Covenant Protestant Reformed Church
83 Clarence Street, Ballymena BT43 5DR
Rev. Angus Stewart
Lord’s Day, 15 October, 2017
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed
by the renewing of your mind …” (Rom. 12:2)
Morning Service – 11:00 AM
Honouring Your Employer [youtube]
Scripture Reading: Ephesians 6
Text: Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 39
I. Whom Are You Serving?
II. How Are You Serving?
III. Why Are You Serving?
Psalms: 96:1-7; 55:10-18; 75:3-10; 119:89-96
Evening Service – 6:00 PM
Righteousness by Faith Alone (9)
The God of Justification [youtube]
Scripture Reading: Romans 4
Text: Romans 4:17
I. The Seeing God
II. The Quickening God
III. The Calling God
Psalms: 100:1-5; 55:19-23; 32:1-5; 130:1-8
For CDs of the sermons and DVDs of the worship services, contact Stephen Murray
If you desire a pastoral visit, please contact Rev. Stewart or the elders
CPRC Website: www.cprc.co.uk • Live Webcast: https://cprc.co.uk/live-streaming/
CPRC YouTube: www.youtube.com/cprcni
CPRC Facebook: www.facebook.com/CovenantPRC
Quote to Consider
Paul Althaus: “Whoever wishes to be righteous before God through his ethical achievement assumes the place of the creator. Creating righteousness, destroying sin, and giving life—these are all the work of the creator alone” (The Theology of Martin Luther, p. 125).
Announcements (subject to God’s will)
The new RFPA Update and the October Covenant Reformed News are on the back table. Flyers advertising this coming Saturday’s Reformation conference and Prof. Engelsma’s other lectures are also on the back table. Take some and pass them on to family and friends.
Monday catechism classes:
5:45 PM – Corey & Katelyn (Beginners OT, Book 1)
6:30 PM – Taylor, Josh, Bradley & Samuel (Juniors NT)
7:15 PM – Jacob, Alex & Nathan (Heidelberg Catechism, Book 1)
Tuesday Bible Study meets this week at 11 AM to study the Passover.
Belgic Confession Class meets on Wednesday at 7:45 PM to consider Article 33 looking at the component parts of the sacraments.
Prof. & Mrs. Engelsma arrive on Thursday morning and will be with us until Monday morning, 6 November.
CPRC Reformation speeches by Prof. Engelsma:
Saturday, 21 October, 11 AM – “Martin Luther: Theologian of the Glory of God” (lunch will be served between the two lectures)
Saturday, 21 October, 1 PM – “Justification in Paul and in James”
Friday, 27 October, 7:30 PM – “Martin Luther: Man of Conviction”
Friday, 3 November, 7:30 PM – “Calvin’s Doctrine of the Covenant”
The Reformed Witness Hour broadcast next Lord’s Day (Gospel 846 MW at 8:30 AM) by Rev. Bruinsma is “Receiving the Word of God” (I Thess. 2:13).
Prof. Engelsma is to preach at both CPRC services on Lord’s Days 22 & 29 October and 5 November.
Rev. Stewart will be preaching in the LRF on 29 October and 5 & 12 November, Our pastor will also be giving a lecture on “Martin Luther’s Great Discovery” in Limerick on Saturday, 28 October. Rev. McGeown will be speaking in the US at Reformation conferences there and will be returning on Thursday, 9 November. He will preach for the CPRC on 12 November.
Translations: 1 Russian (Rev. Houck’s pamphlet “Jehovah the Savior”) and 1 Hungarian (from Prof. Engelsma’s book, Gospel Truth of Justification).
Offerings: General Fund: £745.90.
PRC News: Lynden PRC called Cand. Regnerus. First PRC has announced the following trio: Revs. A. Lanning, Huizinga and Griess.
Compromise and Fudge in Irish Presbyterians
(published in the Belfast News Letter, 12 October, 2017)
When Leo X’s papal bull of excommunication (1520) listed 41 “errors” of Martin Luther and classified them as “either heretical, scandalous, false, offensive to pious ears or seductive of simple minds, and against [Roman] Catholic truth,” the Reformer explained and boldly affirmed all of these articles, and asked the pope to specify into which category each of these 41 statements fell. He received no answer.
Rev. Mark Wilson (30 September) stated that he does not believe that some of the scriptural and Reformed doctrines (e.g., the supremacy of God’s Word, original sin, the bondage of the will, justification in Christ alone by faith alone, imputation, sovereign grace, predestination?) confessed in my letter (29 September) are “essential,” and that he does not think some of the unbiblical dogmas of Rome that I mentioned (e.g., its higher criticism of Holy Scripture, evolutionism, indulgences, sacramental system, prayers to saints, papal infallibility?) are “reprehensible.”
Could Rev. Wilson identify all of the items that belong to each category and indicate how he attempts to harmonize his views with Presbyterianism’s Westminster Standards? Since he brought up this crucial issue, surely Rev. Wilson should tell the readers of the News Letter, and especially all Presbyterians, where he stands or does not stand.
Rev. Wilson emphasized the “long list” of Rome’s “reprehensible” teaching and the “long list” of Protestant doctrines that were included in my printed letter of some 600 words only.
As a minister in the Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI) who subscribes to theWestminster Standards, he should know that the Westminster Confession contains 33 chapters of up to 10 articles each, the Westminster Shorter Catechism consists of 107 questions and answers, and the Westminster Larger Catechism comprises 196 much longer questions and answers. Rev. Wilson’s 3 confessional documents (with their scriptural proof texts) come to some 300 pages in my edition.
If this PCI minister objects to a Reformed evaluation of true doctrines and heresies in a letter of a mere 600 words, one wonders how much he disagrees with the much longer, 300-page Westminster Standards to which he has subscribed! What about the other ministers and office-bearers in Rev. Wilson’s denomination?
Is this not exactly the sort of compromise and fudge in Irish Presbyterianism, by a minister and adjunct professor of church history at Union Theological College, that leads to and supports bizarre invitations to Roman Catholic leaders who reject the Reformation to speak at the PCI’s autumn seminars as part of a “thanksgiving for the Reformation” on its 500th anniversary?
Where is the Reformation’s earnest contending for the faith (Jude 3) in the PCI?
Rev. Angus Stewart
Covenant Protestant Reformed Church, Ballymena
www.cprc.co.uk
