So, you’re discouraged and downcast about the outcome of the presidential election?  You’d hoped for better.  You’re concerned that we’ve taken a huge step backwards on such crucial morality issues like abortion, homosexuality, and stem cell research.  You fear our nation is culturally slipping into a season of ethical darkness.  You’re tempted to think that evil has somehow snuck up into the heavenly throne-room, seized, gagged, and bound God in a celestial corner, while unchecked wickedness will now trash history for a four-year term.  You may feel the onset of spiritual de... [read more]

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Recently, Dr. James Renihan published on his blog an entry entitled, “Are You Passionate?” (June 3, 2008), which the reader may access here. He begins the post with the remark,  “Evangelical preachers and writers have become passionate about being passionate.” “We are urged,” says Renihan, “to have a passion for God, to be passionate about winning souls, to be passionate in worship etc. ad nauseum.” Though he acknowledges that those who use this terminology are employing it in a positive sense, he alerts the reader to a potential problem. “The problem is,” he asserts, �... [read more]

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What do we say when a Christian mother backs the car over the top of her little toddler and crushes him to death?  When a young Christian man discovers he has brain cancer and must soon leave his three young children without a father?  When a hurricane destroys the homes and disrupts the lives not only of unbelievers but also of believers? Perhaps you’ve asked that question in light of personal trial or tragedy. You’ve lost a loved one or gone through a heart-rending divorce or contracted a chronic illness or been betrayed by a Christian friend. The Lord has dealt bitterly with you, a... [read more]

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Last week I taught the first of four module sessions (a “quadular”) on Elementary Hebrew I as an adjunct professor of Midwest Center for Theological Studies. Six of the seven students live in the vicinity of Owensboro, Kentucky, home to MCTS. One student is taking the course in a distance-learning format via live-streaming. The new classroom facilities at MCTS are high-tech and comfortable, enhancing the teaching-learning experience for the professor and student. MCTS also has a small library (which they’re currently expanding) and study hall for the students. Moreover, Ed... [read more]

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During the week of October 6th thru 10th, Pastor Mark Chanski of the Reformed Baptist Church of Holland Michigan delivered 17 lectures on the subject of biblical Hermeneutics (the science of interpretation). Those of you who are acquainted with Pastor Chanski’s preaching and teaching gifts will have no trouble imagining the combination of scholarship and eloquence evident throughout his lectures. Especially notable is Mark’s gift for illustrating truth, rightly earning him the epithet, “The Master of Analogy,” and enhancing the edification-efficiency of his lectures.... [read more]

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In the eighteenth century, an Irish minister by the name of Jonathan Swift wrote a powerful satire, entitled, A Modest Proposal. In the most serious language, Swift suggested that Irish babies be sold for food, and that their skin be used as a kind of soft leather. As a result, there would be fewer mouths to feed, more food to go around, and a new industry that would create many jobs. This was his ‘modest’ proposal. In reality, Swift did not intend what he was recommending. Actually, he was attacking a common philosophy of the day, called “utilitarianism.” This philosophy taught tha... [read more]

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But to as many as received him, He granted the legal warrant to become children of God, even to the ones who believe in His name, who were born not of bloods, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the decision of a husband, but of God (author’s translation). Doctrine: The conferral of covenant sonship status under the New Covenant is limited no longer  to the Jewish nation and is predicated no longer on natural descent but on supernatural descent, the fruit and evidence of which is saving faith in Jesus the Messiah. Below I will offer three propositions to substantiate the doctrine articu... [read more]

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In our previous post, I sought to caution against an unbridled enthusiasm for and unquestioning commitment to our Confession of Faith in particular or our Reformed heritage in general that can subtly weaken our commitment to sola Scriptura. In general, I believe our Confession and Reformed heritage reflect accurately the teachings and emphases of Scripture. But I am not convinced the Reformed tradition as embodied in our Confession is accurate or balanced 100% of the time. (If it were, it would carry an authority equal with Scripture.) In this post, I want to suggest some ways in which we c... [read more]

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The NT employs the Greek paradosis to refer to religious teaching that has been handed down orally or in writing, commonly known as “tradition.” One finds examples of both good and bad tradition. Inspired apostolic tradition is viewed in a positive light (1 Cor. 11:2; 2 Thess. 2:13). Non-inspired ecclesiastical tradition is usually viewed in a negative light  (Matt. 15:1-9; Gal. 1:13-14; Col. 2:8). The danger of non-inspired tradition is its potential for distorting, invalidating, and even supplanting biblical truth. This would hold true not only of non-inspired Jewish tradition but al... [read more]

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Mark Chanski is a pastor of the Reformed Baptist Church of Holland, Michigan, and the professor of hermeneutics for Reformed Baptist Seminary. Below is an excerpt from his soon-to-be published Womanly Dominion: More than a Gentle and Quiet Spirit. The book is due to be available on September 12, by Calvary Press. Chapter 13 is entitled “Womanly Dominion in the Public Square.” The subheadings are: 1. A Woman President? 2. A Woman Warrior? 3. A Woman Athlete? 4. A Woman Worker? A Woman President? Right now, it’s January, 2008. The polls indicate that Hillary Clinton is the front... [read more]

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