The first official chapter in Piper’s book is a caution against a facile adoption of biblical theology over systematic theology as though it were necessarily more “biblical.” A systematic theology can be biblical or unbiblical, depending. And biblical theology can also be biblical or unbiblical, depending. “Most scholars are aware that methods and categories of …
Time of Administration
David Gadbois argues here that FV proponents hold that infant baptism is normative, and somehow marginalize those baptisms which are performed on the basis of a profession of faith. In this course of this argument, he quotes Pastor Bordow, who put it this way: “If you look for a credible profession before baptizing, aren’t you …
Those From Far Off
We now come to consider the conclusion of the first portion of the book of Zechariah. In doing this, we need to make sure we have mastered the import of these visions, so that we will be able to understand the great oracles with which Zechariah concludes the book. “Then the word of the Lord …
Paint More Than the Nose
“It is not true that some doctrines are only for the initiated; there is nothing in the Bible which is ashamed of the light . . . All revealed truth in harmonious proportion must be your theme . . . Do not insist perpetually upon one truth alone. A nose is an important feature in …
Better Christians Than Logicians
After his Introduction, but before his first chapter, John Piper includes a short chapter on the necessity of — given the state of the world — controversy and polemics. He writes this as a pastor. “I am a pastor first. Polemics are secondary and serve that” (p. 27). In short, shepherds are to fight because …
Four Horses
In the previous vision God has spoken about how judgment begins with the household of God. But this does not mean that judgment never comes to the enemies of God. Here we turn to discover that the purposes of God in judgment are consistently displayed throughout the entire earth. “Then I turned and raised my …
Pulpit Bombast
“It is infamous to ascend your puplit and pour over your people rivers of language, cataracts of words, in which mere platitudes are held in solution like infinitesimal grains of homeopathic medicine in an Atlantic of utterance” (Charles Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students, p. 74).
The Problem of the Timeless Jew
John Piper begins and ends his Introduction with the observation that he has been too long in the service of the gospel to amuse himself by playing games of disputation. He graciously assumes the same for N.T. Wright, and then makes the central appeal that we should always make — to the law and to …
Guardians of the Baby
I just got my published version of John Piper’s new book The Future of Justification this last week. I had seen an earlier incarnation of the book in manuscript form, but according to the acknowledgments, this book is now twice the size it was when I saw it last. I really appreciate how careful John …
Temporary Justification
In the discussion of my previous Auburn Avenue post, one commenter asked what Reformed group has ever allowed for notions of temporary regeneration or justification. An outstanding answer to that question can be found here. Note carefully the three reasons that the English divines gave to the good gentlemen at Dort for their appeal, and …