Posts by Mark Jones

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Justification by faith alone. Sounds simple enough, and in some respects it is. In the PCA we admit people into membership who acknowledge they are sinners and trust in Christ alone for salvation. In a certain sense, we are requiring that they understand the doctrine of justification. But we are...
Steve Lawson has been removed from ministry at Trinity Bible Church of Dallas due to an inappropriate relationship with a woman who is not his wife. Other places he is affiliated with have acted swiftly to remove him from his duties (e.g., Ligonier, The Masters Seminary, OnePassion Ministries)...
Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers (Crossway, 2020), by Dane Ortlund, has been very well received in the broader Reformed and evangelical world. I was asked to review this book years ago, but it seemed that any form of engagement other than full appreciation was going...
Occasionally, I see and hear comments about the relationship between Reformed theology and the pagan world. Some are nervous and hesitant to appreciate non-Christian authors whereas others sometimes express deep appreciation and admiration for those who do not profess the faith but say things that...
Context, Context, Context Christians can be guilty of making pithy statements of a theological nature that require a lot of explanation for the phrase to be accurate. If an explanation is not offered, we are sometimes demanding a lot of the reader to put all the pieces together. And readers aren’t...
Strategically, Satan can do a great deal of harm to the church when he can play a role in the fall of a pastor. Pastors therefore should understand they are the special objects of attack (Zech. 13:7). But they should also remember the powerful presence of indwelling sin will mean they are never...
One of the most disinteresting comments that can come from a pastor’s mouth when asked how he’s doing is, “I’m so busy.” It is not only disinteresting, but if he has a habit of saying that each time he’s asked about his ministry, he may be, either implicitly or explicitly, suggesting that God is a...
In recent years I have heard and read various criticisms of the Puritans and (rather surprisingly) Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress . Bunyan’s “dream” is certainly not a perfect system of theology by any stretch of the imagination, but if it leaves you cold then I would be very interested in what makes...
Are you a cheap pastor on social media? There is a phenomenon on social media where someone will offer a command, framed as helpful advice, to an audience who are not likely to be people with whom they have any meaningful relationship. But the nature of their advice is such that a meaningful...
On a recent visit to a bookstore in Gothenburg, I came across an early edition of Bonaventure’s commentary on Lombard’s Sentences . The following week in Copenhagen I bought a 1586 edition of Thomas’s Summa . Re-visiting those works caused me to ask myself, “Where have all the theologians gone...
There are certain acceptable public sins in the Reformed world. In my experience, flattery is the acceptable sin on the popular conference circuit and in social media circles where people are angling for approval from their superiors. If you want to hear a good obituary of a living person, listen...
Editor's note: this is part 3 of Raising (Covenant) Children Well. You can read part 1 here and part 2 here. Enjoy and be challenged. Friends Closer than a Brother The value of baptism depends, first, on a proper understanding of the sacrament; second, the promises contained in baptism must be...
Editor's note: this is part 2 of Raising (Covenant) Children Well. You can read it here. Enjoy and be challenged. Children of believers are to be baptized because they are covenant members, heirs of the promise that God made to be their God. Fellowship with Christ and his body technically occur...
There are two books I have vowed never to write: a book on marriage and a book on raising children well. Most, I am sure, can understand why one might have some trepidation writing on those topics. But, as a Presbyterian pastor, husband, and father of four, I cannot be altogether silent on these...
“Wood drastically” – “Wood ‘drastically underestimates the impact of social distinctions predicated upon wealth, especially inherited wealth.’ You got that from Vickers, ‘Work in Essex County,’ page 98, right? Yeah, I read that too. Were you gonna plagiarize the whole thing for us? Do you have any...
There’s a great deal of confusion about the nature of temptation and same-sex attraction. Many Christians, even pastors and theologians, some of whom are ostensibly Reformed, believe that same-sex temptation is not a sin. For them, sin only occurs when the act itself takes place. Others affirm that...
Having been unable to see my friend, who lives just across the border from me, for roughly two years during Covid-19, I was a little startled when we met and he immediately said to me, “you got grey.” I had, in fact, developed a lot of grey hair, no doubt because of the amount of stress caused by...
Who died on the Cross? Did the Second Person of the Trinity die on the cross? We affirm. (But not all of us) I recently read an argument by R.C. Sproul that suggested we should not say the second person of the Trinity died because that would be a mutation within the very being of God. It was argued...
One of the most publicly and socially acceptable sins is flattery. That's why it is also such a dangerous sin. Consider this Yiddish proverb: "Flattery makes friends and truth makes enemies." But the friends made by flattery are not worth having at all. True friendship comes through hard work, but...
"If you want to know who rules over you, find out who you are not allowed to criticize" - Voltaire If the three sisters of grace are faith, hope, and love, we may also say the three sisters of the flesh are sex, power, and money. Years ago, I was warned about these sisters of the flesh. We are all...
The response to my piece on the Ligonier statement was interesting. So far I haven't seen any critical engagement with the content of my criticisms, though many have asked why I did not also critique the statement for not affirming the eternal generation of the Son. I suppose I could also have...
Ligonier Ministries have produced a Creed, as well as Affirmations and Denials, with a focus on Christology - a "Christology Statement" . While I wonder what possible ecclesiastical authority a Creed can have when offered by a parachurch organization, I think their instincts to defend the truth are...
Likeness is the ground of delight; God loves himself for his own holiness, and they are best loved and liked that are most holy. - Manton Can God's love for us increase? We can answer this question - as indeed we can regarding most theological questions - with both a "yes" and a "no". There are...
Most pastoral situations involving sin are quite complex. For example, when someone tells me about a person who got a divorce and then they proceed to ask me whether I think there were biblical grounds, I almost always refuse to answer the question. Even slam-dunk cases are sometimes not as simple...
I'm off to South Africa to give a series of lectures in Cape Town at a new seminary that has been started in Hout Bay. This "township" (Imizamo Yethu) is literally next door to our new campus, which is an exciting prospect for a number of reasons. After reading this piece, which I am in agreement...
I'm currently editing a book with Michael Haykin on intra-Reformed debates in the Long Eighteenth Century (1688 to 1815). It is a sort of companion to this book , and part of a life-long project of mine where I want to highlight theological debates over the centuries to give readers a better...
If I, or an angel from heaven, should criticize the Marrow or the Marrow Men, let us be anathema. Imagine reading my post yesterday and coming to the following conclusions: That I was suggesting Thomas Boston was not orthodox in his covenant theology. That this is what the moralists always do:...
I believe the Marrow of Modern Divinity will receive some more attention in 2016 due to the publication of Sinclair Ferguson's new book . I have just finished it and in the book, Ferguson makes many wonderful and much-needed pastoral insights. His book also got me thinking some more about The...
Christians affirm that God is good, but just how good is God? We can speak of him being "infinitely good" but that still doesn't help the person in the pew much. People need specifics. Is it possible that God could show more goodness to his people than to his beloved Son? Think of the truth that...
If there's one thing I dislike a lot more than antinomianism, it is legalism. Legalism has many forms , and very often can come across as sanctimonious, which is why it is so lethal. Legalism often rears its ugly head in American churches concerning the matter of alcohol. This article here (getting...
Most of the time we should ignore the ugliness on twitter where people say or imply things that simply don't deserve a response. But occasionally one needs to draw attention to the silliness that goes on from time to time, if only to keep others from joining in such foolishness. Many months ago I...
Soon many will begin re-reading the Bible from cover-to-cover throughout the year. This is a practice I heartily commend. But there's another practice that has been immensely beneficial to me as I've read portions of God's word in recent times. As I read the various commands Christ gave to his...
From Muller's preface: "In the preface to the two volumes of Reformed Dogmatics, dated October 31, 1931, Berkhof notes his use of Bavinck but registers especially the importance of the theology of Geerhardus Vos to his own development." Louis Berkhof has never thrilled me as a systematician. Herman...
We come to that time of year when many Christians celebrate the incarnation of the Son of God. In thinking about and meditating on the incarnation, below are some truths to keep in mind. The incarnation has been called the miracle of all miracles. No one but God could have imagined such a "work"...
"There are two motives for reading a book; one, that you enjoy it; the other, that you can boast about it." - Bertrand Russell I've noted, with some degree of envy, the lists of pastors and others who speak of their top ten favorite books they've read this year. To be honest, I don't think I could...
After our post on the Top Ten Seminaries in 2015 , we bring you the top 10 denominations of 2015. Separate Category: PCA Progressives : "Denominations" are so 1990s. They transcend denominational boundaries. Disqualified: Southern Baptist Convention : Two Words: Steven Furtick. ACTS29 : Two words:...
Here at Reformation21 we skip the best books of the year and instead give you the "Top Ten Seminaries of 2015." All of these seminaries provide a good theological education, especially when compared to what one finds in the rest of the world. America is spoiled for riches. Honorable Mention: MARS:...
What makes someone a heretic? This topic may be more important than we might think, especially in the world of online discourse. There is a distinction between willfully committing a soul-destroying heresy and committing a theological error. To call someone a "false teacher" is to say they are...
Connecting Christ and the Proverbs isn't so easy. How do we read the book of Proverbs as Christians in a way that would distinguish us from how a Jew might read the same book? Also, why then was the book of Proverbs written? In understanding Christ in relation to Proverbs we need to understand...
One of the most common errors I encounter among students of theology concerns what happened to Christ after he ascended. A surprising amount of Christians seem to think that Jesus no longer needs his humanity now in heaven. The most crass version, which I have heard with my own ears, suggests that...
A class of churchmen is emerging in Reformed circles that excites me. They are called Reformed catholics (or Reformed irenics ), the term preferred by many of the great Protestant scholastics who didn't care much for the term "Calvinist". Reformed catholics differ from the so-called progressives...
If a preacher had one sermon to preach to unbelievers he would likely preach something that follows the Apostolic pattern in the book of Acts. But what about when faced with the chance to give just one message to those who are Christians? Here there is, naturally, a lot more liberty. Usually, when...
Answering who is your best friend is a little like answering who is your favorite character in the Bible. The rules of theology (rightly) demand that we answer the latter question with the name that is above every name. And the rules of society today seem to demand that we answer the first question...
At the church where I minister, we have a morning and an evening service, both of which are practically identical in their order and form. As far as I am aware, we are one of the few Presbyterian churches in Canada who have both services on the Lord's Day. In America, from what I am told, more and...
I have a work in progress, defending the Reformed doctrine of justification by faith alone. In this work I am trying to make it as pastoral as possible for the average layman in the church to benefit from in his mind and heart. Some treatments can be a little dry, even if they are solid. I hope...
Never say "never", and never say "always" when making a claim about the Reformed tradition. That's rule number one, and it can save you from a lot of embarrassment. I plan to post on this in the future and bring into light some Reformed voices who have made bold claims in an attempt to cast...
Part 1: Justification by Precision Alone? Part 2: Act and Habit of Faith Part 3: Justification is an act that cannot be revoked Part 4: Arminian vs. Reformed on justification Part 5: One or Two Justifications? Part 6: Judgment According to Works (see below) It is well nigh impossible to deny that...
"And a good work it is, no doubt, to pare off all unnecessary occasions of debate and differences in religion, provided we go not so near the quick as to let out any of its vital spirits." John Owen Part 1: Justification by Precision Alone? Part 2: Act and Habit of Faith Part 3: Justification is an...
Our readers may be interested in this video, which looks at topics such as Cultivating Awe in the Presence of God, Christian Meditation and Knowing Christ. J.I. Packer is always worth listening to. We did manage to talk about his writing style, but, alas, that part of the conversation is (sadly)...
Prayer is not easy. I find that true myself, but others whom I respect have also given testimony to the difficulty of prayer. Some chaps make it sound easy; if they spend hours a day in the tent of meeting, they probably have their computer in the tent with them. Consider the following testimonies...