Friday, May 2nd, 2008
Some Preliminary Considerations
Rev. Brian M. Abshire
Introduction
Since the time of the Enlightenment, the role of human reason has become paramount in Western thinking. Though initially based on the out-workings of a thousand years of Christian presuppositions, modern man discovered that reason had given him ...
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Friday, May 2nd, 2008
Rev. Brian M. Abshire
In 1973, God used the witness of men working in parachurch organizations to bring me to saving faith in His Son Jesus and teach me the fundamentals of a Christian walk. While I was encouraged to attend a "Bible believing ...
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Friday, May 2nd, 2008
I still remember the first time I encountered the doctrine of election. I was in my first semester at a Christian college, taking Theology 101. After dealing with the doctrines of God, Christ and Man, we finally got to salvation. And the professor turned out to be ...
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Tuesday, April 22nd, 2008
Introduction
Baptism is one of those perennial theological debates in which Christians have been engaged since the 16th century. Sincere believers honestly come to the same Scriptures yet often reach radically different conclusions. All Christians acknowledge that Baptism was instituted by the Lord Jesus as an abiding sign of admission to His church; but the questions of what does it mean, to whom does it apply and how should it be administered continues to divide the faithful. While it is unlikely that we will satisfactorily resolve these questions in one small essay, we can at least explain the Reformed position for those who are new to the faith.
What Do We Mean by Reformed?
The adjective Reformed refers to those Christians who accept the understanding of Scripture hammered out during the Great Reformation of the 16th and 17th centuries (summarized in such comprehensive creedal statements as the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms). By the 16th century, many people within the Western Catholic (meaning "universal") church recognized that something had to be done. Various attempts had been made for years (e.g., Hus and Wycliff,) to steer the church back to a more biblical foundation but the ecclesiastical structure often suppressed, persecuted or even killed those who wanted to change the church from the inside.
While all admitted the Church was suffering from corruption, confused doctrine, incompetent priests and superstitious laymen, at the heart of the controversy was the issue of authority; who or what on earth is the ultimate source of authority for Christians? The Roman church insisted that she, through her Popes, councils and ecclesiastical structure had divine authority. The Reformers on the other hand insisted that authority MUST reside in something other than fallible men or contradictory councils and declared that it was found in the Word of God, the Bible.
Eventually this issue of authority came to a head when Martin Luther, a professor of theology, posted his now famous 95 thesis for discussion (1517). His original intention was NOT to separate from the Roman church, but rather engage in an academic debate concerning certain beliefs and practices. Rather than debate these issues, the Roman hierarchy instead attempted to assassinate him and so the Reformation was born.
Eventually, three distinct groups arose during the Reformation; the Lutherans, the Reformed and the Anabaptists. The Lutherans (in Germany and Scandinavia) essentially tried to correct the worst excesses of the Roman church but still retained many of the previous practices. The Anabaptist movement radically disassociated itself with anything to do with the historic church and wanted to return to a "pure" and "primitive" Christianity. The most distinguishing mark of the Anabaptists was the belief that Roman baptisms were invalid and that a person had to be baptized again (hence the name). The Reformed group, most influenced by the writing and leadership of John Calvin, Martin Bucer and John Knox, recognized their historic continuity with the ancient church but wanted to remove the many man-made rituals and traditions that had no Biblical support. Essentially they attempted to build a comprehensive Christian worldview based on the Scriptures.
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Sunday, April 20th, 2008
The Reformer Who Didn't Reform
Rev. Brian M. Abshire
I once watched a PBS debate on the topic of whether the Religious Right was a threat to American democracy. William F. Buckley, Pat Robertson and others pleaded that they were four square in favor of the flag, ...
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Sunday, April 20th, 2008
An Analysis of Colossians 2:11-12
Rev. Brian M. Abshire
God's revelation of Himself in creation is a wondrous complexity of awesome mystery and intricacy. Each of us tries to fit the pieces of the puzzle together the best we can. Sometimes our picture of reality may be quite close to the mark. ...
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Sunday, April 20th, 2008
As a truly Reformed sort of fellow, following the Regulative Principle of worship, I believe that if God does not COMMAND something in worship, then it is FORBIDDEN in worship. Yet working out the regulative principle is sometimes difficult. Sure, we don't need no stinking drama in ...
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Sunday, April 20th, 2008
For a number of years, I worked closely with the Chalcedon Foundation, mostly as a writer and speaker, but also serving on the board of directors. This has been in the main, a very positive experience. I have had the opportunity to work with some very talented ...
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Sunday, April 20th, 2008
The Importance of Personal Salvation Rev. Brian M. Abshire
The word "Christian" has become a flabby word today without a clear definition. The term has been so twisted and turned and means so many things to so many people it is almost meaningless. For example, in some places, ...
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Sunday, April 20th, 2008
An Analysis of the Historic Creeds of the Reformed Faith on Scripture Rev. Brian M. Abshire
"All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction and training in righteousness that the man of God may be perfectly equipped for every good work…" 2 Tim 3:16-17
The doctrine ...
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