Covenant Theology

Theoretical-Practical Theology One admirer has said that Petrus Van Mastricht’s works were the best thing ever written in any language, short of the Bible itself. That is indeed a high compliment! Jonathan and James have invited Dr. Joel Beeke to talk about the translation of Mastricht’s...
In a 1986 speech President Ronald Reagan said, “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: ‘I’m from the government, and I'm here to help.’” A lot of Americans appreciated Reagan’s humorous point because sometimes government does more to harm than to help. Many Americans, however,...
It is never easy to watch someone walk away from their profession of faith in Christ. It is never easy to go through the disciplinary process which may culminate in excommunication. It’s never easy and it is always painful. And when one and likely both of these things happen you can’t help but...
I did not grow up reciting the Apostles' Creed. In fact, my first exposure was during my freshman year in college when I visited a PCA church. As a “no creed but the Bible” kind of gal, I didn't quite know what to make of it or the reformed order of worship. I ended up going elsewhere. If I had...
During the ancient Apostles’ Creed’s [1] development over time into one of the Church’s first sanctioned statements of faith some of its phrases were inserted along the way into the completion of its final form; yet the belief of “the forgiveness of sins” was an initial part of this earliest...
As we further explore what it means to ‘preach Christ from all the Scriptures’, another key strand is to remind ourselves of the first of his threefold offices. He is not only our Priest and King; but he is primarily God’s great Prophet. It is his business to make God known. The expectation that a...
Some Influential Preachers Jonathan and James share today about the preachers who have the greatest influence on their personal lives and ministry, and the qualities that make these preachers so remarkable. Whether a Baptist, Presbyterian, or Anglican minister, there is much in common between...
In the late 1990s, my wife and I persuaded a widowed neighbor to join us one Sunday at the faithful Presbyterian church downtown. A standout preacher of the Reformed faith was filling the pulpit. Our neighbor, a serious believer, liked the preaching well enough. It was the recitation of the Apostle...
In the two preceding articles on what it means to ‘preach Christ’ we have already noted the connection between God’s promise of salvation and the covenant he made with Abraham in relation to his seed. However, the question arises as to with whom exactly was this covenant made and by whom it is...
It can be easy to become atomistic in the way we handle the Bible. By this I mean that we can unwittingly break its message down into its component parts in a way that fails to appreciate its organic unity. Even though, as the Westminster Confession of Faith indicates, it does indeed have many ‘...