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Regulative principle of worship
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Regulative principle of worship
The regulative principle of worship is a Reformed Christian doctrine held by Continental Reformed, Anabaptist, Presbyterian, Congregationalist and Baptist Christians that God commands churches to conduct public services of worship using certain distinct elements affirmatively found in the Bible, and conversely, that God prohibits any and all other practices in public worship. The doctrine further determines these affirmed elements to be those set forth in scripture by express commands or examples or, if not expressed, those implied logically by good and necessary consequence. The regulative principle thus provides a governing concept of worship as obedience to God, identifies the set of specific practical elements constituting obedient worship, and identifies and excludes disobedient practices.
The regulative principle of worship is held, practiced, and vigorously maintained by conservative Reformed churches, the Restoration Movement, and other conservative Protestant denominations. Historic confessional standards stating the doctrine include the Westminster Confession of Faith, the Heidelberg Catechism, the Belgic Confession, the Orthodox Creed, and the Second London Baptist Confession of Faith.
The regulative principle contrasts with the normative principle of worship, which teaches that whatever is not prohibited in scripture is permitted in worship as long as it is agreeable to peace and the unity of the Church. In short, there must be agreement with the general practice of the Church and no prohibition in scripture for whatever is done in worship.
A broader sense of the term "regulative principle" is occasionally cited on matters other than worship, such as to constrain designs of church government to scriptural elements. The regulative principle is often confused with the doctrine of sola scriptura, which states that scripture is the only infallible spiritual authority, but is compatible with and taught by many churches that follow the normative principle of worship.
The Reformed confessions cite various biblical passages in support of the regulative principle, such as Deuteronomy 12, in which Yahweh gives the Israelites various commands about worship, sacrifice, and the avoidance of Canaanite religious practices, and says at the close of the chapter:
Whatever I am commanding you, you shall be careful to do; you shall not add to nor take away from it.
Likewise, Reformed theologians cite Yahweh's punishment of the brothers Nadab and Abihu as illustrating an insistence by God that humans worship him only with practices that he has commanded. Nadab and Abihu, the Israelite prophet Aaron's own sons, "offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, which he had not commanded them." God immediately destroyed the brothers with fire of his own (Leviticus 10:1-2).
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Regulative principle of worship
The regulative principle of worship is a Reformed Christian doctrine held by Continental Reformed, Anabaptist, Presbyterian, Congregationalist and Baptist Christians that God commands churches to conduct public services of worship using certain distinct elements affirmatively found in the Bible, and conversely, that God prohibits any and all other practices in public worship. The doctrine further determines these affirmed elements to be those set forth in scripture by express commands or examples or, if not expressed, those implied logically by good and necessary consequence. The regulative principle thus provides a governing concept of worship as obedience to God, identifies the set of specific practical elements constituting obedient worship, and identifies and excludes disobedient practices.
The regulative principle of worship is held, practiced, and vigorously maintained by conservative Reformed churches, the Restoration Movement, and other conservative Protestant denominations. Historic confessional standards stating the doctrine include the Westminster Confession of Faith, the Heidelberg Catechism, the Belgic Confession, the Orthodox Creed, and the Second London Baptist Confession of Faith.
The regulative principle contrasts with the normative principle of worship, which teaches that whatever is not prohibited in scripture is permitted in worship as long as it is agreeable to peace and the unity of the Church. In short, there must be agreement with the general practice of the Church and no prohibition in scripture for whatever is done in worship.
A broader sense of the term "regulative principle" is occasionally cited on matters other than worship, such as to constrain designs of church government to scriptural elements. The regulative principle is often confused with the doctrine of sola scriptura, which states that scripture is the only infallible spiritual authority, but is compatible with and taught by many churches that follow the normative principle of worship.
The Reformed confessions cite various biblical passages in support of the regulative principle, such as Deuteronomy 12, in which Yahweh gives the Israelites various commands about worship, sacrifice, and the avoidance of Canaanite religious practices, and says at the close of the chapter:
Whatever I am commanding you, you shall be careful to do; you shall not add to nor take away from it.
Likewise, Reformed theologians cite Yahweh's punishment of the brothers Nadab and Abihu as illustrating an insistence by God that humans worship him only with practices that he has commanded. Nadab and Abihu, the Israelite prophet Aaron's own sons, "offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, which he had not commanded them." God immediately destroyed the brothers with fire of his own (Leviticus 10:1-2).
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