Christ and Culture

Christ The Only Way, Doctrinal Confusion, And A Twofold Kingdom

by on November 2, 2021 | 1 Comment

A few years ago President Trump nominated Russell Vought to a post in his administration. Opponents of the nominee found an article written by Vought in which he criticized a Wheaton College professor for advocating a pluralist approach to salvation. During his confirmation hearing the ACLU bizarrely attacked Vought for denying religious liberty. The ACLU conflated Vought’s religious views with his policy views (perhaps because that is what the ACLU now does). Sen. Sanders of Vermont grilled Vought over his public, Christian conviction that faith in Jesus is the only way of salvation. Either Sanders was being cynical or he is incredibly ill-informed about a basic tenet of orthodox Christianity. Continue reading →

Reformation Day, The Trinity, And The Culture War

by on October 30, 2021 | 9 Comments

Some objected to the critics of the Federal Vision that the social crisis is too great that to be arguing about the Federal Vision. That objection has resurface in recent days in the wake of a social media post in which a prominent member of the Young, Restless, and Reformed Movement and a Baptist theologian has argued, “The Father is the Father because he sends the Son. The Son is the Son because he submits to the Father’s will. The Spirit is the Spirit because the Father and the Son send Him. There is no Trinity without the order of authority and submission” (emphasis original).  As one might imagine, this line of reasoning has prompted a considerable response. In response to the critics, some have re-stated the same argument made by the Federal Visionists and their enablers in 2008: “Are we really going to start arguing about ESS again? With all the other stuff going on in the world, this is the battle some of you want to fight? Again? I seriously do not understand some of you. Like, at all.” Continue reading →

Bob Godfrey On “What’s Going on Right Now: Sex, Race, Politics & Power” (2)

by on October 30, 2021 | 1 Comment

Bob Godfrey has been teaching the Adult Sunday School class in (what is now) the Escondido United Reformed Church for forty years. Some of that material has made its way into print and, in that way, perhaps you have benefited directly from . . . Continue reading →

Polycarp: A Model For Ministry In The Post-Christian West

by on September 25, 2021

Polycarp (Πολύκαρπος), whose name might be translated as fruitful was the leading pastor (ἐπίσκοπος) of Smyrna (today, Izmir, Turkey) on the Agean coast of Asia Minor. We do not know a great deal about his life. He was friends with Ignatius, the pastor of Antioch, who was (presumably) martyred about AD 115. Continue reading →

What To Do About Halloween On The Sabbath?

by on September 15, 2021 | 3 Comments

There are three major questions here: Halloween, the Sabbath, and how Christians ought to relate their faith in Christ to their life in the broader culture. Continue reading →

Is The Neo-Evangelical Coalition Worth Saving?

by on September 10, 2021 | 5 Comments

Yesterday Trevin Wax crystalized the case for preserving the neo-evangelical coalition, which emerged after World War II and in so doing, for Reformed confessionalists, he has also made the case against the neo-evangelical coalition. What is that coalition and what are its attractions . . . Continue reading →

To Evangelicals Tempted By Eastern Orthodoxy: Something To Watch Before You Convert

Planting A Reformed Congregation In Romania

by on July 9, 2021 | 7 Comments

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 →

Suicide By Theocracy

by on May 22, 2021 | 1 Comment

If American evangelicalism dies, suicide will be the cause of death listed on the official Coroner’s report. American evangelicalism will likely not die due to external persecution. Historically, persecution tends to strengthen the church. If it dies, it will die because it . . . Continue reading →