How Do I Teach My Family?

Every Christian home is meant to be a school of Christ—a place of spiritual nurture, loving discipline, sound doctrine, and biblical piety. This is not a reference to Victorian-era portraits of the Christian family; it is the clear teaching of Scripture and the Reformed tradition. Even so, our hectic schedules, ubiquitous gadgets, and misplaced priorities often make our homes similar to those of our unbelieving neighbors. God becomes an afterthought. Here are three things to remember as we seek to build God-centered homes where sound doctrine is the foundation and our Lord Jesus Christ is the cornerstone. 1. We must be committed to the ministry of the local church. Every Christian family needs God’s appointed means of grace and the shepherding care of godly elders (Acts 20:28; Heb. 13:17; 1 Tim. 3:1–7). The ministry of the visible church is a nonnegotiable for believers and their children. The first Christian families were “devoted to the apostles’ teaching \[doctrine\] and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and the prayers” (Acts 2:42). They were under the loving spiritual oversight of elders—men who were called to “shepherd the flock of God” and “give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it” (Titus 1:9, emphasis added; see 1 Peter 5:2; Titus 2:1). The church was central to their Christian identity. It is inside, not outside, the divinely ordained structure of a biblical church that Christian families are grounded in the gospel. A faithful church is where families mature in their knowledge, understanding, and practice of sound doctrine. Therefore, Christian households are encouraged to submit joyfully to the ministry of a local church body and to learn from pastors who labor “to present everyone mature in Christ” (Col. 1:28–29; see Eph. 4:11–16). 2. We must be dedicated to regular times of family worship. Family worship is a time in which the entire household gathers for singing, prayer, the reading of scripture, and catechesis. A Christian home is a worshiping home. Matthew Henry says that “they that pray in the family do well; they that pray and read the Scriptures do better; but they that pray, and read, and sing do best of all.” In family worship we open the Bible, reflect upon Scripture’s unfolding story of redemption, and consider essential Christian doctrine. Reformed catechisms such as the Westminster Shorter Catechism and the Heidelberg Catechism, with their helpful question-and-answer formats, greatly assist us in our quest to learn and digest sound doctrine. In his Thoughts on Family Worship, nineteenth-century Princeton theologian J.W. Alexander maintains that “family worship, from its very nature, keeps the mind attentive to truth, and familiar with its smallest ramifications.” Through specific times of worship in the home, “the Christian family is brought daily to the fountain of all truth.” Shouldn’t this be the goal of every Christian home? Isn’t it every Christian husband’s role to exercise spiritual leadership toward his wife (Eph. 5:22– 27)? Isn’t it every Christian parent’s privilege and responsibility to teach God’s Word “diligently to \[their\] children” and to “bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Deut. 6:7; Eph. 6:4)? Dear believer, “the daily regular and solemn reading of God’s holy word, by a parent before his children, is one of the most powerful agencies of the Christian life” (Alexander). Commitment to family worship provides regular occasions for the entire household to be rooted in sound doctrine—to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18). 3. We must be devoted to informal times of biblical instruction. Sound doctrine should be taught and learned not only from pulpits and lecterns but also in the midst of ordinary daily activities—at the dinner table, in the car, on the ball field, or in the park. Moses exhorts God’s people to “talk of \[God’s Word\] when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise” (Deut. 6:7). It is during common everyday activities that Christian families are encouraged to talk about God and His Word and to consider how doctrine applies to various circumstances that arise. Therefore, let us seize those opportunities to explain and apply the wisdom of God’s Word in our families. Dear believer, just as a plant flourishes in the fertile soil of the earth, so a Christian family flourishes in the sound doctrine of the Scriptures. Indeed, sound doctrine leads to sound living in Christ. Through the work of the Spirit, sound doctrine illumines the mind, transforms the heart, subdues the will, warms the affections, and nourishes the soul. It is truth for life. Whether in church, at home, or in the margins of life, nothing is more important to our families than the teaching and application of sound doctrine. Is this a priority in your home?

Story

Every Christian home is meant to be a school of Christ—a place of spiritual nurture, loving discipline, sound doctrine, and biblical piety. This is not a reference to Victorian-era portraits of the Christian family; it is the clear teaching of Scripture and the Reformed tradition. Even so, our hectic schedules, ubiquitous gadgets, and misplaced priorities often make our homes similar to those of our unbelieving neighbors. God becomes an afterthought. Here are three things to remember as we seek to build God-centered homes where sound doctrine is the foundation and our Lord Jesus Christ is the cornerstone.

1. We must be committed to the ministry of the local church.

Every Christian family needs God’s appointed means of grace and the shepherding care of godly elders (Acts 20:28; Heb. 13:17; 1 Tim. 3:1–7). The ministry of the visible church is a nonnegotiable for believers and their children. The first Christian families were “devoted to the apostles’ teaching [doctrine] and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and the prayers” (Acts 2:42). They were under the loving spiritual oversight of elders—men who were called to “shepherd the flock of God” and “give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it” (Titus 1:9, emphasis added; see 1 Peter 5:2; Titus 2:1). The church was central to their Christian identity. It is inside, not outside, the divinely ordained structure of a biblical church that Christian families are grounded in the gospel. A faithful church is where families mature in their knowledge, understanding, and practice of sound doctrine. Therefore, Christian households are encouraged to submit joyfully to the ministry of a local church body and to learn from pastors who labor “to present everyone mature in Christ” (Col. 1:28–29; see Eph. 4:11–16).

2. We must be dedicated to regular times of family worship.

Family worship is a time in which the entire household gathers for singing, prayer, the reading of scripture, and catechesis. A Christian home is a worshiping home. Matthew Henry says that “they that pray in the family do well; they that pray and read the Scriptures do better; but they that pray, and read, and sing do best of all.” In family worship we open the Bible, reflect upon Scripture’s unfolding story of redemption, and consider essential Christian doctrine. Reformed catechisms such as the Westminster Shorter Catechism and the Heidelberg Catechism, with their helpful question-and-answer formats, greatly assist us in our quest to learn and digest sound doctrine.

In his Thoughts on Family Worship, nineteenth-century Princeton theologian J.W. Alexander maintains that “family worship, from its very nature, keeps the mind attentive to truth, and familiar with its smallest ramifications.” Through specific times of worship in the home, “the Christian family is brought daily to the fountain of all truth.”

Shouldn’t this be the goal of every Christian home? Isn’t it every Christian husband’s role to exercise spiritual leadership toward his wife (Eph. 5:22– 27)? Isn’t it every Christian parent’s privilege and responsibility to teach God’s Word “diligently to [their] children” and to “bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Deut. 6:7; Eph. 6:4)? Dear believer, “the daily regular and solemn reading of God’s holy word, by a parent before his children, is one of the most powerful agencies of the Christian life” (Alexander). Commitment to family worship provides regular occasions for the entire household to be rooted in sound doctrine—to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18).

3. We must be devoted to informal times of biblical instruction.

Sound doctrine should be taught and learned not only from pulpits and lecterns but also in the midst of ordinary daily activities—at the dinner table, in the car, on the ball field, or in the park. Moses exhorts God’s people to “talk of [God’s Word] when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise” (Deut. 6:7). It is during common everyday activities that Christian families are encouraged to talk about God and His Word and to consider how doctrine applies to various circumstances that arise. Therefore, let us seize those opportunities to explain and apply the wisdom of God’s Word in our families.

Dear believer, just as a plant flourishes in the fertile soil of the earth, so a Christian family flourishes in the sound doctrine of the Scriptures. Indeed, sound doctrine leads to sound living in Christ. Through the work of the Spirit, sound doctrine illumines the mind, transforms the heart, subdues the will, warms the affections, and nourishes the soul. It is truth for life. Whether in church, at home, or in the margins of life, nothing is more important to our families than the teaching and application of sound doctrine. Is this a priority in your home?

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2024-08-09

Explore Today’s $5 Friday (and More) Sale

It’s time for our weekly $5 Friday (and More) sale. Today only, browse a collection of discounted discipleship resources on a vast array of subjects to help you deepen your knowledge of God and His Word. This week’s sale includes the following resources and many more: A Field Guide on False Teaching, paperback $10.00 $5.00 Mark: An Expositional Commentary by R.C. Sproul, ebook $9.00 $5.00 The Life and Theology of Paul with Guy Waters, teaching series digital download $24.00 $5.00 Can I Know God’s Will? By R.C. Sproul, paperback $3.00 $1.00 May 2023 Issue of Tabletalk Magazine: “Commonly Tolerated Sins”, $1.50 While supplies last, fill your library with biblical materials and stock up on gifts for your loved ones. This sale ends tonight at 11:59 p.m. ET. Shop now and save.

2024-08-19

How to Find a Church in College

The close of summer can be exciting with the transition back to school. For many, it is a return to rhythm, goal setting, and friendships. Those heading to college may be excited about a new adventure, which will bring with it new questions: Who will my roommates be? What will I be involved in? When will I study? For Christians, the question to begin with is, Where will I go to church? Foundational Questions There is much to say about why students should go to church in college. Suffice it to say, God’s call on all Christians is to actively live within the church. The local church is vital to the Christian life, so the question that needs to be asked is, How do I find a church? As simple as the question sounds, in some ways it has become increasingly difficult to answer. We no longer live in a time (if we ever did) in which one can assume things about a church from the outside. One cannot necessarily assume that because the church is in the “Bible Belt” it means one thing, nor can one assume that because its name includes key Christian words that it means another. Many false teachings, for example, use familiar language that can delay the impulse to ask foundational questions. Instead of assuming, begin by asking two vital questions when looking for a church away from home. The first question is of utmost importance: Does this church believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as the true Son of God, sent to save sinners who repent and believe in Him alone for salvation? The second question is closely connected: Does this church believe the Bible to be inerrant, infallible, inspired, and therefore the authoritative and sufficient Word of God? In other words, is the Bible the central truth that is communicated and the standard by which everything is measured? If the answer to either of these questions is no, then it is not a true church. Believing that Jesus is the Son of God and the only way of salvation, and that the Bible is the rule of faith and practice, is necessary. If the answer to both questions is yes, we can proceed with investigating a few other areas. Believing that Jesus is the Son of God, the only way of salvation, and that the Bible is the rule of faith and practice is necessary. What to Look For Often there are secondary areas that require observation and discernment. Living in a social-media-crazed age, it is important that popularity or various forms of celebrity do not become the leading reason we choose a church. Big churches and big names may have big platforms that can be attractive to college students. Programs can be useful, but there must be more to a church than its programs. Because church is vital to the life of a Christian, the leaders of the church will be held accountable to speaking the truth and living the truth (see James 3). The church is always to be about the Man, Jesus Christ, and not a man. Jesus must be central in the teaching and living of the leadership of any true church. For many college students, excitement can be joined with confusion. Questions can arise in regard to fellow students’ beliefs or lifestyles, the teachings of professors, the judgments of the administration, and making major life decisions. Additionally, college students are inundated with all sorts of advertisements and recruiting mechanisms, making them vulnerable. The church should be clear on the truth, aware of the threats against truth, and willing and able to answer questions when they arise. The church should preach the truth and not shy away from the truth while welcoming and thoughtfully answering questions about the truth. Doctrine is important. Convictions about doctrine are important. Seeking out a church’s confessional standards or statement of faith will clarify what kind of doctrine the church professes. Additionally, the church’s disposition is important. We see the practical outworking of doctrine in how the people of the church live. College students should seek to meet church members of all generations and backgrounds, then ask themselves: Does the church come off as prideful or speak unkindly about others, or are they gentle and compassionate? The church should display the truth it teaches. One of the chief things that recruits college students is community. To be sure, the college campus will provide all kinds of communities, some that are good and some that are not. There will likely be a host of campus ministries offering the same. None of those, however helpful they may be, can replace the church. Yet the church can be mindful of college students in their area and be intentional about involving them in the life of the church. Students must prioritize Lord’s Day worship. Corporate worship—as well as Sunday school, prayer meetings, and opportunities to serve—offers a full picture of community rather than being influenced only by one’s own “age and stage.” While Lord’s Day worship should be prioritized, there is more to being involved in a church than just corporate worship. Ask the following questions: Does the church pray and fellowship together? Are there other opportunities that allow you to serve and to use your gifts? The church should have avenues to pursue multi-generational Christian fellowship. Conclusion These qualities, however simple they might sound, are often hard to discern in just one visit on a Sunday morning. Perhaps you have looked at the church online and still aren’t sure. God’s Word shows us what we should be looking for—it is the ordinary church and the ordinary means of grace. Look for devotion to the Apostles’ teaching. That is where the Apostolic church began (Acts 2:42). As you look for a church, ask these questions: Are they preaching through the Bible? Do you see the centrality of the Bible in other areas outside of the sermon? Are they praying the Bible, confessing the Bible, singing the truths of the Bible? Does the church show its dependency upon God in prayer? Do they pray for the people of the church, their community, and the work of the gospel in the world? College students should approach this question of how to find a church in college with discernment and not simply as consumers. The church should be a home away from home. For many college students who hear the gospel for the first time in college, their involvement in church is a life-changing experience. The local church is the greatest place for Christian growth and discipleship. It is the vehicle through which God extends His glory throughout creation. So, as simple as the question may sound, it carries with it great significance. Finding a church might be the most important decision you make while in college. It is why we visit, pray for discernment, and ask questions. The goal is not to find a perfect church—that exists only in glory—but a faithful church, standing solely on the Word of God and focused on the worship of God. This article is part of the Questions Young People Face collection.

2024-08-09

3 Things You Should Know about 1, 2, 3 John

The Bible is full of hidden gems. Many of those hidden gems are found in the smaller books in the Bible. Most Christians who take the reading of God’s Word seriously will be reasonably acquainted with its “big books” (such as Genesis, the Psalms, Isaiah, John’s gospel, Romans, and Ephesians). My guess is that not so many are well acquainted with books like Joel, Haggai, Zephaniah, and John’s three letters. In this brief meditation we will reflect on three things every Christian should know about John’s three letters. 1. Though these books are brief, they play an important role in the Christian’s spiritual growth and maturity. After forty years of pastoral ministry, I have learned not to assume that Christians know their Bibles as well as previous generations did. Biblical literacy and expository biblical preaching are not as common as they once were. The general attention span of even faithful believers has been infected with the spirit of the age. The good desire to minister relevantly into the culture has often led to sermons that are more topical than expository. All of this has robbed believers of a knowledge of the Word of God that is as wide and as deep as Scripture’s totality. Paul reminded Timothy, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16–17). Paul was especially impressing this truth on this young man of God that he might embrace God’s written Word in its totality and have it shape his life and ministry. What was true for Timothy is surely no less true for every Christian. So, we should know 1, 2, 3 John so that we might be trained in righteousness and complete Christians, equipped for every good work. 2. John’s three letters were written against the dark backcloth of heresies that were threatening the purity, peace, and mission of the church. These heresies were not new to John’s day. Satan resurrects them regularly to derail Christ’s church, absorb it with itself, and rob it of its gospel credibility. As he begins his first letter, John writes: > This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (1 John 1:5–10) Notice the triad, “If we say . . . ” (1 John 1:6, 8, 10). Why does John feel the need to write this? Because some people in the church were saying they had fellowship with God but were walking in darkness. Later in 1 John 2:19, John wrote, “They went out from us, but they were not of us.” As a faithful pastor, John is warning his “dear children,” as he calls them, to be on their guard against false teaching: “God is light and in him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5; see also 1 John 2:22; 4:1–3). In 2 and 3 John we see more of the Apostle’s concern to shepherd his dear children away from error. In 2 John 7 we read: “Many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist.” In 3 John 9, John even warns his dear children about a particular man, “Diotrephes . . . who likes to put himself first.” John knows only too well that bad character is as deadly as bad doctrine in corrupting the life of God’s people. 3. John’s three letters model the love, compassion, and courage that should be found in every gospel minister and indeed in every Christian. God-honoring and sheep-nourishing ministry is rooted in preaching that is not only accurate and orthodox, but also rich in compassion, courage, and tenderness. It is striking to notice how often John describes his readers as his “little children” (1 John 2:1, 12, 28; 3:18; 4:4; 5:21). His teaching to them flowed out of his love for them. How different many of our churches would be if the people knew, even felt, that their pastors carried them in their hearts and cherished their good above life itself. John’s three letters are gospel gems. Read them, ponder them, and perhaps even make the effort to memorize them, so that you may continue to grow in the grace of our Lord. This article is part of the Every Book of the Bible: 3 Things to Know collection.

2024-08-13

Resurrection and Justification

How is the resurrection of Christ linked to the idea of justification in the New Testament? To answer this question, we must first explore the use and meaning of the term justification in the New Testament. Confusion about this has provoked some of the fiercest controversies in the history of the church. The Protestant Reformation itself was fought over the issue of justification. In all its complications, the unreconciled and unreconcilable difference in the debate came down to the question of whether our justification before God is grounded in the infusion of Christ’s righteousness into us, by which we become inherently righteous, or in the imputation, or reckoning, of Christ’s righteousness to us while we are still sinners. The difference between these views makes all the difference in our understanding of the Gospel and of how we are saved. One of the problems that led to confusion was the meaning of the word justification. Our English word justification is derived from the Latin justificare. The literal meaning of the Latin is “to make righteous.” The Latin fathers of church history worked with the Latin text instead of the Greek text and were clearly influenced by it. By contrast, the Greek word for justification, dikaiosune, carries the meaning of “to count, reckon, or declare righteous.” But this variance between the Latin and the Greek is not enough to explain the debates over justification. Within the Greek text itself, there seem to be some problems. For example, Paul declares in Romans 3:28, “For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.” Then James, in his epistle, writes, “Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar” (James 2:21) and “You see then that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone” (James 2:24). On the surface, it appears that we have a clear contradiction between Paul and James. The problem is exacerbated when we realize that both use the same Greek word for justification and both use Abraham to prove their arguments. This problem can be resolved when we see that the verb “to justify” and its noun form, “justification,” have shades of meaning in Greek. One of the meanings of the verb is “to vindicate” or “to demonstrate.” Jesus once said, “Yet wisdom is justified by all her children” (Luke 7:35). He did not mean that wisdom has its sins remitted or is counted righteous by God by having children, but that a wise decision may be vindicated by its consequences. James and Paul were addressing different questions. James was answering the question: “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?” (James 2:14). He understood that anyone can profess to have faith, but true faith is demonstrated as authentic by its consequent works. The claim of faith is vindicated (justified) by works. Paul has Abraham justified in the theological sense in Genesis 15 before he does any works. James points to the vindication or demonstration of Abraham’s faith in obedience in Genesis 22. The resurrection involves justification in both senses of the Greek term. First, the resurrection justifies Christ Himself. Of course, He is not justified in the sense of having His sins remitted, because He had no sins, or in the sense of being declared righteous while still a sinner, or in the Latin sense of being “made righteous.” Rather, the resurrection serves as the vindication or demonstration of the truth of His claims about Himself. In his encounter with the philosophers at Athens, Paul declared: > The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead. (Acts 17:30–31) Here Paul points to the resurrection as an act by which the Father universally vindicates the authenticity of His Son. In this sense, Christ is justified before the whole world by His resurrection. However, the New Testament also links Christ’s resurrection to our justification. Paul writes, “It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification” (Rom. 4:24–25). It is clear that in His atoning death Christ suffered on our behalf, or for us. Likewise, His resurrection is seen not only as a vindication of or surety of Himself, but as a surety of our justification. Here justification does not refer to our vindication, but to the evidence that the atonement He made was accepted by the Father. By vindicating Christ in His resurrection, the Father declared His acceptance of Jesus’ work on our behalf. Our justification in this theological sense rests on the imputed righteousness of Christ, so the reality of that transaction is linked to Christ’s resurrection. Had Christ not been raised, we would have a mediator whose redeeming work in our behalf was not acceptable to God. However, Christ is risen indeed!

2024-08-12

Who Was Herman Bavinck?

Herman Bavinck (1854–1921) was the finest theologian of the neo-Calvinist movement—a Dutch movement that began under the initiative of Abraham Kuyper (1837–1920), which has spread to many nations across the world over the last century. Kuyper was the most public figure of the movement and Bavinck the most precise theologian. We now think of them together, akin to the way the word Reformation recalls Luther and Calvin. As George Harinck explains, “We take the name Abraham Kuyper and Herman Bavinck not as the name of two individuals but as a brand name . . . like Goldman and Sachs or Mercedes and Benz. Together they stand for neo-Calvinism.” What is (or was) neo-Calvinism, and how does Bavinck fit? It is important to know a bit about Herman Bavinck to answer these questions. Bavinck was born to a Christian home, one that was full of the rhythms of Reformed spirituality. His family took part in the secession movement (the secession church separated from the state church in the Netherlands in 1834 for doctrinal and practical reasons). After Bavinck grew up, he attended the secession seminary in Kampen for a year and then left for Leiden University, seeking a prestigious and scientific education. He navigated an academic environment that can be labeled “modern”—a post-Enlightenment culture of discovery where traditional Christian confessions and creeds were less important and often neglected. Nevertheless, Bavinck remained Reformed and confessional in his theology through this season and into his career (we could use the term orthodox to describe this commitment). As a young man, and through the multiple contexts he navigated, he developed a character of humility that led to an invaluable skill: the willingness to learn from anyone, especially modern philosophers, while remaining unwaveringly committed to the biblical faith that he learned as a covenant child. In the Netherlands, the Reformed church subscribed to the Three Forms of Unity: the Belgic Confession, the Canons of Dort, and the Heidelberg Catechism. Bavinck was a confessional theologian and a master dogmatician who worked within the theological framework of the Three Forms of Unity, attempted to think and write according to God’s thoughts laid down in the Bible, and did so trying to address the modern thinkers and people of the industrializing society all around him. Bavinck wanted to be maximally helpful to the people of his own time, so he applied God’s Word and the theology that developed over the centuries to the questions and conversations of his context. I have labeled this instinct and writing style “orthodox yet modern.” Bavinck “faced the challenges posed by modernity” head-on and did so without hiding from hard questions, with a generous habit of steel-manning instead of straw-manning his dialogue partners, and with a heart to help people while seeking to glorify God and stay true to the Bible above all else. James Eglinton provides a nice summary of Bavinck’s skill: Bavinck “went on to craft Kuyper’s vision . . . a Calvinism for the modern age . . . into an elaborate and detailed corpus of theologically charged works.” This offers us a helpful summary of the neo-Calvinist movement: “a Calvinism for the modern age,” where Bavinck was the chief theologian. Bavinck was only briefly a pastor, but he remained a churchman and theologian his entire life. He taught theology at the seminary in Kampen and then the Free University of Amsterdam (only after rejecting Kuyper’s invitation several times) until he died in 1921. He was married to Johanna, and they had a daughter also named Johanna (they called her Hannie). For an excellent account of Bavinck’s life and work, pick up James Eglinton’s biography, Bavinck: A Critical Biography. To get familiar with Bavinck’s wonderful and helpful theological writings without feeling lost at times, it is important to see him as a multi-faceted thinker who functioned as a public intellectual and wrote in a way that combined all the facets of his personality. He was a theologian or dogmatician—one who thinks and writes about God and all things in His light according to God’s own revelation in the Bible. The Wonderful Works of God is an accessible starting point. After that, his four-volume Reformed Dogmatics is his magnum opus and a series that serves the neo-Calvinist and modern Reformed theological community similar to how Calvin’s Institutes is the magisterial theological work of the original Reformation movement. Simultaneously, Bavinck was a philosopher—one who interacts with the questions of metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics, and does so within the domain of theological reasoning. In some of his books, such as Christian Worldview, Christianity and Science, and Philosophy of Revelation, his ability as a philosopher is most visible. Bavinck never hid from the philosophical questions of his time. This is an important point to look out for as you read him—he is always bringing philosophy into conversation with theology. We can also say that Bavinck was, at times, a politician, historian, economist, pastor, professor, and churchman. But, the most important label—one that cries out for acknowledgment from the thousands of pages of his mighty corpus—is follower of Jesus. Bavinck loved the God who saved him by grace, and amid the complexity and brilliance of his thought, there is always a doxological current. As Bavinck put it: > A theologian is a person who makes bold to speak about God because he speaks out of God and through God. To profess theology is to do holy work. It is a priestly ministration in the house of the Lord. It is itself a service of worship, a consecration of mind and heart to the honour of His name. This article is part of the Historical Figures collection.