Halloween is Over, but the 1689 LBCF is Still in Costume

The LBCF's Halloween costume: A Reformed confession or a Reformed deception?

Corona, CA - Halloween may have ended last week, but the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith (LBCF) is still pretending to be a reformed confession, according to sources.

The LBCF, a document that claims to summarize the biblical doctrines of the Protestant Reformation, has been accused of being a "cheap knock-off" of the 1646 Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF), a more comprehensive and faithful statement of reformed theology.

"The LBCF is like a kid who wears a Superman T-shirt and thinks he can fly," said Dr. John Calvin, a professor of historical theology at Geneva Seminary. "It borrows some words and phrases from the WCF, but it changes or omits the most important parts, such as the covenant of works, the Sabbath, the civil magistrate, and infant baptism."

Calvin added that the LBCF is not only a poor imitation of the WCF, but also a contradiction of the reformed tradition. "The LBCF denies the biblical doctrine of the visible church, the means of grace, and the continuity of the covenants," he said. "It is essentially a baptistic and dispensationalist document that has nothing to do with the reformed faith."

The LBCF, however, defended its claim to be a reformed confession, saying that it is based on the "purest sources of information", namely, the Scriptures and the 1689 Baptist Catechism.

"We are not pretending to be anything we are not," said the LBCF in a statement. "We are simply expressing the truth of God's word as it has been revealed to us by the Holy Spirit. We are not bound by the traditions of men, but by the authority of Christ."

The LBCF also dismissed the criticisms of the WCF, saying that it is a "flawed and outdated" document that reflects the "political and ecclesiastical agenda" of the 17th century English Puritans.

"The WCF is a product of its time and culture, not of the timeless and universal word of God," said the LBCF. "It is full of errors and inconsistencies, such as the idea that the pope is the antichrist, that the civil magistrate has the power to punish heretics, and that infants should be baptized on the basis of their parents' faith."

The LBCF concluded its statement by saying that it is not ashamed of its identity, and that it will continue to wear its costume proudly, even after Halloween.

"We are not trying to be like the WCF, or any other human-made confession," said the LBCF. "We are simply trying to be faithful to the Scriptures, and to the glory of God. We are the 1689 LBCF, and we are reformed."