The Problem of Continuing Revelation and the Finality of Scripture

This week’s episode of the White Horse Inn is interesting and important because it deals with two closely related problems: the finality of the Scriptures as God’s Word and the claims to ongoing revelation made by modern neo-Pentecostalists and by the Roman . . . Continue reading →

Online: "The New Perspective on Calvin"

This is a thoughtful and thought-provoking piece of research by the Rev Tom Wenger (MA, Historical Theology), a graduate of Westminster Seminary California on the way Calvin is being presented in some contemporary Calvin scholarship. This piece grew out of his 2003 . . . Continue reading →

When OT Scholars Do Historical Theology

It comes out about as accurate as Historical Theologians doing serious OT work. I say this because I recently asked whence folk (FVists among them) get the idea that Martin Bucer’s soteriology marked a substantial break from Martin Luther’s. I don’t think . . . Continue reading →

The Social Crisis is Too Great to Be Arguing About… (Updated)

The various social crises facing the West are great but the Roman empire was already in crisis when God the Holy Spirit empowered Christ’s apostles to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. Rome fell. The gospel and Christ’s church continued. Another empire, Christendom, replaced the old Roman Empire but it fell too. The kingdom of God, as manifested chiefly in this world in the visible, institutional church, continued. Social crises are important but they aren’t more important than the gospel. Seeing that is a key difference between actually being Reformed and being just another social conservative with a passing interest in the Reformation (as it suits whatever social agenda is in view). Continue reading →

Maybe They Really Don’t Get It

Over the years of battling the moralists (Federal Visionists, Norman Shepherd et al) I’ve not always been certain whether the moralists understand the orthodox doctrine of justification and reject it or if they think they are really teaching it.  Here’s a post . . . Continue reading →

Semi-Pelagianism and Faith as the Instrument of Existential-Mystical Union with Christ (5)

Part 4. In part 4 we saw that William Perkins taught that believers are given new life by the Spirit and by the same Spirit given faith and through that faith united to Christ. It is particularly useful to be aware of . . . Continue reading →

What Henk Navis Means to Me

Unlike Father Neuhaus, I guess few readers of this space will know who Henk Navis was, but he died today. Henk did not participate in any famous negotiations with anyone. He did not leave one communion for another. He wasn’t celebrated or . . . Continue reading →

Federal Vision Audio

In 2007 the Synod the United Reformed Churches in North America adopted a nine point declaration against the self-described federal vision movement. They described these points as “pastoral advice.” Here’s a written exposition of the Nine Points. These nine talks (below) also explain . . . Continue reading →

Is Faith a Work?

The question comes (paraphrasing): Since Scripture says, “believe,” (e.g. Acts 16:31) it seems that we are commanded to believe. If the command to believe is an imperative and an imperative is “law,” and if the answer to the command “believe” is faith, . . . Continue reading →

1 Clement On Justification

CHAPTER 31: THE MEANS BY WHICH OBTAIN DIVINE BLESSING Let us cleave then to His blessing, and consider what are the means of possessing it. Let us think over the things which have taken place from the beginning. For what reason was . . . Continue reading →

Contra Leithart: No, The Reformation Isn’t Over

Before You Reject At Least Understand It

In a post on the First Things blog today, Peter Leithart declares the “End of Protestantism.” It’s not at all clear, however, that he understands what he wants to end. He begins with a sociological observation about contemporary English non-conformists and uses . . . Continue reading →

"Sola Fides" is not Sola Fide

I’m reading Rowan Williams on Arius. Early in the book he uses the expression “sola fides.” In context, he seems to be making an indirect reference to the Protestant doctrine of sola fide. I’ve seen this in other writers. When I first noticed . . . Continue reading →

What Is True Faith? (7): Its Object

In the previous installment we considered the role of Scripture in faith. Now we turn to its object. I think they’ve largely gone away but a few years back team-building “trust exercises” were all the rage. The producers even got the Duck . . . Continue reading →

Heidelcast 56: Why We Can’t Move On (2)

Heidelcast

Sometimes it might have seemed that we haven’t had to contend for the gospel but the historical reality is that we were kidding ourselves. In every case where the gospel has been seriously challenged, whether by Pelagius, medieval semi-Pelagianism, Trent in the . . . Continue reading →

The Danger Of A Falling Church

If possible, I wish to raise an alarm without being an alarmist. The Reformed theologian, J. H. Alsted (1588-1638) said that the doctrine of justification is the article of faith by which the church stands or falls. Of course he was only . . . Continue reading →