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Explore our collection of theological essays, biblical studies, and reflections on faith and culture.

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Federal Vision

Justification by Union with Christ Only Through Living Faith

A Brief Comparison of Calvin’s Institutes with the Westminster Confession and Catechisms regarding the shape of imputation This essay is a brief argument that the soteriology of John Calvin in his Institutes of the Christian Religion regarding union with Christ and the imputation of his righteousness is the same as…

by Mark HorneJune 5, 2003
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Baptism

Some Thoughts on the Means of Grace: A Few Proposals

The thoughts in this paper were largely prompted by a study of Walter E. Krebs, “The Word and the Sacraments,” Mercersburg Review (July, 1867), 366-383. The discussion in this paper presupposes my earlier studies of baptism, “Baptismal Efficacy and the Reformed Tradition: Past, Present, and Future” and “Calvin on Baptism,…

by Rich LuskJune 3, 2003
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Baptism

Faith, Baptism, & Justification

Sometimes our systematic theology creates an illusion of precision. For example, we distinguish the ground and instrument of justification. Justification is grounded in Christ’s work alone, and is instrumentally received by faith alone. That makes good sense and guards us from thinking that faith itself is somehow meritorious. All the…

by Rich LuskJune 1, 2003
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Covenant

DO THIS AS MY MEMORIAL: Understanding How the Lord’s Supper Reminds God to Keep Covenant

Whenever we participate in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, we remember Christ and His Work for us. We remember. And in remembering, we imitate God, as His creatures made after His image. God remembers. This is mysterious to us because we usually think of remembering in the context of our…

by Mark HorneMay 30, 2003
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Baptism

Calvin & the Efficacy of Infant Baptism

It is standard in paedobaptist circles to argue for the baptism of infants out of the Old Covenant system. Because there is no explicit command in the New Testament, we are left to the broader principles and patterns of Scripture. In the Old Covenant, we continually find that the children…

by Rich LuskMay 30, 2003
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Biblical Theology

Why the Law/Gospel Paradigm is Flawed

Luther popularized the law/gospel hermeneutic. Luther argued that any demands God made upon us fell into the category of “law” and could only condemn. By contrast, anything God gave us was “gospel” and came with no strings attached. Calvin paid lip service to this law/gospel antithesis, even though it was…

by Rich LuskMay 29, 2003

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Philosophy

Life and Political Life

Giorgio Agamben opens his 1995 Homo Sacer with a discussion of the origins of “biopolitics” (Foucault’s term). According to Foucault’s account, Aristotle’s politics instituted a basic distinction between life per se and the good life, which is “politically qualified life.” Life per se takes place in the household, and consists…

March 29, 2005

Abraham’s Exoduses

Or is it Exodi? In any case, everyone can see that Abram goes through an exodus in Genesis 12. But Jeffrey Geoghegan makes a compelling case for seeing a Passover-Exodus theme running through the story of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 18-19. To wit: 1) The sin of Sodom and…

March 29, 2005

Abraham’s Exoduses

Or is it Exodi? In any case, everyone can see that Abram goes through an exodus in Genesis 12. But Jeffrey Geoghegan makes a compelling case for seeing a Passover-Exodus theme running through the story of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 18-19. To wit: 1) The sin of Sodom and…

March 29, 2005

Translation, 1 Kings 21

And it was after these things A vineyard was to Navoth the Yizre?e?li, Which [was] in Yizre?e?l near the palace of Achav king of Shomron. And spoke Achav to Navoth saying ?Give to me your vineyard. And it will be to me for a garden of greens. For it [is]…

March 29, 2005

Eucharistic Meditation, Easter Sunday

?The anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God?E(Romans 8:19). Pastor Wilson has taught us today that the resurrection of Jesus has cosmic consequences. He was raised by the power the Spirit, and that same Spirit has now been poured out upon the…

March 27, 2005

Exhortation, Easter Sunday

?That Easter day with joy was bright; the sun show out with fairer light, when to their wondering eyes restored, the glad apostles saw their Lord.?E So wrote a Latin poet of the fourth century. Joy, however, is not the only emotional note in the gospel accounts of Easter. Alongside…

March 27, 2005

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