# Review ## General Thoughts I appreciated both the intent and the accessibility of this book. I thought it was a much better introduction than another book I’ve read on the subject, R. Scott Clark’s *Recovering a Reformed Confession*. This book could serve as an excellent introduction to what it means to be “confessional” to someone who has never been exposed to the idea. One thing that turned me off a bit was the many personal anecdotes injected into the flow of the writing. However, I understand that most modern, popular, non-fiction writing uses this format, so I can forgive it if it helps make the book more accessible to the common reader, but I did knock a point on my rating for this. The book was not written for someone like me, but may be one of the few that isn’t, so I can appreciate that it fills a niche. ## The Content Nathan Eshelman, a pastor in the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America, provides an amazingly succinct review of the why, the how, and the what of the Westminster Confession of Faith in only 136 pages, a feat of no small magnitude. His intention as stated is to provide a “drone overview” of the content of the Confession of Faith, not an exposition of every point. In the first two chapters, he begins with ruminating on the dearth of confessional churches in our modern age, and how a return to confessionalism could bring much needed vitality back to modern churches that are otherwise orthodox in many ways. He makes sure to clarify that being confessional does not mean a departure from or addition to the sole authority of the Bible. Confessional documents are declarative, meaning that they simply state the truths that are contained in the scripture, as the authors understand it. > [!quote] > Having standards that are not intended to change or standards that are difficult to change (confessions can be revised after all) does not quench the Spirit or keep the church from having a full reliance on the Word of God. >\- *page 9* Confessional documents are not incapable of error, nor can they bind the conscience of the Christian to something apart from the Bible, but they can serve as supporting and helpful authorities guiding Christians into true doctrine and protecting them from error. The Westminster Confession itself, in the very first chapter, states that the scriptures of the old and new testaments are **the rule** of faith and life (WCF 1.2). The Larger Catechism states this even more emphatically, saying that the scriptures are **the only rule** of faith and obedience (WLC 3). >[!quote] >Any confessional believer who is asked, “What is our rule or standard for faith and life?” will answer the same way: >The Bible is our standard. >The Bible is our rule. >The Bible is our foundation. >\- *page 26* In the 3rd chapter, Pastor Eshelman provides from the Bible the warrant that we have to even make creeds and confessions in the first place. He has a very helpful section citing different scripture texts and demonstrating that these are sorts of creeds or confessions related to Christian doctrine right in the pages of scripture itself. The words of the Bible never change, but new errors and deceptions can arise that seek to assail the doctrines contained in the scriptures in the tradition of the great Deceiver, Satan himself, who began his work by asking, “Yea, hath God said?” In these times, it is necessary for the church to clarify and reaffirm what they believe to be the truth that the Bible is teaching. >[!quote] >Theology that is systematized and summarized from the Bible strengthens the church and the individual believer and points them to Christ. >\- *page 50* In the 4th chapter, Pastor Eshelman spends some time explaining the historical context of how the Westminster Confession came into being. I’m a history fan, but not many people are, especially when it comes to particulars of a civil war that happened in another country 400 years ago. This context is important, though, to understand the intention of the Confession’s authors and their work. We are guided through short summaries of the reigns of some of England and Scotland’s monarchs who either promoted or persecuted reformation in the two nations, culminating in the signing of a *Solemn League and Covenant* in 1643, uniting England, Ireland, and Scotland together in the pursuit of puritan reformation in the nations, all while a civil war was raging between the king and Parliament. The final two chapters take us through that “drone overview” of the actual teaching of the Confession of Faith. Pastor Eshelman reminds us that the Confession of Faith was not written to add division to the Christian church, but unity, in accordance with the *Solemn League*. >[!quote] >Although theological precision is important, the *Confession of Faith* was not written so Christians and churches that adhere to it could endlessly debate theology, but instead it was intended to be a unifying document. >\- *page 93* Other reformed confessional documents (like the *Heidelberg Catechism*) may have more of a personal and pastoral tone, but this pastoral care is not missing from Westminster. The authors take care in several places to remind the reader that Christian doctrine should, in the main, promote a love for God and neighbor. This is a reminder that I need myself quite often. If we read the Confession of Faith and don’t come away with more of this love in our hearts, we’re doing it wrong. >[!quote] >The only way that orthodoxy can be dead, leading to a frozen-chosen mentality, is when belief no longer produces a love for the Bible, a love for God, or a love for Christ’s church. >*Page 9* *I Have a Confession: The What and Why of the Westminster Confession of Faith* by Nathan Eshelman can be purchased at [Crown and Covenant](https://crownandcovenant.com/products/i-have-a-confession). # Data ![[2024 Book Reading List#^503c0d]] #books #confessionalism