February 25, 2010
by Nicholas Batzig
Chelsea Hauk, a reporter with Bryan County Now--a division of the Savannah Morning News, was kind enough to interview me today with regard to the work involved with planting New Covenant Presbyterian Church. Chelsea asked a really great question at the end of the interview. You can listen here....
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February 24, 2010
by Michael Dewalt
John 10:36-38 Do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'? If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.
Romans 1...
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February 24, 2010
by Joel Heflin
Dogmatics takes for its starting point the certainty of God’s existence. Everything else is details. For Bavinck the outset of Christian theology has one thing in common with the long history of critical reflection on God’s existence: he is unknowable. But nonattainability of the knowledge of God is not the same as nothing. As long as scripture remains object...
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February 22, 2010
by Nicholas Batzig
It is commonplace, in many Reformed churches, for ministers to use Hebrews 13:20-21 as a benediction at the end of a worship service. It is perhaps my favorite of all the benedictions we use. But as is true with all Scripture, we sometimes have a tendency to read over--and even memorize--portions of Scripture thoughtlessly. Such was the case, in my experience, with the phr...
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February 21, 2010
by Nicholas Batzig
Below is the audio and video from the Sunday morning sermon preached at New Covenant Presbyterian Church in Richmond Hill, GA. The text was Acts 2:1-13 and the title was "When Jesus Shows Up at Pentecost.
February 20, 2010
by Nicholas Batzig
Big news, as one of my mentors, Phil Ryken, accepts the call to be the new President of Wheaton College. You can read about it here, here and here. Pray for Tenth Presbyterian Church as they will now need to find someone suitable to replace such a faithful and gifted man....
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February 20, 2010
by Nicholas Batzig
Last Sunday Evening I preached a message on Romans 5:6-11 at New Covenant Presbyterian Church. The title of the sermon was "Much More Then." Having gone back and listened to it I've come to realize that I did not preach the text as fully or carefully as I should have. Can you figure out what was left out? It is a lack of reference to a crucial part of Paul's argument.
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February 19, 2010
by Nicholas Batzig
Here is the link to the audio of my recent interview with Dr. Michael Haykin, concerning his book The Christian Lover. I believe that all Christian couples will benefit from the things that Dr. Haykin has to say and from this unique book....
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February 18, 2010
by Nicholas Batzig
Not that it really matters, but the latest theological abstraction from Union Theological Seminary has to win some kind of prize. Feminist theologian Margaret R. Miles will be delivering the 2010 Sprunt Lecture at the Seminary's campus in Richmond, VA. The subject? A theology of the breast. Miles argues that the crucifixion was a violent act and is therefore an inappropria...
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February 18, 2010
by Joel Heflin
“Mystery is the lifeblood of dogmatics†are Bavinck’s opening words to the doctrine of God. Even when a confirmed believer moves past the sophomore debates of faith v reason and proofs for God’s existence faith, moving toward understanding, faces the incompressibility of knowing God. The great question here at the outset of our journey is: How is ...
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February 17, 2010
by Nicholas Batzig
Among the multitude of expositions on the Apostle's Creed, written throughout church history, one in particular has not received the attention it deserves. Herman Witsius, best known for his The Economy of the Covenants (part 1) and (Part 2), published an exposition of the Apostle's Creed under the title Sacred Dissertations on the Apostle's Creed (Part 1) and (Part 2)...
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February 17, 2010
by Nicholas Batzig
Dr. Benjamin Shaw makes several significant points about covenantal baptism here. They deserve the most serious consideration by anyone who desires to understand more fully the biblical nature of covenantal signs and seals. I would also recommend that you listen to the audio lectures by Edward Donnelly and Bill Shishko. They are two of the finest defenses from modern theol...
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February 16, 2010
by Nicholas Batzig
Dennis Johnson, Professor of Practical Theology at Westminster Seminary California, has an article over at Third Millennium Ministries on how he came to change his mind about infant baptism. You can read the article here....
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February 15, 2010
by Nicholas Batzig
Many people have incorrect thoughts about the purpose of Pentecost. You will sometimes hear Christians praying that the Spirit will come in the same way as He came at Pentecost. It is certainly a good and right thing to desire a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the church. But Pentecost held a very special place in redemptive history. It is as special and unique ...
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February 15, 2010
by Nicholas Batzig
Below is the audio and video from the Sunday morning worship service at New Covenant Presbyterian Church of Richmond Hill, GA. The text was Acts 1:12-26 and the title, "Better By the Dozen."
Audio
February 13, 2010
by Nicholas Batzig
There is an interesting theological purpose in the historical account in Acts 1:12-26. At first glance it doesn't seem to be anything more than an historical recollection of the apostasy, suicide and replacement of Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed our Lord. But the place of this record in the book of Acts, the nature of the apostles' prayer, and the Scripture that Pete...
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February 12, 2010
by Nicholas Batzig
Over at the Riddleblog there is a post by Richard Muller, in which he considers what it means to say you believe in the five points of Calvinism. Muller suggests that there is much more to the historical Reformed faith than a bare confession of adherence to the so-called "five points of Calvinism"--which, incidentally, did not originate with John Calvin. At a time when man...
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February 12, 2010
by Nicholas Batzig
David Murray has a post over at Head, Heart, Hand in which he draws a valuable pastoral lesson from the skill with which Larry King carries out his interviews. You can read it here....
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February 12, 2010
by Nicholas Batzig
If you have never heard sermons by Ian Hamilton you are missing out on a great spiritual blessing. Iain is the minister of Cambridge Presbyterian Church in Cambridge, England. I find his sermons to be an outstanding example of substantive, passionate, Christ-centered, applicatory, textual, expositional preaching. He really is one of the best preachers in the church today. ...
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February 10, 2010
by Nicholas Batzig
Presbyterian Mission in Haiti has posted a list of relief efforts they are helping accomplish. If you are interested in helping provide relief, but are concerned about know where funds will go, the following is a breakdown of the needs that PMH is seeking to meet according to order of priority. PMH is a trustworthy organization, supporting Gospel-centered missions:
"A" Li...
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February 10, 2010
by Nicholas Batzig
Darryl Hart and Camden Bucey have a discussion on Christian Epistemology and Two Kingdoms Theology here....
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February 9, 2010
by Michael Dewalt
John 10:25-30 Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not part of my flock. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has g...
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February 8, 2010
by Joel Heflin
It's been more than 2 months since we ended our year long series in Herman Bavinck's Reformed Dogmatics. We covered two of the volumes and some material from 'Philosophy of Revelation' and 'The Certainty of Faith.' As the new year takes shape it feels like the work is only half done. Personally I can't read Bavinck without some sense of guilt for not sharing it.
So if we ...
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February 8, 2010
by Nicholas Batzig
Texts, Contexts, Cultures is a new departure in graduate research and training in Ireland. It offers candidates a multi-disciplinary PhD programme delivered in co-operation between Arts and Humanities research institutes at Trinity College Dublin, University College Cork and NUI Galway. The programme investigates the most basic component of Arts and Humanities research â...
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February 8, 2010
by Joel Heflin
Handing out resumes and shuffling investments have two things in common: uncertainty and Ecclesiastes 11:6. John Trapp (1601 – 1669) noted that the only works guaranteed to succeed in this life are pure acts of mercy and kindness. He’s right. But it can be such a frustrating answer to those who have lost 1/3 of retirement or can’t get even one intervie...
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February 8, 2010
by Nicholas Batzig
New Covenant Presbyterian Church had its first morning worship service yesterday. We began a series on the book of Acts. The first sermon was titled "The Acts of the Ascended Christ."The text was Acts 1:1-11. You can watch the video below.
February 6, 2010
by Nicholas Batzig
If you have never read T. D. Bernard's The Progress of Doctrine you really must do so as soon as possible. It is a treasure chest of rich theological exposition with regard to the development of doctrine in the New Testament. It is a New Testament introduction of sorts. This work was highly commended by Reformed Presbyterian ministers at the time of its release, though Ber...
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February 6, 2010
by Nicholas Batzig
In his Apocalyptic Writings (WJE Online Vol. 5) Jonathan Edwards explained that the Holy Spirit is the principle blessing purchased by Christ in the work of redemption. He wrote:
The sum of the blessings Christ sought, by what he did and suffered in the work of redemption, was the Holy Spirit. So is the affair of our redemption constituted; the Father provides and gives t...
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February 5, 2010
by Nicholas Batzig
I had the privilege of preaching a New Year's sermon for 2010 at Kirk of the Isles (PCA) in Savannah, GA. The text I preached was Exodus 12:1-30. the institution of the Passover. The title of the message was New Year's Redemption. You can listen to it here....
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February 5, 2010
by Nicholas Batzig
There is a legitimate, as well as an illegitimate, approach to a biblical theology of numbers in Scripture. The majority of those who have approached this subject have, by and large, delved into the realm of the speculative and imaginative,--perplexing or leading astray their readers. O.T. Allis, first Professor of Old Testament History and Exegesis at Westminster Theo...
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February 5, 2010
by Nicholas Batzig
This is a 3:21 excerpt of a talk that Jay Adams gave at a NANC Conference. It is based on the last two verses of the book of James. The introduction to this message is pretty funny!...
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February 5, 2010
by Nicholas Batzig
Have you ever noticed that just about every song Johnny Cash wrote with Scriptural lyrics comes from the book of Revelation?
...
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February 5, 2010
by Nicholas Batzig
February 5, 2010
by Matthew Holst
Most of you have probably not heard of Euan Murray. He's a rugby player (a real man’s sport). He’s a Scotsman. And he’s a Christian. Unlike many Christian athletes he has reversed the trend of playing sports on Sunday. He used to, but doesn’t any more.
Murray plays rugby at club level for Northampton and at international level for Scotland...
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February 4, 2010
by Joel Heflin
John Trapp’s (1601 – 1669) commentaries were Spurgeon’s personal treasure. As biblical scholarship progresses the minister and serious student continue to benefit greatly from consulting Trapp’s thought, suggestions and devotional contributions. For years I waited patiently for a set of Trapp. After finally obtaining one, my dad--equally thr...
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February 4, 2010
by Nicholas Batzig
Independent Presbyterian Church, in Savannah, GA, will be hosting a conference on the Lord's Supper this Thursday, February 4th and Friday, February 5th. Dr. Hughes Oliphant Olds will give three lectures dealing with Calvin and Knox on the doctrine and administration of the Lord’s Supper as well as presentations from Terry Johnson and Ron Parrish. If you are anywher...
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February 3, 2010
by Nicholas Batzig
Eric Alexander very wisely notes the foundational and temporary functions of the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts:
If we are to understand the New Testament's teaching on the Holy Spirit we must concentrate on the teaching of Jesus in the Gospels, and on the systematic exposition in the Epistles—rather than on the narrative in the Book of Acts. A great deal of confus...
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February 3, 2010
by Nicholas Batzig
The apostle Paul was dealing with the problem of division in the church in 1 Corinthians 1. He introduces the idea of Christian unity with the words, "Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you?" This conflict sets the stage for everything that Paul goes on to write in the remainder of the chapter. Believers in Corinth were once part of the lost and perishing world, div...
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February 2, 2010
by Joseph Randall
In his book, The Screwtape Letters, C. S. Lewis wrote:
“We have a tendency to think, but not to act. The more we feel without acting, the less we will ever be able to act, and, in the long run, the less we will be able to feel.â€
I have often thought and felt a lot of things while listening to sermons or while reading Bible-saturated books or while looking...
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February 2, 2010
by Nicholas Batzig
Adolphe Monod's Living for the Hope of Glory has been one of the most influential Christian works I've read. Deeply affected by Monod's story as well as the spiritual mindedness with which his writings are marked, I have returned to his writings time and time again. Most of Monod's writings remain in French, though I recently discovered one that was translated into English...
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February 2, 2010
by Michael Dewalt
In case you didn’t have the $6000 plus it cost to attend, you can now buy the sermons preached this past summer in 2009 from John Calvin’s pulpit from Ligonier. The Speakers include none other than my buddy Joel Beeke, and many more like; Iain Campbell, Bryan Chapell, Ted Donnelly, Ligon Duncan, Sinclair Ferguson, Robert Godfrey, Martin Holdt, Hywel Jones,...
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February 1, 2010
by Nicholas Batzig
Ligonier Ministries has done a fine job of gathering some of the best audio critiques of the New Perspectives on Paul. You can find them all here. I especially recommend Sinclair Ferguson's lecture The New Perspective on Paul and Related Issues and Guy Waters' Christ the Center interview on N.T. Wright and the New Perspective on Paul (part 1) and (part 2)....
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February 1, 2010
by Nicholas Batzig
As we move forward in our worship at New Covenant Presbyterian Church, I am planning on starting a sermon series on the Acts of the Apostles. This seems to be fitting with a new church. The book of Acts can be summarized as "the acts of Jesus Christ through His apostles by the Holy Spirit." It is filled with all the excitement and wonder of the dawning of the new age and t...
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