The trial of Anders Behring Breivik represents one of the greatest tests of human justice in decades. Breivik stood in an Oslo courtroom this week and declared: “I admit to the actions, but not to the guilt.” The “actions,” of course, were the killing of 77 people on July 22, 2011. Eight were killed in... Continue Reading

From Mike Horton: “By far the question that has been taken up the most in the history of Reformed theology is whether the covenant that Israel made with God at Sinai is a re-publication or renewal of the covenant of works made with humanity in Adam.” Boom! There it is. Notes on the reading material... Continue Reading

One of the (many) depressing side effects of the church growth movement has been the construction of ugly church buildings all across America. In an attempt to make going to church less intimidating for unbelievers, building committees have tried to create something that, with a few refittings, could be a fast-food restaurant, box store, or... Continue Reading

Believers need the accountability found only within the local church. We need to hear sermons preached by flesh-and-blood preachers in the real-time experience of Christian worship. We need to confess the faith together through the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper. We need to confess our sins and declare forgiveness by the blood of... Continue Reading

We must be careful how we define ministry readiness and spiritual maturity. There is a danger in thinking that the well-educated and well-trained seminary graduate is ministry ready or to mistake ministry knowledge, busyness, and skill with personal spiritual maturity. Maturity is a vertical thing that will have a wide variety of horizontal expressions. I... Continue Reading

From 1525 onwards, one must search hard for the language of universal priesthood in the writings of…Luther drops the ambiguously democratic rhetoric and start to talk more of church order and offices….This insufficiency of the gospel is surely why Paul, when writing to Timothy, does not simply tell him to preach the gospel……In other words,... Continue Reading

Bodies were the first place Adam and Eve directed their shame, and they hid themselves from one another and from God himself. How ironic that the capstone of God’s creation should become a portion of his work we so despise and want so desperately to reinvent. In a recent interview with Men’s Health, aging actress... Continue Reading

My point is that with this new freedom there can be the temptation to slack off all responsibilities, especially church responsibilities. Let the younger folk do the work and enjoy the freedom of not being tied down. And there is a legitimate freedom that comes with retirement As one becomes older and nears the last... Continue Reading

It’s no time for Christians to back away from concern for the common good, bringing their deepest convictions to bear just as others do. However, the trading of Bible verses ripped from their covenantal context and intention is a sure way to trivialize God’s Word in our society, in our churches, and in our own... Continue Reading

The sleeping giant of feminism has been roused to action, threatening to silence anyone who dares to question its now dominant values. Fifteen years ago James Twitchel’s For Shame: The Loss of Common Decency in American Culture argued for the socially redeeming character of shame: “Shame is the basis of individual responsibility …It is where... Continue Reading