In 1948, the famous Harvard social historian Pitirim Sorokin wrote an essay in which he sounded an alarm about the rapid disintegration of the stability of the American culture. In this essay, Sorokin pointed out that in 1910 the divorce rate in America was ten percent. Yet from 1910 to 1948, the rate of divorce…
Apologetics has been broadly defined as the vindication of the Christian philosophy of life against the various forms of the non-Christian philosophy of life. This definition pairs well with the practical admonition given by the apostle Peter to “always [be] prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the…
Throughout church history, there have been perhaps few issues that have led to as many disputes as the sacraments. We’ve seen debates over how many sacraments there are, how these sacraments operate, how they are to be performed, who is to receive them, and so on. There has been much confusion and conflict. Although we…
What is faith? No better answer is given in perhaps all the Bible than in the great eleventh chapter of the book of Hebrews. Here a tapestry is unfolded, depicting great examples of faith from the record of Old Testament heroes. In great castles, dark tapestries hang on musty walls to portray the exploits of…
On October 31, 2016, Pope Francis announced that after five hundred years, Protestants and Catholics now “have the opportunity to mend a critical moment of our history by moving beyond the controversies and disagreements that have often prevented us from understanding one another.” From that, it sounds as if the Reformation was an unfortunate and…
Some of my earliest childhood memories center on being with my family in worship on the Lord’s Day. In the Reformed and Presbyterian churches that we attended, expository preaching, hymn-singing, and prayer were fixed elements of worship, as were the historic creeds and confessions of the Christian church. We regularly confessed the Apostles’ Creed and…
Even just a cursory reading of the Old Testament demonstrates the importance of sacred space under the old covenant. The patriarchs, for example, frequently commemorated occasions on which they met with God by consecrating the location where they encountered Him (for example, Gen. 12:1–9; 28:10–22). As the Israelites prepared to conquer Canaan, the Lord told them…
What happens in worship? You might say: “We work our way through a familiar liturgy.” “We respond to the pastor’s invitation.” “We wait for a fresh experience with the Holy Spirit.” “We see how sinful we are.” “We struggle to follow another long sermon.” Each of these answers unveils something of the true nature of…
Anticipating a hunting trip with my brothers, I have been doing a lot of preparation lately. We are updating a spreadsheet, buying supplies, counting calories, weighing our packs, and exercising to get in shape. Most people frequently do a lot of preparation for a variety of things in life that are important to them. But…
Who is considered a member of Christ’s church? How does the Westminster Confession of Faith help us answer this question?