Reformation21

I have noticed that European students of theology are usually far better linguists than North American students. This often comes down to the rigour of their linguistic education in high school. A lot of us spend our time catching up in our twenties rather than beginning in our early teens. If you...

Adam broke the ten commandments in the Garden . But Christ kept the ten commandments in the "wilderness," under far more intense circumstances than what was originally required of Adam. He kept the first commandment. He brought glory to God the Father while he was on earth (Jn. 17:4). He feared,...

Some time in the autumn of 379, Gregory of Nazianzus answered the summons issued by the Synod of Antioch to take up residence in Constantinople. His job description was clear: to promote the Nicene faith in a city given over to Arianism. Gregory soon established the Church of the Resurrection and,...

As some will no doubt be preaching on Christ's death on Friday, there is one hugely important theological fact that must be kept uppermost in our minds as we consider his death on the cross. If we do not understand Christ's death as voluntary then we do not understand his death. Jesus himself...

Last year I forgot it was Easters, likely due to the fact that I had just returned home from South Africa and was jet-lagged. I prepared my sermon on Genesis, and only realized when it was too late that it was Easters. Foolishly, I told the congregation: "I forgot it was Easter and thought about...

"I come to the right of interpreting [the Bible], which they arrogate to themselves.... It is theirs, they say, to give the meaning of Scripture, and we must acquiesce." Thus Calvin summarizes the fourth and final point of Trent's teaching on Scripture. Trent's words were as follows: "No man... [...

I am delighted to get my hands on the first volume of a projected ten-volume set, The Works of William Perkins . Perkins was one of those phenomenal proto-Puritans, in this instance a man often called "the father of Puritanism." While for some that is reason for opprobrium of the nastiest sort, for...

Here is another question that did not get answered in the Grand Rapids PCRT: "A recent conversation with a family member centered around whether we still need to have a civil license of marriage since the government of states are redefining marriage. Is it okay to be "married in the eyes of the...

The final part of an interview with Sandy Finlayson, ( part 1 , part 2 ) on his two books ' Unity and Diversity ' and ' Bitesize Biography - Thomas Chalmers ' These men accomplished an enormous amount, as I read the book I was exhausted at just how devoted to the ministry they were, none seemed to...

According to Carl Braaten, the gospel's claim that God raised Jesus from the dead requires us to address two questions: the question of whether it happened and the question of what happened. The former question--what we might call, "the apologetic question," is vital for if God did not raise Jesus...