From this influx, it is not surprising that the doctrines of faith and, most especially, that of the new birth became so rapidly corrupted in the churches. With separation from the world spurned, there is no wonder that the sanctity and glory . . . Continue reading →
apostasy
Office Hours: Joel Kim on Hebrews 3:1-6
Joel Kim is back for another episode of Office Hours, this time to discuss Hebrews 3:1-6. Joel is Assistant Professor of New Testament at Westminster Seminary California. In this episode we discussed the superiority of Jesus to Moses and what it means to fix . . . Continue reading →
Office Hours: Bob Godfrey on Hebrews 3:7-4:13 (1)
Bob Godfrey is on Office Hours, this time to discuss Hebrews 3:7–4:13. We’re discussing how Hebrews treats the problem of apostasy and hypocrisy, Scripture, and the Sabbath. These are thorny questions but Bob is very helpful in walking us through them. I hope you’ll listen . . . Continue reading →
Office Hours: Bob Godfrey on Hebrews 3:7-4:13 (Pt 2)
Bob Godfrey is on Office Hours again, for part 2 of our discussion of Hebrews 3:7–4:13. What does Hebrews 4 mean by “Sabbath” and “rest”? Bob does a great job with these issues in full-color stereo! Here’s the part 1 of this two-part episode. I . . . Continue reading →
Horton and VanDrunen on Apostasy
Office Hours Takes on Hebrews 6
Mike Horton and Dave VanDrunen join Office Hours this week to discuss one of the more challenging passages in Hebrews and perhaps in the New Testament: Hebrews 5:11–6:12. I hope you’ll listen and share this episode with others. If you’re just joining the series, . . . Continue reading →
Office Hours: Hebrews 9 on the Covenant
Hebrews 9 is challenging because it speaks about Christ and his covenant in ways that are, at first glance anyway, unfamiliar to us. As we’ll see, if we read chapter 9 in light of all of the Scriptures and if we reflect . . . Continue reading →
Office Hours: Hebrews 10
The congregation was facing particular pressures and Hebrews 10 reflects this. The pastor wrote, “But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being . . . 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 →
Audio: Covenant Curses and Covenant Blessings
Here’s a recent sermon preached in my home congregation, the Escondido United Reformed Church, on Hebrews 6:4–20: Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and . . . Continue reading →
Judas Is A Warning
Few figures in the history of Christianity are as notorious as Judas Iscariot but for all his infamy, we know remarkably little about him. Nevertheless, he plays a major role in the gospel narratives and in Acts chapter 1. He was certainly . . . Continue reading →
Josh Harris Kisses Christianity Goodbye
On July 20, 2019 I wrote about Josh Harris, “he has grave doubts about the truth of Christianity and he is intent on starting a podcast to share those doubts with the world.” Some of his defenders, ignoring the point of the . . . Continue reading →
Another Famous Evangelical Apostatizes: What Does It Mean?
Jon Steingard is lead singer of the CCM (Contemporary Christian Music) band, Hawk Nelson. My CCM days are mostly behind me so I confess that I am not familiar with his music but I do recognize that he is a significant figure . . . Continue reading →
Christianity Is Not A Construct
In order for something to be deconstructed, it must first be a construct, i.e., an artifice, a mere human convention, something that could be other than it is, something that might not be. There are such things in the world (e.g., stop signs) but Christianity is not among them. Continue reading
Apostasy Characterizes The Last Days
But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. Continue reading
The Spiritual Source Of Apostasy And Its Cure
Apostates will often give an ostensible intellectual reason for their apostasy but, in my experience, the root cause is rarely intellectual. It is typically spiritual. Continue reading
It Is Not What It Appears To Be
Another pastor contacted me this morning with another report of another 40-something man leaving his family for an affair. Continue reading
Not To Worry. Christ Is Still Lord. Nothing Has Changed
Another Christian musician has announced that he has “deconstructed” his faith. Continue reading
Dear Wandering Sheep
Dear Wandering Sheep, You were baptized into the visible church. You were catechized. You made a profession of faith but, for one reason or another, you wandered away from the church. This letter is addressed to you. Why People Wander: The Visible . . . Continue reading →
Evangelicalism’s Backstreet Boy Is Now Ex-Evangelicalism’s Backstreet Boy
Joshua Harris is back in the limelight. He made his name as the young author of I Kissed Dating Goodbye, and was thereby a key inspiration for the purity movement in American evangelicalism. Then, after a stint as pastor of an evangelical . . . Continue reading →
Tyler The Ex-Evangelical Quits Swimming
(HT: Brian Brindis De Salas) Resources How To Subscribe To Heidelmedia The Heidelblog Resource Page How to support Heidelmedia: use the donate button below this post. Heidelmedia Resources The Ecumenical Creeds The Reformed Confessions The Heidelberg Catechism Recovering the Reformed Confession (Phillipsburg: P&R . . . Continue reading →