Once there was a Presbyterian minister who was conducting an illicit affair with another woman in another city. As such things go, his wife found out about it when she discovered some papers in his briefcase that revealed he was planning to meet up with his amour when he traveled to presbytery the following week, …
Uncorking the Whole Jug
Every faithful servant of God has to learn how to respond to the lies that are told about him. One reaction is to do precisely that, react, and respond in the flesh. If someone slaps you in the face, that initial reaction is probably what the flesh wants you to do. The reason for responding …
Slow Motion Helicopter Crashes
Okay, then. My previous post gave away the fact that I have been reading Not Reformed At All by Robbins and Gerety. Just three comments. First, I have read up through page 63 with that curious sense of fascination that one has while watching slow motion videotape of helicopter crashes. Second, why is it that …
As Reformed As I Wanna Be
In their recent book, Not Reformed At All, John Robbins and Sean Gerety ask the following, somewhat rhetorically. “Is Wilson suggesting that because parents are Christians, their baptized children also are Christians?” No, not at all. Baptism is not necessary. The unbaptized children of Christians are Christians. That’s why we baptize them. But I do …
First One Father, Then Another
Regeneration means becoming the seed of another—ultimately, having one family tree and then acquiring another. My father used to be Adam and now he is the second Adam. My father used to be the devil and now he is Abraham. A creature being summoned into being ex nihilo is being created. We might say he …
Starting With Generation
Before talking about regeneration, we have to remember the importance of generation. Out of the five points of Calvinism, three of them have to do with the decrees of God. “Total depravity” has to do with this morning’s newspaper (the record of man in the past), and is not one of the secret things hidden …
Yelling At My Copy of Modern Reformation
Actually I am not yelling at all. This is merely a poetic conceit, kind of like George Herbert yelling at his pulley. I want to raise a question I have asked before, only in different terms. According to our discussion partners, within the Covenant of Grace does the Covenant of Works have any members? Are …
And Another Thing
Along the same lines as the previous post, the latest Modern Reformation has a short article on “American Tragedy: Jonathan Edwards on Justification.” The article maintains that Edwards was, in significant respects, closer to the Thomists than to the Reformers on the question of justification. I waited for the other shoe to drop — e.g. Edwards …
Yelling At My Windshield, Post Script
Okay. Just one more thing on these audio recordings. Robert Godfrey was asked about the full-throated support that Cornelius Van Til gave to Norman Shepherd during the Westminster East controversy. In his response, Godfrey basically said that during this period Van Til was not as sharp as he used to be, that despite this, he …
Yelling At My Windshield, Finis
I am thinking of getting a tattoo. I know, I have argued against it elsewhere, but here’s my thinking. I could have the Shorter Catechism tattooed on my back, and then the guys at Westminster West would have to believe me, right? And maybe I’d get really sick with ink poisoning with a tattoo that …