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Volume XVIIII, Issue 1 January 2013

We live in a world filled with competing truth claims. Every day, we are
bombarded with declarations that something is true and that some-
thing else is false. We are told what to believe and what not to believe.
We are asked to behave one way but not another way.

How do we sift through all these claims? How do people know what to
think about relationships, morality, God, the origins of the universe,
and many other important questions? To answer such questions, peo-
ple need some sort of norm, or criteria, to which they can appeal. We
need an ultimate authority. Of course, everyone has some sort of ulti-
mate norm to which they appeal: reason, logic, experience, or even
themselves. Christians have historically rejected all of these as the ultimate standard of knowledge, affirming instead
that only Gods Word can legitimately function as the supreme standard. There can be no higher authority than God
Himself.

But if Gods Word is the ultimate standard for all of life, where do we go to get it? This was one of the core debates of
the Protestant Reformation. While the Roman Catholic Church authorities agreed that Gods Word was the ultimate
standard for all of life and doctrine, they believed it could be found in places outside the Scriptures. Rome claimed a
trifold authority structure, which included Scripture, tradition, and the Magisterium (the churchs teaching office led by
the pope).

The Reformers acknowledged that God had delivered His Word to His people in a variety of ways before Christ (Heb.
1:1), but they argued that we should no longer expect ongoing revelation now that God had spoken finally in His Son
(Heb. 1:2). Scripture is clear that the Apostolic office was designed to perform a one-time, redemptive-historical task:
to lay the foundation of the church (Eph. 2:20) by giving her a deposit of authoritative teaching testifying to and apply-
ing the great redemptive work of Christ. This should be seen as the final installment of Gods revelation to His people.

The conviction of sola Scriptura the Scriptures alone are the Word of God and, therefore, the only infallible rule for
life and doctrine is embodied in Martin Luthers speech after he was asked to recant his teachings:

Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures or by clear reason (for I do not trust either in the pope
or in councils alone, since it is well known that they have often erred and contradicted themselves), I am bound by the
Scriptures I have quoted and my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and will not retract anything, since
it is neither safe nor right to go against conscienceMay God help me. Amen.

Of course, like many core Christian convictions, the doctrine of sola Scriptura has often been misunderstood and mis-
applied. Some have used it as a justification for a me, God, and the Bible type of individualism, where the church
bears no real authority and the history of the church is not considered when interpreting and applying Scripture. Ironi-
cally, such an individualistic approach actually undercuts the very doctrine it is intended to protect. By emphasizing the
autonomy of the individual believer, one is left with only private, subjective conclusions about what Scripture means.

The Reformers would not have recognized such a distortion. On the contrary, they were quite keen to rely on the
church fathers and the creeds and confessions of the church. The Reformers did not view themselves as coming up
with something new. Rather, they understood themselves to be recovering something very old, something that the
Continued on page 2
PAGE 2 VOLUME XVIII ISSUE 12

(Continued from page 1) John Fawcett was a distinguished


church had originally believed but scholar and Baptist minister at
later twisted and distorted. Wainsgate, England. In 1772 he was
to leave Wainsgate to be pastor of a
But the biggest danger we face prestigious church in London. The
when it comes to sola Scriptura is townspeople were so sorrowful about his leaving that he rejected the honor
not misunderstanding it, but forget- and stayed at Wainsgate and wrote the hymn Blest Be the Tie That Binds.
ting it. We are prone to think of this
doctrine purely in terms of 16th cen- Blest be the tie that binds
tury debates and irrelevant for the Our hearts in Christian love:
modern day. In order to lead the The fellowship of kindred minds
church back to this doctrine, the Is like to that above.
Scriptures must actually be
preached. Only the Word of God Before our Fathers throne
has the power to transform and re- We pour our ardent prayers;
form our churches. We must Our fears, our hopes, our aims are one,
preach all of Gods Word, not pick- Our comforts and our cares.
ing and choosing the parts we pre-
fer or think our congregations want We share each others woes,
to hear. Only then can we hope for Our mutual burdens bear,
a new reformation. And often for each other flows
The sympathizing tear.
Excerpted from Tabletalk magazine
(Nov2012) When we asunder part,
It gives us inward pain;
But we shall still be joined in heart,
The Perth Press And hope to meet again.
Is published monthly by

New Perth ARP Church Please pray or our church family:


204 West Ave. At Home: Mildred Smith, Eloise Stinson
Troutman, NC 28166 Assisted Living: Harold & Marcella Perkins (Big Elm
Nursing Home)
704-528-5565
newperth@att.net Illnesses/Recoveries: Ralph Jones, Katrina Smith, Carol
Chapman, Bob & Patsy Smith, Jeanette Mayhew, Lee
Supply Pastor: Robert Sherer Brown, Keith Kelly, Sarah Thompson, Dean Murdock,
Bill Stevenson
Music Director: Buddy Nash
baxternash@msn.com Others To Remember: Lynn Sherer, Joyce Henderson (Tammy Reavis
mother), Jeff Osborne, Gaye Edmiston (mother of Mary Tolbert), Mary John-
Secretary: Sandra Blevins son (preschool parent), Scott Collins (bone cancer), Joy Rumple (waiting heart
sandramblevins@att.net transplant), Ellen Jones (cancer), Alvin Perry, Prissy Redmond (Cissie Berry-
Interim Preschool Director hills sister), Tabitha & Lance Dahl (auto accident), Shelly Mazag
Heather Jurgensen Pray for those that have lost loved ones: Ralph Jones and family
perthpreschool@att.net Pray for our missionaries
Afterschool Care Pray for our commitment and responsibility to be faithful witnesses of
perthafterschool@att.net
Jesus Christ.
Pray for the leaders of our country and the military
Office Hours 9:00 a.m. - 3:15 p.m. PLEASE NOTE: If you would like to add or remove names on this prayer list,
TuesdayFriday please contact Sandra.
PAGE 3 VOLUME XVIII ISSUE 12

Dear friends at New Perth,


Thank you for your continued part-
nership with us in our ministry. You
are an important part of our team of Kathryn (Katie) LeeAnne Brown
supporters. Just like when we were On December 23, 2012
in Mexico, the support and prayers Daughter of Circle #1
of partners like you are what make it David & Beverly Brown. Sunday, January 6th
possible for Shelia to serve in her 2:30 p.m. in the church parlor
role as Short-Term Missions Coordi-
nator and Liaison to Womens Minis- Keenagers
tries. Tuesday, January 15th
Our hope is that God will continue 11:30 a.m.
to bless each one of you. Soup Lunch and Bingo
In Christ, Please bring a $2.00 gift
Shelia & Jeff wrapped as a bingo prize.

From the Session The Ultimate Resolution


During the congregational meet- Resolutions are easy to make but
ing on December 23rd the con- oh so hard to keep. In fact, many
gregation approved the Reverend people refuse to make them for
Robert Sherer to be the stated that very reason. After all, by
supply and moderator of the ses- February, most people have bro-
sion upon approval from Presby- ken them, and by March they
tery. dont even remember what they
were. Its just too hard to change,
Members were asked to make
so why try?
nominations for deacon, elder,
congregational chairman, treas- Yet Scripture exhorts us to be
urer and assistant treasurer by more like Christ, to forgive our
placing D, E, CC, T, or AT respec- enemies, to tithe and to be
tively beside the names of nomi- thankful in all situations. Should- 1/2Tim Arnold
nees. Those making nominations nt we resolve to put some of 1/4John Hall
were asked to contact the nomi- these into practice, even if ever 1/4Betty Terwilliger
nees to assure they are willing to so imperfectly? 1/12Kaley Anderson
serve before submitting nomina- 1/19Wanda Haughton
Peter admonishes us to be holy 1/30Marilyn Helms
tions. It was announced that
as God is holy (1 Peter 1:15-16). 1/31Roger Campbell
nominations will be accepted
Thats the ultimate New Years
through the end of December
resolution all but certain to be 1/18Ted & Rebecca Bouranis
(there is a box for these sheets in
broken repeatedly before the sun 1/21Gordon & Helen Mayfield
the narthex), that the Session will
sets on the first day. Yet though 1/24Marshall & Dot Shanklin
conduct examinations in January,
we fail, are we not better for try-
and an election will be held in
ing?
January.
www.newperth.org
New Perth ARP Church Calendar
204 West Ave Troutman NC 28166
704-528-5565

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4 5
7:00 Deacons &
Session Meet

Lunch Box Lunch Box Lunch Box Lunch Box Lunch Box
Meadows Mason/Mills Hinsons Edmiston/Nesbit Kellys

6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Communion

2:30 Circle #1

13 14 15 16 17 18 19
11:30
Keenagers
Soup & Bingo
7:00 CE &
Outreach
Committee

20 21 22 23 24 25 26
Lunch Box Lunch Box Lunch Box Lunch Box Lunch Box
Meadows Mason/Mills Hinsons Edmiston/Nesbit Kellys

27 28 29 30 31

Every Sunday
Ushers Sunday Nursery
9:00 a.m.Adult Choir
TBA 6Lisa Nesbit & Kids
9:50 a.m.Sunday School
13Sarah & Michael Barker
11:00 a.m. Worship
Greeters 20Dean & Jade Wooten
Every Wednesday
J.J. Knox & Chris Ostwalt 27Jennifer, Chris & Daryl Crouch
ChimesTBA
Wednesday Nursery 5:15 p.m.Youth Choir
Childrens Church 2Deneen & Roger Campbell 6:00 p.m. Supper
6 Dean & Jade Wooten 9Sarah & Michael Barker 6:30 p.m. Psalm 98/Childrens Study
13-David & Beverly Brown 16Deneen & Roger Campbell 6:30 p.m.Youth
20-J.J. Knox 23Sarah & Michael Barker 6:30 p.m.Adult Study
27-Chris & Laura Ostwalt 30Deneen & Roger Campbell 7:30 p.m.Adult Choir
Every Thursday
10:45 a.m.Adult Bible Study
NEW PERTH A.R.P. CHURCH
P.O. Box 457 204 West Avenue Non-Profit Organization
Troutman, N.C. 28166 U.S. Postage PAID
Troutman, N.C.
Permit No. 8
Return Service Requested

r t h P r ess
The Pe

What is the Hebrew meaning of the word Amen? Brandon Campbell & Dad,
Roger having the time of their
A. So be it. life skydiving.
B. We praise you. Bill Mayhew still floating in
C. Thank you. the clouds after South Iredell
D. Please, God! winning state championship.
Vickie Crouch cooking some
good food for the Keenagers
and the Lois Hood/LA Brown
class Christmas parties.
Gordon Mayfield and Sue
Brown giving some history
Answer: A lessons.

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