For the scope of our present essay, we’ll examine Machen’s libertarianism in terms of voluntarism, the principle of relying on voluntary action and freedom of choice, particularly when associating with ecclesiastical structures. This voluntarism was worked out in many of Machen’s letters about church and civil politics, and ultimately was forced in Machen’s deposition from... Continue Reading

I do not suppose anyone who read this woke up this morning wondering why my third son’s middle name is Joseph. But in the ten plus years since my wife and I gave this name to him, I have never regretted it. No man apart from Christ is perfect. Dr. Pipa will be the first... Continue Reading

Politico’s reference to a “convenient bogeyman” is especially ironic, as the gay rights movement cast Bryant in just that role. Though Bryant was far from perfect in her advocacy, she often said that she did not hate homosexuals. For many the feeling was not mutual. In the same Slate podcast that Politico references, Lillian Faderman, an LGBT historian, says,... Continue Reading

“The trouble is that not only are you absolute in your political dogmas, but you preached them from a pulpit, by implication, stating that these were not just your opinions but God’s! It’s hard to be more absolutist than that! Perhaps the one thing that bothered me most about your sermon was how little of... Continue Reading

According to the Gospel books, Jesus had sisters (Mark 6:3; Matt 13:56). “Of the names which later tradition gives to sisters of Jesus,” Bauckham explains, “the best attested are Mary and Salome” (Relatives, 8). It is possible that he had more sisters, but these are the two whose names we can be reasonably sure of.... Continue Reading

 A dozen years after Hitchens’s death, the movement he championed has given way to a renewed interest in God and a steady stream of high-profile atheist defections. Ayaan Hirsi Ali, once a member of the New Atheist set, stunned her fellow unbelievers in 2023 by announcing she had become a Christian.   On December 14,... Continue Reading

Saul confesses his sin, imitating Aaron in the golden calf incident and citing fear of man (v. 24). But the king of Israel is to fear the LORD over man, for what can flesh do to him? The judgment upon Saul is that, rejected by the LORD, he will no longer be heard by God... Continue Reading

Jesus changed the meaning of death for those who follow him. Death is no longer the wages of sin. The atoning death and victorious resurrection of Jesus Christ has forever changed the face of the last enemy. Christ has made death a friend to be embraced, unafraid. Death has now become the doorway to eternal... Continue Reading

“He looked at me under the gallery, and I daresay, with so few present, he knew me to be a stranger. Just fixing his eyes on me, as if he knew all my heart, he said, “Young man, you look very miserable.” Well, I did; but I had not been accustomed to have remarks made... Continue Reading

God never has to change His mind because He was “too” something earlier. He was never too loving, too patient, too angry, too judging – He’s not “too” at all. He’s just right, and always in accordance with His perfect character. Oh, the freedom that comes from knowing this truth.   “God is not a... Continue Reading