Worshipping the State is not inevitable; trashing the State is not inevitable. Rather, with moral clarity, moral conviction, and moral courage, Christians can—and should—seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, including public righteousness,  rendering to Caesar those things—and only those things—which are his.   We have no king but Caesar[1] Especially those of Caesar’s household[2]... Continue Reading

A serious Christian school must have an explicit, orthodox, Christian mission and it has to hire administrators, faculty, and staff for that mission. It has to have a fully informed and committed board that insists on those things happening. Above all, it needs a president committed to an orthodox vision who is willing to insist... Continue Reading

A person genuinely converted from darkness to light, from the way of the world to the way of God, from unrighteousness to righteousness, repents and keeps on repenting of their sin. Their life is not marked by perpetual indifference to sin.   Our English term conversion is not often used in our translations of the... Continue Reading

Ours is a time of anthropological crisis when we as a society cannot agree on what it means to be human. In such a context, theologians who faced that issue in Germany in the 1930s and 1940s are obvious dialogue partners upon whom we can draw.   Twice in the last ten days my dear... Continue Reading

“Isn’t it good that egalitarian or less confessional ministers leave?” We would answer in the affirmative, but we’d also note that the precipitating change in convictions probably didn’t arrive with lightning-bolt speed. The number leaving left suggests that men with egalitarian convictions operated in the PCA for a number of years before departing.    When... Continue Reading

If we can get past the perceived problems with the doctrine of limited atonement, we can begin to see the glory of it—that the atonement Christ made on the cross was real and effectual. It wasn’t just a hypothetical atonement. It was an actual atonement.   A frequently cited objection against the doctrine of limited... Continue Reading

Nebuchadnezzar saw with his own eyes that either the Lord or an angel was present with the faithful servants of YHWH. “But I see four men.” Nebuchadnezzar is right. There is always a fourth man with us. Even if we cannot see his presence.   Nebuchadnezzar Makes Good on His Promise After Daniel interpreted the... Continue Reading

Prosperity preachers treat material prosperity as the definitive sign of faith and spiritual growth. Even a glancing look at the Old Testament tells us that one can be well off and far from God; healthy and on their way to hell.   The prosperity gospel teaches that God wants his people to be wealthy and... Continue Reading

Reading the Psalms Theologically provides an interesting and encouraging advanced taste of editorial criticism, doing so with vigor and an apparent love for the Psalms. The overall thrust is that the Psalter does point to Christ, which should lead believers to reverence and awe of God.   Reading The Psalms Theologically (Studies in Scripture and Biblical... Continue Reading

Drawing together the biblical evidence from 1 Timothy, Titus, Acts, 1 Peter, and Ephesians, we can reasonably conclude that an elder is an overseer, that an overseer is a pastor, and that a pastor is an elder. The apostles use these notions interchangeably for the role and responsibilities of church leaders.   When Paul talks... Continue Reading