June 12, 2024 by John Fonville
Carl Trueman clarifies a common misconception that is popular among Evangelicals concerning the Protestant Reformation doctrine of sola scriptura....
July 26, 2023 by John Fonville
J.C. Ryle answers the common arguments in favor of “Baptismal Regeneration,” which are based on the Baptismal Service of the Prayer-book. ...
July 14, 2023 by John Fonville
J.V. Fesko on the sacraments as visible words- a visible proclamation of the gospel....
July 13, 2023 by John Fonville
J.V. Fesko on the Word of God as the chief means of grace. ...
July 7, 2023 by John Fonville
Martin Davie explains from the homily, ‘Of Prayer’ in the Second Book of Homilies, how the English Reformers taught that the only true purgatory is the death of Christ and no other purgation is either necessary or possible....
May 15, 2023 by John Fonville
Why Use Written Prayers?- Why does your church use prewritten prayers in your service? Isn't this a dry, rote, unthinking, way for the church to pray and worship? Don't pre-written prayers stifle the Spirit and hinder freedom and promote mechanical, vain repetition? Aren't spontaneous prayers more genuine and heartfelt than prewritten prayers? ...
May 5, 2023 by John Fonville
This writing of Martin Luther is from the introduction to his “Postils” (a group of model sermons which he wrote while at the Wartburg Castle). This brief foreword is full of comfort and good news. In it, Luther sets forth insightful instruction on how to read the Gospels (and the entirety of Scripture- the OT and NT)....
August 25, 2022 by John Fonville
My argument is this: By the year 1700, Protestant Christianity had begun developing significantly new practices and understandings of the Christian faith that focused upon Christian renewal, conversion, new birth and the coming millennial kingdom. These new practices and understandings were a dramatic departure not only from Roman Catholic Christianity, but also from the original Reformation convictions of Martin Luther and John Calvin some one hundred and fifty years earlier. Evangelical Christianity, of the free church variety especially, is the contemporary expression of this third form of Christianity. Probably most Evangelicals are unaware that their Christian experience and piety are far removed from Reformation Protestant beginnings. Evangelicals would do well to recover their lost heritage....
August 20, 2022 by John Fonville
Martin Luther's primary concern when constructing the German mass and order of the liturgy in 1526 was that the gospel be proclaimed for the people in their context....
July 28, 2022 by John Fonville
Martin Luther on the worthy reception of the Lord's Supper....
July 27, 2022 by John Fonville
Infant baptism sets Christian discipleship from birth within a covenant context, which means means to understand discipleship as something connected to the ordinary means of God’s grace and the routine work of the church....
June 27, 2021 by John Fonville
Richard Sibbes discussing the Christ-centered focus of all the Scriptures....
February 28, 2020 by John Fonville
Richard Sibbes: The Glory of God is Greatest in the Gospel...
February 25, 2020 by John Fonville
Michael Horton on what the third use of the law can and cannot do....
February 25, 2020 by John Fonville
Gerald Bray: "'What would Jesus do?’ seems like an innocent question to ask, but it is impossible to answer literally and does not reflect the teaching of the New Testament. ...
February 24, 2020 by John Fonville
The late 16th century Anglican pastor/theologian, William Perkins, on seven differences between the law and gospel....
February 21, 2020 by John Fonville
No Creed But The Bible?- Carl Trueman on the unbiblical creedal statement, "The bible is our only creed and our only confession."...
February 20, 2020 by John Fonville
Philip Schaff: The 39 Articles are found in every collection of Reformed confessions....
November 19, 2015 by John Fonville
A review of David Platt's book, Radical: Taking Back Your Faith From The American Dream....
November 10, 2015 by John Fonville
George Hunsinger shows how Jonathan Edwards crosses the fine line laid down by the Reformation concerning justification sola fide. Edwards taught that works are not simply external evidence that faith exists. Rather, works are necessary to the efficacy of faith. Works, as the external expression of faith, play a role in justification....
July 8, 2025 by John Fonville | Category: Law and Gospel | Tags: gospel, law and gospel, old covenant, covenant theology, mosaic covenant, abrahamic covenant, moses, law, galatians, judaizers, promise, Abraham, R. Scott Clark, Sarah and Hagar, Ishmael and Isaac, Abraham Was Not Moses
In his article “Abraham Was Not Moses,” R. Scott Clark underscores Paul’s clear distinction in Galatians between the temporary, law-based Mosaic covenant and the enduring, grace-based Abrahamic covenant, which serves as the foundation for the gospel. Following Clark’s insight, the following paraphrase of Galatians rephrases key verses to highlight this contrast, re...
Keep ReadingMay 20, 2023 by John Fonville | Tags: law and gospel, old covenant, new covenant, Anglican, Richard Sibbes, 2 Corinthians
Richard Sibbes, a 17th Century Anglican theologian, commenting on 2 Corinthians 3 concerning the difference between the law and the gospel....
Keep ReadingMay 5, 2023 by John Fonville | Category: Gospel-centered Hermeneutic | Tags: gospel, law and gospel, faith, good works, moralism, martin luther, Jesus as example, gospel-centered hermeneutic, Jesus as Gift, grace and gratitude, Reformation theology
This writing of Martin Luther is from the introduction to his “Postils” (a group of model sermons which he wrote while at the Wartburg Castle). This brief foreword is full of comfort and good news. In it, Luther sets forth insightful instruction on how to read the Gospels (and the entirety of Scripture- the OT and NT)....
Keep ReadingApril 5, 2022 by John Fonville | Category: Law of God | Tags: sanctification, law and gospel, good works, obedience, justification, ten commandments, moral law, law of God, fruit of the Spirit, three uses of the law
The basic function of the law never changes. What is this function? Read on to find out....
Keep ReadingMarch 22, 2022 by John Fonville | Category: Preaching | Tags: law and gospel, legalism, graeme goldsworthy, legal preaching, expository preaching, Indicative and Imperative
Graeme Goldsworthy explains godless preaching. ...
Keep ReadingNovember 4, 2021 by John Fonville | Category: Christian Living | Tags: grace, law and gospel, preaching, moralism, legalism, law, graeme goldsworthy, Christian living, expository preaching, indicative, imperative, Biblical theology, Ethics
Graeme Goldsworthy on the relationship of the gospel to Christian living. ...
Keep ReadingOctober 14, 2021 by John Fonville | Category: Law and Gospel | Tags: Anglicanism, law and gospel, Nowell's Catechism, Alexander Nowell, Catechizing, scripture, Word of God
Nowell's Catechism on the Chief Parts of the Word of God...
Keep ReadingMay 7, 2021 by John Fonville | Tags: Trinity College, James Ussher, Reformed confession, covenant of works, covenant of grace, law and gospel, Reformation Anglican, Dublin
In his work, A Body of Divinity, James Ussher sets forth the difference between the law (i.e., covenant of works) and the gospel (i.e., covenant of grace)....
Keep ReadingMay 6, 2021 by John Fonville | Tags: law and gospel, heidelberg catechism, zacharias ursinus, Reformed confession, Holy Spirit
In his commentary on the Heidelberg Catechism, Zacharias Ursinus discusses four differences between the law and gospel....
Keep ReadingJune 15, 2020 by John Fonville | Tags: works, grace, law and gospel, faith, old covenant, new covenant, mosaic covenant, abrahamic covenant, law, justification, galatians, promise, Inheritance
Understanding the Contrast of “Law” and “Promise” in Galatians 3....
Keep ReadingFebruary 25, 2020 by John Fonville | Tags: sanctification, law and gospel, michael horton, justification, Holy Spirit, third use of the law, Jeremiah 31, new covenant obedience
Michael Horton on what the third use of the law can and cannot do....
Keep ReadingFebruary 25, 2020 by John Fonville | Tags: law and gospel, moralism, wwjd, Gerald Bray, imitation of Christ
Gerald Bray: "'What would Jesus do?’ seems like an innocent question to ask, but it is impossible to answer literally and does not reflect the teaching of the New Testament. ...
Keep ReadingFebruary 24, 2020 by John Fonville | Tags: law and gospel, covenant of grace, covenant of works, Anglican, James Ussher
James Ussher, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland for the Church of Ireland (1625-1656) on the difference between the covenant of works and the covenant of grace....
Keep ReadingFebruary 24, 2020 by John Fonville | Tags: law and gospel, covenant of grace, covenant of works, Anglican, William Perkins, mosaic covenant, new covenant
The late 16th century Anglican pastor/theologian, William Perkins, on seven differences between the law and gospel....
Keep ReadingOctober 13, 2017 by John Fonville | Tags: moralism, merit, treasury of merit, roman catholic, infused righteousness, inherent righteousness, rc sproul, faith, belgic confession, heidelberg catechism, covenant theology, covenant of grace, covenant of works, covenant of redemption, law and gospel, mosaic covenant, abrahamic covenant, adamic covenant, davidic covenant, new covenant, moses, jesus christ, john murray, michael horton, andrew mcgowan, norman shepherd, robert traill, scott clark, benjamin franklin, glenn beck, legalism, antinomianism, creed, immortal, grace, law, righteousness, justification, redemption, propitiation, lordship salvation, imputation, active obedience of christ, passive obedience of christ, atonement, assurance, eternal security, evangelicalism, evangelical, thomas boston, scottish covenant theology, wwjd, zacharias ursinus, graeme goldsworthy, ebenezer erskine, ralph erskine, self justification, theodore beza, john calvin, martin luther, galatians, judaizers, john colquhoun, adamic administration, federal theology, messianic administration, headship theology, royal grant, suzerainty treaty, self-maledictory oath, cut a covenant, typology, hittite treaty, preamble, historical prologue, stipulations, sanctions, invocation, deposit of the treaty, monocovenantal, anathema, geerhardus vos, delbert hillers, covenant of promise, covenant of law, unconditional covenant, conditional covenant, meredith kline, obedience, blessing, curse, israel, mount hagar, mount sinai, mount calvary, mount zion, jesus, son of god, son of man, ten commandments, 10 commandments, resurrection, incarnation, nt wright, john piper, new perspective on paul, ep sanders, covenantal nomism, ge mendenhall, timothy george, t david gordon, bryan estelle, david van drunen, modern reformation, white horse inn, the gospel coalition, sola fide, solus christus, sola gratia, sola scriptura, soli deo gloria
Collapsing the covenants into one overarching theme of grace confuses law and gospel and effectively eliminates an explicit law-gospel distinction in Scripture....
Keep ReadingOctober 4, 2017 by John Fonville | Tags: law and gospel, covenant theology, zacharias ursinus, reformed theology, hermeneutics
Zacharias Ursinus, author of the Heidelberg Catechism, discusses the law and gospel. Ursinus refers to the law and gospel the "chief and most expressive mark of the true church."...
Keep ReadingJuly 24, 2017 by John Fonville | Tags: Geneva, Reformed, john calvin, theodore beza, law and gospel
Theodore Beza on the similarities and the differences between the Law and the Gospel....
Keep ReadingJuly 24, 2017 by John Fonville | Tags: john calvin, Geneva, Reformed, Reformation, means of grace, theodore beza, preaching, law and gospel
Theodore Beza on what end (purpose) the Holy Spirit uses the preaching of the Law....
Keep ReadingJuly 24, 2017 by John Fonville | Tags: john calvin, Geneva, Reformed, Reformation, theodore beza, law, law and gospel, gospel
Theodore Beza on the Gospel and its authority, why, how and for what end (purpose) it was written....
Keep ReadingJuly 24, 2017 by John Fonville | Tags: Geneva, Reformed, john calvin, theodore beza, law and gospel
Theodore Beza on the two parts of the Word of God....
Keep ReadingNovember 19, 2015 by John Fonville | Category: Discipleship | Tags: david platt, radical, missional, francis chan, missions, evangelism, cross-bearing, sanctification, law and gospel, repentance, faith, good works
A review of David Platt's book, Radical: Taking Back Your Faith From The American Dream....
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