Covenant, Justification, and Pastoral Ministry

Calvin on Christ’s Active Obedience

by on April 7, 2009 | 21 Comments

From Institutes 2.16.5 (Battles edn): Now someone asks, How has Christ abolished sin, banished the separation between us and God, and acquired righteousness to render God favorable and kindly toward us? To this we can in general reply that he has achieved . . . Continue reading →

Is There a "Monolithic" Reformed View of Justification?

by on April 4, 2009 | 40 Comments

Recently I responded to John Armstrong’s post on the TIME magazine new Calvinist discussion. In his reply, John makes this startling claim: There is no monolithic Reformed voice on justification (especially re: imputation) and I would be very happy if we allowed . . . Continue reading →

C. E. Hill on N. T. Wright

by on March 23, 2009 | 3 Comments

This review of What Saint Paul Really Said. Was Paul of Tarsus the Real founder of Christianity? (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997) first appeared online in 2001 back on the Third Millennium site. In view of the recent interviews with Guy Waters on . . . Continue reading →

Guy Waters Analyzes NTW's Reply to Piper

by on March 9, 2009 | 2 Comments

The American edition of the book is not out yet, but Guy Waters (and the fellows at Christ the Center) have the British edition and they have analyzed it carefully. As always Guy does an admirable job of stating the question, of . . . Continue reading →

WCF vs NCT: Which is More "Spiritual"?

by on February 10, 2009 | 9 Comments

One of the most persistent caricatures of Reformed orthodoxy is that it was (and remains) a lifeless, dead orthodoxy. Apparently some enthusiastic supporters of the so-called (self-described) “New Covenant” theology have taken up this view as a way of contrasting the piety . . . Continue reading →

Maybe "Dead" Orthodoxy is Really Life Giving?

by on February 5, 2009 | 1 Comment

As I read, the scales fell from my eyes. I couldn’t believe it. We are justified by “receiving and resting on Christ and his righteousness through faith”! It was almost too good to be true. I felt like the heavens had opened . . . Continue reading →

Vos on Justification and Union with Christ

by on February 2, 2009 | 20 Comments

Geerhardus Vos (1862-1949) was a Dutch Reformed theologian who taught at the theological college of the Christian Reformed Church (later Calvin Seminary) and most famously at Princeton Theological Seminary. Though typically neglected by mainline (i.e., liberal and Barthian) writers because of his . . . Continue reading →

Has the Roman Doctrine of Justification Changed?

by on January 31, 2009 | 7 Comments

It’s often said that Rome “doesn’t do that anymore.” I’ve heard that said about indulgences. “We don’t do that any more, not since Vatican II.” Really? Holy Mother church offered plenary indulgences at late as 2000 when there she offered a plenary . . . Continue reading →

Trent, Sungenis, Shepherd, and the FV

by on January 31, 2009 | 3 Comments

Originally posted 10 Nov 2007 On the White Horse Inn for 3 November (2007) Mike Horton interviewed Roman Catholic apologist Robert Sungenis and historian Mark Noll (Is the Reformation Over?). Just a few comments about the first half of the show.