I find it interesting that proponents of the New Perspective on Paul act as though their interpretation of “works of the law” is altogether new or different from anyone in history prior to Krister Stendahl or perhaps George Howard, when in reality, men like Jonathan Edwards, 250 years prior, anticipated the argument that Paul is doing something other than combating Jewish legalism when he uses the phrase “works of the law” in contrast with “faith in Christ.” Supporters of NPP have not sufficiently come to terms with the fact that …

When I was in seminary I was assigned to read John MacLeod’s Scottish Theology in Relation to Church History which proved to be one of the most important works I have read to this day. After begrudgingly dragging myself through four chapters of the names of Scottish towns I still cannot pronounce, I suddenly began to understand the immeasurable value of Macleod’s work. Theologians and pastors, many of whom have been long since forgotten, were mentioned together with major works and portions of their sermons or lectures. I began searching …

We recently interviewed Darryl Hart, adjunct Professor of Church History at Westminster Seminary California, over at Christ the Center. We talked with him about J. Gresham Machen in relation to the modernist controversy, his interaction with colleagues, and his ministry in the church and academy. You can listen to this interview here. Dr. Hart has written several very helpful books. While he has written, or been a contributor for, many helpful books I would recommend those found here, here, here, here, and here. Other Christ the Center programs can be …

As I continue to make my way through John Carrick’s new volume, The Preaching of Jonathan Edwards, I am continually astounded at the Northampton pastor-theologian’s preaching skills. A particularly interesting chapter for me was the one on Edwards’ sermon delivery. Edwards has the reputation of reading his sermon manuscripts from the pulpit looking up from the sacred desk every once in awhile to gaze at the church bell rope! This is one of those myths that refuses to die, even in the face of overwhelming evidence, but …

Many months ago I posted some recommendations on a few biblical theological works, hard to find but theologically superb. Because blog posts get lost in the mix, I thought I would re-post this one for readers. You can read the Biblical Theological Recommendation post here. You can find the other posts in the series Of Making Many Books There is No End here.

In a world full of needs and cares, lights and entertainment, and every imaginable activity under the sun there is a word in Scripture that is fitting for all Christians living in the Western world in the 21st Century. At the beginning of Deuteronomy 6 we find the starting place in understanding what is to be the focus and goal of our lives. Moses writes, “Jehovah our God, Jehovah is One. You shall love Jehovah your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength…” As revelation unfolds, and …

I have always loved the way Eric Alexander puts things. As I was preparing my sermon on Ephesians 2:4-7 I came across this statement in a sermon he delivered on Ephesians 2 at Urbana in 1984:

The New Testament ransacks the universe for comparisons that will be adequate to describe what has happened to us when we became God’s children. And the only two possible comparisons are the creation of the universe at the beginning and the resurrection of Jesus on the third day. So Paul says the same God who …

I recently happened across a critique of a prominent Pentecostal movement in America (due to the lamentable indoctrination of a good friend). In doing so, I discovered this very helpful magazine a group of British professors, pastors, and teachers had been publishing for a number of years. The purpose of the magazine was to raise awareness, in the Christian community, of false teaching and movements towards apostasy in the church today. I found the reviews by Neil Richardson to be exceptionally helpful. The last issue published in Vanguard Magazine was …

Here is the link to sermons preached by Philip Graham Ryken, in 1996 and 1997, at College Church in Wheaton, IL. You can also find several D.A. Carson sermons, preached at College Church, here. When you follow the link go to “speaker” search, select the names above, and hit the magnifying glass link button below the speaker name. This will bring up all the sermons that they preached at College Church.

Jeff Jue, Associate Professor of church history at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, spoke with us about the issues of eschatology in the theology of the Westminster Divines. Dr. Jue did his doctoral work on this subject at the University of Aberdeen.1 Jue argues that our understanding of the eschatology of many of the Divines has often been misunderstood. You can find the program here. Dr. Jue’s Doctoral Dissertation can be found here.
[1]Jue, Jeffrey K. Heaven Upon Earth : Joseph Mede \(1586-1638\) and the Legacy of Millenarianism. Dordrecht, The …

It should not surprise us when Christian theologians actually agree with one another. This is especially so when both are understood to be Reformed. It is an interesting fact that Jonathan Edwards and Cornelius Van Til share a view of knowledge or understanding. Here is Van Til’s distinction between true and false knowledge:
The question of knowledge is an ethical question at the root. It is indeed possible to have theoretically correct knowledge about God without loving him. The devil illustrates this point. Yet what …

In the excellent new volume of previously unpublished essays by Herman Bavinck, Essays on Religion, Science and Society, the Dutch theologian offers an analysis of the various views of Christ and Society in the Netherlands in the latter part of the 19th Century–an analysis that is just as relevant today as it was over a century ago. In his essay “Christian Principles and Social Relationships” Bavinck sets down what he believes to be several inadequate expressions of relations between Jesus and society:
Christianity, they say, is born from the social needs …

Within the next few weeks, the last volume of the Yale University Press’ The Works of Jonathan Edwards will finally be published. Begun in 1957 under the general editorship of Perry Miller, the series has taken a full 51 years to reach completion. Even with this volume, however, not all of the material produced by Edwards will find its way into print.
Vol. 26 (which is really the 27th volume because the “Blank Bible” was so large it took up two huge tomes and was designated vol. 24a and 24b), …

Here is an interesting story about ministers and their motives in preaching. I’m not sure its entirely accurate on every level but I do think it is a good reminder of the need to examine motives.

As I have been reading through D.A. Carson’s new book Christ and Culture Revisited I came across a very helpful definition of “culture” that seems to provide a key to understanding the relevance of the Gospel in man’s environment. Richard Neibuhr offers this definition of “culture,” as we typically understand the word “culture:”

Culture is the “artificial, secondary environment” which man superimposes on the natural. It comprises language, habits, ideas, beliefs, customs, social organization, inherited artifacts, technical processes, and values. 1
The key to understanding the relevance of the Gospel …

The most recent Christ the Center episode is online. We had the privilege of interviewing Richard D. Phillips, senior minister of Second Presbyterian Church in Greenville, SC. The topic we chose to discuss with Rev. Phillips was “Cultural Relevance, Mercy Ministry and the Social Gospel.” You can listen to the interview here.
You can also find Rick Phillips’ sermons here.

In a day when we have the privilege of listening to any preacher in the world at the push of a button I find it interesting to know who some of the best preachers in the church listen to. In this video John Piper answers the question, “Who do you listen to?” I think the answer he gives is interesting for two reasons. First, both ministers he mentions are highly doctrinal preachers. Second, both men, he explains, were highly serious men. Listen for yourself:

A few weeks ago I preached a sermon on Ephesians 1:7-10. The end of verse 10 says that Jesus came to reconcile all things in Heaven and on Earth. The really astonishing thing about this statement is the great difference between sinless, pure, and spotless Heaven and fallen, corrupt, defiled Earth. Everything in Heaven is holy and without corruption, everything on Earth is evil and corrupted. But in Christ, these seemingly irreconcilable spheres are reconciled. Jesus Christ, by His blood redeems a people for Himself. But He also redeems creation …

Scott Clark has some helpful thoughts for pastoral search committees or sessions on how to choose the right minister. I suppose its kind of sad that we have to have instruction on something like choosing a pastor. Shouldn’t 1 Timothy 3 suffice? Well, with all the CEO qualifications infiltrating the church I think Dr. Clark makes some important and much needed points. You can read them here.

I am happy to report that I have received this week two new books on Jonathan Edwards. The first is by John Carrick, a professor at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, entitled The Preaching of Jonathan Edwards. This is a substantial, 400+ page volume published by our good friends at Banner of Truth. Carrick analyzes the form and content Edwards’ sermons. I will be blogging on this volume in the days ahead.
The second book I received is A New Inner Relish: Christian Motivation in the Thought …

Thanks to R. Scott Clark for pointing out an article by Steve Baugh on Bibliolatry. I have heard several individuals, looking for more immediate revelation from God, level the charge that Reformed Christians and Fundamentalists worship the Bible by replacing the third Person of the Trinity, the Blessed Holy Spirit, with Scripture. Baugh answers similar charges in this exceptional article. You can read it here.

Dr. Benjamin Shaw, professor of OT at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, has an informative post on the wisdom of Amenemope and Proverbs. For anyone interested in the recent Ancient Near Eastern Literature debates this is an important issue.

We recently interviewed Derek Thomas, Associate Pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Jackson, MS and John Richards Professor of Practical and Systematic Theology at RTS Jackson, over at Christ the Center. Dr. Thomas was kind enough to engage us on questions concerning ministry in the church of Christ and in the academy. You can listen here. Other Christ the Center interveiws can also be found here.

Stephen J. Nichols has written a book that every professing Christian living in America should read. Jesus Made in America: A Cultural History from the Puritans to the Passion of Christ is a masterful work tracing the cultural representations of Jesus in American history. Whether it was Jonathan Edwards, Johnny Cash, or the Jesus People, Jesus of Nazareth has been subject to a broad spectrum of representation. Nichols book is a scholarly, historically detailed and analytical work that leaves the reader wanting to know the real Jesus Christ. In …

Ligonier blog has posted a great article by Carl Trueman on the significance of creeds and confessions. You can read it here.

Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia has released some new documents by two of their faculty members. These docs explain further the recent decisions of the board of Trustees concerning the future of the seminary:
Knowing the Times: Recent Controversies in Context by Carl Trueman Westminster and Evangelicalism by David Garner

First Presbyterian Church in Jackson, MS has an interesting set of sermons by Ligon Duncan on Biblical Priorities:
Our Contemporary Context 2 Timothy 3:1-5Biblical Preaching 2 Timothy 4:1-2How in the World Should We Worship Psalm 29:1-2What’s the Big Deal About Doctrine Titus 1:1-2Biblical Godliness 1 Timothy 6:11Biblical Family Life Deuteronomy 6:4-9 The Biblical Gospel 1 Corinthians 15:1-4The Gospel Applied 1 Corinthians 15:1-4A Biblical Understanding of Conversion Psalm 51:1-19Biblical Evangelism …

I finally finished reading my copy of Collin Hansen’s Young, Restless, Reformed: A Journey with the New Calvinists which you can obtain here. Consider my comments as the viewpoint of one old Calvinist. It seems funny saying that since some of the “new Calvinists” have been Calvinists longer than me! As I have told you before, my criticism of the book is its apparent dismissal of those who have been in the way for some time. We may not be very chique, but that is not …

Harry S. Stout, in the preface to The Works of Jonathan Edwards vol. 22, explained that very early in his ministry Edwards began to be driven by a desire to subject theology to the history of the world. This of course culminated in Edwards masterpiece History of the Work of Redemption. As Stout traced the history of Edwards writings and correspondence in regard to this matter he provided a quote from History of the Work of Redemption in which Edwards acknowledges the method of subjecting theology to its historical outworking. …

As I am continuing to make my way through Collin Hansen’s Young, Restless, Reformed I see that he has finally interacted with what I call the old line or old guard Reformed. On pages 108-114 there is discussion of the relationship of the resurgence in Calvinistic oriented evangelicalism and the historic Reformed denominations. I am disappointed in the almost contemptuous or dismissive attitude Collin takes to those within historic Reformed denominations and institutions.
It’s a new day in Calvinism when Baptists and charismatics have become chief spokesmen. Until …