R.C. Sproul's Blog, page 507

What Is a Cult?

As I write about the theological characteristics of cults, I think of my own ten-year involvement in the Jehovah's Witnesses. Deliverance from the organization and salvation came when I acknowledged my spiritual condition (Rom. 3:23; Eph. 2:1) and placed my faith in the Christ of the Bible (John 20:28). Assurance of eternal life was found in Him alone (1 John 5:10–13). I also am reminded of many friends who have been delivered from the Jehovah's Witnesses and other cults.

How many cults there are today cannot be stated precisely. It has been estimated that there could be as many as five thousand worldwide, with 150 million adherents (The Encyclopedia of Cults and New Religions, Harvest House Publishers, 1999, p. xvii).

With these statistics, Christians certainly cannot ignore the existence of cults, and their adherents should be viewed as a significant mission field. Many persons in these groups once attended, or were members of, mainstream Christian churches.

What Is a Cult?

The term cult has different meanings. How is it used in this article? Dr. Ronald Enroth explains that "we define the word ‘cult' to mean a group of religious people whose belief system and practices deviate significantly from and often contradict the Holy Scriptures as interpreted by orthodox, biblical Christianity and as expressed in such statements as the Apostles' Creed" (Evangelizing the Cults, Servant Publications, 1990, p. 11).

Judgment and Scriptural Warnings

For many, the exposure of religious error is not popular and is often criticized as being negative, but Scripture is clear regarding the responsibility that Christians have. In place of the often misused, "Judge not" (Matt. 7:1 KJV) — hypocritical judgment — this portion of the Sermon on the Mount requires one to judge (Matt. 7:6,15–20). It is mandated and necessary.

The Bible often informs the reader of that which is false, a counterfeit. It warns of false christs (Matt. 24:5); false gods (Gal.4:8); false apostles and false angels (2 Cor.11:13–15; Gal.1:8–9); false spirits (1 John 4:1–3); false prophets (Matt. 7:15); false signs and wonders (Mark 13:22); false brethren (2 Cor. 11:26; 1 John 2:19), and a false gospel. Paul writes: "I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel — not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ" (Gal. 1:6–7).

One additional counterfeit — false doctrines — should be emphasized: "Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings ["doctrines" in the nasb] of demons" (1 Tim. 4:1). For the Christian, religious systems and claims must be judged by the teachings of the Bible (2 Tim. 3:16–17).

Some Characteristics of Cults

While not exhaustive, a simple and often cited approach to identifying characteristics, or patterns, of cults is the use of the terminology of mathematics: add, subtract, multiply, and divide. Using these terms, what are some of the characteristics of cults? (Because of limited space, only two cults will be used to illustrate some of these traits: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons, LDS), with more than 12 million members, and the Jehovah's Witnesses (JW), with an active membership of 6.3 million.)

Add. Are extra-biblical revelations or other books needed to understand the Bible or cited as the source of doctrine? These are often viewed as being superior to the Bible. A variation of this characteristic is that the Bible is declared to be accurate and complete, but that it can only be understood properly by the interpretations provided by the group's leader or the organization. This is the JW view. While the Bible is recognized by LDS as one of the "standard works," it does not contain all the inspired teachings, and it is subordinated to the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price. They also affirm continuous revelation.

Subtract. Does the group devalue Jesus Christ by denying His deity (a denial of the Trinity)? He might be viewed as an angel, and while on earth a great teacher, but He is just a man. Both the LDS and JW reject the Trinity. To Mormons, the three persons of the Godhead are separate and distinct. (The Holy Ghost is a person, the Holy Spirit is the Father's influence.) God the Father is an exalted man. Christ was the Father's first spirit-child. There are other gods. In JW doctrine, Jesus was Jehovah's first creation, and the Holy Spirit (JW: "holy spirit") is God's invisible, active force.

In contrast, the Bible records: "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one" (Deut. 6:4). When what the Scriptures say about the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are studied, one finds that each is called "God" (2 Cor.1:3; John 1:1; 20:28; Heb. 1:8; Rom. 9:5; Acts 5:3–4) and each manifests the attributes of deity. Contrary to LDS doctrine, according to Scripture God has always been God (Ps. 90:2; Hab. 1:12). There are no other gods (Isa. 43:10–11; 44:6–8, 24–25; 45:5–6, 18–24). God is spirit (John 4:24).

Multiply. Does the group multiply the requirements for salvation? Is salvation that is dependent on membership in the organization and certain required rituals a denial of justification by faith? Is salvation either uncertain or merely a future thing? What does Scripture say? "Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom. 5:1). "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them" (Eph. 2:8–10). "He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit" (Titus 3:5).

Simply stated, in these and other Bible passages the equation is: Faith equals salvation plus works. In cultic thinking the equation is: Faith plus works equals salvation. Scripture is clear that good works are the result of God's grace; they do not earn salvation (Gal. 5:22–25).

Divide. Does the organization claim to be the only one that has the truth? Does it claim it is God's sole channel or only true church? As a result, are all other religious organizations to be rejected as false? If a person leaves the group is salvation lost? LDS members believe they belong to "the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth" (Doctrine and Covenants, 1:30). JW believe that since 1919 their organization has served as Jehovah's "sole visible channel, through whom alone spiritual instruction was to come" (Watchtower, October 1, 1967, p. 590).

There are four other important characteristics that should be reviewed.

1. Doctrinal ambiguity

Are the teachings of the group characterized by doctrinal ambiguity or uncertainty? Are doctrines presented as revealed by God, or as "due- time" light, later rejected or replaced by new understandings? There are many examples of this practice in LDS (polygamy, Adam-God) and JW (The Great Pyramid, the "higher powers" in Rom. 13:1–7) literature.

2. False prophecy

Does a study of the group's history reveal that its leaders have pronounced or promoted false prophecies? This was done either by new revelations or by speculations based on erroneous interpretations of Scripture. Joseph Smith and his successors assumed the title of "prophet," but more than fifty of Smith's prophecies failed, as have those of his successors.

The Jehovah's Witnesses are notorious for promoting prophetic speculations that have failed (1914, 1918, 1920, 1925, 1975, etc.). I still remember when JW were speaking of "the remaining months before Armageddon" in 1941. According to the Bible, these failures clearly identify a false prophet (Deut. 18:21–22).

3. Sound rules of interpretation

After naming several contemporary cults, Dr. James Sire asks, "how can these very different religious movements claim Scripture for their own? ... They can only do so by violating the principles of sound literary interpretation" (Scripture Twisting, Intervarsity Press, 1980, p. 12). The subtitle explains the book's focus: 20 Ways the Cults Misread the Bible.

4. Semantics.

Are biblical terms used but given a different meaning? To be aware of this redefinition of terms is essential if one is to understand how LDS doctrine differs from biblical Christianity. Consider the following (with a Scriptural response). Mormonism views sin as specific acts, not as man's basic nature (Rom. 5:6–8; Eph. 2:3). The Gospel is explained as the teachings and church ordinances restored by Joseph Smith (1 Cor 15:1–4). Being born again is baptism into the LDS Church (2 Cor. 5:17; 1 Peter 1:23).

What Is the Christian's Responsibility?

While there are many reasons for the growth of cults, one obvious reason is the lack of biblical understanding and spiritual discernment. Christians must understand the challenge of cults and dedicate themselves to "being prepared to make a defense" (1 Peter 3:15), and "to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 3).

This article was originally published in Tabletalk magazine.

The Importance of God's Immutability

It is likely the most overlooked, underappreciated, unknown attribute of the living God. Of course we are in grave danger indeed if we seek to pit against one another or to rank in relative importance the attributes of God. The doctrine of His simplicity reminds us that God is one, that He is not composed of parts. The attributes of God are not like that old spiritual, Dry Bones, wherein we affirm that the wrath bone's connected to the justice bone, the justice bone's connected to the omniscience bone. Neither does God find balance between competing qualities, as if His wrath were muted by His grace, or His love tempered by His holiness. These are all one, the same thing. In the end all of what He is He is because He is God.

Which, in the end, is why His immutability is so vitally important. This attribute is that which enables us to depend on God to be God. It is why we can be certain that every excellency, every perfection, indeed every promise of God is utterly inviolable. He shall not be moved. Jonathan Edwards wisely pointed out that this is one of the reasons the heathen hate him so much. They have other potent enemies. But those enemies can grow weak. They have other angry enemies, but they can be calmed. They have other knowing enemies, but they can be fooled. The God of heaven and earth, on the other hand, will never cease to be all-powerful. His wrath will never turn from sin. And His eyes will never grow dim.

This same attribute, however, redounds to the good of those who love Him. Last night, as with many nights, I gathered my two littlest boys, Reilly and Donovan, before bed. I read to them a rather silly story about a robot and a goat in search of a missing sock. They snuggled up to me as we read, and later as we said our bedtime prayers. Finally, I sang to them their lullabies, one of which comes, in our evening liturgy, complete with shaking, squeezing and giggling. It is a precious time for all three of us, and they go to bed at peace having heard me pray these words, "Lord help these boys to know that daddy loves them, mommy loves them, mommy and daddy love each other, and you love them."

It's all true. But sometimes I lose my temper. Sometimes I speak to these precious boys in anger. Sometimes I am merely distracted. The certainty I want to give them is radically muted by my own unpredictability. Not so with our heavenly Father. His immutability isn't a mere battlefield wherein we tussle with process theology. It isn't a mere bulwark against the folly of open theism. It isn't even a mere facet of His character to be put under a microscope to be examined and expounded upon. It is instead a promise, a covenant promise. It is my certainty when I lie down to sleep that He will love me in the morning even as He loves me through the night. It is how I know that nothing can take me from His hand. It is the very reason we not only believe His promises, but believe He is the promise. The grass withers. The flower fades. But the Word of our God endures forever.

Just How Beautiful Beauty Can Be: An Interview with Andrew Peterson

Here's an excerpt from Just How Beautiful Beauty Can Be: An Interview with Andrew Peterson in the October issue of Tabletalk.

Tabletalk: Please describe your conversion briefly, and tell us how you got into writing music and literature.

Andrew Peterson: I grew up in the church, the second son of a preacher man. That implies a lot, and most of what it implies is true. I was a rascal with a heart of coal, but I could flash a Sunday morning smile and impress the little old ladies in their flower hats. I was born in Illinois, but when I was seven our family moved to north Florida, also known as the "Deep South," where your Christianity was defined by how guilty you felt or by what vices you didn't have—or at least those vices you kept under control whenever the ladies with the flower hats were watching. When I was nine (I think), I walked the aisle and wept into my dad's hip in response to his preacherly invitation. If you had asked me then what I was doing, I would've said that I wanted to get baptized because I was afraid of hell. In the simplest terms, I knew that I was broken, and Jesus was the only one who could fix me. I called myself a Christian from there on out, though my Christianity felt more like a nuisance during my extra-rascally high school years. But it just wouldn't leave me alone. It wasn't until I was nineteen, a year after graduation, that I encountered the music of Rich Mullins and began to understand how deeply broken I was, and more than that, how vast and beautiful is God's grace.

All that time, music, art, and stories were what moved me the most. My older brother (also an author) and I were obsessed with books, movies, and bands, always looking for some emotional high that, at the time, only rock and roll or adventure stories could provoke. After I heard Mullins' music, I woke to the real power of a finely crafted lyric; my eyes were open to just how beautiful beauty could be. At the center of it all was Jesus, spilling that light out from every pore, every gesture, every word. The rest of my life has been in service of the Source of all that light.

I remember telling the Lord back when I was nineteen that if I could ever make someone feel the way Rich's music made me feel, then that's what I wanted to use my music for. After I read the Narnia books to my boys, I wished the same thing for the stories I wrote. I should make the disclaimer that I realize my work is a far cry from Mullins or C.S. Lewis. This isn't me being falsely humble. But if I can even get close to what those guys were doing with words and music and stories, if I can approach the foothills of those mountains, I'm wildly grateful.

Continue reading Just How Beautiful Beauty Can Be: An Interview with Andrew Peterson.

Redefining What a Bible College Is and Can Be

In some circles, particularly Reformed circles, Bible colleges have a bad reputation. There are a number of reasons for this, and some of these reasons are quite understandable. In the first place, Bible colleges in North America developed from the Bible institute movement of the late nineteenth century. While the Bible institutes were largely conservative and evangelical, they were dominated by dispensationalist theology. Even today, virtually all "Bible colleges" in North America are dispensationalist. Second, many of the early Bible institutes/colleges became negatively influenced by a strand of anti-intellectualism that downplayed the importance of high academic standards. This was accompanied by a "dumbing down" of the curriculum in some Bible colleges. Third, and more recently, the church in the late twentieth century was plagued by diploma mills using the words "Bible college" in their names. These operations sent worthless "degrees" to anyone who sent them money.

Reformation Bible College (RBC) is striving to redefine what a Bible college is and can be. Unlike most Bible colleges, RBC is inspired by the model of John Calvin's Academy in sixteenth-century Geneva. This means that RBC focuses on teaching the content of the Bible, but we do not combine that with dispensationalist theology. RBC is self-consciously Reformed. The historical confessions of the Reformed faith (for example, the Belgic Confession, the Heidelberg Catechism, the Canons of Dordt, and the Westminster Standards) express our theology.

Reformation Bible College also rejects anti-intellectualism and the minimal academic expectations that usually accompany it. The administration and faculty of RBC believe that the command to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, and mind impacts the way we approach every aspect of education. This is reflected in our curriculum, in our faculty, and in the specific requirements of individual courses. Our curriculum is demanding. All students in the four-year program are required to take core courses that include eight semesters of English Bible covering every book of Scripture, eight semesters of systematic theology covering every theological topic, and eight semesters of Great Works covering the most important works of Western philosophy, literature, and music. Students in the biblical studies track are expected to take two years of Greek and two years of Hebrew and advanced classes in biblical theology and biblical history. Students in the theological studies track are required to take one year of ecclesiastical Latin and advanced courses in philosophy, historical theology, apologetics, and ethics.

The requirements of the individual courses are also demanding and reflect our commitment to high academic standards. Students read, on average, approximately 1,000 pages per course, and this reading includes primary sources as well as some of the most important secondary sources. By reading these classic works, students are encouraged to enter into the conversation with the greatest theological minds in church history. Students are thus expected to know not only what they believe but why they believe it, and they are expected to learn how to express their own ideas clearly in writing. To this end, research papers and essays are a major component of many classes.

The academic and spiritual reputation of a college is only as good as that of its faculty, and Reformation Bible College is working toward the end of building a faculty consisting of men who love the Lord, who love to teach, and who love to contribute to the ongoing scholarly research in their fields. Professor of Old Testament, Dr. Michael Morales, earned his PhD from Trinity College in the UK under the supervision of Dr. Gordon Wenham and is doing ongoing research and writing on the Pentateuch. Professor of New Testament, Dr. Ben Dunson, earned his PhD from the University of Durham under the supervision of Professor Francis Watson and has recently published his dissertation on Paul's Epistle to the Romans. Dr. Aaron Denlinger, who will be starting in the Fall of 2013, Lord willing, as our professor of historical and systematic theology, earned his PhD from the University of Aberdeen under the supervision of Dr. Nicholas Thompson and recently published his dissertation on covenant theology. He continues to do in-depth research and publishing. Professor Steve Adamson is pursuing a PhD at Highlands Theological College, Scotland and is writing his dissertation on the apologetics of Thomas Chalmers. Dr. R.C. Sproul Jr. continues to research and write in the fields of theology, apologetics, and ethics, and I continue my research into topics such as Christology, eschatology, and John Calvin's theology of the Lord's Supper.

Each individual faculty member is committed to the highest academic standards, but each faculty member also understands that knowledge alone is insufficient. It is for this reason that RBC also places a strong emphasis on discipleship. We do not believe that our obligations to the students end when the bell rings. The faculty desires to spend time with the students in conversation, in prayer, in fellowship, and in worship. We wish to model a love for God that includes the heart and the mind.

Reformation Bible College is committed to helping our students understand the content of the Bible, historic Reformed theology, and how we are to apply what we learn in today's world. The high standards John Calvin set for the Academy in Geneva attracted students from all over Europe. Those students returned home to teach others what they had learned, and in the process they reshaped Western culture. At RBC, we pray that God would use this school to train up a new generation of Christian leaders who will ignite a new Reformation.

Learn more or apply for Fall 2013.

Dr. Keith Mathison is academic dean and professor of biblical studies at Reformation Bible College. Originally published on Reformation Bible College's blog.

Thank You for Supporting the 2012 #Truth4Inmates Campaign

Today we read an encouraging testimony of how the Lord graciously used many of Ligonier's resources in the life of an inmate. Lowell Ivey writes:

"...by God's grace, I discovered R.C. Sproul's 'Renewing Your Mind' program. I began listening to it and finally things seemed to make sense...I wrote to Ligonier and received old back issues of Tabletalk, which I read one after the other."

Lowell Ivey has since been released, is now married, and is a student in seminary. You can read his whole story here.

It is because of stories like Lowell's, and the many letters we receive from inmates across the nation, that last week we launched our 2012 #Truth4Inmates campaign. We reached out to you, asking you to please help us raise $4,000 in order supply inmates with much needed Bible study tools such as subscriptions to Tabletalk magazine, special-edition copies of The Reformation Study Bible, and other Reformed teaching resources.

On behalf of Ligonier Ministries, I'd like to say "thank you."

Thanks to your generous support we have exceeded our goal.

Please continue to pray for our nation's inmates and for the Bible study tools that will be distributed. Although this year's campaign is over, you can continue to give and support the ongoing prison outreach that we do through the year.

$5 Friday: John Calvin, Calvinism, & Theology

It's time for our weekly $5 Friday sale. This week's resources cover such topics as God's sovereignty, John Calvin, music, Moses, theology, apologetics, and more.

Sale runs through 12:01 a.m. — 11:59 p.m. Friday EST.

View today's $5 Friday sale items.

By Nature, We Are in Spiritual Bondage

"If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:31b-32)

Jesus taught that we are all by nature in spiritual bondage. He had to be cruel to be kind.

The Jews to whom Jesus spoke—much like us—believed that they were certainly not in bondage to anything. But their response to Jesus' words revealed the deep spiritual bondage in which they were held. His words riled and angered them.

"Who do you think you are, saying that we need to be set free? How dare you! We are Abraham's children, his freeborn descendants." They claimed spiritual freedom as their birthright, but they were in spiritual bondage.

"Most assuredly, I say to you," Jesus said, "whoever commits sins is a slave of sin" (John 8:34).

Does this really need to be underlined? Jesus thought it did, and perhaps someone reading this may need a little help to understand what Jesus was saying here:

We do not become sinners by committing specific acts.
We commit specific acts of sin because we are sinners.

In short, my problem is not the isolated actions that I see as aberrations from what I really am. I am deceiving myself if I think that way. These actions are not aberrations but revelations of what is in my heart. They show that I commit sin because I am in bondage to it.

Paul develops this theme in Ephesians 2. Both the apostle and his readers (v. 3) were by nature bound in sin: "dead in trespasses and sins" (v. 1). When they heard the name of God and of His grace in Jesus Christ, their hearts remained cold. Like dead men and women, they were always flowing with the stream, following "the course of this world" (v. 2).

By nature, we usually deny that we are in spiritual bondage. We go out of our way to show our freedom by being different. But we tend, in one way or another, to become clones. That is a manifestation of our bondage. According to Ray Davies' satirical lyrics in The Kinks' hit song,

This pleasure-seeking individual always looks his best
'Cause he's a dedicated follower of fashion.

As Jesus hinted, this sinfulness affects every dimension of our lives:

Our minds. We do not think clearly. We may be well educated and have high IQs. But that is no guarantee that we think clearly about spiritual things.
Our desires. When we are on our own and at our most honest, we recognize that we are not masters of our desires. We try to master them. We have a moral consciousness that says, "You must get these things under control." But inwardly we are out of control. There is a world within us over which we have no mastery.
Our wills. They are in bondage to sin. "Oh yes," we say, "this message about being right with God—I will come to it another day. That is my decision and I can make it whenever I want."

The truth, however, is that we cannot think clearly about or desire Christ by our own unaided decision. Why not? We cannot respond to the good news of the gospel until we want Christ, and we cannot want Christ simply by a decision we can take at any moment we choose. We cannot say to our will, "Will, will to belong to the Lord!" It is beyond our powers to do that. No one can will the will to will what it will not will! Only God's grace can set us free to come to trust in Him.

What made it happen so?
His own will, this much I know,
Set me, as now I show,
At liberty.

Here, then, is our greatest need. We are in bondage to sinful hearts.

This excerpt is adapted from Sinclair Ferguson's  By Grace Alone: How the Grace of God Amazes Me .

Misunderstanding Vatican II

I think Evangelicals and Catholics Together (ECT) and similar efforts to make common cause with Roman Catholics are based on a fundamental misunderstanding of where the Roman Catholic Church is theologically and what it actually teaches. There is no question that the Roman Catholic Church has changed since the sixteenth century. But the changes have not closed the gap between Rome and Protestantism. Indeed, the differences are greater now. For instance, the formally defined proclamation of the infallibility of the pope and all of the Mariology statements have come since the Reformation. Neither has Rome backed down from any of the positions it took in the sixteenth-century debate. In the updated Catechism of the Catholic Church, released in the mid-1990s, the treasury of merit, purgatory, indulgences, justification through the sacraments, and other doctrines were reaffirmed.

I think this misunderstanding has been driven primarily by confusion over the significance of Vatican Council II (1962–65). It was only the second ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church since Trent, the other being Vatican Council I (1869–70). So, these councils are rare events, and the church and the world were surprised when Pope John XXIII convened Vatican II.

The statements produced by Vatican I referred to Protestants as schismatics and heretics. In marked contrast, the rhetoric of Vatican II was kind, warm, and appeasing. Protestants were called "separated brethren." John's passion, which he set forth in a pastoral letter, was that the Lord's sheepfold would be one. There should be unity under one shepherd, he said, with all Christians returning to Holy Mother Church under the Roman pontiff. John was seen as kind, avuncular, and warm, so people jumped to the conclusion that Rome had changed its theology. However, many overlooked the fact that John ruled out any debate about justification at Vatican II.

The New Theology?

In the same era as Vatican II, there was a major split within the Roman Catholic Church between the Western and Latin wings of the church. Much of the Western wing adopted what was called the nouvelle théologie, "the new theology," which was much more compatible with historical Protestantism than the classical orthodox Latin Roman theology.

Incidentally, this rupture shows that the contemporary Roman Catholic communion is not as monolithic as it traditionally has been. Some see this rupture as almost as serious as the Reformation. We can find priests and even bishops who sound Protestant in their views. But it is important to remember that when we analyze the Roman Catholic Church, we are not talking about the American church, the Dutch church, the German church, or the Swiss church. We are talking about the Roman Catholic Church. The supreme pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church is not the bishop of New York or Los Angeles. He is not the bishop of Berlin, Heidelberg, or Vienna. He is the bishop of Rome. He is the one who, along with church councils, defines the belief system of the Roman Catholic Church.

The new theology made great inroads, particularly in Germany, Holland, and the United States. As a result, Roman Catholic priests in these countries began to sound like Protestants in the things they taught. They said they believed in justification by faith alone. Nevertheless, their beliefs did not reflect the church's official positions.

Protestants Heading to Rome

These changes have led many Protestants to join the Roman Catholic Church. I suspect there are vastly greater numbers leaving Rome for evangelicalism than the other way around, but a number of leading evangelicals have embraced Rome, the most high profile of whom was probably Francis Beckwith, who resigned as president of the Evangelical Theological Society in 2007 when he decided to convert to Roman Catholicism.

I think there are several reasons for these conversions. First, those who are going to Rome love the Roman liturgy, seeing it as more transcendent than the informal and contemporary worship practiced in a growing number of evangelical churches. They long for the beauty, the sense of gravity, and the transcendent majesty of classical worship. I think this is the biggest factor pulling evangelicals toward the Roman Catholic Church.

Second, Protestantism seems to be splintered into an infinite number of divisions and troubled by endless disputes and discussions of doctrine, while Rome seems unified and doctrinally settled. This appeals to many who long for unity, peace, and certainty.

In the midst of all this, a 2005 book actually asked, "Is the Reformation Over?" and asserted "Things are not the way they used to be." My response to this idea that the Reformation is over is that the authors did not understand either the Reformation, Protestantism, Roman Catholicism, or all three. The Reformation was simply a commitment to biblical truth, and as long as there are departures from biblical truth, we have to be involved in the task of reformation. So, when people say the Reformation is over, that we no longer need to fight the battles the Reformers fought and that we can make peace with Rome, they reveal a serious lack of understanding of the historical and current issues that divide Protestants and Roman Catholics.

The Indisputable Fact

The indisputable fact is that Rome made a number of strong, clear theological affirmations at the Council of Trent. Because Trent was an ecumenical council, it had all the weight of the infallibility of the church behind it. So, there is a sense in which Rome, in order to maintain her triumphant view of the authority of the church and of tradition, cannot repeal the canons and decrees of the Council of Trent. As recently as the Catechism of the Catholic Church at the end of the twentieth century, it made clear, unambiguous reaffirmations of Trent's teachings. So, those who argue that these teachings on justification are no longer relevant to the debate between Protestantism and Roman Catholicism are simply ignoring what the church itself teaches. Yes, there are some Roman Catholic priests and scholars who dispute some of the teachings of their communion, but as far as the Roman hierarchy is concerned, the Council of Trent stands immutable on its teaching regarding justification. We cannot ignore what Trent said in evaluating where we stand in relation to the Roman Catholic Church and the ongoing relevance of the Reformation.

This excerpt is adapted from R.C. Sproul's  Are We Together? A Protestant Analyzes Roman Catholicism .

How to Stay Christian in Seminary

Here's an excerpt from How to Stay Christian in Seminary, David Mathis' contribution to the October issue of Tabletalk.

"The point is this." I love it when Paul says that in 2 Corinthians 9:6. He makes sure he has our attention and tells it straight. Behind the reasoned prose and the rhetorical flourishes, here's what he's getting at—plain, simple, straightforward. "The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully." Beautifully direct.

The same humble approach helps when we take up the topic of "staying Christian" in seminary. There is so much (good) advice to be given. There are many experiences to be relayed, warnings to be sounded, commendations to be issued, and commitments to highlight. There are particular truths to emphasize, and practicals to give it flesh.

But when you boil it all down, what's the point? Is there something that holds all the advice and recommendations together? When you tell it straight and cut through all the fluff, what's at the heart of staying Christian in seminary?

The point is this: Be a Christian in seminary. The key to staying Christian in seminary, and in every season and avenue of life, is being one.

Continue reading How to Stay Christian in Seminary.

The Greatness of John Calvin

In the daily service of shepherding Christ's flock, I often find myself turning to my spiritual forefathers for answers to the most difficult matters in the church's life and doctrine. Even though our forefathers are at home with the Lord, by our mutual faith they provide us with words of comfort, encouragement, and caution. As I reflect on the doctrinal, ecclesiastical, and personal hardships they faced, and take into account the Lord's sustaining work in their lives, I am humbled and challenged by their united voices, which seem to admonish us from the heaven-lies, urging us to fight the good fight, to be faithful till the end, and to honor the Lord above all.

Among the many faithful voices from the past, there seems to be one that rises above them all. It is the voice of a man who desperately wanted us to hear not his own voice but the voice of God in His Word. It is precisely on account of the humility the Lord had instilled in the mind of Calvin that I am drawn to him. In fact, there is not a week that passes that I do not think about the example Calvin set forth for us and for Christians in every generation. And in life and ministry, as I have considered Calvin the man, I have observed the following things: Calvin was a man who died to himself and sought to take up his cross daily so that he might serve the Lord and the flock God had entrusted to him (Luke 9:23). He was a man who did not think of himself more highly than he should have, but sought to esteem others better than himself (Rom. 12:3; Phil. 2:3). He was a man who did not seek to please men first and foremost, but sought to please God ultimately and completely (Col. 1:10; 3:23). He was a man who strove not to live for his own kingdom but for the kingdom of God (Matt 6:33; 21:43). He was a man who sought to be faithful in the eyes of God, not successful in the eyes of the world (Rev. 2:10). He was a man who did not desire his own glory, but desired to seek the glory of God in all he did (1 Cor. 10:31; Col. 3:17). He was a man who did not try to develop a system of theology that complemented the Word of God; rather, he strove to derive his theology from the Word of God for the right worship, enjoyment, and love of God.

Considering all of this, Calvin is among the greatest men of all time. However, his greatness, as B. B. Warfield recognized, was not in his service to himself but in his surrender to God: "Here we have the secret of Calvin's greatness and the source of his strength unveiled to us. No man ever had a profounder sense of God than he; no man ever more unreservedly surrendered himself to the Divine direction." This is Calvin's greatness—his ultimate surrender to God. In this is Calvin's legacy for those of us who desire not simply to wear the five-pointed badge of Calvinism, but who desire to clothe ourselves in the humbling power of the gospel (1 Peter 5:5). Let us not be so easily satisfied with a simple insignia of a simplistic Calvinism; rather, let us drape ourselves with Calvin's Calvinism, a Christ-centered, Spirit-empowered, God-glorifying, gospel-driven Calvinism that shines so brilliantly that the deceitful darkness of sin would be conquered in our hearts so that, in turn, we might shine as the light of Jesus Christ to this dark world—for His kingdom and His glory.

This excerpt is adapted from Burk Parsons' contribution in  John Calvin: A Heart for Devotion, Doctrine, and Doxology .