Christ Crucified

A poetic reminder from B.B. Warfield that it's not merely Christ that we proclaim, but Christ our Redeemer, Christ our Savior, and thus Christ crucified:

A Christless cross no refuge for me;
A Crossless Christ my Savior not be;
But, O Christ crucified! I rest in Thee!

--B.B. Warfield

Warfield on Believing Jesus and the Bible

Here is B.B. Warfield succinctly stating why the loss of biblical authority is the road to theological liberalism:

He who no longer holds to the Bible of Jesus - the word of which cannot be broken - will be found on examination no longer to hold to the Jesus of the Bible.

--B.B. Warfield

Quoted in the Introduction of B.B. Warfield: Essays on His Life and Thought, Gary Johnson, ed.

Remembering B.B. Warfield - The Lion of Princeton

Last week marked the 158th anniversary of the birth of Benjamin Breckinridge (B.B.) Warfield. Justin Taylor had a great post reminding us of this anniversary as well as informing us of a forthcoming (September 2010) Crossway publication about Warfield's theology by Fred Zaspel. Zaspel also provided a brief summary about the significance of Warfield's life and thought in the post. It is well worth the read.

HT: Justin Taylor

B.B. Warfield on "The Religious Life of Theological Students"

Third Millenium Ministries has re-printed an excellent article by B.B. Warfield on "The Reilgious Life of Theological Students" (first delivered as an address at Princeton Theological Seminary in 1911). It is lengthy, but it is well worth the time of all seminary students and pastors (and even undergraduate theological students desiring to attend seminary). Here is a brief excerpt:

A minister must be both learned and religious. It is not a matter of choosing between the two. He must study, but he must study as in the presence of God and not in a secular spirit. He must recognize the privilege of pursuing his studies in the environment where God and salvation from sin are the air he breathes. He must also take advantage of every opportunity for corporate worship, particularly while he trains in the Theological Seminary. Christ Himself leads in setting the example of the importance of participating in corporate expressions of the religious life of the community. Ministerial work without taking time to pray is a tragic mistake. The two must combine if the servant of God is to give a pure, clear, and strong message.

Read the whole thing here.

Thankful for Southern Baptist Controversy

It is difficult to think about the current state of the Southern Baptist Convention without the word controversy coming to mind. For good or ill, it is part of what defines us. But sometimes, controversy can produce a good and desired effect. Such was the case with the conservative resurgence and the discussions over the Bible that took place within our denomination during the last few decades. I am reminded of what B.B. Warfield said in the midst of his own controversy over the authority of Scripture: "But fierce controversies can rage only where strong convictions burn."

I, for one, am thankful for the strong convictions that burned in the hearts of men and women who stood for truth (sometimes having to stand alone). We are all the better for it, and we should be grateful for the fierce controversy that they endured. Though they did not desire it or choose it (or even enjoy it), they were willing to face the difficulty of those days because their convictions about the truthfulness and accuracy of God's Word were strong and courageous.

Let us pray that God would raise up a new generation of courageous leaders - men and women not eager or desirous of controversy but men and women whose convictions burn strongly enough to endure it if the appropriate need arises.