Reformation21

On May 6 th , 1527 -- 488 years ago today -- military troops of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, sacked the ecclesiastical capital of Western Christendom, la città eterna , Rome. Sacking Rome was the "thing to do" (as they say) for much of Western history. Everybody who was anybody did it at some...

Updated: response to Professor Helm below. When we speak of grace, hell, heaven, etc., we must not merely speak in generalities, but as specific as the Scriptures allow us, which includes good and necessary consequences (Matt. 22:32). Someone may reference the horrors of hell or the happiness of...

Reformed ministers of the past ordinarily paid some attention to things like riots in the streets of their cities, and spoke and wrote on them with force at times. Granted, some of those riots were over religious issues, but not all of them. Either way, it is fitting that we devote at least a long...

I've been meaning to write a book on important theological distinctions and how they can be of practical use to ministers and lay Christians. In the past I've discussed the distinction between God's absolute power and God's ordained power . Today I want to talk about the distinction between the act...

As the Supreme Court deliberates on the question of homosexual marriage, American Christians are bracing for a level of government persecution yet unknown to us. The fear is that with homosexuality declared a constitutional right, opposition will officially be akin to racism. Under such a ruling,...

There are many acts of extraordinary faith in the Bible. The one that has impressed me the most concerns the dying thief on the cross. We could take the approach that he had nothing to lose, so he decided to cast his lot with Jesus. But this makes absolutely no sense of the text and the context. In...

I have been generally impressed by the way the brethren have conducted themselves over the past several days at Ref21 in debating vital issues regarding the presence of grace and merit in the covenant of works. I do not offer this post, therefore, as a direct (or indirect) corrective to any of our...

I've enjoyed the recent interaction between Mark Jones and Rick Phillips on the question of whether divine grace informed the covenant of works. I've also appreciated the generally cordial spirit of their interaction. As both Mark and Rick know (and have reminded us), confessional theological...

I expect in your church family your leaders implore you quite often to come to the Central Prayer Gathering. It may be that you wonder why they make such a big deal about it. Here are some reasons why it is a big deal and it's worth being there. these are written in no particular order! 1. It tells...

Let me express my appreciation to Mark Jones for his gracious reply to my concerns regarding his previous two posts. Mark and I are covering ground that is familiar to us both and to others who have read more than a little covenant theology. Part of my concern is that many of our readers may not...