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Founding Leader of the B-P Movement in Singapore Replies to a Query on the
Church Constitution

Was the teaching of Verbal Plenary Preservation of the
Scriptures a relatively new teaching that was introduced to the
Bible-Presbyterian movement in Singapore only in 1992, or was it
already part of the Constitution of the B-P Church, and hence,
part of the church’s doctrinal statement from the inception of
the movement?
The following will help us to answer this. In an
email dated 24 April 2007, the following two questions were sent
to Rev (Dr) Quek Kiok Chiang who was one of the founding leaders
of the Bible-Presbyterian movement in Singapore (underlining
added):
1. When Life BP
Church was formed in 1950, how did the church constitution come
about? Who were then responsible to draft and revise it? Was
this version of the constitution subsequently adopted by all BP
Churches as their church constitution (prior to the dissolving
of the BP Synod in 1988), including Calvary Pandan BP Church?
2. Regarding Clause 4.2.1 of the constitution “We believe in
the divine, verbal and plenary inspiration of the Scriptures in
the original languages, their consequent inerrancy and
infallibility, and, as the word of God, the Supreme and final
authority in faith and life.” What are the main
contradictions between this clause and the VPP (Verbal Plenary
Preservation) theory which has been promoted in recent years?
USome
pointed out that this VPP teaching has all along been
encapsulated within clause 4.2.1, is such a statement
reasonable?U
Rev (Dr) Quek Kiok Chiang’s reply on 25 April 2007 was as
follows: (reproduced here with his permission)
Reference your
email to me yesterday.
2 When Life B-P Church was founded in 1950, the church
constitution was introduced by the founding Pastor Rev Timothy
Tow in consultation with me as the Co-founder and founding
Elder. This church constitution was adapted from the
constitution of a mission church in North India being assisted
by the Independent Board for Presbyterian Foreign Missions (IBPFM),
a leading mission board affiliated with the ICCC. The adapted
Constitution, with Chinese translation made by me, was duly
adopted by the founding members.
3 This adapted constitution was adopted by all B-P
Churches as their church constitutions prior to the dissolving
of the B-P Synod in 1988, including Calvary Pandan B-P Church. I
understand that for separate registration in 1986 under the
Societies Act as individual, self-governing churches, there have
been some adaptations or changes in each case.
4 On clause 4.2.1, of the constitution “We believe in the
divine, verbal and plenary inspiration of the Scriptures in the
original language, their consequent inerrancy and infallibility,
and, as the Word of God, the supreme and final authority in
faith and life”.
4.1 First of all, let me point out that until the Synod
dissolution in 1988, all member B-P Churches kept to this
statement concerning the Word of God. No ICCC-affiliated member
churches or Christian associations throughout the world have
ever changed or revised the text of the statement: Unanimity is
required of this cardinal statement concerning the Word of God.
4.2 On the question of “main contradictions” between this so
far unchanged doctrinal statement and the so-called VPP (Verbal
Plenary Preservation) theory, I see the wisdom of abiding by the
existing doctrinal statement concerning our faith in the Word of
God. I do not see the wisdom of singling out a
translated version of the Scriptures, in this case the King
James Version despite its being a good translation, and
equating its authority with “the Scriptures in the original
languages”. This is over-stating the excellence of a translated
version of the Scriptures. None of the Bible-believing churches
or Christian institutions, including all in the ICCC family,
have so far subscribed to this new Biblically unfounded and
unproven theory. The Oct 2005 statement of Independent Board for
Presbyterian Foreign Missions, and the Oct 2005 Statement of the
Singapore Council of Christian Churches (SCCC) repudiating this
VPP theory, refer.
4.3 Thus, while I do not see “main contradictions” between the
clause 4.2.1 in the existing Constitution of our B-P Churches
and the VPP theory, I see the wisdom of leaving the clause stand
as it is, without adapting it to include a new theory Biblically
unfounded and unproven. As to the claim that this VPP teaching
has all along been encapsulated within clause 4.2.1, I am of the
opinion that the claimant is subjective and arbitrary and can
hardly justify his claim according to the Word of God.
Sincerely yours
Rev Dr Quek Kiok Chiang