Was Jesus a Christian?

(This is a re-post from October 2014) Funny thing: when we read the phrase, “Jesus was not a Christian,” some might pause and at first be inclined to disagree.  But biblically speaking, it’s true.  Jesus was not a Christian!  J. Gresham Machen explained this quite well around 90 years ago: “According to a very widespread …

J. Gresham Machen: A Biographical Memoir (A Brief Review)

(Today's post is by Elisabeth Bloechl, a friend who is part of the church family I serve as pastor. You can read her blog over at "Who Am I".) This is a time of increasing tension between Christians and secular culture. More and more Christians (and churches) are either paying homage to secular culture or …

A Tolerant Christianity? (Machen)

The talk of religious equity and tolerance and the mantra "all roads lead to God" are ideas that have been around for some time. These are not new ideas. The Christian church still has to deal with this kind of thinking and language today. Speaking of, I really appreciate how J. G. Machen wrote about …

Thank God for the Christmas Season (Machen)

In a sermon preached soon before his death in 1936, J. G. Machen explained how the Bible puts an “enormous emphasis” on the death of Christ.  He also noted how the Christian church places a great emphasis on Christ’s death – we “chiefly commemorate” the death of Christ because it is God’s wisdom and our …

“In Those Dark Hours” (Machen)

  (This is a re-post from September, 2010) In the early 1900s, J. Gresham Machen faced intense spiritual struggles – he was asking some deep questions about Christianity.  There were three people who helped him through it: Francis Patton, Bishop Blougram, and his own dear mother.  Here’s what he said of his mother – how she helped …