A common theme that struck me in these stories is how Rome’s traditions and theology actually cloud the gospel of grace.  One priest told a young boy that if he did what he said (concerning religion) it would all be OK.  Another child grew up thinking that God was ready to condemn him if he’d... Continue Reading

If this exegesis is correct (and I certainly find it compelling), it would seem that anyone wishing to hold to the view the divine inbreathing in Adam not as an animation of Adam, but rather a commissioning of him must base this on different hermeneutical assumptions concerning Gen 1-4, not exegesis.  For those who do... Continue Reading

Undoubtedly, there are differences between slavery and abortion. But the parallels are chilling. Dyer’s book shows that America today is rehashing much of the same debate that occurred 150 years ago. Running throughout the book is a sense of the moral foundation of America’s constitutional order. The Constitution is not just a document that sets... Continue Reading

His insights concerning Christology are worth the price of admission. I had connected antinomianism with a truncated view of grace, but I had not taken it back one further step to Christology. Antinomians do have a truncated view of grace. God’s grace is saving me not only from sin’s guilt in justification, but also from... Continue Reading

The book, released in December, provides a meal plan that includes lean protein, fruit, vegetables and whole grains, and it encourages regular exercise. The day after a two-hour rally to kick off the plan at Saddleback, he says local grocery stores were out of vegetables. “That’s the power of a congregation,” he says. “When an... Continue Reading

And so, even now I find myself needing to be prepared to give an answer when someone tells me about this great, new book they read, Jesus Calling. (I’m not reviewing Jesus Calling here, but here are some good reviews by Todd Pruitt, Michael Horton, Kathy Keller, and Tim Challies if you are interested.) This book was published in 2004, but now there... Continue Reading

Turretin tackles a question first broached by the medieval Scholastics: is theology theoretical or practical? From our vantage point, the answer seems obvious. Theology must be practical. It must result in faith and obedience. It must bear fruit. The great problem in our day, we think, is that so much of our theological discourse has... Continue Reading

 (Warnock) wants to hold together what he calls “the memory of Jesus” with the “distinctive resonance [that occurs] when the church is one built by slaves and formed, from its beginning, at the center of an oppressed community’s fight for personhood and freedom.” He’s not writing abstractly or without regard for context. He’s attempting to... Continue Reading

Spurgeon was adamant that the door to the church be well-guarded, and had a carefully-developed system whereby converts applying for membership were graciously but robustly assessed by elders, himself, and the whole congregation.   I hope that I will be able at some point to provide a review of Tom Nettles’ excellent volume, Living for Revealed... Continue Reading

Joel Osteen, Break Out! 5 Keys to Go Beyond Your Barriers and Live an Extraordinary Life. FaithWords, 2013. 243 pages. $26.00 Detroit’s freeways are framed by dozens of billboards featuring happy, young, successful people enjoying a night of games and entertainment at one of the city’s casinos. The sleek, enticing images preach an alluring message: “Greatness awaits... Continue Reading