The founder of a church

Whoever people claim is the founder of their church must also be the head of their church. Calling a church the Church of Jesus implies that Jesus is the founder and head of that particular church. Just as a doorplate reveals who lives in the house above which it hangs, a church’s or denomination’s name reveals the identity of its founder. Who, then, is the founder of the Presbyterian Church?

The covenants in the Bible were made between God and his people – between spirit and flesh (Ex 19:3-6). A covenant or promise can only be kept flawlessly when both parties to the covenant uphold their responsibilities. God made a covenant with Adam and Eve in Gen 2 commanding them not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God created them and made a covenant with them, but Adam and Eve were cursed for breaking their covenant. Noah's world was put to an end in the time of Joshua because Ham and Canaan failed to keep their covenant with God. God then made a covenant with Abraham and his descendants (Gen 15; Gen 17:9) that would later be fulfilled through Moses and Joshua (Ex 12; Jos 1).

In Is 56:9-11, God told beasts of the fields and forests to come and devour Israel's mute dogs. These mute dogs symbolize pastors who, because they lack knowledge and understanding of the word – because they are spiritually blind – are not fulfilling their duties. Because they are incompetent, these pastors are symbolized by mute dogs that cannot protect God's lambs from being devoured by wild beasts.