The ordo amoris isn’t a justification for cruelty, nor does it exempt us from loving strangers, enemies, etc. Loving your own is natural and necessary, but even tax collectors and sinners do that. Grace doesn’t destroy nature, and natural affection must be . . . Continue reading →
Author Archives: Heidelblog
Ferguson: Our Identity In Christ The Key To Putting Sin To Death
My friend—a younger minister—sat down with me at the end of a conference in his church and said: “Before we retire tonight, just take me through the steps that are involved in helping someone mortify sin.” We sat talking about this for . . . Continue reading →
Fesko: When The Church Is Not Like Costco
It seems like far too many people treat relationships of all sorts as being disposable. As soon as they hit a rough patch of any sort they decide to pull up stakes, move on, and find a new relationship. This is especially . . . Continue reading →
Video: Is California Under Judgment? A Discussion on The Wildfires and Man’s Fallenness
In this episode, Dan Borvan and Chris Gordon return to the mic to reflect on the physical and emotional toll of the devastation, analyze what may have gone wrong, and examine the belief some have that these fires are a manifestation of divine judgment. Continue reading →
Luther: We Pray For Trivial Things And Neglect God’s Majesty
We too are in the habit of praying for trivial and insignificant things. When we pray, we don’t take into account the great majesty of God. If God wanted to give us only petty and superficial things, he wouldn’t have given us . . . Continue reading →
Top Five Posts For The Week Of January 20–26, 2025
These were the top five posts for the week of January 20–26, 2025. Continue reading →
Dr Clark With Dr Michael Horton And Keith Foskey On The Distinction Between Law And Gospel
In this interview our own Dr Clark sat down with his Westminster Seminary California colleague Dr Mike Horton and with pastor Keith Foskey while they were together at the recent Re-Formation Conference at Paramount Church, Jacksonville, FL to answer questions about and . . . Continue reading →
Formula Of Concord, Solid Declaration On The Use Of The Law For Christians
And, indeed, if the faithful and elect children of God were perfectly renewed through the indwelling Spirit in this life, so that in their nature and all their powers they were completely free from sin, they would need no law, and therefore . . . Continue reading →
Coming In 2025: The Heidelberg Catechism: A Historical, Theological, & Pastoral Commentary
The Heidelberg Catechism: A Historical, Theological, & Pastoral Commentary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2025) is available for pre-order now. The original and irreplaceable commentary on the catechism was composed of lectures given by the catechism’s primary author, Zacharias Ursinus (1534–83) but over . . . Continue reading →
Trueman: What Thielicke Can Teach Us About Nihilism
Bonhoeffer may be the most famous German theologian to oppose Hitler and Nazism, but he was not the only one. Another who speaks to our times is Helmut Thielicke, a Lutheran theologian and pastor. Like Bonhoeffer, Thielicke was hounded by the Nazis, . . . Continue reading →
Top Five Posts For The Week Of January 13–19, 2025
These were the top five posts for the week of January 13–19, 2025. Continue reading →
With The Pactum Podcast On Bad Theology
In this interview Dr Clark sits down with Pat Abendroth of The Pactum podcast to talk about different types of bad theology: pietism, biblicism, antinomianism, neonomianism, and more. Here is the audio from the interview: Here’s the video. RESOURCES Subscribe To The . . . Continue reading →
Which Covenant Theology?
Covenant theology seems to be all the rage these days. According to E. P. Sanders, the “pattern of religion” known as Second Temple Judaism can be described as “covenantal nomism.” Continue reading →
Trueman On The Temptation To Fuse Christianity With Pagan Power Religion
Some years ago I wrote a piece for First Things entitled “The Calvary Option.” It took its cue from the 2014 movie Calvary, which followed the last seven days in the life of a priest who knew that someone was planning to kill him. The . . . Continue reading →
Top Five Posts For The Week Of January 6–12, 2025
These were the top five posts for the week of January 6–12, 2025. Continue reading →
Luther Distinguished Law And Gospel In 1519
Now, what need is there to go through all of Latomus, point by point, since what has been said thoroughly refutes his entire position and confirms mine? I have sufficiently shown that his whole work consists of begging the question, for he . . . Continue reading →
With Sons Of Patriarchy On Wilson And The Federal Vision Theology
The abuse documented in this series and even by a CREC committee (and Rarchel Shubin) did not come from nothing. It was derived from a theology and that theology is known as the Federal Vision. Continue reading →
How Baxter Came To Reject The Reformation Doctrine Of Salvation
To repeat my point, Owen could have had any number of authors in mind when he offered this extended critique, but it has to be said that Richard Baxter fitted the bill pretty well. In his first publication, the Aphorismes of Justification, published . . . Continue reading →
Why Carl Trueman Is Not A Roman Catholic
Speaking at the Leonine Forum in D.C. recently, I was asked a friendly but pointed question: “Why are you not a Catholic?” The questioner noted that in my talk I had expressed a love for the early Church Fathers, admiration for Thomas . . . Continue reading →
Top Five Posts For The Week Of December 30, 2024–January 5, 2025
These were the top five posts for the week of December 30, 2024–January 5, 2025. Continue reading →