Eschatology, the doctrine of the “last things,” is one of the most divisive topics among evangelical Protestants today. While today there is Amillennialism, Postmillennialism, Theonomic Postmillennialism, Historic Premillennialism, Dispensational Premillennialism, Progressive Dispensationalism, and Preterism, whether Partial or Consistent, the early Protestants all agreed in their Confessions of Faith that this life was one of suffering […]
1527 is held to be the year that Martin Luther suffered the most from his frequent bouts of depression. Luther explains that the content of his depression was always the same, the loss of faith that God is good and that He is good to me. He used a German word to describe these times […]
The Reformation cannot be isolated from the history that went before it. Even so, certain themes of the Reformation could be difficult to find during long periods of the medieval church. Two such themes were the normative position of the Scriptures and a strongly emphasized soteriology of justification by grace through faith alone. These two […]
His Christian family and his upbringing as a member of the Covenant – that’s the soil from which Nick Smith’s desire to enter the ministry grew. His desire became serious when, Mr. Smith said, during his high school years, as he developed a love for Reformed theology. Encouraged by his pastor, he enrolled at Covenant […]
Four hundred years ago the Dutch Reformed were strongly committed to providing Reformed Christian education for their covenant children and youth. Up to the mid-twentieth century this commitment thrived in North America among those of Dutch extraction who held the Reformed faith dear. These Reformed Christian schools, in turn, were a great blessing to the […]
Read Genesis 27:1–29 Introduction We were introduced to the twins Esau and Jacob in Genesis 25. The story told there shows that the two boys are in conflict. But the conflict has not yet broken out into the open. Prophetic word (Gen. 25:23) has assigned Jacob over Esau the firstborn. Jacob purchases the birthright from […]
Read Genesis 27:30–28:9 Introduction In the first part of Genesis 27 we read of events in a covenant home where no one seems to trust the other members, where parental favoritism sets into motion some very ungodly actions, and where we are embarrassed to think of these people as our spiritual ancestors. Again, we must […]
The Institution of the Lord’s Supper: Some Observations The accounts of the institution of the Lord’s Supper in the Synoptic Gospels are of particular importance to our understanding of the sacrament. Though there are several slight differences in the respective Gospel accounts, these differences do not materially affect our understanding of the sacrament’ institution, constituent […]
The several men seated around the table have worked hard on the case in the past months. Prayers, ponderings, discussions, meetings, phone calls, and letters have all been agonizingly employed in an attempt to regain the erring brother or sister by means of Christian Discipline. The steps have not been taken lightly, nor has the […]