The summer of 2016 was a strange season for the evangelical internet. For a few heated months, the blogosphere—usually preoccupied with cultural hot takes or political infighting—became an impromptu lecture hall for Patristic theology. The debate concerned the Trinity, specifically the doctrine of Eternal Functional Subordination (EFS), later rebranded as Eternal Relations of Authority and Submission (ERAS). At stake was a… Continue reading The High Cost of Historical Revisionism
Category: Systematic Theology
A Will in Bondage: On the Nature of Human Freedom (WCF 9.1–9.5)
We have traversed the high peaks of Christology in Chapter 8, beholding the Person and Work of the Mediator. Now, the Confession turns its gaze inward to the human condition. If Christ has purchased redemption, how do we receive it? Can we simply choose to follow Him by our own natural power? The subject of… Continue reading A Will in Bondage: On the Nature of Human Freedom (WCF 9.1–9.5)
The Work of Redemption: On the Office of Christ the Mediator (WCF 8.5–8.8)
In the first half of Chapter 8, we beheld the person of Christ: the God-Man, divinely appointed and equipped for the work of mediation. But a mediator is not appointed merely to be something, but to do something. Who is He, and what did He accomplish? Having established His identity, the Westminster divines now turn to the efficacy, scope,… Continue reading The Work of Redemption: On the Office of Christ the Mediator (WCF 8.5–8.8)
The Rainbow and the Redeemer: Debating the Nature of the Noahic Covenant
Loved ones, in our exposition of Genesis 9, we took a specific theological stance regarding the Noahic Covenant. We argued that God made this covenant fundamentally with Noah (as a believing federal head) and that it functions as an administration of the Covenant of Grace. In this view, the preservation of the physical world is not… Continue reading The Rainbow and the Redeemer: Debating the Nature of the Noahic Covenant
The God-Man: On the Person of Christ the Mediator (WCF 8.1–8.4)
In Chapter 7, we discovered the glorious Covenant of Grace, God’s answer to the tragedy of the Fall. But a covenant requires a representative, and a broken relationship requires a bridge. Who is capable of spanning the infinite chasm between a holy God and sinful man? We now arrive at the very heart of the… Continue reading The God-Man: On the Person of Christ the Mediator (WCF 8.1–8.4)
The Mid-Winter Mystery: A Chalcedonian Meditation
As a good Presbyterian who holds to the Regulative Principle of Worship, I am obligated to remind you that I have no religious reason to be writing this right now. The 25th of December is, ecclesiastically speaking, just another Thursday. We jokingly call it “Mid-Winter No Reason”—a time when the world inexplicably decides to decorate… Continue reading The Mid-Winter Mystery: A Chalcedonian Meditation
The Weight of Forever: Why We Cannot Annihilate Hell
A Difficult Conversation I grew up watching Kirk Cameron. For many of us in the Reformed camp, he wasn’t just a sitcom star from the 80s; he became a bold, articulate voice for the gospel in a culture that increasingly despised it. His work in The Way of the Master with Ray Comfort taught a generation of… Continue reading The Weight of Forever: Why We Cannot Annihilate Hell
A More Sure Word: On the Sufficiency and Clarity of Scripture (WCF 1.6–1.10)
Having established the Holy Scripture as the necessary, inspired, and self-authenticating Word of God, the Westminster divines proceed to answer a series of practical and vital questions. If the Bible is God’s final written revelation, is it enough? Is it clear enough for the average person to understand? How can we trust our copies and translations? How do… Continue reading A More Sure Word: On the Sufficiency and Clarity of Scripture (WCF 1.6–1.10)
From Dust and Rib: Man’s Purpose in the Garden (Gen. 2:4–25)
After the breathtaking, panoramic view of Genesis 1, the camera of Scripture zooms in. Genesis 2 is not a second, contradictory creation account, as some critics have alleged. Rather, it is a complementary narrative, shifting from the cosmic “what” to the personal “who” and “why.” If chapter 1 shows God as the transcendent Cosmic King,… Continue reading From Dust and Rib: Man’s Purpose in the Garden (Gen. 2:4–25)
Thus Saith the Lord: On the Foundation of Holy Scripture (WCF 1.1–1.5)
Every great theological work, like any well-constructed building, must begin with a solid foundation. Before we can speak of God, humanity, sin, or salvation, we must first answer a more fundamental question: How do we know? On what authority do we base our claims about reality, eternity, and the very character of God Himself? The theologians of… Continue reading Thus Saith the Lord: On the Foundation of Holy Scripture (WCF 1.1–1.5)