One of the reasons the doctrine of regeneration is so important is because the doctrine of generation is so important. God fashioned man out of the dust of the ground in the first place, but it was the breath of God that established us after His image. “And the LORD God formed man of the …
One Vast Boneyard
The end of October approaches, and as we mark and celebrate the great Reformation, our heart’s desire and prayer should be for future historians to be able to describe it as the first reformation, as the small one. “Small” does not mean insignificant, but in this case it does mean early on. Eye has not …
Some Theological Background
I am pleased to introduce a guest post of sorts from my friend, Jack Bradley. He collected some relevant quotes (think: Leithart trial) from Leonard Vander Zee, Christ, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Here they are: “In ordinary language the two words sign and symbol are used nearly interchangeably. In fact, they have quite different …
The Holy Spirit’s Commonplace Book
If you can bear with me for a moment, I would like to ask you to read a short chain of verses, at the end of which I will make just a couple observations. “But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you” …
The Lady is a Welterweight
The Siouxlands Presbytery of the PCA has found Greg Lawrence not guilty of the Federal Vision charges brought against him. You can read more about it here. In related news, the Northwest Presbytery of the PCA has found Peter Leithart not guilty of the Federal Vision charges brought against him. You can read more about …
Four Kinds of Idolatry
Richard Baxter once said, “It is almost incredible how much ground the devil takes when he has once made sin a matter of controversy: some are of one mind, and some of another; you are of one opinion and I am of another.” Nowhere is this more apparent than when we discuss the use of …
With Whoops and Happy Yells
A few folks brought my attention to this, and I thought it would be good if I offered a brief response. I had answered a question about Eastern Orthodoxy for a CanonWIRED clip, and this was posted by a gent named Nicodemus as a response to that short video. First, I appreciate that the response …
Gnosticism and the Supper
Matt Colvin does a good job advancing our discussion of the Lord’s Supper here. I am talking, obviously, about his description of our disagreement, and not about the side he takes in that disagreement. He is quite right that I am simply following Westminster at this point. I would only add two things about that. …
Little Damnation Wafers
Historic evangelicals, at their best, are unaccredited teachers in the schools of the prophets. At their worst, they are sons of Zedekiah, selling little miniature horns of iron on the teevee for $9.95 plus shipping and handling (1 Kings 22:11). Institutional Christians, let us call them, at their best, are like Jehoida (2 Kings 11:17). …
The Savannahs of Heaven
In John 8, Jesus has a remarkable interaction with the Jewish leaders, an interaction that teaches us what it means to be an evangelical indeed. Jesus has collided with these men, and they do not grasp what He is talking about. They do not grasp it because they do not know the Father. They do …