The question comes (paraphrasing): Since Scripture says, “believe,” (e.g. Acts 16:31) it seems that we are commanded to believe. If the command to believe is an imperative and an imperative is “law,” and if the answer to the command “believe” is faith, . . . Continue reading →
The time warp continues as we flash back to 2010 when the Leithart case was first addressed by the PCA’s Standing Judicial Commission (which acts on behalf of the General Assembly). Back then the SJC erred that Leithart’s presbytery erred in not . . . Continue reading →
On March 10, 2010, this Court decided the Bordwine v. PNWP case, 2009-06, holding that the Record of that Case suggested a strong presumption of guilt that Dr. Leithart’s views represent offenses that could be the subject of judicial process. This Court . . . Continue reading →
Here’s a flashback to the Federal Vision controversy, in the PCA, as it was 2010. The is the first of five episodes with Lane on the FV and related questions. It’s interesting to time travel, as it were, and listen to the . . . Continue reading →
V. This Doctrine Of Predestination Is Not In Harmony With The Confessions Of The Reformed Churches With a minimum of contention or even trivial objection, it may be appropriately doubted whether this doctrine agrees with either the Belgic confession or the Heidelberg . . . Continue reading →
For some time the Federal Visionists have been arguing that no one should criticize the Federal Vision until the church courts ruled on it. This is a strange argument since, on that basis Luther couldn’t have replied to Erasmus (the Augsburg wouldn’t . . . Continue reading →
A pastor wrote recently to ask how he should introduce his elders to the fact that there are supporters of the FV in his denomination (federation). It’s a good question. It can be discouraging to hear about things such as the FV. . . . Continue reading →
Three Presbyteries of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) recently approved an overture requesting the General Assembly to assume original jurisdiction over TE Peter Leithart, a teaching elder member of Pacific Northwest Presbytery. Calvary Presbytery approved the overture at its April 25, . . . Continue reading →
At its May 4, 2013 meeting, the Great Lakes Presbytery (GLP) of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) approved an overture asking the General Assembly to direct the Standing Judicial Commission (SJC) to hear the complaint from Missouri Presbytery (TE M. Jay . . . Continue reading →
Complaint To Dr. Roy Taylor, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America. And now, this fourteenth day of May, A.D. 2012, comes RE Gerald Hedman and complains against the action of Pacific Northwest Presbytery on April 27, . . . Continue reading →
I was searching for something the other day and ran across chapter 18 of the Scots Confession (1560) which speaks to the “Notes” (from the Latin, nota or “mark” or “indicator”) of the True Kirk (church). I’ll return to the Scots Confession . . . Continue reading →
In 2007 the Synod the United Reformed Churches in North America adopted a nine point declaration against the self-described federal vision movement. They described these points as “pastoral advice.” Here’s a written exposition of the Nine Points. These nine talks (below) also explain . . . Continue reading →
Guy Waters is an outstanding scholar of the New Testament and he has been a stalwart on the doctrine of justification. He has been a vigorous opponent of the self-glossed “Federal Vision” movement. A few years ago, when Guy was on campus . . . Continue reading →
Apropos of recent discussions on the HB P&R Publishing has released CJPM as an e-book on iTunes for $9.99. The hardcopy is still available for $18.99 at the bookstore.
1. Rejects the bi-covenantal structure of Scripture as represented in the Westminster standards (i.e., views which do not merely take issue with the terminology, but the essence of the first/second covenant framework) An individual is “elect” by virtue of his membership . . . Continue reading →
We affirm that apostasy is a terrifying reality for many baptized Christians. All who are baptized into the triune Name are united with Christ in His covenantal life, and so those who fall from that position of grace are indeed falling from . . . Continue reading →
It is an historical fact that moralism (the confusion of justification with sanctification) never dies, it just goes dormant periodically. The Reformation defeated 1000 years of moralism only to see forms of it re-emerge in the Protestant churches even before Luther died. . . . Continue reading →
Peter Leithart is a teaching elder (TE) in the Presbyterian Church in America. Until recently he was a minister, laboring outside the bounds of his presbytery, in a Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC) congregation in Moscow, ID. The CREC is the . . . Continue reading →
A few correspondents have contacted me to ask about the continuing controversy over the doctrine of republication. It seems as if it might be useful to try to put this discussion in some context. In its most basic form, the doctrine of . . . Continue reading →
[This post was first published in 2007 on the HB and is republished in response to some recent comments here] Sometime back the question was raised: We know that there are at least two categories of people within Scripture, the elect, and . . . Continue reading →