This Lord’s Day we are commemorating the beginning of the great Reformation of the 16th century. It is fitting, therefore, that we take this opportunity to begin our study of the book of Galatians, that great charter of Christian freedom. We need to stand fast in the liberty Christ brought to us, and we must …
Suicidal Syncretism
As Deuteronomy provides commentary on the ten commandments, the fifth commandment is next. We see here the teaching of the law on all questions of human authority. And we should notice first that the common Puritan practice of ordering all questions of law under the heading of the ten commandments is here supported (e.g. the …
No Voice
“Islamists control nearly every major American Muslim organization, as well as a large and perhaps growing majority of mosques, weekly newspapers, and communal organizations. As a result, they dominate the discourse. In contrast to countries like Turkey and Egypt, where a lively debate takes place between moderates and Islamists, the former hardly have a voice …
Morals Are Not Always Proper
“Modern Christians should not mistake their post-Victorian sense of propriety for moral purity” (Gene Edward Veith, Reading Between the Lines, p. 38).
Will That Be On the Test?
“‘Ah,’ we say, ‘but our doctrinal hobby horse isn’t in view in Romans 14. The Greek indicates . . . ‘ Whatever the secondary issue we use to harass our brothers may be, we must guard our hearts. ‘But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for …
A Second Battle of Tours (7)
Introduction: The Bible teaches us that God’s ways are not ours, and that God’s wisdom is folly to man, and that man’s wisdom is folly to God. Worldliness is therefore not to be thought of as shot full of vice (although in the long run it always is), but rather as something shot full of …
Winning Through Intimidation
“During the decade since 1989, militant Islamic efforts to silence those who critique Islam or Muslims have had impressive results . . . More impressive than these acts of terror, however, has been the way Islamists have changed the discussion of Islam around the world. In Muslim-majority countries, it has become virtually impossible to comment …
Holy, not Evil
“Sexuality is for the private intimacy of marriage, not for public eyes. Striptease shows are obscene, not because nudity is wrong but because nudity is private. To pay a woman to take her clothes off in front of crowds of ogling men is to violate her in a very brutal way. Public sex is obscene, …
Some Other Food Group
“We must consequently know our Bibles, because sometimes doctrinal issues of the greatest moment can hang on apparently trivial matters. Paul faced down Peter at Antioch because the gospel was at stake in Peter’s avoidance of certain dinner companions. Other issues are apparently trivial because they are, well, trivial. When forbidden to destroy our brother …
Vantage Theology
For creatures, there is no such thing as a “view from everywhere,” and this is especially true in theology. One of the problems that happens with people who do decretal theology all the time is that this can be forgotten, and we begin to assume that we do have the ultimate vantage point for our …