Theologia

Welcome to Theologia!

Starting as a collection of papers by Mark Horne several years ago, Theologia has slowly expanded to include works by a variety of authors. You will find all of our content under the various categories to the left.

As our motto states, our goal is to provide thought-provoking material that is faithfully Biblical, distinctively Reformed, and comprehensively catholic.

The most recent articles include:

March 30, 2008: Does the New Covenant have its own distinctive sanctions as well as blessings? We affirm by Mark Horne -- 2 Comments
February 3, 2008: Sermon: A Body Formed by the Spirit by Mark Horne
October 16, 2007: 10 things a church can do to change the world by Mark Horne -- 1 Comment
August 18, 2007: On Forgiving Oneself: Nine Reasons Why It Can Be Appropriate by Mark Horne -- 3 Comments
July 31, 2007: Every Word Matters to the Story by Mark Horne -- 1 Comment
July 18, 2007: How To Encourage Our Children to Believe the Gospel by Mark Horne
April 21, 2006: Turretin & Pictet on Christian Infants by Mark Horne
April 20, 2006: Zacharias Ursinus & the Imputation of Christ’s Righteousness by Mark Horne -- 1 Comment
March 16, 2006: Eschatology of Being “Born Again” by Derrick Olliff -- 1 Comment
August 31, 2005: Two Sermons on Two Adams by Mark Horne
August 7, 2005: Paul’s Letter to the Galatians by Derrick Olliff -- 4 Comments
August 7, 2005: The Gospel: The Return of the King by Derrick Olliff
August 3, 2005: Looking For Legalism by Derrick Olliff
August 2, 2005: Baptismal Theology Within Reformed Evangelicalism by Mark Horne
July 28, 2005: Responding to Critics of the Protestant View of Justification by Philip Schaff

Recent Comments

Here are the most recent comments to Theologia. Note: we reserve the right to delete, ban, destroy, etc. comments if they are offensive. We won't alter comments from others (except to remove embedded links). Nor will we remove comments simply because they disagree with the substance of an article. However, we will remove offensive comments or text-dump comments designed to use Theologia as a carrier of someone else's content. Theologia is not a publicly held site. Thus, we will cheerfully maintain our own standards (and possibly not yours) with regard to our management of the comments.

July 22, 2008 at 2:23 pm :: Moses & Jesus: Friends or Foes? (John 1.17) :: Alex
Absolutely, you must not imply that the law gives grace. you are implying when you say that the grace gives greater grace than the law. I am sorry to tell you this, emphatically the law as you know the scriptures will not lift a finger to help. So there is no more grace in law. If you think that the righteousnes of the law will save you or to do and believe that following the law in thers of what I do and...
July 22, 2008 at 7:14 am :: Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit? :: Benjamin Allison
Thank you so much for your expert interpretation of these passages regarding the Unpardonable Sin. I hope you don’t mind but I had a few questions regarding the passage: 1) In Matt 12, there seems to be a focus on the utterance. Christ goes on to say that we will be judged, even by careless words. “The word,” though revealing what is internal, will also itself, be judged. How can we...
July 20, 2008 at 10:31 pm :: Wright, Righteousness, Covenant :: Geoff
The problem with his definition is that covenants are in the background for almost everything vis a vis God. That doesn’t make it the primary definition. So, yes, if you are justified you are in the covenant community. But background doesn’t make it the primary meaning.
July 20, 2008 at 8:18 pm :: Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit? :: Andrew Fulford
Mark, This is the best interpretation of these passages I have ever seen, and being someone who once struggled with this issue, I want to thank you for publishing it.
July 19, 2008 at 4:40 pm :: Getting the Galatian Heresy Right :: Allen Perkins
Dear Mr. Lusk, Without delving into the theological differences we might have, it struck me as odd as to why you would use a form of theology(Pelagianism), that post dated Paul by several hundred years, to say that was what Paul was not confronting. Also I think you miss the point of James letter in that the letter had an intended audiance of those gentiles coming into a covanate relationship THROUGH Israel and...
July 18, 2008 at 9:59 pm :: N. T. Wright & Evangelical Theology :: Joel
Thank you for this wonderful summary and the footnotes. I could not remember where I had read some of this before and now with the help of your references I know which book it came from!
July 17, 2008 at 3:14 pm :: Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit? :: Christopher Valdez
I believe a couple years ago, I had said,” ‘blank’ the Holy Spirit”. I’ve been feeling guilty about it since reading Matthew 12:32. I agree with Terrance that satan wants to deceive me and make me believe that I commited that sin. I have asked the lord for forgiveness of my sins over the years and have faith that he has forgiven me because of his word. Am I Unforgivable for...
July 15, 2008 at 1:29 pm :: Does the New Covenant have its own distinctive sanctions as well as blessings? We affirm :: Jeremiah
“Does the New Covenant have its own distinctive sanctions as well as blessings?” No. To say that the Bible says this shows a lack of understanding about the relationship between the old and new covenants The New Covenant is the “Old Covenant” completed and fulfilled by Christ. Both are one and the same, except one is unfulfilled and the other...
July 2, 2008 at 9:53 am :: Why Baptize Babies? :: Aaron Randall
Hi Mark, I too have devoted a considerable amount of time on proving the efficacy of Infant Baptism. I just revisited the Rich Lusk article - BAPTISMAL EFFICACY AND THE REFORMED TRADITION: PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE and would like to offer my critique of the same for review and comment. I have come to recognize a Covenant deficiency within the Reformed theology that has caused considerable confusion in their academic circles....
June 30, 2008 at 9:02 am :: Are Wright’s Critics Misreading Him? :: CJD
I read this back in 2003 and was reminded of it again when I read Paul Helm’s interesting analysis on the supposed similarities between Baxter’s neo-nomianism and Wright’s exegesis. I responded here. You were spot on about this specific topic then, and you still are.
June 19, 2008 at 4:31 pm :: Justification & Salvation Quiz :: Alan K Hunt
Great quiz. But hey, while I’m here, I just can’t help myself … Yes, like other reformed commentators above, I, too, am a compulsive proofreader/editor/corrector/n itpicker, so … In question F, answer 3, I suggest you either drop the “’s” from “N. T. Wright’s” or add “the sins of” to the question. Grace & peace, AKH
June 17, 2008 at 1:15 am :: What is the Worth of 666 Talents of Gold? :: Phil
Peace defense.
June 11, 2008 at 10:28 pm :: Did Jesus Preach Gospel or Law to the Rich Young Ruler? :: B. Busskohl
The key to understanding Christ speaking to the Rich Young Ruler is in Romans 3:20 “for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” If you were to walk down the street and ask anyone if they thought they were a good person, most likely they would respond yes. Just as the rich man responded when Christ said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is,...
June 2, 2008 at 11:16 am :: Backsliding :: Esperanza
Your website was so helpful it had given me some clarrifications with the things I’m dealing with at present. But I still want deeper explanations so if you could help and someone could give me more assurance about salvation. Thanks a lot and hope to hear from you soon. Godbless
June 1, 2008 at 11:20 am :: Does the New Covenant have its own distinctive sanctions as well as blessings? We affirm :: Jim Hagan
Just did a paper on Malachi 4:4-6. Another scripture within the context of the covenant that bears the truth of this is Romans 11:22: “Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off.”
May 25, 2008 at 8:58 pm :: Majority Report in Favor of Paedocommunion :: Joe Ruiter
This report is truncated! Please fix! Thanks, Joe.
May 24, 2008 at 8:45 pm :: Moses & Jesus: Friends or Foes? (John 1.17) :: amarjeet singh
they were friends and and are friends amarjeet
May 20, 2008 at 1:11 pm :: Vine, Branches, & Fruit :: stuart
Thanks for you notes on John 15. I have read somewhere, and i cannot think where, that the branches of the vine are only fit for bearing fruit. They are good for nothing else only that. Even the branches that are fruitless, those cast into the fire, don’t even make a good fire, because they just smoulder and smoke. Would you like to comment?
April 25, 2008 at 7:09 am :: Formal Corporate Prayer :: Kevin Koop
Dear Brother, I want to thank you for this well thought out paper. I am a pastor in the Assemblies of God. As much as I love the spontaneous leading of the Spirit, I am often troubled by the immature prayer of people who have “known the Lord” for many years. I will be spending time studying this out further and seeking to incorporate these ideas into our discipleship program. Thanks again. Kevin Koop Senior...
April 22, 2008 at 8:48 pm :: What Is Meant by the Spiritual Presence of Christ in the Lords Supper :: william campbell
All my life i understood that the Lord’s Supper was symbolic.To be truthful I never took communion in the Methodist church that i was raised in, because i knew that i was not born again and thus would not eat and drink the elements worthily. Years later,when i was born again in a Pentecostal church, i still assumed that the elements were largley symbolic as this made...