For though Christ the Lord at the last supper instituted and delivered to the Apostles this venerable sacrament under the forms of bread and wine, yet that institution and administration do signify that all the faithful are by an enactment of the . . . Continue reading →
Historical Theology
Resurgent Catharism?
In the 2nd century, the Fathers faced one of the greatest threats ever to confront the Christian faith and church: Gnosticism. The gnostics taught a hierarchical scale of being in which salvation meant being delivered from our status as creatures. Salvation was . . . Continue reading →
The Underlying Problem In The Study Of Calvin’s Doctrine Of Union
The underlying problem of much of the literature on [union with Christ and ordo salutis] (one might even call it a cottage industry) is the rather massive, highly theologistic, a ahistorical attention given to Calvin’s understanding of the unio in isolation from . . . Continue reading →
Calvin On Instruments: "Stupid Imitation"
The musical instruments he mentions pertained to the time of instruction.1 Nor should we stupidly imitate a practice which was proper only for God’s old [covenant] people…. They were for use under the legal cult.2 John Calvin, From his commentary on Ps . . . Continue reading →
Heidelberg Catechism Q. 18: One Mediator, Two Natures
The Reformation Debate
Part 1 Heidelberg Catechism Q. 18 asks: 18. But who now is that Mediator, who in one person is true God and also a true and righteous man? Our Lord Jesus Christ, who is freely given unto us for complete redemption and . . . Continue reading →
Theology Of The Cross Versus Theology Of Glory
Luther's Heidelberg Disputation
19. That person does not deserve to be called a theologian who looks upon the invisible things of God as though they were clearly perceptible in those things which have actually happened (Rom. 1:20; cf. 1 Cor 1:21-25), 20. He deserves to . . . Continue reading →
Unintended Reformulation?
Brad Gregory is a well-respected Reformation historian. He has taught at Stanford and now teaches at Notre Dame. His study of martyrdom in the Reformation period is highly regarded. He has produced a new work which is receiving a good deal of . . . Continue reading →
Heidelberg Catechism Q. 18: One Mediator, Two Natures
The Definition of Chalcedon (451) We, then, following the holy Fathers, all with one consent, teach men to confess one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the same perfect in Godhead and also perfect in manhood; truly God and truly . . . Continue reading →
Riddlebarger Reviews Zaspel on Warfield
According to Hugh T. Kerr, Benjamin B. Warfield Professor of Theology at Princeton Theological Seminary after Warfield’s death: Of [Warfield’s] printed and published work, there are ten large, and I mean large, volumes of posthumously selected and edited articles known as the . . . Continue reading →
Nunc Super Tunc
Originally posted 5 March 2009 The title is Latin for “Now is superior to then.”1 It’s a shorthand way of getting at an attitude that is widespread among American Christians that whatever we think and do now is necessarily superior to anything . . . Continue reading →
Why Do We Confess "He Descended Into Hell"?
The Apostles’ Creed (which was not actually written by the Apostles) began to develop as part of the catechesis (basic Christian instruction) in the Roman church late in the 2nd century (c. 150-80). One of the clauses of the creed that has . . . Continue reading →
New: Histories and Fallacies
Just picked this up in the Bookstore at Westminster Seminary California and plan to read it today. It looks terrific. I was reading it when I was interrupted by Bob Godfrey, who stopped into the studio for an interview (to be broadcast . . . Continue reading →
The Social Crisis is Too Great to Be Arguing About… (Updated)
The various social crises facing the West are great but the Roman empire was already in crisis when God the Holy Spirit empowered Christ’s apostles to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. Rome fell. The gospel and Christ’s church continued. Another empire, Christendom, replaced the old Roman Empire but it fell too. The kingdom of God, as manifested chiefly in this world in the visible, institutional church, continued. Social crises are important but they aren’t more important than the gospel. Seeing that is a key difference between actually being Reformed and being just another social conservative with a passing interest in the Reformation (as it suits whatever social agenda is in view). Continue reading →
John Owen for Kids
John Owen (1616–83) was one of the most important and influential Reformed theologians of the 17th century. His books were widely read in his own life and he has continued to influence Reformed theology and piety since. Owen’s theology is not light . . . Continue reading →
Hill: Who Chose the Gospels?
There aren’t many authors about whom one can say this but here goes: Anything Chuck Hill writes is worth reading. Okay, I’m a friend and a fan but I’m the latter because Chuck is such an outstanding scholar and writer. In an . . . Continue reading →
Was Barth Reformed?
Among the Followers of Karl Barth (d. 1968), both evangelical and mainline (and especially among evangelicals in the mainline) it is sometimes assumed that Barth’s theology was and is the true modern manifestation of Calvin’s theology and to the degree Calvin’s theology . . . Continue reading →
The Catholicity of the Reformed Faith and Its Evangelical Counterparts
Recently Mark Driscoll and Gerry Brashears published a survey of basic Christian teaching. Martin Downes has been helpfully evaluating their account of the doctrine of Christ. It is interesting to see the way two ostensibly “Reformed” writers handle a matter of catholic . . . Continue reading →
Roman Catholic Scholar Converts to Evangelical Faith
Re-posted from c. 2007 Dateline Paris, 1534. © Paris News Service By Guy LaFontaine Jean Calvin, 25, of Noyon, a leading scholar of the classics and law student in the University of Paris, has reportedly converted to the evangelical cause. A classicist . . . Continue reading →
Office Hours: Martin Klauber on Protestant Orthodoxy in the Classical Period
There aren’t many scholars who know in detail what happened to Protestant theology after the “high orthodox” period in the mid-late 17th century (think Francis Turretin). Marty Klauber is one of those fellows and we sat down to talk last spring when . . . Continue reading →
The Glory of Rome
The election of Pope Paul III in 1534 signaled the beginning of the counter-Reformation; that is Rome’s response to Luther, Calvin and their followers. One way Paul III hoped to counter the teachings of the reformation was to complete the construction of . . . Continue reading →