New Reformed Resources and Other Interesting Stuff from Around the Web

The recent release of Herman Bavinck's Reformed Dogmatics in English has produced a new appreciation for this great theologian.  Here's one new resource devoted to Bavinck studies.  Click here: Herman Bavinck

Paul Helm has a great piece on the relationship between natural law and biblical law.  It is well worth reading.  Click here: Helm's Deep: Natural Law and Biblical Law

Whenever I see "top ten" lists and "rankings" on the Internet, I'm always skeptical.  Here's why.  MSNBC's list of the fifteen healthiest restaurants includes Denny's. Good grief!  I'll bet even the water at Denny's is loaded with sodium and trans fats (I've got to watch such things--the curse of middle age).  Click here: Top 15 healthiest restaurants in America - Health - MSNBC.com 

Dutch "Christians" attending the Garden of Eden Church had to cancel their "au naturale" church service.  Interesting that the priest was clothed while everyone else was in the buff.  This must be the nudist equivalent of "every head bowed" and "every eye closed" while the minister gets to peek at those who raised their hands.  Click here: Dutch Christians cancel naked service - UPI.com  

Comments

[Zrim]

My grandfather was a M.D. who drank and smoked and sedantary-lifestyled his way to an early grave. Given the greasy spoons he would take us, I think he would have considered Denny's quite healthy.

Speaking of greasy spoons, something tells me I wouldn't want to see my Dutchies worship in the buff. Or maybe I would since it might help show that transformationalism isn't what it's cracked up to be. Yeah, that's right, I said it.

[John Yeazel]

That Helm's paper was very helpful in distinguishing the differences between natural law and biblical law. Natural law is more of a norm which seems to be latent in all societies and has more to do with the second table of the law of Moses than any other type of biblical law- moral, judicial or ceremonial. We often confuse these categories in our minds which can effect the interpretations of even the most talented and careful of biblical expositors (like Augustine and N.T. Wright).

Helm's going back into the pre-Mosaic law period of Genesis and pulling out examples from the characters in Genesis and then pointing out the "deception and lies" of the patriarchs and that the surrounding rulers recognized this deception as a breaking of these natural laws was very clarifying and convincing. This also makes more sense of Romans chapter 2 and Paul's frequent use of natural law terminology in his arguments. Especially in regards to the rewards of those who follow this natural law- this is not necessarily a reference just to common grace but some kind of real reward in this life for following that natural law. At least, I think this is what Helm's was getting at. Paul's use of this type of arguing was meant to "shame the readers by pointing out that their conduct does not even come up to the standards prevalent in the world."

This line of reasoning can also be used against the new perspective on Paul types who claim that Romans 2 teaches something other then it does.
This seems to be the area where they veer off into dangerous doctrinal interpretations.

[Chris Sherman]

I didn't know a restaurant could be healthy, unless they are referring to their financial state. I'm not even sure what healthy food would look like, except maybe the cattle wasn't sick before it became a steak or the broccoli wasn't wilting when they picked it. I have heard of food being healthful, maybe that is what they meant.

Either way, I would ignore any list that does not include In-n-Out Burger.

I wonder why Jägerhaus didn't make the list.

[JCL]

How dare Christians to be opposed to naked worship! After all, Christianity is all about tolerance. What a bunch of hypocrites. Naked Judy doesn't distact me at all.

[John Yeazel]

There you go again Zrim, trying to start controversy. However, I have learned that most of the time you are right. Transformation of culture puts too much of the burden on us and our ability to lead morally upright lives. The basic message of the White Horse Inn and Modern Reformation magazine is to make us aware that the problem always starts with us and our deeply fallen natures and therefore point others away from us and towards Christ. This basic foundational point is often missed. This, I think, is the point Luther was making when he said the following: "I simply taught, preached and wrote God's Word; otherwise I did nothing. And while I slept, or drank Wittenberg beer with my friends Philip and Amsdorf, the Word so greatly weakened the Papacy (or mainstream evangelicalism and postmodern gnostic spirituality to make it relevant to today) that no prince or emperor ever inflicted such losses upon it. I did nothing, the Word did everything."

I guess there could be much worse things than those Dutchies going to Sunday worship service in the buff. Now I am just trying to be controversial. I hope that remark about" not being all that its cracked up to be" was not intended to be a pun.

[Lloyd]

I read Paul Helm's book on the "Providence of God".

It is an extremely well written and scholarly book. I use a lot of it in apologetics, especially in dealing with the problem of evil, and why God allows it to happen.