law – The Nicene Nerd

A Reformed Analysis of Whether Women May be Ministers

[I wrote this for the sake of a discussion with friends. It got longer than I expected.] Every command in Scripture is either a direct explication of natural law, including the general moral principles embedded in the way God has made humanity and the world and related them to each other and Himself, or positive … Continue reading

Regarding the Statement on Social Justice and the Gospel

Intro: The Latest Battle in the Social Justice Wars Once more the evangelical sphere of the Internet is on fire. As with many recent kerfluffles, this one is about social justice. I’ve not said much about the social justice movement so far. I’ve posted a little bit, as some may remember. But I’ve largely stayed … Continue reading

In Opposition to Christian Pacifism

I have had some interesting discussions lately pertaining to the topic of Christian pacifism. By this, I mean the view that Jesus requires that all Christians forsake all violence in all (or nearly all) circumstances. This can include self-defense, defending others, participating in the coercive power of government, and military service. Now, depending on your … Continue reading

Empire on a Rock: A Review of Doug Wilson's Empires of Dirt

[I recently wrote this for an essay contest. Yes, I know I already reviewed this book, but it suited the context of the contest. No, I didn’t win anything.] “All societies are theocratic, and the only thing that distinguishes them is which God they serve.”1 This claim, with which Douglas Wilson begins Empires of Dirt, … Continue reading

Mental Tools for the Toolshed: Distinguishing Types of Law

“Law” is a funny word. It’s one of those words that can be used in a lot of ways that sound fairly similar but really mean something deeply different. If you think much about topics like theonomy, theocracy, the Torah, Christian ethics, objective morality, and all the like, it becomes clear that a lot of … Continue reading

Cautioning the Evangelical Justice Movement: Justice and Gospel (Part 1)

My Purpose in Writing Due Compliments First First things first: justice is extremely important to Christianity. The Gospel is fundamentally a declaration of God’s saving justice revealed in Jesus Christ. This justice will also involve Christ’s visible rule over the nations. He will bring them to reflect heaven as increasingly just and Christian societies. So … Continue reading

The Loving God of Wrath and Covenant

God’s wrath is of love. This is not something we normally think about, to be sure, but according to the Scriptures God’s wrath is in fact a function of His love, something He exhibits out of love. This is something which struck me a couple weeks ago when I read this text for a Sunday … Continue reading

Hypothesis: The Church is Reborn Israel

One theological question which has been a fairly ambiguous realm for much of Church history is that of the actual relationship between Christ’s Church and the people or nation of Israel which came before it. The Biblical data on this is complex and apparently varied, and the historical issue of the Church as becoming predominantly Gentile … Continue reading

Aaron Adorned by Christ: The Meaning of the Priestly Vestments

[This is my term paper for my Old Testament Backgrounds. Enjoy.] Introduction If a hundred people had to describe the text of Exodus 28, which covers the garments of the Aaronic priesthood, in a single word, “boring” would probably win a majority, or at least a strong plurality, of the votes. This is probably true even … Continue reading

When God Steps Back: The Law and The Problem of Evil

Evil is evil. Could there be a statement more pathetically obvious, yet more profoundly ominous? We live in a world rife with evil. Every day, there is murder and mayhem on the news. School shootings have become more routine than Presidential elections, and more children on this planet are malnourished than well-fed. Many nations reek … Continue reading