Studies in the Westminster Confession of Faith - Chapter One - Part 4

Once a month since September 2010 at our midweek prayer meeting & Bible study we have been studying the Westminster Confession of Faith.

This and subsequent posts DV overtime on the blog will contain the notes which were handed out on each occasion.

An audio recording of this study can be listened to on the Church's SermonAudio page - click here

Part four - Chapter One continued

We are continuing to dwell upon the opening chapter sections II & III of the W.C.F, which read:

CHAPTER I - Of the Holy Scripture - Section II. Under the name of Holy Scripture, or the Word of God written, are now contained all the books of the Old and New Testaments, which are these: [The 66 books of the Old and New Testaments are then named]. All which are given by inspiration of God, to be the rule of faith and life.
CHAPTER I - Of the Holy Scripture - Section III. The books commonly called Apocrypha, not being of divine inspiration, are no part of the canon of the Scripture; and therefore are of no authority in the Church of God, nor to be any otherwise approved, or made use of, than other human writings.

We are continuing to consider the evidence that supports the statement in the W.C.F. that the Scriptures have been given by 'inspiration'. We believe in the plenary [all], verbal [referring to the actual words] inspiration of the original Scriptures.

Points already considered
1. The Scriptures themselves claim so, 2 Tim 3:16,17. All of Scripture, the historical as well as the moral, the prophetical as well as doctrinal, are verbally inspired.

2. There must be more than enlargement of the understanding and conception in inspiration since a great many of the things were such as could not have entered into the hearts of men or angels, had they not been revealed to the mind by the Holy Spirit.

New material
3. Inspiration must extend to the words as well as the concepts, for how could the sacred writers, who like all others were accustomed to thinking in words, have the ideas suggested to their own minds except in words? How could they have written intelligibly about future events with which they could have has no previous acquaintance and on doctrinal subjects, far above their comprehension, had not the language as well as the subject matter been furnished to them by divine suggestion? Take note of 1 Cor 2:13: Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. Paul here refers to the words he has used to teach being given by the Holy Ghost. This is verbal inspiration.

Studies in the Westminster Confession of Faith - Chapter One - Part 3

Once a month since September 2010 at our midweek prayer meeting & Bible study we have been studying the Westminster Confession of Faith.

This and subsequent posts DV overtime on the blog will contain the notes which were handed out on each occasion.

An audio recording of this study can be listened to on the Church's SermonAudio page - click here

Part Three - Chapter One continued

We are continuing to dwell upon the opening chapter sections II & III of the W.C.F. They reads:
CHAPTER I - Of the Holy Scripture - Section II. Under the name of Holy Scripture, or the Word of God written, are now contained all the books of the Old and New Testaments, which are these: [The 66 books of the Old and New Testaments are then named]. All which are given by inspiration of God, to be the rule of faith and life.
CHAPTER I - Of the Holy Scripture - Section III. The books commonly called Apocrypha, not being of divine inspiration, are no part of the canon of the Scripture; and therefore are of no authority in the Church of God, nor to be any otherwise approved, or made use of, than other human writings.

The W.C.F. affirms that the canon of Scripture embraces the books of the Old & New Testaments and furthermore that the books of the Apocrypha have no place in that canon. Before we progress to consider the principles of inspiration and authority it is worth considering how the canon of Scripture was decided upon.

I. Inclusion & completion of the canon of Scripture. 

Which books would have a place in the canon of Scripture was decided upon by an examination of the evidences which show that each of them were written by an inspired prophet or inspired apostle whose name they bear or under the supervision of one.

National decline tied to Sabbath desecration

It has been reported here and here that Chancellor George Osborne is proposing to suspend the Sunday Trading laws for eight weeks over the duration of the Olympics. As quite a number of Olympic events are taking place on a Sunday he does not want to give the impression that Britain is closed for business.

It is also suggested here and here that this is more than just a temporary measure during the time of the Olympics but an attempt to use the situation to argue for a repeal of the Sunday Trading laws altogether.

Sabbath desecration is closely tied to national decline. The mistaken idea that more opening hours means more money spent and more prosperity for business, which means more jobs for citizens and more money to spent in shops etc is a deeply flawed argument. This reasoning is based solely on economics.

However, this flawed argument forgets to take on board that there is another law, a moral law, that also operates in this world, whether governments or citizens acknowledge it or not. That moral law states that instead of advancing the prosperity of a nation Sunday Trading brings national decline.

Nehemiah forthrightly told the 'Sunday Traders' this in Nehemiah13:18:
Did not your fathers thus, [buy and sell, see vv15-21] and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the sabbath.

These 'Sunday Traders' in Nehemiah's day had not learned the lesson from previous times. Both in Jeremiah's and in Ezekiel's days this same truth was pressed upon the people of Israel.

St. Patrick - a very misrepresented individual

It is that time of the year again. St Patrick's day is here again. Here is a link to a sermon preached some years ago on the subject:

What did St Patrick really believe?

For a transcript of the sermon see:
Part 1 - Introduction to Patrick -  click here
Part 2 - Patrick had no connection with Romanism - click here
Part 3 - Patrick's teaching on Salvation - click here

A Poem for our Times

Horatius Bonar wrote the following poem in light of departure that was taking place in his day from orthodox, Biblical Christianity. If it was true then how much more so now!

The creeds have gone, so speaks the Age,

The era of the sects is past,

Forward in spite of saints or sage,

True freedom has begun at last.

The Christ of God is now no more,

The Christ of men now sits supreme;

The Cross is part of mythic lore,

The Resurrection morn a dream.

The ages progress fears no God,

No righteous law, no judge's throne;

Man bounds along his new found road,

And calls this universe his own. 

Not faith in God, but faith in man,

Is Pilate now, and sail and oar;

The creeds are shrivelled, cold and wan,

True Christ has been is no more.

200,000+ signatures in 3 weeks in support of traditional marriage

The petition in support of traditional marriage organised by the Coalition for Marriage has reached 200,000+ signatures in 3 weeks. The aim is to have 250,000+ signatures by Easter.

Today there are adverts in some national newspapers such as Daily Telegraph & Daily Express to publicise the national petition for marriage. About 100 wedding pictures will surround the advertisement, showing that the petition represents ordinary people who are positive about marriage, and care about its place in our society.

If you have not already done so please sign the Petition in support of traditional marriage - here

Calvin's hymn - I greet Thee, who my sure Redeemer art

John Calvin was no exclusive psalmist. In 1538 Calvin published a small book of psalms along with the Song of Simeon, the Ten Commandments and the Apostles’ Creed.

This hymn: I greet Thee, who my sure Redeemer art is also attributed to him.

The words are:
I greet Thee, who my sure Redeemer art,
My only trust and Saviour of my heart,
Who pain didst undergo for my poor sake;
I pray Thee from our hearts all cares to take.

Thou art the King of mercy and of grace,
Reigning omnipotent in every place;
So come, O King, and our whole being sway;
Shine on us with the light of Thy pure day.

Thou art the life, by which alone we live,
And all our substance and our strength receive;
Sustain us by Thy faith and by Thy power,
And give us strength in every trying hour.

Thou hast the true and perfect gentleness,
No harshness hast Thou and no bitterness;
O grant to us the grace we find in Thee,
That we may dwell in perfect unity.

Our hope is in no other save in Thee;
Our faith is built upon Thy promise free;
Lord, give us peace, and make us calm and sure,
That in Thy strength we evermore endure.

You can listen to one version of it being beautifully sung on You Tube. Click the picture 

What about Northern Ireland's 'Holocaust'???

This photo is on the front page of the news sheet delivered to the homes in Newtownabbey by the local council. That in itself is a waste of money, especially when the Council is in debt to the tune of £46m. The highest of any local authority in Northern Ireland. See here

However, not only is there a waste of public money involved but there is also rank hypocrisy on display. To involve someone who has openly acknowledged his part in an organisation that brought about a 'holocaust' in Northern Ireland over recent years is sickening to say the least. Martin McGuinness and his fellow travellers in the IRA are no different, and no better, than those Fascists and Nazis who exterminated six million Jews in Europe.

Annual Soul Winners' Convention

Newtownabbey Free Presbyterian Church

Ballyclare Road, Corrs Corner, Glengormley

Soul Winners' Convention

Mr Milos Solc, Free Presbyterian missionary in the Czech Republic, will be the main preacher at the Convention this year. 

Friday 13th April @ 8.00 pm

Youth Rally

Preacher: Mr Milos Solc

Saturday 14th April @ 7.30 pm

Missionary Meeting

Preacher: Mr Milos Solc

Mr Milos Solc will report on his work in the Czech Republic 

and bring a missionary Challenge

Lord's Day 15th April 

Morning Service @ 11.30 am

Preacher Rev David Park

Secretary of FPC Mission Board

Evening Service @ 7.00 pm

Preacher: Mr Milos Solc

… he that winneth souls is wise, Proverbs 11:30

A lesson in discipline Brown Bear style!!

Have a read at this and see the pictures -

Discipline, Mummy Bear-style: Cub given roar of disapproval.... before finally getting a hug

New lows in the abortion debate!

The boundaries of abortion are being pushed all the time in this secular society.

A number of recent reports highlight that the pro-choice lobby [a misnomer for the murder of the unborn] are never content with the situation as it stands but are always wanting to extend the reach of abortion.

Report 1 - Gender Abortion
The Department of Health has launched an inquiry into claims that doctors were filmed agreeing to carry out illegal abortions on the grounds of the sex of unborn children.

This came to light via a Daily Telegraph investigation which revealed that doctors at a number of British abortion clinics were granting abortions with 'no questions asked'.

The Westminster Coalition Health Secretary Andrew Lansley was said to be "shocked" by the claims and has ordered an "urgently and thorough" inquiry.

See - Daily Telegraph report

Report 2 - After birth-abortion
Even more disturbingly, Francesca Minerva, a philosopher and medical ethicist, has argued in an article published in the Journal of Medical Ethics and entitled: After-birth abortion: why should the baby live? that killing a newborn child is little different to aborting it in the womb and that doctors should have the right to kill unwanted or disabled babies at birth as they are not a real person.

Dr Minerva went as far as to suggest that even a healthy baby could have its life terminated if a mother decided she couldn't afford to look after it.

See - Daily Telegraph report

         Daily Mail report