- All
- Articles
- Events
- Ligonier Resources
- Reformation Trust
- Tabletalk Magazine
- Ministry News
- R.C. Sproul
- Ligonier Academy
- Book Reviews
Latest from Stephen Nichols
-
Singing the Lord’s Song in a Foreign Land
from Stephen Nichols May 08, 2019 Category: Articles
Derek Kidner once remarked of Psalm 137 that "Every line of it is alive with pain." The psalmist starts weeping in verse 1 and continues lamenting on through to verse 9 and the call for ultimate justice against those who raised their hand against God's people. This is not a Psalm of joy, not a Psalm of thanksgiving.
Keep Reading
-
Why Reformation Bible College Exists
from Stephen Nichols May 07, 2019 Category: Articles
Reformation Bible College (RBC) is unique, and its mission is urgent: “Above all, know God.” It fills a needed gap among institutions of higher education. Firmly established upon and governed by theological convictions, RBC is unabashedly a Christian college. There are two main types of Christian colleges: liberal arts colleges and Bible colleges. RBC has something exceptional to offer when set against either type. Historically, Christian liberal arts colleges have offered a robust curriculum in the humanities, as well as majors devoted to professions and career paths. Yet their biblical and theological curriculum offerings have not been as plentiful or extensive. For example, colleges and universities belonging to the Coalition of Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) only require a minimum of six credit hours of biblical or theological instruction. And of course, Christian liberal arts colleges represent a wide swath of theological commitment, with many espousing a watered-down version of core Christian doctrines and beliefs.
Keep Reading
-
An Apology for Apologetics
from Stephen Nichols Mar 22, 2019 Category: Articles
My professor of apologetics in seminary told stories of odd reactions he received when he would tell people what he did for a living. The best story involved a bank loan officer. When he told the loan officer that he was a professor of apologetics, she replied, "That's wonderful." Then she added, "These days, we really do need to teach people how to say they are sorry."
Keep Reading
-
Who Was Saint Patrick and Should Christians Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day?
from Stephen Nichols Mar 15, 2019 Category: Articles
When it comes to Saint Patrick, the true story is even more exciting than the legend and the myth. The facts are far better than the fable. This day that belongs to St. Patrick has become about leprechauns, shamrocks, pots of gold, and green—green everywhere. Famously, the City of Chicago dumps forty pounds of its top-secret dye into the river. A green racing stripe courses through the city. But long before there was the St. Patrick of myth, there was the Patrick of history. Who was Patrick?
Keep Reading
-
People Have Forgotten Who God Is
from Stephen Nichols Feb 19, 2019 Category: Ministry News
Have you heard the story behind our ministry’s mission statement? In the 1970s, a consultant ran Dr. Sproul through a gauntlet of questions. What’s the most important thing you can teach non-Christians that they don’t know? R.C.’s answer: “That’s easy. They don’t know who God is.” What’s the most important thing Christians don’t know that they need to know? R.C.’s answer: “That’s easy too. They don’t know who God is.” R.C. said we need to know theology, especially the doctrine of God.
Keep Reading
-
The Bible Belongs to Every Age
from Stephen Nichols Jan 30, 2019 Category: Articles
In 1734 and 1735, Jonathan Edwards and the congregation at Northampton experienced a revival. So did many other churches in the Connecticut River Valley in the colonies of Connecticut and Massachusetts. In the fall of 1733, Edwards preached some hard-hitting sermons. One of them, preached in November 1733, has been titled “The Kind of Preaching People Want.”
Keep Reading
-
The Peace We All Long For
from Stephen Nichols Dec 21, 2018 Category: Articles
In order to understand the story of Christmas, we have to go back. Not back just a few thousand years to the birth of Jesus, but all the way back, back to our first parents, Adam and Eve. God placed them in the lush and perfect garden of Eden. They had everything they needed. It was perfect. Then they sinned. As a consequence, God banished them. Now Adam and Eve lived under the curse. But as God pronounced the curse, thundering from heaven, He also gave them a promise.
Keep Reading
-
Saint Nicholas and the Origins of Santa Claus
from Stephen Nichols Dec 17, 2018 Category: Articles
It might surprise many today to find out that Saint Nicholas (spoiler alert) is a real person after all. Is he the white-bearded man with a red suit, a cap, and a sleigh?
Keep Reading
-
The Real Meaning of Christmas
from Stephen Nichols Dec 07, 2018 Category: Articles
One of the most remarkable stories of Christmas comes from one of the darkest moments of modern history. World War I ravaged a continent, leaving destruction and debris in its wake. The human cost, well in the millions, staggers us. But from the midst of this dark conflict comes the story of the Christmas Truce of 1914. The Western Front, only a few months into the war, was a deplorable scene of devastation. Perhaps as if to give the combatants one day to breathe again, a truce was called from Christmas Eve through Christmas Day.
Keep Reading
-
What Is Thanksgiving Day?
from Stephen Nichols Nov 21, 2018 Category: Articles
Thanksgiving is an American holiday that stretches all the way back to a time long before America became a nation. The Pilgrims landed in 1620. They faced brutal conditions and were woefully unprepared. Roughly half of them died in that first year.
Keep Reading