Cornelius Van Til

Rev. Cornelius Van Til, PhD (1895–1987) studied at Calvin College (A.B.), Calvin Theological Seminary and at Princeton Theological Seminary, where he earned a Th.M. He earned his PhD at Princeton University. He served briefly in the pastorate but taught apologetics and theology at Westminster Theological Seminary from 1929–1972. The best introduction to his life and work is John Muether, Cornelius Van Til: Reformed Apologist and Churchman.

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Strong Meat from the Stacks: Van Til On The Importance Of Systematics

by Cornelius Van Til on March 8, 2023

If we do not pay attention to the whole of biblical truth as a system, we become doctrinally one-sided, and doctrinal one-sidedness is bound to issue in spiritual one-sidedness. As human beings we are naturally inclined to be one-sided. One tends to . . . Continue reading →

The New Covenant In My Blood (Luke 22:20) (Part 6)

by Cornelius Van Til on June 22, 2022

We ask now what it means to the world? But if the church of Jesus Christ is to remember Him in His finished work of Prophet, Priest, and King, for her, she must do so before the eyes of the whole world. . . . Continue reading →

The New Covenant In My Blood (Luke 22:20) (Part 5)

by Cornelius Van Til on June 20, 2022

And because He suffered for us and not for Himself, He could remain forsaken of God. Thus He was not hopeless, because of an endless death, when He cried, “It is finished.” It was finished. He was again accepted of the Father. . . . Continue reading →

The New Covenant In My Blood (Luke 22:20) (Part 4)

by Cornelius Van Til on June 10, 2022

Then comes darkness. “Then came darkness upon the face of the earth for the space of three hours from noon til mid-afternoon.” This is the hour and power of darkness. Come forth then all ye that are and shall be bound by . . . Continue reading →

The New Covenant In My Blood (Luke 22:20) (part 3)

by Cornelius Van Til on June 6, 2022

So much for the picture of what is happening at the Supper. Now for its meaning. First, what it means for Christ himself: watch now the face of the Savior as he institutes the New Covenant in his blood. It is the . . . Continue reading →

The New Covenant In My Blood (Luke 22:20) (part 2)

by Cornelius Van Til on June 4, 2022

“Do not think that I will accuse you with the Father” says Jesus. “There is one that accuses you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me, for he wrote of me. But if . . . Continue reading →

The New Covenant In My Blood (Luke 22:20) (part 1)

by Cornelius Van Til on June 3, 2022

What follows is a sermon preached by Cornelius Van Til (1895–1987), who was Professor of Apologetics at Westminster Theological Seminary from 1929–72. This transcription from an audio recording was made in the 1990 and is published here with the permission of Westminster . . . Continue reading →

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Van Til: A Christian Epistemology Does Not Mean We Cannot Borrow Categories And Vocabulary

by Cornelius Van Til on October 13, 2016

It should be carefully noted that our criticism of this procedure does not imply that we hold it to be wrong for the Christian church to make formal use of the categories of thought discovered by Aristotle or any other thinker. On . . . Continue reading →

Van Til: The Covenant Of Works Was Not A Covenant Of Grace

by Cornelius Van Til on March 17, 2016

According to the Westminster Confession of Faith, Scripture thinks of man as a covenant being. It tells us that man was originally placed on earth under the terms of the covenant of works. It informs us further that man broke this covenant . . . Continue reading →

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Van Til On The Perspicuity Of Natural Revelation

by Cornelius Van Til on July 2, 2014

Finally we turn to the perspicuity of nature which corresponds to the perspicuity of Scripture. We have stressed the fact that God’s revelation in nature was from the outset of history meant to be taken conjointly with God’s supernatural communication. This might . . . Continue reading →

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Van Til: Yet This Is Not The Whole Truth

by Cornelius Van Til, Heidelblog on March 6, 2013

Yet this is not the whole truth of the matter. We do assert that God, that is, the whole Godhead, is one person…. In other words, we are bound to maintain the identity of the attributes of God with the being of . . . Continue reading →

Van Til: Students and Controversy

by Cornelius Van Til on February 3, 2009

New at the OPC website. (HT: Camden Bucey). As a historian I take some comfort in knowing that things don’t really change that much. If you haven’t read John Muether’s wonderful biography of CVT you should.