Covenants, Adam, Modernity, and Context Pt 1 (HC 15)

15. What kind of a mediator and redeemer then must we seek? One who is a true1 and righteous man, 2 and yet more powerful than all creatures, that is, One who is also true God.3 11 Cor 15:21, 22, 25, 26. . . . Continue reading →

Covenants, Adam, Modernity, and Context Pt 2 (HC 15)

Part 1 15. What kind of a mediator and redeemer then must we seek? One who is a true1 and righteous man,2 and yet more powerful than all creatures, that is, One who is also true God.3 11 Cor 15:21, 22, 25, . . . Continue reading →

Sola Scriptura and the Limits of Special Revelation

Darryl has a great post at Old Life featuring a quote from Ken Myers on the limits of Scripture. A lot of non-confessional evangelicals and too many ostensibly confessional evangelicals misunderstand sola Scriptura.They think it means either that, if the Bible doesn’t . . . Continue reading →

Why the Reformation Cannot Be Avoided

Joel writes in response to the post, “Is the Gospel Preached or Lived?” to ask for a response to his post responding to criticisms of the expression “living the gospel.” The substance of the post is to observe that the NT uses . . . Continue reading →

Biblicists And Federal Visionists Together

In this systematic theology, Frame has not overwhelmed us with the scholarly apparatus characteristic of so much theological literature, and as he certainly is capable of doing. Instead, he has chosen to enter into conversation with his reader, showing how he has . . . Continue reading →

Creeds Are Unavoidable

Christianity is a creedal religion. You cannot separate Christianity from its ancient creeds. In fact, every true Christian adheres to the ancient creeds of the church, whether he knows it or not. We all have creeds. Whether formal or informal—whether written or . . . Continue reading →

The Difference Between Sola Scriptura And Biblicism

The Reformation solas (by grace alone, through faith alone, according to Scripture alone) are not well understood today. Yesterday, however, was the anniversary of Luther’s famous declaration at the Diet of Worms. Although already under ban for his teachings, Charles V had promised . . . Continue reading →

Biblicism: A Trojan Horse Full Of Rationalism

Over against the magisterial Reformers and the Roman Catholic theologians of the day, theologians like Michael Servetus, Giovanni Blandrata, Valentine Gentile, and Laelius and Faustus Socinus examined the text of Scripture in a strictly linguistic and non-traditionary exegesis and found no doctrine . . . Continue reading →

How To Avoid Biblicism

The basic question at stake is, “What makes a doctrine biblical?” That question is of course important to Catholics, Orthodox, and Protestants alike, but it is particularly important for us Protestants, affirming as we do sola scriptura. What I would like to . . . Continue reading →

Maybe It Comes Down To Method?

We understand that some strands of Baptist and evangelical life have not typically learned the habit of creedal thinking but have tended to emphasize independent Biblicism and personal exegesis. Perhaps that lies at the root of much of this dispute. But this . . . Continue reading →

In Defense Of Creedalism

Thanks to Gary Johnson for forwarding to me a recent essay by Roger Olson, who is Foy Valentine Professor of Christian Theology of Ethics at George W. Truett Theological Seminary of Baylor University. In that essay, “Against Creedalism: Why I Am A . . . Continue reading →

One Way To Escape Biblicism

Much of recent American Reformed theology has been caught up for some time in a distorted form of biblicism that has fallen into the trap of trying to reinvent the theological wheel in areas where doing so is fraught with danger—in particular, . . . Continue reading →