Let us take the Nicene Creed and compare with the OPC's beliefs:We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all that is, seen and unseen.
So far, the OPC is on track.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, one in Being with the Father.
Well, not really; they think of Jesus as a lesser God than the Father. The OPC says that:
Jesus is God's doorway through the wall. God appointed his Son to be the substitute for those whom he would save. Jesus loved the Father with every fiber of his being. He obeyed the Father's holy will completely. He died on Calvary's cross as the atoning sacrifice, bearing all the sins of his people. He rose again from the dead and was exalted to the place of glory at the Father's side.
For the OPC, Jesus is a lesser or messenger god to God the Father, much like Mercury was the messenger of Jupiter in the Roman Pantheon of gods. This is not Christian.
As well, The OPC says that:
Christ is, in reality, the one true worshiper.[5] Our worship is a participation in his. Further, our worship in Christ is by the Holy Spirit.
Here, the OPC says that Christ worships God the Father, and the Holy Spirit worships Christ. Not Trinitarian, but polytheist.
Through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation, he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he was born of the Virgin Mary,
Here, they more or less agree with Christianity.
and became man.
Here, they depart from Christianity inasmuch as Christianity believes that Jesus is fully God and fully man at the same time.
"The Son of Man"
Jesus affirms that he is "the Son of Man." This was his favorite self-designation. The Gospels mention his calling himself the Son of Man some eighty times. William White, Jr., explains that this title reflects Daniel 7:13, where the "Son of Man" is one to whom is given universal and eternal authority, glory, and sovereign dominion. He is one from among men to whom is given divine prerogatives. Since only God can receive such prerogatives, the Son of Man is a God-man (Daniel 10:16). Thus, the Son of Man, Jesus, descended from heaven (John 3:13) and was dependent on God, as He had nowhere to lay His head (Matt. 8:20). He exercises an authoritative and redemptive mission (John 3:14). He is the universal Lord (Matt. 28:18; cf. Dan. 7:13-14) and has total responsibility and authority for judging the world (Matt. 13:41-42; 19:28). (Theological and Grammatical Phrasebook of the Bible, p. 102 [Moody Press, 1984]. Cf. Geerhardus Vos, The Self-Disclosure of Jesus [Eerdmans, 1954].)
So when Jesus calls himself the Son of Man, he does much more than identify himself as having a human nature. He reveals himself as God incarnated as the Last Adam, the true Man, the Man of God's right hand, the Messiah, the King, the Savior, Lord, and Judge! Compare Daniel 7:9-14 and Revelation 1:12-18. It's an amazing claim.
It sure is. It affirms that the OPC believes that Jesus is a lesser God - is totally dependent upon God and therefore is not the God of Christianity, but a messenger or harbinger, much like John the Baptist was for Jesus.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered, died, and was buried. On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
Okay in this section.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
Here we come to a major parting of the ways between the OPC and Christianity. The OPC says that:
The resurrection of the dead in general, therefore, is primarily a judicial act of God."[13] Stated simply, the resurrection is not the penultimate event prior to the final judgment; the resurrection is the final judgment.
This little piece of paganism is the source for so many of the nonChristian pronouncements of OPC adherents. Can you imagine a greater departure from the Gospel message of Jesus? Resurrection is a replacement for Judgement and if you are resurrected, you will not go to hell!!!! Now, what about those going to hell? More on that later...
and his kingdom will have no end.
They do agree that Jesus will reign forever.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
See above. The OPC believes that Jesus worships God the Father and the Holy Spirit worships Jesus.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
The OPC really likes its Prophets - if it weren't for Paul, their theology would consist of Isaiah with a splash of Jeremiah.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
Absolutely not. "Catholic" is redefined as Calvinist, and the Apostles are irrelevant since they are all long dead.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
The OPC touches on it in several articles on their site, blathering on, and talking around the point, rather than to it, but the final conclusion is that they do not believe that baptism is in any way connected with the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
There are several articles on the OPC website which affirm the resurrection of the dead, and then speak as if it weren't there or it didn't matter. Of course, it might just be the writers' confusion over just who is going to be resurrected (prejudged to salvation) and who isn't (see above). After all if the Calvinists believe that the act of resurrection is a substitute for the Judgement of God, then nobody in hell gets Judged in the Calvinist universe, right? And nowhere in Christianity does it state anything about the resurrection of those Judged to Heaven versus the non resurrection of those Judged to hell. In Calvinism, those prejudged to hell do not get resurrected at all. Cronos, my friend, you are absolutely spot on in that the OPC on its own website brags about its nonChristian beliefs. And its followers would have us believe that it is Christian. Based on what?
My friend, you do me much credit and I thank you for it. But anyone who climbs into an environmental suit and wades into the OPC swamp could have made the same analysis and conclusions.