Associational churchmanship, second London confession of faith 26. 12-15

Associational churchmanship, second London confession of faith 26. 12-15Theology does not occur in a vacuum. It develops out of real life situations. Men study the Word of God, contemplate its teaching, and express their conclusions. Often it is the circumstances of life that force them to think more closely and clearly about their doctrinal views and that sharpen the expressions of truth. When Arius challenged the divinity of Christ, Christians faced new questions, and the result of the debate was a clearer view of the

“Theology does not occur in a vacuum. It develops out of real-life situations. Men study the Word of God, contemplate its teaching, and express their conclusions. Often it is the circumstances of life that force them to think more closely and clearly about their doctrinal views and that sharpen the expressions of truth. When Arius challenged the divinity of Christ, Christians faced new questions, and the result of the debate was a clearer view of the deity of our Savior. We could give many illustrations from the history of the Church of that increasing clarity and understanding in the Creeds and Confessions of Christianity. The doctrine of associational churchmanship expressed in our Confession is another one of these circumstances. Our discussion will involve the following: first, the three ways to describe interchurch relations; second, the church in the Second London Confession of Faith (2LCF); third, an overview of chapter 26.1-11 and brief exposition of 26.12-13; fourth associationalism; and finally, a conclusion and application.”

Publisher: RBAP
Type: Paperback
ISBN: 9780976003984i

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James M. Renihan is President of IRBS Theological Seminary. He has been a pastor in churches in Massachusetts, New York and California. He is a graduate of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (Ph.D.), Seminary of the East (M.Div.), Trinity Ministerial Academy, and Liberty Baptist College, (B.S.). His academic work has focused on the Second London Baptist Confession and the broader Puritan theological context from which it arose. He has been published in many journals, and is the author of multiple books including Edification and Beauty, A Toolkit for Confessions, True Love, Faith and Life for Baptists and several others. Dr. Renihan and his wife Lynne have five adult children, who all love and serve Christ, and nine grandchildren. Two of his sons are pastors of Reformed Baptist churches.

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In a time when the visible church of Jesus Christ is considered irrelevant by modern society and many Evangelicals view denominations and ecclesiastical associations as too restrictive, this treatise on associational churchmanship is more needed than ever. Dr. James M. Renihan has written invaluable material that every serious Christian who loves Jesus, and the object Jesus loves most—the church—should read, study, and put into practice. This work is scholarly and simultaneously very practical. Apply what is written, and God will be glorified and Christ’s kingdom will be enriched and extended. Earl M. Blackburn