The great grandson of several New England families (John Cotton’s among them), Elisha Williams (1694–1755) graduated from Harvard in 1711. After a brief career of teaching and tutoring in 1722 he became the pastor of a congregational church in Wethersfield, Connecticut, prior to serving as the Yale rector from 1726–39. Continue reading →
This is now the third essay to address the problem of falling pastors. In the first two attempts I focused on the importance of pastoral wisdom as they seek to serve and protect the sheep.1 In the second I pointed to the . . . Continue reading →
Introduction Colonial thinkers Samuel Adams and Rev. Jonathan Mayhew argued against the innate goodness of man with implicit reference to King George III: “Ambition and lust for power,” they claimed, “are predominant passions in the breasts of most men. . . . . . . Continue reading →
The other day in class, I was to lecture on the Marrow Controversy (c. 1700–1733) but as I listened to what the students were discussing (while I was getting the tech set up) and as I scanned their faces, I could see . . . Continue reading →
On January 18, 2016 at Liberty University, a presidential candidate referred to a Bible passage1 in his talk, advising that Christianity was under siege. While such remarks may stir one’s passions, two centuries earlier, another speaker referred to that same passage with an entire sermon devoted to it. Continue reading →
In our previous three articles, we have seen the historical, theological, biblical, and pastoral dangers in the modern idea of idols of the heart. The great error of well-intentioned writers such as David Powlison and Tim Keller is to indict even genuine and repentant Christians of idolatry. Continue reading →
Yesterday, September 5th, 2024, Westminster Seminary California held its opening convocation for the 2024–25 school year. Watch President Joel Kim’s address entitled “Pray for Us” on 2 Thessalonians 3:1–5. Continue reading →
In our last article, we argued that genuine Christians cannot be called idolaters, since idolatry is apostasy. This is true in general, as testified by the Old Testament, but this is also true of the two verses most commonly cited in favor . . . Continue reading →
We live in an age of much uncertainty. Confusion and division are the hallmarks of our time. What stands out among the masses is a figure who arises with any amount of charisma, who is given a platform, and is able, with . . . Continue reading →
In the previous article, we summarized the arguments of David Powlison and Tim Keller, since their teaching has likely had the greatest influence in popularizing the concept of idols of the heart in Reformed churches. In order to make the biblical concern for idolatry relevant to modern people, they removed the transcendent realities from idolatry and instead wrote about idolatry only or predominately as something figurative. Continue reading →
In recent decades, the concept of “idols of the heart” has become nearly ubiquitous in the American church, and particularly in Reformed churches. In part, the popularity of this concept has come from a couple of prominent Reformed pastors and theologians, David Powlison and Tim Keller. Continue reading →
The abridged sermons in this series were generally delivered between 1744 and 1795, a half-century period that is definitely pre-partisan. Thus, these should be received as free from the bias of modern partisanship. Continue reading →
How does one sustain a movement of ideas over time? Is something as non-cognitive as social friendship a factor? One historian of the Swiss Reformation noted that it would be impossible for someone like Calvin to be so dearly loved at his death if he had been a monster all his life. Continue reading →
A pastor is a human being redeemed by God’s grace and called to serve the Lord as an ordained minister. As a human, he will need friends. It is a highly unrealistic expectation to think that pastors are above needing friends. Continue reading →
Why A New Reformed Denomination? Reformed Christians understand the significance of the Reformation and its effect on global Christianity. In Africa, there was an extended series of Reformed missions from the sixteenth to the early twentieth centuries. But this was not the . . . Continue reading →
It must be acknowledged that in few of the civilized nations of our time have the higher sciences made less progress than in the United States; and in few have great artists, distinguished poets, or celebrated writers been more rare. Many Europeans, . . . Continue reading →
I was twenty-eight years old when I started in full-time ministry in 1999 as associate pastor of a large Presbyterian church. I was thirty when I was called to pastor a small suburban church on my own. I made loads of mistakes . . . Continue reading →
On March 14th and 15th, Westminster Seminary California held its annual den Dulk lectures. Chad Vegas delivered two lectures on Pastoral Ministry. Below is a video from the second day of the lectures. RESOURCES Subscribe To The Heidelblog! The Heidelblog Resource Page . . . Continue reading →
On March 14th and 15th, Westminster Seminary California held its annual den Dulk lectures. Chad Vegas delivered two lectures on Pastoral Ministry. Below is a video from the first day of the lectures. RESOURCES Subscribe To The Heidelblog! The Heidelblog Resource Page . . . Continue reading →
I recently spent a few days driving through rural Tennessee, Kentucky, and Illinois. During many stretches of travel a person could drive one hundred fifty miles and not find a confessionally Reformed church to worship with. As a member of the Mississippi . . . Continue reading →