Deformation or Reformation?

Several people have forwarded various news stories from the UK regarding the possibility that the Free Church of Scotland may decide at GA this summer to permit the playing of musical instruments and the singing of uninspired, non-canonical songs in worship. It . . . Continue reading →

On Christian Freedom, Two Kingdoms, and the Right Use of Scripture

Dear Mr _______, I’m grateful that you’re reading Recovering the Reformed Confession and that you took the time to write. I don’t know that I will be able to satisfy your concerns. It may be that we disagree on some basic issues.

Why Did the Geneva Consistory Insist on Biblical Names at Baptism?

Matt Tuininga, a friend and former student, has an interesting post at Christian in America in which he tells about the conflict between the consistory and some of the people in Geneva over the question of how the people should name their children. . . . Continue reading →

Calvin On Monasticism

14. Still there was nothing with the Fathers less intended than to establish that kind of perfection which was afterwards fabricated by cowled monks, in order to rear up a species of double Christianity. For as yet the sacreligious dogma was not . . . Continue reading →

The End Of Sacrifices And Ceremonies (UPDATED)

Throughout its history the church considered as organism, i.e., its people, has often been tempted to go back to Egypt, as it were. We have often been tempted to look back to where we were in redemptive history rather than appreciating where . . . Continue reading →

Lent: Of Good Intentions, Spiritual Disciplines, and Christian Freedom

Carter Lindberg tells the story of how the Reformation began to break out in Zürich in 1522: During Lent of 1522, Zwingli was at the house of Christoph Froschauer, a printer, who was laboring over the preparation of the a new edition . . . Continue reading →

The Freedom Of The Christian Man

There is a great lot of talk in the evangelical and Reformed world(s) about sola Scriptura but one has the growing sense that not only is the Reformation scripture principle not well understood (e.g., it is often misconstrued as an endorsement of . . . Continue reading →

Resources On Lent

“Reformed Christians and Lent,” First Things March 31, 2023 William Whittaker Contra Lent Richard Sibbes Contra Lent Owen Contra Lent, Easter, And The Normative Principle Of Worship With The Reformed Pubcast On Lent And Sola Scriptura The Reformed Defense Of Christian Liberty In . . . Continue reading →

William Perkins On Nicodemism

“First, among the Gentiles at Antioch, he uses Christian liberty in eating things forbidden by the ceremonial law. Yet after the coming of certain Jews from Jerusalem, he separates himself from the Gentiles and plays the Jew among the Jews. Like to . . . Continue reading →

Three Benefits Of The Reformed Confession

…We do this first, by our agreed upon confession. Presbyterians confess as biblical the statement of faith found in the Westminster Confession of Faith, which says: “All synods or councils, since the Apostles’ times, whether general or particular, may err; and many . . . Continue reading →