Misappropriating the Reformation (3): Sola Scriptura

The Protestant Reformation was triggered by a conflict over the issue of justification, that is, how our sins are forgiven and how we obtain salvation. To resolve this issue, it was necessary first to address the question of theological methodology: what is your final...

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Misappropriating the Reformation (2): Sola Gratia

Misappropriating the Reformation (2): Sola Gratia

In the first article of this series, I argued that modern American Evangelicalism has misunderstood the teaching of the Reformers that we are saved by faith, not works, and with it the Biblical text that we are not under law but grace.  While it is certainly true that...

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Misappropriating the Reformation (1):  Sola Fide

Misappropriating the Reformation (1): Sola Fide

Although there were many streams of Protestant thought during the sixteenth century, nearly all of them agreed on three key ideas summarized by three Latin phrases: sola fide, we are saved by faith alone; sola gratia, we are saved by grace alone; and sola scriptura,...

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Misappropriating the Reformation (3): Sola Scriptura

The Protestant Reformation was triggered by a conflict over the issue of justification, that is, how our sins are forgiven and how we obtain salvation. To resolve this issue, it was necessary first to address the question of theological methodology: what is your final...

read more

The Believer’s Three Callings, Part 1

When evangelical Christians think about God’s purpose for the church and for their lives, they often think almost entirely in terms of evangelism. Growing in personal integrity and holiness of life also fits in, but sharing the Gospel is frequently seen as the single...

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The Believer’s Three Callings, Part 2

In the previous article, I argued that a fully-formed biblical worldview recognizes three callings on the life of the believer: the Great Commandment, the Great Commission, and the Cultural Mandate. Of these, the Great Commandment is the most important, and the other...

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The Believer’s Three Callings, Part 3

Dominion in Proper Context In the previous articles in this series, I discussed the Great Commandment and the Great Commission and argued that these were two of the three things God has called us to do. The Great Commandment, with a focus on loving our neighbor, means...

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A Tale of Two Revolutions, Part 1

“History is a vast early warning system.” —Norman Cousins A Bit of History Europe in the second half of the eighteenth century was a mess.  On the continent, a system known as the Ancien Régime (roughly, the Old Order) governed political and social life.  Particularly...

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A Tale of Two Revolutions, Part 2

The Situation in Britain English society may have moved beyond the medievalism of the Ancien Régime in France, but in many ways the situation in Britain was just as dire for the lower classes. England was in the middle of the Enclosure Movement, a major disruption of...

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