July

Finally, finally on Helm's Deep, the series on Edwards and Locke on affection and enthusiasm is drawing to a close! In July I hope to publish the final instalment. Honest. And yet...and yet....

A few days ago a complimentary copy of the new book by John Piper and D.A.Carson, The Pastor as Scholar & The Scholar as Pastor arrived. I could not but be struck by the similarities between Dr Piper and Jonathan Edwards on emotion and experience. Given the prominence that these topics have in Dr Piper's ministry of propounding Christian Hedonism, I thought it would be worthwhile to briefly examine what he says in the new book. So the result will appear, God willing, in August. And then we really have finished, I hope.

Following the piece on justification and sanctification in June, for the second post in July we stay in the general area of justification, looking at some of the arguments for the novel view that Romans 1 and 2 refers to Gentile Christians. I believe that this involves a serious misunderstanding of Paul's argument in Romans 1 to Romans 3.20, and that the older view is to be preferred. It forms a vital part of Paul's case for his conclusion that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and stand under the judgment of God.