Archive for September 2020
The New Issue of Credo Magazine: The Nicene Creed
The new issue of Credo Magazine is now here! The Nicene Creed. The doctrine of the Trinity is foundational to Christianity. Without it, we have no Christianity at all. For that reason, the church fathers of the fourth century labored to protect the church from those in their midst who undermined the equality of the…
Read MoreA Conversation with Louis Markos
If it is true that the average evangelical suffers from an anemic theology, then it is equally true that the average evangelical suffers from an anemic imagination. Too often Christians, particularly those burdened with a desire for more theological precision, think that reading classic works of literature is at best a waste of time and…
Read MoreHow Death Enables Us to Live
We are all dying. This seems obvious enough, at least in the abstract. Yet in our day even this abstraction is denied by some. A Silicon Valley research foundation called SENS pursues the ambitious mission to “prevent and reverse age-related ill-health.” “I think it’s reasonable to suppose that one could oscillate between being biologically 20…
Read MoreWhat is the Church and Why is it Necessary?
Many people today act as though the church is optional. If we have been “burned” too many times in the church, then so much the worse for the church. We think that we can simply read our Bibles at home and listen to sermons on the internet. Or we can start our own home “churches”…
Read MoreThe Importance of the Covenant of Works
Why is the history of the covenant of works an important topic of study? To answer this question, we should first briefly define the doctrine and, second, rehearse its origins, development, and reception. We will then be able to reflect on why the history of the covenant of works is worthy of our study. The…
Read MoreSpurgeon, Atonement, and Your Life in Christ
Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834–1892), the famed “prince of preachers,” navigated his life by the reality of the living Christ, the influence of the Holy Spirit, and the Word of God. Even though he grew up in a Christian household, he did not come to faith in Christ until he wandered into a Primitive Methodist Chapel…
Read MoreNew Credo Video: How Can J.C. Ryle Help Reform the Church Today?
How can J. C. Ryle help reform the church today? Why is clarity of the gospel important in a church? What does Ryle say about the Church’s role in proclaiming the gospel? Does creativity matter in church reformation? In this Credo Video, Dr. Andrew Atherstone discusses three ways in which J. C. Ryle can help…
Read MoreHow Can J. C. Ryle Help Reform The Church Today?
How can J. C. Ryle help reform the church today? Why is clarity of the gospel important in a church? What does Ryle say about the Church’s role in proclaiming the gospel? Does creativity matter in church reformation? In this Credo Video, Dr. Andrew Atherstone discusses three ways in which J. C. Ryle can help…
Read MoreThe New Birth Is Not What You Think It Is
To be called a “born-again Christian” today can mean many things. For some, it means you are a Bible thumping fundamentalist. For others, it means you are politically conservative when you walk into the voting booth. Still for others it means you were converted at one of the Billy Graham crusades. Unfortunately, the phrase means…
Read MoreBeauty in the Darkness: A Surprising Encounter with God’s Omnipresence
I have been long concerned with questions of beauty, in particular how beauty is to be understood with relation to God. There are big questions about Beauty itself, and how to understand that as a characteristic of God, and of course that interests me greatly. But there is the more domestic (though no less deep)…
Read MoreHow the Psalms Teach Us Contentment
Throughout the Psalms, the writers make plain that theology and doxology are not at odds with one another, but rather what one knows about God changes the way he or she lives before God. The Psalms provide a window into the soul and prayer life of its various writers. The psalmists embrace tension as they…
Read MoreThe Hiddenness of God: Reading Esther Theologically
Esther’s story is breathtaking and memorable, full of court intrigue, murderous plots, and sweet vengeance turned upon those who would attempt to destroy God’s people. Mordecai’s statement that Esther had become queen of Persia “for such a time as this” has made its way into our cultural vernacular as shorthand for encouraging people to seize…
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