It seems the Christian Nationalist project overburdens and spins Matthew 28: 19 & 20 much like the for-the-city transformationalist crowd does with Jeremiah 29:7: “But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the . . . Continue reading →
HeidelQuotes
Gillespie Against Theonomy
It will be asked, “But how does it appear that these or any other judicial laws of Moses do at all appertain to us, as rules to guide us in like cases?” I shall wish him who scruples this, to read Piscator’s appendix . . . Continue reading →
The Reformed Agree With Luther
As I have said, therefore, the statement of Moses, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things, etc.,” is not contrary to Paul’s declaration that all who rely on works of the Law are under a curse. For Moses demands . . . Continue reading →
Trueman: The Seeker-Sensitive Clown Show
At the heart of the Saddleback project is the idea of seeker sensitivity, of making the church a relaxed and comfortable place for outsiders. The underlying motivation is no doubt a good one. We do not want churches to be unfriendly and . . . Continue reading →
Johnson: We Need A Stance More Than A Method
In order to read and preach the Bible as Peter and Paul and the preacher to the Hebrews did, what we need is not a foolproof step-by-step procedure to follow; rather, it is a way of viewing the Scripture and its witness . . . Continue reading →
How To Pastor In A Small Town
How do you pastor a small-town church? I’ve read books about ministering in the city or among the poor. But what about the middle-class rural communities where many pastors serve? Where’s the wisdom for pastoring those churches? I’ve pastored a small village . . . Continue reading →
Luther: Only Christ Is The Savior
Therefore all hypocrites and idolaters try to do the works that properly pertain to the Deity and belong completely and solely to Christ. They do not actually say with their mouths: “I am God; I am Christ.” Yet in fact they arrogate . . . Continue reading →
Johnson: We Can Learn To Interpret The Bible The Way The Apostles Did
The epistle to the Hebrews, our one New Testament example of apostolic preaching addressed to an established congregation, illustrates the integration of Christ-centered biblical interpretation with hearer-contoured communication and application. Its exhortation to enduring faith, expressed in the sacrifices of good deeds . . . Continue reading →
Recovering The Realism Of Natural Law
The Christian natural law tradition offers Christians meaningful and coherent moral guidance apart from instrumental calculations of political power and success. That is, the tradition is moral, not consequentialist or ad hoc. Moreover, rooted in a creational theology, it provides important pathways for a . . . Continue reading →
Thirty Million
. . . By the estimation of leading religious demographers, over thirty million Christians perished under atheist regimes in the twentieth century. Tell this to friends who might insouciantly associate “secularism” with deliverance from religious violence. Tell this, too, to American history . . . Continue reading →
Piper Is Wrong. Luther Is Right.
I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life. John 6:47 One could preach a hundred thousand years about these words and emphasize them again and again. Yes, one can’t speak enough about these words. Here Christ explicitly promises eternal . . . Continue reading →
The Mystery of Lincoln’s Religion
If Abraham Lincoln still matters to Americans in the 21st century—and he does—a major reason is that there’s much at stake politically in how we remember him. This is as true of Lincoln’s religious beliefs as for any other part of his . . . Continue reading →
Dennis Johnson: Do Nothing Other Than Proclaim Christ
Yet, the apostolic affirmation rings true: in Christ “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col. 2:3). Therefore, the apostolic resolve makes perfect sense: “I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2). . . . Continue reading →
Luther: Reformation Basics—Good Works Follow Faith
Therefore we, being justified by faith, do good works, through which, as 2 Peter 1:10 says, our call and election are confirmed and made more certain day by day. But because we have only the first fruits of the Spirit and do . . . Continue reading →
More On Christian Nationalist Racism
Worldliness isn’t a leftist trait. It’s not just progressive “Christians” who can be deceived by unbiblical views on race. Satan is cunning. If he’s able to deceive Puritans into embracing white supremacy, he’s able to deceive conservative protestants into embracing Kinism. Kinism . . . Continue reading →
Lewis On Nature, “Bodysnatchers,” and “Little Scientists”
My point may be clear to some if it is put in a different form. Nature is a word of varying meanings, which can best be understood if we consider its various opposites. The Natural is the opposite of the Artificial, the . . . Continue reading →
Luther: Since No One Does So
When Paul says: “He who does them, etc.,” he is comparing the righteousness of the Law and that of faith, as he also does in Romans 10:5 ff. It is as though he were saying: “It would indeed be fine if someone . . . Continue reading →
Sola Scriptura In The Reformed Reformation
In 1518, Bucer had heard Martin Luther’s famous Heidelberg Disputation as a young friar in the Dominican monastery. Eventually, he himself became the major reformer in the strategic city of Strasbourg. Particularly intriguing is how the Reformation caught fire there, at least . . . Continue reading →
Calvin Versus The Anarchist Anabaptists
Today, also, those crackpots, the Anabaptists, who cause so much trouble in the world, who denounce governments, magistrates, the unity of the church, never tire of repeating this phrase, “Blessed are those who suffer persecution.” Yes, but do they suffer on account . . . Continue reading →
What I Learned Reading Difficult Books Very Slowly
So what did my days as a student look like? Really, I spent hours and hours each day just… reading. For variety, I did some studying with fellow students, but most of the work was done alone. All Classics majors got a . . . Continue reading →