Reformation21

In our judgments of individuals, the Scriptures offer various binaries: one is either a child of God or a child of the devil (Jn. 1:12; 8:44; 1 Jn. 3:8–12; Matt. 13:38); one either has the Spirit of Christ or does not have the Spirit of Christ (Rom. 8:9); one either walks in darkness or in the...

To the American fashion industry: I am both amazed and appalled. Somehow, you have managed to make America clothed and nude at the same time. And you convinced mainstream culture that it is acceptable. You glorify and splash across the front pages the women who wear see-through dresses to the Met...

It is difficult to argue against the claim that Princeton Theological Seminary of Princeton, New Jersey occupied a—if not the —principal position of influence in shaping American Reformed Christianity in the nineteenth century. The years between its founding in 1812 and the resignation of Dr. J...

Jack is not going to seminary. He has a good job, he is settled in his local church, and he wants to minister in his home state, preferably his hometown. Staying put permits him to help in his local church and to build connections he’ll need in the future. Jack will get his book learning from...

My friends talk a lot these days about how to spend more time with others in person. We sincerely wish we could be more present with the people we care about most. And we all acknowledge that our screens get in the way. We want to be personally attentive, but battle the incessant magnetism of our...

Following the tumultuous years of the mid-Seventeenth Century, two titans of English Puritanism left an especially enduring imprint upon church history. For centuries, many Protestant ministers have dedicated feet—yes, feet —of shelf-space to the published works of both John Owen (1616-83) and...

What is the relationship between the creation/cultural mandate in Genesis and God’s intended role for his redeemed people in the new covenant? In Genesis 1, God creates humanity in his image and gives them a task to “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion” (1:...

Over the past 10 years, I’ve been examined by 4 different presbyteries. These have been profoundly edifying experiences that have deepened my love for the brethren and biblical polity. While each presbytery’s exam had its own flavor, a unique blend mixed from past controversies within and...

“What, are you some kind of religious nut?” A stranger in a coffee shop had been sighing repeatedly, and I could tell that she clearly wanted to talk. She asked me if I was religious nut right after I told her that I would pray for her. Had this conversation occurred a few weeks before, I would...

A Tragic Reality in the Church – A Fallen Pastor: The Church of Jesus Christ is not perfect. While the invisible Church is perfect and flawless, awaiting its arrival in the New Heaven and the New Earth, the visible church on earth is marked by many weaknesses and imperfections. For example,...