In his introduction to the Reformed Confessions of the 16th Century, Arthur Cochrane wrote, “It is too little known in Presbyterian Churches in the Anglo-Saxon world that the Westminster standards do not belong to the Reformation but are products of Puritanism and post-Reformation scholasticism. They reflect a legalism, moralism, and rationalism that are foreign to the confessions of a century earlier. They lack the spontaneity, freshness, and joyfulness of the Reformation” (p. 30).

Such a hostile assessment of the Westminster Confession and Catechisms is shocking in one who taught in a Presbyter­ian seminary professedly committed to those standards. More than that, his view is blatantly wrong, as a careful reading of the Westminster documents will show. The chapter now under consideration is enough to show how mistaken Prof. Cochrane’s view is.

Parallels to Chapter 25, “Of the Church,” may be found in most of the earlier Reformed confessions, but this chapter on “the Communion of Saints” has no adequate counterpart in other confessions. Into its exposition of “union and communion” with Christ and other believers, it emphasizes the experiential and practical aspects of the life of the believer within the fellowship of the church.

Chapter 26 should be studied along with Questions 65–86 of the Westminster Larger Catechism, where the doctrine of our salvation is unfolded in terms of “union and communion with (Christ) in grace and glory.”

First, the doctrine of union with Christ is expressed. “All saints (i.e., believers) that are united to Christ by his Spirit, and by faith, have fellowship with him in his graces, sufferings, death, resurrection, and glory.” John Murray said that in our understanding of the Christian life, “nothing is more central or basic than union and communion with Christ” (Redemption Accomplished and Applied, p. 161). He points to the frequency with which the New Testament speaks about our being “in Christ,” and Christ’s being in us. By the work of the Holy Spirit in effectual calling, and by our believing response, we enter into a vital and spiritual union with Christ, in which the fullness of His grace and power come to be ours. We share now in the benefits of His suffering, death, and resurrection, and we will share His glory in the age to come.

The Confession speaks of our sharing in Christ’s “graces.” This should be understood as the gifts of grace that come from Him. The Larger Catechism speaks of effectual calling, justification, adoption, and sanctification as results of God’s grace in Christ (Q. 67, 70, 74, 75) and calls faith and repentance “saving graces” (Q. 72, 76). Because they shared in these graces, believers experience, even in this life, the firstfruits of glory: “the sense of God’s love, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Ghost, and hope of glory” (Q. 83). Let the reader judge whether such teaching is legalistic, rationalistic, or lacking in joy!

Sharing in Christ’s graces probably also means that by sanctification we are more and more conformed to the image of Christ, possessing the character qualities we see in Him (2 Cor. 3:18). United to Christ, believers are therefore united to each other. The reference to Christ as “their head” implies that the church, with its multiplicity and diversity of members, is His body, though that term is not used here. (The Scripture texts cited make it clear that this is what the Confession means.) Being part of the body of Christ carries both benefits and obligations. As such, believers share in each other’s gifts and graces. The Spirit bestows on each Christian particular gifts, which are to be used for the benefit of the whole body (1 Cor. 12:7). As the graces of Christ appear in His people—love, joy, peace, patience, etc.—the fellowship of the church is a place of great blessing.

Our union with one another also carries responsibilities. Publicly and privately, we are to seek the good of fellow believers in all the ways available to us. This leads us to pay heed to the many “one another” passages in Scripture, which tell us how we are to make our love for one another practical in the church.

Several ways that we are to do this are given in Section 2 of the chapter. Our mutual participation in the worship of God is strengthening to others. In a day of great individualism, the gathering of God’s people for worship needs to be strongly encouraged. When we assemble for worship, we not only glorify God, but we also strengthen and comfort one another (Heb. 10:19-25). The Confession mentions “other spiritual services.” These include studying the Word together, praying with and for one another, and talking together about the things of the Lord.

Our ministry to one another is not to be limited to the “spiritual” things, but is to include what the Confession calls “outward things.” Acts 2:42-46 gives us an example of how the body life of the Church is to function. In the Form of Presbyterial Church-Government, the Assembly followed Calvin and Knox in describing the office of deacon as a distinct and perpetual office in the church, with the particular responsibility for “distributing to the necessities of the poor.” The matter of ministering in “outward things” is so important that Christ has instituted an office in the Church to give leadership in this task. Further, the Form of Church-Government provided that particular congregations should be made up of those who lived near to one another for the following reason: “The pastor and people must so nearly cohabit together, as that they may mutually perform their duties each to other with most conveniency.” Reformed churches should give careful attention to the ministry of mercy, and to practical arrangements for carrying it out in the life of the congregation.

This section makes it clear that our concern is not to be limited to those of our own group, however. This mutual helpfulness “is to be extended unto all those who in every place call upon the name of the Lord Jesus.” All those who are truly united to Christ are our brothers and sisters, whatever their denomination or nationality. The collection for the relief of famine sufferers in Jerusalem occupied Paul’s attention and organizing skills for several years during his third missionary journey. Since the apostle, with his great zeal for evangelism, gave his time and energy to an international and intercultural ministry of mercy, the church today ought to follow his example.

The final section of the chapter warns against two false views regarding union and communion. The first was theological—the view that union with Christ removed the ultimate distinction between the Creator and the creature. Such pantheistic views, resembling New Age thought, were being circulated in Britain in the 17th Century. The Confession responds, “This communion which the saints have with Christ doth not make them, in any wise, partakers of the substance of his Godhead, or to be equal with Christ, in any respect.”

The second error was being taught by certain sectarian groups such as the “Family of Love.” They held that Christians should give up all ownership of private property and become a communal society. The Assembly, however, did not regard the events described in Acts 2:44-46 as normative for the church in all situations. The right of private property is implied in the eighth commandment, and in Acts 5:4 Peter recognized the right of Ananias and Sapphira to keep what was their own. Therefore the Confession teaches that the communion of believers with one another does not “take away or infringe the title or property which each man hath in his goods and possessions.”

The inclusion of this chapter on the communion of saints refutes the notion that the Confession of Faith is a scholastic, legalistic, moralistic, rationalistic document lacking spontaneity, freshness, and joyfulness. The chapter describes a relation with Christ that is deeply personal, intimate, and rich in blessing. It describes the church as a loving fellowship of people who love the Savior, and therefore love and care for one another. Such a church has been, and will be, a shining light in this dark world of sin, selfishness, and alienation.