# Good Modern WCF



## jbergsing (Jul 9, 2007)

I'm looking for a good modern version of the WCF that's true to the original, of course. Any recommendations?


----------



## Semper Fidelis (Jul 9, 2007)

What's funny is that I don't know of any.

It just occurred to me that we allow scholars outside of the Reformed Confessional Community to "update" the translations of the Scriptures (which often involves interpretative decisions) but I don't think we'd trust them to update the language of our Confession.

I already know what Rev. Winzer is going to say....


----------



## Greg (Jul 9, 2007)

Right here.


----------



## VirginiaHuguenot (Jul 9, 2007)

Greg said:


> Right here.



Available online here.

Also, the RPCNA has an edition of the WCF which has the original and modern English versions parallel with the RP Testimony available here.

Rowland Ward prepared a modernised [sic] version of the WCF in 1996. His study guide on the WCF uses that text and it is available here.

Douglas Kelly prepared a modernized version of the WCF which is available here.

My best recommendation: the original Westminster Standards as published by the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland available here.


----------



## VictorBravo (Jul 9, 2007)

VirginiaHuguenot said:


> My best recommendation: the original Westminster Standards as published by the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland available here.



Bummer, it seems to be gone, Andrew.

Edit: I guess the website is just down. It will probably be back up sometime.


----------



## VirginiaHuguenot (Jul 9, 2007)

victorbravo said:


> Bummer, it seems to be gone, Andrew.
> 
> Edit: I guess the website is just down. It will probably be back up sometime.



Vic -- I dunno, it's working for me (Reformation Heritage Books).


----------



## Greg (Jul 9, 2007)

VirginiaHuguenot said:


> Available online here.
> 
> Also, the RPCNA has an edition of the WCF which has the original and modern English versions parallel with the RP Testimony available here.
> 
> ...



 Thanks Andrew.


----------



## NaphtaliPress (Jul 9, 2007)

jbergsing said:


> I'm looking for a good modern version of the WCF that's true to the original, of course. Any recommendations?


I haven't done any research on modern, i.e. re-Englished editions of the Westminster Confession. They would first have to be based on a good critical text, such as S. W. Carruthers, or on the Burges MSS. The RPCNA text is the Carruthers critical text, and the OPC, less the American revisions, is the Burges text. So edition's keyed or based on those would be sounder than those based on historical texts such as the PCUSA or older FPCS printings prior to the early 1990s (later editions have the WCF text replaced with the Carruthers text). If the Modern English Study Version has the OPC text (i.e. Burges text) parallel, that may be a good one, or the RP text, since it is the Carruthers text. I haven't looked at Dr. Ward's text and am not familiar with what text he went from. The Carruthers text has a few minor flaws, and some more precision is given to the lineage of some of the errors that have crept in over time in my article in the 2005 issue of _The Confessional Presbyterian_ journal, "Examining the Work of S. W. Carruthers: Justifying a Critical Approach to the Text of the Westminster Standards & Correcting the 18th Century Lineage of the Traditional Scottish Text."


----------



## VictorBravo (Jul 9, 2007)

VirginiaHuguenot said:


> Vic -- I dunno, it's working for me (Reformation Heritage Books).



Funny, still down. Are you sure you are not bringing up something in your cache? Maybe it's too far to get to Tacoma. 

No big deal, I'm sure it will be up.


----------



## x.spasitel (Jul 9, 2007)

I can bring the website up right now...if it's an FPCS website, I know I can never bring it up Saturday night as they always close their websites on the Lord's Day local midnight to midnight.


----------



## VirginiaHuguenot (Jul 11, 2007)

victorbravo said:


> Funny, still down. Are you sure you are not bringing up something in your cache? Maybe it's too far to get to Tacoma.
> 
> No big deal, I'm sure it will be up.



Is it working for you yet, Vic? The link is good for me with a cleared cache.


----------



## sastark (Jul 11, 2007)

There's also this one HERE.

My dad (a Presbyterian minister in Redding, CA) updated the language without changing any doctrine.


----------

