The Highway Forums General Discussion Open Forum College choices

Is anyone on this Web site familiar with Geneva College in Beaver Falls, PA? Our family visited this college in a trip to the East back in February (we also visited Grove City College) and were favorably impressed. This college is affilated with the Reformed Presbyterian Church in North America, which I understand to be of Scottish Covenanter background. This compares favorably with Grove City, which is affiliated, though loosely, with the local Presbyterian Church, USA, presbytery. Also, the SAT/ACT requirements are not as stringent at Geneva vs. Grove City. The down side is that the school is $5K per year more expensive than Grove City. The Grove City campus is newer looking, and benefits from Pew family money, a patron that Geneva lacks. Additionally, the town of Grove City has something of a Mayberry ambiance, while Beaver Falls looks like a set for "The Deer Hunter."<br><br>If anyone has any comments on Geneva, or contrasts between the two colleges, please let me know.

I'm not personally familiar with Grove City College nor Geneva College. But the fact that Geneva is sponsored by the RCPNA is undoubtedly a good sign. I have had some communication with a professor who teaches at Grove City and if he is representative of the rest of the faculty, I wouldn't consider that a good choice. The PCUSA, is as you are surely aware, apostate. So if they have any influence over what is taught at the college, that is another very good reason to [img]http://www.the-highway.com/w3timages/icons/flee.gif" alt="flee" title="flee[/img].<br><br>In His Grace,

RC Sproul Jr. went to Grove City, and I'm told it is stellar. Definitely check it out! [img]http://www.the-highway.com/w3timages/icons/smile.gif" alt="smile" title="smile[/img]

I think that Grove City's conservatism has historically been in the areas of economics, politics, and culture, but not necessarily theology.

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr>[color:"blue"]RC Sproul Jr. went to Grove City</font><hr></blockquote><p>No offense, but R.C., Jr. isn't much of a positive influence IMHO! [img]http://www.the-highway.com/w3timages/icons/laugh.gif" alt="laugh" title="laugh[/img] And, things do change. My communications with a professor there were only several months ago compared to R.C. Sproul's attending there years ago. Still, it may be conservative. But then again, it all depends upon how you define conservative. hehe<br><br>

I do know one professor, T. David Gordon (ordained PCA pastor) who was hired a couple of years ago down at Grove City to be professor of NT Greek, and perhaps New Testament in general. I so have some differences with him with respect to some aspects of covenant theology, but I still hold him in high esteem. He is an excellent teacher and Christian man who is Reformed. So that's one faculty member, I don't know about the rest of them. [img]http://www.the-highway.com/w3timages/icons/grin.gif" alt="grin" title="grin[/img]<br><br>FYI - I think Geneva college has become quite loose in their view of worship and charismatic gifts, and perhaps the role of women in ordained ministry, but you would really need to check this out because I am going from memory here and could be thinking of another school.<br><br>Regards,<br><br>~Jason

Jason,<br><br>Funny you should mention T. David Gordon as that is the gentleman that I was referring to, but without mentioning his name. He clearly holds to a NCT view, which I thoroughly reject. He may be "conservative" in other areas, but in this one area, which is IMHO fundamental, he errs badly.<br><br>As I said in a previous reply, things change! And if what you are saying might be going on at Geneva, and if this is reflective of what is going on in the RCPNA, this would be really unfortunate. Although I have never accepted the RCPNA's strict definition and application of the Regulative Principle, it was far more palatable than the current trend to "seeker-friendly" models. I hope that this is just an inaccurate rumour.<br><br>In His Grace,

Hi Pilgrim,<br><br>Well, that is truly disappointing if he has embraced full NCT. Are there any NCT proponents who remain Presbyterian and paedobaptistic, because as far as I know, he remains committed to those doctrines and I have never heard of a NCT theologian who was not Baptistic. That would be an odd mixture. I saw some similarities in the things he believed with NCT, but not to such an extent.<br><br>Regards,<br><br>~Jason<br><br>

The Constitution of the RPCNA calls for the exclusive use of Psalms in public worship, unaccompanied by the use of musical instruments, which in and of itself would preclude Christian pop music, Southern Gospel, or the like. The overall tone of their statement on public worship would preclude any sort of "loosy-goosy" spectacles during public worship on the Lord's Day. That being said, I have yet to attend a RPCNA worship service, as the denomination is not represented in the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas. Also, their Constitution restricts the office of elder to males in good standing in a RPCNA church, in agreement with the Bible and with the PCA, OPC, etc. As for charismatic gifts, the Testimony of the RPCNA (commentary on the Westminster Confession of Faith) states that no further revelation exists following the closure of the canon of Scripture.<br><br>The denomination's strong stand in favor of the Westminster standards will hopefully have a salutary impact on Geneva College. However, there have been numerous instances of colleges going liberal even while the denomination was still Scriptural. Princeton University did so, especially under the leadership of Woodrow Wilson, future U.S. president. In Baptist ranks, Baylor University and Duke University became liberal even as the national leadership of the Southern Baptist Convention went conservative. Hopefully, the RPCNA has learned from these lessons.

Jason,<br><br>Now you are getting "technical" on me. It's like saying Baptists can't be called "Reformed" because "Reformed" MUST be defined as including an adherence to covenant theology, paedobaptism, etc., etc... and now some are saying you ain't "Reformed" unless you embrace paedocommunion, theonomy/reconstructionism, new perspective theology, etc. And there are others (all who can be relegated to being "TR") who have their own brand of "Reformed" (exclusive psalmody, non-instrumentation, hats, no shorts, no TV, etc., etc.). Sooooooo, when I said that this man embraced NCT, I meant that he has embraced and in fact teaches the PREDOMINATE TENET of NCT, i.e., the rejection of the Moral Law as being perpetual and binding upon the Church. He does this by using various "tools" (views) and combining them, e.g., new perspective, antinomianism, etc., etc.. I have or at least had, I may still have them, several documents he sent to me for my perusal and comment. Thus, I did not intend to mean that he was in the same league as John Reseinger and the Baptist NCTers. [img]http://www.the-highway.com/w3timages/icons/evilgrin.gif" alt="evilgrin" title="evilgrin[/img]

I see ... makes perfect sense to me now and sounds like what I was thinking. [img]http://www.the-highway.com/w3timages/icons/thumbup.gif" alt="thumbup" title="thumbup[/img]<br><br>Thanks for the update,<br><br>~Jason

What exactly is NTC?<br>

New Covenant Theology (NCT)<br><br>'New Covenant Theology' is a phrase that people use to identify the belief that the dispensation in the New Testament has a distinctively 'new character' to it. It has been equated to being a compromise between dispensational theology and Covenant theology. This is a doctrine normally held by some theologians who were former dispensationalists, reformed baptists, or former baptists who come from this background. <br><br>In this teaching, they hold that Christ has actually Changed God's laws. Their belief stems from their conclusion that because we live under the provisions of the new covenant, the new dispensation inaugurated by Christ, that the law of Christ is 'not' the same as the law of Moses. It is indefensible.<br>

Oh. I'm still a bit up in the air about that one. The bible seems to show elements of Covenental Theology and Dispensationalism. I'm sorta confused about it.

Hi Joe,<br><br>You may know more about NCT than I do, but I did not get the impression that they taught Christ changed God's laws, but that He "raised them to a higher level" (perhaps this is the same thing?) However, I think you are correct to say that they do not believe the law of Christ is the same as the law of Moses. They also reject the ten commandments as being a summary of the moral law, and place the sabbath as part of the ceremonial law, as I think your points would agree.<br><br>Furthermore, a big thing with them is that they see Israel as teaching about God's plan and dealings with His people, but that they are not actually His people (Israel is not the visible church prior to the New Covenant). I am wondering if NCT is really the development and proliferation of what is essentially Jewett's position?<br><br>Regards,<br><br>~Jason