Filed under: 22-Distinctives
You Can Always Tell a Presbyterian . . .
It’s true. Studies done among all varieties of Christians show that Presbyterians tend to study and know more about the Bible and their faith than most. Not surprising, since Presbyterians make their beginning with the teaching of John Calvin who started it all (all the Presbyterian heritage, that is) by writing a study guide on the faith. He called it Institutes of the Christian Religion and dedicated it to King Francis I of France. That’s because John Calvin believed the king needed to be informed in the faith–a characteristic for which Presbyterians have been famous or infamous ever since.The Presbyterian constitution acknowledges this need for an informed believer. It points out that Presbyterians affirm, above all else, the power, holiness, and love of God who creates, sustains, rules and redeems the world.So what do Presbyterians believe? Some main beliefs are:
Presbyterians believe that Jesus, a Jew from Nazareth, is a model of what God intended all humanity to be like. A high target to aim for? Sure. Presbyterians frequently aim higher than they reach (but more about that later). By studying Scripture these same Presbyterians discover that Jesus followed in the long line of prophets, and that he taught the sovereignty, love and justice of the creator God that Abraham and Sarah had discovered many centuries before. Calling Jesus Lord, Presbyterians attempt to follow him–at a considerable distance, sometimes (but more on that later, too), and attempt to live their daily lives for others. Now for the “later” promised above: Presbyterians confess that they and all God’s children fall short of what God intends. They spend a good deal of time confessing, and some of them feel that the whole crowd has a lot to confess about. They know that they too often seek to deny God, and too often draw back from fulfilling their responsibility in society. They know that instead of breaking down the walls of anger and hate and hostility, they participate in building walls and denying freedom and fullness. But in their bones they know God forgives and restores. Even renews and revitalizes. It is very important for them to know this. They believe it is equally important for you to know it, too. The congregation is the place where Presbyterians worship this creating and forgiving God, who demonstrated a magnificent concern for the world and its people by sending a Son into it. They think of the Presbyterian Church as part of the Son’s church. Participating in baptism and the Lord’s Supper (some call it Communion and mean the same thing), they somehow understand God’s promise that they–and all believers–will never be alone or abandoned. In this extended family called the congregation they learn to heal and care for each other, and try to demonstrate that God’s wondrous love is meant for everyone. Funny thing: Presbyterians aren’t content with that. They’re always going beyond their congregational family to act out that mind-boggling love they’ve discovered. Because, to repeat, they have learned that all the peoples of the world are God’s people and therefore are to be given healing and care. The world that Presbyterians worry and stew about (all this, remember, traces back to the prolific writer/teacher named John Calvin) includes the political world, the economic one, and all the social structures and all the human needs. So they are rarely content to worship and study, and leave it at that. They go out into these worlds and try to make them more humane, more caring, more compassionate, more loving. More like God intended them to be. Presbyterians are filled to the brim with hope, although some of them need to remember to act and look like it. But they are hopeful because the Spirit of the Living God is at work inside them, and bubbles out in all those activities of mission and love. These and more. Presbyterians believe a lot more than just these things. They believe in grace, for example. And they fervently beleive in mission. But there is no way to measure how many stewpot programs, clothing banks, and food pantries come out of Presbyterian churches for street people and others in need.A large number of churches have after-school care, Meals-on-Wheels ministries, and special programs for the elderly–in addition to women’s work, Sunday school special events, youth retreats, special music programs, and all the other usual things churches do.Presbyterian churches are involved in programs with other denominations and other faiths, including those that have to do with relationships between Christians and Jews and between Christians and Muslims.Whenever you see a Habitat for Humanity project, there are probably Presbyterians among those who are involved. Wherever you see a group working to enroll more voters, you are apt to find Presbyterians among them.Churches have caring ministries with people in crisis and during life changes, such as special ministries for singles and divorced persons, and for nursing home patients. With a renewed interest in global mission, more than 300 Presbyterian missionaries and 200 other partner missionaries are serving in nearly 90 countries where the church is involved, in cooperation with partner churches in many of the countries. The kinds of work are diverse: evangelism, education and medicine–often thought of as the three basic components–but also the work of engineers and agriculturalists, doctors, nurses, teachers, farmers, computer experts, and pilots, all serving Jesus our Lord! |
Filed under: Lesson 25 - Glossary
Advent: That season of the Christian year which includes the four Sundays preceding Christmas Day. This is a time of preparation when the emphasis in worship services is on the events leading up to the birth of Christ.
Ascension Day: A day in the Christian year designated to celebrate the ascension of Christ into heaven. Ascension Day is celebrated forty days after Easter and falls on a Thursday.
Board of Trustees: In a Presbyterian congregation this is a group of men and women elected by the Congregation to oversee the implementation of the congregation’s budget, to work with the Treasurer in maintaining the congregation’s financial records, and to care for the buildings owned by the congregation.
Burning Bush: The symbol of the burning bush is often used in Presbyterian congregations. It represents the call of God and is taken from the Old Testament story of God calling Moses. The symbol is often accompanied with the latin inscription “nec tamen consumebatur”. The phrase comes from the biblical story and when translated literally means “but never consumed” (Exodus 3:2).
call, or “calling a minister”: In general the term is used to describe how an individual is called by God to service in the church. More specifically the term is often used in Presbyterian Churches to describe the process by which a congregation invites someone to serve as its minister.
call to worship: The words of invitation with which a worship service begins (often a verse or two of scripture).
Catholic Church: Unfortunately, in casual conversation this term is used to refer to the Roman Catholic Church. However the term “catholic” simply means “everywhere” or “universal.” The Apostles’ Creed, for instance, refers to the “holy catholic church” meaning the whole Christian Church (rather than any single denomination of it). The term Roman Catholic Church refers to those congregations everywhere who submit themselves to the oversight of the Pope in Rome. Presbyterians do not believe that one must belong to the Presbyterian Church to be part of the true church.
chancel: The elevated area at the front of the sanctuary where the lectern and pulpit and sometimes the choir loft are located.
Christian Year: The designation Christian Year refers to that annual repetition of worship celebrations in the Christian Church that mark selected events in the life of Christ and the Christian Church. It begins with Advent and ends with Christ the King Sunday.
clergy: A commonly used designation within Christendom to denote those who have been ordained as priests or ministers. Laity refers to church members other than clergy.
Clerk: The secretary of a church court who records the minutes of each meeting and handles the correspondence. From this basis come titles such as; clerk of session, clerk of presbytery, clerk of synod and clerk of General Assembly.
Debts and Debtors: In Lord’s Prayer refers o sins or trespasses. Comes from Matthew’s gospel.
denomination: A word used to indicate a single branch of the Christian Church. For example, the Presbyterian Church USA is a Christian denomination.
Easter: The Sunday in the Christian year designated for the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. This is not a fixed date but is based on the lunar calendar. Easter falls on the Sunday after the first full moon on or after March 21st. The earliest possible date for Easter is March 22nd. and the latest is April 25th.
ecumenical: A word used to describe worship services or programs of action or service that are supported co-operatively by various churches or denominations within the Christian Church.
Election: theological term means God makes first moe in acting to redeem sinners. People within covenant of faith are called “the elect.” We are incapable of saving ourselves from our sins, and God “elects” or “chooses” to save us.
Emeritus: An honourary title sometimes given to one who has retired from office. In the Presbyterian Church it is sometimes used in the terms Minister Emeritus.
Epiphany: The designation in the Christian year for the twelfth day after Christmas (January 6th.). This date is used to commemorate the visit of the Magi to the Christ child and celebrates the fact that the coming of Christ was not for Israel only but for the people of all nations (represented by the Magi). As the Magi followed the light of the star in their quest to find Jesus so one of the themes of Epiphany (lit. the revealing) is that of the light of Christ coming into the midst of darkness.
inter-faith: This term is used to identify organizations or programs in which representatives from a number of different faith groups participate. This term is different from the term ecumenical which is generally used to refer to the participation together of representatives from various churches or denominations within the Christian community.
kirk: A Scottish term for church. A wee kirk is a small church.
Knox, John — Scottish preacher who studied in Geneva under Calvin and took teachings back to Scotland. Famous for struggles with Roman Catholic Mary, Queen of Scots.
lectern: A desk or stand for holding a Bible in a church sanctuary.
lent: In the cycle of the Christian year the season of lent begins 40 days before Easter. It is a season of devotion and preparation prior to Easter.
litany: A form of prayer in which the petitions to God spoken by the person leading worship are separated by a designated response by the worshipping congregation.
Manse: house in which minister lives, sometimes called parsonage. Means “dwelling.”
Minister: A Minister of Word and Sacrament is a person who has been set aside by ordination to serve the church. Ministers are sometimes referred to as teaching elders.
Moderator: A person who presides at a meeting of a church court to direct the business and keep order. The Minister of a local congregation is the Moderator of the Session. At the Presbytery, Synod and General Assembly level the Moderator is elected.
narthex: The entry or gathering area of a church building through which people pass before entering the sanctuary. Also sometimes called the “welcoming hall.”
ordain: To set apart for special duties in the church as a minister, elder or deacon.
Pentecost: A designation for the second Sunday after Ascension Day in the Christian year. This day commemorates the events recorded in Acts 2: in the New Testament and marks the giving of the Holy Spirit to the Church. It is sometimes referred to as the birthday of the church.
Presbyterian: A generic name given to churches in various parts of the world who trace their roots to the protestant Reformation of the 16th. century and who accept a form of church government in which crucial decisions are made by elders. The word Presbyterian is derived from the Greek word that appears in the New Testament and which is translated “elder” (as in Acts 15:2 and 20:17, etc.).
Presbytery: The second level of church government which includes a number of congregations in a geographical area. We are in North Central Iowa Presbytery.
pulpit: A desk or stand in a church sanctuary behind which a minister may stand in delivering a sermon to the congregation.
Responsive Reading: A reading from scripture in which the congregation takes part by reading alternate parts or verses of the lesson.
sanctuary: The term used to refer to that area of a church building which is used for the holding of public worship services.
THE CHURCH AND ITS MISSION
The mission of the Church is given form by God’s activity in the world as told in the Bible and understood by faith. a. God created the heavens and the earth and made human beings in God’s image, charging them to care for all that lives; God made men and women to live in community, responding to their Creator with grateful obedience. Even when the human race broke community with its Maker and with one another, God did not forsake it, but out of grace chose one family for the sake of all, to be pilgrims of promise, God’s own Israel.
God liberated the people of Israel from oppression; God covenanted with Israel to be their God and they to be God’s people, that they might do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with the Lord; God confronted Israel with the responsibilities of this covenant, judging the people for their unfaithfulness while sustaining them by divine grace.
God was incarnate in Jesus Christ, who announced good news to the poor, proclaimed release for prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, let the broken victims go free, and proclaimed the year of the Lord’s favor. Jesus came to seek and to save the lost; in his life and death for others God’s redeeming love for all people was made visible; and in the resurrection of Jesus Christ there is the assurance of God’s victory over sin and death and the promise of God’s continuing presence in the world.
God’s redeeming and reconciling activity in the world continues through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, who confronts individuals and societies with Christ’s Lordship of life and calls them to repentance and to obedience to the will of God.
The Church of Jesus Christ is the provisional demonstration of what God intends for all of humanity.
a. The Church is called to be a sign in and for the world of the new reality which God has made available to people in Jesus Christ.
b. The new reality revealed in Jesus Christ is the new humanity, a new creation, a new beginning for human life in the world:
(1) Sin is forgiven. (2) Reconciliation is accomplished. (3) The dividing walls of hostility are torn down.
The Church is the body of Christa, both in its corporate life and in the lives of its individual members, and is called to give shape and substance to this truth. The Church is called to tell the good news of salvation by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ as the only Savior and Lord, proclaiming in Word and Sacrament that
(1) the new age has dawned. (2) God who creates life, frees those in bondage, forgives sin, reconciles brokenness, makes all things new, is still at work in the world. b. The Church is called to present the claims of Jesus Christ, leading persons to repentance, acceptance of him as Savior and Lord, and new life as his disciples.
The Church is called to be Christ’s faithful evangelist
(1) going into the world, making disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all he has commanded; (2) demonstrating by the love of its members for one another and by the quality of its common life the new reality in Christ; sharing in worship, fellowship, andnurture, practicing a deepened life of prayer and service under the guidance of the Holy Spirit; (3) participating in God’s activity in the world through its life for others by
(a) healing and reconciling and binding up wounds,
(b) ministering to the needs of the poor, the sick, the lonely, and the powerless,
(c) engaging in the struggle to free people from sin, fear, oppression, hunger, and injustice, (d) giving itself and its substance to the service of those who suffer, (e) sharing with Christ in the establishing of his just, peaceable, and loving rule in the world.
The Church is called to undertake this mission even at the risk of losing its life, trusting in God alone as the author and giver of life, sharing the gospel, and doing those deeds in the world that point beyond themselves to the new reality in Christ. The Church is called a. to a new openness to the presence of God in the Church and in the world, to more fundamental obedience, and to a more joyous celebration in worship and work; to a new openness to its own membership, by affirming itself as a community of diversity, becoming in fact as well as in faith a community of women and men of all ages, races, and conditions, and by providing for inclusiveness as a visible sign of the new humanity; to a new openness to the possibilities and perils of its institutional forms in order to ensure the faithfulness and usefulness of these forms to God’s activity in the world; to a new openness to God’s continuing reformation of the Church ecumenical, that it might be a more effective instrument of mission in the world.
Filed under: 19 - Essentials
When we ordain people in our church to leadership positions we ask them several questions of faith which includes:
(3) “Do you sincerely receive and adopt the essential tenets of the Reformed faith as expressed in the confessions of our church as authentic and reliable expositions of what Scripture leads us to believe and do, and will you be instructed by those confessions as you lead the people of God?”
The author Jack Rogers, who among his many claims to fame served as Moderator of the denomination, did his best to distinguish them and delineated the following ten:
Sovereignty Trinity
Incarnation Justification
Scripture Election
Covenant Stewardship
Sin Obedience
Here, then are the Ten Essentials of Reformed Faith…
Presbyterians are people of three books:
- The Bible
- The Book of Confessions
- The Book of Order
The Book of Confessions and The Book of Order comprise the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church.
The Book of Order lists ten doctrines (beliefs) which we Presbyterians take to be essential to our faith:
- Two are shared with the one catholic, apostolic Church:
- The mystery of the Trinity.
- The Incarnation of the Word of God in Jesus Christ. (John 1:1-14)Two are identified with our affirmation of the Protestant Reformation:
- Justification by grace through faith. (Romans 5:1; Ephesians 2:8-9)
- The Scriptures as the final authority for salvation and faithful living. (II Timothy 3:16)
Sola gratia — grace alone
Sola fide — faith alone
Sola scriptura — Scripture aloneSix express the faith of the Reformed tradition:
- The Sovereignty of God. (Psalm 103:19)
- God’s choosing (Election) of people for service and for salvation. (Ephesians 2:10)
- The Covenant life of the Church, ordering itself according to the Word of God.
- A faithful Stewardship of God’s creation.
- The sin of idolatry, our tendency to make created things ultimate, rather than worshipping only the Creator.
- The necessity of Obedience to the Word of God.
“Thus the creeds and confessions of this Church reflect a particular stance within the history of God’s people. They are the result of prayer, thought, and experience within a living tradition. They serve to strengthen personal commitment and the life and witness of the community of believers.” The Book of Order, Chapter II (G 2.0500)
Filed under: 8 - The Bible
Christians believe that the Bible is the most important book ever written – inspired by God, a gift from Him to us. We have made it the best-selling book of all time, by far. But most copies that are sold are not read, just put up on a shelf or on the coffee table in our homes. Why do you suppose that is?
What do we believe about this book, how did we get it, and why should we read it?
Inspired by God
As Methodists, we believe that the Bible is “the inspired word of God”. The word “inspire” comes from the Latin word inspirare which means “to breathe into” (strange, when we study God we keep discovering words about breathing). We know that the 66 books of the Bible were written by 40 different authors over 1600 years. When we believe these authors were inspired by God, we are saying that God breathed His truth into the words. When the prophets spoke and their words were written down, we received God’s words. When the authors of the Gospels wrote the stories they collected from the followers of a Jewish rabbi named Jesus, we received God’s story. And we believe that God inspired those who throughout history have researched and prayed to create the Bible we read today, assembling some works while rejecting others, to present God’s truth to our modern world.
The Story
What is “the story” of the Bible? At face value, it seems to be a collection of many different things: historical narrative, rules to live by, poetry and songs, mystical visions, letters from disciples to followers. Is there one consistent theme that we could capture in just a few words?
If I had to do that, here is what I would say: the Bible is a collection of stories about people who were in relationship with God. All the books center on people in partnership with God, that were given God’s authority to carry out His work in the world.
Why would God want us to have a book like that? Instead of a book that speaks in so many different ways — ways that we have to interpret and study and wrestle with — why doesn’t God just write down the rules? That way, when we need His answers, we could go straight to the index and look them up!
We believe God gave us the Bible that we have because he does not want us to just look up the answers. Remember how we found evidence in Genesis that we were created to be partners with God? God wants humans to be His partners in the work He is doing in the world. Just as God gives us His Holy Spirit for guidance, He gives us this Bible for the same purpose. God wants growth, motion forward, in new directions that, as partners under His guidance, we decide. But in order to receive His guidance and decide wisely, we need the stories of others that have walked with God.
Stories Make Us Think
The narrative style of the Bible reminds me of the way Jesus taught many of his most important lessons. Jesus used stories too, called parables, to engage his listeners and make them think for themselves. Jesus told the parable of the sower (Luke 8:4-15) instead of shouting, “the best way to receive the Word of God is in your heart!” Jesus told the story of the good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) instead of telling the rich man, “everyone is your neighbor.”
God knows that the best way to draw us humans into relationship is to make us think, and stories do that. Just like a really good movie or book, the parables of Jesus and the stories of the Bible seem at first like a different world with characters that we begin to recognize as the story unfolds. We have to think about them, find the moral, and find ourselves. Then we are fully engaged, thinking through all the consequences of “everyone is your neighbor” that we’d have otherwise missed.
Hearing God’s Word
Christians believe that God speaks to us through the Bible. But we cannot hear His voice and think about His stories unless we read. Reading the Bible is something you should strive to do every day.
Consider your Bible. Do you like it? Do you find it easy to read or is the language difficult? There are dozens of English translations of the Bible available to us today. Is one better than the others? Scholars will argue that some translations are closer to the historical texts (written in Aramaic, Hebrew, and Greek) than others, but the best translation of the Bible for you is the one that you will read.
Filed under: 17 -- Living to Serve
Presbyterians are SERVING PEOPLE
As far back as 1837 the General Assembly declared that the church, by its very nature, is a missionary society whose purpose is to share the love of God in Jesus Christ in word and deed and with all the world. Witnessing to the good news of Jesus Christ throughout the world, Presbyterians engage in mission activities, seek to alleviate hunger, foster self-development, respond to disasters, support mission works, preach the gospel, heal the sick and educate new generations for the future. In partnership with more than 165 churches and Christian organizations around the world, the missionary efforts of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) involve nearly 300 volunteers and compensated personnel. A host of other dedicated workers includes mission specialists and contract associates; Presbyterian Church members working for overseas employers, recognized as having strategic roles with missionary intent; binational servants, who advocate the insights of one culture while living in another; and overseas Christians enabled by Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) funds and ecumenical planning to go in mission with congregations and presbyteries in the United States.
Presbyterians are CARING PEOPLE
Besides annual receipts from congregations and income from endowments, additional special funds are received each year that make particular ministries possible. These include funds received through Selected Giving Programs and the Special Gifts Program, through the Hunger Fund, Presbyterian Women’s Birthday Offering (spring) and Thank Offering (fall), and through four special churchwide offerings: One Great Hour of Sharing, divided among Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, Self-Development of People, and the Presbyterian Hunger Program; the Christmas Joy Offering, which supports racial ethnic schools and assistance programs of the Board of Pensions; the Peacemaking Offering to support peace education and peacemaking efforts throughout the denomination; and the Pentecost Offering to support ministries with youth and young adults and children at risk.
Presbyterians are LOOKING TOWARD the FUTURE
Presbyterians in the 21st century have a vision of ministry that is vibrant and inviting and reflects the love and justice of Jesus Christ.
The denomination has set four mission priorities for the next phase of our life as the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.):
Evangelism and Witness - We are called to invite all people to faith, repentance and the abundant life of God in Jesus Christ, to encourage congregations in joyfully sharing the gospel, and through the power of the Holy Spirit to grow in membership and discipleship.
Justice and Compassion - We are called to address wrongs in every aspect of life and the whole of creation, intentionally working with and on behalf of poor, oppressed and disadvantaged people as did Jesus Christ, even at risk to our corporate and personal lives.
Spirituality and Discipleship- We are called to deeper discipleship through Scripture, worship, prayer, study, stewardship and service and to rely on the Holy Spirit to mold our lives more and more into the likeness of Jesus Christ.
Leadership and Vocation – We are called to lead by Jesus Christ’s example, to identify spiritual gifts and to equip and support Christians of all ages for faithful and effective servant leadership in all parts of the body of Christ.
With the knowledge that in life and death we belong to God, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) continues the journey with hope and confidence as we move toward a third century of witness and service to a world in need of love.
Social Issues
The Presbytertian Church affirms its conviction that neither the Church as the body of Christ, nor Christians as individuals, can be neutral or indifferent toward evil in the world; Affirms its responsibility to speak on social and moral issues for the encouragement and instruction of the Church and its members, seeking earnestly both to know the mind of Christ and to speak always in humility and love; Reminds the local churches that their duty is not only to encourage and train their members in daily obedience to God’s will, but corporately to reveal God’s grace in places of suffering and need, to resist the forces that tyrannize, and to support the forces that restore the dignity of all men and women as humans created by God, and to promote His way of love and respect, for only so is the gospel most fully proclaimed.
Filed under: 21-- Brief Statement
The Statement
In life and in death we belong to God.
Through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the love of God,
and the communion of the Holy Spirit,
we trust in the one triune God, the Holy One of Israel,
whom alone we worship and serve. We trust in Jesus Christ,
Fully human, fully God.
Jesus proclaimed the reign of God:
preaching good news to the poor
and release to the captives,
teaching by word and deed
and blessing the children,
healing the sick
and binding up the brokenhearted,
eating with outcasts,
forgiving sinners,
and calling all to repent and believe the gospel.
Unjustly condemned for blasphemy and sedition,
Jesus was crucified,
suffering the depths of human pain
and giving his life for the sins of the world.
God raised Jesus from the dead,
vindicating his sinless life,
breaking the power of sin and evil,
delivering us from death to life eternal.We trust in God,
whom Jesus called Abba, Father.
In sovereign love God created the world good
and makes everyone equally in God’s image
male and female, of every race and people,
to live as one community.
But we rebel against God; we hide from our Creator.
Ignoring God’s commandments,
we violate the image of God in others and ourselves,
accept lies as truth,
exploit neighbor and nature,
and threaten death to the planet entrusted to our care.
We deserve God’s condemnation.
Yet God acts with justice and mercy to redeem creation.
In everlasting love,
the God of Abraham and Sarah chose a covenant people
to bless all families of the earth.
Hearing their cry,
God delivered the children of Israel
from the house of bondage.
Loving us still,
God makes us heirs with Christ of the covenant.
Like a mother who will not forsake her nursing child,
like a father who runs to welcome the prodigal home,
God is faithful still. We trust in God the Holy Spirit,
everywhere the giver and renewer of life.
The Spirit justifies us by grace through faith,
sets us free to accept ourselves and to love God and neighbor,
and binds us together with all believers
in the one body of Christ, the church.
The same Spirit
who inspired the prophets and apostles
rules our faith and life in Christ through Scripture,
engages us through the Word proclaimed,
claims us in the waters of baptism,
feeds us with the bread of life and the cup of salvation,
and calls women and men to all ministries of the church.
In a broken and fearful world
the Spirit gives us courage
to pray without ceasing,
to witness among all peoples to Christ as Lord and Savior,
to unmask idolatries in church and culture,
to hear the voices of peoples long silenced,
and to work with others for justice, freedom, and peace.
In gratitude to God, empowered by the Spirit,
we strive to serve Christ in our daily tasks
and to live holy and joyful lives,
even as we watch for God’s new heaven and new earth,
praying, Come, Lord Jesus!With believers in every time and place,
we rejoice that nothing in life or in death
can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Filed under: 20 -- Faith Today
Theology
Some of the principles articulated by John Calvin remain at the core of Presbyterian beliefs. Among these are the sovereignty of God, the authority of the scripture, justification by grace through faith and the priesthood of all believers. What they mean is that God is the supreme authority throughout the universe. Our knowledge of God and God’s purpose for humanity comes from the Bible, particularly what is revealed in the New Testament through the life of Jesus Christ. Our salvation (justification) through Jesus is God’s generous gift to us and not the result of our own accomplishments. It is everyone’s job – ministers and lay people alike – to share this Good News with the whole world. That is also why the Presbyterian church is governed at all levels by a combination of clergy and laity, men and women alike.
Points of Interest: Presbyterians confess their beliefs through statements that have been adopted over the years and are contained in the Book of Confessions. These statements reflect our understanding of God and what God expects of us at different times in history, but all are faithful to the fundamental beliefs described above. Even though we share these common beliefs, Presbyterians understand that God alone is lord of the conscience, and it is up to each individual to understand what these principles mean in his or her life. The faith we confess unites us with the one, universal church. The most important beliefs of Presbyterians are those we share with other Christians, and especially with other evangelical Christians who look to the Protestant Reformation as a renewal of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Diversity remains. But we are thankful that in our time the many churches are learning to accept, and even to affirm, diversity without divisiveness, since the whole counsel of God is more than the wisdom of any individual or any one tradition. The Spirit of Truth gives new light to the churches when they are willing to become pupils together of the Word of God. This statement therefore intends to confess the catholic faith. We are convinced that to the Reformed churches a distinctive vision of the catholic faith has been entrusted for the good of the whole church. Accordingly, “A Brief Statement of Faith” includes the major themes of the Reformed tradition (such as those mentioned in the Book of Order, Form of Government, Chapter 2), without claiming them as our private possession, just as we ourselves hope to learn and to share the wisdom and insight given to traditions other than our own. And as a confession that seeks to be both catholic and Reformed, the statement (following the apostle’s blessing in 2 Cor. 13:14) is a trinitarian confession in which the grace of Jesus Christ has first place as the foundation of our knowledge of God’s sovereign love and our life together in the Holy Spirit.
No confession of faith looks merely to the past; every confession seeks to cast the light of a priceless heritage on the needs of the present moment, and so to shape the future. Reformed confessions, in particular, when necessary even reform the tradition itself in the light of the Word of God. From the first, the Reformed churches have insisted that the renewal of the church must become visible in the transformation of human lives and societies. Hence “A Brief Statement of Faith” lifts up concerns that call most urgently for the church’s attention in our time. The church is not a refuge from the world; an elect people is chosen for the blessing of the nations. A sound confession, therefore, proves itself as it nurtures commitment to the church’s mission, and as the confessing church itself becomes the body by which Christ continues the blessing of his earthly ministry.
Filed under: Lesson 24 -- Predestination
Predestination Predestination is a teaching to which some Christians have adhered, including the Reformed theologian John Calvin. While the doctrine of predestination has sometimes been hotly disputed, it belongs within the larger context of John Calvin’s teachings about God’s grace.
Calvin argued from Scripture that God has “predestined” or “elected” some people to be saved in Jesus Christ and others not to be. He insisted, nonetheless, that we could be sure only of our own salvation; we were never in a position to judge whether or not another person was saved. As the Second Helvetic Confession says,
We must hope well of all, and not rashly judge any man to be a reprobate. (5.055)
For Calvin, the point of the doctrine of predestination was to remind us that God is free and gracious. There is nothing that we can do to earn God’s favor. Rather, our salvation comes from God alone. We are able to choose God because God first chose us.
Properly understood, the doctrine of predestination frees us from speculating about who is saved and who is not. God has already taken care of these matters in the mystery of God’s own being. We are called to hear God’s good news in Jesus Christ and to trust in God through Jesus Christ.
For the preaching of the Gospel is to be heard, and it is to be believed; and it is to be held as beyond doubt that if you believe and are in Christ, you are elected. (Second Helvetic Confession, 5.059)
The doctrine of predestination is to be
“held in harmony with the doctrine of [God's] love to all mankind . . . [and] with the doctrine that God desires not the death of any sinner, but has provided in Christ a salvation sufficient for all” (amendment to the Westminster Confession of Faith, 6.192).
From Presbyterian 101, PCUSA website www.pcusa.org
Filed under: Lesson 18 -- Grace Like Rain
