Reformed Exegetical Doctrinal Studies series – serie

Each year thousands die for the Jesus they read about in the Bible. At the same time scholars worldwide reject central truths of the Book. Here is an analysis of two contrasting approaches to biblical interpretation: one which has encouraged many to abandon the Christian heritage, the other which has informed the largest numeric increase of professing Christians in world history in recent generations and which is projected to continue.

In the light of what powers and faculties are human beings responsible individuals in the everyday? In his theological, historical and philosophical examination of reformed orthodox views of free will and divine sovereignty Paul Helm considers determinism and compatibilism and their historical development between 1500 and 1800. He graciously tackles the views of Richard A. Muller and Antonie Vos to argue that compatibilism is deeply rooted and represents the mainstream understanding of the reformers’ conviction on the matter.

There is no book better than the Bible. It is God’s own word. He breathed it into existence. He does wonderful things in and by it. But there is hardly a book more assailed, mocked, and assaulted than the Bible. New Testament Professor Guy Prentiss Waters delves into the doctrine of Scripture. Addressing the revelation, inspiration, inerrancy, sufficiency and perspicuity of the Bible, he also engages with what some other prominent theologians had to say on the subject.

This book argues for the separation of the church and the state. Additionally, Estelle claims that the historically reformed position is that Christ is ruler of all;however, he manifests his rule in different ways. These basic categories, i.e.,that God rules the church as a redeemer (a spiritual kingdom) and rules the state and all other social institutions (the civil kingdom) as creator and sustainer, has been widely held by Reformed thinkers for centuries until the modern period. Estelle claims that without this bedrock truth, any attempt to describe the primary mission of the church will collapse.This book has four parts. Part one gives the biblical basis for the primary mission of the Church. Part two of this book explores what the primary mission of the church is not. Part three of this book pivots toward a positive definition of what the primary mission of the Church is. Part four is more practical. In the final three chapters (part four) of the book, the discussion turns to several areas where the Scripture’s teaching about ecclesiology,specifically on the primary mission of the Church. The book now assumes a practical import for her practice: the nature and limitations of Church power, the mission of the Church and politics and education. Finally, the book concludes with the famous biblical passage in which Paul addresses Athenian citizens on the Aeropagus. This sublime sermon exemplifies Paul’s exquisite evangelism and ably pictures and embodies the positive principles in this book on the primary mission of the Church. Throughout Estelle argues that the mission of the corporate church is spiritual, which means that he describes those things that are properly of and properly belonging to the church.

How does God’s unchanging nature impact the salvation of his people?While divine immutability enjoyed a broad affirmation through much of Christian theological antiquity, it has fallen on harder times in modernity. Seen as a holdover from overly philosophical theology, divine immutability has often been characterized as rendering God static and incapable of having meaningful relationships with his creation. This book aims to swim upstream from this claim and demonstrate that divine immutability does not handicap soteriology but is a necessary and vital component of God’s economy of redemption as triune changelessness protects and promotes the redemption of God’s creatures. By anchoring the economy of redemption in divine immutability, we see the benefit of rooting all of God’s economic work in the immanent life of God.This book aims to be a work of dogmatic theology and therefore will arrive at this thesis by way of exegetical, historical, and philosophical theology. In harmony, these fields will interact with varying deviations and denials of divine immutability and ultimately conclude that a classical articulation of God’s changelessness does most justice to the economy of redemption.

What hath beauty to do with systematic theology? In this new monograph, Samuel G. Parkison explores this question by examining the relationship between Christ’s divine beauty and regeneration and faith. Building on recent scholarship in (a) theological retrieval of the Christian tradition, and (b) Protestant developments in theological aesthetics, this project is concerned with soteriology’s aesthetic dimension.While many today may consider beauty a mere matter of preference, glibly assuming that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” Parkison pushes fiercely in the opposite direction, dignifying beauty by recognizing its objective value—a feature of aesthetics that has fallen on hard times since the so–called Enlightenment, and the subsequent “uglification of culture” (as Sir Roger Scruton put it). In this doxologically flavored,dogmatically charged work, Parkison pulls from a variety of disciplines to demonstrate Christ’s beauty, and the relevance of Christ’s beauty on Christian theology. Irresistible Beauty is the work of a synthetic generalist. It is not strictly a work of exegesis, though it will stand firmly on exegetical findings. It is not strictly a work of biblical theology, though it will be biblical–theological. It is not strictly a work of historical theology, though it will engage in theological retrieval of the church’s history. It is not strictly a philosophical work, though, driven by a love for wisdom, it will be irreducibly philosophical. Thus, this is a systematic–theological work in the full sense of the term—informed and shaped by these disciplines and informing and shaping the pursuit of them.  Irresistible Beauty is sure to stimulate readers who enjoy a wide range of topics: the philosophy of beauty, metaphysics, Classical Christian Theism, biblical theology, and a Protestant Reformed conception soteriology are all dealt with in this dense theological work. Parkison also converses with some of the greatest minds of Christian history (e.g., Athanasius, Hilary of Poitiers,Gregory of Nazianzus, Gregory of Nyssa, Basil the Great, Anselm, Thomas Aquinas, Francis Turretin, John Owen, Jonathan Edwards, Herman Bavinck, Hans Urs von Balthasaar), making Irresistible Beauty a stimulating work for many a reader.

How Might We Obtain Everlasting Life?Although Protestants ought to have a ready answer about faith in Jesus Christ, the reasons explaining that answer run much deeper and relate to our status as God’s image bearers. Important historical issues inform how we understand the precise relationship of work and grace. Throughout much of the medieval period and into modern Roman Catholicism, many believed that because original righteousness was superadded to our nature, personal righteousness could be restored by grace after the fall, allowing us to merit everlasting life by our own works.By contrast, the Reformation tradition has held that sin has damaged our nature so thoroughly that we could never merit salvation and must receive everlasting life by grace alone. Righteous by Design is, on one hand, a thorough historical investigation of medieval and counter–Reformation theology,exploring sources that have seldomly if at all been treated in Reformed literature. At the same time, it is also a theological case that original righteousness was natural to Adam before the Fall and that Adamcould have merited everlasting life according to the covenant of works. The payoff of this effort in theological retrieval is to underscore the majesty of grace in that sinners are right with God only on the basis of Christ’smerits. Thus, this book mounts a case for the Protestant law–gospel distinction through the lens of the imago Dei to highlight the sufficiency of Christ and his work.

A Truly Reformed Apologetics?Cornelius Van Til claimed that all traditional apologetic methodologies are flawed and that those Reformed Christians who use such methods are compromising their theology. His goal was to develop an apologetic method that is truly consistent with Reformed theology. Did he achieve that goal?For almost a century,Reformed theologians, especially in North America, have debated this topic. The debate has often been acrimonious, with serious charges and counter–charges coming from both sides. This book seeks to take the debate in a more constructive direction by clearing away as much misunderstanding as possible in order that we might add to discussions of apologetic methods the actual practice of apologetics.In Part One, Cornelius Van Til’s own system of thought is set forth in a clear way in order that readers may know exactly what it entailed. His doctrine of God, creation, the fall, common grace, redemption,and the antithesis are explained in order that readers might understand the apologetic implications of these doctrines.Part Two is devoted to explaining why many Reformed Christians have not embraced Van Til’s apologetics in spite of its popularity and influence. These chapters outline biblical,philosophical, theological, historical, and practical concerns with Van Til’s system of thought. This book argues that Van Til’s apologetic system of thought is consistent with neither Scripture nor Reformed theology.

In Truth Not Served by Human Hands, Timothy A. Gatewood offers a profound exploration of the relationship between God and truth, rooted in Thomistic theology and classical theism. He presents a participatory theory of truth, emphasizing that all creaturely truth originates from and participates in the First Truth—God Himself. ​By retrieving and adapting Thomas Aquinas's doctrine of the divine intellect, Gatewood challenges modern and postmodern philosophical assumptions, advocating for a return to classical theological frameworks to rediscover objective, knowable truth. The book defends classical doctrines such as divine simplicity, immutability, and aseity, while engaging with alternative models of theism. Structured into three sections, the book begins by examining the relationship between divinity and truth, and the necessity of theological retrieval to bridge the metaphysical–epistemological divide. It contrasts classical theism with theistic mutualism, highlighting implications for divine omniscience and truth. The second section traces the historical and conceptual development of Reformed Thomism, showcasing its influence on Protestantism, Reformed Scholasticism, and Puritan thought. The final section provides a detailed exposition of Thomistic participation, the divine intellect, and the divine Ideas, culminating in a participatory model of truth. ​This book addresses key doctrines such as divine simplicity, transcendence, and the analogy of being, offering a robust defense of classical theism against modern and postmodern perspectives. ​ It reassures readers of the objective existence of truth, its knowability, and its grounding in God’s eternal wisdom. ​Perfect for theologians, philosophers, and seekers of truth, it bridges historical insights with contemporary discourse, enriching the understanding of God, truth, and creation. ​ With pastoral applications, it encourages personal growth and alignment with divine reality, offering hope and clarity in a fragmented world. Ideal for anyone seeking to rediscover the joy of knowing and participating in divine truth, goodness, and beauty. ​

Cornel Venema revisits the important doctrine of predestination to re–familiarize the church with truths about God’s sovereignty in salvation. But he does not merely re–visit old ground but also engages a host of historic and contemporary challenges to the doctrine. He addresses the subject from exegetical, historical, contemporary, and pastoral vantage points.

The doctrine of imputation is the ground in which salvation is rooted. It is often seen as superfluous or splitting hairs, and yet, without it, redemption automatically becomes reliant on our own works and assurance of salvation is suddenly not so sure. J. V. Fesko works through this doctrine looking at its long history in the church, its exegetical foundation, and its dogmatic formulation. In exploring imputed guilt from the First Adam alongside the imputed righteousness from the Second, this volume offers a helpfully well-rounded explanation of the doctrine.