(Posted by Chris Engelsma, Director of Distance Learning at PRTS)
Those of you who always wondered what goes on in a seminary classroom can now have your question answered. Anyone can now purchase a PRTS course for $40 per course. You will receive access to the course homepage where you can download all the materials a normal student would. If you go to the seminary’s course website you can browse a list of courses, read descriptions of the courses, listen to the first lecture, see the syllabus, and make a purchase. Check it out!
Are you attending the Gospel Coalition Conference? If so, be sure to find me at the RHB table. I will be selling ALL Reformation Heritage Books and Soli Deo Gloria titles for those who are attendees at the conference for massive discount, like a 50% OFF of their retail value discount!!! This is a great chance for you (if attending) to be able to afford the books you want, and at prices you can afford.
Also, I heard that Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary will be there as well, passing out FREE copies of their 1st Theological Journal, while supplies last that it.
Calvin500 is an international, interdenominational, and interdisciplinary commemoration of the life and work of John Calvin (b. 1509). Climaxing with conferences in multiple locations in 2009, this celebration combines history, spirituality, and culture to recall appropriately the life and work of the Genevan Reformer.
Dr. David W. Hall, Executive Director of Calvin500, stated its four purposeful aims as: (1) to encourage Reformed institutions, groups, and councils to have their own autonomous celebration of Calvin’s legacy during 2009; (2) to publish a commemorative series of books (below) highlighting Calvin’s work and life; (3) to host a historical tour of the major French and Swiss sites of Calvinistic heritage in 2009; and (4) to sponsor two conferences in historic Geneva in July 2009, one academic and one for expository preaching.
This multi-faceted approach seeks to introduce many people to one of the most important thinkers in history. Participants may find information about or register for the tour/conferences online at our website. We are seeking to inform a new generation about the positive contributions of Calvin. Since many people have heard only or primarily negative assessments of Calvin, in some respects we will be re-telling parts of the narrative that have been ignored or forgotten by a modernity that has often been venomous toward Calvin.
Hundreds of people will gather at St. Pierre Cathedral in Geneva, July 5-10, to commemorate this occasion. Leading up to that and in Geneva, tour participants will visit historic sites for themselves and see the major sites of Calvinistic heritage. We invite all to join us. You may register for the conference with 38 sessions.
Among our speakers are: Anthony N. S. Lane (England), Herman Selderhuis (Holland), Joel Beeke (USA), Sinclair Ferguson (Scotland), W. Robert Godfrey (USA), Henri Blocher (France), Geoffrey Thomas (Wales), Ted Donnelly (Ireland), John Witte, Jr (Canada), Martin Holdt (South Africa), Jae Sung Kim (Korea), and Henry Orombi (Uganda),
A complete program for the conference is posted on our “Speakers” page. Free downloads are available here.
We also sponsor an up-to-date blog with posts, reviews, comments, and information here.
1. The Legacy of John Calvin (which begins by highlighting ways that Calvin impacted the world, followed by a brief biography and tributes). This is a short, non-technical introduction to Calvin.
2. A Theological Guide to Calvin’s Institutes: Essays and Analysis (Co-edited with Peter Lillback); this volume contains essays, each of which focuses on a section from Calvin’s Institutes by 20 top Calvin scholars. This will serve as a natural companion to Calvin studies.
3. Calvinism and Political Ideas. This volume traces the ideas and impact of Calvin and his disciples on political and governmental concepts.
4. The Commemorating Calvin Conference will contain 18 expository sermons delivered from Calvin’s pulpit in Geneva July 5-9, 2009, by some of the finest Calvinist preachers today.
5. The Tribute Conference will contain 20 research essays by leading Calvinist academics; delivered in the Auditoire (the original site of Calvin’s Academy) in Geneva, July 6-9, 2009.
6. The Capitalistic Ethic and the Spirit of Calvinism (with Matthew Burton) is a study of Calvin’s teachings on business, finance, charity, and economic matters.
7. Calvin and Culture: An Enduring Worldview (co-edited with Marvin Padgett) is a collection of essays by practitioners of various academic disciplines. Each chapter will focus on how Calvinism impacts an area of human life such as law, art, education, economics, history, medicine, etc.
8. The Piety of John Calvin, a reprint of an anthology originally collected by Ford Battles, which focuses on the practical albeit oft-ignored spirituality of the Reformer.
We cordially invite our friends to join us in Geneva for these historic conferences. We hope to celebrate the positive aspects of the Reformed faith and inspire future generations as well.
Letting you know about a new website dedicated to the life and ministry of Eric Alexander. You can find out about it from my (Th.M. brother) Nicholas T. Batzig post here, or go here.
And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord. (Jeremiah 31:34)
Truly, whatever else we do not know, we know the Lord. This day is this promise true in our experience, and it is not a little one. The least believer among us knows God in Christ Jesus. Not as fully as we desire; but yet truly and really we know the Lord. We not only know doctrines about Him, but we know Him. He is our Father and our Friend. We are acquainted with Him personally. We can say, “My Lord, and my God.” We are on terms of close fellowship with God, and many a happy season do we spend in His holy company. We are no more strangers to our God, but the secret of the Lord is with us.
This is more than nature could have taught us. Flesh and blood has not revealed God to us. Christ Jesus had made known the Father to our hearts. If, then, the Lord has made us know Himself, is not this the fountain of all saving knowledge? To know God is eternal life. So soon as we come to acquaintance with God we have the evidence of being quickened into newness of life. O my soul, rejoice in this knowledge, and bless thy God all this day!
“Now if we are so much bound to a mortal man as to maintain his honour when we are kept at his expense, what ought we to do for our God? Are we not in his house as long as we live in this world? Have we so much as one drop of water except by his goodness and generosity? Behold, God has a fatherly care over us, and yet we allow his name to be blasphemed, his majesty to be robbed and spoiled of all reverence, his Word to be torn in pieces, all order (that he has commanded) to be broken, the church (which is his wife) to be corrupted and misused, and his children to be debauched, and in the meanwhile we keep our mouths closed. I ask you, whether such silence does not sufficiently show that we are not worthy to eat one more morsel of bread, nor to be counted in the number of earthworm, lice, bugs, and all the vilest and filthiest things of the world?
Therefore let us think well upon it, that we shall be found guilty of the despising of God’s majesty (as we see) because we do not rebuke men’s vices. That is a reason why the wicked and profane become bolder and imagine they have won all to their side, and triumph in their despising of God in that way. It comes partly as a result of our silence.”
John Calvin, Sermons on Ephesians, p. 525
When Pope Gregory the Great (540-604) sent missionaries to the British Isles, he instructed them to adapt the existing religious places and festivals for Christian use. He wrote, “Since the people are accustomed, when they assemble for sacrifice, to kill many oxen in sacrifice to the devils, it seems reasonable to appoint a festival for the people by way of exchange. The people must learn to slay their cattle not in honor of the devil, but in honor of God and for their own food…” Because the celebration of the Resurrection replaced the old spring feast of Eostre, the Christian holiday came to be called Easter, and Eostre’s pet animal the hare apparently came along for the ride.
Question: Why do we expect or accept less out of a Youth Pastor or a Children’s Pastor then a Senior or Associate Pastor when it comes to the ministry of the church, and the people in it?
Problem in the church: Then we wonder why so many teenagers are leaving the church at the age of 18 and 19?
My Answer: Could it not be because of the lack of good, sound Biblical Teaching that is thick and meaty for them to continue in growth?But yet we instead sing songs that make you jump up and down, videos to make you ask 101 more questions and a bible stories that give you a good moralistic value to apply to being a good person in life.
Maybe the whole mind-set of, “as long at they don’t get pageant, don’t drink heavy, and don’t do drugs then we made a good kid” doesn’t work?
So you know, Dr. R. Scott Clark started his review of Dr. Venema’s Children at the Lord’s Table? today. This first post is more the background for the review. It looks like he will review the book in multiple posts.
For those seeking a more economic approach to The Calvin500 Tour, flights have dropped about 25% recently. If you wish, you can now pick up a flight to Paris and return from Geneva for just a little over $800 (Like I have done), that’s down dramatically! Then register for the Conference Only Package before May 15th for the best price, and seek lodging on your own. Some hotels will offer specials, so check Expedia.com or Tripadvisor.com.
A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity may be more affordable than ever!
Join me in Geneva!! And if so, let me know because I am looking for a roommate while there!
“In a sacrament we have a covenantal union between the sign and the thing signified. The Roman Catholic position destroys the possibility of having a sacrament through identifying the sign with the thing signified. The modern evangelical position destroys the definition of a sacrament through divorcing the sign and the thing signified. In this position, the sign is a mere memorial of that to which it points, and thus there can be no sacramental union between the two.”
Taken from —> Douglas Wilson, Mother Kirk: Essays and Forays in Practical Ecclesiology (Moscow, ID: Canon Press, 2001), p. 93.
Seems neither Catholic nor Reformed to me, maybe Eastern Orthodox? What do you think?
Let the Easter circus stunts begin! Calvary Church in Irving Texas is promising to put their pastor in a six foot, clear plastic box on top of the church for three days if 4,000 people show up for Easter weekend. The potentially boxed pastor, Ben Dailey, says:
“This might be cheesy, but what can I say? I am passionate about the church getting out and being the church, not just within our walls, but outside of them as well. It’s time for the church to get out of the box and let our world know that we serve a great God and have fun doing it.”
And I will send hornets before thee, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before thee. (Exodus 23:28)
What the hornets were we need not consider. They were God’s own army which He sent before His people to sting their enemies and render Israel’s conquest easy. Our God by His own chosen means will fight for His people and gall their foes before they come into the actual battle. Often He confounds the adversaries of truth by methods in which reformers themselves have no hand. The air is full of mysterious influences which harass Israel’s foes. We read in the Apocalypse that “the earth helped the woman.”
Let us never fear. The stars in their courses fight against the enemies of our souls. Oftentimes when we march to the conflict we find no host to contend with. “The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.” God’s hornets can do more than our weapons. We could never dream of the victory being won by such means as Jehovah will use. We must obey our marching orders and go forth to the conquest of the nations for Jesus, and we shall find that the Lord has gone before us and prepared the way; so that in the end we will joyfully confess, “His own right hand and his holy arm, have gotten him the victory.”
Douglas Wilson has noted six foundational principles of the New Perspective on Paul.
Justification by faith was present in the Old Testament as well as the New Testament.
Faith and works are not opposed to one another in the Bible. Faith was always present, even in the Old Testament. The Jews were not trying to earn anything by works.
Law and grace are not opposed to one another, or that the Old Testament was mostly law and the New Testament was mostly grace.
Paul’s focus was not individual salvation.
Judaism was not a religion based on salvation by works or merit.
Judaism satisfied Paul’s burden of guilt; rather than what the Old Perspective thought, that Judaism could not ease Paul’s conscience.
From —> Douglas Wilson, “A Pauline Take on the New Perspective,” Credenda/Agenda, 15(5). I have turned the negatives of the original into positive affirmations to make it easier to understand.
“I believe that N. T. Wright has many particular things of great value to offer the Church. But it is here, in his treatment of the unconverted Saul, that I think his entire project (taken as a whole) goes astray. The converted Saul had a much lower estimate of his pre-Christian activities than do many advocates of the NPP. … But after his conversion, Saul described himself as a wicked and insolent man. I have no doubt that Saul was looking forward to the vindication of God for all Torah-keepers like himself. But when God did intervene, it was to reveal that Saul was actually a Torah-breaker. On the Damascus road, Saul discovered more than who Jesus was. He discovered who Saul was—an evil man, and one who in substance and at the fundamental level, despised and hated the Torah.”
While studying at Princeton Theological Seminary from 1979-1981, Dr. Venema was a Teaching Fellow in the Department of Theology. He served as pastor of the First Christian Reformed Church of Ontario, California, for six years before coming to Mid-America Reformed Seminary. Dr. Venema serves as President of the Seminary in addition to his systematic theology teaching responsibilities. He serves as an elder in his church and preaches on a regular basis. Dr. Venema also speaks and teaches in a variety of church and conference settings.
His special interest lies in Reformation theology, particularly the work of the Reformers John Calvin and Heinrich Bullinger. Dr. Venema’s most recent book, Heinrich Bullinger and the Doctrine of Predestination: Author of “The Other Reformed Tradition”?, reflects this interest. He is the author of several other books including But for the Grace of God: An Exposition of the Canons of Dort; What We Believe: An Exposition of the Apostles’ Creed; and The Promise of the Future. Dr. Venema is a co-editor and frequent contributor to The Outlook and the Mid-America Journal of Theology.
In this comprehensive survey of Reformed Christianity, Dr. Beeke and eight fellow contributors offer twenty–eight chapters that trace the history of Calvinism; explore its key doctrinal tenets, such as the so-called five points of Calvinisms and the solas of the Protestant Reformation; reveal how Calvinists have sought to live in devotion to God; and survey Calvinism’s influence in the church and in the world at large. In the end, the book asserts that the overriding goal of Calvinism is the glory of God. Saturated with Scripture citations and sprinkled with quotations from wise giants of church history, this book presents Calvinism in a winsome and wondrous fashion.
The Soul of Life
by Joel R. Beeke
John Calvin is the most notable figure from the Reformed tradition. Unfortunately, he is often characterized as a stern and cerebral individual who had little concern for practical matters. However, Calvin was actually influential in promoting a profound sense of piety among early Protestantism. In “The Soul of Life”, Joel R. Beeke presents the life and ministry of Calvin with a special emphasis on Calvin’s efforts for cultivating healthy spirituality among the churches. The selections from Calvin’s own work will give readers a firsthand look at Calvin’s emphasis on godliness, and by God’s grace, will be a means for spurring on greater godliness in our day.
365 Days with Calvin
by Joel R. Beeke
365 days with Calvin—A unique collection of 365 readings from the writings of John Calvin, selected and edited by Joel R Beeke. John Calvin exercised a profound ministry in Europe, and is probably one of the most seminal thinkers ever to have lived. A godly pastor, theologian and preacher, he led his flock by example and worked hard to establish consistent godliness in his city. A prolific writer, his sermons, letters, and, of course, his ‘Christian Institutes’ have been published again and again. His writings—once described as ‘flowing prose’—are characterized by clarity, simplicity, and yet profoundness, too. In these heart-warming pieces, drawn from his commentaries and sermons, Calvin brings us to Christ, the glorious Savior of all his people.
John Calvin
by Simonetta Carr
In this attractive volume, Simonetta Carr introduces young readers to the life, thought, and work of one of the most famous Reformers of the Christian church. She tells about the life of John Calvin from his birth to his death, placing him within the troubled context of the sixteenth century. She also introduces Calvin’s writings in a way that children will desire to know more about his ministry and influence.
The past two months I have attended a church in Grand Rapids, MI called Harvest Church, Orthodox Presbyterian. I have been asked a number of times in the last month, “Why are you going to a Presbyterian church?” The reason for this is because many people know I am Baptistic. So it seems that many Dutch, Baptist, Reformed, Presbyterians, and Dispensationalist do not understand why I am becoming a member (when being a Baptist) of a Presbyterian church. So, I have reason in why (for you) I am becoming a member at the OPC Harvest Church in Grand Rapids, MI.
#1 Doctrinally Sound – The OPC is a sound presbytery. Harvest Church is doctrinally sound in knowing what is Major and what is minor in doctrine. They are bringing believers together, to worship Jesus together while still staying true to the Word of God in a culture that seems to easily be laying aside truths for whatever reason.
#2 A Passion for Solid Teaching – Harvest is a church with a number of different areas that have opportunities for church members to grow in their spirituality and continue to learn the Gospel while living among one-another. Areas like; sitting under the preaching of the Word, small groups to grow with fellow believers, theology class for their teens, catechism classes for children to learn doctrine at a young-age, bible studies with women and men, prayer groups for the church, new membership classes constantly being taught, and Bible studies on different books of the bible.
#3 A Living Gospel Community -The body of Harvest is different. Smiles, talking to others, wanting to meet who is knew, getting to know one another, building relationships with fellow members in and OUTside of the church. This is rather hard to find in a traditional Grand Rapids culture. Harvest is a church living out what they believe, wanting to create a community of believers that are enjoying the church, enjoying one another, and enjoying the gospel that they share with each other.
#4 A Living Church – A church that is growing in numbers, members and converts that are becoming excited about the Gospel and proclaiming it to both fellow believers and unbelievers.
#5 A Ministering Church – A body of believers that are looking forward to helping out one-another. At Harvest believers that want to help and pray for the job-less, to make friendships with the new-comers, and spend time out of church with one-another realizing the the church is not only a building on Sunday, but a body of believers every day of the week, that have friendships, that talk together, that work together, love each other and are constantly working together to learn the Bible.
#6 A Church that is Accepting – Harvest from day one wanted to know who Emily and I were. Asking questions, caring where we were from, and spending time from day-one of our first visit at Harvest, till still know getting to know us and who we are.
#7 A Church that is Gospel-Centered – At Harvest the Gospel is not only being preached, or heard, but it is being lived out among fellow believers.
#8 A Church that has Sound Preaching – The hearing of the Word is always an important doctrine of worship and Pastors Dale and Francis know exactly that. The preaching is great, for the understanding of a new convert to the even the thickness for a seminary student, Harvest preaches Christ constantly.
#9 A Flock that Wants to Know the New Sheep – Like I said before, from day one people wanted to know Emily and I. Not a week has went by were someone new has come up to Emily and I getting to know us.
#10 A Shepherd that Takes Care of His Sheep – The Pastor wants to both know what is going on today in culture, and hot theological issues so that he can continue to preach Truth to his flock, and deal with what areas the sheep are dealing with today in the world.
#11 The Gospel is #1 at Harvest – Harvest allows me, a baptist to worship with them. Harvest sees that there are major doctrines that are far more important to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They see that separating over minor issues do nothing but harm to the bride of Christ.
#12 A Passion for Young People – Out of 450 members, over 250 are under the age of 18! But yet the senior pastor is pouring his life and work into the Teenagers, the youth of the church because Harvest sees that is where our future lies.
Michael Dewalt is a humanities teacher and junior high assistant football coach at Cair Paravel Latin School in Topeka, KS. There he also serves as a member of the Integrated Humanities Committee and Academic Committee. His undergrad studies are from Word of Life Bible Institute and Clarks Summit University and his graduate studies are from Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary and Faith Theological Seminary. He is a member of Grace Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Lawerence, KS, the Evangelical Theological Society, and the American Society of Church History, and winner of the Zwingli Prize Award at the Calvin500 Conference & Tour in 2009. Michael blogs at Gospel-Centered Musings, has written numerous articles for Logo’s Calvin500, Place for Truth a voice of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals, and Heritage Book Talk, and is published in the Puritan Theological Journal. Michael lives in Kansas with his wife, Emily, their son Wyatt Cash, two cats Nutkin and Ariel and dog Brutus.
Gospel-Centered Musings 