Hello, I am a 17-year-old Christian young man. I have attended a conservative PCA church for almost a year and a half now; before that, I was a Reformed Southern Baptist. I have recently been given good, biblically backed arguments for annihilationism. I am going to talk with my pastor about this coming Sunday, but I also wanted to ask fellow Presbyterians why this is wrong; from what I have heard and studied, reformed theology rejects this as a whole and argues for eternal torment. But I have not found or heard any biblically backed arguments. I greatly desire and wish to be in line with what my denomination teaches, but I am struggling with this. For the record, I believe in reform theology everywhere, I believe in all points of Calvinism, and I read my bible and live a healthy life. People have believed and taught eternal torment for a long time, and I do not wish to go against this, but I cannot find a good argument for it in the scriptures. Please feel free to give me some or guide me to a source where I can receive good, reformed, bible backed arguments for it. Thanks a million for y'all's time, God bless.

Years ago, as a nonbeliever, I stood in a hospital and cursed God‘s name as my mother slowly slipped away. Today, I visited a woman in that same hospital to pray with her as her Pastor. So thankful for God’s grace.

In class I’m trying to explain to my professor that Calvinists don’t believe actions and deeds get you into heaven. I even quoted from the Bible but he says he won’t buy it unless he gets a quote from John Calvin. Does anybody have a source?

2 Timothy 3:16-17 YLT

16 every Writing [is] God-breathed, and profitable for teaching, for conviction, for setting aright, for instruction that [is] in righteousness,

17 that the man of God may be fitted -- for every good work having been completed.

The Word is profitable for deepening a believers understanding of their identity in Christ. The Word does not condemn believers in any way, it encourages them to live in righteousness.

We have been made righteous and complete in Christ that we may be equipped to do good works. The Word confirms this completeness and guides us in doing good works. We do not strive to do good works. When we understand our completeness in Christ, the good works come naturally.

Eiren eimi dear Christians, since we are in the Christmas season, I am asking about books to understand Christian theology with respect to the Old Testament. I have some knowledge about it, but of course I want to go deeper to better understand your religion, that is why I am asking you. Greetings.

Putting God meeting our needs aside, does God fulfill our wants if we think or verbalize them but don’t necessarily pray to Him for them?

What stirred this question: My seat assignment for my flight was a middle seat, I was just telling my family how I wished I got the window seat to take a nap and that I hoped that my seat was in-between a family so that they would want to sit together. That is exactly what happened, I am writing from the window seat and will be taking the greatest nap of my life.

I could chalk this up to coincidence but I want to believe this was a little sweet blessing from the Lord. I don’t want to be the one to over-spiritualize a situation or event so I would love guidance on that as well!

It's a basic human right for a person to choose where they want to live, what job they want to do, how to serve, whom to marry, etc.

However, in the church, people didn't ask me about my choices but kept questioning my potential decisions. It seems that they want me to stay in the church for the long term, but I can serve wherever I want because I have the spirit.

The Bible has principles, but not specified advice. Why do people like to dictate how I live my life? I'm not engaging in illegal business or sleeping around.

I'm a Brazilian Calvinist (from Brazil Presbyterian Church). Futurely, I'll move to NC (Charlotte specifically), USA. So, I wish to ask:

I. Recommendation of Reformed or Presbyterian Conservative Churches (follow the Westminster or any other Calvinist confissions); II. Bible study/evangelism groups around Charlotte.

God bless you.

Hi!

My husband recently became interested in Christianity. Woohoo! 😃

We started going to church and he really enjoys it. He wants to learn more and I'm thinking about getting him a couple books for Christmas. Any suggestions?

For context, I'd say he is approaching Christianity from a moralist (Jordan Peterson) perspective. I'm thinking of getting him one of Peterson's books but also want to get him something from a Christian apologist. He started reading Mere Christianity by CS Lewis and loved it but never finished the book, so bonus points for a book that's more on the "short and sweet" side.

I was also thinking of getting him a "Bible in a year" plan but I know realistically it's hard to keep up on those plans. (I'm no where near finishing my plan for the year)

Thanks for any suggestions! Appreciate it!

We still sin after the atonement, but we don't need to offer a sacrifice for that sin. Unlike how people in the Old Testament sinned, offered a sacrifice for that sin, sinned again, offered a sacrifice for that sin, and rinse and repeat. Why is it different for us today? Today, after we sin, why don't we have to offer anything afterward?

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

Welcome to r/reformed. Do you have questions that aren't worth a stand alone post? Are you longing for the collective expertise of the finest collection of religious thinkers since the Jerusalem Council? This is your chance to ask a question to the esteemed subscribers of r/Reformed. PS: If you can think of a less boring name for this deal, let us mods know.

My tiny theologian (four year old) asked me at dinner today if God created the alphabet. I'm over thinking it. What's the answer? Did humans create the written word? Jesus was the word from the beginning. How can there be words without letters?

Im not sure I am asking in the right place. Please forgive me if I am not. Our congregation is very small. Sunday we had less than 15 members in attendance.
Every Sunday our pastor has an altar call. And most Sundays a couple of teens go down for prayer. Sometimes their whole family goes, sometimes other members go down to pray also. I generally do not, I was raised in a church where you don't go to the altar every service. It is peculiar to me for nearly the entire congregation to go down. It also hurts my knees to kneel anymore, so I generally pray from my seat. Anyway, the preacher tells everyone "every head bowed, every eye closed" when he does the altar call. So I'm not looking around and unless someone close goes down, I have no idea if anyone is there. This past Sunday the preacher made some comments from the pulpit about people not going down to support the young people when they were clearly struggling with something. My husband (one of the decons) went down mostly because the preacher told him it was his duty to be at the altar praying with whomever comes down. Nevermind he can't see who goes down with his eyes closed and head bowed. But I digress. I didn't go down to the altar, I prayed in my seat when the pastor said we needed to pray for the young people who are going through something. I wasn't looking around, so I didn't know that every member went down except me. When everyone returned to their seats the pastor went on to say to the congregation as a whole that just because these kids aren't yours, doesn't mean you stay in your seat, you come down and pray with them, and he went on to say basically people who aren't going down to pray at the altar at the end of the service are not faithful or aren't doing what they are supposed to do. I didn't know until later, I was the ONLY person who didn't go down. The preacher has called out the congregation before for not smiling or being "joyous" enough in their salvation. He has said on a number of occasions that if we aren't smiling in church we might not really be saved. I don't smile alot in church. I don't shout or throw my hands up. I listen intently. I've felt called out before, but because others aren't smiling enough, it's never felt like it was me he was shaming from the pulpit. Until now. I'm upset because I feel like he was being ridiculous. The entire congregation shouldn't be expected to go to the altar when one or two teens go down. I'd expect people who are close to them, or family, but not the entire congregation.
I talked to my husband about it and he agreed it was excessive, but said short of leaving the church there wasn't anything to do. He just finished Bible College and has been given wonderful opportunities to preach, teach and lead in this church. I don't want to demand we leave, but I feel like the preacher was wrong to say what he said from the pulpit like that. I do not know if I was wrong for not going down or not now. I'm pretty upset and confused since I haven't encountered anything like this before.

Was I wrong for not going down? Was he for calling me out for staying in my seat to pray? What is the best way to handle this? I'm at a loss here because I adore my church family and I want to do what's right. I am saved, I just don't do a lot of outward displays like running the aisles or throwing my hands up. I'm reserved and reverent in church, I always have been. Any input would be great. Thank you.

Edited to add: First thank you all for your input and advice. My husband and I have talked more about it this evening and when the preacher is back in town he is going to discuss this with him, my husband expects it to not go well and he said if it doesn't we will have to leave. We aren't a reformed church. We are independent Baptist. I grew up in a reformed denomination, and honestly, I didn't know the difference in reformed or not until recently. But that's not here nor there. I stumbled into this sub, and I'm very glad I did. I love my church family, and I hope that we can talk to the pastor so that this is handled appropriately. I'm not looking for apologies, just a better understanding of what drove the comments. I didn't realize that he waited until the live broadcast of the service was over to say what was said. My husband pointed that out and I feel like the rant he went on was deliberate not in the moment kind of thing. Which makes me kind of sad. I kind of feel like we will be looking for a church after the first of the year no matter how this shakes out. Many of you echoed some thoughts I had on the matter. Again thank you all for your insight and imput. I've got a lot to pray about over the next week before we talk to him. But I feel more confident that I'm not way off base in my thinking here.

Hello everyone. I am looking into seminaries for a MA. The plan would be to study part time and get into lay leadership over the next five years or so. However, I find myself in a weird predicament.

I have been getting more and more into Reformed Theology but via the back door of confessionalism(1689), covenant theology, law/gospel preaching, Sabbath, sacraments, ect and not the typical way of Calvinism.

At this point I still have some issue with Calvinism. but am finding that the Calvinism I was taught by Calvinistic Baptists is rather dumb and does not reflect a more historic Calvinism. I'm finding out that the historic Calvinism is not too far from what I believe. This church group that introduced me to Calvinism was shocked that I was not becoming a Calvinist because in their words 'this theology tells you that God loves you more than other people and chose you before the foundation of the world and yet you still refuse it."

The Sinclair Ferguson's "The Whole Christ" has been a huge breath of fresh air for me and I just started Horton's "For Calvinism" and am pleased so far.

I took one class on hermeneutics via SBTS and while I enjoyed the class, it was 8 weeks long and the professor time was very minimal. I also dont know how I feel about SBTS, for the record I think they are a very solid school. However, I dont see the point of going to a quasi Reformed school.

SBTS Pros

Cheaper(SBC discount), Bigger, Baptist

SBTS Cons

Quasi Reformed, Very fast paced, bad teacher to student ratio, weak on CN(imo)

RTS Pros

Better teacher ratio, robust Reformed, Rolling enrollment, good scholarship if I can get church to pay 1/3rd spoke against CN, 12 weeks for class as opposed to 8

Cons

Cost, Not Baptist

My big thought is that if I am going to pay for Seminary I may as well study the truly Reformed material and discern what I can do without in a Reformed Baptist world rather than learn the Calvinistic Baptist material and try to add on to it on my own

******I do know of handful of Reformed Baptist seminaries such as IRBS, or Covenant but they seem much smaller *********

And this might be a pendulum swing from having been in a Word of Faith church for the first seven years of my Christian life.

Even when I read the Psalms, I don't get David crying out that God is his stronghold, etc...like what does that actually mean? The way I hear many Christians use it is like some fake (?) metaphysical/ psychological construct they go to to feel emotionally better.

Also, David is actually saved from all his enemies/ as I have heard people say, the OT is more actual here and now deliverance lived out. (Not sure how accurate) at the same time, people are doing things to David. So how is God being "with you" supposed to change anything or how you look at it?

I can see that God is with me and will preserve me to the end in a salvific sense, but what goes on here in the interim, well that seems and is much less sure. I know all things are being used for good and our sanctification, but for whatever reason (maybe because of the false theology I was originally taught, I just feel quite bitter. Though Romans 1 comes to mind in terms of not being thankful.
It's just that I don't understand the "comfort" or reassurance people get from knowing God is still with them in all of it.

Has anyone read this book? Its about 're-enchantment' , I'm only halfway through, but it broadly makes the case that modern evangelical christianity has lost belief in miracles, demons, etc and that this is unbiblical and unchristian. And that the orthodox church and to some extent catholics do it better.

Like verses like Acts 19:12 are completely foreign to me in my church context , and does feel more like describing catholic relics

What would be the reformed view on this? I kind of want to believe in miracles

The PC(USA)'s Book of Common Worship outlines a generically postconciliar, ecumenical order of service (at least for Communion) that looks similar to the 1979 Book of Common Prayer. However, every actual Presbyterian service I've attended has followed what L. Edward Phillips describes as the "Sunday School" or "Creative" pattern, with nearly everything outside the sermon being congregational or responsory, following a different structure every time. The historic downtown church included aesthetic elements like anthems or instrumental pieces, but I also hear that denominations like the PCA look more like non-denom churches on Sunday morning, a liturgical tradition not exactly known for having loads of Scripture.

Wikipedia devotes a lot of space talking about the subject to exclusive psalmody and a cappella singing, both of which are practically unheard of today, and ends with "yeah, there's not really any common thread at all." Likewise, most churches follow the church year and RCL instead of the "no holidays, lectio continua only" that gets discussed more online.

A Youtube personality I've seen has called out the Confession and Assurance of Pardon, the Prayer for Illumination, and the Charge as being three distinctively Presbyterian elements of worship (or possibly just distinctively Reformed). I'd personally replace the Confession with the Call to Worship in that list, but what do I know.

What would you say? What makes worship in a PCA church with a praise band identifiably Presbyterian as opposed to, say, Reformed Baptist? Just from what goes on on Sunday morning, how can you tell that the grand old stone church downtown is Presbyterian rather than UCC?

Can I find a good deep dive into the subject of Presbyterian worship without taking a road trip to Princeton?

Does your church have a school? My church is a host for classical conversations homeschool coop once a week. Recently, I saw an article that this is a for-profit business? I think more and more churches want to offer alternative education without the investment of building and staffing an entire school. What are your thoughts on using the church building in this way?

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

So looking for a unbiased opinion and I know I'll find it here. My family and I go to non denomination churches wherever we travel ( I have to be patient)

Why is it they all use the same playbook?

Exactly the same connection card push, small group urgency ect

Welcome to r/reformed. Missions should be on our mind every day, but it's good to set aside a day to talk about it, specifically. Missions includes our back yard and the ends of the earth, so please also post here or in its own post stories of reaching the lost wherever you are. Missions related post never need to wait for Mondays, of course. And they are not restricted to this thread.

Share your prayer requests, stories of witnessing, info about missionaries, unreached people groups, church planting endeavors, etc.

This is mostly a vent. Some of my family (not Reformed) are 'caught up' in a series on Revelation by pastor Dave Jones (Royston Bethel Church in UK), who was ordained by Assemblies of God.

While I'm not dogmatic about eschatology, the rapture and premillennialism bug me, primarily because they imagine Christ taking up an earthly throne, when he already indicated that his kingdom is not of this world, and he's already on the ultimate throne as the King of kings.

Pastor Jones teaches by tearing down what I consider straw man arguments that he variously projects onto "some Christians" or "all Christians."

I've been watching the vids with family and staying quiet.

Now I've associated his British accent with my irritation.

He never presents alternative arguments, including the historical pre-19th century biblical views. Contrast this with RC Sproul who, for example, presented the believers' baptism argument better than most baptists can.

Please share any feedback or your experiences if you like!

Protestants often quote 2 Timothy 3:15-17 as a go-to verse to prove sola scriptura.

But some point out that v. 16 can be rendered "every scripture". If so, would this not mean that every individual book is the sole infallible rule of faith?

Further, Protestants will point out v. 17 where it says that scripture makes "man perfect in every good work" to show how scripture is completely sufficient. In response, some go to the following verses to show how keeping from bad influences and endurance make man ready for any good work and perfect and complete respectively.

If he keeps himself from bad influences, he will be ready for any good work (2 Timothy 2:21)

Endurance makes man perfect and complete (James 1:4)

à Brakel is clear to understand and makes a lot of great points. I certainly there are people here who have read it.

So long story short, I am a young woman trying to figure out what on earth God would have me do with my life (particularly in a job). And I have no idea, or at least no perfect pinpointed "this is My exact will for you" idea. And I'm freaking out trying to figure it out.

I grew up next door to my Grandpa's farm and have been working on a dairy farm caring for calves for a year and a half now. I'm interested in farming but don't feel that I fit very well into much of the occupation due to my inexperience and my gender.

I just got hired by an assisted living facility to help care for elderly residents, most of whom require a lot of assistance with daily tasks - personal hygiene especially. This (minus the personal hygiene) appealed to me initially as I think it is important, meaningful work and I love the elderly. However, I'm quite uncomfortable with the personal hygiene part, especially with the opposite sex, which is a big part of the job. I'm uncomfortable enough that I have decided to (embarrassingly and as apologetically as possible) inform my boss that I quit.

I feel awful about this especially because I just got hired, though have only done 3 half-days of "training" (following another worker around and observing what they do all day).

I also feel bad about it because I originally sort of felt that God was "calling" me to this kind of work. I'm not sure whether that's really true or not; regardless, I feel that I'm not a good enough fit for the job, so I'm not going to continue with it.

Point is -- I have no idea what God wants me to do!! I'm stuck between:

• "God has a specific job He wants me to do and I've got to figure out what that is and do it, otherwise I'm dishonoring/disobeying Him"

And

• "Barring a distinct and undeniable 'calling' from God, I am free to do whatever job I want to, so long as it isn't sinful, and then I am to just glorify God in whatever I'm doing"

The two things I'm considering now are agriculture, and some sort of receptionist/secretary job. Those are my interests. But sometimes I feel bad, like I'm "not supposed to" follow my interests, but rather I am to "deny myself," give up my interests, and surrender to God and whatever He would have me do.

Are these mutually exclusive things?? Am I "allowed" to pursue a job I'm interested in, even if it doesn't seem as "important" as something else? (I.e. a desk job answering phone calls being "less important" than caring for the elderly)

I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels like this, but I am so stuck in it and not sure how to handle it.

Any advice and/or biblical insight is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Only 3 atonement theories seem to make a faithful attempt at explaining why/how it was necessary for Christ to deliver us from the demands and accusation of the Law of Moses. These three (regardless of how legitimate they may be) are"

1. Penal substitution

2. Satisfaction theory

3. New Covenant theology

I am hard pressed to see how other theories might be viable if they don't fill this prerequisite although I am non-resistant to learning from them as well. Might as well as I've frequently heard it argued that Christus Victor is compatible with penal sub. for instance.