# Free iPhone App from WSC - Christian Creeds & Reformed Confessions



## R. Scott Clark (Mar 4, 2010)

If you’re an iPhone, iPod touch user and interested in the Reformed faith then have we got a gift for you: a free iPhone app from Westminster Seminary California. This app contains the ecumenical creeds and Reformed confessions. Thanks to app developer James H. Price, to John Terrell (M.Div, ‘09), Young-Mi Cha, Steve Oeverman (WSC M.Div, ‘04), and the John Fesko (Academic Dean and Associate Professor of Systematic Theology).

http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=359513722&mt=8


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## toddpedlar (Mar 4, 2010)

Ha! 

I read the title and didn't read the word "App" when I did so. Thought you were handing out iPhones! Now THAT's a recruitment tool, I said!


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## puritanhope (Mar 4, 2010)

Booooo, it has the revisionist WCF. Otherwise a cool ap.


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## R. Scott Clark (Mar 4, 2010)

Bryan,

I think we used the version adopted by the OPC. 

Aren't you OPC?

---------- Post added at 05:23 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:22 PM ----------




toddpedlar said:


> Ha!
> 
> I read the title and didn't read the word "App" when I did so. Thought you were handing out iPhones! Now THAT's a recruitment tool, I said!



LOL!

We're generous but not THAT generous.


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## sastark (Mar 4, 2010)

Dr. Clark, it really is a nice app. But you may want to tell the developer(s) that to have "Westminster Confession of Faith 1643" in the table of contents, and then to find that the text is actually the American revised WCF is a bit misleading.

Otherwise, I really like this app. Thanks!


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## R. Scott Clark (Mar 5, 2010)

I didn't realize they listed the date of the WCF as 1643. It should be 1647. I'm sure there will be other revisions. No app goes without revisions.

The WCF was published in '47 and thereafter. I have no sympathy for the notion that the American revisions are such that the WCF is no longer the WCF. 

No one says that the Belgic is no longer the Belgic or no longer the 1561 edition, even though Article 36 was revised by the Americans and the Dutch.


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## JonathanHunt (Mar 5, 2010)

Just downloading it now, looks great. Although I suspect it probably contains some subliminal stuff designed to convert baptists to presbyterianism so I shall be very careful not to stare at the screen too hard...


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## LawrenceU (Mar 5, 2010)

I'm downloading it as well. 'Shields up!'


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## tcalbrecht (Mar 5, 2010)

R. Scott Clark said:


> I didn't realize they listed the date of the WCF as 1643. It should be 1647. I'm sure there will be other revisions. No app goes without revisions.
> 
> The WCF was published in '47 and thereafter. I have no sympathy for the notion that the American revisions are such that the WCF is no longer the WCF.
> 
> No one says that the Belgic is no longer the Belgic or no longer the 1561 edition, even though Article 36 was revised by the Americans and the Dutch.


 

Well, they really aren’t. Just as the Philadelphia Confession of Faith (1742) is not the London Confession of Faith (1689). The pedigree may be common, but they are not the same documents. 

It’s like significantly changing several scenes in _Romeo and Juliet_ while wishing to keep the title intact. It ain't Shakespeare anymore.


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## raekwon (Mar 5, 2010)

Oh man, this is a LOT better looking than the (similar) "iReformed" app. Thanks for the heads-up.


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## R. Scott Clark (Mar 5, 2010)

So, on this reasoning, the OPC, PCA, and URCs are all guilty of lying, i.e., violating the ninth commandment because they've adopted revisions to the Westminster or the Belgic?

Does that mean also that the constitution of the United States is no longer the constitution because it has been amended? 

Is there no place for distinguishing between substance and accidents? The substance of the Reformed Confession is it's doctrines of Scripture, God, Man, Christ, Salvation, Church, Sacraments, and Last Things, but is theocracy so of the essence of the faith that to deny it is to deny the Reformed faith?


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## puritanhope (Mar 5, 2010)

In response to your question, the moment the American church revised the Confession she broke from unity with the Scottish church. I greatly mourn the fact that I am part of a denomination that broke unity with our foreign brothers and sisters, especially when they were not in error.


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## tcalbrecht (Mar 7, 2010)

R. Scott Clark said:


> So, on this reasoning, the OPC, PCA, and URCs are all guilty of lying, i.e., violating the ninth commandment because they've adopted revisions to the Westminster or the Belgic?
> 
> Does that mean also that the constitution of the United States is no longer the constitution because it has been amended?
> 
> Is there no place for distinguishing between substance and accidents? The substance of the Reformed Confession is it's doctrines of Scripture, God, Man, Christ, Salvation, Church, Sacraments, and Last Things, but is theocracy so of the essence of the faith that to deny it is to deny the Reformed faith?



The Constitution of the US is not a fit analogy. The reason being that the constitution has not been adopted by other countries and unilaterally amended by some subset of those counties while still wishing to call it “The Constitution of the US.”

The fact is that the Belgic* Confession of the URCNA/CRCNA and the Westminster* Confession of the PCA/OPC/PCUSA are not the confession of the bodies that originally adopted those confession, nor are they the same confessions as that majority of other Reformed and Presbyterian denominations around the world. They are not even the confessions of some NAPARC denominations. They are uniquely American confessions that ought to be properly noted as such. 

in my opinion, it is dishonest to identify the PCA or OPC or PCUSA versions of the Westminster* Confession as something like “the Westminster Confession of Faith (1647).” 

As to substance vs. accidents, when some groups charge other groups with being “unconfessional” based on an interpretation of the American revisions, then there is a problem. Wouldn’t you agree?


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## jogri17 (Mar 7, 2010)

wow, alot of reformed fundys out here. But Thanks R.Scott for telling us. I would love in further updates to include the directory for the publick worship of God, the 39 articles (or maybe just the entire book of common prayer), the congregationalist confession, the various baptist confessions, the french confession, helvitica, and the other less known ones. But if you do that, i might as well stop bringing my bible to church!


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## DMcFadden (Mar 7, 2010)

There is a funny line in Voltaire's _Candide_ when a character is found next to a beautiful woman, only to mutter to himself: "O che sciagura d'essere senza coglioni!"

After hearing you all rave about your iPhone App, I am tempted to mutter: "Oh what a calamity to be without an iPhone!" I am, alas, a Droid owner with its Android OS.


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## R. Scott Clark (Mar 7, 2010)

dmcfadden said:


> there is a funny line in voltaire's _candide_ when a character is found next to a beautiful woman, only to mutter to himself: "o che sciagura d'essere senza coglioni!"
> 
> after hearing you all rave about your iphone app, i am tempted to mutter: "oh what a calamity to be without an iphone!" i am, alas, a droid owner with its android os.



lol!


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## Kentaro (Mar 7, 2010)

Any chance the 1689 London Baptist confession will be coming out soon for the iphone?


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## sastark (Mar 8, 2010)

I think, perhaps, my earlier post may have been misinterpreted. Let me try to clarify:

I am not trying to bash/insult/degrade the people who put this app together. I think it is a very nice, very usable app. My only comment is: if the table of contents says the WCF is from 1643 [sic], I would expect the original verbiage of the WCF. If I find the OPC edition of the WCF when I am expecting the original edition, I am a little disappointed. If the table of contents had said "WCF (OPC Edition)" or "WCF (American Edition)" I would have still thought this is a very useful app and would still be as appreciative of it as I currently am.

I hope that clears up what I was trying to say before. Dr. Clark, please pass my thanks onto those responsible for this very useful tool which is now on my iPhone!


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## coramdeo (Mar 8, 2010)

All this makes me want to convert my wife's iPhone into my use.....fat chance!


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