Male and Female issues

Amongst evangelicals the new battle ground over women in ministry  turns on the interpretation of 1 Tim 2:12.

Below are some useful articles on this matter. Exegetically Dr Wayne Grudem has destroyed all the egalitarian word games that are commonly used to create doubt on the Bible's teaching on male headship and leadership, his article son these matters come highly recommended.

A rebuttal of the concept of 'authoritative teaching' in a congregation based on 1 Tim 2:12 By R Fowler White with introductory remarks  by Darren Middleton

Interpreting 1Timothy 2 By Dr King Counts

Public teaching of women By Robert Dabney

Serving as Deacons (report to the GAA) By Dr P Barnes

I do not permit By Dr J Bordwine (Off site)

May women speak in the Church By James Scott (off site)

Recovering Biblical manhood and womanhood pdf (off site)

Off with the skirt, on with the pants By RC Sproul Jnr (off site)

Six questions never answered in the women's debate By Dr W Grudem

Hermeneutics used in the ordination of women debate By OPC - Report

Open letter to egalitarians By Dr W Grudem (off site) Grudem lays waste the egalitarian word games that seek to muddy the waters concerning the meaning of kephale, hypotasso, authenteo.

Covenant  Worship

"Family worship" document written by Dr Joel Beeke

Creation Debate

A R N - Ten questions for the biology teacher 

The Patristics on creation By Darren Middleton

The Westminster Divines on creation By Douglas Hall

Chaos to Cosmos - critique of framework hypothesis By Dr Joseph Pipa

Kline's framework hypothesis critiqued By OPC - minority report (off site

Charismatic Issues

Tongues Today? By O Palmer Robertson

Have the Gifts ceased? By Lee Irons (off site)

Cessation of sign gifts By Prof Thomas Edgar

Gaffin and Grudem on Ephesians 2:20 By R Fowler White

The Toronto Blessing: The marketing of God By Dr Rowland Ward

The Charismatic Movement: A Biblical Critique By Brian Schwertley

Try the spirits - A Reformed look at Pentecostalism By Prof. David J. Engelsma

Challenges of charismatic movement to reformed tradition Part 1 By Richard B. Gaffin, Jr.

Challenges of charismatic movement to reformed tradition Part 2 By Richard B. Gaffin, Jr.

Lord's Day

Lord's Day By A R Dallison

John Murray on the Sabbath

Calvin on the Sabbath By C Bouwman

Calvin and the Sabbath By Peter Barnes

The Lord's day By Fergus McDobald

Why on a Sunday? By Dr O Palmer Robertson

Worship as covenant renewal (off site)

Jonathon Edwards on the Sabbath and change

Why should Christians attend Church? By Dale Robbins

Hermeneutics

How to Preach through Revelation. By Darren Middleton

Sensus plenior - A blessing or curse for evangelical hermeneutics? By Darren Middleton

America's Cup Myth By Peter Ballard [A very clever piece of work highlighting the weakness of higher criticism]

Biblical Hermeneutics (art & science of interpretation)

What is literal interpretation? By Dr Vern Poythress (off site)

Pastoral Issues

Is wine evil? By M Cervinka

Suffering as the path to glory

Lordship salvation - MaArthur Vs Ryrie

Freemasonry - Christ or the Lodge? OPC Report

How to deal with those who differ from us By Dr Roger Nicole

Sundry Issues

Is there marriage in the new age? by Darren Middleton

The new liberals By Don Matzat

Resolutions of Jonathon Edwards

Jesus descended into Hell - really? By Bob Burridge 

Are there really 30,000 Protestant denominations?

Critique of Eastern Orthodoxy By William Baldwin (off site)

The development of the Institute by Darren Middleton

A Synthesis of The Easter Accounts By Darren Middleton

Rev Hagenauer - Missionary to Victorian Aboriginals By Darren Middleton

The Necessity of an Explicitly Christian Education  By: Brian Schwertley

Narcissism goes to Church: Encountering Evangelical Worship By Monte Wilson

 

The Norman Shepherd Controversy 

Norman Shepherd (by all accounts a fine Christian man) taught at WTS east following on from John Murray from 1963-1981. Controversial in his articulation of reformed theology, in particular his view on covenant and justification, he was embroiled in controversy from 1975-81 until the board of WTS finally relieved him of his teaching position. Charges then were filed against Mr Shepherd with his OPC Presbytery, however, Mr Shepherd left the OPC and joined the Christian Reformed Church where he is now a Minister Emeritus without these charges been pursued. The implications of this controversy are still being felt to this day in various reformed denominations while many of the faculty of WTS still remain sympathetic to Shepherd's teaching.

Some controversial aspects of Mr Shepherd's theology are his rejection of a covenant of works and the idea of merit, and as a consequence, the active obedience of Christ. His insistence that election and therefore salvation be viewed from the perspective of covenant as opposed to the eternal decrees of God and his role of baptism as marking ones entry into the covenant of grace and its benefits (which may be lost) have been well noted. However, it is his view of justification by faith and works (non meritorious) that have consistently caused concern and objection. Consequently, in 1981 many notable Christian theologians and leaders including Roger Nicole, RC Sproul, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, O Palmer Robertson, Robert Reymond, George Knight III, W Stanford Reid, Morton Smith, Albert Martin, Robert Godfrey, W Hendrickson and Meredith Kline among others sighed the infamous 'letter of forty five' expressing concern over Norman Shepherd's formulations (see below) that forced the board of WTS to act. Hence, the Norman Shepherd controversy.

Norman Shepherd's article 'The Covenant Context for Evangelism'

[Given in 1975 at a  conference and then published in The N.T Student and Theology] (available for reading in PCA historical centre) 1976

          Sinclair Ferguson review of Norman Shepherd's 'The Covenant Context for Evangelism' (off site) 1977

          Norman Shepherd reply to Sinclair Ferguson's review (off site) 1977

 

Norman Shepherd's 'The Relationship of Good Works To Justification in the Westminster Standards'

[A Paper presented to the faculty of WTS ] ((available for reading in PCA historical centre) 1976

      Nineteen errors in Norman Shepherd's teaching on justification By O Palmer Robertson (off site)

 

Norman Shepherd's 34 Thesis on Justification in Relation To faith, repentance and Good works 1978

 

Norman Shepherd's 'The Grace of Justification' presented to the faculty (off site) 1979

 

The letter of the forty-five: An open letter expressing concern about Shepherd and for WTS 1981

Richard Gaffin's open letter to the letter of forty-five [in defense of Shepherd] 1981

Reasons for the removal of Norman Shepherd from WTS (off site) 1982

 

Norman Shepherd's 'My Understanding of Covenant' (off site)

 

Norman Shepherd's book 'The call of Grace' published by P&R 2000

         Review of Shepherd's "Call of Grace" by Dr Venema [An insightful review] 2002

         Review of Shepherd's "Call of Grace" by Norman Jones

         A short review of Norman Shepherd's "Call of Grace" by Darren Middleton 2004

         Justification by Faith in The Theology of Norman Shepherd by David Vandrunen (off site)

         Norman Shepherd on the faith that justifies by Calvin Beisner  (off site)

 

Norman Shepherd's 'Justification By faith Alone' 2002

[Reformation & Revival Journal Vol. 11, Number 2, Spring 2002]

         Review of Norman Shepherd thesis on justification alone by David Linden (off site) 2002        

         The PCA Presbytery of Mississippi Valley report on the reformulation of sola fide by AAT, Shepherd etc

 

Norman Shepherd's 'Justification by Faith in Pauline Theology' 2004

Norman Shepherd's 'Justification by works in Reformed Theology' 2004

[Articles in Backbone of the Bible: Covenant in Contemporary Perspective] CMP 2004

          Review of Backbone of the Bible: Covenant in Contemporary Perspective by Dr Mark Karlberg 2005

 

Norman Shepherd's 'The Law and the Gospel in Covenant Perspective' (off site) 2004

            "John Calvin Versus Norman Shepherd on Sola Fide", by Sam Waldron, 2005

 

Calvin Documents

On The Christian Life (Christian Classics Ethereal Library)
Of Prayer (Christian Classics Ethereal Library)
The Institutes of Christian Religion by John Calvin
Calvin's Commentaries (Christian Classics Ethereal Library)

Miscellaneous

Children's Catechism used at CPC (word document)

E-Sword Bible program (Maybe the best free bible study program)

Intro to Covenant Worship leaflet

Ten Commandments by Thomas Watson (zipped file 250kb)

Greek shareware program [free]  

Preaching preparation checklist (From exegesis to homiletics)

Reformed Creeds

Reformed creeds program (zipped)

Westminster Confession of Faith

With full Scripture proofs, no frames

Text only

Footnotes only

Individual chapters with full Scripture proofs, no frames

Larger Catechism

With full Scripture proofs (traditional)

Text only

Shorter Catechism

With full Scripture proofs, no frames

Text only

Footnotes only

Other Helpful Documents

Comparison of British and American editions of the Confession

Comparison of the Larger and Shorter Catechisms

Westminster Confession of Faith and Modern English Study Version in Parallel Columns

Westminster Standards in Microsoft Reader and Palm Pilot formats

Apologetics

 Access Research Network (Good resource on design theory)

 Alpha Omega Apologetics site (Excellent resource on apologetics) Must visit.

 Ankerberg Minitry  (Dispensational)

 Christian Answers Network (Good resource on common question)

 Christian Apologetics And Research

 Creation Ministries International [formally Answers in Genesis]

 Probe Ministries  (Excellent resource on apologetics) Must visit.

 Renewing Your Mind  (RC Sproul)

 Salt Shakers  (Australian Ethical Ministry)

Theology

 Beginning with Moses (Good site on Biblical theology from a Calvinistic position)

 Berith (Some excellent resources on C.T - Note: Rev Smith sees covenant as a relationship not an agreement)

 Bible Research (Excellent primary resources)

 Calvin's complete commentaries

 CAPO Home Page (Good Reformed resource but doesn't seem to get updated)

 Classical Covenant Theology: Dr Scott Clark (Reformed and erudite) Must visit.

 Coram Dei (Good resources and reformed links, nice article on the Christian and the law)

 Darkness to Light  (Theology, apologetics etc)

 Five Solas Home Page (Excellent resource on the doctrines of grace) Must visit.

 Free Church of Scotland (Many good resources and articles)

 Geneva (An excellent ministry of founders online)

 In Depth Studies (Advocating NCT position - articulate, gracious, Calvinistic but not Reformed)

 Just for Catholics (A great site that is compassionate and truthful in presenting the doctrine of grace)

 Modern Reformation  (Excellent magazine committed to reformation theology)

 Monergism (Best resource on God's sovereignty and the doctrines of grace.) Must visit.

 Mountain View PCA  (Dr King Counts has many, many good articles)

 Puritan's Mind (Excellent site on puritan theology, also see Mathew's articles on CT) Must visit.

 Reformed Christian Theology and Eschatology (Meaty resource of reformed theology)

 Reformed Resources (Good resources and links)

 Reformed Theology Resource Center (Excellent resource)

 Reformational Resources (Good resource)

 Rich's Home Page of Reformed Theology (Reformed writings helpfully listed under author's name)

 Sola Scriptura  (As the name suggests, reformation theology)

 Sola Gratia (A plethora of good articles from a Calvinistic Baptist position)

 Sword and Shield (Calvinistic resources)

 Teknia Software (Bill Mounce's web site - just about the best 'how to learn Greek' around) Must visit.

 The Biblical Studies Foundation (Helpful but not reformed)

 Third Millennium Ministries (Reformed resources from the RTS Team)