Christians Bound Only By the Word

Luther continued.  “As for the article of Hus that ‘it is not necessary for salvation to believe the Roman Church superior to all others,’ I do not care whether this comes from Wyclif or from Hus.  I know that innumerable Greeks have been saved though they never heard this article.  It is not in the [...]

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The Authorship of Romans – Settled

The denial of Paul’s authorship of Romans, by such critics as E. Evanson, B. Bauer, A. D. Loman, and R. Steck, is now rightly relegated to a place among the curiosities of New Testament scholarship.  Today, no responsible criticism disputes its Pauline origin.  The evidence of its use in the Apostolic Fathers is clear and, [...]

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“For Thy Judgments are Good”

Therefore, he is anxious that none may speak evil of the ways of God through hearing an ill report about himself.  We mourn when we are slandered because the shame is cast rather upon our religion than ourselves.  If men would be content to attribute evil to us, and go no further, we might bear [...]

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Turretin on the Trinity

Hence, it is that the three divine persons are not three gods (as among men) because the divine persons partake of the same numerical essence, and that infinite.  But three men partake of the same specific essence only, not numerical.  Thus, the three persons of the Trinity are not to be called synousioi or homoiousioi, [...]

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For the Lord’s Day (2)

Philemon 
Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy, our brother, to Philemon, our beloved fellow-worker and Apphia, our sister, and Archippus, our fellow-soldier, and the church in your house: grace to you and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.I thank my God always, when I remember you in my prayers, because [...]

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“The Positive Resolution of Backsliding”

True Christians renew their repentance and faith in Christ (Luke 22:32, 61-62; 1 Corinthians 11:32).  Just as the elect will not die before they are converted, so the regenerate will not die before they repent.
This is a vital argument against Satan’s whisper, “If you sin, you can repent.”  Yes, and you will, but to truly [...]

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Introductory Remarks on the Book of Psalms

The Old Testament repeatedly breaks out into poetry.  Even its narratives are graced, here and there, with a couplet or a longer sequence of verse to make some memorable point (cf. e.g., Genesis 2-4 in any modern version), and its prophecies predominantly take this form.  While the Psalms are the main body of poems in [...]

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Miracles a Testimony to Christianity

His walking was a proof of the reality and perfection of the cure.  His praising God was the proper improvement of it.
But what an attestation was here to the divine mission of the apostles, and so to the truth of Christianity itself!  We speak, said they, in His name who was crucified – and if [...]

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Christ the Example; Believers His Servants

As believers in Christ, we make Him the constant object of our vision.  He is the great servant, and He is our great example.  But He is not only our example.  He is also the power in us to enable us by His Word and Spirit to follow His example and make us servants in [...]

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On the Heidelberg Catechism

Ursinus immediately began working on the catechism for Frederick.  This was not his first catechism; he had already written two catechisms in Latin.  At this time, Ursinus was only twenty-eight years old.  Olevianus, who was to help him, was twenty-six.  As they worked, they showed their drafts to Frederick, who wrote his comments and suggestions.The [...]

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