temptation

Same-Sex Attraction as Sin

Mark Jones
Mar 13, 2023
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...

Theodore Sedgwick Wright – A Voice for the Slaves

Simonetta Carr
Jul 7, 2020
Theodore Sedgwick Wright – A Voice for the Slaves Theodore Sedgwick Wright, the first African American graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary, returned to his Alma Mater in 1836 to attend the annual commencement ceremony. He didn’t know, as he entered the hall, what a measure of self-control he...

Keeping Desire and Temptation in Their Place

Richard D. Phillips
Aug 23, 2019
In the history of theological debate, one of the most important steps towards doctrinal clarity involves getting the terminology right. The ancient church sorted through the Trinitarian debate by clarifying the distinction between "essence" and "person." Likewise, the Reformation haggled over the...

Tempted From Without, Yet Without Sin

Daniel Schrock
Dec 28, 2018
"...real temptation could not come to Jesus from within but only from without..." - Herman Bavinck, Reformed Dogmatics, 3:315 Back in 2015 Sam Alberry and Denny Burke sat down for a Q & A Session at Boyce College engaging issues of ministry to the LGBT community. It is a very pastorally...

Tempted From Without, Yet Without Sin

Daniel Schrock
Dec 28, 2018
"...real temptation could not come to Jesus from within but only from without..." - Herman Bavinck, Reformed Dogmatics, 3:315 Back in 2015 Sam Alberry and Denny Burke sat down for a Q & A Session at Boyce College engaging issues of ministry to the LGBT community. It is a very pastorally...

Of Fire Extinguishers and Temptation

Donny Friederichsen
Dec 14, 2018
In the state of New Jersey, in order for a certificate of occupancy to be issued, a fire extinguisher is required to be placed within 10 feet of the kitchen in every single or two family dwelling. We have one mounted on the wall just around the corner from our stove and oven. I know where it is. I...

Being Pence-ive about Dinner with the Ladies

Adam Parker
Apr 1, 2017
Adultery among any people group is a serious and dreadful act in this fallen world. In fact, in an increasingly fatherless culture where divorce is becoming more and more the rule rather than the exception, one would argue that this is empirically verifiable. When a pastor, who is supposed to be...

"The Labyrinth of Temptation": Calvin on Genesis 22

Aaron Denlinger
Jul 6, 2016
"This chapter contains a most memorable narrative." Thus Calvin introduces his readers to Gen. 22, that text which records God's instruction to Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac, the long-awaited fulfillment of God's promise and source of Abraham's profound joy. Calvin's subsequent comments on...

The Adversary and the Intercessor

Caleb Cangelosi
Jun 7, 2016
I love the hymn "Jesus, What a Friend for Sinners" - but one line makes me uncomfortable every time I sing it: "Jesus! What a strength in weakness! Let me hide myself in him; tempted, tried, and sometimes failing , he, my strength, my vict'ry wins." Sometimes failing? How about many times...often...

A Virtual Reality Check

Caleb Cangelosi
Apr 25, 2016
Just a few weeks ago, the Oculus Rift started shipping out its Kickstarter units . These virtual reality (VR) headsets have been anticipated for years, especially since Facebook bought the parent company in 2014 . At the risk of using a tired word, this new technology will likely become disruptive...