Resources from 1992
God justifies the wicked, Paul says. Problem is, nobody thinks he or she is wicked anymore. Madonna thinks traditional folks are wicked; the Moral Majority thinks Madonna is wicked, but do we think of ourselves as wicked anymore? According to George Barna, most Christians believe they obey the Ten Commandments (although most cannot name them). […]
Any evangelical–indeed, any Christian–would probably say that the key issue of human life is that of a saving relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Those who are familiar with the scriptures and know what is described with regard to the nature of the fall of the human race in Genesis three and have come to […]
Could Christianity survive without the gospel? In some quarters, including some fairly close to home, the answer seems to be in the affirmative. We still hear the laity using the lingo from the past, but the theological language of scripture is being increasingly replaced with psychological terminology. Of course, language is not as important as […]
About 15 years ago, my brother, then an assistant football coach at Arizona State, introduced me to Danny White, who was then the star quarterback for the Sun Devils. I was only 12 years old and in awe of White. Meeting him was one of those moments when you are aware of every movement you […]
Readers familiar with Modern Reformation know that we are a group committed to recovering the essence of the Christian message. That means that what you see and hear from us will usually be in the form of doctrinal discussions, issues, and debates written with the thinking layperson in mind. Nevertheless, there are some practical issues […]
James Arminius (Jacob Harmenszoon) is undoubtedly the most famous theologian ever produced by the Dutch Reformed Church. His fame is a great irony since the Dutch Reformed Church historically was a bastion of strict Calvinism, and Arminius has given his name to a movement very much in opposition to historic Calvinism. Who was this Arminius? […]
Praised by many evangelicals as a great preacher, Charles H. Spurgeon is considered a successful and “safe” example of a “non-theological” ministry. His works are recommended as a means to lead many aspiring pastors into developing their own successful ministries. His Lectures to My Students are often used for this purpose, emphasizing the “practical” aspects […]
“A theological shift is underway among evangelicals as well as other Christians…This trend began, I believe, because of a fresh and faithful reading of the Bible in dialogue with modern culture, which places emphasis on autonomy, temporality, and historical change.” (1) This announcement from Dr. Clark Pinnock, a respected evangelical theologian, is neither a criticism, […]
Since the 17th century, Calvinism has been identified with its five-point reply to the Arminian party at the Synod of Dort. Calvinists often complain that this summary of their theology, though accurate in expressing the Calvinists’ disagreement with their Arminian opponents, presents a truncated view of what Calvinism really is. Where in the five points […]
Benjamin Breckenridge Warfield (1851-1921) was in many minds the greatest American theologian living during the period between the Civil War and World War I. As professor of Polemical and Didactic theology at Princeton Theological Seminary from 1887 until his death 34 years later, B. B. Warfield was the leading advocate and most articulate spokesman of […]
MR: Dr. Packer, what exactly do people mean by unconditional election? Packer: It is a phrase which folk use to express this thought: that because we sinners are helpless, God has to take all the steps that are necessary in order to bring us to faith and fellowship with himself and finally to eternal life. […]
In this article I want to offer some brief scriptural responses to the common objections concerning the doctrine of election. If one does not believe in the doctrine of unconditional election, it is impossible to have a high doctrine of grace. As Luther told Erasmus, ignorance of this great truth is in a real sense […]
Away with the caricatured scapegoating of the Puritans! Ryken’s work draws from the Puritans’ own writings to dispel the popular myths surrounding them. J. I. Packer in his foreword to the book sums it up nicely: “[T]he typical Puritans were not wild men, fierce and freaky, religious fanatics and social extremists, but sober, conscientious, and […]
A young reformer who had grown increasingly critical of the departure of the Reformed Church and the nation from their theological moorings, Kuyper was encouraged to enter politics, which he did in 1874, when he was elected a member of Parliament. The church at this time was already sliding toward liberalism, having tolerated Arminianism and […]
Professor of Theology, Wycliffe Hall, Oxford and member of the Oxford University Faculty of Theology. Dr. McGrath has been hailed as “one of the very best scholars and teachers of the Reformation” (London Times) with numerous books for both academic and lay audiences. MR: Has the Reformation produced more than its fair share of cultural […]
