THE OLD COVENANT God has always dealt with humanity by way of covenant. The Catechism for Young Children teaches that a covenant is “an agreement between two or more persons” (Q. & A. 22). Covenant is often compared to contract, treaty, or alliance. Many theologians downplay the contractual aspect of the Biblical covenants. They prefer to think of a covenant as a testament rather than as a bargain. In other words, like a “last will and testament,” the blessings of the covenant are bequeathed as free gifts. Thus O. Palmer Robertson calls covenant “a bond in blood sovereignly…Phil Ryken on Jeremiah 31: The Background to the New…
THE OLD COVENANT God has always dealt with humanity by way of covenant. The Catechism for Young Children teaches that a covenant is “an agreement between two or more persons” (Q. & A. 22). Covenant is often compared to contract, treaty, or alliance. Many theologians downplay the contractual aspect of the Biblical covenants. They prefer to think of a covenant as a testament rather than as a bargain. In other words, like a “last will and testament,” the blessings of the covenant are bequeathed as free gifts. Thus O. Palmer Robertson calls covenant “a bond in blood sovereignly…
Last year (2019), I went through David B. Calhoun’s edition of “Prayers on the Psalms” (@BannerofTruth) about 2 1/2 times, with daily prayer postings on social media (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram). This year (2020) I am going to work through O. Palmer Robertson’s edition of Matthew Henry’s “A Way to Pray” (@BannerofTruth). Dr. Robertson suggests that the best way to read/use “A Way to Pray” is to “read it on your knees,” that is, pray it as you read. Personalize it. Persist until your thoughts & words in prayer…
Berkhof on the nature of the biblical concept of covenant One of the things I frequently do in preparation for teaching my Covenant Theology course at Reformed Theological Seminary (as I will do again at RTS Washington this week), is quickly re-read the relevant sections of Louis Berkhof’s Systematic Theology. Though a lot of very good scholarship has been done on the Bible’s teaching on the covenants in the seventy-five plus years since Berkhof first wrote, his summaries and judgments are remarkably durable and valuable. Take for instance…
Many of my RTS friends and supporters may not know that my call to serve as Chancellor and Professor at RTS actually comes from my presbytery. Because of this, I am required to give an annual report on my ministry (which I joyfully do!), in order to evidence the exercise of my ministerial calling “out of bounds” of the presbytery (that is, not at one of the local churches that comprise our regional court of the church). Here is this year’s report, submitted to the fathers and brothers of the Presbytery of the Mississippi…
Almighty God and Heavenly Father, who hast given unto us thy dear Son to be our Lord and King, grant, we beseech thee, that thou wouldst destroy and dissipate by thy marvelous wisdom all enterprises devised and directed against him throughout the…
Congratulations to the Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC) and United Reformed Churches (URCNA) and Great Commission Publications on the new Trinity Psalter Hymnal (2018). I have only had my copy for a couple of weeks or so, but I want to offer a few…
Reformed Theological Seminary PRESS RELEASE Experienced pastor and church planter with a heart for missions and campus ministry to become next executive director August 1 (JACKSON, MS) – July 3, 2018 – Chancellor and CEO Dr. J. Ligon Duncan III…
A pastor friend of mine contacted me this week and asked if I had written an article on my “top twenty” hymns. The reason he asked me for this is that he pastors a church that has not been using much in the way of traditional hymnody for a number…
Defending the Faith; Denying the Image – Abstract Ligon Duncan Summary: How 19th century Presbyterians simultaneously faithfully defended historic Christian orthodoxy against Enlightenment rationalistic anti-supernaturalism, and accommodated…
Today, the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (CBMW) released The Nashville Statement. I’ve been a part of CBMW for about 25 years (and the organization is 30 years old this year). CBMW originally came into being to affirm…