# "I Have a Confession"



## N. Eshelman (Dec 28, 2022)

Friends,

I have published a book through Crown and Covenant called "I Have a Confession: The Why and What of the Westminster Confession of Faith." You can get the book through Crown and Covenant or Amazon: https://crownandcovenant.com/collections/grass-market-press/products/i-have-a-confession

I am hoping this book will be the go-to book to give away for people who are "confessionally curious" or who are rather new to the idea of being in a confessional church.

From the back: "In your town, there are probably many churches saying they follow the Bible, yet they worship very differently and take different positions on big issues. How can we find a church that promotes right thinking about the Bible, encourages unity with truth, protects us from error, and helps us proclaim the good news? That is the heart of confessional churches and being a confessional Christian. This book is an introduction to confessions and what they’re supposed to do (and not do), focusing on the Westminster Confession of Faith."

What people are saying…

“In this delightful introduction to confessions of faith, Nathan Eshelman tells the story of the faithful God and His faithful people who have taken their stand on His Word. Eshelman shows that confessions are not mere arguments about words, but they are acts of worship and witness. In many ways, the future of the church depends on its faithfulness to biblical confessions of faith. Highly recommended!” 
—JOEL R. BEEKE, president, Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary and author



Some Christians only look back to the “good old days” and get stuck in the past. Others only look forward to “progress” and end up floating around without anchor or mooring. Eshelman models the biblical way of looking back at our historic confessions of faith in order to move forward confidently and safely. In doing so he blends conservative truth with contemporary application, a much needed gift in our day.
—DAVID MURRAY, senior pastor of First Byron Christian Reformed Church and author

“Too many believers wander around the Christian landscape unclear of what the churches that they attend actually believe. Eshelman guides you to consider the importance of a church having—and holding fast to!—a clearly stated confession of faith. With a shepherd’s heart and readable style, he uses scriptural warrant and understandable church history to lead God’s people into an appreciation of the green pastures of the Westminster Confession with their well-placed, ancient boundary stones.”
—Barry York, president and professor of pastoral theology and homiletics, Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary

“Many learned commentators have already spilled gallons of ink on the history and theology of the Westminster Standards. Yet this new work by Dr. Eshelman is in fact a unique approach to this vitally important topic. Of primary importance, it is a faithful, accurate, presentation of the Confession’s background and theology. I have a Confession shows how the Confession is practical and—when presented by a skilled teacher—easy to understand. But the book is so much more….The text engages the reader as it is sprinkled with interesting insights from Dr. Eshelman’s own life and family experiences. His illustrations draw the reader into what he is communicating. This is a highly recommended book that will benefit anyone new to the Reformed and Presbyterian tradition.”
—Richard Gamble, professor of systematic theology, Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary
“Do churches really need to adopt and teach ‘Confessions of Faith’ that comprehensively set forth the Bible’s crucial doctrines? Should they require solemn subscription to these teachings by her ordained leadership and expect a mature, conscious and committed unity in ‘the faith once delivered to the saints’ of her members and converts (Jude 1)? The author tackles these vital and neglected questions with verve and imagination, supplying the Christian community with an accessible road-map to the blessings of a unified and comprehensive grasp of, and commitment to, the corporate confession of the content and application of the whole Truth of God in the body of Christ."
—Gordon J. Keddie, author of Portraits of Christ and other books
Eshelman’s I Have a Confession was a treat from start to finish. Espalier apple trees and carp fishing with a spear will help the reader to think better of a confession’s role in the church’s life and the authority of the Scripture in writing confessions. I Have a Confession is first aid for a church in trauma and a guide for her to develop spiritual muscles. If the confessions are espaliers, then this book’s sub-title ought to have been, “How to Grow Espalier Churches.” This is a book that will serve Christ’s church.
—Jeffrey A. Stivason, pastor of Grace Reformed Presbyterian Church, professor of New Testament studies at the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary

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