The Gift of Confessional Elders

Usually in a conference there is a period of time set aside for questions and answers (Q&A). It’s a good practice because it gives an indication of what people heard and indicates where things might need to be clarified. It also gives . . . Continue reading →

The Gift of Confessional Elders (2)

Part 1 Before we can see how and why our elders need to be confessional we needed to understand, in the first place, what an elder is. Next, we need to understand what it means to be “confessional” and then, in the . . . Continue reading →

Strangers And Aliens (22a): Serving The Chief Shepherd (1 Peter 5:1–5)

One of the most remarkable aspects of the Roman claims about an alleged Petrine papacy, apart from the utter lack of historical evidence for any such thing, is that Peter did use two different nouns to characterize his offices and ministry, apostle (ἀπόστολος) and presbyter (πρεσβύτερος). As a matter of fact, the papacy per se did not really come to exist until well the 4th century and even then its occasional claims to authority were rebuffed. As late as the 7th century Gregory I (c. 540–604), who was arguably the first Roman bishop to begin to exercise anything like the authority attributed to later popes, rejected the idea of a universal episcopal see. Continue reading →

New In Print: Faithful And Fruitful: Essays For Elders And Deacons

There are three major aspects to being Reformed: theology (doctrine), piety (our reverent approach to God), and practice (how we live out our Christian life in the visible church, at work, and at home). Of these three aspects, theology, whether biblical theology . . . Continue reading →