The Bible clearly teaches it is the initial act of sexual intercourse which initiates the marriage. Jesus went to the marriage at Cana to party, not to officiate.
I have been told that in The Netherlands the church ceremony only confirms the government-issued marriage license. In the US, the pastor acts as a government agent.
If John Calvin was alive today and had access to the ancient manuscripts we do would he republish his writings exactly as written? I have read Orthodox and Catholic commentary of the Catholic revision to the Nicene Creed and have concluded that the Catholic revision, which we use, is wrong.
Seems to me that, to some, our confessions are more important than the text of the Bible.
The first sentence of the text of http://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2014/05/13054/
"The only form of marriage that existed before the fall was between one man and one woman." This is disingenuous because before the fall there were only one adult human male and one adult human female in the Garden.
Second sentence, "The narrative trajectory of the Old Testament shows that all other versions were the result of sin."
Isaac's example is arrangement by the tribal chief and ratified by sexual intercourse. Is this version more or less sinful than the CRC approved model?
"Why does citizenship in a nation state trump membership in the Body of Christ? Does civil religion take precedence to following Jesus Christ?"
Jesus reduced the entire LAW, OT and NT to "Love God and be a good neighbor" but the Devil is in the details. Our sin nature effects all human activities including the Church.
To anyone: Would John Calvin agreed that one should leave his "Reformed" denomination for the sorts of possible reasons listed above by John Zylstra? It has been a long time since I have read The Institutes.
Do most church councils know these resources exist?
Anyway, the verse chosen for the article title is an argument against the infalliablity of the Bible. Why? It probably represents the best biological science of that day, We now know that dead seeds don't sprout.
The Church should be relevant by loving God and being a good neighbor. The. Church as no other public leadership roll unless asked to comment/testify as a qualified witness. The members of the church should participate as private citizens as led by the Holy Spirit. That is what "separation of Church and State" should mean.
The way the US is going, the government/bureaucratic/corporate goal is for every person to consider himself in "special need." I suppose it is because it builds the money machine in DC. When every voter is getting some kind of special dole every month the incumbents will be pragmatically locked into their jobs.
For the last 20 years every budget passed by synod is over priced by 40% or so. The US is still in a working class recession. For Synod and its departments to suggest that local congregations hire more personnel is (words I don't put into print).
As an adult I read and heard it for ten years before I began to understand it. Maybe it is clearer in Latin, German, or Dutch. In English it doesn't quite compute e.g. "The Devil is in the details."
1992 was a different world. From the end of WW2 until around 1970 the US and Canada lived in a dream world of an economic bubble. The cost of living in most countries was much lower than here. The bubble has popped and we are regressing to the 1850-1950 or so economic norm. I don't think "the good old days" will return in this generation and I no suggestion except to seriously consider it.
"I wish that, as a confessionally Reformed church, every congregation gave 101% of their
designated annual amount per member."
I wonder how many congregations give 100% . . . 90%? As I recall, synod has been getting less than 75% of budget, Been awhile since I read then numbers.
Posted in: What Do We Want from The Banner?
The Bible clearly teaches it is the initial act of sexual intercourse which initiates the marriage. Jesus went to the marriage at Cana to party, not to officiate.
I have been told that in The Netherlands the church ceremony only confirms the government-issued marriage license. In the US, the pastor acts as a government agent.
Posted in: What Do We Want from The Banner?
1 Corinthians 6:16
New International Version (NIV)
16 Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.”
Thus the sex act was/is the marriage ceremony.
Posted in: What Do We Want from The Banner?
If John Calvin was alive today and had access to the ancient manuscripts we do would he republish his writings exactly as written? I have read Orthodox and Catholic commentary of the Catholic revision to the Nicene Creed and have concluded that the Catholic revision, which we use, is wrong.
Seems to me that, to some, our confessions are more important than the text of the Bible.
Posted in: What Do We Want from The Banner?
The first sentence of the text of http://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2014/05/13054/
"The only form of marriage that existed before the fall was between one man and one woman." This is disingenuous because before the fall there were only one adult human male and one adult human female in the Garden.
Second sentence, "The narrative trajectory of the Old Testament shows that all other versions were the result of sin."
Isaac's example is arrangement by the tribal chief and ratified by sexual intercourse. Is this version more or less sinful than the CRC approved model?
Posted in: What Do We Want from The Banner?
"Why does citizenship in a nation state trump membership in the Body of Christ? Does civil religion take precedence to following Jesus Christ?"
Jesus reduced the entire LAW, OT and NT to "Love God and be a good neighbor" but the Devil is in the details. Our sin nature effects all human activities including the Church.
Posted in: What Do We Want from The Banner?
To anyone: Would John Calvin agreed that one should leave his "Reformed" denomination for the sorts of possible reasons listed above by John Zylstra? It has been a long time since I have read The Institutes.
Posted in: Unless a Kernel of Wheat Falls
Do most church councils know these resources exist?
Anyway, the verse chosen for the article title is an argument against the infalliablity of the Bible. Why? It probably represents the best biological science of that day, We now know that dead seeds don't sprout.
Posted in: The Voice of The Church in Society
The Church should be relevant by loving God and being a good neighbor. The. Church as no other public leadership roll unless asked to comment/testify as a qualified witness. The members of the church should participate as private citizens as led by the Holy Spirit. That is what "separation of Church and State" should mean.
Posted in: The Case for Hiring A Special Needs Coordinator
The way the US is going, the government/bureaucratic/corporate goal is for every person to consider himself in "special need." I suppose it is because it builds the money machine in DC. When every voter is getting some kind of special dole every month the incumbents will be pragmatically locked into their jobs.
For the last 20 years every budget passed by synod is over priced by 40% or so. The US is still in a working class recession. For Synod and its departments to suggest that local congregations hire more personnel is (words I don't put into print).
Posted in: Reciting HC Q&A 1 During Worship Service
As an adult I read and heard it for ten years before I began to understand it. Maybe it is clearer in Latin, German, or Dutch. In English it doesn't quite compute e.g. "The Devil is in the details."
Posted in: Synod World Missions: Missionaries to Raise 90% of Their Salaries
1992 was a different world. From the end of WW2 until around 1970 the US and Canada lived in a dream world of an economic bubble. The cost of living in most countries was much lower than here. The bubble has popped and we are regressing to the 1850-1950 or so economic norm. I don't think "the good old days" will return in this generation and I no suggestion except to seriously consider it.
Posted in: Synod World Missions: Missionaries to Raise 90% of Their Salaries
"I wish that, as a confessionally Reformed church, every congregation gave 101% of their
designated annual amount per member."
I wonder how many congregations give 100% . . . 90%? As I recall, synod has been getting less than 75% of budget, Been awhile since I read then numbers.