Richard Sibbes on the Difference Between the Law and the Gospel
Richard Sibbes, a 17th Century Anglican theologian, commenting on 2 Corinthians 3 concerning the difference between the law and the gospel....
Keep ReadingJune 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....
May 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 15, 2023 by John Fonville | Category: Liturgy | Tags: worship, Prayer, Thomas Cranmer, Book of Common Prayer, Protestant Reformation, Reformation liturgies, praying, prewritten prayer, spontaneous prayer, Liturgy
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? ...
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 ReadingMarch 31, 2023 by John Fonville | Category: Holy Week | Tags: 1662 BCP, 1662 BCP IE, Holy Week, 1662 BCP Lectionary, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Easter Even, Easter Day, Reformation Anglicanism
Henry Jansma has written a helpful, succinct explanation of the 1662 BCP Holy Week Lectionary. Jansma writes, "If you've never followed holy week in the 1662 BCP, you are in for an incredible experience--so many different angles from which to see our Savior's death for us." The whole week is focused on the cross culminating in the resurrection....
Keep ReadingMarch 31, 2023 by John Fonville | Category: A Commination | Tags: Book of Common Prayer, Commination, Lent, Ash Wednesday, judgment, Wrath, repentance, law, confession of sin, Mercy, forgiveness, Reformation Anglicanism
A Commination or denouncing of God’s anger and judgements against sinners with certain prayers to be used on the first day of Lent and at other times as the ordinary shall appoint....
Keep ReadingMarch 31, 2023 by John Fonville | Category: Creeds and Confessions | Tags: christian life, Anglican Formularies, Reformed confession, J.I. Packer, Thirty-Nine Articles (1571), Reformation confessions, Anglican confession of faith, Reformation Anglicanism
J.I. Packer on the Thirty-Nine Articles for the living of your life as a Christian....
Keep ReadingMarch 31, 2023 by John Fonville | Category: 1662 BCP | Tags: sacraments, Sacrifice, Holy Communion, altar, table, Mass, sacerdotalism, 1662 BCP, Reformation Anglicanism, Anglican Foundations
Instead of using the word "altar," the 1662 BCP uses the word, "Table." The word, "sacrifice" is used carefully....
Keep ReadingMarch 31, 2023 by John Fonville | Category: Anglicanism | Tags: sacraments, Liturgy, Book of Common Prayer, Anglican Formularies, Protestant Reformation, Richard Hooker, Oxford movement, GAFCON Australasia 2022, Mark Earngey, Moore Theological College, Anglican identity, Via Media, Three-legged Stool, Canterbury Tales, Thirty-nine Articles of Religion, Book of Homilies, Ordinal, John Keble, Edward Pusey, John Henry Newman, Tracts for the Times, Lambeth Conference, Reformation Anglicanism
Dr. Mark Earngey, head of Church History and Christian Doctrine at Moore Theological College, recently spoke at GAFCON Australasia 2022 answering the question, "What is an authentic approach to Anglican identity?"...
Keep ReadingMarch 31, 2023 by John Fonville | Category: Morning and Evening Prayer | Tags: Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer, 1662 Book of Common Prayer, Family Worship, An English Prayer Book, Daily Office, Reformation Anglicanism
An abbreviated version of Family Morning and Evening Prayer adapted from An English Prayer Book (The Church Society, 1994) and The 1662 Book of Common Prayer: International Edition (IVP Academic 2021)....
Keep ReadingAugust 25, 2022 by John Fonville | Category: German Pietism | Tags: evangelicalism, john calvin, martin luther, Anglican church, Protestant Reformation, German pietism, Douglas Shantz, pietist studies, John Wesley, Charles Wesley, Reformation paradigm, Renewal paradigm, Evangelical paradigm, English Methodism, justification, sola fide, sacraments, Conversion, Liturgy, Self-examination, church, new birth, head knowledge, heart knowledge
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 o...
Keep Reading