Towards the end of the 20th century, John MacArthur wrote a couple of books that engaged with what is historically known as the “Lordship salvation controversy.” Reflecting on his writings more than a decade later, MacArthur offered a succinct description of what his opponents were teaching. [The non-lordship camp] insisted there is no place in…
Making sure people understand what the word gospel means is something to take seriously. I have two boys at home, and I regularly ask them to define the gospel. First, I ask them what the word gospel means. They’ll respond, “good news.” Then, I’ll follow that up with, “good news about what?” At that point,…
I had the privilege of studying under Jason DeRouchie for four years while at Bethlehem College & Seminary in Minneapolis. In addition, for a couple of years, I was blessed to serve as Jason’s teaching assistant, working through his various writings, editing some of his work, and helping with early iterations of his website. To…
“We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5) The Corinthian church lived in a city known for its wealth, sexual immorality, religious pluralism, and philosophical diversity—not unlike our cities (and campuses) today. And as Corinthian Christians encounter various ideas…
While at the SBC annual meeting in Dallas last week, I received a free copy of What is a Reformed Baptist: An Overview of Doctrinal Distinctives by Tom Hicks. I was eager to read the book because (a) I consider myself reformed and (b) I am a convinced Baptist (in that order). Understanding what Dr.…
At the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Dallas this past week, I was able to moderate a panel discussion on the SBC and Christian Higher Education. Joining me on the panel were Dr. Rick Melson (President, Southwest Baptist University), Dr. Jonathan Akin (VP at Carson-Newman University), Dr. Jason Duesing (Provost, Midwestern Seminary and Spurgeon…
I’m sitting in Dallas, TX, preparing to attend a few days of the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting. On the flight from Springfield (MO) to here, I finished Powerful: Building a Culture of Freedom and Responsibility by Patty McCord, who served for fourteen years as the Chief Talent Officer at Netflix. She is also the…
I never tire of trying to persuade people that the University of Kentucky has the greatest basketball tradition in the history of collegiate basketball. Whenever the subject comes up, I repeat, without hesitation, the necessary arguments to make my case. Are you persuaded? Over the years, I’ve gotten pretty good at making all those arguments…
In a certain sense, Christianity is amazingly simple. The story of the Christian faith is rooted in the beginning of the world. God created men and women to know him and enjoy him forever. But because Adam and Eve rebelled against their Creator, sin has passed down to every human being (cf. Rom 5:12; Ps…
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Theology Along the Way 