The End of Protestantism

[JM]

Good points gord. Even the most conservative Reformed/Calvinistic, Presbyterian, Baptist, etc. refuse to acknowledge biblical discipline by the local congregation. Church disciple is biblical.

On the other hand...I'm currently reading the Two Babylon's and the author points out how auricular confession, confession to a priest, was a turning point in church history where the local church lorded over the congregation. I believe this is what happens when you view the ordinances as 'means of grace' or ex opere operate.

Lord have mercy on us!

j

 

[cubanito]

The author is part of the Federal Vision group within the PCA. It's probably true that their divergence from the mainstream PCA is somewhat in the direction of the Catholic Church. But his difference from Catholic theology is a lot greater than his difference from the mainstream of the PCA. He was the subject of a heresy trial within the PCA recently, and was found not guilty, though many PCA folks think the verdict was a mistake.

And the prosecutor promptly became a Roman Catholic after the trial, telling you how rigged it was.

JR

 

[HereIstand.Todd]

As my pastor put it recently, "we live in an age when churches are no longer confessionally reliable, they are nondescript, we cannot really tell what a church teaches by its name". He was talking about the movement toward community churches (Springfield Community Church, etc.), and churches named for this or that bible word (theres a church by me called, simply, "Soma").

The point isn't that there's anything wrong with this in itself if its combined with a clear articulation of the content of that church's belief, only...

...it usually isn't.

That's one good thing about being in a denominational church and at least people may know generally what you believe. But with that being said, it still does not fully represent what is believed. Even though I am Presbyterian it does not tell you where we stand on moral issues and belief about the bible until you know that I am Associate Reformed Presbyterian. This tells you we are conservative and reformed therefore showing a difference between us and the PCUSA.