Well, in my heart and my mind, you know, life begins when the mother thinks it begins, not when anybody else thinks it begins…. For some women, it’s before they conceive; for some women, it’s never. Even after they deliver, it’s still . . . Continue reading →
Grammar Tips: Using Archaic Expressions For Economy
Archaic and dated expressions have their uses. One of them is economy, saying what needs to be said in as few words as possible. Archaic words and expressions may, when used correctly, add a certain color to a sentence or paragraph. If, . . . Continue reading →
Prayer For Sgt Bergdahl June 30, 2013
The Orthodox Presbyterian Church has called for a day of prayer for Sgt Bowe Bergdahl. He has been a POW since 2009. Yesterday, June 11, 2013, the 80th General Assembly of the OPC, meeting in Moraga, California, called for a day of . . . Continue reading →
In Case You’ve Never Heard
One of the reasons why people resist the call to return to historic Reformed (and catholic) worship practices, e.g., singing God’s Word without musical instruments is because it is completely unfamiliar and thus seems implausible or entirely theoretical. It isn’t. Thanks to . . . Continue reading →
Freedom Or Tax Exemption?
Former Arkansas Governor, Presidential candidate, and current Fox News host, Mike Huckabee has raised this question to Southern Baptists (HT: Billy Hallowell). It’s a fair question. I’m not sure I agree with him and I don’t claim to know the answer to the . . . Continue reading →
Leithart’s Federal Vision Theology Injurious To The Peace And Purity Of The Church
On March 10, 2010, this Court decided the Bordwine v. PNWP case, 2009-06, holding that the Record of that Case suggested a strong presumption of guilt that Dr. Leithart’s views represent offenses that could be the subject of judicial process. This Court . . . Continue reading →
Imagination
One of the recurring themes of the dialogue between Reformed confessionalists and the more broadly evangelical adherents to aspects of the Reformed soteriology (namely predestination) represented by some members of the Gospel Coalition is the question of how to define the adjective . . . Continue reading →
Office Hours: Steve Baugh on Hebrews 13
Steve Baugh helps us wrap up our study of the book of Hebrews this season. We’re studying Hebrews 13 in this episode. He’s an expert in the 1st century background of the New Testament and Greek and he brings those skills to . . . Continue reading →
Surrounded By Constantinians
There is some excitement in some quarters over the question of whether the United Reformed Churches confess the revised or unrevised version of the Belgic Confession. There is no evidence from the minutes of the URCs, of which I’m aware, that speaks . . . Continue reading →
Calvin: There Are Two Parts In Christianity
Now, by these words the Apostle shows that there are two parts in Christianity which correspond with the two tables of the Law. Therefore, he who separates the one from the other, has nothing but what is mutilated and mangled. And hence . . . Continue reading →
Calvin On Tasting Of The Powers Of The Age To Come And Falling Away
But here arises a new question, how can it be that he who has once made such a progress should afterwards fall away? For God, it may be said, calls none effectually but the elect, and Paul testifies that they are really . . . Continue reading →
Heidelcast 25: With Lane Keister On The Federal Vision In The PCA
Here’s a flashback to the Federal Vision controversy, in the PCA, as it was 2010. The is the first of five episodes with Lane on the FV and related questions. It’s interesting to time travel, as it were, and listen to the . . . Continue reading →
Pressing On
Working on Hebrews 6 and this seems appropriate (it’s not a great recording but you get the point).
Calvin’s Law-Gospel Hermeneutic In Hebrews 6
He calls it a tasting of the good word of God; by which he means, that the will of God is therein revealed, not in any sort of way, but in such a way as sweetly to delight us; in short, by . . . Continue reading →
We’re All On TV Now
I just got an email request from my internet service provider asking me to rate the service call I received yesterday. As far as I know he did a good job but only time will tell whether the problem is fixed. These . . . Continue reading →
We Just Do Surgery
The other day I was talking with a student at a local coffeehouse in beautiful downtown Escondido. He was telling me about his experience in seminary. He said he began at another seminary, even though his pastor recommended WSC, because he was . . . Continue reading →
We Remember
From A Reformed Martyr To His Wife
The grace and mercy of our good God and heavenly Father, and the love of His Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ, be with you, my dearly beloved. Catherine Ramon, my dear and beloved wife and sister in our Lord Jesus Christ: your . . . Continue reading →
Are Bloggers Human?
The act of blogging has come under criticism in both civil and religious spheres. Recently, Senator Lindsay Graham (R-South Carolina) wondered aloud whether bloggers are protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. Last week Senator Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) raised . . . Continue reading →
Where Was Our Church Before Luther And Zwingli? (7)
XV. But we add further that our church was in the papacy itself, in as much as God always preserved in the midst of Babylon a remnant for himself according to the election of Grace (to wit, true believers who, groaning under . . . Continue reading →