By Simon Jooste Under the New Covenant signed in Christ’s blood, God’s institution of the slaughtered paschal Lamb and festive meal at Passover (Num. 9:1-3; cf. Exodus 12:11-27) has now been replaced with Christ’s establishment of the ongoing sacrament of the Lord’s Supper (Matt. 26:26-29; cf. 1 Cor. 11:23-26). TheContinue Reading
By Simon Jooste Space does not permit an elaborate historical treatment of the question of Christ’s presence in the Lord’s Supper. Suffice to say, the ancient church exhibited a variety of views on the relationship between the signs of bread and wine and the thing they signified (Christ crucified andContinue Reading
By Simon Jooste The Three Forms of Unity – the Belgic Confession, the Heidelberg Catechism and the Canons of the Synod of Dort – represent a summary of what the Word of God teaches. They dedicate a significant amount of space to the official ministry of the Word in theContinue Reading
By Simon Jooste The original sixteenth- and seventeenth-century horizon of the Three Forms of Unity and the 1619 Church Order of the Synod of Dort was thick with about five hundred years of theological innovation in the medieval Roman Catholic church, which included the Lord’s Supper. In keeping with aContinue Reading
Simon Jooste The Bible sets forth two sacraments that were instituted by God and qualify as means of grace. In the Old Testament, they were circumcision and the Passover meal. In the New Testament, these rites have been replaced with baptism and the Lord’s Supper respectively. Those that claim additionalContinue Reading
Among the many spiritual ills that afflicted the Corinthian congregation was a class of leaders, self-appointed “Super Apostles” (2 Cor 11:5, 12). These so-called “Super Apostles” compared themselves to the Apostle Paul and claimed to be superior to him. Where Paul’s speech was imperfect, theirs was polished. Where he wasContinue Reading
In this video, Dr Julius J. Kim explains that preaching the whole counsel of God means to preach the Gospel that is found throughout all the Scriptures, from Genesis to Revelation. Kim is the president of The Gospel Coalition.Continue Reading
In this video, W. Robert Godfrey explains the importance of the Psalms. Godfrey is President Emeritus and Professor Emeritus of Church History at Westminster Seminary California, and he is chairman of the board of Ligonier Ministries.Continue Reading
Presbyterians sometimes say, partially tongue-in-cheek, that Acts 15 records the church’s first “general assembly”. In some ways, however, this council was unlike later church councils and later denominations’ annual (or regular) synods and assemblies. First, this council did not have representative elders from the churches that had been established byContinue Reading
Calvin says “there is no other way to enter life unless [the visible church acting as our mother] conceive us in her womb, give us birth, nourish us at her breast, and lastly unless she keeps us under her care and guidance”. Such is the importance of the visible churchContinue Reading