I found this today. I had never read it before, and I thought I would share it. From Rich Lusk’s response to Bryan Chapell’s “An Explanation of the New Perspective on Paul for Friends of Covenant Theological Seminary”: A couple pieces of counter-evidence will suffice in reply. FV views of baptism are found in the [...]
Archive for October 2010
Rich Lusk on Craig Higgins and the Metro New York Presbytery
Wednesday, October 27, 2010Review: First Annual Reformation Worship Conference
Tuesday, October 26, 2010By Rev. Mark Blalack, Pastor of Harmony Presbyterian Church, Kingsport, Tennessee Editor’s Note: The Conference sermons are posted for free distribution here. While we live in a day when traditional reformed worship is charged with being irrelevant and outdated, October 21–24 pastors, musicians and congregants from 17 states and a variety of denominations rediscovered how [...]
The Reformed Soteriological System and the Federal Vision System
Friday, October 22, 2010The Reformed soteriological system exists on the backdrop of the original relationship of God with man in creation. In this system, man was created righteous and in fellowship with God. In order to continue in life, gain eternal life, and be justified, he had to obey God perfectly. In addition, God chose to establish a [...]
Jay Adams on Criticism of Public Teaching
Friday, October 22, 2010Any Christian who sets himself up as a teacher in the church of Christ and publicly teaches anything thereby opens himself up for criticism by others (cf. James 3:1). If they think what he is teaching is harmful to the church, they have an obligation to point it out just as widely as it was [...]
Report on TE Greg Lawrence’s Trip to Russia with the Slavic Reformation Society
Monday, October 18, 2010The conference was a great success with 60 local folks attending, despite there being some other local activities which competed with us for attendance. This was also more local folks than we have had at a conference. With our budget under run for the program, we were able to buy a computer and printer for [...]
Willem Teelinck’s The Path of True Godliness — A Reformed Spiritual Classic
Monday, October 18, 2010I have really enjoyed the Classics of Reformed Spirituality series. This series consists of translations of classics from the Dutch Reformed tradition. The latest addition to the series is now available. It is A Spiritual Appeal to Christ’s Bride. I have not read it yet, but I have read and reviewed an earlier book in [...]
Illiana Presbytery Rejects Funding Plan
Saturday, October 16, 2010Illiana Presbytery voted today to reject the BCO Amendments to 14-1 and 14-2. This amendment would alter the way that the Administrative Committee is funded and require contributions to the General Assembly for the first time in PCA history. The vote was 0-25-0. The total vote is now 11 against, 5 in favor. 27 Presbyteries [...]
One Ruling Elder’s Reasons for Voting against the BCO Funding Plan Amendments
Friday, October 15, 2010I speak against the amendment, not because I believe we ought to defund the AC or that we ought to make them scratch for every dollar they need, but for principled reasons that touch the very nature of our denomination. We exist, in part, because we fled a top-down, centralized denomination which was unresponsive to [...]
Tennessee Valley Presbytery Rejects Funding Plan
Tuesday, October 12, 2010I have confirmed that Tennessee Valley Presbytery has rejected the funding plan by a vote of 20-29-2, or you might say, they voted in favor of the current BCO 29-20-2. Also, the Aquila Report reported on Saturday that Westminster (Eastern Tennessee) and Blue Ridge Presbyteries voted against the amendments and that Northern California voted for [...]
Breaking News: PNW begrudgingly goes to trial against Peter Leithart
Saturday, October 9, 2010Jason Stellman is reporting that PNW is going to trial against PNW, albeit begrudgingly. As part of the motion to go to trial, they made the following statement: (1) Presbytery has not rendered or implied a judgment that there is a strong presumption that any of his views constitute an offense or that any are [...]
AC’s Band-aid Won’t Solve the Problems in the Funding Plan Amendment
Saturday, October 9, 2010The AC has come up with some proposals that seem to be designed to try and answer some of the biggest criticisms of the plan. Dr. Dominic Aquila explains why this is merely a band-aid that doesn’t really deal with the root problems in the plan. He writes: At the October 7, 2010, meeting of [...]
David Bayly on Aquila, ByFaith, and MNY Presbytery
Thursday, October 7, 2010I thought that David Bayly made some good comments on current events within the PCA. The only thing I would disagree with is his statement that Dr. Roy Taylor was not elected Stated Clerk. He was, in fact, elected, as all Stated Clerks and Presidents and Coordinators of the permanent committees and agencies of General [...]
Replay: Peter Leithart Nails It
Thursday, October 7, 2010The debate about Federal Vision is a debate about theology, not a debate primarily about persons, movements, or labels. When it comes to what the theological issues are, I think Peter Leithart has absolutely nailed it in his book The Baptized Body, which you can read online here. While he nails the issue, he comes [...]
Edward Leigh on Whether Faith Alone Justifies
Wednesday, October 6, 2010I’m taking another break from Witsius’ Practice of Christianity. So, I’m going with some work I did on Edward Leigh. This is from his Body of Divinity. I have tried to update it a little from the original English and put it in modern font and format. Leigh was a Puritan layman who was a [...]
A Distinctively Reformed View of the Sacraments
Tuesday, October 5, 2010There is a controversy in the PCA and other Reformed Churches over the sacraments. This debate is not about whether the sacraments are means of grace. They are. It is not about whether or not Christ is applied to us through the sacraments. He is. The sacraments are means of grace just as the Word [...]
TurretinFan’s Comments on the Higgins/Otis/Aquila Affair
Monday, October 4, 2010Did Otis and/or Aquila Misrepresent Higgins’ Views? In “Discerning Roman Catholic Tendencies Among Professing Reformed Churches,” published by Dominic Aquila, John Otis gave strong warnings about Craig R. Higgins, calling him a “very dangerous man” and “equally dangerous” with the Federal Visionists such as Peter Leithart. Otis summarizes his lengthy and detailed analysis this way: [...]
John Otis’ Thoughts on MNY’s Allegations against Dr. Dominic Aquila
Sunday, October 3, 2010John Otis sent me an unsolicited email after I posted the article on Metro New York. In response, I asked him if anyone from Metro New York had ever contacted him alleging that he had slandered Craig Higgins. He replied that they had not. I also thought you might be interested in reading his thoughts [...]