Before the modern Word-Faith (“name it and claim it” or “health and wealth”) preachers there was a huckster named Johann Tetzel (1465–1519). He is famous for his marketing of the medieval practice of selling indulgences with the jingle, “When the coin the . . . Continue reading →
[This post was first published on the HB in 2009] One link led to another and I happened recently upon the website of a large NAPARC congregation. As I often do I looked to see who the pastor was. That link led me . . . Continue reading →
[This post was first published in 2007 on the HB and is republished in response to some recent comments here] Sometime back the question was raised: We know that there are at least two categories of people within Scripture, the elect, and . . . Continue reading →
[Originally published March 6, 2010] In view of a recent post by Carl Trueman concerning virtual preachers now seems a good time to republish this HB classic. § Two jarring facts came to my attention in recent days. The first of these is . . . Continue reading →
The time after Christmas, including, in some places Boxing Day—for which different etymologies have been given—is a time for writing thank you notes. The Apostle Paul also wrote a thank you letter and the Spirit of God preserved it for us in . . . Continue reading →
Part 4: Consolation And Pastoral Ministry IV. Consolation Preached In part one of this series we considered Calvin’s interpretation of several biblical passages on consolation. In part two we looked at how he harvested a theology of consolation from his exegetical work. . . . Continue reading →
Part 3: His Theology of Consolation in The Institutes. III. Consolation and Pastoral Ministry For Calvin, christian consolation is not only a theological reality but it is also the result of good pastoral practice. Christians often fail to appropriate the consolation they . . . Continue reading →
My doctrine of sanctification is the doctrine of the Heidelberg Catechism: Guilt, Grace, and Gratitude and the doctrine of the Belgic Confession Art. 24. We believe that this true faith, produced in man by the hearing of God’s Word and by the . . . Continue reading →
II. His Theology of Consolation (1559 Institutes) In the previous installment we looked at the way Calvin read Paul’s epistles and how he drew from them a doctrine of consolation, of God’s presence with his people in Christ, by the Spirit, in . . . Continue reading →
In January, 1563 the Heidelberg Catechism was adopted by the Palatinate Church (the German Reformed Church). That means that the Heidelberg Catechism, or the Heidelberger as it’s sometimes known, is 450 years years old this year. As with Calvin 2009 there will . . . Continue reading →
Part 1: Introduction to Calvin’s Life and His Own Need for Comfort I. Calvin’s Exegesis of Consolation (in Paul) In the first part we saw that Calvin was a pilgrim who himself needed the consolation of the gospel, given by the Spirit, . . . Continue reading →
In our unceasing attempt to serve you we’re always adding features to the HB. One of them is the categories resource. It’s a useful way to track discussions on a particular topic. There is also a search option on the top of . . . Continue reading →
Wikipedia, that ubiquitous source of unimpeachable scholarship, defines “consolation” as “something of value, when one fails to get something of higher value….” That is precisely the opposite of what John Calvin (1509–64) meant by “consolation.”For Calvin, the consolation that Christ gives to . . . Continue reading →
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In the history of Christian theology there have been two ways of speaking about the relation between law and gospel: 1. historically and 2. theologically or hermeneutically. These two ways of relating law and gospel are complementary. The first way of relating . . . Continue reading →
The Most Downloaded Posts Of 2012 Baptism: The Doctrine that Caused Tears (4) Deconstructing Puritanism Resources on Understanding the Differences Between the Lutheran and Reformed Traditions Brothers We Are Not Perfectionists Baptism: The Doctrine That Caused Tears (1) Covenant Theology Is Not . . . Continue reading →
He says, that believers have no righteousness of their own. Now, it cannot be denied, that if there were any righteousness of works, it might with propriety be said to be ours. Hence he leaves no room whatever for the righteousness of . . . Continue reading →
(HT: Particular Voices) The two testaments are the Covenant of works and the Covenant of grace, one promising life eternal to him that does all things contained in the law; the other to him turns and believes in Christ. And it must . . . Continue reading →
Thanks to Particular Voices for posting a page from William Perkins’ commentary on Galatians 3:12. Thanks to Rich Barcellos for pointing me to it. I took the liberty of transcribing the text and updating the spelling to make it more accessible. Perkins . . . Continue reading →
One of the first questions ever sent to the HB was the question, “Why the focus on the Reformed confessions?” and the closely related question, “How do you relate your emphasis on the confessions to sola Scriptura?” Those are fair questions and . . . Continue reading →
