A Gracious Response to Concerns About Grace
I am happy to provide a response to some of the concerns made by Rick Phillips. He agrees with me on merit, which was what my two posts were really about. So I am glad for our agreement on that.…
Category Reformation21
Grace, the Two Covenants, and Merit
Mark Jones’ posts (here and here) regarding grace as pertains to the covenants of works and grace raise some perennial questions in covenant theology. As I read Mark, a number of concerns come to my mind, which I offer in…
Calvin contra Thomas (and most Reformed folk) on the merit of Christ
Shamelessly stealing Aaron’s “Calvin contra . . .” title form while trying to slip into Mark’s stream of interest in merit, I thought this might be a good time to indulge a little excursion in Reformed diversity by noting Calvin’s…
Can Humans Merit Before God? (2 of 2)
Part 1 here. Westminster Seminary California Professor, David VanDrunen, critiques Norman Shepherd for rejecting Adamic merit: “It is not difficult to see how such a view, if taken seriously, makes belief in Christ’s active, imputed obedience impossible. If image bearers…
What’s the function of unction?
One of my favourite philosophers, Inigo Montoya, said to Vizzini ”You keep using that word, I do not think it means what you think it means” I expect with the upcoming release of the Lloyd Jones documentary there will again…
Visit the all new AllianceNet.org!
The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals has a long history. Much of its recent history has been on the Internet. The first AllianceNet was built in 1997, reformation21.org in 2005 and PlaceforTruth.org, ChristwardCollective.org, and MortificationofSpin.org just last year. Go now to visit AllianceNet.org –…
Can Humans Merit Before God? (1 of 2)
Some recent defenders of justification by faith have appealed to the concept of Adamic merit because of what they perceive to be the obvious parallels between Adam and Christ. Christ merited as the second Adam, ergo… How do we understand…
The Terrible Speed of Mercy
Jonathan Rogers, The Terrible Speed of Mercy: A Spiritual Biography of Flannery O’Connor. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2012. xviii+186, $15.99. Given Flannery O’Connor’s hallowed standing in American Literature and the undeniable influence she continues to have on artists and theologians of…
Pastoral Collegiality and Accountability in Calvin’s Geneva
In a New York Times’ article from August 2010, Paul Vitello described the serious difficulties faced by many Christian ministers in America today: “Members of the clergy now suffer from obesity, hypertension and depression at rates higher than most Americans.…
Pastoral Collegiality and Accountability in Calvin’s Geneva
In a New York Times’ article from August 2010, Paul Vitello described the serious difficulties faced by many Christian ministers in America today: “Members of the clergy now suffer from obesity, hypertension and depression at rates higher than most Americans.…