In Presbyterianism it is common to hear of church assemblies being described as church courts. Why? This terminology promotes legalistic thinking, and this is too commonly found in dealing with cases of conscience or cases of discipline. This legal thinking needs to be balanced with the biblical teaching about office-bearers in the Church of Christ: …
Category: Congregational life
The failure of Gentile Christianity
The failure of Gentile Christianity is predicted in Scripture at Rom 11:15. Its revival will come with the conversion of national Israel. Meanwhile, why has Gentile Christianity failed to convert the world? It has been successful in what the Lord called it to. It has evangelized the world Mat 28:18-20, making disciples of all ethnic …
Reviving the Christian Church
How do we revive the Christian church? Many people can see the decline in the Christian church, although there are not so many that are able to diagnose the problem. There are two things that are urgently needed for the revival of the Christian church. The first need is exegetical preaching, with emphasis on both …
Jesus’ views on ecclesiastical leadership
Having considered Jesus' view of those Christians who do not pay attention to His Word I now turn to notice Jesus' opinion about ecclesiastical leadership. Leadership During His time on Earth, Jesus criticized Jewish officialdom. It was not "the Jews" but the leadership who persecuted Jesus and finally secured His crucifixion. The ordinary Jewish public "heard …
Reforming the Reformed Church
The Reformed Church is the Christian church that emerged in Europe during the 16th-century European Reformation, reforming the church from the Roman Catholic corruptions that had emerged under the Roman Catholic pope in Rome. These reforms are generally described as "Reformed in Doctrine, Worship and Practice". 500 years after these events, there has been a …
Is true Christianity confrontational?
Jesus Christ was a radical teacher Who astonished even His own disciples Mat 19:25. Yet crowds of people heard Him gladly Mk 12:37. He appealed over the heads of Jewish officialdom to teach the people publicly. He contradicted Jewish officialdom and called them hypocrits Mat 23. Yet there are those who want Christians to be …
The content of Christian fellowship
Having noted the nature of Christian fellowship, I now turn to the content of Christian fellowship. Christian fellowship is Christocentric, meaning that it centres on the Lord Jesus Christ because He is the centre of everything Col 1:17. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last Rev 22:13. Different people focus …
The nature of Christian fellowship
It might surprise you to consider these biblical passages about the nature of Christian fellowship. Christian fellowship is eternal and does not come to an end. What does this say about your relationships with other Christians, far less about your evangelizing zeal for the lost and perishing? If you don't know about Christian fellowship, how …
The prejudice of offence
Some of the most prejudiced people are those who take easy offence. How is this so, and so what? This is very relevant in our politically correct era when those in public life and on social media are busy taking offence at their opponents' opinions. So what is the connection? Both prejudice and offence are …
Dr John Kennedy (1819-1884)
Scottish Highland Christianity has been unique in preserving the biblical and spiritual attainments of the 16th-century Scottish Reformation to the present day. Foremost in the ranks of 19th-century Highland Christianity was Dr John Kennedy (1819-1884), the renowned minister of the Free Church of Scotland in Dingwall for 40 years. Dingwall (Tingwall) was considered the Viking …
Donald's Thoughts 