Old stories about our theological heroes are as heartwarming as they are encouraging. I especially love the story about one time professor of systematic theology at Westminster Theological Seminary, John Murray, who was apparently in the habit of driving theological students to and from church. It...

When I was young and living under my parent's tutelage, cleaning my room was a primary chore assigned to me. However, even though I was the chief custodian of my room I was not the boss! After cleaning, my mother would show up for the inspection. More often than not, she would look at me with her...

If you have not listened to Aimee Byrd's podcast at the head of this Theology on the Go series, take the seventeen minutes out of your day and do it - especially if you are a pastor. It is worth the time. After listening, I started to reflect on the women in the congregation that I serve and I need...

Are the Doctrines of Grace practical? Let me be more specific, more practical in my question. Is the doctrine of unconditional election a user-friendly doctrine? Let me put it another way, will this doctrine help form piety, deepen love, and strengthen my faith? Maybe you would respond, "Couldn't...

Think about the job of the Old Testament priest. As if he didn't have enough to do he had to do the occasional skin inspection. We read about it in Leviticus 13. The first thing that the priest had to do was figure out what he was dealing with, had the hair on the skin turned white and how deep was...

Several years ago, I was eating lunch with a few pastors who were lamenting our current cultural condition. What made the conversation so memorable was the man seated beside me. He was a pastor from Eastern Europe. In fact, I arranged the lunch so that he could meet some American pastors. My friend...

Over the last several years, some in the church have argued that a person may be oriented toward homosexuality but not act on the inclination or tendency. That may or may not be the case. However, the burden of this article is not that. In this article, I will demonstrate that to claim that...

Not long ago I received an email asking a question. Its impetus was from the Westminster Confession of Faith. The person wanted to know how the Westminster Assembly could have taught that God is impassible when the Scriptures clearly teach that He can be angry, jealous, loving, compassionate and so...

I have a question for you. Can existence be separated from attributes? Perhaps a definition or two is in order. My guess is that you know what it means to exist. But what is an attribute? An attribute is a quality, feature, or characteristic about a person or thing. So, for example, think of a fire...

Have you ever wondered about the topical and logical order of the Westminster Confession of Faith? [1] Not all of it; just the ordo salutis . After chapter nine lays out man’s fourfold state chapter ten begins with what we might think of as a typical ordering of those blessings which accompany a...

If you have a copy of the Westminster Confession of Faith open it up. Take a minute to peruse it. Now, let me ask you a question. Historically what can you tell me about the time of the Confession? Yes, you could probably tell that the language is a bit archaic and the authors liked long sentences...

If, as my wife descended the staircase ready to go out on a date night, I said to her, "Hon, you look beautiful," she would likely thank me. But, if on that same evening, not ten minutes after, I told her that she looked monstrous how do you think she might react? Well, she might start looking...

The blows of a brother are the best kind. I thought of that proverb when I read Benjamin B. Warfield's assessment of Charles Hodge as a teacher of exegesis. [1] Five years after graduating from Princeton, A. A. Hodge, the son of Charles, had written Warfield a request. Warfield summarized the...

What is a pastor/scholar? That is no mean question. Descriptions range. Some have quipped that the pastor/scholar is an ecclesiastical unicorn! Others grant a rare sighting. Still others think the problem is one of misclassification. The Pastor/scholar is in reality the more common pastor/...

Have you ever wondered why Matthew quotes Isaiah in the opening chapter of his Gospel? [1] Perhaps you would say, "Of course not! We already know why. The quote substantiates the virgin conception and birth of Christ!" Yes, but is that the only reason? Again, you may claim, "Isn't that reason...

I love old sea stories. I especially enjoy reading them when the book gives a tidbit of inconsequential information that provides a window into the world at the time of the tale. In the Heart of the Sea, Nathaniel Philbrick's true account of the old Moby Dick yarn is an excellent example. A first...

The salient portion of the Obergefell v . Hodges ruling reads, “The Court now holds that same-sex couples may exercise the fundamental right to marry. No longer may this liberty be denied to them” (22-23). [1] In other words, and as you by now know, same sex marriage has become a civil right in the...

By now, Obergefell v . Hodges is household parlance. The majority opinion of the Supreme Court of the United States reads, “The Court now holds that same-sex couples may exercise the fundamental right to marry. No longer may this liberty be denied to them.” Same-sex marriage is now a civil right...

What is the difference between the providence of God and fate? For some the difference is not easily discerned. In fact, it may have been your unfortunate experience to have learned about fatalism while listening to someone lecture on God’s providence! So, what is the real difference between two?...

In the fifteenth chapter of the first letter to the Corinthians, Paul identifies Christ’s resurrection as the first fruits of those who are asleep. Now, we might wonder at his choice of words. What does he mean by “first fruits?” Well, some might say, “Paul is wanting us to think about Christ’s...

Cardinal Bellarmine (1542-1621) was a well-known figure of the Counter-Reformation and was no mean theologian. He was Pope Clement VIII’s personal theologian and in 1930 he was canonized and consequently named a Doctor of the Church. Protestants often reflect on the Reformation as the time in which...

It’s Sunday morning. The alarm buzzes. After convincing yourself that getting vertical is a good thing you slide out of bed and prepare for church. Now, let me ask you a question. What are you expecting to hear when you get there? No, sorry, let me rephrase the question. Who are you expecting to...

I was sinking fast. It was my third year of church planting and I was having one of those “seminary didn’t prepare me for this!” moments. If memory serves me, I was taking what felt like my last gulp of air when I came into contact with Gregory of Nazianzus. For some that will be a familiar name...

I am preaching through Matthew’s gospel these days and glad to have the Alliance Column from David Hall, First Truths from the First Gospel for the journey. I am currently in the Sermon on the Mount. Now, this isn’t the first time I’ve laid eyes on this well-known and well-loved text and it...