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by John S. Shaw
The world exalts the strong and the mighty. The world celebrates the victory of power over weakness. Historians tell the stories of powerful nations defeating weaker nations. Yet the gospel of Jesus Christ proclaims a different way. The Lord described the Christian life in this way: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Matt. 16:24). This side of glory, the believer should expect a life of difficulty and weakness, because we live in a broken and sinful world characterized by opposition to Christ and his kingdom. The apostle Paul makes this a theme of his two letters to the church in Corinth. He finds reason to glory in a seemingly weak message and means of salvation: the cross of Jesus Christ. He describes the message of the cross as foolishness to the perishing, but the power of God to those who are being saved (1 Cor. 1:18). He also reminds the Christians in Corinth of their own weakness. God chose the foolish, the weak, the low, and the ... Read more
by Mark R. Brown
The Orthodox Presbyterian Church is a branch of the divine institution known as the holy, catholic church. Our Lord Jesus said, “I will build my church” (Matt. 16:18). The church is our primary commitment in life and in death. It is the place where we meet the triune God as he pours out his Spirit on her officers, ordinances, and oracles. It is in the church where we are called to divine worship, mutual edification, and gospel outreach. Parachurch organizations are independent agencies, accountable only to their own board. Their purpose is to assist the church in its work. “Para” means “alongside” the church. It is not a competitor, but an assistant. We invert the proper order and relationship between the two when the church is asked to support the parachurch. The purpose of the parachurch is to help the church, not the other way around. Troubles begin when these lines begin to be blurred. For example, it is wrong to bind the consciences of the people of God by saying that every Christian ... Read more
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