Gregory to John, Bishop of Constantinople. At the time when your Fraternity was advanced to Sacerdotal dignity, you remember what peace and concord of the churches you found. But, with what daring or with what swelling of pride I know not, you . . . Continue reading →
Author Archives: R. Scott Clark
Strangers And Aliens (22a): Serving The Chief Shepherd (1 Peter 5:1–5)
One of the most remarkable aspects of the Roman claims about an alleged Petrine papacy, apart from the utter lack of historical evidence for any such thing, is that Peter did use two different nouns to characterize his offices and ministry, apostle (ἀπόστολος) and presbyter (πρεσβύτερος). As a matter of fact, the papacy per se did not really come to exist until well the 4th century and even then its occasional claims to authority were rebuffed. As late as the 7th century Gregory I (c. 540–604), who was arguably the first Roman bishop to begin to exercise anything like the authority attributed to later popes, rejected the idea of a universal episcopal see. Continue reading →
Gregory I Against An Earthly Universal Bishop
Consider, I pray thee, that in this rash presumption the peace of the whole Church is disturbed, and that it is in contradiction to the grace that is poured out on all in common; in which grace doubtless thou thyself wilt have . . . Continue reading →
End Of Watch: Officer Jonathan DeGuzman
New In Print: Rollock’s Questions And Answers On The Covenant And Sacraments
Too often the story of the development of Reformed theology covers a few major figures in the early to mid-16th century before leapfrogging into the 17th century. With this excellent translation and these judicious selections, Aaron Denlinger has done us all a . . . Continue reading →
The Attraction Of Denial
History is thick with the stench of decay rising from dead consciences. —Maureen Mullarkey
Three Messages To Millennials: Marriage, Church, And Work
Marriage On March 7, 2014, the Pew Research Center published the results of a new Survey:Millennials in Adulthood. Bradford Wilcox has a summary in the NRO. According to the study, Millennials have become disconnected from some basic institutions: marriage, church, and work—though not . . . Continue reading →
Between Pearls And Privatization
For Christians this is question of how to relate Christ and culture, or how to relate nature and grace. This is an ancient problem. The apostolic and early post-apostolic Christians faced this problem acutely. Our Lord commanded us to “render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s” (Matt 22:21). The assumption behind the our Lord’s teaching is, of course, that some things are legitimately Casesar’s and some things are not. Our Lord drew a line in the sand when he informed Pilate that his “kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). The apostles faced this problem acutely when they were commanded to stop preaching the gospel. The Apostle Peter spoke for all of us when he replied, “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). Continue reading →
Thomas Boston: How And Why To Distinguish Between Law And Gospel
THERE is little more in all this, (viz. “The Marrow,”) to be attributed to me than the very gathering and composing of it. That which I aim at, and intend therein, is to show unto myself, and others that shall read it, . . . Continue reading →
Office Hours: Chad Van Dixhoorn On The Westminster Assembly
If you are Reformed or on your way to becoming Reformed you have probably heard and possibly read the Westminster Confession of Faith and perhaps of the Westminster Shorter Catechism. If you’re more experienced you might even have some experience of the . . . Continue reading →
Hodge On Every-Member Ministry (Ephesians 4:12)
V. 12. Having mentioned the officers Christ gave his church, the apostle states the end for which this gift was conferred—it was πρὸς τὸν καταρτισμὸν τῶν ἁγίων, εἰς ἔργον διακονίας, εἰς οἰκοδομὴν τοῦ σώματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ, for the perfecting of the saints, . . . Continue reading →
Who Are The Reformers? Philipp Melanchthon
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Beza On The Threefold Division Of The Law
The law of the Lord our God that was handed down to His people through Moses is partly ethical, partly sacrificial, and partly political.3 The ethical portion shows in what way each person must be disposed of both toward God most of . . . Continue reading →
Of Conventions, Prayers, And Church
The Importance Of Distinguishing Sacred And Secular
Both the opening and closing of last night’s events are a good argument for doing away with public, shared prayers in such events. It’s not that delegates to political conventions should not pray. They should. It’s not that candidates should not pray. They should. It’s not that voters should not pray. They should. It is dubious, however, whether it is appropriate to open a common, secular, assembly with prayer. To whom are we praying? In whose name? What are we praying? As a Christian minister of the United Reformed Churches in North America I am not free to offer prayers to God that he has not authorized. I am not free to pray to any other deity than the Triune God of Scripture, to the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. I am not authorized to approach God in any other name than the name of Jesus. It is not a matter of bigotry. It is a matter of truth, eternal life, and salvation. Jesus was raised from the dead. He is the truth (John 14:6). There are not multiple ways to God. Religion is not multifaceted expression of a common religious experience. It is revealed by God to us. Continue reading →
Calvin: God’s Twofold Government Contra Over-Realized Eschatology
First, before we enter into the matter itself, we must keep in mind that distinction which we previously laid down so that we do not (as commonly happens) unwisely mingle these two, which have a completely different nature. For certain men, when . . . Continue reading →
Another Police Officer Was Murdered Today
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Strangers And Aliens (21d): Be Not Surprised By Fiery Trials (1 Peter 4:12–19)
We live in the season or epoch (καιρὸς) of redemptive history, after the ascension and before the return of Christ, in which, from time to time, we face both informal and formal persecution for the sake of Christ. When Peter’s words might be understood to say, “For this is the season for judgment (κρίμα) to begin (ἄρξασθαι) from (ἀπὸ) God’s house…”. As Johnson notes, this is the pattern in Malachi. We might see also the whole history of national Israel from the beginning of the national covenant to its dissolution in the exile. The Lord repeatedly entered into judgment with his people and he began with them before he commissioned his (then) national people to commence holy war against the surrounding nations. These judgments were acts of purification of his people, which gets us back to the language of vs.12 above. The fire upon God’s house (following Johnson) is the fire of purification, of sanctification through suffering. Continue reading →
When A Society Turns To Skepticism
No amount of force, or gun-control legislation, is going to fix a society where there is no longer a sense that we have law rooted in truth, which every citizen, in every station of life, respects and takes seriously. —Star Parker
U. S. Senator Tim Scott On Solutions To The American Racial Crisis
Biblical, Ecumenical Christian Doctrines Are Not Adiaphora
Rachel Miller writes: “I hope that those who have read and recommend Dr. Grudem’s Systematic Theology will go back and reconsider what is being taught.” Continue reading →