For William Gouge and other Puritans, practical divinity encouraged rigorous reflection, introspection, and a disciplined life in order to help believers discern even the tiniest degree of faith that testifies that they are elect, thereby bringing consolation to the anxious soul. They were concerned that if one overemphasized justification and assurance at the neglect of
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How KJV-Only Christians Responded to Authorized: The Use and Misuse of the King James Bible
The primary audience of Authorized: The Use and Misuse of the King James Bible was not actually KJV-Onlyism, per se; I aimed instead at those Bible readers who use the KJV out of habit, or perhaps because they are simply unaware of the existence of more contemporary options. But, of course, numerous KJV-Only Christians?especially pastors?have
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The Apostles? Creed for a New Generation
Today?s guest post was written by James A. De Jong,?retired president of Calvin Theological Seminary.?He is widely published in the history of Reformed theology and history of missions. He has taught on the undergraduate and graduate levels and has lectured globally. Ben Myers? new book The Apostles? Creed: A Guide to the Ancient Catechism is
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What Paul?s Prayers Teach Us About Early Christian Worship
The Apostle Paul begins all of his letters with a greeting, often calling on God and Jesus together as the joint source of blessing. These greetings may seem rather commonplace but they reveal an important development in early Christian prayer. In?Honoring the Son, Larry W. Hurtado investigates the devotional practices of the early church and
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The Most Significant Step in Early Christian Worship
Larry W. Hurtado has been one of the leading scholars on early Christology for decades. Hist new book, Honoring the Son, provides an entry point for students who are just beginning their study of Christology and a succinct summary of his research set within the current academic debate. In this excerpt, Hurtado summarizes ancient Jewish
Read moreWords of Power: The Ancient Catechism
You recite it. But do you understand it? The Apostles? Creed has united Christians from different times, places, and traditions. In his new book, Ben Myers reintroduces the creed, showing us it?s power and meaning for us today. In this excerpt from the introduction, Myers traces the origin and purpose of the creed, giving Christians
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An Interview with Apostles’ Creed Author Ben Myers
With The Apostles’ Creed by Ben Myers releasing tomorrow (May 9), Bible Study Magazine sat down with Ben to discuss his interest in the creed, the importance of church history, and how Christians can benefit from these today. Look for this article and many others of interest in the July/August issue.
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Abraham Kuyper on Adam, Noah & the Church
Noah became in fact the second progenitor of the human race; not that he replaced Adam, since Noah himself was the fruit of human procreation, as God had not directly formed Noah by his own hand. Noah inherited his nature and character from his parents and grandparents, which had not been the case with Adam.
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Why C.S. Lewis Viewed All of Life as Evangelism
C.S. Lewis was a professor at Oxford and Cambridge during the middle of the 20th century. During his early years, he fought in World War I and was wounded in battle. After returning from war, he became a professor at Oxford University. During his initial years as a professor, he was an agnostic, but he
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A Female Apostle? Michael Heiser Explains
Paul?s final greetings to the Roman church seem typical. We might just skim over the list of names without a second thought. But one name within that list has become the focus of controversy and heated debate: Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known among the apostles, and
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