A Reformed Farewell to the Pope

Dr. Michael Scott Horton has written a nice piece over at the White Horse Inn reflecting on the ministry of Pope Benedict XVI.  Entitled, A Reformed Farewell To Benedict XVI,  Horton, speaks in complimentary terms of the former pope as one who is not only a scholar but one who also understands Protestants.

Horton's jumping off point is Benedict's interpretation of the Great Schism when the Roman Catholic Church had not one but three popes (1309-1417).  Benedict correctly understood as a crisis of authority because popes were excommunicating other popes and at one time all Roman Catholics were under the sentence of excommunication.  Some argued that church councils were the solution.  The Protestant Reformation arose in this context and concluded that Scripture alone is the true authority for God's people.

In reflecting on Benedict's tenure as pope, Horton touches on more recent developments in Catholic thought: papal infallibility, Lumen Gentium, Vatican II, etc.  He also challenges the common assertion that the Roman Catholic Church exists as an unbroken line from the apostle Peter.

This is a good read and I encourage you to take a few minutes to do so.  Don't worry, you won't find sarcasm or caricatures but honest dialog along with searching questions.

D.G. Hart: Development of Doctrine - Protestant-Style

Darryl Hart has written a very thoughtful piece about the development of doctrine that challenges commonly held beliefs about the early church.  The Roman Catholic assertion is basically that there is absolute continuity between itself and the early church, thus Protestants rebelled not so much against the medieval church (with all of its excesses) but the church as founded by Christ and the apostles.

Hart writes his post in part because he is a historian but also because of recent conversions to Rome by some from conservative, reformed churches.  He is concerned to set the record straight about pre-Reformation doctrinal statements.  His citation of the Third Lateran Council reveals that there was not nearly as much doctrinal consensus as one might think.  Furthermore, he illustrates that Rome's statements about justification come as a response to Protestant formulations on that doctrine and do not precede them.

I encourage you to read his entire post.  It is well worth your time.  

D.G. Hart - Development of Doctrine Protestant Style

We Hate Bad Religion

A few days ago I began hearing about a video sweeping the internet condemning religion.  Kevin DeYoung, of University Reformed Church in Lansing, Michigan commented on it here and here.  His initial response was right on and the follow-up post indicates constructive engagement with the person who created the video.  This is a good example of people working through their differences.

Someone else has also commented on the video albeit from a confessional Lutheran perspective.  This response uses the medium of video and intersperses clips from the first video with responses from the author.  Go to this link to watch the video:  WHI - We Hate Bad Religion Too 


I can't say that the original video breaks any new ground.  I've pretty much heard it all before having come to faith on the tail end of the Jesus movement.  What's curious is how these arguments come around full-circle to new generations (kind of like clothes that once were fashionable coming back into fashion).

For those concerned about politics please know that the comments in the original video about evangelicals and politics are also answered in this fine book.

Onward. 

Luther's Forgotten Insight

Dr. Carl Trueman has a helpful piece about the Protestant Reformation and one of its most important aspects.  Drawing from Luther's Heidelberg Disputation Trueman compares and contrasts the theology of glory to the theology of the cross. 

One of the things that is so striking about the current revival of interest in Reformation theology, broadly conceived, is the absence of perhaps the most glorious contribution of Martin Luther to theological discourse: the notion of the theologian of the cross.

At a meeting of the Saxon Chapter of the Augustinian Order in the city of Heidelberg in 1518, a monk called Leonhard Beier presented a series of theses which Luther had prepared, whilst Dr Martin himself presided over the proceedings. The Heidelberg Disputation was to go down in history as the moment when Luther showcased his radical new theology for the first time.

At the heart of this new theology was the notion that God reveals himself under his opposite; or, to express this another way, God achieves his intended purposes by doing the exact opposite of that which humans might expect. The supreme example of this is the cross itself: God triumphs over sin and evil by allowing sin and evil to triumph (apparently) over him. His real strength is demonstrated through apparent weakness. This was the way a theologian of the cross thought about God.

The opposite to this was the theologian of glory. In simple terms, the theologian of glory assumed that there was basic continuity between the way the world is and the way God is: if strength is demonstrated through raw power on earth, then God's strength must be the same, only extended to infinity. To such a theologian, the cross is simply foolishness, a piece of nonsense.

Read the rest here. 

Personally, I am still coming to grips with this distinction as it relates to my personal life, my church, my denomination, and my overall understanding of mission.  I would love to see more of my colleagues do the same. 

If You Are a Protestant, What Are You Protesting?

Friend and ministerial colleague, Wes White, has an interesting post entitled, If You Are a Protestant, What Are You Protesting? Yesterday, as we all know, was Halloween. But for Protestants it marked the beginning of the Protestant Reformation because on that date in 1517 Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the church door in Wittenberg, Germany.

Yesterday I preached on the topic that the Protestant Reformation was more than an outpouring of the Holy Spirit: indeed, the Protestant Reformation was largely a recovery of the person and work of the Holy Spirit. One need only read books three and four of Calvin's Institutes to see why he has been called, The Theologian of the Holy Spirit.  So, to answer Wes' question, let me give you a tidbit from my sermon of yesterday morning.

We as Protestants formally protest the basis on which The Roman Catholic Church interprets Scripture.  The Roman Catholic Church teaches the following:

“But since sacred Scripture must be read and interpreted with its divine authorship in mind, no less attention must be devoted to the content and unity of the whole of Scripture, taking into account the Tradition of the entire Church and the analogy of faith, if we are to derive their true meaning from the sacred texts…the manner of interpreting Scripture is ultimately subject to the judgment of the Church which exercises the divinely conferred commission and ministry of watching over and interpreting the Word of God.”  Vatican Council II, The Conciliar and Post Conciliar Documents. The Liturgical Press, Collegeville, Minnesota, 1977. p. 758 Sacred Scripture and Its Interpretation.

 “As a result the Church, to whom the transmission and interpretation of Revelation is entrusted, does not derive her certainty about all revealed truths from the holy Scriptures alone. Both Scripture and Tradition must be accepted and honored with equal sentiments of devotion and reverence.”  Catechism of the Catholic Church, Catholic Book Publishing, New York, 1994, United States Catholic Conference, Inc. - Libreria Editrice Vaticana. p. 26, paragraph 82.

“Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture make up a single deposit of the Word of God (DV 10), in which, as in a mirror, the pilgrim Church contemplates God, the source of all her riches.”  Catechism of the Catholic Church, Catholic Book Publishing, New York, 1994, United States Catholic Conference, Inc. - Libreria Editrice Vaticana.p. 28, paragraph 97.

We as Protestants protest this position on the grounds that the Holy Spirit, who is the author Scripture, is its  authoritative interpreteter.  Here is one classic Protestant response:

"The infallible rule of interpretation of Scripture is the Scripture itself: and therefore, when there is a question about the true and full sense of any Scripture (which is not manifold, but one), it must be searched and known by other places that speak more clearly."  Westminster Confession of Faith Chapter 1, Paragraph 9.

"The supreme judge by which all controversies of religion are to be determined, and all decrees of councils, opinions of ancient writers, doctrines of men, and private spirits, are to be examined, and in whose sentence we are to rest, can be no other but the Holy Spirit speaking in the Scripture."  Westminster Confession of Faith Chapter 1, Paragraph 10.
Here is another classic Protestant response...

"The true church can be recognized if it has the following marks: The church engages in the pure preaching of the gospel; it makes use of the pure administration of the sacraments as Christ instituted them; it practices church discipline for correcting faults.  In short, it governs itself according to the Word of God, rejecting all things contrary to it and holding Jesus Christ as the only Head.  By these marks one can be assured of recognizing the true church -- and no one ought to be separated from it..."

"...As for the false church, it assigns more authority to itself and its ordinances than to the Word of God; it does not want to subject itself to the yoke of Christ; it does not administer the sacraments as Christ commanded in his Word; it rather adds to them or subtracts from them as it pleases; it bases itself of men, more than on Jesus Christ; it persecutes those who live holy lives according to the Word of God and who rebuke it for its faults, greed, and idolatry.  These two churches are easy to recognize and thus to distinguish from each other."  From Article 29 of the Belgic Confession, as reproduced in Ecumenical Creeds and Confessions, CRC Publications, 1988, Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Saginaw Valley Reformation Society Meeting 9/11/10

In conjuction with The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals local pastors and layman in the Central Michigan area are gathering tomorrow morning to study the Scriptures.  Please join like-minded people for an enjoyable time of fellowship and Bible Study.

When?  Saturday September 11, 2010 from 9:00-11:00 AM.

Where?  Christ Covenant Church (PCA) located at 200 W. Grove St., Midland, Michigan

Cost?  Absolutely Free.

Speakers? Pastor John Botkin, Crossway Christian Church, Pastor Dan Bratt, Christ Covenant (PCA) and Pastor Larry Kirby.

Topic?  All three pastors will be speaking on 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 ("I have become all things to all men so as to save some"). Come prepared to discuss how we can biblically contextualize the gospel.

Reformation Societies are comprised of local pastors and layman who wish to study the Scriptures more deeply and who wish to see a modern Reformation of the church.  We are united by affirming the The Cambridge Declaration and the five Solas of the Protestant Reformation.

Calvin for the 21st Century

This year marks the 500th anniversary of the birth of John Calvin. There are several events planned in Europe over the summer to remember his life and teaching as a leader in the Protestant Reformation. Unfortunately most of us cannot afford such a trip.

However, an excellent conference is planned this coming August in Grand Rapids, Michigan by Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary. Speakers include Michael Haykin, Ligon Duncan, Derek Thomas, and Joel Beeke along with several others.

The conference runs from noon Thursday to noon on Saturday, so as not to interfere with Sunday worship. Cost is very reasonable ($65/person early registration which runs until July 24th).

Click on this link, PRTS, to get the particulars including topics for each lecture. Note: registration is limited to about 500 people. Hope to see you in Grand Rapids.

Celebrating the Protestant Reformation

This last weekend was special in that we remembered the Protestant Reformation, which began on October 31, 1517 when Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the church door in Wittenberg, Germany.

On Saturday I attended a Reformation mini-conference in Flint hosted by Calvary Presbyterian Church (EPC). Keynote speaker was Dr. Joel Beeke, president of Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids. About 100 people attended to hear him address a variety of topics including Maturing in the Faith, Cultivating Holiness, Assurance of Salvation, and Perseverance. At a pre-conference luncheon for pastors he spoke about a familiar topic -- Handling Criticism in Ministry. In addition to the messages there were a lot of great books for sale. I was also able to network and met several like-minded folks from our area.

Our Sunday worship service centered on the great truths of the Reformation. Our call to worship was from Romans 1:16-17 and the congregation stood and read it in unison. We sang familar hymns like A Mighty Fortress (Martin Luther), Let Us Love and Sing and Wonder (John Newton of Amazing Grace fame), and Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken (also by John Newton). Continuing my series in the book of Romans I preached 2:1-16 with a message entitled, Nice Guys Finish Last.

On Sunday evening we gathered again and sang Reformation hymns written by James Montgomery Boice in the last weeks of his life before his death in June 2000. They are entitled, Hymns for a Modern Reformation, and are available through The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. There are about a dozen hymns in this collection and they are theologically rich and beautifully set for congregational singing. I would be remiss if I failed to note that 5 of these hymns explicitly deal with the 5 solas of the Protestant Reformation: Sola Gratia, Sola Fide, Sola Christus, Sola Scriptura, and Soli Deo Gloria.

Let me close with a couple of stanzas from Newton's hymns:

Let Us Love and Sing and Wonder (# 172 Trinity Hymnal )

Let us love and sing and wonder,

Let us praise the Savior's name!

He has hushed the law's loud thunder,

He has quenched Mount Sinai's flame:

He has washed us with His blood,

He has brought us nigh to God.

Let us love the Lord who bought us,

Pitied us when enemies,

Called us by his grace, and taught us,

Gave us ears and gave us eyes:

He has washed us with His blood,

He presents our souls to God.

Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken (#345 Trinity Hymnal)

Glorious things of thee are spoken, Zion, city of our God;
He whose word cannot be broken formed thee for his own abode:
On the Rock of Ages founded, what can shake thy sure repose?
With salvation's walls surrounded, thou may'st smile at all thy foes.

Savior, if of Zion's city I, through grace a member am,
Let the world deride or pity, I will glory in thy name:
Fading is the worldling's pleasure, all his boasted pomp and show;
Solid joys and lasting treasure none but Zion's children know.

Christless Christianity by Michael Horton

Dr. Michael Scott Horton has a forthcoming book and DVD entitled "Christless Christianity." If you are a regular listener to the White Horse Inn you know that this has been the theme of this year's broadcasts. What a scary thought -- that millions of people might be practicing a form of Christianity that doesn't need (or have a place) for Christ.

For those unfamiliar with the program and/or Dr. Horton please click the link below to learn more.


Christless Christianity by Michael Horton

HT - The Riddelblog

R.C. Sproul Throws Down the Gauntlet

Emminent scholar, theologian and pastor, Dr. R.C. Sproul has been an important influence in my life for nearly 20 years. I have greatly benefitted from his books, tapes, DVDs, and conferences.

Someone forwarded me this 7 minute audio clip of Dr. R.C. Sproul posted at Old Truth. Here Dr. Sproul is speaking about the sickness and malaise of the modern evangelical church. He is advocating that his ministry, Ligonier Ministries, enter what he calls "Phase II" to address these problems. In so doing he throws down the gauntlet.

Addressing Our Culture w/Reformed Christianity

He is not alone in diagnosing these problems nor trying to fix what is wrong: The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals, The White Horse Inn (radio) & Modern Reformation (Magazine), Todd Wilken and his radio program "Issues, etc." are some of the foot soldiers who've been doing this for years. In fact, Sproul signed the Cambridge Declaration in 1995 and has been part of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals for years. Now he is apparently bringing the full weight of Ligonier Ministries into this arena. Glad to see it happen.