Pastor Geoff Willour is pastor of Lake OPC in Cleveland. He writes: “One of the things that I have noticed in recent years has been lots of discussion (both on the internet, and through numerous books and articles) on two trends in . . . Continue reading →
Office Hours: Steve Baugh on Hebrews 7:18-28
Steve Baugh, Professor of NT at Westminster Seminary California, joins us for this episode Office Hours that takes a look at Hebrews 7:18–28. Does Hebrews teach that the Ten Commandments are no longer valid for Christians? What does “law” mean here? How did the old . . . Continue reading →
Vatican I On Papal Infallibility
Sola Scriptura v Solo Papatu
We teach and define as a divinely revealed dogma that when the Roman pontiff speaks ex cathedra, that is, when, in the exercise of his office as shepherd and teacher of all Christians, in virtue of his supreme apostolic authority, he defines . . . Continue reading →
Heidelcast 11a: The Secret of Knowing God’s Will (Pt 4)
We like the idea of direct, special revelation that speaks to our particular circumstances. Most of us don’t relish the idea of struggling in prayer, of dealing with doubt, of making a decision in the midst of uncertainty. God could clear things . . . Continue reading →
The Treasury Of The Church—”A Satanic Mockery”
Now very many persons see the base tricks, deceits, thefts, and greediness with which the indulgence traffickers have heretofore mocked and beguiled us, and yet they do not see the very fountain of the impiety itself. As a consequence, it behooves us . . . Continue reading →
What Reformed Confessionalists Can Learn From Orthodox Jews
Sports themes continue on the HB. The Blaze carries a story today about an Orthodox Jewish day school in Houston, TX. Last year they earned national attention when they were nearly disqualified from participating in the state basketball tournament because they refused . . . Continue reading →
This Treasury Also Includes The Good Works Of Mary And All The Saints
Thus is explained the “treasury of the Church” which should certainly not be imagined as the sum total of material goods accumulated in the course of the centuries, but the infinite and inexhaustible value the expiation and the merits of Christ Our . . . Continue reading →
A New Program for Hired Hands
In the fundamentalist-modernist controversy in the early part of the 20th century, one of the more difficult aspects was the question of whether the “modernists” really believed the faith any longer. The suspicion among conservatives was that in some, perhaps many cases, . . . Continue reading →
The Blood of the Martyrs Today
Rupert Shortt is Religion Editor of the TLS (Times Literary Supplement). In this 54-page synopsis of his case he takes the reader on a tour of global persecution of Christians. He begins in Egypt by contrasting current conditions with Egypt’s tradition of . . . Continue reading →
The Last Thing We Need
The last thing we need is a church that keeps us sealed up in our own compartment with others of similar experiences in life. We need to be integrated into the body of Christ. Younger believers don’t need another speaker to come . . . Continue reading →
Biblical Theology Isn’t New—It’s In the Catechism
HC Q. 19 (Pt 1)
Go the reference room (virtual or real), find a encyclopedia entry on “Biblical Theology” and one will likely find an entry that begins in the 19th century liberalism. Depending upon which entries one reads, one might find reference to the Dutch Reformed . . . Continue reading →
And the #1 Reason for a Pastor Not to Appear on TV: “Because I’m Justin Bieber’s Pastor”
The Healthiest Path
I myself am not sure where conservative Presbyterianism is headed. I do hold to the view that the healthiest path for conservative Presbyterianism is not celebrity speakers and theologians but churches where worship is lean, teaching confessional, and government procedural. Slow and . . . Continue reading →
Lamenting Decline or Questioning Premises and Methods
It started with John Frame’s “Warrior Children” piece in 2003. In June, 2012 Anthony Bradley wondered about the decline of popular presbyterians. More recently Bill Evans has elaborated on the theme of the decline of conservative presbyterianism. This morning I wake to . . . Continue reading →
News From the Philippines and An Opportunity to Help
Pastor Nollie Malabuyo, pastor of Pasig Covenant Reformed Church in Pasig City, Metro Manila, writes to let us know of a couple of developments. First, Dr. Don Paauw (1926–2013), who played a key role in helping to bring the confessional Reformed faith . . . Continue reading →
Tesis Sobre la Teología del Pacto
1. Prolegómenos La teología del Pacto estructura la totalidad de la revelación Bíblica. La forma de los pactos revelados en la Escritura se tomó prestada del mundo antiguo del cercano oriente, se acomoda a él, y debe ser entendida en ese contexto. . . . Continue reading →
Heidelcast 10: The Secret of Knowing God’s Will (Pt 3)
Modern evangelicals often assume that the line between canonical and post-canonical life is blurry or non-existent. Making that distinction, however, is essential to knowing God’s will. This isn’t the most popular way of thinking about God’s will, however. After all, why listen to . . . Continue reading →
Less A Problem of What the Spirit is Doing and More a Problem of What We Say
Part 2
In part 1, I began to sketch a case that for a way between neo-Pentecostalism/Charismatic piety and a sterile piety. Genuine, confessional Reformed piety is warm, Spiritual, and vital but we understand that the Spirit works through means (Word and sacraments). This . . . Continue reading →
Crying Up The Spirit And Crying Down The Ministry
Those who so cry up the Spirit as to cry down ordinances and the ministry do not have the Spirit of God. In the NT, when vision and inspiration were in use, the Spirit did not teach men immediately, but referred them . . . Continue reading →
Less A Problem of What the Spirit is Doing and More a Problem of What We Say
Part 1
Since the early 19th century American Christianity has been largely dominated by a revival of the original Anabaptist theology, piety, and practice. One can transpose much of what took place in the 19th century over the fist generation Anabaptists (1520s) and it . . . Continue reading →