tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6457420610176766795.comments2023-05-06T08:07:01.237-07:00Berit OlamMatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04819951532310453819noreply@blogger.comBlogger101125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6457420610176766795.post-56149681224789328612010-08-03T16:49:08.109-07:002010-08-03T16:49:08.109-07:00Hi there! Found your blog today and thought you mi...Hi there! Found your blog today and thought you might be interested in a brand new offer from <a href="http://www.logos.com" rel="nofollow">Logos Bible Software </a> featuring the works of Francis Turretin, <a href="http://www.logos.com" rel="nofollow">Institutio Theologiae Elencticae </a>. Thanks and let me know if I can help in any way!<br />Sarah WilsonSarah Wilsonhttp://www.logos.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6457420610176766795.post-69424376862441545252009-12-05T13:03:25.956-08:002009-12-05T13:03:25.956-08:00Looks like you and I are blogging with near common...Looks like you and I are blogging with near common infrequency these days. Anyway, I'm now subscribed to you.<br /><br />Just wanted to add that this "babies-with-the-bathwater" or toilet effect is more likely in churches that have abandoned close communion.<br /><br />"Utilitarian" arguments shouldn't be decisive, but it's worth considering that God has provided protection against toilet effect, and most NAPARC churches have abandoned it.Baushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15081376115291852909noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6457420610176766795.post-56838646187536882812009-09-08T19:02:34.282-07:002009-09-08T19:02:34.282-07:00my wife bought me the book! stoked.
hey congrats M...my wife bought me the book! stoked.<br />hey congrats M.M. i remember from church that you are the ultimate kid guy. have fun. we'll be praying for you guys. <br />pchaoshttp://creedorchaos.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6457420610176766795.post-12093869570449274062009-05-08T07:53:00.000-07:002009-05-08T07:53:00.000-07:00hmmm. isn't this the same guy who in his recent bo...hmmm. isn't this the same guy who in his recent book "Why Johnny Can't Preach" refers to those who can't speak in a complete sentence as having experienced a "sentence fart". :) In any event Dr Gordon is a very wise man and speaks a lot of Truth in this piece.Waynehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05115279411952417222noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6457420610176766795.post-70605894640953129752009-05-02T15:11:00.000-07:002009-05-02T15:11:00.000-07:00thanks for the russel recommendation. I'll need th...thanks for the russel recommendation. I'll need that soon. <br />pchaoshttp://creedochaos.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6457420610176766795.post-42178820041996716752009-05-02T15:07:00.000-07:002009-05-02T15:07:00.000-07:00I could make the list much longer if I wanted...I could make the list much longer if I wanted...chaoshttp://creedochaos.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6457420610176766795.post-70986886962085920652009-04-16T13:39:00.000-07:002009-04-16T13:39:00.000-07:00kids in the mix?? your own soon? :)kids in the mix?? your own soon? :)rohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12158497288180265199noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6457420610176766795.post-9508787046883021252009-04-16T05:57:00.000-07:002009-04-16T05:57:00.000-07:00Hi Matt,
Thanks very, very much for the update. M...Hi Matt,<br /><br />Thanks very, very much for the update. May God bless your labors in his vineyard.<br /><br />As you know, Calvin taught that being a "shepherd" of the church is a higher calling than being a "doctor" of the church. <br /><br />But that doesn't excuse you from knowing Hebrew and Greek well enough to read the Bible in the original languages with your scrambled eggs in the morning. <br /><br />Somebody has to keep up the Reformed tradition of being a biblically and theologically literate pastor rather than (just) a YMCA director. That would be you, I'm guessing.<br /><br />Blessings on you and your family.John Hobbinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17011346264727684917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6457420610176766795.post-79726591431330712842008-12-01T10:57:00.000-08:002008-12-01T10:57:00.000-08:00sweet. now that you're back...how bout a proverbs ...sweet. now that you're back...how bout a proverbs post for c or c? something along the lines of Christ-centered proverbs sermons? Hmmmmmmmm?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6457420610176766795.post-82654847932261521702008-08-18T15:00:00.000-07:002008-08-18T15:00:00.000-07:00I thought this article might be of interest:http:/...I thought this article might be of interest:<BR/><BR/>http://www.puritanfellowship.com/2007/11/romans-7-by-charles-leiter.htmlMasonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12450401069292857789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6457420610176766795.post-67581906250188707772008-08-13T20:09:00.000-07:002008-08-13T20:09:00.000-07:00Wow, what a balanced and fair assessment--of a Cat...Wow, what a balanced and fair assessment--of a Catholic, no less. Thanks for your post.<BR/><BR/>Fr. J.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6457420610176766795.post-75529561306361973292008-07-14T14:51:00.000-07:002008-07-14T14:51:00.000-07:00Phil,Dennis' article in now out in the recent Gaff...Phil,<BR/><BR/>Dennis' article in now out in the recent Gaffin Festschrift. I remember talking to him about Romans 7 years ago, but the specific are bit fuzzy....but he has held to this position for quite a while (as I understand it).<BR/><BR/>I haven't had a chance to get the Festschrift yet, but it's high on the list (one of reasons being so I can read Dennis' article). So I can't really comment directly on his exegesis. But my hunch is that it's going to be something very similar to the brief outline here.<BR/><BR/>A lot of it is just a footnote to Ridderbos. ;-)Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04819951532310453819noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6457420610176766795.post-53056264596798587702008-07-14T14:09:00.000-07:002008-07-14T14:09:00.000-07:00Hey Matt (Danny)I know I may incur the wrath of Th...Hey Matt (Danny)<BR/>I know I may incur the wrath of Thomasgoodwin but...<BR/>have either of you read or heard about Dennis Johnson's take on R-7? He read it during a fairly recent Warfield Seminar. I was really impressed by his confident presentation and he seemed to have gotten a few of the other profs' attention as well. He demonstrated once again that he is quite the exegete. <BR/><BR/>I have to reread it to explain DJ's view of the 'ego'if you haven't read it yet. No time today. However, I remember it seemed to go along well with a prior Warfield Seminar done by VanDrunen and Baugh which discussed the works principle (stokea tou kosmou) in Galatians.<BR/><BR/>Until I read DJ's article, which has been published by now (I can email him to find out where) I was persuaded by Moo's take. <BR/><BR/>~chaosAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6457420610176766795.post-71801486478332243952008-06-28T10:28:00.000-07:002008-06-28T10:28:00.000-07:00What follows is probably not worth reading since i...What follows is probably not worth reading since it is not based on what any of the great reformers have said about this chapter. Also, I don't share the concerns of Pastor Bordow. But, since I happen to be studying it (still a work in progress) I thought it would give me a chance to begin collecting my thoughts.<BR/><BR/>Paul is walking in the Spirit and has no doubt that he is at peace with God regardless of what he may choose to do (e.g., sin). So, what is it with all this death and sin that a cursory reading of this chapter might imply he was still concerned about?<BR/><BR/>Here's my take (worthless, as I have already said). An unregenerate person has an inclination to sin that he/she can not overcome. They do have the ability to make the right decisions; but, really don't have that inclination. They are 'slaves' to sin. The regenerate person has a set of inclinations that now allow them to present themselves as 'slaves' to God for righteousness. In that sense, (they now have inclinations to do right) they are no longer 'slaves' to sin. BUT, they still possess all of the old inclinations and can still yield to the lusts of sin. When the Christian tries to overcome these old inclinations by law (e.g., I really shouldn't do that . . . ), they will most likely fail. The only way to overcome the old is through presenting oneself to God as His 'slave.' After all, one can not have two masters. Following the Spirit is the solution; trying to do the right thing (i.e., obeying the law) will often only lead to failure.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6457420610176766795.post-17665925126478213422008-06-07T15:59:00.000-07:002008-06-07T15:59:00.000-07:00Danny,I view Romans 7 in an analogous way to the '...Danny,<BR/><BR/>I view Romans 7 in an analogous way to the 'Pope as Antichrist'.<BR/><BR/>There may be a 'historic Reformed' way to understand a given text....but are we bound (confessionally?) to hold that Romans 7 <I>must</I> be understood as the Christian's struggle against sin? I can't see it in the Westminster Standards.<BR/><BR/>It seems to me that those in my position (and perhaps Todd as well) don't see Romans 7 as a hill to die on. But those who are convinced of the 'Paul as struggling believer' view do see this as a watershed (slippery slope?) issue. I guess I'm curious as to why. Is it just the Arminius baggage? If so, I'm not convinced that's a good argument. For example, Ridderbos takes a non-traditional view of Romans 7...and (to my knowledge) doesn't end up anywhere near Arminius.Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04819951532310453819noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6457420610176766795.post-45110717621464464402008-06-07T06:42:00.000-07:002008-06-07T06:42:00.000-07:00Matt,It's more than the "predominant view," it's t...Matt,<BR/><BR/>It's more than the "predominant view," it's the historic Reformed view. One of the reasons Arminius was suspected by some in his congregation were his sermons on Romans 7 not being the struggle of the Christian life because this was the view of the Reformed churches.<BR/><BR/>This doesn't answer the question, but gives historical consciousness to why it is predominant today.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6457420610176766795.post-79615447007515772602008-06-04T19:37:00.000-07:002008-06-04T19:37:00.000-07:00Zrim,Maybe "compatible" is not precisely the word ...Zrim,<BR/><BR/>Maybe "compatible" is not precisely the word I'm looking for.<BR/><BR/>I suppose I'm trying to answer the question what kind of government provides best accords with (a) non-theocracy and (b) general well-being for its citizens.<BR/><BR/>Clearly, Christianity can exist in any civil goverment, whether it be socialist China or Cromwellian England....so couldn't we in some sense say any system is 'compatible' (in one sense) with the Christian faith? But clearly not all civil governments are equally 'good' for the well-being of its citizen.<BR/><BR/>One of Mamet's points is our 3-branch system of government is quite ingenious in terms of the way it provides 'checks and balances' against total depravity within its citizens.....without a religious theocracy (a la the Christian right) OR a dictatorial system (a la the Socialist left) to enforce it.<BR/><BR/>And so the Libertarian position seems to me to be a pretty good <I>via media</I>....though not the "only compatible" system (which is what I think you hear me to be saying....which would of course be wrong!)<BR/><BR/>One of course is welcome to come up with some kind of government system in a non-theocratic state....but the one we have seems to work pretty good.Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04819951532310453819noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6457420610176766795.post-89824224117858894682008-06-03T09:51:00.000-07:002008-06-03T09:51:00.000-07:00"I suspect this is one reason why I find libertari..."I suspect this is one reason why I find libertarian economic theory to be quite compatible with my Calvinistic-amillennial eschatology..."<BR/><BR/>As a "confessionally-Reformed-Calvinist-Amillennial Christian secularist," this is what I find compelling. The recent swell of popular rallying for Ron Paul in our circles seems to continue to repeat the very same mistakes found in our Constantian traditon it is trying to counter, namely that the Christian project is at all interested in the affairs of this world: the notion seems to be that one ideology is more or less compatible with our shared theology. Fact is, no ideology is more or less friendly to our confessed religion. That seems to be the point.<BR/><BR/>I am happy to let those within our narrow and radically intolerant theological confines battle out their ideological differences with charity and radical tolerance. But I am even more happy as a Xian secularist to help remind everyone that we have no stake in any of this, which is to say, you may want to re-think what you mean by "quite compatible." That's what got us here in the first place, you know.<BR/><BR/>Zrimstevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17604339736220629514noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6457420610176766795.post-6244558207861658762008-05-14T09:39:00.000-07:002008-05-14T09:39:00.000-07:00Matt,What are the specs on this bad-boy? Also, di...Matt,<BR/><BR/>What are the specs on this bad-boy? Also, did you hear about the woman who caught the guys who stole her mac by accessing it remotely and taking a picture of them, then sending it to the police. That was pretty sweet. My next laptop will be mac!Danny Pattersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10396127934896709365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6457420610176766795.post-75406103806554128612008-05-05T23:53:00.000-07:002008-05-05T23:53:00.000-07:00Dude, that would never happen in Vancouver ... eve...Dude, that would never happen in Vancouver ... everyone already has a laptop up here.<BR/><BR/>Seriously, I'm sorry this happened. Maybe Rom. 8:28 becomes the hardest passage in the Bible to believe?<BR/><BR/>MJAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6457420610176766795.post-79821627062547345952008-05-02T13:00:00.000-07:002008-05-02T13:00:00.000-07:00Yikes! Sorry to hear that bro.Yikes! Sorry to hear that bro.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6457420610176766795.post-62514469077877904052008-04-07T17:35:00.000-07:002008-04-07T17:35:00.000-07:00In Enns' reply to Pratt, Enns indicates he is doin...In Enns' reply to Pratt, Enns indicates he is doing "constructive" theology--seeking to improve our methods and results in OT interpretation--and that Pratt isn't. I think you're right to notice that here constructive theology is being used to disturb the comfortable, and that a major concern is that Enns' interpretation is contrary not only to the Confession's doctrine of scripture, but conservative evangelicalism's as well. Since I think the Confession is very faithful to scripture, I think constructive theology should be done in general harmony with the Confession, rather than in purported tension with the Confession.<BR/><BR/>You call for explicit "statements, explaining...why his approach strikes at fundamental concerns to our doctrine of scripture." If I recall correctly, amidst discussing several examples of the NT's use of the OT, at one point Carson concluded that Second Temple allegory, spiritualization, or Messianic reinterpretation, and Enns' version of inspired apostolic Christotelic midrash, was in a word, "eisegesis." I won't be surprised if that is one route critical statements will continue to follow.<BR/><BR/>Ironically, I remember a different OT prof at WTS informing me that my (admittedly poorly) exegetical paper's conclusion that the Shorter Catechism was right was in itself eisegesis. I intended the paper's exegesis to serve as reason to believe the Standards were right, but the prof understood my use of the Standards to be an attempt at demonstrating my exegesis was right. I hope my exegesis has improved, and that the professor's opinion of using the Standards in a paper has as well.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6457420610176766795.post-16996536855569740962008-04-05T00:31:00.000-07:002008-04-05T00:31:00.000-07:00So noted and corrected, thanks. I confused the su...So noted and corrected, thanks. I confused the suspension with the later stipulation to consider termination.Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04819951532310453819noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6457420610176766795.post-18036335338226097112008-04-04T22:32:00.000-07:002008-04-04T22:32:00.000-07:00Matt,I don't think the board voted to terminate En...Matt,<BR/><BR/>I don't think the board voted to terminate Enns' contract. Didn't they vote to suspend him and consider their next step after a committee recommendation?R. Scott Clarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01734965995130936606noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6457420610176766795.post-41518317405982715752008-03-26T07:24:00.000-07:002008-03-26T07:24:00.000-07:00Good stuff. Wisdom literature brings the covenant...Good stuff. Wisdom literature brings the covenant to the streets.<BR/><BR/>Cheers!JDFhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12732611556704274667noreply@blogger.com