Evangelical Christians in North America sometimes misunderstand the Reformation doctrine of sola Scriptura to mean that the Bible is the Christian’s only theological resource, that it can and should be denuded of its churchly context (hence nuda Scriptura). Such an understanding is . . . Continue reading →
Sola Scriptura
See To It That You Remain In God’s Word Like A Child In The Cradle
See only that you pay heed to God’s Word and remain in it, like a child in the cradle. If you let go of it for a moment, then you fall out of it. This is the devil’s sole aim, to tear . . . Continue reading →
How To Avoid Rome’s Gnostic Response To Gnosticism
… like Augustine, we do not disparage the value of the witness of the people of God to the canon. We value the ministry of the church in this as in all things. But we deny that the church in its offices . . . Continue reading →
See You In Bakersfield January 23–24 2015 For According To Scripture Alone
Central California is a beautiful place and that’s where I’ll be Friday evening January 23 and Saturday morning January 24, 2015. I’m giving three talks (and holding a Q &A session) on Sola Scriptura: “The Backbone of the Reformation,” “Its Unique Authority in Knowing . . . Continue reading →
What’s Wrong With Reformation Day? (UPDATED)
Each year on this date confessing Protestants remember Martin Luther’s protest against the abuse of indulgences. He followed the academic custom of the day by compiling a list of theses, short statements or claims. Sometimes one would follow from the other but . . . Continue reading →
The Strange Familiarity Of Socinianism
Each fall I lead a course in which we read some great texts of Reformed orthodoxy and scholasticism. This week we turned our attention to John Owen’s response to Socinianism. We’re focusing our attention on chapter 7 of his response to the . . . Continue reading →
Free Reformation Conference In Santee November 1, 2014
It’s Autumn and that means it’s Reformation season in Reformed congregations all across North America. Christ United Reformed Church, Santee, California is holding a free, one-day Reformation conference on Saturday November 1, 2014 featuring Mike Horton on “Scripture Alone” (sola scriptura), Bob . . . Continue reading →
Calvin: People Have Never Liked The Regulative Principle
I know how difficult it is to persuade the world that God disapproves of all modes of worship not expressly sanctioned by His Word. The opposite persuasion which cleaves to them, being seated, as it were, in their very bones and marrow, . . . Continue reading →
Second Commandment + Sola Scriptura = Christian Worship
“You shall have no other gods before me. “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the . . . Continue reading →
Submitting To Scripture
Being a complementarian woman in an egalitarian world is wildly unpopular; it can also be perceived as decidedly ignorant. Some readers may sympathize with my hope for reprieve. And while the word has fallen out of favor with some, I know no . . . Continue reading →
Of King Cakes And Christian Liberty
Lost amid the ashes and sausages, King cakes and shrove pancakes — can’t forget about the pancakes — is Zwingli’s deeper concern about the nature of Christian sanctification. As a cradle Catholic who’s done the ashes, and a former evangelical whose fasted . . . Continue reading →
Lent: Of Good Intentions, Spiritual Disciplines, and Christian Freedom
Carter Lindberg tells the story of how the Reformation began to break out in Zürich in 1522: During Lent of 1522, Zwingli was at the house of Christoph Froschauer, a printer, who was laboring over the preparation of the a new edition . . . Continue reading →
Scripture Is Sufficient
Seeing that Christ Jesus is he whom God the Father hath commanded only to be heard and followed of his sheep, we judge it necessary, that his gospel be truly and openly preached in every church and assembly of this realm; and . . . Continue reading →
The Freedom of the Christian Man (3)
Luther at the Diet of Worms
Part 2. On 18 April 1521 Martin Luther stood before civil and ecclesiastical authorities at the Diet (Riechstag) of Worms. Heiko Oberman translated Luther’s famous speech thus: “Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Holy Scriptures or by evident reason—for I . . . Continue reading →
Freedom of the Christian Man (2)
Part 1. Many of us have spent time in forms of Christianity that are very strong on rules and slavery and very weak on grace and freedom. By “rules and slavery” I refer to the imposition of man-made rules by which sanctity . . . Continue reading →
Freedom of the Christian Man (1)
There is a great lot of talk in the evangelical and Reformed world(s) about sola Scriptura but one has the growing sense that not only is the Reformation scripture principle not well understood (e.g., it is often misconstrued as an endorsement of . . . Continue reading →
Heidelcast 13: Why the Focus on the Confessions?
An HB Classic
Both Nancy and William Twisse (and the latter is particularly remarkable since, as the first prolocutor of the Westminster Assembly, he’s been dead for centuries) both wrote to the HB sometime back to ask how Reformed confessionalists relate the doctrine of sola . . . Continue reading →
What Henk Navis Means to Me
Unlike Father Neuhaus, I guess few readers of this space will know who Henk Navis was, but he died today. Henk did not participate in any famous negotiations with anyone. He did not leave one communion for another. He wasn’t celebrated or . . . Continue reading →
Why the Focus on the Confessions?
One of the first questions ever sent to the HB was the question, “Why the focus on the Reformed confessions?” and the closely related question, “How do you relate your emphasis on the confessions to sola Scriptura?” Those are fair questions and . . . Continue reading →
Harold Camping May Never Learn But Will We?
Harold Camping has shown himself to be a false prophet. He promised that our Lord would return in 1994. Jesus didn’t return. Camping erred but he remains impenitent and unashamed. Indeed, he’s now promising that Jesus will return in 2011 (HT: Austin . . . Continue reading →