The Cross’s Double Cure
That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Romans 8:4 Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in Thee; Let the water and…
Tag reformation church history
Pomponio Algerio and His Resolute Faith
Pomponio Algerio and His Resolute Faith Most tourists to Rome stop by Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s Fountain of the Four Rivers, in Piazza Navona. Some drop a coin in the water and make a wish. Hardly anyone is aware that in…
Johann Von Staupitz – Luther’s “First Father” in the Doctrine of Predestination
Johann Von Staupitz – Luther’s “First Father” in the Doctrine of Predestination When Johann Von Staupitz first met Martin Luther, probably in 1506, he saw a young man who was both inquisitive and talented, with a strong potential to teach…
The Reformation & the Doctrines of Grace
I love this time of year but it’s not because the temperature drops, or the leaves fall. I love it because it gives me an opportunity to revisit the history and theology bound up in the Reformation. Many years ago,…
Marguerite d’Angoulême, an Influential Reformer
Marguerite d’Angoulême, an Influential Reformer Marguerite d’Angoulême, also known as Marguerite de Navarre, was one of the most influential figures in sixteenth-century Europe. Today, her memory in Reformed circles seems obscured by that of her more committed daughter,…
The Ten Words: The Second
The second commandment is tricky business. Let me state the matter in the form of a question. Do verses 4-6 of Exodus 20 constitute another commandment, a second commandment, or are these verses simply part of the first commandment stated…
Antonius Hambroeck’s Sacrifice
Antonius Hambroeck’s Sacrifice The moving story of Antonius Hambroeck is well-known in the Netherlands, where he is considered a national hero, and in Taiwan, where he was executed. It was popularized in the 1775 play Anthonius Hambroek, or the Siege…
Martin Luther and Stinkering at Satan
Legend has it that the great Reformer Martin Luther once threw an ink well at the Devil who had been incessantly accusing him.[1] Whether or not this is true, Luther certainly had remarkable fits and fights with the ancient foe…
Martin Luther: A Biography
Review of Eric Metaxas: “Martin Luther: The Man Who Rediscovered God and Changed the World” In his biography of Martin Luther: The Man Who Rediscovered God and Changed the World, Eric Metaxas paints a stunningly beautiful portrait of this late-medieval…
Martin Luther and the Law
In 1529, artist Lucas Cranach the Elder produced a panel painting that visualized the theology of his famous friend, Martin Luther. The two wings of the painting represent the path to salvation through the law and the gospel. The left…