This Week's White Horse Inn

The Beatitudes

In the beginning of his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus pronounces a blessing on his disciples saying, “Blessed are the poor in spirit”…”blessed are the meek,” “blessed are the pure in heart,” etc. But what does it mean to be meek, or pure in heart, and how does one qualify for this kind of blessing? If only the “pure in heart” are blessed, how can any of us be saved? On this program, the hosts will address these questions as they conclude their discussion of the Beatitudes in their new series on the Sermon on the Mount.

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Horton on Frame's New Book

Since I work with Mike Horton with the White Horse Inn, am a WSC alum (class of 84), and former student of John Frame, some of you have asked me to weigh in on the issues surrounding Frame's latest book, The Escondido Theology.

Mike Horton has responded to Frame here, in Mike's usual charitable way.  Click here

Admittedly I have had no contact with Professor Frame in recent years.  He was helpful to me when I was working on my dissertation, and I have nothing against him personally.  And so far as I know, he's never said anything negative about me or my work--if he even remembers me.  I have not yet read Frame's recent book, and am seriously wondering whether to spend the time and money on it.  When WSC speaks officially on this matter with such collective ire, that, in my humble opinion, says a great deal about the book's worth. Click Here

I will say that I find it very disconcerting when a professor of Frame's repute spends so much time and energy trashing the work of some of his best former students.  Horton, Clark, and VanDrunen all studied under Frame.  Yet, it seems to me, because they find John's views problematic or unconvincing in certain areas, Frame takes personal affront.  Given what these men have accomplished, he should be glowing with a professorial pride.  But he's not.

I say this based on Frame's down-right mean-spirted and petty review of Horton's Christless Christianity.  And now Frame lets it fly toward his old institution and his former students and colleagues in his Escondido Theology in such a way that they do not recognize their own theology in his hands, nor do they have anywhere near the same recollection of events that he does.

Frame's recent theological texts are an important contribution to the Reformed world.  But John Frame passes himself off as a fair-minded and reasonable statesman-like figure who seeks to rise above so many of the issues which unfortunately divide Reformed and Calvinist Christians.  No doubt, that sounds noble, and indeed it would be, if that was Frame's track record. 

Yet this is the same man who throws out the pejorative label "Machen's warrior children," and who actually sides with Joel Osteen over Horton when reviewing the latter's Christless Christianity.  This is the man who who seeks to pick a fight with a yet another shot across WSC's bow with his Escondido Theology. 

On this matter, John Frame has sure not risen above controversy.  He's stooped to create it.

Basics of the Reformed Faith -- The Death of Christ and the Law and the Gospel

Two new installments of my series on basic Reformed doctrine have been posted on the Westminster Seminary California blog:

The Death of Christ, Click Here

The Law and the Gospel, Click Here

This Week at Christ Reformed Church (February 6-12)

Sunday Morning (2/12):  We are continuing our series on the Book of Hebrews and we will be covering Hebrews 12:18-29.  We are focusing this week upon Jesus as mediator of the new covenant.

Sunday Afternoon:  We are covering Lord's Day 31 of our catechism (Q & A 83-85) which deals with the keys of the kingdom.  Our afternoon service begins @ 1:15 p.m.

For previous sermons in this series, go here:  Sermons on Hebrews

Wednesday Night Bible Study (2/8):  I am continuing my series on the sacraments, and this week we'll continue to focus upon John the Baptist.  Bible study begins at 7:00 p.m.

The Academy (2/10):  The lecture begins at 7:30 p.m. We are resuming our series on Michael Horton's theology text, The Christian Faith.  We'll be picking up where we left off last time, Chapter Two--The Character of Theology.

Ken Samples also begins a new series this Friday, "Are You A Renaissance Christian?"  Ken's lecture begins at 7:30 p.m.

For more information and directions, check out the Christ Reformed website:  Christ Reformed Church

Back from the White Horse Inn Cruise

After Mike Horton's on-going discussion with Roger Olson in Miami on Saturday night, and spending the Lord's Day with the good folks at Glendale Baptist Church (where Ken Jones is now pastor), Tullian Tchividjian spoke to the White Horse Inn group on Monday morning before we departed for Fort Lauderdale.  Mike Horton is paying close attention.

Mike and Rod on the bus taking us to the Royal Caribbean terminal in Fort Lauderdale

My Wednesday night lecture on my own Reformation Pilgrimage and the early days of CURE and the White Horse Inn

Ken and I have the same tailor, and the same taste in ties

Mike Horton gave a stellar lecture "For a Modern Reformation"

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All-told, one hundred and sixty folks joined us for the Conference at Sea.  A great time was had by all, both on-board and in our stops in Jamaica and Haiti.

We enjoyed everything from the Horton-Olson discussion, to Tullian's morning devotional, to Rod's lecture on the life of Luther, and to Ken Jones' talk on Reforming the Local Church.  Our group also worked hard on a series of Theses for a Modern Reformation (more to follow on this). 

It was great to meet so many White Horse Inn listeners from such diverse personal backgrounds and church situations.  There were folks from all across the country, as well as folks from Taiwan, South Africa, and the Philippines.

I'll let you know when the lectures are available.

We just might have to do this again!

Off to the Caribbean!

 

If you've listened to the White Horse Inn for any length of time, you know we've long dreamed of the "Dad Rod" Christian cruise.  Lambada lessons from Rod, middle-aged fitness and hair-care from yours truly, Michael Horton explaining why he isn't the guy from the "Go to Meeting" commerical (click here), Ken "LeBron" Jones on whether he's still a Lakers fan after moving to Miami, and all kinds of hijinks from our producer Shane Rosenthal and the rest of the White Horse Inn staff . . .  It just doesn't get any better than that!

Lord willing, I will be back soon enough, with a host of stories and a few interesting pictures, perhaps!

"For the Sake of the Gospel" -- 1 Corinthians 9:1-27

The Fifteenth in a Series of Sermons on First Corinthians

Although we are 2000 years removed from the ancient Greek city of Corinth, we accept Paul’s apostolic authority without question.  For many of us, Paul is our favorite New Testament writer because he teaches so many of the doctrines we hold dear.  It is hard for us to imagine that Paul had to defend his own apostolic authority in a church which he himself helped to found.  Yet that is the case in 1 Corinthians 9.  Paul cannot tell the strong among the Corinthians to act in a certain way toward the weak, if he himself does not practice what he preaches.  And so Paul now spells out his approach to dealing with Jewish and Gentile believers in the midst of a pagan culture.

In chapter 9 of 1 Corinthians, Paul continues to address problems arising from the practice of meat being sacrificed to idols.  Apparently, some in the Corinthian church were using Paul’s voluntary surrender of his liberty to eat all things as an argument that Paul’s apostolic authority was limited.  Even though Paul was free to eat all things, he realized that doing so might offend the weak, so in such cases, Paul abstained.  As we saw last time in chapter 8, Paul explained that Christian liberty is not freedom to do whatever we want, but liberation to do as we ought.  Love for our brethren trumps Christian freedom.

Paul develops two basic lines of defense regarding his apostolic authority.  These are stated in the form of a series of rhetorical questions.  The first is that Paul is indeed an apostle with all the rights and privileges thereof.  A second point is that no Christian should use their liberty without due regard for the weak–just as Paul has done.  This is especially problematic given the fact that Paul apparently ate Gentile food when in Gentile settings, even as he abstained in Jewish settings.  It may have appeared to some that Paul is vacillating.  So Paul defends his behavior.  He has done nothing wrong, or inconsistent with his apostolic calling.  This is evident by the fact that he preaches the gospel voluntarily, even though he is  entitled to be paid for his labor in the churches.

To the rest of this sermon, Click Here

Basics of the Reformed Faith -- Jesus as Prophet, Priest, and King

The next installment of my series on basic Reformed doctrine has been posted on the Westminster Seminary California blog.

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This Week at Christ Reformed Church (January 23-29, 2012) and in Miami!

Sunday Morning (1/29):  Rev. Chris Coleman is preaching

Sunday Afternoon (1:15 p.m.):  Ken Samples is conducting the catechism service

Wednesday Night Bible Study (1/11):  I am continuing my series on the sacraments, and this week we'll continue to discuss the biblical case for infant baptism focusing upon the John the Baptist.  Bible study begins at 7:00 p.m.

The Academy:  The Academy will re-convene on February 10, 2012.

For more information and directions, check out the Christ Reformed website:  Christ Reformed Church

The White Horse Inn hosts will be in Miami this weekend.  On Saturday, January 28, Mike Horton continues his conversation "For and Against Calvinism" with Roger Olson.  On Sunday evening, the four hosts are doing a live taping at the Sheraton Miami Airport Hotel.  For more info, Click Here

On Monday, January 30, we take to the high seas, for the long-awaited Dad Rod Christian cruise!

"The Founder and Perfecter of Our Faith" -- Hebrews 12:1-17

Here's the audio from this morning's sermon, the twenty-second in a series of sermons on Hebrews:

Click Here