Heidelminicast: Grammar Guerrilla (13): Me and Him Most Definitely Did Not Talk About It | The Heidelblog
In this episode Dr Clark continues his series on grammar. Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
In this episode Dr Clark continues his series on grammar. Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
As a Presbyterian minister, I have attended many Presbytery meetings where candidates for licensure or ordination are asked various questions touching on the Bible, theology, church government, and their commitment to the church’s confessional teaching. Inevitably, one question that is almost always . . . Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
In the calling of all nations, which is peculiar to the New Testament as to the full knowledge of circumstance and of mode. This was not attended to by the ancients who thought that the Gentiles would be brought into the old . . . Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
Dispensationalism has fallen on hard times. What was the dominant eschatological view of twentieth-century Evangelicals, dispensationalism today is overshadowed by the resurgence of postmillennial eschatology and the ever-stalwart amillennial position. This article offers a brief critique of dispensationalism. My remarks about dispensationalism . . . Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
It consists (1) in the advent of the Messiah, his manifestation in the flesh and the fulfillment of the whole law by him (namely, of its ceremonies, prophecies and the entire righteousness prescribed by God in the law). (2) In the abrogation . . . Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
In this episode Dr Clark continues his series on grammar. Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
In this episode Dr Clark continues his series on grammar.| The Heidelblog
In this episode Dr Clark continues his series on grammar. Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
Thus far the old dispensation; the new succeeds, the administration of the covenant without the law and ceremonies after the appearance of Christ. It is called “new” not as to the substance of the covenant (which is the same in both) but: . . . Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
In our previous installments in this series, we have explored our culture’s discomfort with death, noting it as God’s judgment on sin, yet also observing that Scripture offers a wonderfully tender perspective. We discussed how believers, by God’s grace, escape the second . . . Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
Creeds, confessions, and catechisms are critically important in the evangelical Christian circles in Ethiopia. According to Ethiopian history, evangelical Christianity was introduced about a century ago to the land. It is held that it was first introduced by and as a result . . . Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
Thus it comes about that the doctrine of monergistic regeneration—or as it was phrased by the older theologians, of “irresistible grace” or “effectual calling”—is the hinge of the Calvinistic soteriology, and lies much more deeply embedded in the system than the doctrine . . . Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
These were the top five posts for the week of August 25–31. Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
Unfortunately, when most people think of Reformed theology, they think of the doctrine of predestination. The reasons for this have more to do with the critics of Reformed theology than with what the Reformed themselves confess. Indeed, one of the great weaknesses of the modern Reformed renaissance is that it…| The Heidelblog
In this episode Dr Clark continues the current series, "Nourish and Sustain" Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
The subject of baptism is the faithful people of God, without any distinction of nation, sex, or age. Indeed, infants of the covenanted must be baptized as equally as the infants of the covenanted were once circumcised because the promise made to Abraham . . . Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
It's a Superfriends Saturday on the Heidelcast! Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
Psalm 17 is about focusing on satisfaction in God even amid our greatest troubles. We find the psalmist here in great distress, calling to God to vindicate him against the wicked. Psalm 17 records his prayer declaring that he was in the right against his enemies. This article addresses how…| The Heidelblog
One needs to read but a little way into the treatise to perceive how strongly and indeed even passionately Calvin insisted upon this point. The reason for this is that he looked upon election not merely as the warrant for assurance of . . . Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
Rev. Chris Gordon and Rev. Dr. Dan Borvan tackle a difficult and often misunderstood theological topic: God’s sovereignty in election. They address common objections, like the idea that election is “not fair,” and contrast Reformed theology with Arminianism, which they argue is . . . Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
The song “Dare to Be a Daniel” is yet another reason to adopt Mr. Murray’s view that, in public worship, we should sing only God’s Word (I reached the same conclusion in Recovering the Reformed Confession).1 Not only is the song itself tacky but its way of interpreting the Bible…| The Heidelblog
One of the oldest and most repeated religious questions goes like this: “Why does God allow evil to happen?” Or it may sound like this: “Why is there evil in the world?” These types of questions fall under the subject of theodicy. . . . Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
In this episode Dr Clark continues his series on grammar. Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
For neither the light and heat of the sun, nor any meat and drink, are so necessary to the nourishment and sustenance of the present life, as the apostolical and pastoral office is to the preservation of the Church in the world. . . . Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
The Reformed church today embraces John Calvin as one of our great spiritual predecessors and acknowledges his dedication to purity in the church, and so-called Calvinists champion his ideas on predestination and the sovereignty of God. Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
I am not suggesting that American Presbyterians of the eighteenth century would approve of the political arrangement of the twenty-first century. Surely, in many respects they would not. They assumed an overwhelmingly Protestant nation where Catholics and (more so) Jews could be . . . Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
In this episode Dr Clark continues his series on grammar. Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
In this episode Dr Clark continues his series on grammar. Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
In our previous installments in this series, we began by considering the great aversion and discomfort our culture has when it comes to death. We noted the various unhealthy, unbiblical, and unhelpful coping mechanisms that are often employed in the face of . . . Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
If we truly believe that Scripture is sufficient, then we must not only believe rightly—we must also worship, live, and love according to the word of God. Semper reformanda must remain more than a slogan; it must become the heartbeat of the church today. . . . Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
Next we must consider the general organization of Israel that originated in this berith. This is usually designated as ‘the theocracy’. This name for it is not found in the Scriptures, although it admirably describes what the Biblical account represents Israel’s constitution to . . . Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
These were the top five posts for the week of August 18–24. Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
Reformed theology has enjoyed a renaissance of sorts for about thirty years. A renaissance is literally a rebirth or, more broadly, a renewal. In order for there to be a renewal, however, there had to be a classical, defining period of Reformed . . . Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
In this episode Dr Clark continues the current series, "Nourish and Sustain" Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
“Keep your eye on the prize.” “Don’t take your eye off the ball.” We say these sorts of things for situations when we know that focus is extremely important. We miss hitting the ball when we are looking elsewhere than the pitch . . . Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
In recent years it has become increasingly popular for churches of differing sizes, locations, and denominational traditions to make use of consultant services to find new ministers and staff for Christian institutions. If you browse the denominational job boards of the PCA, . . . Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
It's a Superfriends Saturday on the Heidelcast! Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
Dr Peter Sanlon shows how Wokeism’s fusion of Christian compassion with Marxist ideology has produced a compelling worldview that leverages our instinct for justice. Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
The universal Sabbath law received a modified significance under the Covenant of Grace. The work which issues into the rest can now no longer be man’s own work. It becomes the work of Christ. This the Old Testament and the New Testament . . . Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
Last time we looked through the lens of nature to help us settle the case of whether it is wrong for a boy to wrestle a girl. This time we will look through the lens of wisdom, beginning with an examination of . . . Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
In this episode Dr Clark continues his series on grammar. Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
God cannot let sin go unpunished (Rom 3:25). The penalty for sin… is not a matter of God’s feelings, as if He is simply angry about being wronged…. death is the legal and just consequence for sin, ‘the curse of the law’ that . . . Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
Robert Rollock (1555–98) did not live very long but he was a hard-working Scotsman who left his mark on Reformed theology and especially in biblical commentary and the development of Reformed covenant theology. In his introduction to Rollock’s commentary on Ephesians, Casey . . . Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
It is truly lamentable to observe how many young men and women, of whom better things might have been expected, fall away into semi-Romanism in the present day, under the attraction of a highly ornamental and sensuous ceremonial. Flowers, crucifixes, processions, banners, . . . Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
I tried to imagine what John Calvin’s reaction would be if he walked into your run-of-the-mill worship service today, complete with a full band and contemporary worship songs. The image was ruined by the fact that the only facial expression I can imagine on the great theologian is what I have seen in paintings of him. Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
In this episode Dr Clark continues his series on grammar. Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
In this episode Dr Clark continues his series on grammar. Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
In our previous article in this series, we observed that our culture is not one that likes to think about death. Culturally, as others have pointed out, we have done away with the traditional churchyard. No longer are we forced to walk . . . Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
But I did feel the swell of hormones that flooded my system for the next three months, bringing me to lows I didn’t know existed, sweeping me through endless forests of my own fatigued emotions. I felt the fraying of my mind . . . Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
My Baptist friends give two replies to the claim that they are not truly catholic. First, they appeal to their intent to be catholic. For example, in the introduction to the Second London Confession (1689) they say: "This we did the more abundantly to manifest our consent with both in all the fundamental articles of the Christian religion, as also with many others whose orthodox Confessions have been published to the world on the behalf of the Protestant in diverse nations and cities." Contin...| The Heidelblog
These were the top five posts for the week of August 11–17. Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
The printing industry was especially important in Geneva during Calvin’s rise to prominence. Robert Estienne printed French editions of the works of Beza, Hotman, Viret, and Calvin from Geneva. Jean Crispin, a groomsman at Beza’s secret marriage published popular devotional material, and a range . . . Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
In this episode Dr Clark continues the current series, "Nourish and Sustain" Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
A pastor is a human being who has been redeemed by God’s grace and called to serve the Lord as an ordained minister. As a human, he will need and want friends. It is a highly unrealistic expectation to think that pastors . . . Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
Building a fire requires balancing. Specifically, you have to balance the use of kindling with the use of longer burning fuel. Kindling gets hot and bright fast, but it also fizzles quickly and fades. Fire has to be fed by sustaining fuel. . . . Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
It's a Superfriends Saturday on the Heidelcast! Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
When Andy Kaufman wrestled women in the late 70s and early 80s it was a gag; it was outrageous because, until he did it, it was unthinkable. Why? Because there is such a thing as nature (i.e., the way things are) and Kaufman was being provocative by doing something contrary to the nature of things. Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
Dr Peter Sanlon shows how Wokeism’s fusion of Christian compassion with Marxist ideology has produced a compelling worldview that leverages our instinct for justice. Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
There is still another area in which the Reformed view of the law is influenced by the idea of the covenant. Even after the fall, the law retains something of its covenantal form. The law was not included in the federal relationship . . . Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
Secondly, You affirm with like confidence, That the covenant of circumcision is also the same; viz. the covenant of works made with Adam in paradise. This I utterly deny; and will try whether you have any better success in the proof of your second, . . . Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
Coming soon! Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
Young, Restless, and No Longer Reformed is about Austin Fischer. No matter what the author’s intent was, it is hardly a book about theology and is very much a work arising from Fischer’s feeling that he has far more to say and . . . Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
In this episode Dr Clark continues his series on grammar. Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
In this episode Dr Clark continues his series on grammar. Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
The word πάρεσις, remission, more strictly means pretermission, a passing by, or overlooking. Paul repeatedly uses the proper term for remission (ἄφεσις,) as in Eph. 1:7, Heb. 9:22, &c.; but the word here used occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. Many, therefore, consider the selection of this . . . Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
During the summer before my freshman year of high school, I volunteered at my church’s Vacation Bible School program to lead games for the preschoolers. Something I noticed was that the students were more likely to listen to directions to do something than directions not to do something. I remember telling a girl to please refrain from putting her hands into the water bucket. And what do you think she did? She put her hands in the water bucket. Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
In this episode Dr Clark continues his series on grammar. Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
Why should Christians—especially those in the Reformed camp—embrace amillennialism over premillennialism or dispensationalism? In this post, I’ll share five compelling reasons that won me over, and I believe they can convince you too. First off, the Old Testament doesn’t breathe a word . . . Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
When you are planning to move across the state to start a new job or to be closer to family, you will undoubtedly consider the churches in the area you will be moving to. For some, the lack of confessional churches in the area may halt the moving process altogether. Not being able to worship in a solid, confessional church is too significant. Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
These were the top five posts for the week of August 4–10. Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
When the ancient church began to use the adjective catholic (universal) to describe her theology, piety, and practice, and to distinguish herself from the Gnostic, Marcionite, and Montanist cults of the second century, the best evidence is that they did not read . . . Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
Objection #6: “And for this cause He is the Mediator of the New Testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance” . . . Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
In this episode Dr Clark continues the current series, "Nourish and Sustain" Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
It’s all over every social media platform. I saw it on the late news last night and on the early news this morning. Everyone laughing. Everyone mocking. Many glad that ‘those cheaters’ are getting their comeuppance. Not only are they cheating, but . . . Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
It's a Superfriends Saturday on the Heidelcast! Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
Since purchasing a home, the world of do-it-yourself repairs and upgrades has hit me hard in the face. I often find myself with a vague sense of how to complete the task in front of me, yet I know I cannot do . . . Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
Jarret LeMaster and Dan Coats from the Babylon Bee appear on Abounding Grace Radio to talk all things Christian Satire. Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
Significant numbers of American evangelicals have come to find ancient liturgical forms meaningful, a welcome alternative to the folksy informality typical of many Protestant churches today, especially ‘big-box’ nondenominational congregations. In liturgical churches, these seekers find a stronger historical consciousness and a . . . Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
My Baptist friends tend to talk about the new covenant in ways that do not actually conform to what Scripture says about the new covenant. My Baptist friends tend to make the new covenant more eschatological than it actually is. Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
The panel reversed the district court’s summary judgment for Aubry McMahon and remanded for entry of summary judgment in favor of World Vision, Inc., in McMahon’s lawsuit against World Vision alleging discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and marital status under Title . . . Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
As I emerged out of Southern Baptist evangelicalism in 1980–81 John Stott and J. I. Packer were two of the most influential writers in my journey out of Baptist evangelicalism. Hitherto my theological staples had been things on the order of Navigators Bible study materials and Rosalind Rinker's book on hearing voices from God. I am not entirely sure how I found Stott's Basic Christianity and Packer's Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God. Back then we had a Christian bookstore downtown, whe...| The Heidelblog
In this episode Dr Clark continues his series on grammar. Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
In this episode Dr Clark continues his series on grammar. Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
Kevin DeYoung, moderator of the 52nd General Assembly, has selected the elders to serve on the Ad Interim Study Committee on Christian Nationalism. The committee will consist of three teaching elders, four ruling elders, and two advisory members. The committee members are . . . Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
When I first read Calvin’s Institutes, the clarity with which he described the absolute transcendence and holiness of God struck me, especially as I considered how often my younger, more charismatic self was willing and eager to dismiss concerns about my preferences in worship, even if the concerns came from Scripture itself. Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
How often should our churches celebrate the Lord’s Supper? Practices vary among Reformed congregations—some celebrate weekly, others monthly or quarterly. Yet when we turn to Scripture, church history, the Reformed confessions, and voices like John Calvin and Louis Berkhof, a compelling case . . . Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
The passages are these:— He was thirty years old when he came up to be baptized. Then, when he had the mature age of a teacher, he came to Jerusalem, so that all would reasonably accept him as a teacher. For he . . . Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
In this episode Dr Clark continues a series on the good news of definite atonement, and why some have struggled with it, and how we should respond. Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
These were the top five posts for the week of July 28–August 3. Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
When the creed goes on to say that Christ descended into hell, does that mean that He descended into the limbus, where there is neither joy nor sorrow, so that He might liberate the patriarchs from there? Or does it mean that . . . Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
Whether Baptists can be catholic is a serious question that requires a serious answer. Before we proceed, however, we must define our terms. What is catholicity? Our English word catholic is really a Greek word, katholikos (καθολικός), borrowed by English. What does . . . Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
In this episode Dr Clark continues the current series, "Nourish and Sustain" Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
It's a Superfriends Saturday on the Heidelcast! Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
Pick your battles wisely. Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
To be fair, congregational singing has been under assault for a century or more. The “contemporary” worship of 100 years ago in some P&R churches already suffered from invasive species propagated by Oxford Movement’s high-church, Anglo-Catholic tendencies. Low churches got high. Organs . . . Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
We tread carefully when we enter an important space. Moses stopped cold and removed his shoes when he came near the burning bush. Israel’s high priests knew they stepped on hallowed ground as they entered the holy of holies. We too tend . . . Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
There are some who understand the promises of Jeremiah 31 to be realized entirely in the future. There are reasons, however, why this is not the best way to understand Jeremiah 31. First, as we have already seen, each of these benefits was already promised under the covenant of grace to Abraham. Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
In this insightful discussion, Rev. Chris Gordon and Rev. Dan Borvan delve into the biblical account of Nicodemus in John Chapter 3, unpacking profound theological truths about salvation, regeneration, and evangelism. Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
Now at the time when the cock crows they are at the water. The water should be flowing, or at least running. It should be so if there is no necessity, but if there is continuous and sudden necessity use any water you . . . Continue reading →| The Heidelblog
