Every year, the General Assembly of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church meets to consider the business of the church requiring the attention of the whole denomination, this summer meeting at Seattle Pacific University. This report summarizes some of the main conclusions from OPC . . . Continue reading →
Author Archives: Harrison Perkins
Psalm 7: The Best Line of Defense
“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” It is one of those lines we tell our children to help them deal with aspects of life that can hit hard. It is also one of those lies . . . Continue reading →
Courage In The Storm: When God Is On Your Side—Psalm 4
I have a few friends I have to call every now and then so they can put my backbone back in place. Courage is one of those finnicky things where, even if we have it, the perfect storm—or maybe even a weak . . . Continue reading →
The Custom Of God’s Churches: Head Coverings And Cultural Appropriateness (Part 4)
This series has explored 1 Corinthians 11:2–16 to think through a perennial question about head coverings. Does the apostle’s teaching in this passage mandate that women everywhere and always must cover their heads in public worship—specifically that they must wear an additional . . . Continue reading →
The Custom Of God’s Churches: Head Coverings And Cultural Appropriateness (Part 3)
This series explores Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians 11:2–16 in the hope of providing some clarity on the perennial question of whether women are required to wear head coverings in public worship. The issue basically circles around whether Paul’s instructions about head . . . Continue reading →
The Custom Of God’s Churches: Head Coverings And Cultural Appropriateness (Part 2)
Sometimes passages take on a life of their own in church life or in church history, confronting us with perennial discussions about specific and difficult questions. Such is the case with 1 Corinthians 11:2–16, where Paul discussed the need for modesty and . . . Continue reading →
The Custom Of God’s Churches: Head Coverings And Cultural Appropriateness (Part 1)
The evangelical impulse to submit our practices to Scripture is a noble instinct. So is the attempt to search the Scriptures diligently to understand what it says and how to apply it. Continue reading →
A Reformed Resource Back In Print! The Sum of Saving Knowledge
The Westminster Standards are a rich and wonderful set of resources to help the church understand Scripture. They can for some, however, be daunting in their length and depth. This challenge is not merely a modern problem though, which is why David . . . Continue reading →
Psalm 3: Despite Appearances Part 3—Training and Triumph
One scholar has commented about Psalm 3 that while Scripture most often speaks to us, the Psalter speaks for us.1 It gives us the words we need as we cry out to God. It shows us what godly prayers look like so . . . Continue reading →
Review: The Reformation as Renewal: Retrieving the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church By Matthew Barrett
The Reformation looms large as one of the pivotal moments of Western history. It stands alongside only a few other major events by which we segment the full sweep of the past two thousand years in our thought. For Christians in the . . . Continue reading →
Psalm 3: Despite Appearances Part 2—Historical and Exegetical Considerations
Suffering is unfortunately part of our experience in this age. Until Christ returns, not all things will be right. Perhaps most things will not be right. The stark reality of life under the rainbow is that we live with provisional blessing, always . . . Continue reading →
Psalm 3: Despite Appearances Part 1—Context In The Psalter
We can probably imagine how different the perspective might be between a photograph taken by an ant and a photograph taken from space. Imagine an ant who happened to have an ant-sized camera and happened to be riding on the back of . . . Continue reading →
Psalm 2: God Is King Over The Nations Part 3—The Strategy
As we have worked through Psalm 2, the question running throughout is: Who rules the world? Are the nations going to overthrow God? For those in the know, namely those paying attention to the message of Psalm 2, the answer is clear. . . . Continue reading →
Psalm 2: God Is King Over The Nations Part 2—The Solution
There used to be a gameshow called American Gladiators in which amateur athletes competed in ridiculous tests of strength against professional “gladiators.” The culminating showdown was always a duel atop raised towers where the leading contestant faced down a gladiator, each wielding . . . Continue reading →
Psalm 2: God Is King Over The Nations Part 1—The Situation
An old Scottish tune, Skye Boat Song, about Bonnie Prince Charlie begins, Speed, bonnie boat, like a bird on the wing. Onward, the sailors cry! Carry the lad that’s born to be King Over the sea to Skye. If you are not . . . Continue reading →
An Introduction To The Psalter On The Law And The Gospel: Psalms 1–2
I remember being in a record store when I was younger (if you are of the younger stripe, a record store is like if your favorite streaming service was a building where music was for sale on discs that you took home . . . Continue reading →
Review: A Quiet Mind To Suffer With: Mental Illness, Trauma, And The Death Of Christ By John Andrew Bryant
Objective realities and subjective experiences are different things. They are supposed to match. In a fallen world, they often do not. John Andrew Bryant’s A Quiet Mind to Suffer With tells his story of wrestling with mental illness and coming to rest . . . Continue reading →
New Resource on the Psalms: How to Read and Understand the Psalms by Bruce K. Waltke and Fred G. Zaspel
I have long wondered why it seems hard for the psalms to get better traction in our worship services. Although some things might suggest the tide is turning, by and large the psalms seem to be met with at least disinterest, if . . . Continue reading →
Review: The Holy Spirit by Robert Letham
Robert Letham is well-known for his previous books on the Trinity—as well as his work on the Westminster Assembly and his recent Systematic Theology—and has just produced his best book to date. Although I have not always followed Letham’s conclusions on certain . . . Continue reading →
Augustine Contra The Postmodernists
In Augustinian thought, signs, then play a key role in bringing us into contact with the realities they signify. Drawing lines to the Christian life, Augustine argued that catechesis means explaining how “the signs of divine realities are visible, but the invisible . . . Continue reading →