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What are the real differences between the OPC and the PCA? Most of the stories told in the OPC are told by ex-PCA’ers who had a bad experience in the PCA. And most of the stories told in PCA are told by former OP members or ministers who were frustrated in the OPC. And so the stereotypes grow!   Alternately, someone with experience in two or three OP churches generalizes from that to the whole OPC (or vice versa, with the PCA).   My own experience is somewhat limited, but I have had the advantage of serving for the last...

The Winter War (Alaska) - Apparently, Obama Permanent Campaign (OPC) minions at The Washington Post have received orders from the White House to minimize the damage caused by repeated revelations of Tax Cheating by The Tax Cheat Party. Attempting to kill two birds with one slimy, excrement-ridden stone, James V. Grimaldi (D-WaPo) (who proved himself to be a reliable Obama footsoldier during the Fall campaign 2008 battles) has written a smear piece on Governor Sarah Palin which attempts to paint Palin as a tax cheat of a similar stripe as his party's Innumerable Tax Cheats. Sorry, Grimaldi - we ain't...

Question: What is your stand on abortion? Answer: The Orthodox Presbyterian Church takes a firm stand against abortion. Our reasons rest upon what the Bible teaches as to the sacredness of human life. And we hold the Bible to be the inspired, infallible Word of God. 1. In Genesis 1:26 & 27 we are told that God created mankind in His image. In Genesis 9:6 God says, "Whoever sheds man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed, for in the image of God He made man." That image distinguished man from animal creation. Once truly human, that image of...

The answers come from individual ministers in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church expressing their own convictions and do not necessarily represent an "official" position of the Church, especially in areas where the Standards of the Church (the Scriptures and the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms) are silent. Question: I have a few questions for you about the "OPC." First, do you teach apostolic succession, and, if so, do you believe ministers outside of the OPC are not really ministers? Second, do you believe that the "gifts of the Holy Spirit" are for today, i.e., are healing, tongues, prophetic revelation,...

Question: I need to find out where to locate information regarding your position paper on the use of pictures of Christ. Answer: So far as I know, the OPC does not have a position paper relating to the pictures of Christ. Lest I should speak without knowledge, I consulted two members of our Committee on Christian Education. Neither of them knows of "position papers." The OPC does not produce position papers. Matters of that sort are dealt with in our secondary standards or as related to matters brought before General Assemblies. Decades ago, I was a member of that...

Is there a specific reason as to why we seem to look down upon Roman Catholics more than other religions? They are Christians after all. A lot of my friends are Catholic and they seem like nice people. We even share many of the same beliefs. So why do we "bash" them? Answer: Thank you for your question. There are several presuppositions in your question that need to be teased out as a part of my answer. You write, "we seem to look down upon Roman Catholics more than other religions." And there are other usages of we: "we even...

Question: Recently a Catholic friend of mine posed a question that had me perplexed and I was hoping you could explain. As you probably know, Catholics believe in Sacred Tradition. My friend told me that the Bible supports Sacred Tradition in 2 Thessalonians 3:15 when it states "Therefore, brothers, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours." Could you please explain this? Answer: Thank you for your question about 2 Thessalonians 2:15. When Paul uses the word traditions in this verse, he is referring to...

Thanks for any recommended places or web sites. I've seen it at $30 for a 300 gram bottle. Thanks.

"Get over it!" "The Reformation is an historical event that took place years ago; it is irrelevant to me and to modern people." "Just give me Jesus and I will be happy. What good could come from visiting the teaching of the Reformation in today's church?" These are some of the initial comments one is likely to get from other well-meaning Christians unfamiliar, uninformed, or disinterested in the Reformation of the 16th century. Yet, what God did in His goodness during the Reformation was nothing less than the reestablishment of the gospel, the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ,...

Total Depravity--Man in his natural state is dead in trespasses and sins. It is the ancient conviction of the Christian church that man--being dead in trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:1, 5)--cannot save himself. Yet how often man has tried to do something to bring about his own salvation! But Jesus said, "Apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:5). It is for this reason that the Bible says that God alone is the author of man's conversion. Any man who hears the gospel is commanded by God to accept it. He is free (emphasis in original) to accept it....

March 11, 1969 Dr. Francis A. Schaeffer Chalet les Melezes Huemoz sur Ollon 1861 Switzerland Dear Francis: You remember that some time ago I sent you a copy of a memorandum that I wrote on your Wheaton Lectures. Now that your book The God Who Is There appeared I should like to make some further remarks. Let me preface what I say, by repeating what I said in the memorandum, that I have the greatest admiration for you personally and for your work at L’Abri. Those who have been with you there speak in the most glowing terms about what...