Few people, this side of eternity, can claim to have known Jesus like the Apostle Paul did. Yet, not as a man outside of Christ, but as a man "in Christ," Paul considered everything apart from Christ as "dung" because he knew Jesus. Indeed, as a man sometimes privy to direct revelation from God,...

Comments are not allowed here at Reformation21. Why? Well, someone has to be in charge of editing out all of the stupid, vitriolic, inane, off-topic, and poorly worded comments that appear with great regularity on blogs that sometimes discuss controversial issues. If those wishing to comment are...

"The Just [One] Shall Live by Faith" The top men here at the Alliance are not happy with me. I posted my piece on the covenant of works on a day that does not maximize top viewing. My apologies. It will never happen again. Here is my penance: a "Part Deux" to the previous post. Did Jesus, like Adam...

Sorry, glitch with the first post. Had to republish this again. "Virtually all of the Reformed theologians of the era recognized, albeit in varying degrees, that there could be no relationship between God and the finite, mutable creature apart from grace. This was also the burden of the medieval...

A regrettable piece was published on the Aquila report concerning the Reformed doctrine of republication. I honestly didn't know whether to laugh or cry. In it the author claims that the views of Meredith G. Kline represent "historic, mainstream Reformed federalism, espoused from the time of the...

What does the holiness of the minister have to do with the efficacy of the preached Word? Are we falling into a Donatist error (from Donatus who re-baptized clergy who had lapsed in the Great Persecution, A.D. 303-305) by insisting that the holiness of the minister has some sort of causal...

Years ago I was asked the following question by someone who holds to exclusive Psalmody: "Do you think it is better to sing God's words or man's words?" My answer: we should never sing man's words. But I say this as someone who sings hymns (e.g., "Be Thou My Vision"). As much as I love "Shine,...

At an OPC youth camp over a year ago I had the privilege of addressing young men and women on the topic of masturbation, among other topics (e.g., Machen, Machen, and more Machen). As some of you may know, the OPC are notorious for letting the PCA do their theological dirty-work. But I digress.....

Ne Mihi Suffenus essem - Not to be my own Suffenus "Duller is he than country dullness' self, Once he takes pen in hand, yet ne'er so happy As when he scribbles verse; then is he all Self-admiration and self-centered bliss." Because of the internet, and thus the ability to "self-publish", there are...

Just who were the Puritans? Was Jonathan Edwards a Puritan? Was Matthew Henry a Puritan? Is Nacho Libre a Puritan? The answers to these questions are not uniform, but I think that once we answer the first question the following questions answer themselves. Around 1564 the term "Puritan" emerged,...

"...nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all" (Eccl. 9:11). PhD's are becoming more and more common, particularly in the church. For those in the church wishing to pursue postgraduate studies, here are a few questions for you to wrestle with: Have your seminary...

If you are a Christian parent with young children, do you consider your children to be Christians? There were some lively debates at the Westminster Assembly. One took place over the precise meaning of 1 Corinthians 7:14, where children are described as "holy" (see Chad van Dixhoorn's work , volume...

As part of my series on practical Christology, I have asked: "How may I know Christ loves me?" and "Why is Heaven eternal? " The answers to these questions do not belong only to theologians and pastors, but especially also to God's people. In preparation for a forthcoming book, titled "Knowing...

What do you think about writing new confessions? John Owen was a big fan of writing new confessions. Ryan Kelly has an excellent chapter on this topic in the The Ashgate Research Companion to John Owen's Theology , with conclusions that may surprise some Presbyterians! A number of confessions were...