Reformed Thinking

Deep Dive into The Lord Our Righteousness (Jeremiah 23:6) by Charles Spurgeon Justification by faith is the divine act by which God declares believers righteous when they trust in Christ, a process fundamentally rooted in the doctrine of imputation . This means Christ's work is credited to a believer's account. It's described as the "surface soil" resting upon the "grani...

Deep Dive into Apologetics and Evangelism by Dr. Michael Vlach & Prof. Jesse Johnson - Deism and Hinduism In Hinduism, Karma is the fundamental "law that governs this reincarnation wheel" , understood as the moral law under which individuals operate. It is the framework for Hindu ethics and centrally determines a person's fate within the endless cycle of birth and rebirth, known...

Deep Dive into Howling Changed to Singing (Psalm 13:1-2, 6) by Charles Spurgeon Sorrow profoundly affects a person, plunging them into a state of deep distress and despair, often described as "howling" or a "moaning complaint before God." This encompasses intense emotional and spiritual pain , where one may feel forgotten by God or experience Him hiding His comforting presence....

Deep Dive into Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers 1.8: Saint Augustin: Expositions on the Book of Psalms - Psalm 7 Augustine's exposition of Psalm 7 offers a profound spiritual interpretation , moving beyond its historical narrative to reveal deep theological meanings. It serves as a prophecy concerning Jesus Christ, divine providence , and the human soul's journey toward perfection. Central t...

Deep Dive into חֵץ The term "חֵץ" (ḥēṣ) possesses a rich history, with its origins deeply embedded in ancient Semitic languages and tracing back to the root חָצַץ , meaning "to pierce." Cognates in Ugaritic, Phoenician, Aramaic, Akkadian, Arabic, and Ethiopic confirm its widespread and ancient understanding as a projectile. While its primary and literal meaning is "arrow,&...

Deep Dive into Apologetics and Evangelism by Dr. Michael Vlach & Prof. Jesse Johnson - Defending the Christian Worldview Presuppositional apologetics, especially as made practical by Richard Pratt's So Every Thought Captive , uniquely addresses fundamental questions about God, reality, and knowledge by establishing God's revelation as the indispensable starting point for all thought ....

Deep Dive into Commentaries on the Epistles of Paul to the Galatians and Ephesians by John Calvin - Galatians Introduction Ceremonies, as understood in the context of Paul's letter to the Galatians, had a divinely appointed purpose in the Old Covenant. They were considered not superfluous for Old Testament believers, serving as part of God's covenant with them. However, their role was neve...

Deep Dive into Apologetics and Evangelism by Dr. Michael Vlach & Prof. Jesse Johnson - Grounding Apologetics in Scripture Presuppositionalism, as understood by the speaker, fundamentally centers on three interconnected aspects: Authority , the Aim of apologetics, and the Agency of change in the human heart. First, Authority dictates that God and His revealed Word are the ultimate starting poin...

Deep Dive into How to Rebuild Ukraine's Defense and Security after War Ukraine is comprehensively addressing corruption in its rebuilding efforts, integrating Reformed theological principles with practical governance and oversight measures. The overarching goal is an Ethical Defense-Industrial Renaissance , aiming to reduce Ukraine’s defense-corruption risk index to below 30 by 2030 , a score...

Deep Dive into Apologetics and Evangelism by Dr. Michael Vlach & Prof. Jesse Johnson - Van Til's Presuppositional Apologetics Paul's witnessing in Athens, as detailed in Acts 17, provided a profound example of how to engage with non-biblical worldviews. He specifically debated with Epicurean and Stoic philosophers , alongside the broader Greek philosophical landscape influenced by Plat...

Deep Dive into Declensions in the English Bible Declension, the system of endings or internal shifts that once marked a noun's or pronoun's grammatical role, is important for linguistic clarity and doctrinal precision in biblical interpretation. While Modern English became largely analytic, shedding most inflections, vestiges of declension survived , particularly in pronouns and the posses...

Deep Dive into Apologetics and Evangelism by Dr. Michael Vlach & Prof. Jesse Johnson - The Problem of Evil Bonsen (or Bahnsen) resolves the philosophical problem of evil by introducing a crucial fourth premise to the traditional argument against God's existence. The classic challenge posits that an all-good and all-powerful God cannot coexist with the existence of evil , suggesting a logic...

Deep Dive into Christian Theology by Millard J. Erickson - The Means and Extent of Salvation The evangelical view of salvation stands as a distinct theological perspective, contrasting sharply with sacramentalism and liberation theology. At its core, it emphasizes the indispensable role of the Word of God and the acceptance of salvation through faith . The Word of God, whether preached or read, is...

Deep Dive into Apologetics and Evangelism by Dr. Michael Vlach & Prof. Jesse Johnson - Defending the Faith and Gospel The cosmological argument for God's existence is fundamentally based on the belief that the world must have been caused by some supreme being . It is frequently referred to as the argument from cause and effect . The name itself, "cosmological," comes from the Gre...

Deep Dive into God as Yahweh-Saboth "Yahweh-Ṣəbaʾōth" (LORD of Hosts) is a profound divine title, exegetically founded on the fusion of YHWH, God's covenant name, with ṣābāʾ , meaning "host, ordered multitude, army." This identifies God as the Commander-in-Chief who marshals all forces – angelic battalions, stellar bodies, and even human kingdoms – to achieve His purposes....

Deep Dive into Apologetics and Evangelism by Dr. Michael Vlach Prof. Jesse Johnson - The Fall, and the Unbeliever's Mind While the precise term "epistemic humility" is not explicitly defined in the sources, the concept is deeply embedded within the presuppositional approach to knowledge and apologetics. It encompasses a humble attitude in engaging with others and a profound recogniti...

Deep Dive into Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin - Christian Freedom Christian freedom is a doctrine of prime necessity , profoundly transforming a believer's relationship with God and the law by establishing assurance and inner peace of soul . Without it, consciences would remain fearful and doubting, hindering true knowledge of Christ and the gospel. It consists of three in...

Deep Dive into Apologetics and Evangelism by Dr. Michael Vlach Prof. Jesse Johnson - Frameworks, Arguments, and Worldviews John Frame, a prominent figure in presuppositional apologetics, identifies three primary aspects of apologetics : proof, defense, and offense. These aspects provide a comprehensive framework for understanding how Christians engage with unbelief and present the truth of their f...

Deep Dive into Pressing into the Kingdom of God (Luke 16:16) by Jonathan Edwards Desire for salvation is not a mere wish, but a profound and dominant internal force essential for "pressing into the kingdom of God." This genuine desire signifies a "strength of desire" that far exceeds a general preference for heaven over hell. For those truly engaged, their minds are "posse...

Deep Dive into Apologetics and Evangelism by Dr. Michael Vlach & Prof. Jesse Johnson - Does God Exist? In the debate, Dr. Gordon Stein defines a miracle primarily as an event that violates the known laws of physics and chemistry , indicating a supernatural occurrence. For Stein, this violation would serve as adequate evidence for God's existence. He provides vivid examples, such as a podiu...

Deep Dive into Matthew Poole’s Commentary on the Holy Bible, Volumes 1–3 - Psalm 13 David's expression of trust in God is a central and powerful theme in the Psalm, demonstrating his unwavering faith despite profound distress and perceived divine delay. Even when feeling forgotten and surrounded by enemies, David declares his fundamental reliance on God's character . He explicitly states,...

Deep Dive into Apologetics and Evangelism by Dr. Michael Vlach & Prof. Jesse Johnson - A Philosophical Debate The debate, sponsored by the UCI Speech and Debate team and moderated by David Agopian, centered on the fundamental question: "Does God exist?" The two debaters were Dr. Greg Bahnsen, arguing for Christian theism, and Dr. Gordon Stein, presenting the atheist viewpoint. Dr. Greg Bahnsen...

Deep Dive into Christian Theology by Millard J. Erickson - What is Theology? Systematic theology is a discipline of study within a Christian context that aims to provide a coherent and comprehensive understanding of the Christian faith . It seeks to articulate the doctrines of Christianity, primarily based on the Scriptures, and present them in a way that is relevant to contemporary culture and li...

Deep Dive into Apologetics and Evangelism by Dr. Michael Vlach & Prof. Jesse Johnson - Methods, Truth, and the Creator-Creature Distinction Christian apologetics involves distinct methodologies, primarily Classical Apologetics , Presuppositional Apologetics , and Reformed Epistemology . Classical Apologetics , exemplified by William Lane Craig, holds that belief in God requires evidence and ra...

Deep Dive into הרס The Hebrew verb "הרס" (haras) primarily denotes the act of tearing down, demolishing, or destroying . This core meaning is consistently contrasted with "בנה" (banah), meaning to build or establish , highlighting "haras" as the direct opposite of creation and stability. This opposition is frequently seen in prophetic declarations where God is portray...