Christian Living / Practical Controversies

  • How the State Serves Salvation Article by Jonathan Leeman

    FROM TABLETALK | June 2015

    Don’t put too much hope in government. But don’t give up on it either. Churches need good governments. In fact, God gave the world governments so that churches can do their work in peace. The government’s work is a prerequisite to the mission of the church and salvation, just as learning to read is a prerequisite to reading the Bible. A culture and its political institutions might turn against Christianity, but Christians should strive to make an impact as long as they have opportunity. It can get worse. Just ask the Christians in China or Iran. A Stage for Redemption … View Resource

  • Contending for Peace and Purity Article by Burk Parsons

    FROM TABLETALK | June 2014 | Ephesians 4

    I spent my first year of college at a second-degree separatist school that was founded by the Bible Presbyterian Church. The men who founded the college were colleagues of Carl MacIntyre, Allan MacRae, J. Gresham Machen, and Bob Jones Jr. These stalwarts of the faith fought for the fundamentals of the faith against the rising tide of liberalism for a good portion of the twentieth century. My professors had been their students, and I am grateful to God to have been one of theirs. They were thoroughgoing fundamentalists—staunchly committed to the fundamentals of the faith, the authority and inerrancy of … View Resource

  • Is the Enemy of My Enemy My Friend? Article by Albert Mohler

    FROM TABLETALK | December 2013

    We are not living in a season of peace. Thinking Christians must surely be aware that a great moral and spiritual conflict is taking shape all around us, with multiple fronts of battle and issues of great importance at stake. The prophet Jeremiah repeatedly warned of those who would falsely declare peace when there is no peace. The Bible defines the Christian life in terms of spiritual battle, and believers in this generation face the fact that the very existence of truth is at stake in our current struggle. The condition of warfare brings a unique set of moral challenges … View Resource

  • Why Do We Draw the Line? Article by Carl R. Trueman

    FROM TABLETALK | July 2012

    In recent years, talk of uniting around the center has been very popular in conservative evangelical quarters. One obvious reason for this is that many regard such a center as reflecting the fact that there is a solid core of key doctrines on which evangelicals agree, even though there are areas of disagreement. Thus, many consider Trinitarianism, penal substitution, and justification by grace alone through faith alone to be central points of agreement. At the same time, these same people would regard the subjects and mode of baptism or the details of church polity to be areas of disagreement. Yet, … View Resource

  • Through Many Toils Article by Burk Parsons

    FROM TABLETALK | May 2012

    John Newton (1725–1807) is perhaps best known for his hymn “Amazing Grace,” but what many do not know is that Newton was also a faithful churchman who served as a pastor in England from 1764 until a month before his death in 1807. His mother died when he was seven years old, and, upon his father’s remarriage, young John was sent to school. In 1795, Newton reflected on his relationship with his father: “I am persuaded he loved me, but he seemed not willing that I should know it. I was with him in a state of fear and bondage.” … View Resource

  • Why Controversy is Sometimes Necessary Article by Albert Mohler

    FROM TABLETALK | May 2012

    I recently watched as a young mother acted quickly and decisively to end a squabble among two preschool boys. She acted righteously and quite effectively, and then she turned to her two charges and set down the law: “It is never right to fight.” Sorry, Mom, I understand what you were trying to do, but that moral instruction will not serve those boys well as they grow into maturity. Their challenge will be to learn when it is right to fight, and how, as the Bible commands, to fight the good fight of faith. What about the church? Is it … View Resource

  • The Truth About Beauty: God And Art Article by Monty Morgan

    FROM TABLETALK | May 2007

    Dr. R.C. Sproul has said, “Every form is an art form.” Art has always been important in worship. For centuries the church commissioned art as a means to help convey spiritual truths to the community prior to the spread of literacy. At Ligonier Ministries, the Tabletalk art director is commissioned to locate art to help convey spiritual truths. In particular, the art director is responsible to present appropriate visual images to help express the concept of the written articles found in each issue. What guidelines do we use in the choice of a piece of art? Why do we choose … View Resource

  • The Subtle Lure of Liberalism Article by Timothy George

    FROM TABLETALK | April 1992

    It has been a long time since I met an authentic, bold-faced liberal, one willing to claim that one word as a badge of identity. Many evangelical Christians believe, of course, that such creatures did, in fact, once exist. In the far-distant past, these theological dinosaurs roamed the ecclesiastical landscape, devouring young seminarians, disrupting the life of the church, defrauding simple believers of the faith of their fathers. Now, it is argued, we live in a different age. The climate of civility and the proclivity for pluralism have rendered liberalism obsolete. To be sure, dinosaur bones are still interesting to … View Resource