship that follows what the Bible institutes. And our church officers may only follow the form of church government taught in the Bible. This is a restrictive principle which limits church authority to the Bible’s boundaries. As our Prophet, Christ is in control of our doctrine. As our Priest, Christ is in control of our worship. As our King, Christ is in control of our church government. To institute any ecclesiastical ordinance that goes above and beyond what Scripture teaches in these areas is to institute man-made religion, also known as idolatry. When the regulative principle is not respected, church authority becomes legalistic at best, abusive at worst. The proper application of the regulative principle is a primary distinctive of the Reformed faith.
”Prescribe and teach these things” (1 Timothy 4:11). What do we believe the Bible teaches? We are a confessional church. That means you can find out what we believe the Bible teaches by reading our Confession of Faith (which is a long, topical doctrinal statement), and our Catechisms (which teach what we believe in a Q & A format). All of our church officers are required to subscribe to these documents. Our Confession of Faith and Catechisms are called the Westminster Standards, which were written in England by Puritans in the Westminster Assembly (pictured on the right) during the seventeenth century, at the height of the Protestant Reformation.http://www.opc.org/confessions.htmlhttp://www.opc.org/confessions.htmlshapeimage_6_link_0shapeimage_6_link_1
The Normative Principle What is not forbidden in the Bible is allowed, so long as it is done in good conscience without causing a weaker brother to stumble. This is called the normative principle. It applies to all areas of life not governed by the regulative principle. For example, in the New Testament era Christians were often pressured into following dietary laws, to which Paul responded that “all things are lawful” (1 Cor. 6:12; 10:23). By this he meant, all things not forbidden in Scripture are lawful. In broader Evangelical circles the normative principle operates out of control encroaching upon the doctrine, worship, and government of the church. Doctrine becomes a playground of personal opinions, worship becomes a creative template for inventive church growth techniques, and church government follows the cultural paradigms of egalitarian democratic institutions or various corporate business models. The proper application of the normative principle is also a primary distinctive of the Reformed faith. The regulative and normative principle together, properly applied, generally describes the Reformed philosophy of ministry. Presbyterian Church, OPC
 
Our Calendar Sunday 10:00 am ........... Sunday School 11:00 am .................... Worship 1:30 pm ......... Fellowship Lunch 2:00 pm ........ Catechism Lesson 2:15 pm ............ Prayer Meeting 2:30 pm ...................... Worship 6:00 pm ... Lexington Bible study Tuesday 6:30 pm ....... Session Meeting** Wednesday 6:30 pm ........ NT Greek Lesson* 7:00 pm ............... Bible Study* Thursday 7:00 pm ......... Catechism Class* * Canceled Nov. - Dec. ** Meets Monthly Our Worship 11:00 am Apostolic Salutation Silent Prayer and Preparation Call to Worship Hymn Invocation & Lord’s Prayer Gloria Patri Vows (Occasional) Scripture Reading Pastoral Prayer Hymn of the Month Reading of the Gospel Sermon Hymn Collection of the Offering Doxology Lord’s Supper (Monthly) Hymn Benediction 2:30 pm Apostolic Salutation Silent Prayer and Preparation Call to Worship Hymn Prayer Your Hymn Selections Hymn Scripture Reading Sermon Responsive Reading Deacons’ Offering Hymn Benediction
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