The following is excerpted from “The History of Sullivan County” by James Eldridge Quinlan, 1873. Rev. Thomas Grier (or Greer) was the founding pastor of each the Westtown and Unionville Presbyterian Churches. Here we find him laboring in a neighboring county. There is ground for belief that Rev. Thomas Greer, a Presbyterian clergyman of …
A story of Rev. Thomas Grier, “Minister of Minisink” Read More »
I’ve been working on piecing together the earliest history of churches in my area and in the process have acquired a number of digital maps of the area. Putting them here in chronological order may be of some benefit to later explaining the history. The following maps are from 1769, 1780, 1829, 1851, 1860, 1875, …
Sermon for Sunday, June 6th, 2021 at First Presbyterian Church at Unionville, NY (BPC) Old Testament reading: [Exo 12:29-51 ESV] 29 At midnight the LORD struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the …
There are a number of requirements to take communion in a Reformed or Presbyterian church. While specifics may vary from church to church, before participating in communion a person must be baptized, must be of sufficient maturity to “examine yourself,” must not be under church discipline, and must be a member of an evangelical (or …
On the Requirement of Being a Member of an Evangelical Church to Take Communion Read More »
Sermon for Sunday, May 30th, 2021 at First Presbyterian Church at Unionville, NY (BPC) Old Testament reading: [Exo 12:1-28 ESV] 1 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, 2 “This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you. …
Sermon on Exodus 12:1-28 – “Preparations for Passover” Read More »
Scripture reading: [Act 2:1-13 ESV] 1 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested …
Sermon on Acts 2:1-13 – “Hearing the Gospel, Proclaiming the Gospel” Read More »
Sermon for Sunday, May 23rd, 2021 at First Presbyterian Church at Unionville, NY (BPC) Old Testament reading: [Exo 10:21 – 11:10 ESV] 21 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness to be felt.” 22 So Moses stretched out …
Sermon on Exodus 10:21-11:10 – “Darkness and Deliverance” Read More »
Sermon for Sunday, May 16th, 2021 at First Presbyterian Church at Unionville, NY (BPC) Old Testament reading: [Exo 10:1-20 ESV] 1 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I may show these signs of mine among them, 2 and …
Sermon on Exodus 10:1-20 – “A Brood of Locusts, a Brooding Pharaoh” Read More »
Sermon for Sunday, May 9th, 2021 at First Presbyterian Church at Unionville, NY (BPC) Old Testament reading: [Exo 9:1-35 ESV] 1 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, “Let my people go, that they may serve me. 2 For …
Voddie Baucham names names in his recent book, Fault Lines, The Social Justice Movement and Evangelicalism’s Looming Catastrophe. He identifies a number of theologians with evangelical or even once-conservative credentials who have bought into at least some of the errors of Wokeism. These theologians include Tim Keller, Russell Moore, David Platt, Mark Dever, J. D. …
Sermon for Sunday, May 2nd, 2021 at First Presbyterian Church at Unionville, NY (BPC) Old Testament reading: [Exo 8:16-32 ESV] 16 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, so that it may become gnats in all the land of Egypt.’” 17 And …
Sermon on Exodus 8:16-32 – “That They May Serve Me” Read More »
Modern bible “scholars” claim that certain Pauline epistles were not written by Paul but were later pseudepigraphal works. The seven letters they “consider genuine” are: First Thessalonians (c. 50 AD) Galatians (c. 53) First Corinthians (c. 53-54) Philippians (c. 55) Philemon (c. 55) Second Corinthians (c. 55-56) Romans (c. 57) (This leaves out Second Thessalonians …
The Pauline Corpus of Modern Scholars and Marcion Read More »
Sermon for Sunday, April 25th, 2021 at First Presbyterian Church at Unionville, NY (BPC) Old Testament reading: [Exo 7:25 – 8:15 ESV] 25 Seven full days passed after the LORD had struck the Nile. 1 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Let my …
Sermon for Sunday, April 18th, 2021 at First Presbyterian Church at Unionville, NY (BPC) Old Testament reading: [Exo 4:1-9 ESV] 1 Then Moses answered, “But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, ‘The LORD did not appear to you.’” 2 The LORD said to him, “What is …
The question of the number of resurrections of man is central to the question of millennial eschatology positions. The chiliast or premillennial position argues for two separate resurrections, one (the first) for the just and another (the second) for the unjust typically said to have an interval between them of a literal 1000 years. The …
Easter Sunday, April 4th, 2021 at First Presbyterian Church at Unionville, NY (BPC) Old Testament: [Psa 16:1-11 ESV] 1 A Miktam of David. Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. 2 I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.” 3 As for the saints …
Sermon on 1 Corinthians 15:12-34 – “All Because of the Resurrection” Read More »
Sermon for Mini Bible Conference, Wednesday Evening, March 31st, 2021 at Grand Island (BPC) Scripture reading: [Isa 6:1-7 ESV] 1 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each …
Many who follow the theology of Cornelius Van Til also support strict subscription to the Westminster Confession of Faith. Examples include Morton H. Smith1and R. Scott Clark.2 Even a whole denomination, the recently-defunct RPCUS (1983-2020) was committed to both Strict Subscriptionism and Van Tillian Apologetics.3 But for all the support of the Westminster Confession among …
Sermon for Sunday Evening, March 28th, 2021 at First Presbyterian Church at Unionville, NY (BPC) Scripture reading: [Act 1:12-26 ESV] 12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. 13 And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they …
Sermon on Acts 1:12-26 – “From Eleven to Twelve” Read More »
Sermon for Sunday, March 8th, 2021 at First Presbyterian Church at Unionville, NY (BPC) Old Testament reading: [Exo 6:14-27 ESV] 14 These are the heads of their fathers’ houses: the sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi; these are the clans of Reuben. 15 The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, …
Sermon on Acts 6:14-27 – “The Genealogy of Moses and Aaron” Read More »
Sermon for Sunday, March 7th, 2021 at First Presbyterian Church at Unionville, NY (BPC) Old Testament reading: [Exo 6:1-13 ESV] 1 But the LORD said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand he will send them out, and with a strong hand he will drive …
Sermon on Exodus 6:1-13 – “God Remembers His Covenant” Read More »
[I recently received an email that gave me a chance to write on this subject of Lutheranism and Reformed theology which has been on my mind for many years. I figured I’d share my response here in case it might be of value to others] The email reads in part: “You have mentioned that you …
Sermon for Sunday Evening, February 28th, 2021 at First Presbyterian Church at Unionville, NY (BPC) Scripture reading: [Act 1:6-11 ESV] 6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or …
Sermon on Acts 1:6-11 – “Ascension, Session, Return” Read More »
