How the two natures relate to one another and how it might be said that the omniscient Son lacked knowledge is at question. As well as how this confession, this truth he and we both believe, affects our ability to read the Scriptures.
Read moreTrinity, Christology, and James White: Exegetical Concerns (2)
We continue our series of articles on the recent Trinity and Christological discussions occurring in Reformed Baptist circles– although we are aware of their presence elsewhere.
Read moreTrinity, Christology, and James White: Methodological Concerns (1)
At Baptist Dogmatics, we thought it would be beneficial to engage some of the recent debates concerning the Trinity and Christology, specifically found in our own Reformed Baptist circles. As pastor-theologians, we are compelled by the love of Christ to provide sound doctrine for those God has entrusted in our care.
Read moreBasil on the Image of God
What is the image of God? This week, we look at Basil the Great’s answer to that question and his reasons for answering the way he does.
Read moreBasil on the Trinity and Anthropology
We are engaged in the task of anthropology with the understanding that man, as a creature, has a particular relation to God. Since all of creation is related to God, and since man is a particular focus of creation, we follow Scripture’s focus on man as a particular instance of creaturely relation to God.
Read moreWe're Back!
While we had intended to return sooner than now, but as man plans his ways, so we have found that it has been a little longer to get our other responsibilities organized before now. In the meantime, here are three things to be aware of.
Read moreIntermission
We are both intending to devote more of our attention to the completion of our dissertations, with the aim of receiving our PhDs at the May graduation. Due to this goal, we have decided to institute a hiatus on our aim at public dogmatics on this site until we have made sufficient progress toward our dissertations (i.e. either completed them, or reached a near point of completion). We are thankful for the readership we have had since starting this site in February, and we look forward to continuing our efforts in the future. We also recognize that our priorities in our families, local churches, and degree commitments must be front loaded. We welcome questions, so still feel free to contact us. We will pick up on our respective series (on 2LBCF chapter 1 & natural theology among the Reformed) when we return to our writing on this site.
Turretin on Natural Theology
Is natural theology a failure?
Read moreScripture's Sufficiency: An Introduction
As hearers, we ought to receive Scripture from God with a disposition of humility, acknowledging that the whole counsel of God revealed to us in Scripture is all we need.
Read moreWill of Precept
What is God’s will for your life? It’s important to have some categories if you hope to answer this correctly.
Read moreAuthority of Scripture: Illumination
Throughout these articles on the authority of Scripture, we have distinguished between the reason why we believe, and the thing believed; or, the testimony and the thing testified to. The formal object of faith is the testimony of God which is presented to us in the material object of faith, the things revealed. The Spirit’s work upon the believer is neither the formal nor the material object of faith.
Read moreDecretive Will
One thing we continued to sideline in the previous conversation was the distinction between the decretive and preceptive will. Rather than leave that distinction unaddressed, this and a follow-on article will seek to explain the distinction.
Read moreThe Authority of Scripture: Motives
If we reason from motives to the divine origin of Scripture, then our assurance rests upon our natural capacities rather than the great testimony of God. However, because Scripture is self-authenticating, the motives for faith provide sufficient evidence that Scripture is the Word of God.
Read moreTrinitarian Submission?
Two previous articles laid the groundwork for the discussion of the present article. In the first, we noted that there are different ways of speaking of “will.” One might speak of “will” as the thing willed, the act of willing, or the natural capacity to will. In that article, we sidelined the differentiation (distinction) between the will of decree and the will of precept, since what we are discussing here more appropriately applies to the former than the latter. The next article looked at an historical debate in theology over how the Son wills, concluding in the ecumenical affirmation that the Son has two wills, called dyothelitism (“two-will-ism”). Closing that article, we noted a particular example of the reaffirmation of this doctrine by the Reformed in the work of John Calvin.
Read moreThe Authority of Scripture: Grounds and Motives
The marks of divinity, according to the Confession, serve as “arguments whereby [Scripture] doth abundantly evidence itself to be the Word of God.” Yet, these lines of evidence serve as motives rather than as the ground of our faith upon which the authority of Scripture rests.
Read moreTwo Wills?
Does Christ have two wills? For some, the question is answered immediately, while others may think this is a strange concept. Let’s consider it.
Read moreThe Authority of Scripture
Since Scripture is inspired, the Confession contends that Scripture is to be received on the authority of the One who gave it. Neither the creature nor a created institution supplies the authoritative testimony needed for one to accept Holy Scripture.
Read moreAttributing a Will
What is God’s will? This question requires labored definition because we can mean different things by the term ‘will’ itself. In English, we use the word ‘will’ accompanying some other verb in order to make the word future tense. For instance, “I will go to church this coming Lord’s Day; will you? I’m fairly certain Joe will be preaching.” This use of the word ‘will’ is applied to God also, but, as with other things, not univocally. We can speak of things God ‘will do’ in the future. For instance, he will bring a spiritually dead man to spiritual life through the preaching of the gospel. Strictly speaking, the futurity of the event is on the side of creation’s historical progress. For God there is no yesterday and tomorrow, so it is not as though these events are future for him.
Read moreCanon: Exegetical Grounding
God’s speech and intention warrant a book's canonical status and ground the creature’s ability to recognize the canon on God’s authority.
Read moreAttributes of the Triune God
It is not as though the three Persons take part in the abstract category of deity.
Read more