In terms of the relationship between Church and State the policies so far mentioned and the reactions to them may be classified between two extremes. There was the ‘totalitarian’ view set forth by Eusebius, caricatured by Athanasius picture of Constantius shouting ‘Let . . . Continue reading →
HeidelQuotes
Witherow’s Responses To “Anabaptist Objections”
That infant baptism is the practice of all branches of the Christian church, with one solitary exception, is a well-known fact. That it has been the practice of the church of God for eighteen centuries is also beyond dispute. When one sect, . . . Continue reading →
BOLO (Be On The Lookout)
A former pastor of the nation’s largest Independent Fundamental Baptist congregation has been released from federal prison, records show. He had pleaded guilty to taking a 16-year-old across state lines for sex. Jack Schaap, 64, was released Wednesday from the federal prison . . . Continue reading →
What Tradition Is And Does
(1) Central to the task of transmitting the faith from one generation to the next is the requirement of transmitting it as a whole, without addition or subtraction. In my judgment, the modern project of “mediating theology” often failed precisely in this . . . Continue reading →
It Comes Down To Authority
Jesus climbed out of the boat to find himself in an immediate battle. The demons were contesting the Lord’s authority. In Mark 5 and verse 7 we read that the Legion of demons were seeking to bind Jesus with an oath. The . . . Continue reading →
If James 2:24 Is Teaching Justification Through Good Works, Get Cracking
Good works proceed from saving faith; faith that does not bear fruit is not saving faith (see James 2:19). James 2:24 is talking about works as fruit and evidence of saving faith, not meritorious works that save us. In fact, James reminds . . . Continue reading →
Calvin Against The Chiliasts
But Satan has not only befuddled men’s senses to make them bury with the corpses the memory of resurrection; he has also attempted to corrupt this part of the doctrine with various falsifications that he might at length destroy it. I pass . . . Continue reading →
Trueman: Abortion Is Desecration
Abortion is desecration. That is why it raises such passionate emotions on both sides of the debate. Sex and conception create new life and that means they possess—or should possess—a mysterious aura of the sacred. Attitudes about them therefore go to the . . . Continue reading →
Does Agreeing With The Westminster Standards Make One A “Fundamentalist”?
In his recent essay published on the Semper Ref Collaborative, TE Derek Radney articulates the great danger to the future of the PCA is in the form of those whom he denounces as “Reformed Fundamentalists.” I. The Neo(?) Reformed(?) Fundamentalists Radney is . . . Continue reading →
The Beginning Of The End Of The Megachurch Era?
In a May 9 video message to the congregation, Pastor Dave Dummitt said the church was “about half the size we were before COVID . . . and as you can imagine that has financial implications.” He said leadership would be working . . . Continue reading →
There Is A Reason That Trailer Pictured An Advocate For The Abused As A Demon
…Our investigation revealed that, for many years, a few senior EC leaders, along with outside counsel, largely controlled the EC’s response to these reports of abuse. They closely guarded information about abuse allegations and lawsuits, which were not shared with EC Trustees, . . . Continue reading →
Like A Good Neighbor? Remember When Insurance Companies Just Sold Insurance?
State Farm, the household name insurance company, has launched a program that would enlist hundreds of staff volunteers across the country to distribute LGBTQ-themed books to teachers, community centers, and libraries, explicitly targeting children as young as kindergartners. In collaboration with the . . . Continue reading →
The Polish Reformed And Lutherans Condemned The Doctrine Of A Future Earthly Golden Age
We also censure and reject all Jewish fables and those of present-day Anabaptists who expect some golden age here on earth before the day of judgment, so that faithful people should inherit all the kingdoms with Christ after destroying all their foes . . . Continue reading →
Janie Brown Discovers The Reformed Confession
Kneeling on the cold linoleum floor while listening to my grandmother chant out the rosary in Spanish is a memory that is ingrained in my mind. In her devotion and zeal, she gathered her grandchildren around her like a little flock of . . . Continue reading →
“Edwards Injects Into Faith” In The Act Of Justification The Virtues Of The Christian Life
Edwards is very clear that faith does not justify a believer as a virtue or as forming any part of the righteousness which is the basis or ground of God’s judicial verdict. In this, he clearly stands with the Reformed tradition over . . . Continue reading →
The Forgotten Gift Of Evening Worship
When I was a boy, my parents gave my siblings and me a big, round trampoline. That gift brought us and countless hours of fun, laughter, and exercise. So, when our children were old enough, Jordan and I decided to surprise them . . . Continue reading →
The Idea Of Reverent, Orderly Worship Did Not Begin In The Reformation
A reverent restraint in worship did not begin with the Reformation. Clement of Alexandria in the second century A.D. decried all sorts of revelry in the church, which he called “an inebriating pipe” serving only to arouse the sensuous passions. “For,” he . . . Continue reading →
Repentance Comes From Faith
Believers Repent, Unbelievers Do Not
The Westminster Shorter Catechism has a helpful, biblically-based definition of repentance: Q. 87. What is repentance unto life? A. Repentance unto life is a saving grace, whereby a sinner, out of a true sense of his sin, and apprehension of the mercy . . . Continue reading →
The Mainline Is Dying
If you aren’t a baby boomer or a student of religious history, it can be hard to fathom the cultural influence and social cohesion that once resided in mainline Protestantism. At its height in 1965, mainline Protestant churches counted 31 million members . . . Continue reading →
Trueman: Expressive Individualism LGBTQ Style Comes To Baylor
The news that Baylor University has officially chartered Prism, an LGBT student organization on campus, marks an important moment in Christian higher education in the USA. …The charter itself is interesting. It contains no reference to Christ or Christianity, an odd lacuna . . . Continue reading →