A King, A Priest, And A Tithe

For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first, by translation of his name, . . . Continue reading →

Does The State Illegitimately Control The Church?

It has recently been argued to me that, in the various states, because the Uniform Marriage and Divorce Act(s), the Uniform Child Custody Justice Enforcement Act(s), and because most congregations (and denominations) have formed non-profit corporations (in the USA congregations usually become . . . Continue reading →

One of the Dirtiest Little Secrets About Preaching

One of the dirtiest little secrets about preaching is that many preachers are using what we used to call in radio “a service.” There are, or at least there used to be, businesses that sell jokes and one liners and gags and . . . Continue reading →

Good Story Telling

This video combines two of my favorite topics: The Nebraska Cornhuskers and good story telling. Can you identify what makes this effective?

Private Property, Public Accommodation, And Religious Freedom

There are such things as unintended consequences and Americans are impatient with injustice. There were real, gross injustices being committed against an entire class of Americans that led to the 1964 Civil Rights Act that forbids restricting access to “public accommodations” on . . . Continue reading →

Heidelcast 33: Muether On Van Til

Cornelius Van Til is one of the more important figures in modern Reformed history. He was much influenced by Abraham Kuyper but he also had other influences and he has influenced generations of American (and other) Reformed pastors and teachers. He is . . . Continue reading →

Prepping For Season 5: The Office Hours App

New listeners are joining us daily and the new season of Office Hours: “New Life in the Shadow of Death,” is just around the corner (Sep 9, 2013), so it seems like a good time to mention that Westminster Seminary California has . . . Continue reading →

What Is A Seminary?

The question arose on a discussion board  as to how a theological seminary relates to C. S. Lewis’ distinction between “education” and “vocational training.” The premise of the question was that one had to choose between the two, relative to a university I . . . Continue reading →

Heidelcast 32: D. G. Hart On Union With Christ

Heidelcast

The doctrine of union with Christ has been a controversial issue in Reformed circles for several years. On the surface, judging by the older Reformed writers and by the Reformed confessions, it is difficult to see exactly why the doctrine of union . . . Continue reading →

Riddlebarger On The Buzz Vs Reformation In The OC

Kim Riddlebarger spent his summer sabbatical profitably and one of the things he did was to write a series of fascinating posts on evangelicalism in Orange County, California during the 1970s—2013. It’s not an exhaustive account but it does illustrate well the . . . Continue reading →

Covenant Theology Is Not Replacement Theology

Recently I had a question asking whether “covenant theology” is so-called “replacement theology.” Those dispensational critics of Reformed covenant theology who accuse it of teaching that the New Covenant church has “replaced” Israel do not understand historic Reformed covenant theology. They are imputing . . . Continue reading →

Eating Sausages: Wall Street Journal Reviews Hart

Barton Swaim has a substantial and positive review of the latest from Westminster Seminary California’s own D. G. Hart in Today’s Wall Street Journal. It won’t be available online for a few days but if you can’t wait and you don’t subscribe . . . Continue reading →