What call you the Judicial Law? That wherein God appointed a Form of Politic and Civil Government of the Common-wealth of the Jews: Which therefore is ceased with the Dissolution of that State, for which it was ordained; saving only in the . . . Continue reading →
2018 Archive
AGR on Romans: The Power of God For Salvation (2)
This is part 2 of our series on Romans. for Abounding Grace Radio. Romans is one of the greatest resources available to the Christian faith and life. Written in the mid-to late AD 50s to the congregation in Rome, Paul sent this . . . Continue reading →
Audio: Romans—The Power Of God For Salvation
Here is the AGR series on the book of Romans with Chris Gordon and R. Scott Clark Continue reading →
With Presbycast On Theonomy
In its narrow, strict sense theonomy is the belief in the “abiding validity” of the judicial laws of the old (Mosaic) covenant “in exhaustive detail.” It is, as W. Robert Godfrey writes, an appealing movement, which is strongly supported by their Postmillennial . . . Continue reading →
Canons Of Dort (3): Synod Approaches
We live now in a “victim culture.” The best example of this is so-called “intersectionality.” This is a reference to the different ways in which one has been victimized. They intersect in the victim. It is like a game, the one with the great number of claims to victim status wins. Heather MacDonald explains: “‘Intersectionality’ refers to the increased oppression allegedly experienced by individuals who can check off several categories of victimhood—being female, black, and trans, say.” Continue reading →
The English Congregationalists And Presbyterians Confessed The Rule Of Worship
XVI. That God is to be worshipped according to His own will, and that only in and through Jesus Christ. A New Confession of Faith (1654) in James T. Dennison Jr., ed., Reformed Confessions of the 16th and 17th Centuries in English . . . Continue reading →
Heidelcontest: First Person To Answer This Question Wins A Free Copy Of On Being Reformed (UPDATED)
Thanks to the generosity of Crawford Gribben (who organized the project and did the thankless work of herding cats), we have a copy of On Being Reformed: Debates Over A Theological Identity to give away. Be the first person to call the . . . Continue reading →
Conspiracy Theories Are Bunk
Henry Ford (1863–1947), founder of the Ford Motor Company, famously said, “History is bunk.” That may be sometimes true. Historians do make mistakes. This is why all histories must be read with a critical eye. Not all theories of history are equally . . . Continue reading →
The Reformed Rejection Of Alleged “Adiaphora” In Worship In 1578
And in the first place, as relates to the administration or performance of the sacraments, these are observed with Christian and fitting reverence in the churches of this land as they were instituted and ordained by Christ and were used by the . . . Continue reading →
The Canons Of Dort (2): The Crisis Intensifies
Because the followers of Arminius have been (mostly) ecclesiastically separated from the Reformed churches for centuries it is easy to lose sight of the fact that the Arminian crisis occurred originally within the doors of the Reformed church. Despite the grave reservations about his theology and teaching expressed by Plancius and other ministers in his Classis (Presbytery), and by his colleagues Gomarus and Trelcatius Jr, Arminius was and remained a minister in good standing in the Reformed church (Hervormde Kerk) in the Netherlands. In a way, that he conducted his minister and died within the church intensified the problem because, in the absence of any unequivocal ecclesiastical pronouncement, that fact made it possible for his apologists to say (as apologists for the Federal Vision to say today about some of their theologians, e.g., Norman Shepherd) that “he is a minister in good standing.” Continue reading →
AGR on Romans: The Power of God For Salvation (1)
With this episode/broadcast Chris Gordon and I begin a series in the book of Romans for Abounding Grace Radio. Romans is one of the greatest resources available to the Christian faith and life. Written in the mid-to late AD 50s to the . . . Continue reading →
A Persnickety Point About Doctorates
An academic doctorate, a PhD or its equivalent is an earned degree granted in recognition of the completion of coursework capped off with an original piece of research which meets academic standards and is judged to make a contribution to a field of learning. Typically, in the USA (and elsewhere) it takes about 5 years of full-time study and research to earn a PhD. Along the way a PhD candidate earns at least one MA and (usually) passes some sort of comprehensive examination before beginning the dissertation (or thesis) phase of their program. Continue reading →
Singing In Acts 16:25 And Plausibility Structures
In the English Standard Version Acts 16:25 says “[a]bout midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them…”. Several other translations (e.g., NASB, NIV, TEV, ASV, RSV, NLT, NKJV, HCSB) follow this or . . . Continue reading →
Office Hours: On Romans With John Fesko
How many Reformed people today started out in other traditions only to be confronted by challenging passages in Romans, which made them re-think their entire theology, piety, and practice? John Fesko is one of those. Continue reading →
The Canons Of Dort (1): Introduction And Background
Few of our Reformed confessional documents are as valuable and yet as neglected as the Canons of Dort. Today most who know about them think of them as the so-called and quite misleading “Five Points of Calvinism” or TULIP: Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, and Perseverance of the Saints. Strangely, for many, especially those in the self-described Young, Restless, and Reformed movement, the “Five Points” have become the be all and end all of “Reformed theology.” The truth is that there is much more to Reformed theology than the five points. Continue reading →
Zanchi: The Decalogue Binds Christians Insofar As It Agrees With Natural Law
Hieronymus Zanchius (Operum, Tom. iv. lib. i. c. 11), Maintains at large, and by several arguments, that we Christians have nothing to do with the moral precepts, as they were given to the Israelites by Moses; but only in so far as . . . Continue reading →
Remembering The Canons
Not everything in my (surface) mailbox at work is equally fascinating but on Monday afternoon I found these sent as a gift from someone (thank you!) from The Dort Store in Otsego, MI (about 37 miles south of Grand Rapids). These are . . . Continue reading →
Pilgrim Theology Versus Ethnic Theology
In recent decades it has become fashionable to qualify theology with one’s ethnicity or sexuality. The most famous example of such is James Cone’s 1969 Black Theology and Black Power. In this work Cone correlated “black theology” to the “Black Power” movement of . . . Continue reading →
Bible Presbyterian Church: We Reject A Final Justification Through Works
In every generation, the doctrine of justification by faith alone comes under attack. As the heart of the gospel, the doctrine of justification is most fundamental to the definition of salvation and any adequate understanding of the atoning work of the Lord . . . Continue reading →
Word Of The Day: Anachronism
One of the themes that emerged from yesterday’s discussion of Machen’s ugly letter is the problem of anachronism. It has probably three senses and the one most relevant to this discussion is the expectation that earlier figures in history should know what . . . Continue reading →