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:
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
#10
#11
#12
#13
#14
#15
Editors Note: I am ashamed to admit that …

As a nice addition to the previous Eric Alexander post on “The Cross is the Experience of the Father,” you can now watch Sinclair Ferguson’s message from the 2009 Ligonier National Conference, The Holiness of the Father.
HT: Iain Campbell

It is not uncommon to hear someone refer to Sinclair Ferguson as being the best theologian in the English speaking world. Anyone who has read his books or heard his sermons and lectures will admit that this is in no way an unfit commendation. His style is simply yet profound, his expositions are terse but weighty–his insights are simply unparalleled. It is due in part to his mastery of the various theological loci . His uncanny ability to wed systematic, biblical, exegetical and historical theology in his expositions of Scripture …

Several years ago I was working for a construction company–renovating and building homes. It was probably one of the most difficult jobs I have ever had; but it was what God used to teach me the value of working hard. One weekday morning, I woke up and read the evening section of this particular section of the Daily Light . As I drove to work that morning I meditated on Matthew 6:26, “Look at the birds of the air, they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns yet your …

There is still plenty of time to register for the Great Bavinck Giveaway! Subscribe by April 20 to be included in the drawing for a free copy of Bavinck’s ‘Saved by Grace’ (RHB, 2008). See the March 16 post for details. Our last post examined the outset of the Reformed ‘Covenant’ view of grace. Bavinck suggests it’s the middle way between the high Roman Church and the Anabaptist view on the opposite end.
There is a ‘cog’ between transmitting grace and receiving grace for salvation. It is …

Over at Old Life, D. G. Hart has an important post dealing with the ongoing discussion about the relationship between union with Christ, justification and sanctification. You can read it here.  If you have not been following the discussion I would recommend that you listen to this recent episode of the Reformed Media Review. The central issue in Darryl’s post has to do with the identification of what John Murray called “definitive sanctification” (see volume 2 of The Collected Writings of John Murray for a defense of the doctrine …

While I rarely promote political issues on this site, I really believe this is an extremely important issue for you to consider. Coral Ridge Ministries is asking individuals to sign a petition in opposition to hate crime legislation.
Alan Keyes explains the details of the present push and dangerous nature of “hate crime” legislation here .
Similar legislation is presently being pushed for in Scotland, and has been in place for years in England and Wales.

Our last post summarized Bavinck’s definition of sin as a non-physical ethical force that is not exactly ‘non-being’ but certainly strives in that direction. Death, the result of sin, was pronounced as judgment in Genesis 2 but there is more mystery and complication to this ‘death sentence’ than there is certainty.

Here are the audio lectures from the 2007 Simeon Trust Biblical Expositors Workshop at College Church, Wheaton, IL. The speakers were Phil Ryken, Kent Hughes, and David Helm. The theme of the workshop was Christ in the Law of Moses. The lectures that Phil gave on portions of Exodus are particularly helpful. I would also recommend Phil’s commentary on Exodus in Crossway Books’ “Preach the Word” series.

It is probable that the whole of Matthew’s Gospel is a typological fulfillment of Israel’s history. This means, of course, that all of Christ’s life is the chronological anti-type of Israel’s experience. Here is a brief explanation:
Matthew opens with the words: “The book of the generations of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the Son of Abraham.” Why only mention David and Abraham? Simply put, they were the two Israelitish covenant heads who were organically related to Christ. Jesus did not come from Moses’ seed, but he did come from …

In our last few posts we’ve been plowing through Bavinck’s analysis of original sin and what was lost by the fall. Human beings did not become ‘sub’ creatures after breaking the covenant or works, but something changed. The original relationship and integrity with God was destroyed when sin took advantage of the commandment. Here is a brief look at Bavinck’s analysis of the nature of sin in what he describes as ‘mystery in variety’.

Our three part series on the superadded gift (SG) was pretty difficult and challenging. This was especially true in our small group study but we’re still friends despite any differences as we wrestle through Bavinck’s analysis and (to quote Thomas Watson) the treachery of our own hearts. This post briefly recaps and reflects on Bavinck’s main points on the superadded gift.

The second introduction, or the second feature of the introduction, of the book of Revelation is actually a Triune salutation. John writes:
“Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits before the throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and freed from our sin with His own blood and has made us kings and priests to our …

Phil Ryken has a very helpful post, over at Reformation 21, in which he points out the significance of the title of Darwin’s magnum opus The Origin of the Species . The subtitle?  The Preservation of Favored Races in the Struggle for Life . In this post Dr. Ryken shows that there is an underlying premise of racism in Darwin’s Origin of the species . You can read Dr. Ryken’s post here .

Last night I had the enormous privilege of having Philip Graham Ryken preach at my ordination service. Beginning in September 2007 I served as a pastoral intern under Dr. Ryken at Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia. Having Phil at my ordination service was a great blessing. A little over a month ago Phil informed me of what passage he would be preaching at the service–1 Corinthians 16:1-9. I have to admit, at first thought I wondered how appropriate this text would be for an ordination service. Not only did Phil’s …

Here is the link to the most recent Christ the Center interview. We had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Philip Graham Ryken about his doctoral dissertation Thomas Boston as Preacher of the Fourfold State.In this interview Dr. Ryken explains the significance of Boston as a preacher, theologian and pastor with regard to his sermons on the fourfold state of man (i.e. man in the state of innocence, man in the state of nature [corruption], man in the state of grace, and man in the state of glory or condemnation). …

The latest addition to the Reformed Expository Commentary is a real gem. This series continues to impress me as I work my way through the various volumes. I use them for personal worship as well as for Bible study and sermon preparation. The Incarnation in the Gospels is unique in that it is a topical study rather than a commentary on one book in particular. As the reader should be able to tell from the title, this book concentrates on Christmas season sermons. While I …

Phil Ryken has just written a post, over at Ref21, vindicating his position on women and deaconal ministry. You can read it here.
For those interested, I did make a point to defend Phil on the Bayly blog a few months back since I was at the special Saturday meeting of the Philadelphia Presbytery which was called to consider how to proceed on the request of Liberty Church and their involvement in this matter. While Tenth has women involved in their mercy ministry they do not ordain them to the office …

Just after we left Tenth Presbyterian Church to go to Christ the King, Phil began a series of sermons on the book of Ecclesiates. I wish I could have heard them in worship but I have been listening to them online recently. They are an excellent resource for anyone wanting to go deeper into the details and the biblical theology of Ecclesiates. You can find the sermons in that series here. I do want to remind you that the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals owns the rights to Dr. Ryken’s sermons …

Here is the link to the sermon that Phil Ryken preached at Elijah’s baptism. The text was Jeremiah 36:1-36. It was a great sermon with a very creative ending. This particular sermon exalted the centrality and importance of the word of God more than any I have heard in quite a while. Our friends, the Helfands, were also having their son, Daniel, baptized at this service.

Here is the link to the sermon that Phil Ryken preached at Elijah’s baptism. The text was Jeremiah 36:1-36. It was a great sermon with a very creative ending. This particular sermon exalted the centrality and importance of the word of God more than any I have heard in quite a while. Our friends, the Helfands, were also having their son, Daniel, baptized at this service.

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!

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 …

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.

Here are some more lectures delivered at the Westminster Confession of Faith Today Conference. These messages were given together with various PCA General Assemblies. If you are wondering about copyright issues, or if you would like to purchase MP3 downloads, read here. You will also find Sinclair Ferguson lectures, delivered at the WCF Today Conferences and at GA, at the link above. The links below with take you to my imeem.com page where you will be able to listen to the lecture.
Ligon Duncan – The Covenant Theology of the Westminster …

Thanks to Justin Taylor over at Between Two Worlds for the reminder about the Gospel Coalition Conference. This looks like it will be superb.
Gospel Coalition Conference: Registration Open

This past March Phil and Lisa Ryken spoke on marital issues at Taylor University. The fist talk listed below was given by Phil. The following two were Phil and Lisa.
Loving the Way Jesus Loved (VIDEO)Loving the Way Jesus Loved (AUDIO)
The First Twenty Years are the Hardest(VIDEO)The First Twenty Years are the Hardest (AUDIO)
This is My Lover, This is My Friend (AUDIO)

The Simeon Trust, sponsor of the Biblical Exposition Workshops, has provided free Audio and Video Links to this past years’ workshops. Since I attended the one hosted by Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia I will begin with the links to those sessions:

David Helm

Context is Key audio
Context is Key video

Bone and Marrow audio
Bone and Marrow video

Phil Ryken

Melodic Lines audio

Melodic Lines video

Solomon Themes PDF

David Helm

On Interpretation audio

On Interpretation video

Staying on the Line audio

Staying on the Line video

Phil Ryken

1 Kings 10:1-10 audio

1 Kings 10:1-10 video

Phil Ryken
1 Kings 11:1-8 …

Today was the second day I attended the Biblical Exposition Workship at Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia. The Event is sponsored by The Charles Simeon Trust. The primary speakers were Phil Ryken and David Helm. I have greatly benefited from the instruction, preaching, and fellowship over the past two days. In between each of the speaking sessions the men break off into small groups and discuss various passages from 1 Kings or the Sermon on the Mount. The theme of this years workshop is “Preaching Christ as King.” Phil has …

The current edition of Reformation 21’s online magazine is out with two very good articles on the preaching of several Puritans and Luther. Derek Thomas has written a fine article on the preaching of the Puritans that can be found here. And Phil Ryken has written a brief article on Martin Luther’s preaching of the birth narratives that can be found here. Both articles are helpful and both encourage us to go read and reread the works mentioned.