X. What is said of “the sepulcher” and “death” (Gen. 37:35; 42:38)—that Jacob was about to go down with sadness (lsh’vl) (“into the grave”) is falsely drawn to limbo. Sh’vl or hadēs is the grave into which men descend after death. XI. “The pit wherein is . . . Continue reading →
Historical Theology
Turretin Contra The Limbus Patrum (3)
VII. Third, the thief is admitted into paradise before the ascension of Christ according to his promise, “Today shalt thou be with me in paradise” (Lk. 23:43). Nor should it be said here that “today” must be construed with the preceding verb . . . Continue reading →
Turretin Contra The Limbus Patrum (2)
The reasons are: (1) the formula of the covenant of grace under which the fathers lived does not suffer them to be hurled into a limbo, but demands that they should be admitted into heaven. For since God promised that he would . . . Continue reading →
Turretin Contra The Limbus Patrum
This question lies between us and the papists who (the more easily to defend their hypothesis concerning the imperfection of the Old Testament) maintain that the fathers who lived under it were not immediately admitted into heaven, but were detained in limbo . . . Continue reading →
Luther On Bound Choice: Celebrating The Recovery Of The Doctrine Of Sola Gratia (Part 1)
In 1580, when the Lutherans and the Reformed met at Montbeilard, when the topic turned to predestination, Theodore Beza (1519–1605) rose, lifted his copy of Luther’s Concerning Bound Choice (De servo arbitrio), and said, “We stand with Luther.”1 The Lutheran representatives suggested . . . Continue reading →
The Polish Reformed (1570) Rebuke The Anabaptists For Denying Infant Baptism
We also rebuke and reject all Anabaptists, who repeat their baptism and do not allow little children among God’s people to be baptized. James T. Dennison Jr. ed., Reformed Confessions of the 16th and 17th Centuries in English Translation: 1523–1693, vol. 3 . . . Continue reading →
Hungarian Synod (1567) Lumps The Anabaptists With Servetus And The Socinians For Denying Infant Baptism
We have decided, in accordance with the Word of God, that despite the howls of Servetus and the new Anabaptists, infants must be baptized together with adults, for the following reasons: 1. The matter of the sacrament, the covenant itself, righteousness, life, . . . Continue reading →
Antwerp Confession (1566): “I Reject The Error Of The Anabaptists” Who Detest The Baptism Of The Children Of Believers
I believe that baptism is the sign of the covenant of God with the seed of Abraham, ought to be given to those who belong to the covenant of grace, and, as a consequence, to the infants of believers. Thus I reject . . . Continue reading →
Second Helvetic Confession (1566): We Condemn The Anabaptists Who Deny Baptism To The Children Of Believers
We teach that baptism should not be ministered in the church by women or midwives. For Paul excludes women from ecclesiastical callings: but baptism belongs to ecclesiastical offices. We condemn the Anabaptists, who deny that young infants, born of faithful parents, are . . . Continue reading →
Beza (1561) At Poissy: “The Anabaptists Have No Stronger Enemies” Than The Reformed On Infant Baptism
I will not consider what concerns the administration of holy baptism, for I believe that none of us, sirs, wants to position ourselves among the Anabaptists, who have no stronger enemies than we. And concerning several other specific questions on this matter, . . . Continue reading →
Scots Confession (1560): “We Damn The Error Of The Anabaptists” For Refusing To Baptize The Children Of Believers
We confess and acknowledge that baptism appertains as well to the infants of the faithful as unto those that be of age and discretion. And so we damn the error of Anabaptists who deny baptism to appertain to children before they have . . . Continue reading →
Geneva Seminary Students (1551) Reject The “Ravings” Of The Anabaptists Against Infant Baptism
Moreover, although the sacraments are (given) to us for a pledge (arrabon), through which we are reassured of the promises of God, nevertheless I acknowledge that they will be useless to us unless the Holy Spirit should render them efficacious in us, . . . Continue reading →
Zwingli Against The “War Engines Of The Anabaptists” In 1530
Hence I believe that there is one Church of those who have the same Spirit, through whom they are made certain that they are the true children of the family of God; and this is the first fruits of the Church. I . . . Continue reading →
Reformed Church Of Basel (1534): The Denial Of Infant Baptism A “Damnable And Depraved Opinion”
We clearly protest those strange and erroneous doctrines, which turbulent spirits have invented [so as] to reject and condemn, among other damnable and depraved opinions, as when they say infants are too small to be baptized (whom we baptize according to the . . . Continue reading →
Which Covenant Theology?
Covenant theology seems to be all the rage these days. According to E. P. Sanders, the “pattern of religion” known as Second Temple Judaism can be described as “covenantal nomism.” Continue reading →
Luther Distinguished Law And Gospel In 1519
Now, what need is there to go through all of Latomus, point by point, since what has been said thoroughly refutes his entire position and confirms mine? I have sufficiently shown that his whole work consists of begging the question, for he . . . Continue reading →
The New Perspective, Mediation, and Justification
After all these centuries the Reformation’s doctrine of justification is still disputed in some circles, particularly among a relatively small but vocal group associated with the so-called new perspective on Paul. Continue reading →
The Covenant of Works in Moses and Paul
In the controversy between Protestants and Roman Catholics there has been no question whether Jesus obeyed God’s law, but only to what effect. Did Jesus obey the law so as to make it possible for us to cooperate with grace toward future justification, or did he obey God’s law for us (pro nobis) to accomplish our justification once for all? The Protestants affirmed the latter and denied the former. Nevertheless, despite the unity among confessional Protestants on justification, questions have persistently arisen among them concerning the nature, intent, and effect of Jesus’s law keeping and its relation to the justification of sinners. Continue reading →
What Puritan Meant According to William Perkins (1)
Who counts as a Puritan and what does that adjective mean? These are important questions that need to be investigated. Like the adjective evangelical it is widely used both in academic and popular literature but there is no consensus as to what it means or who belongs to that category. Continue reading →
Do This and Live: Christ’s Active Obedience as the Ground of Justification
In the controversy between Protestants and Roman Catholics there has been no question whether Jesus obeyed God’s law, but only to what effect. Did Jesus obey the law so as to make it possible for us to cooperate with grace toward future justification, or did he obey God’s law for us (pro nobis) to accomplish our justification once for all? The Protestants affirmed the latter and denied the former. Nevertheless, despite the unity among confessional Protestants on justification, questions have persistently arisen among them concerning the nature, intent, and effect of Jesus’s law keeping and its relation to the justification of sinners. Continue reading →