LigonDuncan.com

RTS and the Current State of Theological Education

Some of you may have seen this important article over at The Gospel Coalition about the decline and relocation of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (TEDS) by Collin Hansen, who is a graduate of the school. Reformed Theological Seminary has been friends with TEDS for many years. Over the years, a number of our faculty have done their studies there before coming to RTS, and a number of our graduates have gone on to do doctoral work there. We wish TEDS all the best in this new stage of their institutional life. The last twenty years have been tough for accredited graduate theological education…

The Guarantee of a Better Covenant

The Lord's Day Morning May 19, 2013 Better“The Guarantee of a Better Covenant”Hebrews 7:11-28 The Reverend Dr. J. Ligon Duncan III If you have your Bibles, I'd invite you to turn with me to Hebrews chapter 7 as we continue to work our way through this book together.В I'd remind you, we're going to be looking at verses 11 to 28 today, but I'd remind you where we've been.В In Hebrews chapter 6, the author of Hebrews is desirous of explaining to Christians where we find the basis of our perseverance, our assurance, and our hope.В That is, what enables us to keep on keeping on in the Christian life?В What enables us to experience a sense of security, the security of God's love, the security of the salvation that He has given us?В And what is it that gives…

Jesus and Melchizedek

The Lord's Day Morning May 12, 2013 Better“Jesus and Melchizedek”Hebrews 7:1-10 The Reverend Dr. J. Ligon Duncan III If you have your Bibles, I'd invite you to turn with me to Hebrews chapter 7.В We’re going to be looking at verses 1 to 10 this morning as we continue to make our way through this great letter.В As you’re turning there, make sure and allow your eyes to fall on the last two verses of chapter 6 as well, because there you will see the reasons why the author of Hebrews is going to go into an extended discussion of Melchizedek in this passage.В We've said so far, as we've worked through Hebrews together, that the theme of this book is “Better” – Jesus is better.В Hebrews 1:1 to Hebrews 4:13 emphasize that Jesus is a better Savior; He's…

Psalm 119 Not By Bread Alone – My Flesh Trembles…

The Lord's Day Evening May 12, 2013 Not by Bread Alone“My Flesh Trembles for Fear of You”Psalm 119:113-120 The Reverend Dr. J. Ligon Duncan III If you have your Bibles, I'd invite you to turn with me to Psalm 119.В We’re going to be looking at the stanza that runs from verses 113 to 120 tonight. And even though the word is not found in this passage, this passage is about idolatry.В This is the psalmist's meditation on how to fight against idolatry in his own heart.В Are any of you idolaters here tonight?В All of us struggle with idolatry.В It's the great sin in the Bible.В I remember reading something that an old southern Presbyterian theologian said many years ago in another context where he was writing on the issue of the deity of Christ.В And in the course…

Promise + Oath = Hope

The Lord's Day Morning May 5, 2013 Better“Promise + Oath = Hope”Hebrews 6:13-20 The Reverend Dr. J. Ligon Duncan III If you have your Bibles, I'd ask you to turn with me to Hebrews chapter 6 as we continue our way through this book together.В We’re going to be looking at verses 13 to 20 today.В If you remember, last week we were looking at Hebrews 6 verses 4 to 8, a chilling passage in which the author makes a very clear and powerful warning against turning our backs on Jesus,…

Psalm 119 Not By Bread Alone – Your Word Is a…

The Lord's Day Evening May 5, 2013 Not by Bread Alone“Your Word Is a Lamp to My Feet”Psalm 119:105-112 The Reverend Dr. J. Ligon Duncan III If you have your Bibles, I'd invite you to turn with me to Psalm 119 again and we’ll be looking at verses 105 to 112. The psalmist is meditation on the Word of God, not simply on different aspects of the Word of God but different uses of the Word of God in the Christian life. And tonight in particular, he is concerned to think about how the…

Falling Away?

The Lord's Day Morning April 28, 2013 Better“Falling Away?”Hebrews 6:4-12 The Reverend Dr. J. Ligon Duncan III If you have your Bibles, I'd invite you to turn with me to Hebrews chapter 6 as we continue our way through this letter. And as you know, this is one of the great warning passages of Hebrews 6. Hebrews 6 verses 4 to 8, and then again that passage in Hebrews 10:1, comprise two of the most terrifying warning passages in all the Scriptures. David Martyn Lloyd Jones, the famous…

Psalm 119 Not By Bread Alone – How I Love Your…

The Lord's Day Evening April 28, 2013 Not by Bread Alone“How I Love Your Law”Psalm 119:97-104 The Reverend Dr. J. Ligon Duncan III If you have your Bibles, turn with me to Psalm 119. We’re going to look at verse 97 through 104 tonight as we continue in our series, Not by Bread Alone. This section of Psalm 119 contains one of the most famous lines in the psalm, “How I love your law.” It's a theme that you find in a number of places in the Psalms, not the least familiar being in…

Psalm 119 Not By Bread Alone – Forever Settled in…

The Lord's Day Evening April 7, 2013 Not By Bread Alone“Forever Settled in the Heavens”Psalm 119:89-96 The Reverend Dr. J. Ligon Duncan III If you have your Bibles, I'd invite you to turn with me to Psalm 119. We’re going to be looking at verses 89 to 96 tonight. And I would remind you, that as we looked at Psalm 119 verses 81 to 88 last week we said that, in a sense, we came to the low point of the psalm in those verses where the psalmist feels outmatched and hopeless, longing for…

It’s Hard to Explain

The Lord's Day Morning April 7, 2013 Better“It's Hard to Explain”Hebrews 5:11-6:3 The Reverend Dr. J. Ligon Duncan III If you have your Bibles, I'd invite you to turn with me to Hebrews chapter 5. We’re going to be looking at verses 11 to the end of the chapter and then we're going to pick up in chapter 6 verse 1 and read to verse 3. So we’ll read from Hebrews 5:11 all the way through Hebrews 6:3 this morning. As you’re turning there, let me ask you to look back just a…