Author: Tony Arsenal

The Impersonal Logos vs. The Personal Trinity

For the past several weeks, we have been engaged in the delicate work of “plundering the Egyptians.” We have walked through the Stoic camp, identifying valuable tools—virtue, duty, the dichotomy of control, and the concept of things indifferent—and we have shown how, when rinsed in the waters of baptism, they can serve the Christian life.… Continue reading The Impersonal Logos vs. The Personal Trinity

Charles Hodge and the Nicene Taxis

In our previous installments, we examined the flawed methodology of “Research by Ctrl+F” and the misuse of Augustine. Now, we move forward to the 19th century and the towering figure of Princeton theology: Charles Hodge. Owen Strachan includes Hodge in his list of witnesses, citing his Systematic Theology to argue that the subordination of the Son is… Continue reading Charles Hodge and the Nicene Taxis

Counted Righteous: On the Doctrine of Justification (WCF 11.1–11.6)

In Chapter 10, we witnessed the miracle of the New Birth. God, by His sovereign grace, drags the corpse from the grave, giving a new heart and a renewed will. But a question remains: The sinner is now alive, but is he righteous? He may have a new heart, but he still has a criminal record.… Continue reading Counted Righteous: On the Doctrine of Justification (WCF 11.1–11.6)

Let Us Make a Name for Ourselves: The Folly and Fall of Babel (Gen. 11:1–9)

Loved ones, we have reached the end of the beginning. Genesis 1 through 11, often called the “Primeval History,” charts the course of the world from the heights of creation to the depths of the Fall, through the judgment of the Flood, and now to the scattering of the nations. We stand at a critical… Continue reading Let Us Make a Name for Ourselves: The Folly and Fall of Babel (Gen. 11:1–9)

Things Indifferent? Paul, Adiaphora, and the Christian Conscience

In our study so far, we have established the theological warrant for engaging with Stoicism: the doctrine of Common Grace. We have argued that we should “plunder the Egyptians,” taking the gold of pagan insight and refining it in the fire of Scripture. We saw the Apostle Paul model this generally on Mars Hill in… Continue reading Things Indifferent? Paul, Adiaphora, and the Christian Conscience

Augustine and the “Hence” That Changes Everything

In Part 1, we established the high stakes of historical revisionism and the problematic methodology employed by Owen Strachan and others in the ERAS camp.[1] Now, we turn to the first of Strachan’s alleged witnesses: Augustine of Hippo. Strachan’s citation of Augustine is particularly significant because it appeals to the “Later Augustine.” By citing Answer to Maximinus… Continue reading Augustine and the “Hence” That Changes Everything

Drawn by the Father: On Effectual Calling (WCF 10.1–10.4)

In Chapter 9, we faced the grim reality of the human condition: fallen man possesses a “natural liberty,” but is in moral bondage, “dead in sin” and “altogether averse” to spiritual good. This leaves us with a desperate question: How can a corpse walk? How can a will bound by sin ever choose a holy… Continue reading Drawn by the Father: On Effectual Calling (WCF 10.1–10.4)

From One Man, Many Nations: A Theological Reading of the Table of Nations (Gen. 10:1–32)

Loved ones, if you are reading through the Bible sequentially, you have just hit your first major speed bump. After the dramatic narratives of the Flood and the shameful incident in Noah’s tent, Genesis 10 presents us with a long list of names—seventy of them, to be precise. It is a directory of ancient tribes,… Continue reading From One Man, Many Nations: A Theological Reading of the Table of Nations (Gen. 10:1–32)

Living According to Nature, Created and Redeemed

We have spent the last few articles in the “gymnasium” of Christian Stoicism, learning to wield specific tools: the Dichotomy of Control to steady our hands and the Ordered Affections to steady our hearts. We have seen that the Christian life is not a retreat from reality, but a disciplined engagement with it, fueled by the Spirit and grounded… Continue reading Living According to Nature, Created and Redeemed