For quite a while now I have wanted to publish a list of what I believe to be the 15 most beneficial books on the cross. This list does not include all of the various Systematic Theologies, such as Calvin’s Institutes, which include sections on Christology or the atonement. There are, of course, many Puritan works that deal with the atonement and the Person and work of Christ. This is a list of the particular individual volumes I have benefited from most:
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Editors Note: I am ashamed to admit that …

Thanks to James Grant for pointing out these lectures. You will find numerous class lectures, lectures on books of the Bible and Sunday School lessons there. The Sunday school lectures look particularly interesting. I think you will find Dr. Poythress to be a brilliant theological with many thoughts that will help set you off on deeper theological investigation.

I have edited this post from it’s original form. I want to be exceedingly careful in what I say about subjects in which I have a formed opinion, but that need to be refined through more study. I hope that this quote from Calvin on Romans 2:13 will suffice as an explanation of my defense of Rick Phillip’s interpretation of it here. Commenting on Romans 2:13, Calvin wrote:
For the hearers of the law, etc. This anticipates an objection which the Jews might have adduced. As they had heard that …

There is an interesting structure to the book of Galatians. Paul is, of course, writing this letter because of the threat of the Judaizers who came in to spy out the liberty of the Christians. The Judaizers were saying that one needed Christ and law-keeping (as represented by circumcision) to be accepted by God. The apostle Paul, as you well know, would not tolerate this perversion of the Gospel for even one minute. Therefore, in his defense of the Gospel and it implications he draws several contrasts. They are as …

Here is the audio from the 2009 Next Conference :

The Preeminence of Christ (Joshua Harris)
Christ’s Incarnation (D.A. Carson)
Christ’s Life (Kevin DeYoung)
Christ’s Death (C.J. Mahaney)
Christ’s Resurrection (Sinclair Ferguson)
Christ’s Return (Sinclair Ferguson)

HT: Justin Taylor

I can’t tell you how many times I have heard someone in the church warn against proof texting. Proof-texting, of course, is that method of defending theological truth by means of appeal to one particular verse of the Bible. I readily admit that often proof-texting is abused and used to draw faulty conclusions. This is most evident in the false teaching of the cults and heretical sects of Christianity–specifically with regard to their doctrine of God, Christ, man and salvation. Within orthodox Christianity, it is seen in the realm of …

The following messages were given by Sinclair Ferguson at the 2004 BASICS Conference:
His Sufficient Word – 2 Tim. 3
His Eternal Election – Ephesians 1
His Transforming Spirit – Romans 8

Here is the most recent article Paul Helm has posted on his blog. It is typical, insightful (and on this occasion, sarcastic) Helm on Christianity and culture.

Camden Bucey, Jeff Waddington, Jim Cassidy, and I began interviewing theologians and pastors back in June 2008. Interviewing these men has been an enormous blessing. We have learned a lot and had a great time in the process. Below you will find an index that will be updated from time to time. Thanks for listening:
Lane Tipton “The Theological Contributions of Richard Gaffin”
Lane Keister “The Federal Vision”
Gary Johnson Reforming or Conforming
Drew Dinardo Reformed Church Growth
Mark Garcia Union with Christ and Two-Fold Grace
R. Scott Clark Recovering the Reformed Confessions
J. Ligon Duncan The …

Dr. Jon Payne, minister of Grace Presbyterian Church in Douglasville, Ga, has been bringing in excellent preachers and speakers for the past 5 years for their Reformation Heritage Conference. In 2004, Derek Thomas came and gave a series of lectures on Calvin, Geneva and Reformed Worship. Darryl Hart spoke in 2005 on American Reformation Heritage. Iain Murray came in 2006 and spoke on The Scottish Reformation. In 2007 Carl Trueman spoke on the German Reformation; and in 2008 Michael Horton gave a series of lectures on the Reformation and …

I had the enormous privilege of sitting down with Dr. Douglas Kelly, Professor of Systematic Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte, NC at the Twin Lakes Fellowship to get an interview for Christ the Center. The first volume of Dr. Kelly’s Systematic Theology has been published by Christian Focus. I was able to talk with Dr. Kelly about various aspects of the doctrine of the Trinity. You can listen to the Christ the Center episode here.
Not long after Twin Lakes, I was speaking with my mother (who greatly …

At Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asked His disciples two questions (Matthew 16:13-17). The first was, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” The second was, “But who do you say that I am?” The disciples wasted no time in answering the first: “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, but still others, Jeremiah or one of the old prophets.” This is a striking answer on many levels. The people thought very highly of Jesus. They did not curse Him at this point. They did not spit in …

Here are some lectures, by Dr. T. David Gordon, on Reformed Worship in an electronic age. I remember that Dr. Pipa recommended an unpublished article by Dr. Gordon on the subject of Reformed Worship during our Reformed Worship course at GPTS. This is something that needs to be considered carefully, especially by church planters.
Greg Reynolds also has some interesting thoughts on the dynamics of the work of the church in a media age. You can listen to his lectures here .
Christ the Center interviewed Dr. Reynolds on preaching in an …

Here is a link to an article by the late Rev. William Still on speaking the truth in love. You will find the article published on page 27. Simply scroll down .

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Religion & Spiritual Religion

Editor’s Note: I do not necessarily agree with all of the arguments in this article.

Justin Taylor has posted a link with some very helpful background on Roe vs. Wade. I was particularly surprised by the facts! You can read it here.
Updated Video

In his famous sermon Glorying in the Cross of Christ, John McLaurin has a magnificent section in which he contrast the humiliation and the glory of Jesus. He wrote:
His birth was mean on earth below. But it was celebrated by Hallelujahs by the heavenly host in the air above; He had a poor londging, but a star [brought visitors] to it from distant countries. Never [did] a Prince have such [visitors] so conducted. He had not the magnificent equipage that other kings have, but He was attended with multitudes of …

The amazing thing about Scripture is that it provides so much comfort and instruction by way of example. When Christians are put through trials, or called to suffer, they are not alone. This is one of the primary reasons the writer of Hebrews wrote about the cloud of witnesses in Hebrews 11. We so often think about Hebrews 11 as the chapter that commends faith that leads to obedience. And while this is certainly true, the entire context is one of testing and trials and obstacles in which faith is …

Did Jesus act at one time in His human nature and at another in His Divine? Is this the way we can reconcile the words of and about our Lord in the Gospels when they seem to contradict one or the other essential attributes of the human or Divine nature? Paul Helm seeks to give (or you might say ‘not to give’) an answer to this all important question. You can read his thoughts here.

RTS has an annual John Reed Miller Lecture Series. In 2005 they hosted Sinclair Ferguson. Dr. Ferguson gave a series of lectures on preaching Christ and preaching the Gospel. The lectures he delivered were:
Preaching ChristReaching Our StandardsUsing our Grids

Paul Helm has a new post out for December entitled “Incomprehensibility Made Man.” In typical Helm-like fashion it is a philosophical meditation–this time, on the Incarnation of the Son of God.

I recently found this short work by Sinclair Ferguson on preaching Christ from the Old Testament. It is really quite helpful.

As I was preparing a message for this Sunday morning I remembered something the great, biblical-theological Southern Presbyterian, Stuart Robinson, had outlined in eight points in Discourses of Redemption. Focusing on the significance of God’s curse on the serpent, Robinson explained:
1) The Redeemer would be a man (i.e. the seed of the woman)2) The Redeemer would be more than a man (i.e. He would be Divine) because He would conquer the one who conquered man (i.e. the devil)3) The Redeemer would represent a people.4) The Redeemer would gather a collective …

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

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Today I am preaching at the wedding of a good friend. The text I am planning to preach is John 3:22-31–John the Baptist’s declaration about the supreme excellence of Jesus Christ as the Bridegroom. As I was preparing this sermon, and thinking through the context of John’s Gospel, two things struck me. First, Jesus had just recently manifested His glory, by performing His first miracle, at a wedding of all places. This seems to be significant in regard to John’s statement about Jesus being the true Bridegroom. Iain Campbell, in …

Yesterday, between a nursing home service and the evening worship service, I dipped into John Piper’s little book When The Darkness Will Not Lift. I am impressed with Dr. Piper’s treatment of the problem of depression (or melancholy). One of the foundational truths that Dr. Piper reminds readers of, in an effort to address the all too real problem of depression, is the fact of justification by faith. But to battle the deep shroud of depression, Piper further reminds us that Jesus does not just take upon …