Why Presbyterianism?

[Ave Maria]

What are your reasons for being a Presbyterian? Please do not give me a generic answer like "It just seems right to me." or "It's the most correct of all the denominations." I want specific and detailed answers like "Such and such doctrine is correct and is only taught by the Presbyterian denomination."

 

[LiturgyInDMinor]

Reformed Theology is what got me sister.
The Doctrines of Grace as taught by the Westminster Confession of Faith via the biblical texts is exactly what I found to be correct, right and completely representative of God's Truth.

I left an SBC church(and the misleading doctrines of dispensationalism, etc.) and the Baptist faith in general because of my learning of what covenant means....and of what God thinks of covenants...HIS covenants. I believe that the denomination that I just left behind (no pun intended I promise! lol) limits the entire concept of the signs and seals of God's Holy and Sovereign covenant plan for our overall redemption.
I believe that infant baptism is RIGHT and True to the Word of God.

It's late so I don't have the energy to get into a lot of details of my personal conversion, but I'll attempt it at a later date.

I hope this answered your question from one person's point of view.

 

[Ave Maria]

Reformed Theology is what got me sister.
The Doctrines of Grace as taught by the Westminster Confession of Faith via the biblical texts is exactly what I found to be correct, right and completely representative of God's Truth.

I left an SBC church(and the misleading doctrines of dispensationalism, etc.) and the Baptist faith in general because of my learning of what covenant means....and of what God thinks of covenants...HIS covenants. I believe that infant baptism is RIGHT and True to the Word of God.

It's late so I don't have the energy to get into a lot of details of my personal conversion, but I'll attempt it at a later date.

I hope this answered your question from one person's point of view.

Thank you for your answer NRB. It was helpful! Where can I find a copy of the Westminster Confession of Faith and does the PCUSA denomination subscribe to it?

 

[LiturgyInDMinor]

I cannot speak on behalf of the PC(USA) denomination...but I know that their "Book of Confessions" includes at least some of it(there are PCUSA members here that can directly answer that part of your question)....here is a link to the entire Confession itself:

Westminster Confession of Faith

 

[Ave Maria]

I cannot speak on behalf of the PC(USA) denomination...but I know that their "Book of Confessions" includes it....here is a link to the entire Confession itself:

Westminster Confession of Faith

Thank you. I will get to reading that.

 

[Ave Maria]

Woah! That thing is huge! Can you provide me with a summary of it or something shorter?

 

[LiturgyInDMinor]

Woah! That thing is huge! Can you provide me with a summary of it or something shorter?

Here is a link to the Westminster Shorter Catechism; it's in a typical question-answer style catechismal format and it 100% represents the entire Westminster Confession of Faith on our basics.

Westminster Shorter Catechism

There is the Westminster Larger Catechism...but I suggest start with this shorter one first.

Westminster Larger Catechism

I hope this helps.

 

[Ave Maria]

Here is a link to the Westminster Shorter Catechism; it's in a typical question-answer style catechismal format and it 100% represents the entire Westminster Confession of Faith on our basics.

Westminster Shorter Catechism

There is the Westminster Larger Catechism...but I suggest start with this shorter one first.

Westminster Larger Catechism

I hope this helps.

Thank you! I had no idea that you guys had a shorter catechism!

 

[LiturgyInDMinor]

Thank you! I had no idea that you guys had a shorter catechism!

My journey from baptist to presbyterian started with this shorter catechism.

It's helpful and just over 100 questions too. Not that long eh?

 

[Ave Maria]

My journey from baptist to presbyterian started with this shorter catechism.

It's helpful and just over 100 questions too. Not that long eh?

Nope, not nowhere near as long as the first link you provided me.

 

[LiturgyInDMinor]

Nope, not nowhere near as long as the first link you provided me.

I pray you find it as helpful as I did.
That link I provided for the Short Catechism has the scripture links in bracketed [red] so it's not just some willy nilly document...it's 100% based on scripture verses. I love it.

 

[kenrapoza]

I think you'll find that the WCF is a very well thought-out and carefully worded and nuanced document. As you've noticed, it's very thorough, but you can see from the verses referenced that it wasn't just dreamt up one day but is solidly based on Scripture. I think it is important for a church to have a substantial confession rather than just a few bullet points because it actually fleshes out the theology and how it relates to various issues. The more carefully you think through your theology and the better you know what you believe, the less likely you are to be drawn into false doctrine. Generally, sloppy and imprecise confessions lead to a confused church that is sloppy and imprecise in it's theology, people will be blown around from every wind of doctrine.

 

[Ave Maria]

I pray you find it as helpful as I did.
That link I provided for the Short Catechism has the scripture links in bracketed [red] so it's not just some willy nilly document...it's 100% based on scripture verses. I love it.

Yeah, I like that too.

 

[j.river]

What are your reasons for being a Presbyterian? Please do not give me a generic answer like "It just seems right to me." or "It's the most correct of all the denominations." I want specific and detailed answers like "Such and such doctrine is correct and is only taught by the Presbyterian denomination."

My wife is a Presbyterian and I am not. However, I believe that ideally we should be going to the same church. So, I am investigating the Presbyterian faith to see if it's something I could feel at home in.

 

[ahopelessmoth]

I have grown up in the Presbyterian (PCA) church. HOWEVER, it has always been my choice of how I worship. I choose my church because it holds truth to me.
I will not be like a church goer of the middle ages, if I'm taught something than I study it by myself for myself in my Bible. I've never found anything hard to believe or understand. Everything makes since whereas some theology from ome other denoms doesn't.

 

[AMR]

Nope, not nowhere near as long as the first link you provided me.

When you want to dig deeper, the exposition of the Shorter Catechism can be found here:

Fisher's Exposition of the WSC

It is a wonderfully long, and fruitful read. Also available as a PDF for downloading here:

http://www.reformed.org/documents/fisher/Fisher.pdf

Lastly, a Microsoft Word version may be downloaded here:

Reformed Theology Institute :: Your Bible Study Software

 

[hedrick]

I'll give you my reasons. I decided in college that of the major Reformed theological traditions, the Reformed looked the most convincing. A lot of people here will talk about the doctrines of grace, which are basically predestination. But that was only a small part of Calvin's theology. I also admire Luther, and in fact I tend to combine features of both Luther and Calvin, but I find Reformed church organization closer to Scripture and Calvin's theology more reliable if less brilliant. It's no one thing, unfortunately. (Indeed it's hard to compare Reformed theology with alternatives, because there's really no coherent Protestant alternative other than Lutheranism, which I consider a close cousin. From my time as a Methodist, I read a bit of Wesley, and although some of his positions are weird -- e.g. Christian perfection, I have great respect for him. But as a theologian he doesn't compare to Calvin and Luther.)

However I was actually attending a Presbyterian church a year or so before this theological decision. So the reason I am a Presbyterian is probably more this: of the mainline churches, I find the Presbyterians on average have sermons and theology that's a bit more scriptural. I'm not talking about how well their theology agrees with scripture, but rather the extent to which sermons are based on scripture rather than topical, and to which the way the church is run is also. While church organization isn't a big deal, the presbyterian organizational plan is also the most directly based on the organization as we see it in Acts. But this is really just an average. Individual congregations might well be different. I have attended Methodist churches, and could also find a home in any of the other mainline denominations. (While I've attended Presbyterian churches for all but about 8 years of my line, I was actually confirmed in a Methodist church. They used the Westminster catechism, which is really odd for a Methodist church.)

My choices are somewhat narrower than many readers, because I think the mainline churches have a much more Scriptural approach than the conservative ones. I think more conservative churches confuse their own traditional interpretation with the most likely meaning of the original authors. There are fewer than a dozen mainline churches (traditionally 7). Of course the mainline PCUSA is not the Presbyterian church that most other participants here would recommend, since the readers here tend to be more conservative.

 

[TheOldLine]

I was born a Roman Catholic. The church taught me how to interperut scripture and I am grateful for what the church did for me. I am 16, a couple months ago something pushed me to look into other sects of Christianity. My main issue with the church, for me, was the organisation. Apolostolic Succesion never hit me as all that truthful, and if it is, it doesn't make all popes good. Some ardent catholics heled the pope as almost a godhead of sorts, which was unsettling. I also don't believe cardinals bishops etc. are very biblical, the presbyterians have, in my miind, what iis a very genuine and biblical structure. I also found that the presbyterians offered a more realistic for of worhip when it comes to the sacraments etc. Calvinism is a whole nother issue whiich is extremely complicated, and I am still coming to grips with it, but so far is seems wholey biblical and believeable. Justg for everyones info I am a member of the PCA because their views on social issues are more in line with my beliefs.