Hi friends, I was baptized Anglican when I was 4 years old and grew up in the Anglican (Episcopalian) Church. However, recently I have been attending a Baptist/Evangelical campus ministry at my college and it feels as if they’re intent on baptizing me again. I thought one baptism was enough? I feel pressured to do it but I also feel uncomfortable about it. It feels as if they don’t consider Anglicans and other older Protestant groups like Lutherans Christian. I’m very confused, any pointers?

I’m a bit confused. I hear people say they crave to sit with the Lord. They are excited to pray and read the Bible - how sweet that fellowship is for them.

I am seeking God, I pray and read the Bible and cry out to him too but I don’t get that joy that people are saying infact most of the time, I see it quite burdensome.

Then also I pray like I said and I cry out to God. But I can always feel something is missing. Do I truly love God? Do I even understand God?

God created me and the whole universe and sent His son down to die for my sin!! Do I even grasp that? I don’t know.

Can anyone help? Am I missing something in all this

Plz don't skip this. It's very short I swear and I just really need an answer to this (I can't google it). This is intended to Protestants who don't believe that the bread and wine literally become the body of Christ. Since Catholics and Lutherans believe that the wine and bread become Christ and they are still our siblings in Christ. How are they different from idol worshippers if it isn't Christs body?

I asked this in r/redeemedzoomer and they directed me here (since a decent chunk of his viewers are Catholic).

I'm curious for perspective here as I am sitting and reading The Gospel Transformation Study Bible. I know that with Bryan Chapell and Dane Ortlund serving as editors I trust the content of this study bible. In reading the study notes on John 11 (Scotty Smith, long-time PCA pastor, did the study notes for John), I read this:

Perhaps it was precisely because of Jesus’ great love for this family that he entrusted to them a very difficult story, a hard providence: the sickness and death of Lazarus.

What do you all think of that note and what it might or might not say about John 11?

I'm trying to understand the arguments for the differing eschatology viewpoints and am relatively new to the amillennialist theory and want to understand it better. Can anyone tell me what their view is on Isaiah 11 please and whether they think any/all of it has happened, is happening or is to happen? Many thanks

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

Does anyone know of a international journal for undergraduate students that touch topics related to politics and theology? I'm a political science major and within my interests within the discipline are the topics of the relation between religion and politics and political theology. Does anyone here know of some journal that accepts article submissions from undergrad's on either of this??

TL;DR: How do we as Christians decide which laws are ok to break? Are any ok to break?

I'm a student that's been doing a lot of reading recently on the Christian's relation to the state, and one thing I'm struggling to understand is where the line is in our civil obedience. Scripture makes the clear command:

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. - Romans 13:1

But how this works in practice is vague, especially when the governing authorities may not actually enforce (or enforce well) their own laws. Some examples:

• It's obvious that speeding is against the law, and going 30 mph over the speed limit violates Romans 13:1. But what about 5 miles over? 1 mile? This is rarely enforced thanks to graciousness of law enforcement, but that doesn't mean we didn't violate the command. Similarly, changing lanes within an intersection, jaywalking, and biking without a helmet.
• Connecting to public Wi-Fi without permission, even if there's no password protection.
• Photocopying copyrighted material (yes, even if you're a student/teacher in school. "Fair use" gets very complicated.)
• In Colorado, collecting too much rainwater
• On social media sites like Facebook, creating an account without using your legal name is a violation of the Terms of Service.
• Up until 2015, playing bingo more than twice a week in nursing homes/senior centers.

This becomes even more of a problem looking at history, especially when laws were broken that were enforced. Was advocating for the creation of a new republic, which became the United States, sinful? That was explicitly prohibited by British law, and I'm unaware of a biblical exception warranting the breaking of that law. This argument can be made for almost every country in history, but does widespread violations warrant the violation?

Someone please straighten me out, thanks.

I'm considering John Frame's theology of Lordship series -

Knowledge of God (1987), The Doctrine of God (2002), The Doctrine of the Christian Life (2008), and The Doctrine of the Word of God (2010)

- OR

his single volume Systematic Theology (2013)

Since his ST volume came out later, is it worth getting over the previous volumes? Is there anything significant in the Lordship volumes that is excluded from the ST? What is the reading/comprehension level like in each?

Essentially, should I save myself the time and money and just get his ST?

I am struggling with election after death in the family. My grandpa wasn't a Christian (though raised catholic). Towards the end of his life he started having conversations about God with my husband, brought on by small talk surrounding my husband being in seminary. After he fell and hit his head he went into a coma, came out of it for about a week, and then died. I was with him when he passed and spent a lot of time praying that God would save him. But the truth is I won't know in this life. A few days ago we had another death, he was a believer, and I can't help but compare grief experiences. Death without Christ is so hopeless. I have a lot of unbelievers in my family and it grieves me to think they might die in their sin.

We are in the PCA and my husband holds pretty tightly to election and predestination. He says God certainly could've called my grandpa in his last moments and that ultimately it is God who decides, which I know is true. But I feel like my prayers make no difference. I know sometimes the answer can be no and God will act according to his will, and I can't change his will. But I just don't understand why he would want some and not others. I know none of us deserve to be saved, so it's in his mercy that he saves any. But how can he not love or want the people I love and want? Please help me.

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

I have never read Augustine’s Confessions all the way through, and have decided I need to. I pulled out my copy from Oxford World Classics, and the pages are yellow, and it just feels crummy to hold.

Does anyone have a recommendation for a good printing of Confessions with:

• decent binding,
• good paper,
• good typeset
• nice translation

I'm fine with Chadwick's translation, but I'm not dogmatic on that. I don't want any thys or thees, though. Something more accessible than that.

I'd prefer hardcover, but am OK wit softcover if that's what it takes to get good paper, typeset, and translation.

I found "Everyman's Library" version. That seems OK. Was wondering if anyone had any other recommendations before I pull the trigger.

I believe I am within the rules, but if not, apologies.

I watch Eleven22 out of Jax online. Love Pastor Joby. I have been searching for a similar church in the Tampa area. We didn't care for Grace Family or Radiant.

We tried another I won't even name because the Pastor did not open his bible once and spent the service giving a PowerPoint on his 15 year plan to expand the church and then put up a candidate he wanted congrenants to support in a local election.

I want to get the kids in age appropriate programs. If it was just me I'd be fine with online. Both are really interested in expanding their faith and making Christian friends.

It's Free For All Friday! Post on any topic you wish in this thread (not the whole sub). Our rules of conduct still apply, so please continue to post and comment respectfully.

AND on the 1st Friday of the month, it's a Monthly Fantastically Fanciful Free For All Friday - Post any topic to the sub (not just this thread), except for memes. For memes, see the quarterly meme days. Our rules of conduct still apply, so please continue to post and comment respectfully.

Hello all! I do not post often, and I tried to search but I couldn't come up with any results.

I am wanting to read more as I just got a Boox Page E-Reader. However, I am not the best reader. I get overwhelmed easily and reading can be a bit hard for me.

For instance, a few years ago a church I was apart of was going through The Wonderful Works of God by Herman Bavinck and I had a really hard time keeping it up because it felt so dense. I feel somewhat embarrassed by this, but I am on the lookout for some good reads that are easy that will help me live out my faith.

I struggle with depression and feeling inadequate so, books centered around that would be nice.

I also would love to read some books on what it means to love those around regardless of who they are in a Christlike manner.

Thanks all!

So all of my Trinity books came in that I spoke to you guys about two or three weeks ago I'm enjoying them.

But someone told me about a Robert Letham and I'm interested..

Also I hear he has a systematic theology and I was deciding on that ...

For those of you who have read him or rejected him tell me all about him the good and the bad it in between..

Tell me your thoughts..😊😶

Used to me part of the reformed pub on FB and would know what’s going on in the reformed world, church, theology etc but no longer part of it. What do you use to stay on top of the latest news?

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

Anglo-Lutheran here, I'm currently re-evualting my views on the Eucharist. As of now I'm rethinking the mode of receiving Christ's body. I know you all believe it's faith rather than oral eating, so where do you guys get that from scripture?

This isn't meant to be an attack or anything, I just wanna hear your perspective. Thanks in advance!

Hey, I'm looking for people's recommendations for commentaries on the Belgic Confession, Heidelberg Catechism, and Canons of Dort.

I am already familiar with Ursinus' commentary on the HC and Kevin DeYoung's books.

Bonus points if you can recommend a beginner, intermediate and advanced level book for each of them.

I notice that my expectations are not necessarily my calling, although they can be a sign. For instance, I can't even lead a small group, so I wouldn't aspire to be a pastor. And that's fine because not everyone is called to be a pastor. Christians' main calling is to be conformed to Jesus, but I'm not talking about that. We still have to go through life, and there are thousands of other things to do.

That's why Luther developed the concept of calling in vocation. Even the role of a parent is a calling in that sense. Some people want kids but can't even find a spouse. That's why our expectations are not our calling.

So, am I right to say that my calling is what the Lord has measured out for me? Like being called to be forever single, called to be childless, called to do this job, or called to live in this place. If that's true, it feels fatalistic.

Are there reformed seminaries that go deep into language and exegesis? When I look at e.g. Gordon Conwell, there are loads of NT options -- going deeper into various books using exegesis and Greek language tools. When I look at e.g. RTS - they have greek 1 and 2 and Greek exegesis, and that's about it.

I am wondering if there are any more reformed seminaries but that have deeper/more exegesis levels/options?

Anyone have experience with languages at RTS? Did you find you used them a lot in your Bible courses? Is there support to go deeper into languages, or are there different seminaries for that?

Edit: my interest is online programs. Sorry for not including that earlier.

I’m looking for a solid list of reformed Bible studies. They can be on a topic, or on a book of the Bible. Bonus if it is a guided study with clear direction for laypeople.

Thanks!

EDIT: I do 110% agree that the Bible ALONE is the best source to grown in grace and truth and knowledge. My method however seems to fall flat in my opinion. Generating questions for the group and discussion topics, etc has led to complacency by the rest. I do all the work, everyone else just attends. Any advice to remedy that while still remaining Bible-centric is MUCH appreciated.

I have one question regarding an implication of belief in the Protestant canon that I haven’t seen discussed much by anyone and it is troubling me. I’m hoping you thoughtful folks here may have a helpful perspective. The assumptions of my question are that the Protestant canon is correct, Sola Scriptura is true, all scripture is useful for teaching, correction, edification etc, and that the Church had been using an incorrect canon for 1,000+ years (from roughly the Council of Carthage in 397 until the Protestant Reformation in 1517). Given all that, what do we make of Jesus’s promises regarding the Holy Spirit in John 16:13 (also John 14:26) that he will guide us in all truth? How could the church have gotten something so important (our ONLY infallible rule!) so wrong for so LONG? Where was the Holy Spirit? 

A couple side comments: First, I don’t really want to sidetracked by the technicalities of “well, the Catholic church didn’t actually officially declare the canon until the Council of Trent…” or “not EVERYONE in the church accepted that canon the whole time…” The point is, we had an incorrect canon that was generally accepted and in use for the purpose of guiding the church and forming theology for roughly 1,000+ years. Second, I understand Jesus’s promise isn’t necessarily guarding the church from all and every error. But relying on incorrect scripture for the majority of church history seems pretty big. If not that, what truths can we really rely on the Spirit to guide us in? How do we know we finally got it right after 1517, and there’s not another correction to the canon needed?

Please help! Videos, articles or books by thoughtful and Protestants or theologians discussing this specific issue (not just the canon in general) would be welcome.

I hope this is relevant enough to post here, wasn't sure where else to ask.

My church (small country Bible church, nondenominational, holding to Reformed theology) will be celebrating our pastor's 5th anniversary as lead pastor this Sunday, November 10th. This is his first lead pastorate, and he's been such a blessing to our church. Also, it's his 5th anniversary *to the day* - his first Sunday as pastor was Sunday, Nov 10, 2019, and his exact 5th anniversary is Sunday, Nov 10, 2024, which I think is so cool. 😁

We're having a potluck after church to fellowship and express our appreciation. We also want to give him a gift as a token of appreciation as well. (My mom and I are kinda heading this up, the brainstorming at least, and running it all past the board/deacons.)

I'm responsible for brainstorming a gift idea, but I'm fairly clueless. I want it to be something meaningful and kinda fancy. The only thing I've thought of so far is some sort of plaque, or desk placard (the triangular thing with your name on it that goes on your desk?).

Anyway... any ideas? 😅

-- oh also I'd like to get something for the pastor's wife! I'm thinking flowers maybe..? Just a token.

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

The question I want to answer for myself, with God's guidance, is, how do you know when it's time to transition from quality of life healthcare to palliative care. Looking for good recommendations from Reformed, Reformed-ish, or solid Christian sources. About palliative care, as bad news yesterday brought into focus the need to pre-plan for the growing likelihood that the day will come that I'll need to make the decision to transition from quantity to quality of life. Preferably book or other written form so I can share with counselor and an attorney if need be.

Still hold out hope and prayer that my time down here will end this way: God prompts me to clean the apartment and gives me the physical and mental energy, to the point where I can say it's presentable, then get me shored up with the faith and assurance needed, and then prompts me for some reason to change bedding and get extra scrubbed clean in the shower, then the most peaceful restful sleep, and then gently touches my heart, stopping it in my sleep. In other words, prepared and painless, no agony or terror.

Thanks.

Had some potentially really bad news and have already been making end of life plans, I had them for years but this past year settling the estate of my no-contact for years sociopath brother, leaving me the last of my bloodline, more pressing to get everything in legally ironclad dried ink. I have most everything done, and it was already time to plan for the possibility that I won't drop dead of a heart attack. I have mostly completed the directives for if I'm incapacitated as in brain dead, fyi withdraw feeding and keep me extremely medicated just this side of euthanasia haha. But if I'm too sick to live but not sick enough to die, that's where I'm still working on figuring out. I have my ideas and they include pain management but I'm not sure where the point is. I'm looking at possible permanent disability, God gave me a job that has disability coverage, how wonderful His providence has been as I am not very intelligent with bonus brain damage issues. God is very Just In Time so all this is probably unnecessary but it's also wise to be prepared because that might be a path the Lord wants me to set up now for later use. He really does lead beside still waters into green pastures.

I have no family, I am the last of my bloodline, I was never a healthy child, should have not survived a dozen times, got some most likely bad news yesterday. I was probably never going to see old age, no we don't know when but I can hear that clock ticking even louder than before, it's best to be prepared b/c the no family thing.

Since it's ITWW, a good thing probably more related to my situation than I now understand: Hebrews 12:2, fixing my eyes on Jesus. A lifelong struggle with assurance, peace, even trying to believe that Jesus loves me and died not just for the world but for me and my sins. A cruel father who hated me and I will never understand why, I can think of Jesus as Lord and God but it's very difficult to think of him as Abba and Father. Thanks to a Christian counselor for telling me to deliberately practice calling God "Abba Father" until I no longer wince. I struggle with assurance of faith and have been really chasing down assurance, a lot of reading and listening, especially Ligonier and John Piper. Joel Beeke at Ligonier said something that caused a light bulb to go on and snuff out my anxious terror. He says that not focusing on my assurance but instead focusing on Hebrews 12:2 Jesus the author and perfecter of my faith, that's when I will have true assurance. It's immediately become a spiritual shortcut and LPT to stop obsessively thinking about assurance, my faith, my failures and sins, my very soul so much, and instead focus as much of my attention as I can muster upon the Christ of Hebrews 12:2. Just like the avenging angel looked at the blood on the doorposts on that first Passover, I must also look at Christ and His shed blood to the near exclusion of everything else.

Anyways, first part is my question, second part is my ITWW post.

For it is wonderful how much we are confirmed in our belief, when we more attentively consider how admirably the system of divine wisdom contained in it is arranged—how perfectly free the doctrine is from every thing that savors of earth—how beautifully it harmonizes in all its parts—and how rich it is in all the other qualities which give an air of majesty to composition. - Calvin's Institutes, 1.8.1

Welcome to In the Word Wednesdays!

Here at r/reformed, we cherish the richness, the beauty, the majesty, and - most importantly - the authority of the the Bible. Often times, though, we can get caught up by the distractions of this world and neglect this glorious fountain of truth we have been given.

So here on In the Word Wednesday we very simply want to encourage everybody to take a moment to share from, and discuss, scripture! What have you been reading lately? What have you been studying in small group? What has your pastor been preaching on? Is there anything that has surprised you? Confused you? Encouraged you? Let's hear it!

It doesn't have to be anything deep or theological - although deep theological discussions focusing on scripture are always welcome - it can be something as simple as a single verse that gave you comfort this morning during your quiet time.

(As ITWW is no longer a new concept, but we are more than welcome to receive ideas for how to grow the concept and foster an increased discussion of scripture. If you have any ideas for ITWW, please feel free to send the mods a message via mod mail.)

Let's talk about children making church membership vows and afterwards participating in the corporate part of the infant baptism vows. I've been PCA my whole life and I'm just now questioning this at almost 30. Emphasis on VOW.