Seventeen82

      In a light-hearted post this last week my compatriot and dear friend, the Rev. Tim Phillips, posted a meme on an ARP Facebook page that opened up a discussion about the so-called "Three-Office" view and the "Two-Office" view. After much back and forth there was seemingly a lot that needed said. This is a question which has vexed primarily American Presbyterianism for over two-centuries. The issue I want to look at in this brief essay is: Why does this matter? What effect does one or the other have in real life? We'll look at one particular example, because to look at too much more would tax your time.      Often well-meaning people will push back at any discussion over things of this nature with the often misused phrase, "...it's like arguing over how many angels can fit on a pin!", implying that the value of the answer is so unimportant that spending much effort entering into the fray either gets in the way of ministry, or wastes vital time ...

  What’s the Deal with Covenanting? A Very Short Primer By Rev. Benjamin Glaser       Given the political changes we’ve seen over the past several months I have had some folks inquire with me, the token Covenanter in the ARP, about what this whole doctrine is, where do I see that in the Bible, and why does any of it matter other than as historical curiosity. In this short essay I cannot give a full weight and defense, but my hope is that whetting the whistle will get you thirsty enough to dive into William Symington, or even read some Covenanter sympathizers like Ebenezer and Ralph Erskine, or my personal favorite (and whose image adorns my study wall at church) Alexander Moncrieff.       The ARP has a very rich history of political theology and we limit ourselves by not drinking deeply at this well. We do not ask enough questions, allowing the world too much leeway in instructing the people of God in how to think about partisan politics, defi...