N.T. Wright wants to say that justification is not so much a matter of “getting in” as it is a question of understanding who “is in.” The problem I have with this (and a great deal of the NPP discussion) is that phrase “not so much.” It creates an adversarial either/or set up where none …
Express Warrant for Paedobaptism
With regard to the baptism of infants, I no longer accept the requirement for “express warrant” that I used to hold to when I was baptistic in my convictions. The “express warrant” hermeneutic winds up prohibiting way too much — worship on the Lord’s Day, women taking communion, and so on. At the same time, …
Security Guards and Bouncers
I appreciate Frank Turk’s comments and input from time to time, and would commend his discussion of my recent posts on the minimum of orthodoxy required to get one through the pearly gates. I commend them, not because I agree, but because it is a pleasure to interact with someone who at least gets what …
We Can’t Count That High
We will continue this thread under the heading N.T. Wrights and Wrongs even though we are officially off the trail and thrashing around in the bracken. I appreciated all the questions and comments. We are so naturally oriented to “works” that when we discover that an embryo can be saved apart from any works of …
Cooks Who Feed Only Themselves
The problem with asking questions about the “minimum amount” of orthodoxy it takes to get somebody into heaven is that it treats human beings like machines, and ultimately, it tends to reduce salvation to a matter of works. God saves us by His grace, on the basis of the death and resurrection of Jesus, and …
My Answer Is Right, Darn It
One of N.T. Wright’s more important points is the one he has adapted from the teaching of the great Elizabethan Anglican, Richard Hooker. This is the observation that justification by faith is not accomplished by affirming or believing in justification by faith. Believing the doctrine of justification by faith alone as a way of being …
Sinclair Ferguson Returns
My wife and I drove over to Wenatchee yesterday and had a great time with the saints at Trinity Church (CREC) there. I still had Sinclair Ferguson’s tape in the tape deck, and my wife hadn’t heard it, and so on the way back we listened to it again. And hence some more comments. It …
Sinclair Ferguson
Just a few days ago I finished listening to a recent talk by Sinclair Ferguson on the New Perspective on Paul (NPP) that was simply outstanding. I had some quibbles here and there, but over all the talk was powerful, sane, balanced, and directed the critique where it mattered. The talk is available online, and …
Anthony Burgess
Anthony Burgess was one of the delegates to the Westminster Assembly, and was one of the men who helped to write that puppy. A very helpful correspondent wrote in to me to note that in his defense of the covenant of works, Burgess repeatedly denies the idea of merit. He put it this way — …
Heretical Cooties
I recently wrote to Steve Wilkins, saying that it was almost time for him to come up to Moscow again, bringing some of his heretical cooties with him. We were almost out, I said. He wrote back, somewhat too triumphantly I am afraid, with something about him having been declared fully orthodox by the Louisiana …