Systematic Theology – Page 4

Divine Attributes Fred Zaspel | August 1, 2013

Four Aspects of Divine Righteousness, Part 4

Remunerative Righteousness Today we conclude our series (part 1, 2, and 3) on the various aspects of God’s righteousness. We saw last time that God’s redemptive righteousness is that aspect of his righteousness that graciously provides for his sinful creatures the righteousness he requires of them. This sets us up well to understand what is […]

Christology Fred Zaspel | May 1, 2013

Who is Jesus?

In Matthew chapter 16 Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” The disciples replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But who do you say I am?” Jesus asked. And so Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of […]

Divine Attributes Fred Zaspel | March 21, 2013

Does God Change His Mind?

This article first appeared on credomag.com How do we account for the fact that God is said in Scripture to “repent” or “relent” of a given course of action? Most Christians have puzzled over this question at some point or other. We are taught in Scripture that God has a single purpose, that he is […]

Christology Fred Zaspel | December 1, 2012

Jesus the Divine Word

The apostle John is the only Biblical writer to refer to Jesus as “the Word.” He employs the other more usual titles also — Christ (Messiah), Lord, King, Lamb, etc. — but this one is unique to John. He begins his Gospel, his account of the earthly life of Jesus, by introducing Jesus as “the […]

Hermeneutics & Biblical Theology Fred Zaspel | November 1, 2012

Postmodern Dogmatics

I realize that the title seems self-contradictory, but I take it from the title of an article published nearly ten years ago now by John Franke, then of Biblical Theological Seminary, in the Westminster Theological Journal (WTJ 65 [2003]: 1-26): “Postmodern Reformed Dogmatics.” Franke has of course expressed his proposed theological method elsewhere, and for […]

Divine Attributes Fred Zaspel | October 1, 2012

The Happy Threads of Divine Providence

Today’s blog is personal. I hope you will indulge me while I explain a certain happy providence that has brought a smile to my face recently. Sixty-one years ago this month (October, 1951) my dad, then age 22, preached a week of special meetings in a small town in northern Wisconsin. The church was newly […]

Spiritual Gifts Fred Zaspel | September 1, 2012

Quenching the Spirit

In 1 Thessalonians 5:19 the Lord gives us a command through his inspired apostle that I have often found fascinating. In most translations the verse reads, “Do not quench the Spirit.” In our NIV it reads more colorfully, “Do not put out the Spirit’s fire.” I find this verse fascinating not simply because of what […]

Soteriology Fred Zaspel | August 13, 2012

Fred Zaspel’s Preface to Whomever He Wills

Download PDF A century ago in his Plan of Salvation B.B. Warfield argued powerfully that if a Theist allows the necessary implications of the Theism he has already embraced, he must be a Calvinist. That is to say, soteriological Calvinism is but the implicate, the necessary consequence of Theism. It is simply God being God. […]

Hyper-Calvinism Fred Zaspel | June 1, 2012

Hyper-Calvinism and the Free Offer (Part 1/3)

Introductory Considerations In a day in which Pelagianism reigns it may seem a strange discussion indeed to debate whether the gospel should be offered freely. But hyper-Calvinism remains with us, and the resurgence of Reformed theology in recent decades has witnessed with it a resurgence of hyper-Calvinism also. And one of its characteristic marks is […]