Vitium. St Augustine helped us to understand Paul’s doctrine of sin by using the word vitium. It denotes a powerful corrupting force. We’ve translated it into English with the word “vice” but that word long ago lost its force. We refer to . . . Continue reading →
We divide this Word into two principal parts or kinds: the one is called the ‘Law,’ the other the ‘Gospel.’ For all the rest can be gathered under the one or other of these two headings…Ignorance of this distinction between Law and . . . Continue reading →
Bob Godfrey joined Chris Gordon last week to record two episodes of AGR. Bob is president of Westminster Seminary California and a convert to the Christian faith who came to faith through the ministry of a Reformed congregation. You can read his . . . Continue reading →
(HT: Justin Taylor)
Americans are in the midst of a national discussion about race. It’s a difficult discussion, one that is not always conducted well either by politicians or preachers. Dr Martin Luther King is not only a central figure in this discussion but he . . . Continue reading →
The basic principle in application is to know whether the passage is a statement of the law or of the gospel. For when the Word is preached, the law and the gospel operate differently. The law exposes the disease of sin, and . . . Continue reading →
Here’s more info on the conference. Thanks to Jon Payne for the photos.
Here’s part 1. One of the more difficult things Christians do is to decide where to worship. They use a lot of criteria. Some of them are valid criteria but many of them are not. Frequently people choose congregations on the basis . . . Continue reading →
By “law and gospel” I refer to the debate between those of us who hold to the historic and confessional distinction between those places in Scripture where God commands and those places where he promises. Historically, Protestants have described these two ways . . . Continue reading →
In my past life, battling through the highway throng on the ‘5’ out of Escondido, I used to stare in amazement at the gas guzzling Christian four by fours thundering past my little Volkswagen. As I tried to prevent myself from being . . . Continue reading →
Thanks to Wayne Sparkman for reminding us that, on this day in 1929 a group of pastors and elders met in Philadelphia to plan for a new seminary to succeed Old Princeton in the wake of its reorganization.
The mentality of fundamentalism sometimes crops up where one would least expect it; and there is no better illustration of this than the inimitable New Testament scholar, J. Gresham Machen. Machen was an outspoken critic of the fundamentalist movement. He argued with . . . Continue reading →
The AP ran a story this past Sunday revealing that Fuller Seminary (Pasadena, California) has decided not to contest the formation of a homosexual student group on campus known as OneTable. Fuller’s policy says that marriage is between one man and one . . . Continue reading →
From the conformity of our church to the primitive apostolic Church. For since no one can deny that the primitive church was instituted by Christ and the apostles neither can it be denied that our church, if it is conformed that both . . . Continue reading →
The UK Guardian reported yesterday that Rome has reached a new low in reaching out to the Romanist equivalent of low-information voters. Low-sanctity penitents perhaps? Rome is now offering plenary indulgences to Romanists who follow Pope Francis’ tweets from Catholic Youth Day . . . Continue reading →
QIRC is an acronym: Quest for Illegitimate Religious Certainty. It has at least two aspects. The first is the ancient, sinful desire to know what God knows, the way he knows it. That is what the Evil One offered to us in . . . Continue reading →
XVII. From the faith of history which exhibits multiple worshipers of God and witnesses of the truth, who repeatedly opposed themselves to the papistical errors and bore testimony to the truth. For if there are granted many who by words, deeds and . . . Continue reading →
God has seen fit to reveal Himself to man in two books—the Bible, the book of special revelation, and nature and history, the book of general revelation. Now it is the duty of the organized Church to teach men the content of . . . Continue reading →
Chris Gordon is not only a dear friend and my pastor at Escondido URC but he also hosts a daily radio program, Abounding Grace Radio. So, other than preaching twice most Lord’s Days, hosting a daily radio program, counseling, teaching a catechism class, . . . Continue reading →
Many now regard only one aspect of criticism, that of the expression of disapproval or hostility. There is, however, a second aspect that is equally important: the friendly analysis and judgment of the merits and faults of a project. This volume is . . . Continue reading →