Archive for January 2023
How to be a Joyful Calvinist: James Montgomery Boice and the Life of the Mind – Philip Ryken and Matthew Barrett
Who was one of the great influences on today’s leading theologians and university presidents? James Montgomery Boice. Educated at Harvard University and Princeton Seminary, the late James Montgomery Boice was raised up for a lifetime of preaching at Tenth Presbyterian Church. Yet he also found himself at the epicenter of theological debate. He was committed to…
Read MoreBeholding the Glory of God in the Face of Jesus Christ
I suspect that for many of us, the idea of spending time reflecting on the beatific vision might seem like a classic case of being so heavenly minded that we are of no earthly use. The way that the doctrine has traditionally been expressed doesn’t help. The tendency has been to focus on our glorified…
Read MoreThe Biblical Warrant for, and Necessity of, Confessions and Catechesis
Biblical confessions run in two directions. They look back at God’s past redemptive activity and revelation, erecting ebenezers to remind the church of what he has done. And they lean forward into the future, as parents are to educate their children in the meaning of the Passover, and as Paul draws Timothy’s attention to trustworthy…
Read MoreDid I Preach Christ?
The third question I ask when evaluating my sermons is whether I preached Christ organically from the biblical text. Many preachers regularly ask this question of themselves, but at the same time they’re not quite sure how to do this. Charles Spurgeon once famously stated, “I take my text and make a bee-line to the…
Read MoreA Biblical Vision
One doctrine that you may never have heard of (but one that you really should know about) is the beatific vision. This “happy vision” or “blessed vision” is the blessed hope of beholding God in heaven, and it is the telos of the human soul. The beatific vision is what Moses was impatient to see…
Read MoreWhy did C.S. Lewis think natural law could make us human again?
The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles but irrigate deserts.” With these words C.S. Lewis opened The Abolition of Man. Lewis spent his life standing against the modern approach to education, an approach that encouraged cynicism and skepticism, leaving a wasteland in its wake. On the basis of his own university experience Lewis…
Read MoreThe Doctrine of God: New course with Matthew Barrett
The For the Church Institute has released a new course called Theology 1 by Matthew Barrett, editor-in-chief of Credo Magazine and host of the Credo Podcast. Over the next year, FTC Institute will release lectures within this course. Last week we highlighted Unit 1 which asks the question, What is Theology? Today we highlight Unit 2…
Read MoreThe Doctrine of God: New course by Matthew Barrett
The For the Church Institute has released a new course called Theology 1 by Matthew Barrett, editor-in-chief of Credo Magazine and host of the Credo Podcast. Over the next year, FTC Institute will release lectures within this course. Last week we highlighted Unit 1 which asks the question, What is Theology? Today we highlight Unit 2…
Read MoreWhat is Theology? New course by Matthew Barrett
The For the Church Institute has released a new course called Theology 1 by Matthew Barrett, editor-in-chief of Credo Magazine and host of the Credo Podcast. Over the next year, FTC Institute will release lectures within this course. Right now, the first unit is live! The first unit is called: What is Theology? Unit 1: Since…
Read MoreWhat is Theology? New course by Matthew Barrett
The For the Church Institute has released a new course called Theology 1 by Matthew Barrett, editor-in-chief of Credo Magazine and host of the Credo Podcast. Over the next year, FTC Institute will release lectures within this course. Right now, the first unit is live! The first unit is called: What is Theology? Unit 1: Since…
Read MoreHow to Read a Premodern Confession: The Single Meaning of Scripture and the 2LCF 1:9
I have been asked this question numerous times, so I thought I would answer it here and then this can be a reference for the future. A reader asks: I’m currently reading Interpreting Scripture with the Gread Tradition. Very well done. Have you addressed anywhere how the overall thesis you promote in your book does…
Read MoreWhy did C.S. Lewis think natural law could make us human again? Michael Ward and Matthew Barrett
The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles but irrigate deserts.” With these words C.S. Lewis opened The Abolition of Man. Lewis spent his life standing against the modern approach to education, an approach that encouraged cynicism and skepticism, leaving a wasteland in its wake. On the basis of his own university experience Lewis…
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