NOURISHMENT FROM THE WORD

SELECT STUDIES IN REFORMED DOCTRINE

by Kenneth L. Gentry Jr.Download the Introduction

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The first section on “Church Issues” relates to important matters framing some distinctives of the Reformed church itself. Chapter One studies the issue of “Creeds and Confessions.” Reformed Christianity recognizes the organic nature of the church, which leads to our organic understanding of and commitment to the truth. That is, we recognize that we are not a law unto ourselves, we are not islands in the stream. Rather we are a part of the flowing stream of historic Christianity itself. Hence, we give credence to creeds, you might say. Reformed Christians need to understand the Biblical warrant for and the theological value of creeds and confessions.

Chapter Two explains and defends a distinctively Reformed understanding of “Infant Baptism.” Our children are the seed of the covenant and members of the church of Jesus Christ. They are not outsiders who are visiting the church until some time when they reach an “age of accountability.” Reformed Christians must recognize this truth as vitally important, not only for understanding the Biblical nature of church membership, but the covenantal significance of children in the Christian life.

Chapter Three focuses on “Baptismal Mode.” In that our doctrine is covenantal, our method of baptism is rooted in Old Testament imagery, which repeatedly emphasizes ceremonial sprinklings and pourings. Whereas many an evangelical church claims to be a “New Testament church,” a Reformed church should claim to be a “whole Bible church.” Furthermore, in that water baptism pictures Spirit baptism, I show that the Bible presents both baptisms as coming down from above and by means of pouring. Reformed Christians need to understand the Biblical warrant for why we baptize as we do.

Chapter Four reckons with the matter of “Tongues-Speaking,” which is a widely popular, broadcast-dominating phenomenon afflicting many churches today. This chapter looks into the various Biblical passages touching on tongues-speaking. In it I show that the very form of modern tongues-speaking differs from Biblical tongues. The reason for this confusion is largely related to the fact that the miraculous nature of Biblical tongues confines them to the apostolic church and the first century. Reformed Christians need to understand that their lack of tongues-speaking is not an indicator of a lack of spirituality and that the popularity of tongues today is another sign of confusion in the church.

The second section of this book contains four studies on “Doctrinal Issues” that are significant for the modern Reformed church’s self-understanding.

Chapter Five considers the proper method of “Defending the Faith.” The Reformed faith does not argue that Christianity is the best option among competing worldviews. Rather it insists that it is the only rational option because of the two-leveled nature of reality: the Creator and the creature. It does not argue that Christianity is possibly or even probably true, but that it is absolutely and certainly true. Reformed Christians need to defend the Biblical faith in a way that flows from the very nature of that faith itself.

Chapter Six presents the argument for “Six Day Creation.” Six day creation is a major contemporary controversy pitting the Christian worldview against secularism. Not only so but it even differs from some popular compromises promoted within Reformed circles themselves. The very integrity of the Bible and the foundation of the Christian worldview are at stake in this debate. Reformed Christians must understand the clear and compelling Biblical argument for the method of creation which has been revealed to us by the Creator himself.

Chapter Seven considers the proper Reformed understanding of the role of God’s Law in the new covenant era. This chapter demonstrates that the primary confession of Presbyterianism, the Westminster Confession of Faith, affirms the continuing validity of God’s Law today. Given our cultural relativism and its antipathy to absolute standards for ethics, this is an important matter for promoting the Christian worldview. Reformed Christians must understand their historic commitment to God’s Law as the absolute, God-revealed standard for ethics.

Chapter Eight highlights the most debated book in Scripture, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ.” Unfortunately, no Reformed consensus exists on the book of Revelation (it has even been lamented that wherever you find five commentaries on Revelation you will discover six views of Revelation). Yet the modern evangelical mind is saturated with what the Reformed community does almost universally denounce: premillennialism. In this chapter I show that Revelation actually deals with the beginning of Christian history, not its end. The contemporary church has literally turned the Revelation of Jesus Christ upside down. Reformed Christians must apprehend the true meaning of Revelation in order to help fellow evangelicals see the error of their premillennial analysis.