The movie The Princess Bride has many great quotes, one of which describes a person’s condition this way: “It just so happens that your friend here is only MOSTLY dead. There's a big difference between mostly dead and all dead. Mostly dead is slightly alive.” In many ways, the...
People often like the “buy one, get one free” specials at stores. In some ways, the Canons of Dort offer a “buy one, get one” special when it comes to its teaching. You see, there are five Main Points in the Canons of Dort … sort of. There are actually four main...
Before transitioning from Point 2 of the Canons of Dort to the next Points, I thought it would be beneficial during this Holy Week to pause and consider the meaning of Jesus’s death. Over the years, theologians have discussed the reason for Christ’s death and its meaning, offering a...
I don’t always accomplish what I set out to do. Sometimes that is tied to a failure to plan, or a failure to have a good plan. That is, I might have a plan, but it is too generic and does not focus on what really needs to happen. A good plan has specificity to it. The Canons of Dort...
A common objection I have heard from people regarding Reformed theology and the doctrines discussed in the Canons of Dort is that it will lead to Christians not sharing the gospel message with other people, as God has only chosen to save some. The Canons of Dort explicitly reject the mentality...
Why was Jesus’s death a part of God’s plan to bring salvation to sinful humans who had rebelled and rejected God’s Word? The Second Main Point of the Canons of Dort addresses this question in its opening articles. It begins by noting that alongside of God’s mercy is His...
The Second Main Point of the Canons of Dort deals with how Christ’s death leads to the redemption of sinful humans. When people discuss the points of the Canons of Dort using the acronym TULIP (note that this acronym does not reflect the order of the points of Dort), this point is often...
