In theology, a distinction is made between “first creation” and “second creation” (creatio prima/secunda). In the “first creation”, God created the whole universe and his heavens out of nothing; this is described in Gen. 1:1.* The “second creation” begins with the First Day in Gen. 1:3. Herman Bavinck writes in his Reformed Dogmatics (§2.269): “Genesis … Continue reading The creation of the earth
Category: Miscellaneous
Speaking of the Trinity…
Our Triune God is not like anything on earth. It is therefore no surprise that the church struggled to find appropriate words to speak about the Trinity. We want to avoid partialism, the suggestion that God consists of three separate parts. But we should also shun modalism, where God is described as one individual person … Continue reading Speaking of the Trinity…
The Apostles’ Creed
The Apostles’ Creed is a summary of Christian doctrine used throughout the Western church. Legend has it that each of the twelve apostles wrote one of its articles; but the actual history of the creed is complicated. (A detailed study of its development can be found in J.N.D. Kelly, Early Christian Creeds.) The Apostles’ Creed … Continue reading The Apostles’ Creed
Assurance of salvation
In Christian theology, assurance means that I am sure that God saves me. The catechism (q&a 21) emphasizes that faith is not mere knowledge, but “firm confidence (or assurance)”. This statement is directly aimed at the Roman Catholic teaching that “no one can know with a certainty of faith […] that he has obtained the … Continue reading Assurance of salvation
The meaning of ‘gospel’
The word “gospel” was coined in older English from “good-spell”, that is, “good message”. This is a literal translation from the Greek word used in the New Testament: evangelion, from eu “good” and angelion “message”. But the meaning of a word is not only determined by its parts. What did the original readers think when … Continue reading The meaning of ‘gospel’
The Chalcedonian Definition
We confess that Jesus Christ is both true man and true God. The earliest Christians already drew this conclusion, based on the testimony of the Bible. They called Jesus the theanthropos, the “God-Man”. When in the early 300s Arius denied that Jesus is God, the church famously stated in the Nicene Creed: he is “true … Continue reading The Chalcedonian Definition
Special offices in the Reformed churches
Essay written for the celebration of Reformation Day, 2021, and presented at Living Hope Free Reformed Church in Chatham on October 26, 2021. The Protestant Reformation criticized the church organization of the Middle Ages. Martin Luther first pointed out the abuse of power by the bishops and other clergy, but soon he opposed the system … Continue reading Special offices in the Reformed churches
The meaning of “hell”
The idea of hell is unpopular. Modern people, even many modern Christians, think it rather backward to believe in a place of eternal punishment. It’s medieval fearmongering, they say, but unfitting for the loving God we encounter in the Bible. It is true that a certain depiction of hell was popularized in the late Middle … Continue reading The meaning of “hell”
The transmission of sin
Following the teaching of the Bible, we confess that we are sinners from the very beginning of our lives. It is important to know this because it proves our deep need for a Saviour. We speak of original sin, or inherited sin, because our sinfulness can be traced back to Adam. But this raises the … Continue reading The transmission of sin
Understanding the “image of God”
The creation narrative in Genesis 1 characterizes human beings as made “in the image” and “after the likeness” of God himself. In our very design and essence, we are closely linked to who God is: a wonderful thought! But what qualities do we have that constitute that image in us? Traditionally, there have been two … Continue reading Understanding the “image of God”