New Film: American Gospel

by R. Scott Clark on October 20, 2018

For far too many American and global Christians, the “prosperity gospel” is all they know of Christianity. For far too many Christians what the Scriptures actually teach about the law and the gospel is almost entirely unknown. Their leaders and influences are . . . Continue reading →

Why Don’t Confessional Reformed Churches Grow More Quickly?

by R. Scott Clark on October 19, 2018

When newcomers enter confessional Presbyterian and Reformed (hereafter, P&R) churches they have entered a world that is different from that with which they are familiar. I have written a very brief tour guide for such pilgrims and their hosts. In this essay . . . Continue reading →

Millennial Perfectionism And The Social Media Covenant Of Works

by R. Scott Clark on September 29, 2018

If you are a Millennial, relax. This is not another critique. I do spend a fair bit of time with Millennials, however, and I have observed some interesting trends. One of these observations was reinforced recently in an article by Thomas Curran . . . Continue reading →

Church History For Children: A Colorful Past

by R. Scott Clark on September 28, 2018

One important way to connect children to the past is through family pictures. Our house is a little old-fashioned and we have family photos in our hall way and living room that go back to the late 19th century. Church history is . . . Continue reading →

A Persnickety Point About Doctorates

by R. Scott Clark on September 18, 2018

An academic doctorate, a PhD or its equivalent is an earned degree granted in recognition of the completion of coursework capped off with an original piece of research which meets academic standards and is judged to make a contribution to a field of learning. Typically, in the USA (and elsewhere) it takes about 5 years of full-time study and research to earn a PhD. Along the way a PhD candidate earns at least one MA and (usually) passes some sort of comprehensive examination before beginning the dissertation (or thesis) phase of their program. Continue reading →

Office Hours: On Romans With John Fesko

by R. Scott Clark on September 17, 2018

How many Reformed people today started out in other traditions only to be confronted by challenging passages in Romans, which made them re-think their entire theology, piety, and practice? John Fesko is one of those. Continue reading →

Labor Day 2018: Fun In The Sky And On The Water In An ICON A5

by R. Scott Clark on September 3, 2018

Longtime readers of this space will know that I am a flying enthusiast. Climbing into a cockpit and flying a plane is something wonderful. I have been in a couple of small planes beginning in Shafter, CA in 1986 and again flying . . . Continue reading →

Heidelcast Series: Nomism And Antinomianism

by Heidelcast on August 29, 2018

Almost since the beginning of the Reformation there were two reactions to the recovery of the gospel: legalism, or nomism, and antinomianism. There are associated doctrines and practices but the core of antinomianism is the rejection of the abiding validity of the . . . Continue reading →

What Passion City Gets Right And Wrong About The Sabbath

by R. Scott Clark on August 28, 2018

The last time we saw Atlanta Pastor Louie Giglio it was January 2013 and he was embroiled in controversy because he had been invited by President Obama to participate in his second inauguration. It had been discovered that Giglio held the biblical . . . Continue reading →

Summer Vacation 2018

by R. Scott Clark on August 16, 2018

This gallery contains 5 photos.

Ranchita

by R. Scott Clark on August 6, 2018

With Janet Mefferd On What Scripture Says About Private Property

by R. Scott Clark on July 26, 2018

The eighth and tenth commandments, “You shall not steal” (Ex 20:15) and “You shall not covet” (Ex 20:17) are basic to biblical ethics. They are part of the natural law that God revealed to Adam in the garden, known by image bearers . . . Continue reading →

A Perfect Church? Not In This Life

by R. Scott Clark on July 25, 2018

In a recent book, church growth guru George Barna seems to suggest the end or irrelevance of the local congregation.1 He speaks for a significant number of people who find their congregation unsatisfying or who cannot find a church at all. It . . . Continue reading →

Jesus: Baptism Is Death

by R. Scott Clark on July 16, 2018

In Luke 12:50, as part of a wide-ranging discourse with strong eschatological overtones, our Lord Jesus characterizes his coming death in a striking way. He said, “But I have a baptism with which to be baptized and how I constrained until it . . . Continue reading →

Paul: Let Him Not Eat

by R. Scott Clark on July 6, 2018

Paul was a theologian of the twofold kingdom. In what Calvin called the “spiritual” aspect of the kingdom we find a covenant of grace in which sinners are accepted (justified) and saved by God out of his free favor (sola gratia), through . . . Continue reading →

Born Of A Woman: Against The Star Trek Christology

by R. Scott Clark on June 27, 2018

Recently a well-known Presbyterian minister posted a short sentence on a social media site that caused some controversy. My intent here is not to comment directly on his language but to notice and respond to some of the reaction because it illustrates . . . Continue reading →

Office Hours: Reading Scripture Canonically With Darian Lockett

by R. Scott Clark on June 25, 2018

The word “canon” means rule. We who confess the Reformed theology, piety, and practice confess that the holy Scriptures are the canon, the final and ruling authority for the Christian faith and life. In Belgic Confession art. 7 we confess, “We believe . . . Continue reading →

What Creepy Clowns Tell Us About Social Anxiety

by R. Scott Clark on June 14, 2018

The creepy clown craze caught me off guard. I suppose my earliest exposure to clowns came through the children’s television show Captain Kangaroo, hosted by Bob Keeshan. He himself had played Clarabelle the Clown on the Howdy Doody television program, which was . . . Continue reading →

The Church: The Christ-Confessing Covenant Community

by R. Scott Clark on June 7, 2018

When one talks about the church what is at stake is the way in which the Christian life is organized. I believe that the Bible teaches us that believers should be united to the visible community of the redeemed meeting for worship, instruction, and fellowship in an organized, disciplined, way. If I am wrong, then millions of dollars and millions of hours and lives are being sadly misspent. Continue reading →

Another Canary In Another Educational Coal Mine?

by R. Scott Clark on June 6, 2018

The crest of Duke University, one of the more prestigious universities in the United States, says, “eruditio et religio” (learning and piety). The crest signifies the school’s roots in the early and mid-19th century first as a joint Quaker/Methodist project and later . . . Continue reading →