I'm asking because Craig Blomberg seems to say he does, but I can't find where he gets this from.

I'm a Christian, but don't really believe in reformed theology all that much. I was wondering, how do you mentally make peace with the idea of limited atonement? Personally, I deal with a lot of depression, (Kind of get a sort of existential crisis with doctrines like this) and have too much empathy for others. I feel like, if I were to be convinced by Calvinism, or sit under its teaching at a church at some point, I may not be able to not think about those countless souls who simply weren't chosen for eternal life. It almost seems like God is arbitrarily picking favorites, and seems heartbreaking that some have no hope or choice. I understand that without Christ, nobody is without hope anyway, and all that. I was just wondering how you guys see it. What's a good way to look at it, and how can you rejoice even in that scenario? Hope my question makes sense. Thanks!

This is primarily for women in the OPC and PCA, but obviously anyone can answer.

I have a weird concern that I think I’m just overthinking. An OPC somewhat local to me is hosting a ladies retreat this month. They invited women from other Presbyterian churches in the region, including my mother in law, who is Bible Presbyterian. My MIL invited me to tag along. I go to basically the only orthodox episcopal church in our diocese. My rector describes himself as a classically reformed Protestant, but we are obviously not “Truly Reformed” by the standards the OPC would deem TR. My theology is basically reformed, except I have a more relaxed view of the second commandment and of the regulative principle. Should I avoid telling people where I go to church? Would it open a can of worms? How would you react if someone from my denomination showed up at your ladies retreat? The topic is hospitality so it’s not like we’ll be getting into the weeds of how the 39 Articles compares to the WCF, lol. Am I just overthinking this and it’s NBD?

Also, what should I wear? Are there any unspoken rules about clothing I need to follow? I have visible tattoos, if that matters.

Hello I'm new here but I came here for a oddly specific reason. Me and my wife are starting to have children and I actually like the name Delilah, I think it's pretty regardless of the biblical character. She thinks it's bad and that my child would get made fun of.

Either way since my wife is not on board I'll probably not use the name, but I want to see a general consensus on the name.

Is it bad to name your child Delilah?

Thanks

Zacchaeus climbed a sycamore tree to see Jesus.

From someone who knows something of the language, how confident are we it is a sycamore as I would understand it?

Please and thanks.

Looking for a reformed church to attend and serve. Please give recommendations and why it is.

Sorry for asking maybe a stupid question, but i'm really confused. Did they build the church polity from zero? If there were no ordained ministers available, how would they ordain a new elder?

Happy Lord’s Day! I just want to encourage all of you to share the Gospel with lost people. There’s only one thing you can’t do in Heaven, and that’s to share or preach the Gospel. Buy gospel tracts (Living Waters, Tract Planet, One Million tracts, etc) and pass them out, leave them at gas pumps, restrooms, leave with the check at restaurants, give them to cashiers, etc. You never know how a simple presentation of the Gospel can bless someone or draw them to Jesus. Please share your thoughts on this post and if you share the Gospel, etc. Thank you.

Titus 1:16 "They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work."

I am struggling with that one as I know my works are not up to par and I need to get busy with it.

Can someone(s) recommend more in depth study of Titus and this passage in particular, so I can udnerstand the context because right now it's making me feel doubts and fear, which I have learned is a sure sign that I am misreading or misapplying Scripture.

I'm trying to square Titus with a beloved George Muller piece about salvation (https://www.georgemuller.org/devotional/category/salvation)

Thanks God bless.

If you have requests that you would like your brothers and sisters to pray for, post them here.

Happy Lord's Day to r/reformed! Did you particularly enjoy your pastor's sermon today? Have questions about it? Want to discuss how to apply it? Boy do we have a thread for you!

Sermon Sunday!

Please note that this is not a place to complain about your pastor's sermon. Doing so will see your comment removed. Please be respectful and refresh yourself on the rules, if necessary.

Obviously I want to start by saying that I know that believing in calvinism or reformed theology isn’t a prerequisite for being saved and that we are through faith in Christ, yet how should reformed christians interact with does that hold to different views from use and what makes or bars a Christian from being part of the church catholic? Obviously theologically liberal christians that deny the central tenets of the faith are not part of the church as they deny the essential elements that makes a Christian a Christian, yet where does one draws the line? Obviously someone’s liberal can be another’s conservative. I think orthodox methodist, lutherans, anglicans, evangelical quakers and Pentecostals and many others that subscribe to the essential elements are part of the church and are brothers and sisters, though I disagree with them on some theological points. How should a Christian traverse this topic with levelheaded, charity yet still holding to a reformed worldview??

Thanks in advance.

I am a 17 yrs old male, serious in faith since 13(sometimes I backslide). Come from a Charismatic background. I admire Calvinism(TULIP) and rn Im interested to learn more about Reformed Theology. Anyone here knows where to start. Thanks in advance

If you have requests that you would like your brothers and sisters to pray for, post them here.

When he breaks a man’s heart, it is not for the mere breaking’s sake, it is that he may make it anew. If you have misery in your conscience on account of sin, God has had dealings of love with you, and he has purposes of love concerning you. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” If you are a convinced sinner, Jesus died for you, for he died for sinners. If you can truly say that you are a sinner, I can tell you that Christ Jesus hung upon the cross for you. Look at him there, bleeding; every drop of blood says to you, “I drop, poor sinner, for thee.” Look at that gash in his side, whence flows the double stream of water and blood; it says, “Sinner, this stream runs for thee.” Art thou a sinner? If so, Christ died for thee; and he hath not died in vain, thou shalt be saved. If thou dost but know thyself to be a bona fide sinner, a real one, no mere complimentary sham sinner, but a real actual one, who means what he says, when he declares himself to be guilty and vile; then, as the Lord liveth, Jesus Christ died for you on Calvary; you shall behold his face with joy; you shall be numbered with the Church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven, and you shall sing eternal hallelujahs around the throne of God and the Lamb.

https://www.spurgeon.org/resource-library/sermons/the-sight-of-iniquity/

Hello, my wife and I are members of a PCA church. However, over time out theology has developed and we are both no longer reformed. Neither of us hold to Reformed predestination and my own theology has shifted into a more baptismal regeneration and real presence view of the sacraments with both being generally necessary for salvation.

That said my dilemma is where to go from here. We don’t want to go to another denomination since we have great friends at the church and our daughter loves seeing her friends. However, we are going to raise her with our beliefs which would conflict with what the church is going to be trying to teach her. I’ve also been struggling since being reformed comes up occasionally and I feel like a fake when they say things like “since we are reformed we hold…” in the service.

No one at our church knows except a couple elders I have been confiding in about my doubts with Calvin’s version of predestination prior to abandoning it and neither know that’s what needed up the result. Both basically just told me they didn’t really know what to say when I told them I was having doubts about the Reformed view of predestination.

I’m not sure if we should stay or if we will allowed to still be members now that we don’t hold to reformed doctrine to an extent and I feel like it will cause problems down the road with us raising our daughter in our beliefs contrary to our church’s.

Just looking for some guidance. I’m trying to schedule a talk to one of our pastors soon to talk to him about it but I’m in a bit of a dilemma.

TLDR: what are shows you would recommend with minimal language and inappropriate inuendo? But still interesting.

Wife and I like to occasionally watch a show together. And we have 1 child who is still breastfeeding, so it's a way we can spend time together while still doing what needs to be done. Looking for mainly comedy and light adventure/drama. Nothing to intense or heavy. We are big fans of psych, the office, how I met your mother, Malcolm in the middle. Shows similar to that. Brooklyn nine-nine is good but is often trying to push woke ideology, just a bit hard to watch at times.

Hi all, sorry if this isn’t the best place for this.

Does anyone have any good book/ resource recommendations for the spiritual gifts, cessationism & continuationism?

I came out of a charismatic church as a teen (though never felt comfortable with the gifts like prophecy, tongues, words of knowledge, direct healings etc being practiced) , went to university & became reformed and now am married to a reformed guy & attending an RB church.

I still have continuationist friends & family and while I certainly don’t intend to start a fight, I’d love to be more educated on the topic so if it ever does come up, I’d have a good answer. I know the 1689 says we should only pray in known tongues when praying with others but I’m looking for resources on the biblical position/ reasoning behind this conviction.

A wave of silliness is sweeping across the group turning it into just another lowbrow and quite worldly one among scores of likes on Reddit.

A friend of mine wants to dive deeper into her knowledge and our youth pastor is pairing her up with one of the women in our church for discipleship but until that happens, she asked if I had any resources for a good crash course on systematic theology or if I could give her an overview. I don't really have time or the confidence to sit down with her and explain it on a technical level, but I'd love to provide her with something. Do any of you have any good resources I could suggest?