“The hallmark of the apostolic method of preaching was boldness. Again and again as we read Luke’s account we are arrested by the power and boldness that characterized the way in which the gospel was proclaimed by those early preachers . . . This characteristic boldness is all the more striking when we compare it …
But Then It Didn’t
“A variant that was not sent down from the top was ‘the revolution of the sixties,’ a sort of Rousseauist hope that by destroying the ‘hypocrisy’ of petty bourgeois, Christian-tinged morality and conventions, a new ‘Age of Aquarius’ would drop down out of somewhere” (Harold O.J. Brown, The Sensate Culture, p. 229).
In Other Words, No More Than a Quarter Inch Deep
[Speaking of 1 Peter 3:3] “Women in the Roman world used to really ‘crank up the volume’ in their personal appearance. The problem addressed by Peter is not hair-arrangements in themselves, or the perfidy of pony-tails. No, Peter is directing his attention to women who were ostentatious, making a display of themselves. The women of …
Westminsterian Assurance
In his most recent post on assurance and apostasy, Lane frames the question of assurance this way: “Can a believer be absolutely assured of his own salvation in knowing that he is decretally elect?” In this, as with so many other details of our controversy, what Lane says is suspect when you hold it next …
And Another Thing . . .
With the release of Dandelion Fire just a few weeks out, it seemed wise to let you know that Canon Press has an offer of book plates signed by the author for those who pre-order.
Reining in Fanatics
Book I/Chapter 9 Fanatical appeal (section 1) 1. Why do some abandon Scripture? 2. How can they justify this? What argument do they use? 3. How does Calvin answer this from Paul? The Holy Spirit (section 2) 1. Why do we need a distinguishing mark or test to tell if it is the work of …
Keeping Works and Grace Distinct
I need to get caught up with Lane, being two behind. This is a response to his post here. Three points: The first is that Lane points out an apparent contradiction between me and my friend Steve Wilkins, and asks “which one is correct?” The answer, of course, is that I am. Seriously, the quote …
The Absolute Necessity of the New Birth/Romans 9
INTRODUCTION: We left off with St. Paul’s observation that the Gentiles blasphemed God’s name because of the behavior of God’s people. In this passage, he goes on to show the root cause of the discrepancy between the holy name by which God’s people were called, and unholy lives which disgraced that calling. The root cause …
Veracity of Scripture
Book I/Chapter 8 Miracles (section 5) 1. Summarize Calvin’s fifth argument for the veracity of Scripture. Miracles II (section 6) 1. How can this argument carry any force for us when we ourselves have not seen any of the miracles? Fulfilled Prophecy (section 7) 1. What is his seventh argument? Fulfilled Prophecy II (section 8) …
A Few Brisk Ones
In a recent correspondence with a friend who is much more of a Girardian purist than I am, he said something like “all violence is righteous.” He was referring to the Giardian insight that human beings have a deep mimetic propensity to deceive and blind themselves, especially when it comes to matters of violence. The …