One of the most common objections that one usually hears from evangelicals when it comes to subscribing to a confessional standard(s) is that they claim it to be mere tradition of men (often citing Col. 2:8, which is a misapplication). Some would state, “We have no creed but Christ.” However, this kind of attitude is very problematic because even the cults, like the Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses, say that they believe in Christ too. And, it is very distressing that a lot of these churches who encourages this kind of mindset are often the ones wherein you will find people with “goofy” theology. One who is acquainted with Church History shouldn’t be surprised at all. The Nicene Creed was formulated in order to safeguard the church from Arianism (claims that Christ is a created being). The Canons of Dordt (where the TULIP comes from) was formulated as a response to the Remonstrants or the Arminians. It is no surprise at all that churches who even claim to be Calvinist but does not subscribe to any Reformed Confession has drifted from Biblical Christianity. Many evangelical churches these days can hardly be described to be biblical neither in doctrine nor in practice.

Is this problem mainly due to the ignorance of  the pastors and their congregants concerning what has taken place in the church historically? I believe the answer is no. When I was still in the Philippines, I used to attend a bible institute that mainly catered to a Fundamental Baptist denomination. The denomination did not subscribe to a confessional standard. However, it would be difficult to believe that their pastors were ignorant of church history because Church History was one of the subjects taught at that institute. In fact, most pastors, who studied either at a bible school or at a seminary, would almost certainly have been acquainted with the history of the church. The problem is not ignorance but their worldview or mindset. Amongst evangelicals, especially those of struggling nations, there is a mindset of anti-intellectualism. The false concept that faith is antithetical to reason, I believe, is one of the causes for this anti-intellectual cloud that hangs over the minds of evangelicals in countries like the Philippines. Reason does not bring us to faith in Christ but, since faith is based on the knowledge of the Word of God (Romans 10:17), then reason should not be seen as antithetical to faith so long as reason does not become the standard by which Truth is judged. We are deceiving ourselves, however, if we are to insist that it is with those groups of Christians who believe that faith is antithetical to reason that Modernism has the least effect on. They are very much affected by it, which is why their mindset is like that. They have reacted against the ideas of Modernism, one of which is the championing of man’s intellect and they have swung the pendulum to the opposite direction resulting in this anti-intellectual, faith contra reason, worldview. And this is one of the greatest errors of many in the evangelical church, because we are not to simply react by swinging the pendulum to the opposite extreme but we are to contend for the faith and stand for biblical truth! And, Modernism has actually been victorious over these churches who reject the confessional standards. I am not simply referring to liberal churches or denominations. I am referring to the vast majority of evangelical churches. Modernism has poisoned evangelical churches and had given them the worldview that it has. This is the worldview that rejects tradition and authority. This is the kind of attitude that you will amongst evangelicals these days. One can often hear them saying, “All I need is the Bible and nothing else.” Tradition and authority is thrown out because, after all, one only needs to read Scripture and pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit. However, all too often, this so-called “guidance by the Holy Spirit” is nothing but reason or self-judgement disguised by false humility. Thus, one should not be surprised that there are many “lone rangers” out there who claim to know God’s Word but refuses to be part of a church. Yet, those are just extreme cases. There are people leading bible studies even though they have had no formal training at all. And, if you go to almost any evangelical church these days, one will find a wide range of beliefs when it comes to doctrines usually ranging from Arminianism to inconsistent Calvinism. Those who claim to be the opponents of Modernist thinking themselves have employed the presupposition of the enemy: to judge truth for one’s self and to disregard authority. Scripture is the authoritative Word of God and the Lord has ordained elders (teaching and ruling) who holds authority over the church. These elders, like the Westminster divines, formulated their Confession in order that posterity may keep to the faith unblemished. That is why I belong to a Reformed church and I subscribe to the Confessional standards. Although God’s Word is my ultimate standard, I keep to the safeguards that prevent me from making my own judgment the standard.