Scott Clark has a long post here, in which he urges Reformed congregations to hold the line on strict subscriptions to their confessions, applying that standard of subscription with regard to the members of their congregations. In contrast to that form of Reformed sectarianism, here is a dose of Reformed catholicity. “In all Churches a …
Orthodoxy in a Box
The Pilgrim’s Progress is one of my perennial Sunday morning books, and this morning I was reading along, minding my own business, when one of the characters tried to deliver a confessional blow to my federal vision sympathies. He said, and I quote . . . “For to talk of such things is most profitable; …
Three Reasons Why There Has Been An FV Controversy
A young Reformed believer heading off to college should be able to learn the five solas of the Reformation — yea, even the six ordinary days of creation. But this requires further development. Over the last number of years, since the eruption of the FV controversy, we have of course been involved in the public …
A Limerick for the URC
There was a conservative and Dutchy denom That passed a report with indignant aplomb. But we never bleed, If our critics can’t read, And so here’s to a missing-the-point pheenom. . . . I don’t believe I have ever footnoted a limerick before, so here you go.
Your Doctrine is Too Small
J.B. Phillips famously wrote the book Your God is Too Small, and I would like to do a little riff off of that. Your doctrine is too small. What is that supposed to mean? Often particular doctrines are set forth in a way that contains enough of the truth to annoy unreasonable people and not …
Some Robust Hotel Coffee
It is not often that I get to agree with a 4-point Calvinist about limited atonement, so when I do, I ought to seize the opportunity. Right? First, check out this statement here. I believe Alcorn is absolutely right that the plain teaching of Scripture trumps our logical mastications. I also believe he is right …
Scratching Their Watches
I was recently asked by a friendly fellow in the URC to read and comment on the URC report on the Federal Vision, which I have now done. Having read through it, I can only say that it appears to be the work of extraordinary animus, or extraordinary ignorance, and perhaps sometimes both. Update: Since …
The Flight Attendants Are Lying
I have noted before that one of the things that the fundamentalist mindset does well is identify the logical trajectory of an idea fifteen minutes after it is first stated. In contrast to this, there is a sophisticated and nuanced academic mindset that likes to fiddle, discuss, analyze, count, and try on different readings of, …
Over at FlingPoo.com
A few weeks ago I posted, and responded to, Bruce Waltke’s video in which he was urging us to to believe in evolution — evolution or spiritual death was the alternative as he presented it. Since that time, and because of that video, he has resigned his position at RTS in Orlando, and has now …
A Paschal Blessing
As many who read this blog know, it has a been a season of controversy. But fortunately, it is also the Paschal season. The Lord is risen; He is risen indeed. We have been brought up from the dead, and our present possession is life, just as our final destination is life. Newness of life …