Author Archives: R. Scott Clark

About R. Scott Clark

R. Scott Clark is the President of the Heidelberg Reformation Association, the author and editor of, and contributor to several books and the author of many articles. He has taught church history and historical theology since 1997 at Westminster Seminary California. He has also taught at Wheaton College, Reformed Theological Seminary, and Concordia University. Read more» He has hosted the Heidelblog since 2007.

Grumpy Old Men, “A Ministry Of Condemnation,” And The Church

by on June 24, 2019

The Bible contrasts two very different kinds of ministries.  In 2 Corinthians 3:6 the apostle Paul says that we are ministers of the New Covenant, of the Spirit and not of the letter.  The contrast the apostle is making is between the New Covenant as the fulfillment of the promises made to Abraham, which he calls the “ministry of righteousness,” and the particular phenomenon of the giving of the law on Sinai to Moses—which he designates as the “ministry of condemnation.”  The contrast between them is important because each kind of ministry produces its own kind of fruit in its recipients. Continue reading →

Canons of Dort (32): Our Sovereign God Uses Means To Encourage Us

by on June 6, 2019

For perhaps 20 years we have been in the midst of a movement which Collin Hansen (2008) described as Young, Restless, and Reformed. Others have spoken of the “New Calvinists” (see the resources below). The one doctrine that animates these movements is the sovereignty of God. For many American evangelicals it is a given that God has his opinion and we have ours. Continue reading →

Os Cânones De Dort (2): A Crise Intensifica

by on June 5, 2019

Como os seguidores de Armínio foram (principalmente) eclesiasticamente separados das igrejas reformadas durante séculos, é fácil perder de vista o fato de que a crise arminiana ocorreu originalmente dentro das portas da igreja reformada. Apesar das graves reservas sobre sua teologia e ensino expressas por Plancius e outros ministros em seu Classis (presbitério), e por seus colegas Gomarus e Trelcatius Jr., Armínio foi e permaneceu como ministro em boa posição na igreja reformada (Hervormde Kerk) na Holanda. Continue reading →

On The Canons Of Dort (31): Doubts, Carelessness, and Godliness

by on June 4, 2019

The Remonstrants (Arminians) charged the orthodox Reformed, i.e., those who confessed the Belgic Confession (1561) and the Heidelberg Catechism (1563) sincerely (without crossed fingers) with being unconcerned about sanctification. The Remonstrants were convinced that the Reformed faith did not produce sufficient godliness. . . . Continue reading →

OS CÂNONES DE DORT (1): INTRODUÇíO E CONTEXTO

by on June 3, 2019

Poucos dos nossos documentos confessionais reformados são tão valiosos, porém ainda tão negligenciados quanto os Cânones de Dort. Hoje, a maioria das pessoas que os conhece pensa neles como os chamados “Cinco Pontos do Calvinismo” ou TULIP: Depravação Total, Eleição Incondicional, Expiação Limitada, Graça Irresistível e Perseverança dos Santos. Continue reading →

Video: The Abraham Paradigm

by on May 26, 2019

Friday and Saturday of this past week I had the privilege of speaking to congregation of Covenant Presbyterian Church (OPC) and to their guests in Ft Worth, TX on “The Abraham Paradigm.” They were very gracious and patient with me. It is . . . Continue reading →