The gospel is not fragile. In it, the wisdom of God in Christ overthrows kingdoms, powers, principalities, egos, and various cherished doctrines. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. …
Self-Condemned
The word hairetikos, heretic, is obviously related to our discussion of the word hairesis, or heresy. It is only used once in the New Testament, in Titus 3:10. In that place, we are told that a man who is a heretic should be rejected after two admonitions or warnings. The natural question is whether the …
A Large Bible
“Yet further, do not repeat the same idea over and over again in other words. Let there be something fresh in each sentence. Be not forever hammering away at the same nail: yours is a large Bible; permit people to enjoy its length and breadth” (Charles Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students, p. 134).
The Cape and Beret Problem Again
“Before romanticism declared art the province of a talented, bohemian few, drawing and painting were both common scientific tools and signs of personal refinement” (Virginia Postrel, The Substance of Style, p. 170).
Oh, Yeah
“Would you receive benefits? Bestow benefits then. Would you have mercy? Be merciful then. Would you be commended? Commend others. Would you be loved? Then love. You be the judge yourself; you be the lawgiver of your own life. That which you hate, do not to another. Cannot you endure reproach? Do not reproach others. …
God’s Palimpsest
Let’s begin with the basic reason why it is so important to understand what the ground of our justification is — the early Reformers insisted on this (rightly) in the Pauline spirit of preventing any man from boasting about his salvation, which sinful men always want to do. The point was not that we had …
Mammon and Managed Markets
Jeff Tucker lets off a little steam here. HT: David Field. But since I have linked to the von Mises site, let me just say something about secular economic libertarianism. There are two points to make about it. First, it is an idol. Second, it is an idol that virtually no one bows down to. …
Christ the Lord of Creation
We are Christians, and this means that Christ must be central to our understanding of the created order. We cannot understand anything apart from Him, and this understanding must be bounded and guided by Scripture. Central to the Reformed faith is a right understanding of the created order, and our place in it. “Wherefore God …
Leprosy of the Heart and Mind
The word hairesis is where we get our word heresy. Initially it simply meant faction or sect, but over time it became closely identified with that which helps sects to form — a distinctive false doctrine or teaching, which the sectarians use to distinguish themselves. The faction or “sect” of the Saducees (Acts 5:17) is …
The Preacher’s Responsibility to be Interesting
“If men’s minds are wandering far away they cannot receive the truth, and it is much the same if they are inactive. Sin cannot be taken out of men, as Eve was taken out of the side of Adam, while they are fast asleep” (Charles Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students, p. 127).