For even though the law requires perfect righteousness from believers, they refer the demanding law to Christ, in whom they have become the righteousness of God; that is, a righteousness that is acceptable to God (Col. 1:14). If the law demands that . . . Continue reading →
Justification
Still A Stumbling Block
A Heidelblog Classic from January 9, 2007: —— A Jewish critic of Dr Laura Schlessinger (for her public abandonment of orthodox Judaism) writes: “The late Yeshayahu Leibovitz pointed out that the quintessential symbol of Christianity is Jesus dying on the cross for . . . Continue reading →
The Inquisition Isn’t Over, It Just Changed Clothes
RNS has a story about the Vatican’s policy of “pontifical secrecy.” Read the story. The approach Rome is taking toward the problem of sex abuse by priests reminds one of the policies followed in the inquisition. What was established for the preservation . . . Continue reading →
Calvin On Osiander
One of the more bizarre claims made about Andreas Osiander is that, for Calvin ” he was the only consistent Lutheran.” One would hardly reach this conclusion from reading what Calvin actually wrote about Osiander!
Getting the Gospel Right: It’s Harder Than It Looks And Simpler Than It Seems
Thanks to WSC student Brenden Link for the latest installment in the WSC video series. This episode features WSC MDiv student Jon Bushnell (class of 2011). Check out our Youtube channel.
Warfield or Shepherd?
“Just in proportion as we are striving to supplement or to supplant His perfect work, just in that proportion is our hope of salvation resting on works, and not on faith. Ethicism and solafideanism — these are the eternal contraries, mutually exclusive. . . . Continue reading →
Union with Christ In Caspar Olevianus’ Exposition of the Apostles’ Creed
Since, then, in the Articles of the Faith, which contain a summary of the gospel, Christ the King Himself offers to us that kingdom of His; and since He effectually confederates us to Himself through faith by the power of His Spirit . . . Continue reading →
Romans 2:13 and the Covenant of Works
It has been suggested in recent years that the true sense of Rom 2:13 is that it intends to say that there are two stages to justification, an initial justification by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone and an alleged . . . Continue reading →
New in Print: NTJ 13.4 (Fall, 2009)
The latest issue of the NTJ is out. If you’re not a subscriber, you’re missing out. This issue includes a transcription of an extemporaneous lecture by Bob Godfrey at the height of the “Shepherd controversy” at WTS/P in 1978. This is not . . . Continue reading →
Office Hours: John Fesko on Justification
This week Office Hours talks with the Rev Dr John Fesko, Academic Dean and Associate Professor of Systematic Theology at Westminster Seminary California. The topic this week is Dr Fesko’s landmark book, Justification: Understanding the Classic Reformed Doctrine. Here is the episode. Listen to Office Hours . . . Continue reading →
Tabletalk Takes on the New Perspective(s)
The latest issue of Tabletalk (Feb, 2010) devoted to answering the question: “What N.T. Wright Really Said” as it looks at the controversy surrounding N.T. Wright and the doctrine of justification. Tabletalk is a devotional magazine of substance featuring a remarkable array . . . Continue reading →
Mr Murray on Justification
Darryl has it at OLTS.
A Westminster Divine on Freedom from Justification By the Law
Thanks to the James Durham Thesis for posting this encouragement and reminder that the way of Reformed orthodoxy is neither antinomian nor legalist.
The Solution to a Great Lot of Problems
Antinomianism and legalism will always be with us. They have plagued the church since the apostolic age (read Galatians and 1 Corinthians). In the seventeenth century, however, appeared a marvelous remedy for both: The Marrow of Modern Divinity. The adjective “modern” is . . . Continue reading →
The Heart of the Gospel (and Sola Scriptura Too)
The most recent WHI is (another) not-to-miss episode. Shane has conducted more NRB interviews. Some of them are what we’ve come to expect but some are surprising. You should hear them. Along the way the fellows made three terrific points. 1. The . . . Continue reading →
Playing Games with the Gospel
My old friend (and former pastor) Iain Duguid sent this to me: Make Your Own Gospel Board Games This was a favorite of mine growing up. My mom would get a large piece of poster board and create a winding path of . . . Continue reading →
Essay on Luther’s Doctrine of Justification Online (Updated)
My essay in the Concordia Theological Journal is now online as a PDF.
The Author of the Belgic Confession on Justification
Wes Bredenhof is surveying Guido (Guy) de Bres’ 1555 reply to Rome, The Staff of the Christian Faith. This is an interesting document as it’s mostly a series of patristic quotations showing how the Reformation agreed with the early fathers—thereby subverting the . . . Continue reading →
Calvin on Romans 2:13
For the hearers of the law,” etc. This anticipates an objection which the Jews might have adduced. As they had heard that the law was the rule of righteousness, (Deuteronomy 4:1) they gloried in the mere knowledge of it: to obviate this . . . Continue reading →
Justifying Faith
Chris explains Belgic Confession Art. 22.