Ligonier Ministries

Who was Charles Finney?

Charles Grandison Finney was the figure of the Second Great Awakening. He started off Presbyterian, but he was an odd Presbyterian because he did not like the Westminster Standards. He ended up moving away from Presbyterianism. In Rochester, New York, …Read More

What does it mean that “by His wounds we are healed”?

Whether healing is in the atonement is clear in terms of Isaiah 53: it is. But when that healing takes place is a matter of great debate. There are many people who claim this passage to mean that because the …Read More

Am I called to be a pastor?

First of all, Paul says that if a man desires that office, he desires a noble work (1 Tim. 3:1). But the test in 1 Timothy 3 is necessary: Is he qualified? The church lays those qualifications down and affirms, …Read More

Should our worship services be designed for Christians or non-Christians?

The church is designed as the body of Christ. The sanctuary on Sunday morning is specifically a place for the people of God to come together for corporate worship, for the study of the Apostolic Word, and to make use …Read More

What do you think the church will look like in the next 10 to 20 years?

That’s hard to predict because trends used to come every twenty years, then every ten years, then every year, and now every week. It’s hard to keep up with the trends. The faces of churches are changing as fast as …Read More

How do I respond when an atheist asks, “Who is the Father of Jesus?”

In answering that question, I would point that person to gospel language in the New Testament. I think the most theologically accurate way to respond is to point to God the Father. In the opening chapter of the gospel of …Read More

How can Christians unite during COVID-19 to serve our neighbors?

MACARTHUR: This is when we need to show the joy in the Holy Spirit that Paul talks about in Romans 14. This is when we need to show the peace that surpasses all understanding in our hearts because we know …Read More

Does COVID-19 provide us with unique opportunities to declare the gospel?

Yes, there’s absolutely no question about that. I was thinking back on the times when I’ve had to deal with some kind of a global or national problem, going back to a massive earthquake that we had called the Northridge …Read More

How should Christians respond to the COVID-19 crisis?

I think we should be the most balanced, the most stable, the most sane, the most reasonable, and the most rational. Even beyond that, of course, we have a living hope. We know where we’re headed. Eternity is settled for …Read More

As a layperson, should I try to “reform” my church? Or should I leave?

Those are not always easy questions, so I would not draw a hard line. I think this is a James 1:5 matter where you are going to have to ask God for wisdom. I would affirm that there are times …Read More

Can sound theology become an idol in my life?

THOMAS: It’s possible to make an idol of anything, including your perceived knowledge of doctrine. The issue here is the way in which doctrine impacts the whole of our being, both head and heart. There are Christians who are all …Read More

Do you think there is an increase of expository preaching in American churches today?

Yes, I do. I would say there is a greater openness to expository preaching in the American church. I would also say that I am most encouraged by young men entering the ministry who are, right up front, settled that …Read More

What principles of interpretation can help me read the Bible?

Many of our listeners and students know that hermeneutics is at the very foundation of how we know what we believe in our theology, how we understand Scripture, and how we interpret Scripture. In many ways, hermeneutics was the key …Read More

Which of the Bible’s teachings do you find most difficult to accept?

SPROUL: Probably the hardest doctrine of the Bible to accept is hell, for the obvious reason that it is so difficult for any human being to think about the idea of everlasting punishment on anybody. There’s just a human struggle …Read More

Why is expository preaching so important?

I could give a list of reasons that I give in talks about this matter, but simply, I believe that expository preaching is so significant because 2 Timothy 4:1–2 comes after 2 Timothy 3:16–17. The end of 2 Timothy 3 …Read More