“This chapter contains a most memorable narrative.” Thus Calvin introduces his readers to Gen. 22, that text which records God’s instruction to Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac, the long-awaited fulfillment of God’s promise and source of Abraham’s profound joy.…
Ed Shaw. Same-Sex Attraction and the Church: The Surprising Plausibility of the Celibate Life. Downer’s Grove: Intervarsity Press, 2015. 172 pages. $16.00. For far too long in this country it has seemed possible to enjoy both the Christian life and…
Ed Shaw. Same-Sex Attraction and the Church: The Surprising Plausibility of the Celibate Life. Downer’s Grove: Intervarsity Press, 2015. 172 pages. $16.00. For far too long in this country it has seemed possible to enjoy both the Christian life and…
Having read a number of assessments of the 44th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), it occurs to me that one’s perspective, as usual, has a shaping effect on one’s view. My own perspective arises largely from having…
Last year at the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) 2015 General Assembly, a personal resolution on racial reconciliation was submitted. Drs. Sean Michael Lucas and Ligon Duncan provided the denomination with an opportunity to confess and forsake the sins committed…
By and large I have stayed out of the politics of the General Assembly (GA) for the past 34 years. Because I pastor at an independent Presbyterian church, I have not been motivated to educate myself–in a significant way–about the…
Over the past 150 years or so, there has been a biblical theological development in our understanding of Paul’s use of the σαρκ/πνεύμα (i.e. flesh/Spirit) distinction–specifically in relation to the Person and work of Christ. The most significant passage in this regard…
First a confession, I rarely read blogs–especially Christian ones. My reason is simple; blogs are no kind of forum for engaging in thoughtful, reflective, analytical and measured theological discourse. No doubt some do it wisely, even brilliantly; most do it…
There can be little doubt that in years to come, when historians look back on our generation, the challenge of cultural pressure on the church will loom large. First, the theory of evolution challenged the Christian doctrine of God as…
Rules, rules, rules The Westminster Assembly had taken upon itself the wonderful but formidable task of examining preachers for ministry in the church. By mid-autumn of 1643 the assembly recognized that it needed to further clarify and solidify its procedures…
