At its May 4, 2013 meeting, the Great Lakes Presbytery (GLP) of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) approved an overture asking the General Assembly to direct the Standing Judicial Commission (SJC) to hear the complaint from Missouri Presbytery (TE M. Jay . . . Continue reading →
Federal Vision
Three Presbyteries Overture GA to Assume Original Jurisdiction in Leithart Case
Three Presbyteries of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) recently approved an overture requesting the General Assembly to assume original jurisdiction over TE Peter Leithart, a teaching elder member of Pacific Northwest Presbytery. Calvary Presbytery approved the overture at its April 25, . . . Continue reading →
A Serious, Treatable Cancer
An HB Classic
A pastor wrote recently to ask how he should introduce his elders to the fact that there are supporters of the FV in his denomination (federation). It’s a good question. It can be discouraging to hear about things such as the FV. . . . Continue reading →
The Arminius Paradigm
For some time the Federal Visionists have been arguing that no one should criticize the Federal Vision until the church courts ruled on it. This is a strange argument since, on that basis Luther couldn’t have replied to Erasmus (the Augsburg wouldn’t . . . 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 →
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 →
Heidelcast 26: With Lane Keister On The Federal Vision (2)
The time warp continues as we flash back to 2010 when the Leithart case was first addressed by the PCA’s Standing Judicial Commission (which acts on behalf of the General Assembly). Back then the SJC erred that Leithart’s presbytery erred in not . . . Continue reading →
Heidelcast 27: With Lane Keister on the Imputation of Christ’s Active Obedience
HB reader Nick writes to ask about the imputation of Christ’s active obedience. Is it true that the Westminster divines, Twisse, Vines, and Gataker opposed the imputation of the active obedience of Christ and that the phrase, “the whole obedience of Christ” . . . Continue reading →
Heidelcast 28 With Lane Keister: Does The Federal Vision Theology Lead To Rome?
Thanks to the Wonderful Wizard of Web, who has been cleaning up the HB, we have found an orphaned episode of the Heidelcast from March, 2010. This was part 4 of a series with PCA pastor the Rev. Mr. Lane Keister, who . . . Continue reading →
The PCA Ad Interim Report On The Federal Vision
The PCA Ad Interim Report On The Federal Vision
Jonestown and the Reformed Movement
On 18 November 1978, more than 900 people died in “Jonestown,” Guyana in one of the most spectacular examples in modern times of the danger of cults and sects. Jonestown was a settlement on the northeast coast of an ignored South American . . . Continue reading →
Three Ways of Relating to the One Covenant of Grace
At the PB the question was asked: We know that there are at least two categories of people within Scripture, the elect, and the non-elect. However, it might be apparent that there is a third class of people, those who have taken . . . Continue reading →
The Contemporary Relevance Of The Reformation
There is an old saw, “Now you’ve quit preaching and gone to meddling.” The “preaching” is telling the story. The “meddling” is applying the story. Folk will tolerate it when historians tell stories about the past. They might be entertaining or interesting . . . Continue reading →
What About Noah and Covenant Theology?
Taylor asks the question on the PB. My reply below: There are resources on covenant theology here. I would especially encourage you to read this collection of quotations from older writers on CT. There is a brief history here. My own views . . . Continue reading →
How The FV Won The West, Er, The PCA
It is certainly a good thing for the FV that the evangelical middle has such a short memory (does anyone know what happened in 2007?). It is also a good thing for the FV that the evangelical middle has so much fear . . . Continue reading →
Justification and Vindication
One of the more disturbing aspects of the Federal Vision program is its doctrine of final justification. Let’s be clear here: Protestants have no such thing. We do not not equivocate (use the same word in two senses at the same time) . . . Continue reading →
A Response To Rachel Held Evans Regarding Wilson And The Definition Of “Reformed”
Jonathan Merritt published a critique of Doug Wilson this morning on his Religion News Service. For younger readers, who might not remember the Federal Vision (FV) controversy, Wilson is the leader of the de facto denominational home of the FV, the Communion of . . . Continue reading →
For Elders Thinking Of Inviting Arminius Into Their Pulpit
From the time he entered the pastoral ministry, James Arminius (c. 1559–1609) was a controversial figure but he was also a minister in good standing in the Reformed Churches. Despite the intense controversy that his views and teaching generated, views that fractured . . . Continue reading →
See It For Yourself: Piper On Wilson, Baptism, And The FV
Heidelcasts responding to these comments: Heidelcast episode #2: A Gentle Rebuke to Brother John (pt 1) Heidelcast episode #3: A Gentle Rebuke to Brother John (pt 2)
For Those Just Tuning In: What Is The Federal Vision?
In talk radio the host is supposed to “re-set” the show at regular intervals. He is to remind listeners to which show they are listening and on what network or station. One reason why the host does this is because some listeners . . . Continue reading →