If you have any interest in studying Reformed theology, then you must see the new version of the Post-Reformation Digital Library. It has a huge upgrade from the first version. You can find it here. If you want to search for a particular Reformed author, go here. I’m just beginning to look through it, but [...]
Archive for October 2011
Post-Reformation Digital Library 2.0
Monday, October 31, 2011No Salvation Without Forgiveness; No Forgiveness Without Atonement
Sunday, October 30, 2011If God spared not his Son, standing in the room of sinners, shall he spare the sinner who madly insists on keeping his own place, and refuses to seek shelter under the overshadowing wings of the angel of the covenant? No; there is no salvation without pardon; no pardon without atonement; no atonement without satisfaction; [...]
Forced Conversions in the Muslim World
Friday, October 28, 2011We really can’t be thankful enough that we were born and live in the United States rather than a place like Pakistan or any of the other repressive Muslim nations that surround it. Here’s an update from World Vision on forced conversions in Pakistan: Dear Friends, Greetings from World Vision in Progress Foundation! We would [...]
Criteria for Judging the True Religion
Friday, October 28, 2011In John 7:17–18, Jesus sets forth proper criteria for judging the true religion. The first is that in order to judge properly, one must desire to do the will of God. In other words, one must be ready to follow the commands of God wherever they lead and in spite of the fact that they [...]
Read About Other Reformers
Thursday, October 27, 2011I enjoyed hearing and meeting Pastor Steven Lawson this past week at the Reformation Worship Conference. Please take some time to read his article published today on The Aquila Report on the life of Heinrich Bullinger, one of the most important second generation Reformers but not as well-known as his colleague John Calvin.
Return from Atlanta
Wednesday, October 26, 2011Dear friends, I’m back from Atlanta. I had a wonderful trip. I went to Atlanta via Denver and Greensboro, NC. Here are a few highlights from the trip in pictures.
Luther in His Own Words
Wednesday, October 26, 2011Christian Audio is offering Martin Luther in His Own Words as a free download this week. Download it here.
Why Johnny Can’t Pray
Friday, October 21, 2011I am here at the Reformation Worship Conference at Midway Presbyterian Church in Powder Springs, Georgia. It has been a great blessing so far. T. David Gordon gave a very thought-provoking talk entitled “Why Johnny Can’t Pray.” Dr. Gordon wrote a book Why Johnny Can’t Preach, which is why they asked him to speak on [...]
On Different Orders of Ceremonies
Friday, October 21, 2011I am at the 2011 Reformation Worship Conference. Dr. Mark Ross pointed us to the following statement from Chapter 20 of the Scots Confessions: Not that we think any policy of order of ceremonies can be appointed for all ages, times, and places; for as ceremonies which men have devised are but temporal, so they [...]
Brief Break at Johannes Weslianus
Thursday, October 13, 2011I will be travelling over the next week and a half. So, I will not be blogging for the next two weeks. Thanks for your continuing visits, interest, and support.
Rome’s View of Covenant Benefits
Thursday, October 13, 2011There have always been those in the Roman Church who believe in unconditional election. However, they deny justification by faith alone. Further, they also believe that the reprobates participate in some sense in salvation. That sense is well explained by the great Huguenot theologian Jean Claude (read my overview of his life here), in his [...]
Many Thanks to Pacific Northwest Presbytery (Updated)
Tuesday, October 11, 2011Update: you can now download the trial document as Kindle or Ebook here. (HT: Bring the Books). Pacific Northwest Presbytery has just published the documents form the Peter Leithart trial. Thanks to PNW for being willing to make these documents public so that the broader church can refelct on these important issues. You can find [...]
Three Pastoral Mistakes
Tuesday, October 11, 2011Paul Bankson, writing at Vintage 73, warns pastors of three common mistakes. These mistakes are mistakes that pastors make, but the same problems exist in any profession. For a while, I have thought about writing about the first. I still may, but for now, here is Pastor Bankson’s view of the matter: I’ve made and [...]
You Shall Not Make for Yourself a Golden Calf
Tuesday, October 11, 2011After the Isrealites had said that they would do all that the Lord commanded, they immediately violated the 2nd commandment in a very gross way by making the golden calf as a representation of Jehovah. The sin of making the golden calf was not simply worshipping it, and they were not attempting to worship a [...]
Pacific Northwest’s Internet Policy (Updated)
Sunday, October 9, 2011At first sight, I thought there was something reasonable in PNW’s internet policy. Upon further reflection, I think there are significant problems (hence, I changed the post). Here is the decision that they made (as reported by Jason Stellman): Presbytery does not consider blogging or posting a disagreement on the internet to be the most [...]
What Happens Next?
Friday, October 7, 2011Everybody keeps asking concerning the Leithart trial, “what happens next?” Instead of answering everyone individually, I’m going to write one answer. I won’t give BCO citations but just sum up in my own words what I understand the PCA Book of Church Order to be saying. 1. First, we are dealing here with judicial process. [...]
PCA’s Pacific Northwest Presbytery finds TE Peter Leithart not guilty of Federal Vision charges
Friday, October 7, 2011So reports The Aquila Report. Lane Keister has also released his testimony here.
Joy Without Fear Is Pride; Fear Without Joy Is Despair
Friday, October 7, 2011How can we reconcile the joy that the Christian should have in the assurance of God’s grace with the fear that the Bible also commands and commends to believers. Francis Turretin, with his usual clarity, helps us bring these things together: As often as “fear” (phobos) and “trembling” (tromos) are joined together in the Scriptures [...]
Where We Live
Thursday, October 6, 2011The White family lives on the northern edge of the famous Black Hills. It is a place of extraordinary beauty. The mouth of Spearfish Canyon is only a couple of miles from our church. Yesterday, some of my family and a few members of church hiked up to devil’s bathtub. I thought I would share [...]