If Christians have often been tempted to mysticism (the quest to meet God without instruments, media, or means) they have also been tempted to magic, tempted to turn the sacraments into things they are not. The medieval Western church taught and the . . . Continue reading →
It is easy to imagine that sanctification is the result of an immediate action by God upon the soul. By “immediate” I mean that the Spirit is thought to act without using means. In the history of the church more than a . . . Continue reading →
One difference between Presbyterian/Reformed Christians and Eastern Orthodox Christians concerns how we understand the elements. Eastern Orthodox Christians think that the bread and the wine function much like icons do in Orthodox worship, as signs that give access to what is signified, . . . Continue reading →
From Zwingli’s 1524 Exposition Of the Articles Baptism is being enrolled by an “oath of allegiance” (sacramentum) into the church visible, an initiation into the people of God. If there is one people of God, with one faith, in one Savior, then it follows . . . Continue reading →
IX. Moreover, I do not only acknowledge, that private masses were never used amongst the fathers of the primitive church, I mean, public ministration and receiving of the sacrament by the priest alone, without a just number of communicants, according to Christ’s . . . Continue reading →
In my past life, battling through the highway throng on the ‘5’ out of Escondido, I used to stare in amazement at the gas guzzling Christian four by fours thundering past my little Volkswagen. As I tried to prevent myself from being . . . Continue reading →
That we ought not to take from the laity the wine of the supper. Gelasius Pope of Rome, of consecration in that the second distinction, chapter Comperimus etc. “We have understood that some men receiving only the body of the Lord, do . . . Continue reading →
This article is taken from John H. Armstrong, ed., The Compromised Church: The Present Evangelical Crisis (Crossway Books: Wheaton, Ill., 1998). Used by permission of Crossway Books, a division of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois 60187, http://www.gnpcb.org/. This material is not to . . . Continue reading →
[This essay was first published informally c. 1988. It has been revised several times since] Introduction Among Western Christians there are four major views on baptism: 1 Baptism is the means of spiritual renewal and initial justification and sanctification through the infusion . . . Continue reading →
I’ve been thinking more lately about the scandal of fencing the table. I should have thought to do this earlier. Researching an answer to another question I ran across some interesting Dutch Reformed (in this case, Christian Reformed) sources on this question. . . . Continue reading →
Thanks to Chris Gordon for posting a brief bit from Perkins where he ties the efficacy of the sacraments, not to any power inherent in the sacraments, but to the will and good pleasure of God. He has a nice follow-up post . . . Continue reading →
That’s the question I received in my inbox yesterday. The writer asks, …Whereas I know that a consistent Baptist (e.g. Mark Dever) would consider a Christian refusing to be baptized subsequent to conversion as sinning and subject to church discipline, is that . . . Continue reading →
My friend Mark Dever says that baptizing infants is sin. Mike Bird and others are offended and Mark has replied. I’ve received a few emails about this. Frankly, I don’t understand why folk are in high dudgeon.
By Cornel Venema. He has a book forthcoming at RHB. To whet your appetite here’s an interview with the Christ the Center guys.
One of the recurring questions I get is about the meaning of “body” in 1 Corinthians 11:29. The question is whether “discerning the body” in Paul’s narrative refers to “being cognizant of the congregation” or to Christ’s physical, actual body and blood, . . . Continue reading →
The question came up on the PB whether Zwingli gets a bum rap on the Supper. It’s true that Zwingli has on the receiving end of the stick. This has provoked a reaction, led most recently by W. P. (Peter) Stephens in . . . Continue reading →
Here. Thanks to Vaclav Petrik for letting us know about the online audio.
One of the things I missed when I was laid up recently was an excellent convocation lecture by Dr John Fesko during his visit to WSC.
At WSC.