Ligonier Ministries

What is your opinion on whether someone can disagree with infant baptism and still be Reformed?

I knew we were going to get into baptism eventually. What are we talking about when it comes the word Reformed? The Reformation. What comes out of the Reformation? You’ve got the five solas and that which holds the solas …Read More

Should all Christians pursue missions?

It is good to hear that there are young people out there pursuing missions because that’s a pursuit the Lord has placed upon the church. We all are responsible for the fulfillment of the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18–20). Whether one …Read More

Who was Zwingli, and what was his impact on the Reformation?

I love when someone brings up Zwingli. He is sometimes a forgotten Reformer. He’s at Zürich, and if you’ve seen any spy movies, Zürich is always in the storyline. Zwingli’s career as a Reformer spans about ten years, and he’s …Read More

How important are creeds and confessions?

From the very earliest time in the history of the church, the church has not only proclaimed the truth of sacred Scripture, but also dealt with distortions and radical departures from biblical truth in the appearance of multiple heresies that …Read More

What is a good source for learning Bible study methodology?

At our seminary in California, Dennis Johnson has published a series of books, one of which is called Walking with Jesus through His Word. It is a wonderful aid to seeing how all the Bible points to Jesus. I think …Read More

Are faith and belief the same thing?

We use the terms basically interchangeably, but belief can also be used simply to talk about making an intellectual assertion of a particular proposition. For example, “I believe that George Washington was the first president of the United States.” Faith …Read More

Is suicide the unpardonable sin?

No. I think one can say absolutely and definitely that the unpardonable sin is not suicide. Jesus speaks about the unpardonable sin in a very particular context. It seems to be an ongoing settled resistance to Jesus Christ that is …Read More

Is God present in hell?

It is one thing to talk about God’s choosing not to be present somewhere. If He ever chose not to be present in any particular place, then He wouldn’t be inherently, infinitely, and eternally omnipresent. The problem with hell is …Read More

Is God equally active in causing the salvation of the elect and the damnation of the reprobate?

This question is addressed in the conclusion of the Canons of Dort. The Canons say that there is equal ultimacy in the sense of the decrees. God is sovereign both in the decree of election and in the decree of …Read More

Is it scriptural for just one elder or pastor to be the overseer of a local congregation?

I think we have to be careful and realize that churches find themselves in different circumstances, so not every general answer applies to a church in some extreme situation or difficulty. There was a great church order in the latter …Read More

Who was Martin Bucer?

Bucer was one of the Reformers. He was such a star on the continent, and he got invited over to Cambridge during the time of the young Edward VI, who was a godly young king in between Henry and Queen …Read More

What’s the best way to help people at your church learn church history?

I’m not sure why you wouldn’t want to offer a separate class in church history, because it is a distinct discipline. Certainly you can encourage some interest in church history in a sermon, occasionally having an illustration out of church …Read More

If you believe in Arminian doctrine, can you be saved?

That’s a great question that was asked of William Ames at the Synod of Dort. I’ve written a book on the Synod of Dort in which I talk about William Ames. He was a great English Puritan who had to …Read More

Why are there so many false doctrines?

The devil is desperate. His kingdom has been raided by Christ, and he delights in whatever way he can derail us. He doesn’t care how we run amok so long as we run amok. He doesn’t care whether you’re an …Read More

What are your favorite classic works throughout church history?

You could have one for every century. I only have ninety seconds, so we’ll skip a few centuries. In the early church, I love the Martyrdom of Polycarp, which is a second-century text. It gives us fresh insight into what …Read More