The word “Trinity” is never used, nor is the doctrine of Trinitarianism ever explicitly taught in the Scriptures, but Trinitarianism is the best explanation of the biblical evidence. The theological exposition of the doctrine arose from clear…scriptural teaching. It is a crucial doctrine for Christianity because it focuses on who God is, and particularly on [...]
Doctrine & Theology
The Presence of God Qualifying Our Notions of Grammatical-Historical Interpretation
Genesis 3:15 as a Test Case* Abstract: Evangelical scholars have championed grammatical-historical interpretation as an objective means of sifting truth from error. This approach has value if we use it as one focus, but limitations if we use it as a total account. The temptation arises to think of objective interpretation as implying total domination [...]
Does God Change His Mind? Divine Repentance by R.C. Sproul
Does God Change His Mind? If God is immutable, if He does not change at all, does that mean He never changes His mind either? This is a very thorny problem. The Bible appears to say at times that God changed His mind. Related Resources What Is God?: An Investigation of the Perfections of God’s [...]
What is Justification?
Justification goes beyond forgiveness. Not only are we forgiven because of Christ, but God also declares us righteous because of Christ. God requires two things of us: punishment for our sins and perfection in our lives. Our sins must be punished, and our lives must be righteous. But we cannot bear our own punishment (Ps. [...]
Can Jesus be Savior and Not Lord?
“I cannot conceive it possible for anyone truly to receive Christ as Savior and yet not to receive him as Lord. A man who is really saved by grace does not need to be told that he is under solemn obligations to serve Christ. The new life within him tells him that. Instead of regarding [...]
What is Doctrine?
Christian doctrine is unique in that it is an intellectual response to the historical activity and revelatory disclosure of God. Doctrine is rational reflection upon God’s saving activity in Jesus Christ. Foundational to the idea of “doctrine” is the fact that we need to be told what God is like. It is not ours to [...]
What Do We Mean by Sola Scriptura? by Dr. W. Robert Godfrey
This article originally appeared as Chapter I in Sola Scriptura! The Protestant Position on the Bible Don Kistler, General Editor and published by Soli Deo Gloria Publications. There are two main issues that divide Protestant Catholics from Roman Catholics. Both groups claim to be catholic, that is, part of the apostolic, universal church of Jesus [...]
Why Our Church Switched to the ESV
For years I read, preached and taught from the KJV. I appreciate the language and love the translation, but made the transition to the ESV several years ago. And I’m thankful we did. So when I saw this new booklet from Kevin DeYoung I was intrigued. It is an excellent little work for anyone considering [...]
John Calvin on the Incarnation
The case was certainly desperate, if the Godhead itself did not descend to us, it being impossible for us to ascend. Thus the Son of God behoved to become our Emmanuel, the God with us; and in such a way, that by mutual union his divinity and our nature might be combined; otherwise, neither was [...]
Excellent Quotes from Sola Scriptura: The Protestant Position on the Bible
Sola Scriptura , the formal principle of the Protestant Reformation, is essential to genuine Christianity, for it declares that the Bible is the inspired word of God, the church’s only rule of faith and practice. Yet this doctrine is under assault today as never before, both from outside and and inside the church. I’ve had [...]
D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones’ Attituted Toward the Study of Doctrine
The following excerpt from D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones comes from his wonderful series, Studies in Ephesians. “What foolish creatures we are! Many of us are not interested in doctrine at all; we are lazy Christians who do not read, do not think, and do not try to delve into the mysteries. We have had a certain [...]
Christian Beliefs: 20 Life Transforming Truths
Too many Christians today don’t know what they believe – or why! This is a fantastic DVD series that can be used in Sunday School classes, small groups or for home Bible studies that teaches you the main doctrines of the Bible. Watch Video Trailer of this DVD Series! Understand what you believe! In this [...]
Are Your Thoughts of God Too Human?
Excerpt from A.W. Pink’s book, The Attributes of God. This book handles a doctrine little understood and heard of infrequently in these days of humanism. This book gives God his proper place of supremacy and is a classic on the subject. In one of his letters to Erasmus, Luther said, “Your thoughts of God are [...]
What Is the Gospel?
During my recent trip to California for the Alliance Defense Fund Academy, I had the pleasure to meet Greg Gilbert, the author of a wonderful book, What is the Gospel? I I would strongly encourage you to take a look. View Sample Pages What Is the Gospel? It seems like a simple question, yet it [...]
Of Justification by Faith by John Calvin
The following selection by John Calvin was taken from book 3, chapter 11 of The Institutes of The Christian Religion, translated into English by Henry Beveridge, 1863. This electronic edition is in the public domain and may be freely copied and distributed. 1. I trust I have now sufficiently shown how man’s only resource for [...]
The Divine & Human Nature of Christ by Herman Bavinck
The testimony which, according to Scripture, Christ has given of Himself is developed and confirmed by the preaching of the apostles. The confession that a man, named Jesus, is the Christ, the Only-Begotten of the Father, is in such direct conflict with our experience and with all of our thinking, and especially with all the [...]
The Divine Trinty by Herman Bavinck
The Eternal Being reveals Himself in His triune existence even more richly and vitally than in His attributes. It is in this holy trinity that each attribute of His Being comes into its own, so to speak, gets its fullest content, and takes on its profoundest meaning. It is only when we contemplate this trinity [...]
The Authority and Inspiration of the Scriptures by Benjamin B. Warfield
Warfield (1851-1921) was Professor of Didactic and Polemic Theology at Princeton Theological Seminary. Christianity is often called a book-religion. It would be more exact to say that it is a religion which has a book. Its foundations are laid in apostles and prophets, upon which its courses are built up in the sanctified lives of [...]
The Triune God by J. Gresham Machen
Machen (1881-1937) was Professor of New Testament, first at Princeton Theological Seminary, and afterwards at Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia. Excerpts from The Christian Faith in the Modern World (1936). The Bible tells us there is a personal God, Creator and Ruler of the World. God, according to the Bible, is not another name for the [...]
God the Creator by J. Gresham Machen
Machen (1881-1937) was Professor of New Testament, first at Princeton Theological Seminary, and afterwards at Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia. Excerpts from The Christian Faith in the Modern World (1936). The Bible is doctrinal through and through. It gives not the slightest bit of comfort to the skeptical notion, so much in vogue today, that doctrine [...]
Justification by Faith with a Summary View of the Doctrine, and its Momentous Import by Archibald Alexander
It shall be our endeavor to set before our readers a plain exposition of this great Christian doctrine as taught in the holy Scriptures, and as generally held by sound Protestants. We commence with some remarks on the scriptural meaning of the word “justification,” as a mistake here may spread darkness over the whole discussion. [...]
Sinners Welcome to Come to Jesus Christ by Archibald Alexander
Our blessed Lord knew how prone convinced sinners are to unbelief as it regards the reception which he is disposed to give them if they come to him, and therefore he graciously uttered, and has left on record this precious encouragement, “Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out.” No, though [...]
What is a Biblical Christian? by Albert N. Martin
There are many matters concerning which total ignorance and complete indifference are neither tragic nor fatal. I am sure that there are few of us who can explain all the processes by which a brown cow eats green grass and gives white milk but we can still enjoy the milk! Many of us are totally [...]
The Mystery of Creaturely Otherness by John M. Frame
God’s decrees foreordain, and his creative act brings into actuality, beings other than God. Creation marks the beginning, therefore, of non-divine “otherness.” Now of course otherness does exist eternally within the divine nature. But creation is the beginning of something new: a non-divine otherness, a creaturely otherness. Creatures are the work of God, fully planned by God, dependent on him, and [...]
The Origin, Essence, and Purpose of Man by Herman Bavinck
The account of the origin of heaven and earth converges in the first chapter of Genesis upon the creation of man. The creation of the other creatures, of heaven and earth, of sun and moon and stars, of plants and animals, is reported in brief words, and there is no mention made at all of [...]
