Reformed Thinking

Deep Dive into The Treasury of David by Charles Spurgeon - Psalm 28 Psalm 28, authored by David, is a "song in the night" born from grief and serves as a sequel to the previous psalm. It represents the plea of a slandered saint or Christ Himself, acting as a representative for His people. David begins with an urgent cry to God, his "Rock," expressing a firm resolve to find refu...

Deep Dive into A Divine and Supernatural Light, Immediately Imparted to the Soul by the Spirit of God, Shown to Be Borth Scriptural and Rational Doctrine (Matthew 16:17) by Jonathan Edwards In "A Divine and Supernatural Light," Jonathan Edwards argues that the spiritual knowledge necessary for salvation is a gift granted directly by God to the soul. This "light" is not reached...

Deep Dive into The King in His Beauty: A Biblical Theology of the Old and New Testaments by Thomas R. Schreiner - Proverbs The book of Proverbs serves as a practical guide for character formation, moving beyond narrative to provide maxims for daily living. Central to its message is the fear of the Lord , which is identified as the fountainhead of all true knowledge and wisdom. While the book conta...

Deep Dive into Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis - The Rival Conceptions of God Lewis explores the fundamental differences between various worldviews, beginning with the distinction between Christianity and atheism. He notes that Christians are not required to believe that every other religion is entirely wrong ; instead, they can view other faiths as containing partial truths, even if they believe...

Deep Dive into When Sin Wears a Smile: Coarse Joking, Filthy Talk, and the Call to Thanksgiving Speech is never morally neutral; it is a window into the heart and a steering mechanism for the soul. Drawing from the sources, the biblical prohibition in Ephesians 5:4 targets obscenity, foolish talk, and coarse joking not as a mere list of forbidden words, but as a genre of communication that is &quo...

Deep Dive into The Helper and the Word: How the Holy Spirit Secures Christ’s Teaching for His Church (John 14:26) John 14:26 serves as a divine remedy for the disciples' sorrow by promising the Holy Spirit as a Helper. This provision ensures that Christ’s mission and teachings are preserved through divine oversight rather than fallible human memory. The verse identifies the Spirit as a persona...

Deep Dive into Ask, Seek, Knock: Bold Prayer, Fatherly Goodness, and the Obedience Love Requires (Matthew 7:7–12) Matthew 7:7–12 presents prayerful dependence as the essential foundation for the kingdom righteousness described in the Sermon on the Mount. By commanding His disciples to "ask, seek, and knock," Jesus invites them into a life of persistent reliance rather than occasional rel...

Deep Dive into From Babel to Blessing: God’s Quiet Providence (Genesis 11:14–15) Genesis 11:14–15, though often overlooked as narrative "dead space," serves as a vital theological hinge in the book of Genesis. Situated immediately after the account of Babel’s rebellion and the subsequent scattering of humanity, these verses trace the line from Shelah to Eber. This genealogy acts as a lit...

Deep Dive into A History of the Work of Redemption by Jonathan Edwards - From Moses to David Jonathan Edwards explains that the era from Moses to David was a period of significant advancement in the work of redemption, characterized by historical events that served as types for Christ’s future mission. The most prominent event was the Exodus from Egypt, which symbolized Christ delivering his peopl...

Deep Dive into Matthew Poole’s Commentary on the Holy Bible, Volumes 1-3 by Matthew Poole - Romans Introduction Matthew Poole’s commentary on the Book of Romans provides a comprehensive introduction to what many scholars consider the "marrow of divinity." The Epistle was written by Paul—also known as Saul—whose Roman title likely became his primary name due to his specific mission as the...

Deep Dive into The Treasury of David by Charles Spurgeon - Psalm 27 Psalm 27 is a song of cheerful hope, likely penned by David during a time of intense personal trial and slander. It serves as a multifaceted expression of faith, applicable to David, the Church collectively, and the person of Jesus Christ. The text is structured as a movement from unwavering confidence to earnest prayer, concludin...

Deep Dive into Growth Groups: How to Lead Disciple-Making Small Groups by Colin Marshall - The Games People Play In "The Games People Play," Colin Marshall explains that members of small "Growth Groups" often unconsciously adopt specific roles that dictate how they interact with others. These roles are described as "games" —long-developed patterns of behavior that a l...

Deep Dive into The King in His Beauty: A Biblical Theology of the Old and New Testaments by Thomas R. Schreiner - Psalms The Book of Psalms serves as a God-centered collection that invites humanity into a personal relationship with a sovereign Lord. While the psalms capture a wide spectrum of experience—ranging from agonizing lament to exuberant joy—the collection is fundamentally a call to praise...

Deep Dive into Lectures to My Students by Charles Spurgeon - Where Can We Find Anecdotes and Illustrations? Charles Spurgeon advises ministers that while illustrations are vital for engaging a congregation, they must never be fabricated. Instead, preachers should draw from the vast "storehouse" of the real world. One rich source is current history found in daily newspapers, where ordinar...

Deep Dive into ὁρίζω The Greek verb ὁρίζω ( horizō ) is fundamentally tied to the concept of boundaries, deriving from the root word ὅρος ( horos ), meaning “boundary” or “limit.” Its original, literal meaning is “to separate entities and so establish a boundary,” whether defining physical territory, such as the Nile separating continents, or limiting a span of time. This concept is the origin of...

Deep Dive into Wisdom That Walks: James’s Test of True and False Wisdom (James 3:13–15) The Apostle James challenges the common assumption that wisdom is defined by intellectual ability, eloquence, or confidence. Instead, he asserts that true wisdom is fundamentally moral, proven not by words but by works, and displayed through a consistent pattern of good conduct and humble posture. For James, wi...

Deep Dive into Not Proud Judging, Not Naïve Casting: Holy Discernment (Matthew 7:6) Matthew 7:6 provides a critical lesson in holy discernment, situated between the dangers of proud judgment and naïve indiscretion within the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus first condemns the hypocrisy of those who eagerly diagnose a "speck" in others while ignoring the "log" in their own eye, requir...

Deep Dive into From Babel’s Tower to God’s Line: Quiet March of Promise (Genesis 11:12–13) The two verses of Genesis 11:12–13, detailing Arpachshad’s life and the birth of Shelah, are a crucial link in the redemptive storyline, contrasting sharply with the preceding Tower of Babel narrative. Babel is characterized by humanity’s loud, proud, and ambitious attempt to "make a name" for itse...

Deep Dive into A History of the Work of Redemption by Jonathan Edwards - From the Calling of Abraham to Moses The work of redemption advanced significantly during the period from the calling of Abraham to Moses, fundamentally establishing a separate lineage for the future Redeemer in a world rapidly falling into widespread idolatry. God called Abraham out of Chaldea, the land where idolatry origin...

Deep Dive into The Biblical Expositor, Volume 2: Job–Malachi by R. Laird Harris - Psalms Introduction The Psalter, or Book of Psalms, is structured into five distinct books, each concluding with a doxology. While the specific arrangement of individual psalms may have been influenced by musical considerations, the collection is primarily studied through classification by subject matter. Key categor...

Deep Dive into The Treasury of David by Charles Spurgeon - Psalm 26 Psalm 26, a work of David enduring reproach, is interpreted as an encouraging example of carrying slander to the throne of grace. It is an appeal to God, the supreme Judge, based on the testimony of a good conscience regarding his upright walk, avoidance of evil counsel, and dedication to holiness. Facing false charges, David bold...

Deep Dive into Luther’s Commentary on Galatians by Martin Luther - Galatians 3 The Apostle Paul sharply reproves the Galatians, calling them foolish and "bewitched," not out of spite but with fatherly affection and Christian zeal, for departing from the truth of the Gospel after having received it with fervor. This strong language is permissible for a minister because the anger stems fro...

Deep Dive into The King in His Beauty: A Biblical Theology of the Old and New Testaments by Thomas R. Schreiner - Job The comprehensive biblical narrative spans from the initial creation mandate given to Adam and Eve, their subsequent sin, and God's promise of ultimate victory over the serpent through the woman's offspring. This promise drives the history of Israel, beginning with Abraham...

Deep Dive into Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis - We Have Cause to Be Uneasy The author opens by acknowledging that the conclusion of the previous discussion—that a power or "Somebody" beyond the material universe is influencing us through the Moral Law—might lead some readers to feel annoyed, thinking they have been led into a predictable religious sermon. The author counters this skept...

Deep Dive into חסה The Hebrew root ḥāsâ is predominantly used as a poetic and figurative verb in the Qal stem, carrying the fundamental meaning of "to seek refuge" or "to take shelter." Its literal sense connects to earlier meanings of "to cover" or "to hide oneself," found in related Akkadian and Ethiopic roots. Figuratively, it evolved to mean "to con...