Johannes Wollebius (1586–1629) was a Reformed theologian and professor of Old Testament at the University of Basel. His theological system is presented in Compendium of Christian Theology (1626), an influential book that was published in English in 1660. A Moral Theology The Compendium consists of two books, the second volume containing Wollebius’s presentation […]
While reading in Alfred Edersheim’s Bible History—Old Testament, I came across this statement about the angel of Jehovah: The more carefully we follow His steps, the more fully shall we be convinced that He was not an ordinary Angel, but that Jehovah was pleased to reveal Himself in this manner under the Old Testament. . […]
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. (Ps. 111:10) The theme for RYS this year was difficult to unpack; the phrase “the fear of the Lord” is a phrase deeply misunderstood by many Christians today. Both of our main speakers, Rev. Paul Murphy […]
What does it mean to biblically fear God? How do we find true wisdom? How do we find freedom from the fear of man? All of these questions and more were addressed this year at yet another excellent RYS International Convention. The theme of the week was “Got Wisdom?,” a multifaceted topic. Seeking the ways […]
In fact, we have prayed for you every day since we found out that God was gifting us with you. Still, to this day, we never cease to pray for you. We pray about a lot of things in your life: your health and strength, your mind as it continues to develop, your relationships as […]
A couple of years ago I had lunch with a prominent professor of a prestigious seminary in the southern states. I asked him what he thought was the most difficult aspect of being a seminary professor. Without pause, he responded, “It is seeing how many of our graduates do not remain in the ministry.” He […]
Thankfully it’s not too often that you run into someone who loves conflict. Some of us would do almost anything to avoid conflict. And yet, conflict has its advantages. Specifically, conflict often produces clarity. It’s hard to really understand someone until you’ve had a few clashes with him or her. Conflict has a tendency of […]
Maybe you know someone who takes a long time to get to the point in a conversation. Sometimes these are the same people who (after several minutes of not getting to the point) say, “to make a long story short . . .” but of course by then it’s too late. The writer of the […]
No creed but Christ, no law but love! Doctrine divides, love unites! Down with doctrine, up with love! The above contention may well appeal to Christians today who, like their unbelieving neighbors, have lost interest in truth. In a time when megachurches are competing with one another to give people what they want rather than […]
In this issue, Dr. James McGoldrick begins a two-part series on the historical necessity for creeds and confessions. There are those who claim that churches that have creeds require their ministers to preach from the creed. The church order of most Reformed churches instructs ministers to preach from the Heidelberg Catechism regularly. Two complaints quickly […]