A new book in the Counterpoints series is soon to be released. This one tackles the issue of the New Testament’s use of the Old Testament and includes contributions from Darrell Bock, Walter Kaiser, Jr., and Peter Enns. You can read Enns’ comments on the new book here. Those interested in the topic may care to know that Christ the Center devoted its first episode back in January to the issue.

There is a sermon by James Davenport entitled, “The Faithful Minister Encouraged,” on-line at Internet Archive. It is based on II Corinthians 4:1 – “Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;…” It was preached at the opening of the Synod of New York when it met in Philadelphia on October 1, 1755. The thing that caught my attention and thus this post, is that the published version has a glowing commendation in a Preface by Gilbert Tennent (and a Richard …

Among the many books I am currently reading-and they are many!-is this fine two volume set that you see to the right, The Calvinistic Methodist Fathers of Wales. These were recommended to me by my friend from across the Atlantic, Martin Downes. Martin, who is the webmaster of Against Heresies (a website I recommend you visit daily), is a pastor in Wales and he is right to commend these volumes. When I complete the tomes I will be sure to review them. These volumes, which have …

I am frequently searching for books online, and as I do so, I will periodically come across a very rare book. I recently came across a volume of sermons by James Thomson, a well loved Scottish Presbyterian minister of the late 18th and early 19th century. Thomson’s works are very hard to find. They usually run somewhere between $500-1000.00. I recently found the two volumes of his theological discourses on Google Books. These contain 29 sermons. You can find volume 1 here, and volume 2 here.
Below is a brief note …

Paul Helm has a new analysis out. It has to do with creationism and education. You can find it here.

Talk about an interesting find:
“I recently found Warfield’s copy of volumes 1 & 3 of Hodge’s Systematic Theology on Internet Archive. A quick glance shows lots of underlining (which is highly unusual in books formerly owned by BBW), but a fuller inspection would be needed to see if there is any annotation. I assume volume 2 will follow shortly.
Volume one can be found here.Volume three can be found here.
Also available is a volume of questions that Hodge used to assign to his students. It is edited by …

James Grant, Jr., over at In Light of Gospel, has gathered and posted some helpful blog posts over the last week:
How Much Christ in the Old Testament (Check out some of James’ articles linked on this post!)Blogging, Vlogging, and Podcasting for ChristPoythress on GuiltFerguson’s Message @ the DG Conference

Rev. Jim O’Brien, pastor of Reedy River PCA just outside Greenville, SC, sent me the link to Jonathan Edwards’ Last Will, and the Inventory of his Estate. This looks like a fascinating document. The article was printed in The Bibliotheca Sacra vol. 33 (July, 1876) pp. 438-447.Here is an except:
First of all, I give and commend my soul into the hands of God that gave it, and to the Lord Jesus Christ it’s glorious, all-sufficient, faithful and chosen Redeemer, relying alone on the free and infinite mercy and grace …

For several years now I have heard various individuals in the church say something to the intent of, “It would be good for the church in America to suffer persecution.” I have even heard Christians say that there are churches in oppressed countries praying that God would send persecution on the church in America. In the context of America’s bleak future I have recently had more Christians tell me that they thought it would be a good thing for the church if things get worse. This seems like a strange …

Dane Ortland has a very helpful reminder for those laboring faithfully for the glory of Christ in small churches. Is it right to measure success by the numeric growth of a church? Is it to be expected that your church will grow if you are gifted and faithful? Read what Dane has to say here.

I am not encouraging anyone to watch this on the Lord’s Day. I am simply saying that it looks like it will be good. I will watch it on the computer or on DVD after it runs.

Phil Ryken came and preached at Christ the King on Sunday night. We ask him to come and baptize Elijah. It was a great service. Phil preached from Jeremiah 36. The title of the sermon was “The Word Above all Earthly Powers.” It was a special time, having our son baptized and being exhorted to teach him to be a man of the word of God. Here is a photo taken after the service:

No, I am not that short. Phil is just a really tall man!

Josh Walker has an interesting post over at Bring the Books, concerning the late John Murray’s Confessional position. You can find this post here. I would also encourage everyone to read the comments that go with the post.

If you are interesting in a scholarly defense of Mosaic authorship, a defense of the authorship of the prophetic books, a masterpiece on the OT canon, a survey of OT literature at the turn of the 20th Century. or in simply learning more about the development and arguments set forth in the schools of Higher Criticism, here are some of the most helpful works. William Henry Green was professor of Oriental and Old Testament Literature at Princeton Theological Seminary , and Geerhardus Vos was the first Professor of Biblical Theology …

When I was in seminary I had the great privilege of forming a beautiful friendship with two brothers from Haiti, Leon Amicy and Octavius Delfis. Octavius graduated a year before me, but we were very close friends. Octavius taught me how to bind antiquarian books. These two brothers in Christ also taught me what it was to deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Jesus. They quietly forsook their lives for three years to come and study theology so that they could plant the first Presbyterian church in Port-au-Prince, …

Here is the link to sermons that Dale Ralph Davis preached during his time (1988-1993) at Aisquith Presbyterian Church in Parkville, MD . Currently, Rev. Davis is the Pastor of Woodland Presbyterian Church in Hattiesburg, MS. You can find his recent sermons here. Dr. Davis is also well known for his Old Testament Commentaries, published in the Christian Focus series. The set includes his commentary on Joshua, Judges, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, and 2 Kings. I would also recommend this book for any preacher of …

For anyone in seminary or in the ministry, who feels the way I do about the need to freshen up on the biblical languages, Tommy Keene–a Greek teacher at Westminster Theological Seminary–has a very useful blog. Tommy has not limited it to Greek resources, but there are plenty of good electronic and written recommendations there. Go check out his Nerdlets blog. You will certainly find it a help to your Greek studies.

The three latest Christ the Center programs are now online:
Martin Downes on The Emergind Church and Cultural CaptivityGreg Reynolds on Preaching in an Electronic AgeDavid Hall on The Calvin Quincentenary
You can find the other Christ the Center episodes at Castle Church.

I’m going to preempt our resident Jonathan Edwards scholar and announce George Marsden’s new, shorter biography of Jonathan Edwards. Marsden, having already written what is perhaps the greatest Edwards biography, has written an entirely new work based on his research. This should prove to be a great introduction to this immense figure in American Christianity.

I am thrilled to share with you that another gem from the pen of Dutch Reformed theologian extraordinaire Herman Bavinck (1854-1921) has been published by Joel Beeke’s Reformation Heritage Books and he and his staff are to be commended for it. The volume, which is comprised of material that originally appeared as articles in the Dutch religious paper De Bazuin (The Trumpet) from 29 March 1901 to 2 May 1902, is a feast for the soul (intellect, will, and emotions). We ought also to thank Dr. Nelson Kloosterman …

This is bad news for Great Britain. Over at Reformation 21, Phil Ryken has noted that the British legal system has finally incorporated Sharia law in to their legal system. While this is for Muslims in Britain it does not look good for the others in the UK.
You can read the news article for yourself here.

Here is a great quote from Spurgeon about entertainment in the church. I wish every Christian understood this.

I promised to attach pictures of Elijah Alexander the other day. You can find them here.

I have wanted to post something for a while on the section of Geerhardus Vos’ Biblical Theology, at the beginning of his chapter on New Testament Revelation, in which he explains the development of the New Testament in terms of Jesus preaching the facts of His atoning death on the cross, and glorious resurrection from the dead, and the Apostles interpreting those facts. My good friend Steve Shanley has explained the gist of Vos’ argument in the following manner:
Vos argues for the unity of OT revelation to Christ’s words and …

Sinclair Ferguson has begun a series on the book of Romans on Sunday evenings at First Presbyterian Church in Columbia, SC. You can find those sermons here. Dr. Ferguson is preaching through 2 Corinthians in the morning. These can be found here.
Dr. Philip Ryken has begun a new series on Ecclesiastes at Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, Pa. The mp3 files can be downloaded here, but you have to keep in mind that they will only be available for so many weeks. The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals owns the right …

The Lord has continued His loving kindness toward Anna and me by giving us our second son, Elijah Alexander Batzig. This is our second son in under three years of marriage. Our first son, Micah Gersham Batzig, is now 18 months old. The Lord is so exceedingly kind to me “who am not worthy of the least of His mercies.” We praise Him for answering so many of our prayers for Anna’s delivery. We prayed that she would have a relatively painless delivery, that she would deliver before midnight, and …

Some would tell us justification by faith alone apart from works is not fundamentally about how sinners who are trusting in themselves are made righteous before a Holy God by trusting in God alone. I wonder if those who argue this really understand the depths of the wickedness of the human heart?
I was struck by Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 1:8-9 today:
“For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, …

Robert Law once noted the wonder that Jesus must have experienced, as the God-Man, living in a created world, full of glory and splendor together with sin and corruption:

Though little is directly reported of it in the Gospels, this [i.e. this idea of the wonder of Jesus] also belonged to the perfection of our Lord Jesus. No one has ever lived in such a marvelous world as He, to whom “the glory of the grass and splendor of the flower” continually revealed the diviner miracle of a Heavenly Father’s munificent …

Just the other day I received my review copy of the final volume of the Works of Jonathan Edwards. The volume will not be officially published until next month. As noted in an earlier post, this book marks the end of an era. Freedom of the Will, the first volume in the series to appear, was published by Yale University Press in 1957. The Yale edition of Edwards’ Works has taken 51 years to come to completion and has seen three general editors: Perry Miller, …

Just the other day I received my review copy of the final volume of the Works of Jonathan Edwards. The volume will not be officially published until next month. As noted in an earlier post, this book marks the end of an era. Freedom of the Will, the first volume in the series to appear, was published by Yale University Press in 1957. The Yale edition of Edwards’ Works has taken 51 years to come to completion and has seen three general editors: Perry Miller, …