We learn from the Westminster Confession that in both sacraments—baptism and the Lord’s Supper—there is a spiritual and sacramental union between the thing and the thing signified, such that it is appropriate to speak of one under the terms of the other. We do this without confounding the thing and the thing signified, but, following …
Internationalist Power Monkeys
The next chapter of Clapp’s book, “Tradition and Progress,” correctly identifies one of the central tensions in American life. “The United States considers itself at once the most traditional and the most modern and progressive of Western — or any other — countries” (v. 63). We are far more religious than any other industrialized society, …
The Hand of Faith
God did not spare the angels who sinned (hamartano), and so He cast them into Tartarus, which was the lowest pit of Hades (2 Pet. 2:4). False teachers are like the false angels, not staying within appropriate boundaries. They have eyes full of adultery, and they cannot quit sinning (hamartia) — they are cursed children …
Taking Issue With the Careless
“Spare neither labour in the study, prayer in the closet, nor zeal in the pulpit. If men do not judge their souls to be worth a thought, compel them to see that their minister is of a very different opinion” (Charles Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students, p. 345).
Why Dead Fish Always Swim Downstream
“The historicist mentality finds it difficult to consider the possibility that a dominant trend may be evil, and thus stands ready to embrace anything that will confer contemporaneity on itself” (Herbert Schlossberg, Idols for Destruction, p. 237).
Obedience a Two-Way Street
“It is easy to have strong views on the subject of authority, but these usually come up when we are considering how someone else ought to be obeying us. When we turn to consider those that we should be obeying, our ardor sometimes dims” (For Kirk and Covenant, p. 129).
Spit Spot
As many of you probably know, in the most recent issue of First Things, N.T. Wright wrote a pretty styptic response to Richard John Neuhaus’ review of his book Surprised By Hope. And then Neuhaus responded to that, more or less along the same lines. There are a number of things in that exchange that …
The Altar at the Center/Amos 3
INTRODUCTION: The two great sins that Amos condemns throughout the course of this book are abuse of authority and power, and the corruption of true worship. As a native of Judea bringing an indictment against the Northern Kingdom of Israel, Amos goes out of his way to show that he is not engaging in any …
If My Luck Holds . . .
Rodney Clapp’s next chapter is on the tension between holiness and hedonism. Music with Southern roots exalts and celebrates two times in the week that are worlds apart and are very close to each other — Saturday night and Sunday morning. A recent example of this is the song Boondocks by Little Big Town — …
High Praise from Publishers Who Passed
I recently announced that Evangellyfish was coming soon. Also coming soon will be an explanation of exactly how and in what form it will be coming soon. In short, prior to publication (which will be soon) there will be more teasers, explanations, and glimpses of the characters. Do books have trailers? If so, there will …