Canon V: Christ himself is also included in the gracious decree of divine election, not as the meritorious cause, or foundation prior to election itself, but as being himself also elect (I Pet 2:4, 6). Indeed, he was foreknown before the foundation . . . Continue reading →
Heidelcast 39: Confessional Church Planting In Cincinnati
An important part of recovering the Reformed confession is calling the churches back to our theology, piety, and practice. Church planting is a part of that practice. We’ve always been “missional.” We were missional before there was a cool word for it. . . . Continue reading →
Heidelcast 38: The Prevalence Of Prevarication
The law of God is always relevant but the ninth commandment seems particularly relevant right now. We live in a time when truth seems to be out of fashion. I can’t remember a time when there has seemed to be so little . . . Continue reading →
Online Now: Worship Matters
Earlier this summer (Summer ends 21 September 2013) the good folks of the Associated Presbyterian Church invited me to contribute an essay on worship to the denominational magazine, APC News. It appeared as “Worship Matters” in APC News, 160 (July/August 2013), 5–9. It’s . . . Continue reading →
The Inherent Goodness Of Work
One of the casualties of the West’s cultural shift from Christian theism to Deism, and from that to late modern subjectivism (and neo-paganism) is the death of the Christian work ethic. The act of work has been emptied of its intrinsic value. . . . Continue reading →
J. H. Heidegger And Francis Turretin On Arminianism And The Decree
Canon IV: Before the creation of the world, God decreed in Christ Jesus our Lord according to his eternal purpose (Eph 3:11), in which, from the mere good pleasure of his own will, without any prevision of the merit of works or . . . Continue reading →
Cyril Of Alexandria On Substitutionary Atonement
He had undergone, for our sakes, though innocent, the sentence of death. For, in His own Person, He bore the sentence righteously pronounced against sinners by the Law. For He became ‘a curse for us’, according to the Scripture: ‘For cursed is . . . Continue reading →
Only One Mediator
When we’re at odds with another person sometimes things come to such a state that the only thing for it is a go-between, someone who is trusted by both parties. This is true for relations between God and humans. We often look . . . Continue reading →
Psalm 23 As You’ve Never Heard It Before
God's Word Transcends Cultural Boundaries
Heroes, Villains, And Pretty Packages
The dead, in other words, are people too. Scoring points on their failings does not seem to be particularly charitable or self-interested (since one day we won’t be around to defend ourselves or the limitations of our historical moment). It is not . . . Continue reading →
Remember
Eco-Friendly Tanks And Drones Playing The Lumineers
Caution: This video uses a word that starts with kick and ends with an s. If you don’t want to hear this word then don’t watch the video (or mute the sound but that would pretty much ruin it since there is . . . Continue reading →
The Irrelevance Of Indolent Impressionism
Second, I was struck by the fact that the last chapter – on post-confessional, mainline Presbyterianism – indicated just how irrelevant Presbyterianism has become in its liberal forms. With dull preaching, and always appearing to be a day late and a dollar . . . Continue reading →
The Illiberalism of The Late Modern Academy
In the conventional story of the 1925 Scopes Trial, popularized in the 1960 play and film, Inherit the Wind, William Jennings Bryan is the midwestern rube unable and more importantly unwilling to account for and afraid of new learning. WJB is portrayed . . . Continue reading →
The Green Lantern v Paul on Election
I admit it. I grew up reading comic books and still enjoy a good comic-book based film. The Green Lantern wasn’t one of those. The Green Lantern was never one of my favorites. I was a Captain America guy. The 2011 Green . . . Continue reading →
Grace And Election In The Late 90s AD
Let us then draw near to Him with holiness of spirit, lifting up pure and undefiled hands unto Him, loving our gracious and merciful Father, who has made us partakers in the blessings of His elect. For thus it is written, “When . . . Continue reading →
Confessing And Practicing The Reformed Faith In The Philippines (links updated)
—Guest Post By the Rev. Mr. Nollie Malabuyo § On the Lord’s Day, September 8, 2013, Trinity Covenant Reformed Church in Imus, Cavite held its regular Sunday adult class and worship service. But it was also a thanksgiving service for God’s faithfulness . . . Continue reading →
A Caricature Of Calvinism
Mark Dever sent me a note the other day about Edward Taylor (1642–1729). Mea culpa but I’m not familiar with his work so I did did an online search and, of course, the first result was Wikipedia. On my way to the . . . Continue reading →
Office Hours Season 5—New Life In The Shadow Of Death: Defining Sanctification
In season 5 of Office Hours we’re focusing on the biblical, Christian, confessional doctrine and practice of sanctification, the process of being made holy, of being brought into gradual conformity to Christ by the grace of the Spirit through dying to sin . . . Continue reading →
Hodge On The Care And Feeding Of The New Life
It is natural that those who have experienced the agitations which frequently attend upon conversion, and have felt the peace which flows from a hope of acceptance with God, to imagine that the conflict is over, the victory won, and the work . . . Continue reading →