S o far we have seen Knox’s rich and positive understanding of the Lord’s Supper. Now we turn to consider Knox’s view of what he called “that Papisticall abomination” – the Mass. Knox understood the central place that the Mass occupied in the theology and piety of the Roman Church. He stated that “...

A s we've seen so far in our survey of John Knox's theology of the Lord’s Supper ( part 1 , part 2 , part 3 ), it is ordained by God and Christ is present in the sacrament. It is also an inestimable blessing for God’s people and is for their benefit in many ways. Let me give a number of examples...

H aving briefly surveyed the debates over the Lord’s Supper at the Reformation ( part 1 ), before proceeding to John Knox (1513-1572), it is important to consider the broader place the reform of worship had at the Reformation. The sacraments, of course, are an important part of worship and so, as...

T he election of only some to life necessarily implies the existence of a group of non-elect, or reprobate. And so, just as Knox affirmed his belief in election, so he held that “from the same eternitie he hath reprobate others, whom for most just causes, in the tyme appointed to his judgement, he...

"This is our plaine confession, which we simply and boldly do affirme, that Rom. 8., this is a stable and immutable foundation, 'The Lord knoweth his own, that no creature is able to seperat his Elect frome his love, which in Christ Jesus he beareth to them.’" (John Knox, Works , 5:256) L ast time...

Last time we looked at the life of John Knox (c. 1514-1572) up to his imprisonment on the French galley ships. Today we pick up the story as Knox is released. Knox in England Eventually Knox was released – no one is quite sure why – and he made his way to England in 1549, now aged 35. Edward VI is...

Reformation Scotland Trust was formed in 2013. Their stated aim is “to promote the restoration of the Christian Church in Scotland, by informing, educating and promoting understanding of the attainments of the Second Reformation in Scotland.” That is an aim that I’m sure many readers of Meet the...

Samuel Rutherford (1600-1661) is often regarded as the finest Scottish theologian of the mid-seventeenth century. I’m not sure I entirely accept that. For me, at least David Dickson and James Durham were on a par with him, if not his theological betters. But Rutherford wrote more, and specifically...

Discerning readers of this short series on "Concerning Ministerial Qualifications" may be wondering whether James Durham missed the foundational qualification the New Testament outlines for ministry. After all where does Paul begin in outlining the qualifications for elders? He begins with...

We began last time looking at James Durham’s essay, "Concerning Ministerial Qualifications." The post ended with the thought that “it is not great talents God blesses so much as great likeness to Jesus.” Nevertheless gifts are necessary, and Durham in his essay outlined three things that are...