Can Baptists Be Catholic? (Part 3)

My Baptist friends give two replies to the claim that they are not truly catholic. First, they appeal to their intent to be catholic. For example, in the introduction to the Second London Confession (1689) they say: “This we did the more abundantly to manifest our consent with both in all the fundamental articles of the Christian religion, as also with many others whose orthodox Confessions have been published to the world on the behalf of the Protestant in diverse nations and cities.” Continue reading →

Geneva And The Book

The printing industry was especially important in Geneva during Calvin’s rise to prominence. Robert Estienne printed French editions of the works of Beza, Hotman, Viret, and Calvin from Geneva. Jean Crispin, a groomsman at Beza’s secret marriage published popular devotional material, and a range . . . Continue reading →

Pastors Need Friends

A pastor is a human being who has been redeemed by God’s grace and called to serve the Lord as an ordained minister. As a human, he will need and want friends. It is a highly unrealistic expectation to think that pastors . . . Continue reading →

From Glory To Glory: The Story Of Christ In Psalms 15–24 (Part 4)—Psalm 16 And Christ’s Resurrection

sunshine mountains

Building a fire requires balancing. Specifically, you have to balance the use of kindling with the use of longer burning fuel. Kindling gets hot and bright fast, but it also fizzles quickly and fades. Fire has to be fed by sustaining fuel. . . . Continue reading →

What Happens When You Don’t Have A Category For Wisdom Or Nature (Part 1)

When Andy Kaufman wrestled women in the late 70s and early 80s it was a gag; it was outrageous because, until he did it, it was unthinkable. Why? Because there is such a thing as nature (i.e., the way things are) and Kaufman was being provocative by doing something contrary to the nature of things. Continue reading →

Book Review: Young, Restless, And No Longer Reformed By Austin Fischer

young, restless, and no longer reformed

Young, Restless, and No Longer Reformed is about Austin Fischer. No matter what the author’s intent was, it is hardly a book about theology and is very much a work arising from Fischer’s feeling that he has far more to say and . . . Continue reading →

Hodge On Romans 3:25 Against The Limbus Patrum

The word πάρεσις, remission, more strictly means pretermission, a passing by, or overlooking. Paul repeatedly uses the proper term for remission (ἄφεσις,) as in Eph. 1:7, Heb. 9:22, &c.; but the word here used occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. Many, therefore, consider the selection of this . . . Continue reading →

The Reformation, The Regulative Principle, And The Modern Church: Examining John Calvin’s Dedication To Purity In Worship (Part 3)

reformed worship church pulpit

During the summer before my freshman year of high school, I volunteered at my church’s Vacation Bible School program to lead games for the preschoolers. Something I noticed was that the students were more likely to listen to directions to do something than directions not to do something. I remember telling a girl to please refrain from putting her hands into the water bucket. And what do you think she did? She put her hands in the water bucket. Continue reading →