He’s Young, Restless, but becoming Reformed.
R. Scott Clark
R.Scott Clark is the President of the Heidelberg Reformation Association, the author and editor of, and contributor to several books and the author of many articles. He has taught church history and historical theology since 1997 at Westminster Seminary California. He has also taught at Wheaton College, Reformed Theological Seminary, and Concordia University. He has hosted the Heidelblog since 2007.
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I am one of those people who is usually dogmatic about the word “Reformed” being used in a confessional sense. I’m also uncomfortable about referring to people whom Calvin would not recognize as “Calvinist.”
On the other hand, we live in an age where most professing five pointers turn up their nose at confessionalism. In real life, away from the Intenet and the bookshelf, most RBs I have met are very serious about their Calvinistic views (as they understand them). Most Presbyterians I know are broadly Evangelical.
I chose Keller and MacArthur as extremes. Keller is a hip broad Evangelical and MacArthur is a Dispensationalist. I don’t know that Calvin would recognize either of them. Maybe those are bad examples. I guess the better comparison is between the 1689 LBC churches and the New Lifers.
Okay, I am going to take the bait. What is so bad about Tim Keller that James feels the need to wonder if being a follower of his is any better than being a follower of MacArthur?
Incidentally, as a guy who has never followed MacArthur, and who disagrees with him on some issues, I would be happy to classed with a man who has faithfully preached the Word for so many years. I pray to God I would be as faithful as either of these brothers.
What does Reformed mean these days? The PCA is supposedly “Reformed,” for example, but it does not require confessional subscription. If there is no coherent Reformed identity, what is there for someone to convert to?
If this Baptist decides he supports sprinkling, then becomes a follower of Tim Keller instead of John MacArthur, is that an improvement?
Hi James,
That’s why I wrote the book
1. to try to persuade folk who say they’re Reformed to begin to be Reformed as defined by the confessions;
2. to attract some from outside the Reformed churches to what we confess.
As Mike Horton has said many times, what if we invite people to the Reformation but there’s no place to go? It’s a problem. We can only hope that people get it quickly. Those who do get it should encourage their elders and ministers to begin to be and act more Reformed.
I wouldn’t make blanket statements about any of the NAPARC (or other groups). The PCA probably struggles with broad evangelicalism more than the URCs or the OPCs, but the latter tend to struggle with fundamentalism.
Yes, I would say that Tim Keller is an improvement over John MacArthur.