“My overall goal is that the revisions to God with Us will present God’s character and condescension in a way that will further clarify my commitment to Scripture, and to the Standards to which I have subscribed. I hope you will pray with me to that end.”
Two members of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church recently filed charges against Dr. K. Scott Oliphint. These charges contend that Dr. Oliphint’s views of God’s immutability conflict with the Westminster Standards (the Confession of Faith, the Larger and Shorter Catechisms). When becoming a faculty member at Westminster Theological Seminary, Dr. Oliphint made a public and ex animo pledge of his commitment to Scripture and to the Westminster Standards as a faithful representation of the Bible’s teaching.
Dr. Oliphint has provided the following written statement, affirming his ongoing commitment to that pledge.
“When my book, God with Us, was first published, it soon became apparent that my proposals in that book had been interpreted by some as questioning the historic, Reformed doctrine of the immutability of God as expressed in the Westminster Standards. I take these concerns seriously, and I have expressed to those who have shared their concerns that I in no way intended to subvert the historic, Reformed doctrine, which I hold dear, and to which I subscribe. I regret any confusion that my earlier work has caused. In those places where I have been unclear, I am seeking to offer clarity in my revisions to God with Us.
“Westminster Theological Seminary was kind enough to obtain the rights to God with Us to allow me the time to make these necessary revisions. The language of my original publication has undergone modification for a number of years now. There have been deletions, additions, clarifications and expansions to such an extent that this new version should be decidedly better and clearer than the first edition.
“My overall goal is that the revisions to God with Us will present God’s character and condescension in a way that will further clarify my commitment to Scripture, and to the Standards to which I have subscribed. I hope you will pray with me to that end.”
K. Scott Oliphint
Update: The four charges brought against Dr. Scott Oliphint, Professor of Apologetics at Westminster Seminary by Charles Williams and Jeffrey Waddington have been investigated and dismissed by his presbytery.
Charles Williams is serving as pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church, Corvallis, Oregon, and Jeffrey Waddington is serving as pastor of Faith OPC Church, Fawn Grove, Pennsylvania.