“In the Old Testament stories, God is the ultimate hero, not any human being. God is the one working out the salvation of his people. Seeing him as the ultimate hero gives us an important frame of reference for reading the Old Testament stories.”   Harold Goddard writes, “The history of the world is determined... Continue Reading

This one covenant of grace is administered by God and lived by his people in distinct ways throughout the story of the Bible. As the Catechism says, “The covenant of grace was not always administered after the same manner, but the administrations of it under the Old Testament were different from those under the New”... Continue Reading

“Whatever our sins, let us come out of the closet, agree with God and his law about our hellish thoughts and actions, and relish the fact that we are troubled by our offense towards His Holiness. Then, let us be immediately warmed by God’s unconditional grace.”   There are times when it is profitable to hide. Joseph ran from... Continue Reading

“Now, at the most basic level, microaggressions certainly exist and can certainly be hurtful — especially, it seems, for students of color on predominantly or traditionally white campuses. Students, particularly those for whom the diversity of their college campus is novel, really do say dumb things to one another.”   “Microaggressions,” usually defined as inadvertently... Continue Reading

“Because the Son’s sinless, voluntary, and sacrificial gift of himself to the Father has infinite worth it not only satisfies the offended honor of God but also wins a reward that is graciously lavished on us. In this way, Anselm’s theory of vicarious satisfaction of divine honor is compatible with the medieval scheme of merit... Continue Reading

“So what is it? A screw that proves that extraterrestrial life was present on Earth millions of years ago? Is this screw the remains of a extraterrestrial vehicle? Or is there a possibility that it might just be evidence of ancient civilizations in the past that possessed very advanced technology?”   There are numerous archaeological... Continue Reading

And so the Republican party asks, “Why shouldn’t we do what we want with our money and do all we can to maintain our nation’s power?” And so the Democratic party asks, “Why shouldn’t we fulfill every desire that is in our hearts?” Embedded in both is the same question: Why should we deny ourselves... Continue Reading

“To hold up the glory of the temple while ignoring the commands of the God who dwells there, is akin to pagan idolatry (see the discussion of 1 Sam 15:23 here). It is to turn a blessing of the Lord into a talisman, to turn a sacrament into empty ritualism.”   The New York Times columnist... Continue Reading

We are reminded in Scripture that the Holy Spirit is the means by which sin is to be put to death. John Owen, in his helpful treatment on the mortification of sin, writes, “A man may easier see without eyes, speak without a tongue, than truly mortify one sin without the Spirit.” Therefore, it follows that... Continue Reading

The law defines a place of public accommodation as any place, licensed or unlicensed, which is “open to and accepts or solicits the patronage of the general public.” It also claims that such places may not restrict access or deny services to a person because of gender identity.   The Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD)... Continue Reading