Mike Horton's New Book on Justification (Two Volumes)

Mike Horton's two volume work on justification is soon to be released.

Here's the publisher's blurb and endorsements:

The doctrine of justification stands at the center of our systematic reflection on the meaning of salvation as well as our piety, mission, and life together. In his two-volume work on the doctrine of justification, Michael Horton seeks not simply to repeat noble doctrinal formulas and traditional proof texts, but to encounter the remarkable biblical justification texts in conversation with the provocative proposals that, despite a wide range of differences, have reignited the contemporary debates around justification.

Volume 1 engages in a descriptive task - an exercise in historical theology exploring the doctrine of justification from the patristic era to the Reformation. Broadening the scope, Horton explores patristic discussions of justification under the rubric of the "great exchange." He provides a map for contemporary discussions of justification, identifying and engaging his principal interlocutors: Origen, Chrysostom, Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, John Duns Scotus, William of Ockham, Gabriel Biel, and the magisterial reformers. Observing the assimilation of justification to the doctrine of penance in medieval theology, especially via Peter Lombard, the work studies the transformations of the doctrine through Aquinas, Scotus and the nominalists leading up to the era of the Reformation and the Council of Trent. He concludes his first study by examining the hermeneutical and theological significance of the Reformers’ understanding of the law and the gospel and the resultant covenantal scheme that became formative in Reformed theology. This then opens the door to the constructive task of volume 2 - to investigate the biblical doctrine of justification in light of contemporary exegesis.

“This thorough, systematic, and far-ranging work advances a reading both distinctive and yet more traditional than many of today’s dominant paradigms.”—CRAIG KEENER, Asbury Theological Seminary

“Protestant and Catholic readers . . . will profit by wrestling with this learned historical study.”—GERALD R. MCDERMOTT, Beeson Divinity School

“This is a volume bristling with theological insight and intellectual energy.”—SIMON GATHERCOLE, University of Cambridge

“Very impressive and a major contribution to the clarification of the significant issues.”—ROBERT KOLB, Concordia Seminary, Saint Louis

“A superb and engaging book, marked by a careful and generous listening to other theological traditions. It will not only reenergize the reader with a passion for understanding this long-running doctrinal conversation, but also challenge one to engage critically.”—EDUARDO J. ECHEVERRIA, Sacred Heart Major Seminary

You can order both volumes here:  Horton on Justification

"The Gospel of Christ" -- Galatians 1:1-9

The First in a Series of Sermons on Paul's Letter to the Galatians

With good reason, the Book of Galatians has been called the magna carte of Christian liberty.  There is perhaps no portion of Holy Scripture which packs the punch of Paul’s letter to the churches in Galatia.  In this letter Paul sets out what is perhaps the most passionate defense of the gospel found in all the New Testament.  The apostle is angry when he writes this letter–he calls the Galatians “foolish” (3:1) and even tells them if they want to begin with circumcision, they might as well to go the whole way and emasculate themselves (5:12).  Strong words from the apostle, but much is at stake.  

The church to which Paul is writing is one which he himself helped to found not long before.  This same church was now tolerating, if not openly embracing, a form of teaching which directly contradicts what the apostle previously taught them about the saving work of Jesus Christ.  For Paul, this is a spiritual battle to be fought over the meaning of the gospel.  He is fighting for the very soul of these churches.  He minces no words with those whom he regards as enemies of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  

Before we work our way through this letter, it is necessary take a look at the historical background which led to its composition.  Paul’s circular letter to the churches in Galatia (a region located in what is now south-central Turkey) and was written in AD 48, just prior to the Jerusalem Council described in Acts 15:1-21.  By looking at Paul’s comments here in light of events recounted in the Book of Acts, we know that Paul visited the southern part of Galatia at least twice during the missionary journey described in Acts 14:21.  In Galatians 2, Paul describes his visit to Jerusalem on the occasion of a great famine which hit the city as described in Acts 11:27-30.  In Galatians 4:13, Paul refers to having preached the gospel to the Galatians previously.  
 
This indicates that Galatians was written in the days preceding the Jerusalem Council, when the pressing question of Gentile conformity to the Law of Moses was hotly debated before being definitively settled by the leaders of the church.  The pressing question was “must Gentile believers in Jesus live like Jews in order to be faithful Christians?”  These circumstances provide compelling evidence that Galatians is Paul’s earliest letter included in the canon of the New Testament, and the doctrine of justification is the basic gospel message Paul proclaimed from the very beginning of his ministry as apostle to the Gentiles.

As a result of Jewish opposition to Paul’s proclamation of Christ crucified in the synagogues of the region, Paul and Barnabas turned to preaching to the Gentiles.  Many were converted.  Soon after Paul and Barnabas left Galatia, Jewish converts to Christianity began teaching in the churches that Gentile converts must submit to the Law of Moses and undergo circumcision in order to be regarded as “right before God” (justified).  In Galatians 1:7, Paul refers to unnamed individuals who he says were throwing the Galatians into confusion soon after he had departed the area.  

Known to us as the Judaizers, these false teachers were undermining Paul’s gospel by claiming that his preaching was actually dangerous since it did not require obedience to the law of God as a condition of deliverance from the wrath of God.  Furthermore, they claimed, Paul’s authority was inferior to that of other apostles such as Peter and James, who were more closely associated with Jesus, the Jerusalem church, and with Judaism (1:1; 6:17).

To read the rest of this sermon, Click Here

This Week at Christ Reformed Church (October 29-November 4)

Sunday Morning, November 4:  We return to our series on the Minor Prophets.  We will take up Zechariah 3:1-10 and the account of Joshua, the High Priest, being given new and spotless priestly garments.  Our worship service begins at 10:30 a.m.

Note:  Our New Members Class continues this week in room 601 @ 9:00 a.m.  Our topic this week is, "The Sacraments"

Sunday Afternoon:  As we work our way through the Belgic Confession, we come to article 26, which deals with Christ's intercession on our behalf.  Our afternoon service begins at 1:15 p.m.   

Wednesday Night Bible Study (October 31) @ 7:30 p.m.  We continue our series Apologetics in a Post-Christian Age.  We will address the work of the Holy Spirit in relation to Christian evidences and coming to faith. 

The Academy (November 2):  We are working our way through the concluding lectures in our lecture/discussion series based upon Allen Guelzo's Teaching Company Course, The American Mind.  This week's lecture is "The Revolt of the Privileged," on the Vietnam era protests.

For more information on Christ Reformed Church you can always find us here (Christ Reformed Church), or on Facebook (Christ Reformed on Facebook).

"Solus Christus" -- A Sermon for Reformation Sunday

 

Here's the audio from this morning's sermon on Solus Christus based on Isaiah 52:13-53:12 and Romans 3:21-26:  Solus Christus

Apologetics in a Post Christian Age (Audio) -- Faith and Reason (Part Three)

Here's the audio from the Wednesday night Bible Study: Faith and Reason -- Part Three

"Continue Steadfastly In Prayer" -- Colossians 4:2-18

The Tenth and Final in a Series of Sermons on Colossians

Whenever we preach through a letter such as Paul’s letter to the church in Colossae, we can become so preoccupied with its message and application to our own situation, it is easy to forget that these letters were intended to be read aloud to a congregation composed of first century Christian believers–our brothers and sisters in Christ–with whom we will spend an eternity.  When we come to the end of a New Testament letter such as this, if we take the time to consider this material, we can gain a fascinating glimpse into the lives of those people who served this church, who worshiped in this church, as well as learning of their comings and goings while at the same time witness our Lord’s faithfulness to his people two thousand years ago in the midst of a very pagan first century Greco-Roman world.

Paul was imprisoned in Rome when his letter to Colossians was written.  Not sure of the outcome of his appeal to Caesar, Paul he makes no comment on whether or not he plans to visit the cities of the Lycus Valley (Colossae, Laodicea, and Hieropolis).  Paul had never been to Colossae (2:1) and did not know personally many of the Christians there–in contrast to his letters to Philippi or Ephesus, cities in which he had stayed and therefore knew well many of the members of the church to which he was writing.  In light of the present uncertainties, Paul’s messengers Tychicus and Onesimus will come to Colossae in person and fill them in the details which Paul is not able to include in his letter.  But it becomes obvious that as we read Paul’s closing words to the Colossians, we are indeed reading someone else’s mail.
 
We now wrap-up our ten part series on Paul’s letter to the Colossians.  Next time we’ll begin a new series on Galatians, likely the first canonical letter written by Paul, as early as 47-48 AD.  As we wrap up our time in Colossians this week, we will do something a bit differently.  Given the personal nature of this closing section, we will begin by looking at Paul’s closing comments (vv. 7-18) before we turn to Paul’s exhortation to the Colossians to continue in prayer and to be faithful in their Christian witness, found in vv. 2-6.  The application in this section speaks directly to us and our situation, so verses 2-6 are a more suitable place to end our time in this epistle.

The closing material (vv. 7-18) contains a number of directives to the Christians in Colossae as Paul has much to say, but little space and time to do so.  He commissions two messengers to take this letter to Colossae (vv. 7-9).  He also sends a series of greetings (in vv. 10-15).  Next, Paul directs that this letter is to be forwarded to the church in Laodicea (v. 16) because, presumably, as a neighboring church to Colossae, the Laodiceans faced the same false teaching as the Colossians.  Finally, Paul exhorts a man named Archippus about his ministry (v. 17), before sending his blessing to the Colossians (v. 18).

Paul wraps up by endorsing the messengers he is sending back to Colossae, two men named Tychicus and Onesimus.  In verses 7-9, Paul details that “Tychicus will tell you all about my activities.  He is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord.  I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts, and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you of everything that has taken place here.”  Tychicus plays a prominent role in Paul’s later ministry.  According to Acts 20:4, Tychicus was from “Asia” (Asia Minor–Turkey) and accompanied Paul on his final visit to Jerusalem (to bring famine relief to the Jewish Christians from their Gentile brothers and sisters in Greece).  Paul speaks quite highly of Tychicus, calling him a beloved brother and faithful minister.  He too is a fellow servant of the Lord–recalling Paul’s previous discussion about how all Christians are servants of Jesus, their true and heavenly master

To read the rest of this sermon:  Click Here

This Week at Christ Reformed Church (October 22-28)

Reformation Sunday and Our Twenty-Third Anniversary!

Sunday Morning, October 28:  Our Sermon for Reformation Sunday is on Solus Christus, from Romans 3:21-26.  Our worship service begins at 10:30 a.m.

Note:  Our New Members Class continues this week in room 601 @ 9:00 a.m.  Our topic this week is, "Why do we worship like we do?"

Sunday Afternoon:  We have come to article 25 in the Belgic Confession which focuses upon Christ as the fulfillment of the law.  Our afternoon service begins at 1:15 p.m.  

Wednesday Night Bible Study (October 24) @ 7:30 p.m.  We continue our series Apologetics in a Post-Christian Age.  We are discussing the relationship between faith and reason--focusing this time on differences between evidentalists and presuppositionalists.  

The Academy (October 26):  We are working our way through the concluding lectures in our lecture/discussion series based upon Allen Guelzo's Teaching Company Course, The American Mind.   This week's lecture is "Integration and Separation" on the Civil Rights movement.

For more information on Christ Reformed Church you can always find us here (Christ Reformed Church), or on Facebook (Christ Reformed on Facebook).

Christ Reformed Church's first service in Mike Horton's living room!

"Flee to Zion" -- Zechariah 1:18-2:13

Here's the audio from today's sermon on Zechariah from our series on the Minor Prophets: Click Here

Apologetics in a Post Christian Age (Audio) -- Faith and Reason (Part Two)

Here's the audio from last night's Bible study.  We continued with our discussion of:  Faith and Reason -- Part Two

This Week at Christ Reformed Church (October 15-21)

Sunday Morning, October 21:  As part of our series on the Minor Prophets, we return to our study of the prophecy of Zechariah.  We'll be considering the second and third "night visions" from Zechariah 1:18-2:13 and focusing upon the glories of Zion.  Our worship service begins at 10:30 a.m.

Note:  Our New Members Class continues this week in room 601 @ 9:00 a.m.  We'll be discussing the basics of Reformed church government--rule by elders.

Sunday Afternoon:  We are currently making our way through the Belgic Confession.  We'll be tackling article 24 and the confession's discussion of sanctification.  Our afternoon service begins at 1:15 p.m.  

Wednesday Night Bible Study (October 17) @ 7:30 p.m.  We are continuing our series Apologetics in a Post-Christian Age.  We continue our discussion of the relationship between faith and reason.  

The Academy (October 19):  We are working our way through the concluding lectures in our lecture/discussion series based upon Allen Guelzo's Teaching Company Course, The American Mind.   This week's lecture is "Mass Culture and Mass Consumption" which deals with the rise of a distinctly American form of "pop" culture.

For more information on Christ Reformed Church you can always find us here (Christ Reformed Church), or on Facebook (Christ Reformed on Facebook).