The First Shock

The shock came when one of those I was talking to pointed out that, unless I believed the Roman Church had the authority to declare what was true and what was heresy, I could not rely on their decision on these matters.

That is, unless I believed that the Roman Catholic Church had the authority to decide what was heretical and what was orthodox, I could not call any group of Christians heretics simply because the Roman church had declared them as such. Indeed, as they pointed out, it would be impossible to hold to Rome’s authority without also accepting their ‘authoritative’ declarations on Marian doctrines, on Purgatory, on the Saints, and so on. Sitting alone a few hours later, my horror increased when I realised something my friends had not yet pointed out. If I accepted the designation heretic for any group or person in history simply because Rome had declared them so, I would be forced to admit that I myself am declared apostate and heretic by the same authority!

I realised that the only way to declare any theological position to be unorthodox on the basis of Protestant theology would be to base such a declaration solely on one’s own interpretation of the Word of God. One could not appeal to any of the creeds. Nor could one appeal to accepted interpretations or formulas.

I was faced with the possibility that, on this basis, any member of our synod could legitimately argue that Christ was not in fact a member of the Holy Trinity and, what is more, based on the same premise, one would have to at least concede that they might be right! No doctrine, no interpretation, not one single article of faith could be claimed as solid, foundational, unchanging in such a church. Unless I placed store in my own ability to interpret and discern infallibly, I had no other rock to stand on.

Unfortunately this realisation immediately preceded the vote on Women’s Ordination at pastor’s conference and I went home that night in a spin.