Theology / The Church

  • Church Shopping by Carl Trueman

    FROM TABLETALK | February 2011

    Dear Stolas, You ask in your letter about the key to undermining the church as quickly as possible. This is scarcely rocket science, but, as you ask, we will try to enlighten you. At the heart of Christianity is the …Read More

  • Division by Keith Mathison

    FROM TABLETALK | February 2011

    Our Dear Volac, We have finished our review of your trainee evaluations. We congratulate you on your efficiency. Considering how many minions you have to supervise, it is quite a task to complete this much paperwork on top of your …Read More

  • Something Old, Something New by Eric Watkins

    FROM TABLETALK | June 2010

    How can confessional Reformed churches provide a safe haven for New Calvinists? A simple answer to this may fail to appreciate the diversity of each new Calvinist’s spiritual pilgrimage, and thus runs the danger of not ministering particular grace …Read More

  • The Prevailing Church (Pt. 1) by Simon Kistemaker

    FROM TABLETALK | December 2008

    The word church is fundamentally a Christian word and belongs exclusively to Christianity. Although other religions have terms such as synagogue and mosque, only Christians legitimately call their house of worship “church.” There are churches that are named after places …Read More

  • Congregational Counseling by Eric Bancroft

    FROM TABLETALK | December 2010

    Premarital counseling can be an entertaining exercise for an older couple offering guidance to a younger couple. Across from them sit two individuals eager to wed. Apart from occasional disagreements about planning the ceremony, the soon-to-be-newlyweds are prone to think …Read More

  • The Discipline of God by Joel Beeke

    FROM TABLETALK | October 2010

    Church programs, campus ministries, and independent organizations today emphasize the need for radical discipleship. It is not always clear what they mean by this. The word radical can be a trendy term. What is clear is this: if one’s …Read More

  • To Be Deep in History by Keith Mathison

    FROM TABLETALK | September 2010

    The nineteenth century witnessed the conversions of two prominent Anglican clergymen to Roman Catholicism. Both men would ultimately become cardinals in the Roman Church, and both men would profoundly influence Roman Catholic theology. The first was John Henry Newman (1801 …Read More

  • A Good Kind of Pluralism by Gene Edward Veith

    FROM TABLETALK | June 2008

    Today’s postmodernists use cultural pluralism as a pretext for relativism, as if the existence of many cultures implied the existence of many truths. Many Americans embrace multiculturalism as if they had no culture of their own. In religion, pluralism …Read More

  • Doing Without the Church? by Gene Edward Veith

    FROM TABLETALK | May 2009

    The seven churches of Asia addressed in the book of Revelation had their problems. One of them looked quite lively but it was actually dead. Another was so lukewarm that the Lord was ready to spit it out of His …Read More

  • Children of Promise by Terry Johnson

    FROM TABLETALK | March 2009

    Which is more important, the unity of the church or its purity? To which are we to give preference: love or truth, fellowship or doctrine? The apostle Paul places great emphasis on unity: “Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children …Read More

  • Will the Real Church Please Stand Up? by Keith Mathison

    FROM TABLETALK | June 2004

    When I was a child, there was a popular game show on television called “To Tell the Truth.” In the game, three contestants would claim to be the same person — Bill Smith, for example. Four celebrities would question the contestants …Read More

  • Marketing the Church by Michael Horton

    FROM TABLETALK | January 2008

    It has often been observed that Sunday morning between 11 a.m. and noon is the most segregated hour in America. While there are some hopeful signs that race may not play as great a role in defining the body …Read More

  • Marching Orders by Kim Riddlebarger

    FROM TABLETALK | June 2009

    Q. What are the outward and ordinary means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption? A. The outward and ordinary means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption are, his ordinances, especially the Word, sacraments, and …Read More

  • The Christian Club by W. Robert Godfrey

    FROM TABLETALK | March 2010

    Many American churches are in a mess. Theologically they are indifferent, confused, or dangerously wrong. Liturgically they are the captives of superficial fads. Morally they live lives indistinguishable from the world. They often have a lot of people, money, and …Read More

  • No Little People by John Sartelle

    FROM TABLETALK | July 2009

    “With God there are no little people.” So wrote Francis Schaeffer echoing the meaning of Paul’s words in the first three verses of 1 Timothy 5: “Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a …Read More