This communion and fellowship of man with God, was first founded on a covenant of works made with Adam in paradise. If he did obey, and did not eat of the forbidden fruit, he should have life both for himself and his . . . Continue reading →
2016 Archive
Of Common Grace, Nature, And Bathrooms
On a quick trip to and from Washington D.C. I read P. J. O’Rourke, The Baby Boom And How It Got That Way…. As always O’Rourke is funny, insightful, and often right on the mark. I’m not sure that I’m convinced that . . . Continue reading →
Three Things Dispensational Apologists Should Stop Saying
Introduction There are varieties of Dispensationalism, e.g., classic (Darby, Scofield), modified (Chafer, Ryrie), and progressive (Bock, Blaising). To be sure there are varieties of covenant theology, e.g., classic e.g., that taught in the classical period that taught the covenant of redemption (pactum . . . Continue reading →
The LGBT War On Free Thought And Speech
The vitriolic reaction of the LGBT lobby to honesty from Americans about their consciences, religious beliefs, scientific knowledge, and political stances shows that their agenda boils down to shutting down free speech. This sounds counter-intuitive. After all, the media and Hollywood conditioned . . . Continue reading →
Office Hours: The Holy Spirit And Sanctification
We say the name of the Spirit so often and so quickly that perhaps we do not stop to consider what we have just said. Paul calls the Spirit, the “Spirit of Holiness,” the Spirit of separation and consecration to God, the . . . Continue reading →
O’Rourke On The Religion Of The Greatest Generation
During the 1950s denominations of the Lutheran, Presbyterian, Methodist, and Episcopalian kind had fitted the Light of the World with a lampshade so it wouldn’t produce distracting salvational glare and dampened the fires of perdition to avoid spiritual smoke inhalation. A stillness . . . Continue reading →
Dispensationalism’s Millennial Memorial Sacrifices: A Regression To Types And Shadows
Given the contrast between Jews and (mostly Jewish) Christians in the first century, it is not surprising that the Protestant Reformers referred to the millenarian concept of a revived theocracy as”A Jewish error.” In our day, classic dispensationalism teaches that the millennium . . . Continue reading →
Another End Of Watch
Southern Presbyterian Church On Dispensationalism In 1944
1. Report of the Ad Interim Committee on Changes in the Confession of Faith and Catechisms THE QUESTION AS TO WHETHER THE TYPE OF BIBLE INTERPRETATION KNOWN AS DISPENSATIONALISM IS IN HARMONY WITH THE CONFESSION OF FAITH The Ad Interim Committee appointed . . . Continue reading →
Imperative And Indicative; Law And Gospel
James writes to ask, I am trying to work out the Law/Grace distinction, and am having some trouble understanding the imperative/indicative divide. For example, in Acts 3 Peter is preaching what appears to be the gospel in the Temple, and he preaches . . . Continue reading →
Berkhof Contra Dispensationalism On The Essential Unity Of Redemptive History
As was already said in the preceding, the distinction between the law and the gospel is not the same as that between the Old and the New Testament. Neither is it the same as that which present day Dispensationalists make between the . . . Continue reading →
Three Things Dispensational Apologists Should Stop Saying
There are varieties of Dispensationalism, e.g., classic (Darby, Scofield), modified (Chafer, Ryrie), and progressive (Bock, Blaising). To be sure there are varieties of covenant theology, e.g., classic e.g., that taught in the classical period that taught the covenant of redemption (pactum salutis), . . . Continue reading →
Reconsidering The Covenant Of Works
If one learned Reformed theology, in the English-speaking world, before 2005 the probabilities are that the version learned did not include either the covenant of works between God and Adam before the fall or the eternal covenant between the Father and the Son . . . Continue reading →
Boston: Galatians Proves Adam Was In A Covenant Of Works
1. I shall confirm this great truth, and evince the being of such a covenant. It is altogether denied by the Arminians that there was any such covenant, and amongst ourselves by Professor Simson, that it was a proper covenant. The weight . . . Continue reading →
Law, Gospel, And The Three Uses of the Law
By “law and gospel” I’m referring to the debate between those of us who hold to the historic and confessional distinction between those places in Scripture where God commands and promises blessing conditioned upon our obedience (law) and where he promises blessing . . . Continue reading →
Manton: Lent Is Just Another Phony Tradition
That they [Romanists] cry up a private, unproved, unwritten tradition of their own, as of equal authority with this safe and full rule, which is contained in this written Word of God. Their crime and fault may be considered, partly with respect . . . Continue reading →
Howe: The Law Was A Covenant Of Works And The Gospel A Covenant Of Grace
It therefore now appears, that as the law or dictates of pure nature, comprehended together with other fit additionals, became at first one entire constitution aptly suited to the government of man in his innocent state, unto which the title did well . . . Continue reading →
Leigh: Paradise Was A Little Model Of Heaven
Paradise signifies a garden, the word being translated out of Greek into Latin, and so into French and English. In Hebrew it is called Heden, which signifies delights, a garden of all manner of delights, a place beset with all kind of . . . Continue reading →
With Janet Mefferd On The Social Gospel
Here’s today’s episode of Janet Mefferd Today in which we discussed the “social gospel,” Walter Rauschenbusch, the emergent/emerging church movement and what it means that evangelicals seem to be heading back to this well for inspiration. We also talked about some alternative . . . Continue reading →
Office Hours: Mike Horton On The Spirit’s Work In The Application Of Redemption
We know that Jesus came to save us. We know that he obeyed for us. We know that he died for us. We know that he was raised for us who believe by grace alone but how do we come into possession . . . Continue reading →