PCA HISTORICAL CENTER
Archives and Manuscript Repository for the Continuing Presbyterian Church


The Historical Development of the Book of Church Order

Chapter 61 : The Burial of the Dead
Paragraph 2 : Purpose of the Service

61-2. The funeral services are to be left largely to the discretion of the minister performing them, but he should always remember that the proper object of the service is the worship of God and the consolation of the living.

DIGEST : The current PCA text dates to the PCUS revision text of 1929.

BACKGROUND & COMPARISON:
1. PCA 1973, Adopted text, DfW 15-2 [M1GA, Appendix, p. 161]
2. Continuing Presbyterian Church 1973, Proposed text, DfW, 15-1, p. 75
3. PCUS 1933, DfW, XV, §372
4. PCUS 1929, DfW, XV, §372
These funeral services are to be left largely to the discretion of the minister performing them, but he should always remember that the proper object of the service is the worship of God and the consolation of the living.

1. PCUS 1927, §365
2. PCUS 1894, XIV-2
These funeral services are to be left largely to the discretion of the minister performing them; but he should always remember that the proper object of the service is the warning, instruction, or consolation of the living, and be careful to avoid abusing God's word by associating the hopes of the gospel with the close of an irreligious life.

COMMENTARY:
Morton H. Smith, Commentary on the Book of Church Order, 6th edition, 2007, p. 451.
We are reminded here that the purpose of the funeral service is primarily two-fold. First, it should be directed to the worship of God. One of the most comforting things that can be done in the presence of death is to approach the throne of grace to find mercy and help for our times of need. The second purpose of the funeral is the comfort of the sorrowing. If we keep these two purposes in mind, we shall be guarded from the error of extensive eulogies concerning the deceased. It is not inappropriate to remind those in attendance of the promises of the Gospel, and to encourage them to come to Christ, but the service is not primarily an evangelistic service, but a service of worship and comfort.