Defining “Reformed”

An Interview With Evangelical Focus

by R. Scott Clark on October 18, 2015 | 6 Comments

Contrary to what you may have been taught, the world was made to be known and you were made to know it. Contrary to what you may have been told, the world around you, though corrupted by sin, is not an illusion and evil is not winning. Believe your eyes and ears but do not believe everything you read and hear. You can and should, however, trust that God’s Word is reliable and true, that Christ is the Saviour, that he really came, that he was really raised, and that he is really coming again to make all things right again. Until that time you and I have a great calling to trust Christ with all our heart and out of that confidence to serve him in this world by loving God and our neighbour. Find a true church where the gospel is purely preached, where the sacraments are purely administered, and where they love the people enough to practice loving, gracious discipline. Continue reading →

Heidelberg 74: We Are Abraham’s Children

by R. Scott Clark on May 26, 2015 | 1 Comment

74. Are infants also to be baptized? Yes, for since they belong to the covenant and people of God as well as their parents, and since redemption from sin through the blood of Christ, and the Holy Spirit who works faith, are . . . Continue reading →

Of Confessional Christianity And The Cult Of Personality

by R. Scott Clark on February 2, 2015 | 5 Comments

The danger of the cult of personality has ever been with us. Paul warned the Corinthian church: I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among . . . Continue reading →

Machen: Evangelical Is Not Enough

by R. Scott Clark on November 5, 2014 | 1 Comment

“Evangelical,” on the other hand, although it is a fine term, does not quite seem to designate clearly enough the position of those who hold specifically to the system of doctrine taught in the Westminster Confession of Faith, as distinguished from other . . . Continue reading →

Macchiatos Real And False

by R. Scott Clark on July 18, 2014 | 1 Comment

But, in modern America, a culture not known for its sensitivity to history and precedent, “Reformed” has started to refer to “a different drink”. As Starbucks re-discovered espresso and popularized it, people have re-discovered Augustinianism (i.e., predestination) and are now marketing it . . . Continue reading →

Independence And The Practice Of The Faith

by R. Scott Clark on July 4, 2014 | 1 Comment
Mt Soledad

On Independence Day 2014 we should remember that one of the principal concerns of the founders of the Republic was the freedom not only to assemble for public worship but also to practice one’s religion. Since the so-called (and self-described) Enlightenment of . . . Continue reading →

Don’t Just Stand There. Come On In!

by R. Scott Clark on June 19, 2014 | 2 Comments

Kevin DeYoung writes about a conference just held at his congregation with Collin Hansen. He makes a couple of points to which I want to respond. As a minister who has spent a fair bit of time calling people to Christ and . . . Continue reading →

The Christian Faith Is Trinitarian

by R. Scott Clark on February 26, 2014 | 10 Comments

When most people think of the Reformed confession of the Christian faith they probably think about predestination. This is the minimalist definition that is often used. When evangelicals say, “I’m Reformed” what they often mean is, “I’ve adopted the doctrine of election” . . . Continue reading →

Should I Buy It?

by R. Scott Clark on December 18, 2013 | 36 Comments

Frequently I receive the question in my inbox: “Should I buy this book?” What I would like to say is, “Yes, buy every book but don’t buy every book you buy.” I think it is a good idea to own and read . . . Continue reading →

On Traveling From Münster To Geneva

by R. Scott Clark on November 11, 2013 | 17 Comments

In 1535 the Reformation was about 14 years old. The Protestants had gained some legal status within the Empire but its existence was by no means secure. Internally it was wracked with dissension over the moral and theological implications of the doctrine . . . Continue reading →

Is John Piper Reformed? Or Holding The Coalition Together (Updated)

by R. Scott Clark on November 7, 2013 | 55 Comments

This morning my friend Kevin DeYoung (listen to the Office Hours interview with Kevin here) makes some arguments in defense of a broader definition of the adjective Reformed. This question is at the heart of why the HB exists and and why I wrote . . . Continue reading →

A Response To Rachel Held Evans Regarding Wilson And The Definition Of “Reformed”

by R. Scott Clark on October 30, 2013 | 9 Comments

Jonathan Merritt published a critique of Doug Wilson this morning on his Religion News Service. For younger readers, who might not remember the Federal Vision (FV) controversy, Wilson is the leader of the de facto denominational home of the FV, the Communion of . . . Continue reading →

Renewed And Improved: Gillespie Against The Normative Principle Of Worship

by R. Scott Clark on October 15, 2013 | 4 Comments

When I first came into contact with the Reformed faith about 33 years ago, there were two things that Reformed folk had to believe: divine sovereignty and the inerrancy of Scripture. It’s not that we actively disbelieved the other elements of the . . . Continue reading →

Let The Cool Kids Be Cool

by Heidelblog on September 3, 2013 | 2 Comments

…Since the Great Awakening, many American Protestants have allowed market forces to dictate how Christianity is presented to the watching world. That faith once delivered to the saints was repackaged for the Second Great Awakening, kicked up a notch for the great . . . Continue reading →

Should Reformed Theology Move Beyond Covenant Theology?

by R. Scott Clark on August 12, 2013 | 20 Comments

I. SUMMARY In a post (HT: Aquila Report) dated Friday 9 August, Bill Evans raises the question whether there is in Reformed theology what he calls “pervasive covenantalism” or an over emphasis or imbalanced emphasis in Reformed theology on covenant. He points to . . . Continue reading →

Why (Some) Reformed People Are Such Jerks

by R. Scott Clark on July 11, 2013 | 7 Comments

The Oxford American Dictionary gives this informal usage of the noun jerk: a contemptibly obnoxious person § About as soon as I left my evangelical (Southern Baptist) congregation and started associating with Reformed folk, I began to hear this question. I remember taking someone . . . Continue reading →

Is the Confession of the Substance of Our Faith?

by R. Scott Clark on July 10, 2013 | 9 Comments

David writes to ask about a brief essay I wrote several years back on the distinction between the substance and accidents of the faith and how I reconcile what I wrote there with what I’ve been arguing about the nature of confessional . . . Continue reading →