Us: In Perspective

Has is ever occurred to any of us that ten thousand years from now, historians might be writing about the first two thousand years [and all of us] as “the early Church”.  And some poor seminary student will be studying and trying to figure out: " Now, who came first?  Was it Athanasius or Cornelius Van Til?  Those guys … they all run together!”

- D.W.

Presuppositional Apologetics: Monty Python-Style

Presuppositional apololgetics always engages in an "internal critique" of an unbeliever's worldview to show its inherent, destructive self-contradiction... you must show the unbeliever where his presuppositions lead: to epistemological futility.

-Greg Bahnsen, Pushing the Antithesis

Deformed and Deforming

How many "good" Reformed congregations would invite St. James back to preach if he stood behind the pulpit and quoted his epistle as his sermon?  How many would invite Peter back if he told them in his sermon that baptism saves [like he did in his first epistle]?  So the 2 questions are: 1.  At what point are we more "Reformed" than Biblical.  and 2. How might we get back on track?

A study in Contrasts

Sola Theologica?

Had our God wanted us to be systematicians first and Christians second, He would’ve given us the Bible in the form of systematic theology and told us to memorize it.  As it is, we reconstruct the material and make it systematic. Now – I’m not anti-systematic – no – I’m very much systematic, I depend on it in my argumentation and presuppose it in several critical occasions.  But I do not mistake systematics for the inspired narrative and Word of God and exposition and application of that Word.  So we must keep the distinctions in mind that lead to sanity and not insanity.  … at times when we’re opposed by unbelievers and they come up with systems, we are justified in returning a system that demolishes theirs.  But we should not then forget the narrative!  We always return to the narrative! …

-Steve Schlissel, role playing as the Apostle Paul  

The Duties of a Husband ...

“A man has a basic responsibility before God to make love to his wife regularly, keep her cubbards full, and to do the same for her closet.” 

-Doug Wilson, commenting on Ex 21.10 in Federal Husband

Oh Love, How Deep, How Broad, How High

Psalm Sing - Christ Church, Moscow, ID from Daniel Foucachon on Vimeo.

This is a wonderful hymn.  The majority was written by A'Kempis in the 15th century with the final verse attributed to Ambrose in the 5th:

Oh, love, how deep, how broad, how high,
How passing thought and fantasy,
That God, the son of God, should take
Our mortal form for mortal’s sake!


For us baptized, for us he bore
His holy fast and hungered sore;
For us temptation sharp he knew;
For us the tempter over threw.


For us to wicked men betrayed,
scourged, mocked, in crown of thorns arrayed.
for us He bore the cross to’s death,
for us, at length, gave up his breath.

For us he rose from death again;
For us he went on high to reign;
For us he sent his Spirit here
To guide, to strengthen, and to cheer.

All honor, laud, and glory be,
O Jesus, Virgin-born, to Thee;
Whom with the Father we adore,
and Holy Ghost forevermore. Amen.

BTW: Here's a great link that allows you to quickly and simply transfer the audio from some of these uncopyrighted videos to your itunes playlist.  Remembering the 8th commandment, check it out, here.