For a number of decades now, Old Testament scholars across the theological spectrum have drawn upon ancient texts to clarify the nature of biblical covenants. A number of reformed theologians have built on these comparative studies in ways that have the potential of confusing many sincere believers. So, I have felt compelled to speak to some aspects of the matter.

What this reading of the two kingdoms boils down to is a recognition of an internal sphere, where the justifying and sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit actually takes place, and then an external sphere which is shared by all men, and is shaped, in measure, by the spiritual affections without ever being conflated with the spiritual realm.

“Combined, these two collections comprise every poem or hymn that can be traced with some confidence to the pen of Charles Wesley,” said Dr. Maddox, who is William Kellon Quick Professor of Wesleyan and Methodist Studies at Duke Divinity.

How the ARP Synod will respond to the Mississippi Valley memorial remains to be seen, but to me it is clearly worded, says what needs to be said, and is something that as stated pretty much everyone should be able to in good conscience agree upon. I trust the Lord will give wisdom, love and faithfulness, in this important discussion and decision.

I am an old-earth, special creation of Adam and Eve guy, and I am genuinely uncomfortable with macro-evolutionary explanations of human origins.

How can we uphold the special dignity and majesty the Bible accords human beings when we are only qualitatively different from other life forms and continuous with the rest of the animal world? How can God impute sin and guilt to all humans along the lines of federal headship when some of us have no physical connection with Adam?

…let us rejoice in Dr. Norman's transparent articulation of his views, which has afforded us this opportunity to explore important matters, and let us strive to be both faithful and rigorous in our analysis, all with the goal of glorifying God and edifying the Church.

Perhaps specificity will help to illustrate this point. I am confident that God’s glory is seen in the fact that a married man, faithful to his wife, who loves her genuinely, will wake up in the morning driven by ambition and passion in order to make his wife proud, confident, and assured in her devotion to her husband.

So here is the strange situation we find ourselves in–we have more seminaries and fewer students. All the while, in many parts of the world, there are more students who want theological training, but there are fewer seminaries. This is the elephant in the room that no one likes talking about. As we’ve heard this week, there are many nations where the vast majority of its pastors have no formal Biblical and theological training. This is an urgent matter.

Here’s another question: Does anyone think that either our Lord or the Apostle had in mind anything like receiving the wine, or more likely the juice, via one of those little individual plastic cups?