westportexperiment

Los Cánones de Dort (1619), 1.1-3

CAPÍTULO PRIMERO

DE LA DOCTRINA DE LA ELECCIÓN DIVINA Y LA REPROBACIÓN.

Enseñanza sobre la predestinación divina, la cual el Sínodo declara que es conforme a la Palabra de Dios, aceptada hasta ahora por las Iglesias reformadas y presentada en varios artículos.

ARTÍCULO I.

Puesto que todos los hombres han pecado en Adán y se han hecho reos de maldición y muerte eterna, Dios no habría hecho injusticia a nadie si hubiese querido dejar a todo el género humano en el pecado y en la maldición, y condenarlo a causa del pecado, según estas expresiones del Apóstol: “para que toda boca se calle y todo el mundo sea hecho responsable ante Dios”; “ por cuanto todos pecaron y no alcanzan la gloria de Dios” (Romanos 3:19,23); y, “porque la paga del pecado es muerte” (Romanos 6:23).

ARTÍCULO II.

Pero en esto se manifestó el amor de Dios: en que Dios ha enviado a su Hijo unigénito al mundo, para que todo aquel que en Él cree, no se pierda, mas tenga vida eterna. (1 Juan 4:9; Juan 3:16).

ARTÍCULO III.

A fin de que los hombres sean traídos a la fe, Dios, en su misericordia, envía mensajeros de esta buena nueva a quienes le place y cuando le place, por cuyo ministerio los hombres son llamados al arrepentimiento y a la fe en el Cristo crucificado. “¿Cómo, pues, invocarán a aquel en quien no han creído? ¿Y cómo creerán en aquel de quien no han oído? ¿Y cómo oirán sin haber quien les predique? ¿Y cómo predicarán si no son enviados?” (Romanos 10:14, 15).

[Lea más aquí.]

“Death to the Patriarchy?”

What is the difference between patriarchy and complementarity — and which is the better term for capturing the full vision of Christian manhood and womanhood? Most complementarians steadfastly avoid the word patriarchy, wanting to distance themselves from any associations with oppression and prejudice. On the other hand, critics of complementarianism are eager to saddle their opponents with the charge of defending patriarchy. The terms often function as a way of communicating, “I’m not that kind of conservative Christian” — to which the reply is, “Oh yes, you are!” So what is the most accurate term for those who want to recapture a lost vision of sexual differentiation and order?

Read the rest here.

Next RYYA weekend

Twice per year, our congregation in Corbin City, New Jersey hosts a free retreat for youth and young adults (teens through twenties+), Reformed Youth & Young Adult Weekends (RYYA). These events are a very special time of fun, fellowship, and worship. There is ample accommodation, but anyone interested should secure a place as soon as possible. The next RYYA weekend is scheduled for March 1st to 3rd, with the theme, “Vocation: Your Life’s Calling.”

Here are posts from previous RYYA weekends: October 2021; February 2022; August 2022 & here, & here; March 2023 and September 2023.

Heathen bribery

-Stephen Charnock

¡Aprende inglés con nosotros!

¡Aprende inglés con nosotros! (And could you come and help us?)

The Marks of the Church

If you move to a new town, you have to find a new church. The search for a new church can be difficult and frustrating. If you pick up the Yellow Pages and look under “church,” you are likely to confront a bewildering array of possibilities. Perhaps you already have some fairly definite ideas of what you want in a church. You may be looking for a good youth group or active senior citizens group. You may want a powerful preacher or a certain kind of music. You may be very loyal to one denomination or you may like to “shop around.”

What should you be looking for in choosing a new church? Your first concern should be that the church be a “true church.” You do not want to choose a church that is part of a sect or a cult. You do not want a church that still bears the name of church, but whose lampstand Christ has removed (Rev. 1–3). How do you recognize a true church? This question was acute at the time of the Reformation. The Roman Catholic Church in the sixteenth century basically argued that Christ preserved the true church through the work of the pope, the bishop of Rome. The true church is easy to recognize because it is in fellowship with the pope. Any church that does not submit to the pope is a false church.

Read the whole article here.