Warren Throckmorton, who teaches psychology at Grove City College, the fellow who blew the whistle on Mars Hill, has set his sights on David Barton of Wallbuilders fame. You may have seen Barton on late-night infomercials or on the web. He is known for . . . Continue reading →
2015 Archive
The Didache Calls Abortion Murder
You shall not commit murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not commit pederasty, you shall not commit fornication, you shall not steal, you shall not practice magic, you shall not practice witchcraft, you shall not murder a child by abortion . . . Continue reading →
Heidelcast 87: God’s Holy Law (10)—You Shall Not Murder (pt 2)
After the last episode it occurred to me that there is an obvious question that I should have addressed under the 6th commandment: abortion, the termination of a human life in the womb. Since 1973 no fewer than 50 million human beings . . . Continue reading →
Heidelberg 59: What Good Is Faith?
One of the more disturbing aspects of the reaction to antinomianism in recent years, whether that antinomianism is real or perceived does not matter for the purposes of this discussion, is how quickly some have been willing to write, speak, and act . . . Continue reading →
Waters: What Is And Is Not Kingdom Work
One further problem with this approach is that virtually any activity can become “kingdom work.” McKnight commends a Chicago, Ill. congregation that opened and operated a laundromat, “health facilities,” a gym, and a “pizza joint” for the wider community. He sees these . . . Continue reading →
Luther: The Antinomians Preach Easter But Not Pentecost
That is what my Antinomians, too, are doing today. They are preaching finely and (I can think nothing else) with real seriousness about Christ’s grace, the forgiveness of sins, and the other things that can be said concerning redemption. But they flee . . . Continue reading →
Heidelcast 86: You Shall Not Murder—God’s Holy Law (9)
In this episode we consider the sixth commandment: “You shall not murder.” You may have learned this commandment a little differently. Some translations, e.g., the Authorized or King James Version (1611) translate Exodus 20:13 as, “You shall not kill.” The Hebrew verb . . . Continue reading →
I’m Shocked That You’re Shocked
Erskine College is in the news this morning for articulating the biblical and historic Christian position on human sexuality: “We believe the Bible teaches that monogamous marriage between a man and a woman is God’s intended design for humanity and that sexual . . . Continue reading →
Boston On Works And Grace In Galatians 4
Ver. 24. Which things are a typical history; for these two women represent the two covenants, with the churches thereto adhering respectively; the one from Mount Sinai, to wit, the covenant of works, which was given there, and where the Jewish synagogue, . . . Continue reading →
There Is No Place Like Nebraska
Dining With Sinners
And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax . . . Continue reading →
Our Fear Of Silence And The Weightiness Of The Moment
Further—and this is my big takeaway—there is no need to distract us from the weightiness of the moment. We are meant to reckon with it. The producers wanted us to. There is a lesson here for us as Christians. Each week we . . . Continue reading →
The New Covenant: A Revision And Expansion Of The Abrahamic
Jesus’ new covenant is not only a revision of the Abrahamic covenant but also an incorporation of a new body of people. This new covenant is said to be for all who believe in Jesus–not only believing Jews but also believing Gentiles. . . . Continue reading →
The Leiden Synopsis On The Distinction Between Law And Gospel
While it is from the Law (about which we disputed above) that we come to know the contagion and defect of our spiritual illness, that is, of sin, it is from the Gospel that we learn of the remedy for it. —Synopsis . . . Continue reading →
New In Translation: The Synopsis Of A Purer Theology
When I began reading Reformed theology in university Calvin was virtually the only sixteenth-century Reformed author widely available in English translation. The other authors I read were all from the 19th and 20th centuries (e.g., Hodge, Warfield, Van Til, Murray). In the . . . Continue reading →
On Pushing Back Against Political Correctness
Paddy Chayefsky (1923–81) was a notable American writer in various media (e.g., plays, films, novels). He was most famous for his screenplay for the film Marty. He spoke up briefly, in 1978, against the politicization of everything. (HT: Mollie Hemmingway)
A Moral World As Plastic As Our Neural Pathways
One would not allow alcoholics to have the last word on liquor licensing laws or crack addicts on drug policy. Yet when it comes to sexual morality, that is the kind of world in which we now live. The availability of pornography . . . Continue reading →
Office Hours: The Wisdom Of Proverbs (1)
Christians, perhaps American Christians more than most, frequently say that they want pastors and teachers to be “practical.” They say that want to know how to apply the Christian faith to daily life. To that end Christians spend much time and lots . . . Continue reading →
Owen: The Least Dram Of Holiness Never Flowed Except From Christ Through The Gospel
1. This whole matter of sanctification and holiness is peculiarly joined with and limited unto the doctrine, truth, and grace of the gospel; for holiness is nothing but the implanting, writing, and realizing of the gospel in our souls. Hence it is . . . Continue reading →
Heidelcast 85: The Holy Law Of God (8)—The Fifth Commandment (pt 2)
This is part 2 of a two-part episode on the fifth commandment: “Honor your father and your mother that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God gives you.” In Heidelberg Catechism 104 we interpret this commandment to require . . . Continue reading →