The Beauty and Glory of Definite Atonement
A theological earthquake shook my life over twenty years ago. I can still see the classroom lit by the afternoon sun. It was mostly quiet and peaceful that day with…
Jeffrey Stivason
Jeffrey A Stivason (Ph.D. Westminster Theological Seminary) is pastor of Grace Reformed Presbyterian Church in Gibsonia, PA. He is also Professor of New Testament Studies at the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Pittsburgh, PA. Jeff is the Editorial Director of Ref21 and Place for Truth both online magazines of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals.
Grace that Instructs
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…
Preaching: The Importance of Preaching
The first three chapters of Mark’s gospel are a literary tsunami. The kingdom of God embodied in Christ came like a wave. The Spirit descended upon Christ at His baptism…
Preaching: Christ the Preacher
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…
Treasure, Eyes, and Money
Matthew 6:19-24 is undoubtedly a difficult text to interpret. Why, you ask? Well, the verses are usually interpreted as if Jesus simply pasted them together. In other words, there is…
Pastoral Lessons from My Betters
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,…
Martin Luther: Katherine von Bora
We all know Martin Luther. Correction – We all know something about Luther. Perhaps we know the story about the ninety-five thesis, or his great “here I stand” speech, or…
An Interesting Structure
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…
Worship: Where Will You Be on Sunday?
Hebrews 1:3b-6 reads, “When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much better than the angels,…
Loosening the Law
Take a minute to grab your Bible and read Matthew 5:17-20. As you can see, these verses have to do with the law. And you remember what John Newton said…
The Logic of Westminster’s Confession
Have you ever wondered about the topical and logical order of the Westminster Confession of Faith? Not all of it; just the ordo salutis. After chapter nine lays out man’s fourfold…
Divine Simplicity: The Pastoral Side to Simplicity
Brace yourself. I’m about to make quite a claim. Are you ready? What would you say if I told you that the doctrine of immutability, which Francis Turretin says is…