Apologetics to the Glory of God

Category: Apologetics In Practice

  • The Apostle of Doubt vs. Calvin

    Why I Lack Certainty about Christianity – C. Michael Patton:

    Some people say that they have no doubt at all, and they never have. I have difficulty believing assertions such as this, though I suppose they might be true for a very small number of individuals. However, at this point, I think it would be valuable for us to distinguish between “certainty” and “certitude” (Daniel Taylor introduced me to this concept, but I don’t know if the distinctions he made are embedded in the specific definitions of the terms). “Certainty” is the more objective type of conviction. It is the

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  • The Shack

    William Young’s novel “The Shack” was a recent bestseller in the “Christian” Fiction community. The odd and usually disfigured presentation of trinitarian theology in that book was truly strange, and in no way wonderful. That, however, is not the subject of this post. The subject of this post is the theology that underlies our apologetic methodology, and what should flow out of that theology. Our Theology Proper and Anthropology should be complementary and cohesive with one another – with the proper priority given to the former, to inform the latter. What you believe about God should determine what you believe …

  • T. Kurt Jaros and “Finesse”

    T.K. Jaros recently posted an article entitled “Total Depravity: Theological Finesse Needed, Part 1.” As the title implies, it’s obviously merely the first of a series. What struck me, and practically everyone else who I’ve linked the article to, is that immediately after saying “finesse is needed” in the title, the definition he gives of the doctrine is not from a theologian, but from… Wikipedia. Obviously, his posts are not especially thorough, and despite his MA in Systematic Theology, not especially theological, on the whole. As with most of modern evangelicals, his primary interest seems to be philosophy. …

  • Van Til on The Will and Covenant

    “Hence we seek not to subject any part of Scripture to the principium generale, nor subject any part of scripture revelation to any other part, for that amounts to the same thing as again subjecting it to our own judgment. We found . . . that the Reformed covenant theology remained nearest to this Biblical position. Other theories of the will go off on either of two byways, namely that of seeking an unwarranted independence for man, or otherwise of subjecting man to philosophical necessitarianism. Reformed theology attempts to steer clear of both these dangers; avoiding all forms of Pelagianizing …

  • Covenantal Apologetics – Reformed Forum with K. Scott Oliphint

    An excellent show, with a number of in-depth and interesting discussions.

    Find it here.…

  • Dr.Oliphint on Covenant, its apologetic application, and the To-ing and Fro-ing methodology

    “But the “federal,” “covenantal” representation in Scripture does not move from the bottom up, as in a democracy. Rather, it is initiated “at the top,” as it were, by the Triune God himself, and there is no democratic, or other, means to change that relationship. Nor is there a need to, since the God who initiated the process could not have made a mistake. As a matter of fact, the “federal” process is reversed in God’s economy. Mankind is defined by one of two representatives — Adam or Christ — neither of whom are “elected” or chosen by us; rather, …

  • Apologetic Method and a CH Shoutout

    Dr. White finished his review of the Jaros/Oliphint discussion, and mentioned Choosing Hats toward the beginning.…

  • What Sort of Mockery?

    There are frequent references to two texts in particular for the subject of mockery in a Christian context. So let’s be clear from the outset. I do believe that 1) The Scriptures both display and teach mockery and 2) That there is a proper time – and way – to engage in such mockery. The most appealed to texts in this vein are 1 Kings 18, and Galatians 5. Additionally, there are also Christ’s denunciation of the Pharisees in Matthew 23, and God’s mocking challenge to the idols, in Isaiah. So, while it’s plain in the Scriptures that both the …

  • Joshua’s Appeal for Covenant Consciousness

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  • The Prophecy of Hosea: God’s Covenant Faithfulness

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