Sometime back, Howard wrote to ask, “How and when did Arminianism become the predominate view?” That is a good question. First, we should distinguish between Jacob Arminius (James Harmenszoon, 1560–1609) and the Arminians (or the Remonstrants). Relative to the conclusions Arminian/Remonstrant theology later . . . Continue reading →
The theocratic impulse is truly ancient. All the pagan nations of the Ancient Near East had state religions. The Israelites, Egyptians, and Canaanites all had state religions, as did the Greeks and the Romans. The latter were particularly vicious in enforcing the . . . Continue reading →
Throughout this series, however it might seem to devoted fans of John MacArthur, I have endeavored to be honest and fair—both of which require me to acknowledge, as I have before, that chapters 14 and 15 are quite edifying. The beginning of . . . Continue reading →
Un cititor al blogului, pe nume David, ne-a contactat recent cu o întrebare pe care i-a adresat-o cineva: „Ce cred părinții bisericii dinaintea lui Augustin despre liberul arbitru? Mi s-a spus că toți părinții bisericii dinainte de Augustin au susținut o poziție . . . Continue reading →
There is a popular view of church history that tells a story in which there was a pure, believing church during the apostolic age and then, for all intents and purposes, there was not a church (except for the Waldensians who alone . . . Continue reading →
Previously, we looked at the office of Ruling Elder (RE) in P&R churches. Today, we continue that conversation. Truing The Spokes When a bloc of REs, however, becomes less a counter-weight to progressive tendencies and more an anchor to prevent Reformation according . . . Continue reading →
In his epistle (3:1) to the Trallians (c. AD 114), written to one of the congregations that visited him on the way to Rome to be martyred, Ignatius, the senior pastor (ἐπίσκοπος) of Antioch mentioned three offices in the church: Similarly, let . . . Continue reading →
Hace algunos años publiqué la reseña de un libro en las páginas de la revista Modern Reformation. Algunos respondieron con una carta al editor quejándose de que yo había distinguido entre las iglesias reformadas y las iglesias bautistas. Mi respuesta revisada figura . . . Continue reading →
My interest here is not so much paraphrastic Bible translations—though these may not be good for ecclesiastical use (e.g., worship) or close study, like a commentary, a paraphrase can put light on a passage or otherwise edify. My concern here is the . . . Continue reading →
As I was driving to Bakersfield last week, it occurred to me that it was thirty years ago this year that I began my academic career as a teacher. In 1993 I was serving as the pastor of what was then Walnut . . . Continue reading →
Dispensationalism is as much a theory of the church as it is of dispensations. Or rather, dispensationalism divides humanity into three distinct groups: Israel, the church, and the nations. The first two are in covenant with God. Israel has the starring role . . . Continue reading →
Geçenlerde duyduğum bir şey, üç büyük Batı dini hakkında sıkça dile getirilen bir iddiayı düşünmeme neden oldu: Yahudilik, Hristiyanlık ve İslam. Hepimizin sık sık “kitap ehli” ve aynı sıklıkta da “İbrahim’in çocukları” olduğumuz söylenir. Bazen bu iki ortak noktaya dayanarak, birbirimizi ortak . . . Continue reading →
By definition, hyper-Calvinism is that doctrine which goes beyond (hyper) Calvin. Often, however, it is used incorrectly by critics of predestination to describe anyone who believes in reprobation. If teaching reprobation makes one hyper-Calvinist, then Calvin would be one himself, and that . . . Continue reading →
In MacArthur’s account of the parables of the kingdom of God, the nature of saving faith, and in his use of sources, we face three interesting sets of questions and some recurring problems in chapter 13 of The Gospel According to Jesus. . . . Continue reading →
As I write there is a major land war ongoing between Russia and Ukraine, Israel has suffered a horrific terrorist attack by Hamas and is facing a two-front war with Hamas to the South and Hezbollah to the North as she seeks . . . Continue reading →
From where do we get the Reformation solas? I get this question with some frequency, usually around Reformation Day. Here is a preliminary answer: The ideas were present from the earliest stage of the Reformation, but the actual phrases developed over time. . . . Continue reading →
Something I heard recently led to me think about the claim that is frequently made about the three great Western religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. We are all frequently said to be “people of the book,” and just as frequently said to . . . Continue reading →
A reader named David recently wrote to the Heidelblog to pass along a question that someone else asked of him: “What do the church fathers prior to Augustine believe about free will? I was told that all of the church fathers prior . . . Continue reading →
In article XIII: On the Great Commission, the Statement says, Article XIII: The Great Commission WE AFFIRM that Christ’s commissioning of His Church to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them, and teaching them to obey all that He has commanded includes . . . Continue reading →