Today I am listening to episode 4 of the Christianity Today podcast series, “The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill.” Continue reading
Author Archives: R. Scott Clark
Your Image Of Calvin Is Probably Wrong
The enduring image of Calvin as an unyielding, moralistic and stone-faced tyrant who rejected all the pleasures of life has been his opponents’ greatest victory. The iconography of the Frenchman has hardly helped matters, above all, the Reformation monument in Geneva, which . . . Continue reading →
New Resource Page: On The PCA
I joked to a correspondent recently that there are so many HB posts on the PCA that I should make a resource page devoted to the PCA. Well, it is true and now there is one.
This Is A Trap
Dear pastors and elders. No matter how well intended, I'm rather afraid that your words are not always heard the way you think. Here, let me translate.(If you'd like to educate yourself, you can start here: https://t.co/U1lM9kfHTF) pic.twitter.com/AWoCL40zMi — Greg Johnson | . . . Continue reading →
If You Are Unhappy With Francis’ Latest Decision
Traditionalist Romanists are unhappy that Francis, the Bishop of Rome, has reversed yet another of Benedict XVI’s decisions. He has strictly limited the use and spread of the old Latin (Tridentine) Mass. Continue reading
The Principles Of Reformed Worship
We want to be seeker-sensitive, but we must identify the true seeker in worship. Scripture teaches that “no man seeks God,” certainly not the unregenerate, rather it is God who seeks us (Romans 3:11). Our Lord taught us that the Father seeks those who will worship in spirit and truth (John 4:23). Therefore the primary focus in Reformed worship is our living, holy, righteous, awesome Triune God. Thus when we gather before his face (Hebrews 12:18-20) we are in a sacred assembly where he has promised to give us an audience. Continue reading →
These Things Did Not Happen Only In The Old Testament
"The taking of a leaf is the cutting of the root of clinging. When this root is finally cut, you are safe as the original body of all life appears to deluded minds." –@KosenGregSnyder Read more about the Ordination of the Cherry . . . Continue reading →
A Defense Of Infant Baptism
From the point of view of the covenant of grace, every command to baptize, is a command to baptize the children of believers. Because the promise of the covenant of grace, God is a God not only to adult believers, but also to their children. That is why, in 1 Corinthians 7:14, Paul said that children of believers are “holy.” Paul deliberately used Old Covenant, ceremonial, language to teach the Corinthians that their children shouldn’t be considered outside of the visible people of God. To use old covenant language, children of believers are “clean,” and therefore have a right to share in the blessings of being a part of the visible people of God, including baptism. Continue reading →
New Resource Page: On The Young, Restless, And Reformed/New Calvinist Movement
Since the early 2000s, the so-called Young, Restless, and Reformed or New Calvinist movement has been one of the more significant movements in American evangelicalism. Its scope and influence was chronicled by Collin Hansen’s, Young, Restless, Reformed: A Journalist’s Journey with the . . . Continue reading →
Julie Roys Interviews Insiders From Mark Driscoll’s Current Congregation
And the hits just keep coming. Not only is Christianity Today producing a podcast series doing a post-mortem of Mars Hill Church
The Way Calvin Read The Ten Commandments May Not Be The Way You Are Used To Reading The Ten Commandments (But It Should Be)
For my entire Christian life, without exception, whenever the minister has read the Ten Commandments (the Decalogue) in the worship service—which I heard only when I began worshiping in the Reformed churches—he always begin with the words “I am the Lord your . . . Continue reading →
Today Only: On Being Reformed Is Discounted 40%
Palgrave MacMillan’s strategy of pricing slender (but significant) hardbound volumes ridiculously high and then discounting them occasionally to more reasonable prices continues. Continue reading
Olevianus: Good Works Contribute Nothing To Our Justification But They Do Have Three Purposes
170 Q. You are not saying, then, that good works are useless? Continue reading →
Romans 6:14, 7:14, And 8:14 Are All True Of The Christian At The Same Time: Simul Iustus, Et Peccator
Bob Godfrey preached from Romans 6 recently and his message inspired me to look again at the relationship between chapters 6, 7, and 8.
Payne: The PCA Already Has A Creed
Creating space for these unbiblical cultural creeds in the PCA will facilitate serious and irreparable damage and division. Therefore, they must be rejected. There is no room for compromise. The Assembly’s voting margins from last week foster hope that the PCA’s future plans do not include tent expansion. We mustn’t make room for Side B and CRT. Continue reading →
To Evangelicals Tempted By Eastern Orthodoxy: Something To Watch Before You Convert
Planting A Reformed Congregation In Romania
Reformation Romania is a church planting project of the United Reformed Churches in North America. In this video Pastor Mihai Corcea explains what Eastern Orthodoxy looks like, on the ground, in Bucharest and how the influence of Eastern Orthodoxy has has actually made it more difficult to reach Romanians with the gospel. Continue reading →
If We Baptize Infants Why Do We Not Also Commune Them?
This question/objection occurs frequently in the context of the debate over infant baptism and it reveals a widely-held Baptist misunderstanding about the sacraments.
Trueman: Ruling Elders Triumph Over PCA Progressives
In the last few days, I have spoken to a number of GA commissioners. They seem to agree that at the GA, “the little guys stood up” (to quote one commissioner verbatim). Ruling elders—commissioners who are not professional clergy and who live . . . Continue reading →
Notes On Episode 3 Of “Who Killed Mars Hill?”
Last week I noted the new Christianity Today podcast on the rise and fall of Mars Hill church in Seattle. In episode 3 host Mike Cosper tells the story of the early days of Mars Hill. It is a familiar story of a . . . Continue reading →
An Intramural Baptist Debate That Illumines The Profound Differences Between Baptist And Reformed Theology, Piety, And Practice
Several Baptist writers are discussing the propriety of baptizing younger children. Justin Taylor provides of roundup of the debate.