R. C. Sproul’s Saved From What was originally published in 2002 but was recently republished in 2021 after Dr. Sproul’s death in 2017. In this succinct work, Sproul answers the question prevalent in 20th century American evangelical circles: “Are you saved?” He . . . Continue reading →
August 2022 Archive
NTJ 16.3 Summer 2022 Is Available Here
Thanks to the editor for making the NTJ available as an easily downloadable PDF. The Nicotine Theological Journal is one of few drop-everything-and-read publications that comes to me electronically or in print. I trust it will become that for you. Read it . . . Continue reading →
Heidelminicast: Belgic Confession 1—The Only God
The Belgic Confession was written by a Reformed pastor, Guy de Bres (1522–1567), who adopted the Reformed faith as a young man and studied with several Reformed luminaries, including John Calvin, before serving as a pastor, church planter, and chaplain in France . . . Continue reading →
Homosexuality, Christianity, And Suffering For The Gospel
Gay people, Johnson argues, have “sacrificed everything the world values to follow Jesus.” Apparently, the world values sodomy — or, perhaps, by “everything,” he means merely the satisfaction of any and all sexual urges. It doesn’t matter, because either way it’s a . . . Continue reading →
1689 Vs. The Westminster Confession (5): “One Striking Omission”
Our comparison and contrast of the WCF with the 2LC continues through chapter 3, Of God’s Eternal Decree. In this installment we see some interesting revisions and one striking omission. WCF 2LC 1. God from all eternity did, by the most wise . . . Continue reading →
Homosexuality, Concupiscence, and the PCA
Until recently the doctrine of concupiscence received little attention in Reformed circles. Perhaps it was mentioned in passing during a systematics class in seminary, but until the first Revoice conference in 2018 few knew how to pronounce, much less define concupiscence. Since . . . Continue reading →
The Subjectivity Of Niceness
I fell into the trap that ensnares many souls today: believing that if a person has a pleasing personality, is affable, attentive, and “accepting” (whatever that means), then the person is good. Somewhere along the line, Catholics began making crucial judgments based . . . Continue reading →
The Mystery Of The Trinity
Placing reason under special revelation concerning what God has revealed about the persons of the Trinity. Continue reading →
Heidelminicast: Heidelberg Catechism 129—What Does ‘Amen’ Mean?
The Heidelberg Catechism is one of the most beloved and well used catechisms to emerge from the sixteenth and seventeenth century Reformation. Published in its final form in 1563, the catechism has been used by millions of Christians to teach the faith . . . Continue reading →
1689 Vs. The Westminster Confession (4): Some Of These Things Are Not Like The Others
Our comparison and contrast of the WCF with the 2LC continues through chapter 2, Of God and of the Holy Trinity. WCF 2LC 1.There is but one only, living, and true God: who is infinite in being and perfection, a most pure . . . Continue reading →
What’s Going on Right Now? Sex, Race, Politics, & Power w/ Dr. W. Robert Godfrey (15)
Continuing his series, Dr. Godfrey analyzes in this episode the different options that Christians have for addressing the crumbling of Christendom. Aiming to identify a clear and helpful way forward for Christians and building on the series’ review of Abraham Kuyper’s ideologies, . . . Continue reading →
Heidelcast For August 14, 2022: Every Tribe, Tongue, And Nation (12): Second Head Of Doctrine (4)
In this episode Dr Clark continues his series on the the Canons of Dort where we are looking at the Second Head of Doctrine of the Canons of Dort on the atonement. In their second head of doctrine, the Remonstrants confessed, in . . . Continue reading →
Tyndale: Justified And Beloved
Our good deeds do but testify only that we are justified and beloved. Continue reading →
Peace And Purity Provided By Authority: John Thomson’s Defense Of Presbyterian Church Polity (Part 4): American Presbyterian History
Francis Makemie (1657–1707) has been considered to be the Father of American Presbyterianism. Originally from Northern Ireland, he was ordained in Scotland in 1681 and was commission by his Presbytery to plant churches in the Chesapeake Bay area. Makemie, however, came in . . . Continue reading →
Remonstrants Take Away The “Free” In The Offer Of The Gospel
The Reformed disagreed with the Remonstrants on their view of whether the offer of the Gospel is really “free.” Continue reading →
Heidelminicast: Heidelberg Catechism 128—How Do You Close This Prayer?
The Heidelberg Catechism is one of the most beloved and well used catechisms to emerge from the sixteenth and seventeenth century Reformation. Published in its final form in 1563, the catechism has been used by millions of Christians to teach the faith . . . Continue reading →
Should Lay People Administer The Sacraments?
A correspondent wrote to ask whether Christian laity should administer the sacraments? This is an ancient question, though typically we face it in a different form. In the Reformation, Calvin dealt with this question because midwives would administer baptism to infants in . . . Continue reading →
Turretin: The Twofold Nature Of Salvation
We remark that the obedience of Christ has a twofold efficacy, satisfactory and meritorious; the former by which we are freed from the punishments incurred by sin; the latter by which (through the remission of sin) a right to eternal life and . . . Continue reading →
Heidelminicast: Heidelberg Catechism 127—What Is The Sixth Petition Of The Lord’s Prayer?
The Heidelberg Catechism is one of the most beloved and well used catechisms to emerge from the sixteenth and seventeenth century Reformation. Published in its final form in 1563, the catechism has been used by millions of Christians to teach the faith . . . Continue reading →
Warfield: We Have The Autographic Text Of The New Testament
Warfield makes this distinction even clearer in an article he wrote for The Independent in 1893 titled, “The Inerrancy of the Original Autographs.” There he spoke of the autographic codex and the autographic text.6 The autographic codex, for example, is the original . . . Continue reading →