Theological Treatises

  Jonathan Edwards On The Holy Spirit Dedicated to all those who love the Holy Spirit through their faith in Christ We Reformed people like to remind the world--especially the religious world--that John Calvin was the "Theologian of the Holy Spirit."  And though this statement is manifestly true,  is  it  possible  that the great Jonathan Edwards took Calvin's brilliance on this sublime subject  to yet greater heights?   I personally think it is  definitely  possible.   I would like to focus on just a few sentences from Edwards respecting the Holy Spirit; and I believe that they will (in themselves) help us grasp his (Edwards') essential doctrine of the Third Person of the Holy Trinity.   The quotes come from a work posthumously entitled, "A Treatise On Grace"--(though I think I have seen these same Edwardsian comments made in other places).  Here is the first one, " . . . The Father  approves and ...

  Too Much Grace? Dedicated to all those who love Christ through God's grace In this brief treatise I would like to anticipate two possible objections to my last post, entitled, "What Is Preaching?" . . .   The first one, is, does not Spirit-filled preaching of the gospel of Christ lead to antinomianism, or the idea that Christians saved by grace in the Person and love of Jesus may "go crazy" in unbridled sin, fearing no wrath or repercussions of it?   The second is, is it not dangerous to preach  so  much ( too much ) grace?  Does this not denigrate from the Scripture's frequent allusions to the law and the necessity of obedience?   . . . As for the charge of antinomianism, Paul had to field this sophistical insinuation himself, in Rom. 6:1 ff.  Therefore, we are certainly in good company.  The gospel, when regeneratively-received, does  not  lead to reckless and sinful living--in fact, it results in the exact  ...

  What Is Preaching? Dedicated to all truly-called church ministers of the gospel When I ask the question, "What is preaching?", the context I have in mind is mostly, (but not exclusively), the church's Sunday worship services.  I also hope to address the issue of the goal (or end) of preaching.   Paul's 10th chapter of Romans is probably the most comprehensive treatment of this sublime subject; and his (Paul's) Holy Spirit-inspired injunction of 2 Tim. 4:2a: "Preach the Word!", says it very succinctly.   I believe that preaching is the authoritative verbal presentation of the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ in the message of His gospel of grace and mercy.  I also believe that anything short of this, is not preaching at all.  It is also my conviction that every text of Holy Scripture not only  lends  itself to this grand enterprise; but  exists  so as to facilitate it.   Therefore, when a true gospel preacher approach...

  Persecution of Real Christians in America Dedicated to all regenerate churchmen in the United States A lot of times we hear people say, "There is no persecution of the church in America."  This statement, though understandable on one level, is  entirely  false.  In fact,  every  truly regenerated (born again) Christian  does  get persecuted; and it depends  not at all  on where we live, or in what era of human history we live.   Here are Paul's Holy Spirit-inspired words of 2 Tim. 3:12: "Indeed,  all  who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus  will  be persecuted," (ESV/italics mine).  This means that if you are a  real  Christian you  will  be persecuted--and it does not matter  where  you live.  There is simply no way around this inevitable spiritual law of the gospel.   Somebody might say, "Yes; but Christians in America are not thro...