Theology of the Westminster Confession Adult SS class Introduction & Orientation

1. Theology of the
Westminster Confession
Adult Sunday School
2017

2. What is the
Westminster Confession of Faith?
• Last of the Reformation era confessions
• Confession vs. Creed
• A consensus document drafted by (mostly) English
Puritans, sponsored by Parliament, to update the
doctrinal standards of the Church of England
• Published in 1646; revised in 1788, 1887, 1903, 1936
• Respected by many branches of Christ’s church
• Adopted by Presbyterian churches
• Together with the Westminster catechisms, the WCF
is the subordinate (secondary) doctrinal standard of
the PCA. The Bible is our primary and foundational
standard!

3. Class Outline
1. Foundations 1-2
2. The Decrees of God 3-5
3. Sin and the Savior 6-8
4. Salvation 9-18
5. Law and Liberty 19-20
6. Worship 21-22
7. Civil Government and Family 23-24
8. The Church 25-31
9. The Last Things 32-33
Unit Chapter

4. Class Goals
• Increase in love for the Triune God
• Grow in appreciation of the Bible’s doctrinal
consistency
• Familiar with the WCF’s “system of doctrine”
• Mature in understanding of the gospel
• Know what you believe and why you believe it
• Consider distinctive, difficult, and controversial
doctrines
• Discuss (if not satisfactorily answer!) your vexing
theological questions

5. Following along in class
• WCF in the Trinity Hymnal (pp. 847-868)
• Online: www.pcaac.org/resources/wcf/
• App: Christian Creeds and Reformed
Confessions
• Reader’s Guide: Confessing the Faith by
Chad Van Dixhoorn
• Online: WCF Modern English Study Version

6. Other WCF resources
Books
• Hodge, A.A. The Confession of Faith.
• Pipa, Joseph. Westminster Confession of Faith
Study Book.
• Sproul, R.C. Truths We Confess. Vols. 1-3.
• Williamson, G.I. Westminster Confession of
Faith for Study Classes.
Outline
• Murray, David. Westminster Skeletons.