John Calvin is one of the most influential writers in the Reformed tradition, so much so that Richard Muller has argued that, in the modern period, Calvin has been over emphasized to the neglect of the rest of the Reformed tradition. Nevertheless, . . . Continue reading →
March 2014 Archive
Rauschenbusch, The Lost Gospel, Outrage, And The Mob
In Bottum’s revisionist account, Protestant preacher Walter Rauschenbusch (1861–1918) looms as the figure who most succinctly defined the spiritual mission of 20th-century Mainline Protestantism and its heirs. He put “social sins” at the front of the Mainline imagination. “The six social sins, . . . Continue reading →
Resources On The Double Procession And Filioque
Double Procession of the Holy Spirit, the doctrine of the W. Church acc. to which the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. Support for it is found in several NT passages, notably Jn. 16:13–15, where Christ says of the . . . Continue reading →
Heidelcast 66: Nomism And Antinomianism (8)—The Third Use Of The Law
We’re resuming the series on antinomianism and we’re talking with Nick Batzig, pastor of New Covenant Presbyterian Church (PCA) in the Savannah area. Nick blogs at Feeding On Christ. He’s also on Twitter. He recently wrote a provocative essay on the third . . . Continue reading →
Young, Restless, And New School
All of this is to say that the New Calvinism looks a lot like the old New School Presbyterianism with a Baptist and charismatic flair to it. Piper chose not to deal with this issue between the Old and the New just . . . Continue reading →
Was Calvin A Lutheran?
By this answer Christ declared that he did not deliver any other rule of life than that which had formerly been delivered in the law of the Lord. Thus he both bore testimony to the divine law, that it was a doctrine . . . Continue reading →
Did Luther And Calvin Favor Evangelical Monasticism?
I was clicking around the internets recently and (probably via Twitter) and found a fascinating essay by Greg Peters, Associate Professor of Torrey Honors Institute, Biola University. The burden of the essay is to introduce the reader to and to commend the . . . Continue reading →
Don’t Ignore The Conditions of Omar
A jihadi group occupying the Syrian town of Raqqa recently gave Christian minorities living there three choices: 1) convert to Islam, 2) remain but pay tribute and accept third-class subject status, or 3) die by the sword. According to the BBC, the . . . Continue reading →
The Most Destructive Problem At Present: Confounding Law And Gospel
Many are the mistakes at present about religious matters; but none are more destructive than those which concern the law and the gospel. The generality of our people confound them, and put one in the place of the other. Some suppose they . . . Continue reading →
A New Dark Age
Fulfilling Or Fulfilled? An Ambiguity In Belgic Confession Article 5
Belgic Confession Art. 5 French English Latin English car les aveugles mémes peuvent apercevoir que les choses adviennent qui y sont prédites. For the very blind are able to perceive that the things foretold in them are fulfilling. (Schaff) quum et ipsi . . . Continue reading →
Truth About Religious Liberty And Obamacare
Office Hours: The Role Of Prayer In The Work Of Sanctification
Scripture teaches us that prayer is essential for sanctification. In 1Thessalonians 5:16-17 Paul says simply, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-17, ESV). He doesn’t elaborate. He doesn’t defend his exhortation. He just says it. I take it that, for Paul, . . . Continue reading →
Westminster Confession
Chapter 1 Of Holy Scripture 1. Although the light of nature, and the works of creation and providence do so far manifest the goodness, wisdom, and power of God, as to leave men unexcusable; yet are they not sufficient to give that . . . Continue reading →
Heidelcast 65: Science!
We’re talking a break from the series on nomism and antinomianism to talk about science. Not long ago there was a debate between Bill Nye the Science Guy and Ken Ham the Creationist Guy that garnered a considerable amount of attention. Why did . . . Continue reading →
Submitting To Scripture
Being a complementarian woman in an egalitarian world is wildly unpopular; it can also be perceived as decidedly ignorant. Some readers may sympathize with my hope for reprieve. And while the word has fallen out of favor with some, I know no . . . Continue reading →
Muller On Reformed Orthodoxy On Double Procession And The Filioque
2. The demonstration of the filioque: “double procession.” The traditionally Western trinitarian concept of the double procession of the Holy Spirit was consistently upheld by the Reformers and argued with some vigor against the Greek Orthodox view. The Reformed exegetes, moreover, understood . . . Continue reading →
The Sermon On The Mount In The First Use
So it is with the whole of the discourse. The new law of the Sermon on the Mount, in itself, can only produce despair. Strange indeed is the complacency with which modern men can say that the Golden Rule and the high . . . Continue reading →