The committee met, pursuant to adjournment, at 10 o’clock am, Senator Lawrence C. Phipps presiding. Name of those present: Senators Phipps (chairman), Ferris, Copeland, and Brookhart, of the Senate Committee, and Messrs. Reed of New York, Robison, Holaday Lowrey Black of New . . . Continue reading →
Back In Print: Beza On The Christian Faith
Theodore Beza (1519–1605) was one of the most significant Reformed theologians in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was a humanist (a classics scholar), Calvin’s successor in Geneva, a New Testament scholar, minister, and a teacher in the Genevan Academy. . . . Continue reading →
Positively High Street
Who May Read Scripture To The Congregation In Public Worship?
Reading the Word of God publicly to the congregation is the duty of those especially called as ministers of the Word.” …Reading the Scriptures ‘publicly to the congregation’ is a part of conducting the public worship of God, and therefore it is . . . Continue reading →
Office Hours: Introducing Johannes Cocceius On Covenant Theology In English
For most of his long career, Johannes Cocceius (1603–69) taught Old Testament, biblical theology, theology, and philology in the Netherlands. He was arguably one of the most important and influential Reformed theologians of the 17th century and his influence continues to be . . . Continue reading →
As It Was In The Days Of Noah (25): 2 Peter 1:1–2
The over-arching theme that unites these two epistles is what I have been calling the “Noah Paradigm.” Our Lord appealed to this way of thinking in his Oliver Discourse (Matt 24:37): “As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be when the Son of Man comes.” Our Lord was characterizing the inter-adventure age. He was giving us a way to think about our life between his ascension and his return Continue reading →
Of Empires, 180s, And The Communion Of The Saints
A friend and I were talking recently about a mutual friend, who had been a pastor and a strong advocate for the Reformation doctrines of sola scriptura (according to Scripture alone), sola gratia (by grace alone), and sola fide (through faith alone). Suddenly, however, this . . . Continue reading →
Volume 3 Of Perkins’ Works Available Now
William Perkins (1558–1602) is one of the most important of the English Reformed writers of the late 16th and early 17th centuries but, until recently, his works were mostly unavailable. Until this new series by RHB, his works had been out of . . . Continue reading →
With The Presbycast On The Lost Sheep
The USA is a vast place and there are relatively few confession Presbyterian and Reformed Congregations. You can find many of them listed via NAPARC. Regularly confessional ministers get the question: what do I do when there is not a confessional P . . . Continue reading →
Turretin On The Covenant Of Nature (11)
IX. Although faith in Christ is not prescribed specifically and expressly in the law (which does not know Christ), still it is contained in it generically and implicitly (inasmuch as the law commands us to believe every word of God and all . . . Continue reading →
A New Online Resource For Bible Study
Travis Fentiman wrote to let me know about a resource site he has compiled which is built on Spurgeon’s recommended list of commentaries and upon resources such as the Post-Reformation Digital Library (PRDL). It is a gateway to older, online biblical commentaries. . . . Continue reading →
Grammar Guerrilla: Drop The “Of”
Sports-talk radio is a never-ending source of malapropisms and a good indicator of the state of the language. One abuse which I hear regularly on the radio and in personal conversation is the unnecessary use of the preposition of. A preposition indicates . . . Continue reading →
Pagan Assyrians Regarded Abortion As Murder
The Middle Assyrian Laws, which date as far back as the early 11th century bc, specifically addressed abortion. In these laws—a collection of legal codes including decrees of the Assyrian kings and Amorite legal customs (Tetlow, Women, Crime, and Punishment, 126)—abortion was . . . Continue reading →
When Bible Translations Disappoint
Late modern Americans face a plethora of choices in English-language Bible translations: The King James Version (KJV), the American Standard Version (ASV), the Revised Standard Version (RSV), the New International Version (NIV), the New King James Version (NKJV), the Living Bible (LB), . . . Continue reading →
When Confessional P & R Congregations Do Not Exist Or Disappoint
A reader writes: “I’ve followed your blog and podcast for a while now. I have not been a Reformed/Presbyterian for very long, but I do know that I want to be a part of a specific congregation that is committed to confessional . . . Continue reading →
Office Hours: Where Are They Now? How Ted Hamilton Became A Preacher
Perhaps you have seen on television or in the movies successful, wealthy professionals driving, surfing, and generally enjoying what looks like a magical life in Southern California. Television glitz aside, there is some reality to that portrait and one place it is . . . Continue reading →
We Need Sunday Christians
Some people say, “Our problem in Christianity is ‘Sunday only’ Christians who fail to live the life every day of the week.” But that’s a false dilemma. Show me a true Sunday Christian who comes to the Lord’s house, worshiping in joy, . . . Continue reading →
Which Classic Reformed Works To Read In English?
Rob writes, Listening to you on the Heidelblog/Heidelcast and Office Hours, you have given me a enormous desire to read more “classic reformed theology.” I am currently reading Turretin’s Institutes and I would love to know who are some more classic reformed . . . Continue reading →
Paul On The Sacred/Secular Distinction In 1 Corinthians 8–11
Over the last century it has become widely held among Bible-believing Christians that we ought not recognize a distinction between the sacred and the secular. A Google search for “sacred secular distinction” brings up plenty of examples of such a rejection. The . . . Continue reading →
Calvinist: The Official Trailer (Coming Summer 2017)
Here’s it is on YouTube.