Posts by Todd Pruitt

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Thursday, March 19, 2020

Todd Pruitt
Mar 19, 2020
Luke 13:1–5 “There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them, ‘Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you;...

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Todd Pruitt
Mar 18, 2020
Psalm 130 A Song of Ascents. Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD! O Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy! If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared. (vv. 1-4) Psalm 130...

Tuesday, March 17, 2020

Todd Pruitt
Mar 17, 2020
Psalm 46 To the choirmaster. Of the Sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. A Song. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though...

Monday, March 16, 2020

Todd Pruitt
Mar 17, 2020
Beginning today I plan on posting daily (Mondays – Fridays) devotions for anyone interested. First and foremost these are for the folks I get to serve as pastor at Covenant Presbyterian Church . But I hope they are encouraging to anyone who may happen upon them. I’ve been preaching through Genesis...

A PCA church is not neutral ground

Todd Pruitt
Mar 5, 2020
I am reporting the following primarily to inform the Ruling Elders and Laity of the PCA of what is happening in our beloved denomination. Remember, as an actual denomination our churches are connectional. That is, we are accountible to one another and our polity prescribes a system of discipline...

The PCA Must Reject God-less Ideologies

Todd Pruitt
Mar 4, 2020
At the risk of being labeled a dreaded "Reformed Fundamentalist" I offer this call for the PCA to reject God-less ideologies such as Critical Theory, Intersectionality and their religious cousin Liberation Theology. I'm honestly shocked that this even has to be said. I spent a rather significant...

Anthropologetically Speaking

Todd Pruitt
Mar 4, 2020
Thanks to Dr. Scott Swain , President of Reformed Theological Seminary Orlando for his recent contribution to the current conversation / debate / fight over the doctrine of man, or biblical anthropology. Given the new controversies surrounding issues like gender and sexuality, some sober well...

Improving our Theological Memory

Todd Pruitt
Dec 26, 2019
In the most recent episode of Mortification of Spin , we address the current retrieval of Classical Theism going on among Evangelicals. It’s a fascinating subject and one that merits careful consideration. If you are an armchair theologian or aspire to be and would like to learn more about this...

Favorite Books for 2019

Todd Pruitt
Dec 13, 2019
Let the reader understand: This list would almost certainly be longer if I had read every book I had planned on reading in 2019. There are some notable books still on my desk which I have not yet begun but which I am quite sure are excellent. Nevertheless, among the many wonderful books I read that...

Is God unjust for sentencing sinners to hell?

Todd Pruitt
Dec 4, 2019
I was priviledged to write a response to the question, "If God is love, why won't everyone be saved?" for the December edition of the excellent online journal CREDO . In 2011 Evangelical mega-star Rob Bell published his (infamous?) book Love Wins. In some ways this was Bell’s...

Still Complementarian

Todd Pruitt
Nov 30, 2019
In the summer of 2016 the MOS team was in the center of a rather public controversy over the doctrine of the Eternal Submission of the Son (ESS). I believe strongly that this is an errant doctrine. It is a serious error because it distorts the truth of the eternal relations within the Godhead...

Some perspective on the current gender dustup

Todd Pruitt
Oct 7, 2019
The Reformed-ish Twittershpere has been in high dudgeon since the release of Rachel Miller’s book Beyond Authority and Submission . Mark Jones wrote a review of Miller’s book wherein he critiques what he believes are significant weaknesses. And then, to make matters a bit more interesting, my...

A Little Pushback for My Friends

Todd Pruitt
Jul 8, 2019
Last week the episode of the MOS podcast which aired was recorded by Carl and Aimee while I was in Dallas for the PCA’s General Assembly. I had not listened to the episode but when I saw that some more progressive folks in the PCA were referring to the episode to criticize the Gospel...

My Favorite Books (2018)

Todd Pruitt
Dec 22, 2018
I read a lot of good books this year. There are also some books published this year that I have heard great things about which I have not yet read. But the following are the ones that rose to the top for me. Book of the Year Interpreting Scripture with the Great Tradition by Craig Carter Originally...

Revoice and God's Design for the Family

Todd Pruitt
Sep 26, 2018
If you are a regular reader of this blog then you have probably read my previous piece on the Revoice conference. Revoice has been the source of great division in the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), the denomination in which I serve. That is because although Nate Collins, the conference...

Reforming Our Worship

Todd Pruitt
Sep 19, 2018
Once again Midway Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Powder Springs, GA will be hosting their annual Reformation Worship Conference in partnership with the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. This years’ theme is “Worshipping God’s Way, Not Ours.” I’m planning to attend...

Same Sex Attraction, Temptation, and Jesus

Todd Pruitt
Aug 3, 2018
The Revoice conference is over. But we will continue to hear from Revoice, its various speakers and supporters. It is not my goal here to write a point-by-point rebuttal of the many troubling things that were stated in the conference. I have listened to the addresses from Nate Collins and Eve...

No, The PCA Is Not Liberal

Todd Pruitt
Jul 24, 2018
I am often asked whether the PCA is liberal or on its way to becoming liberal. I have not been shy about voicing concerns about certain trends in the PCA that, if left uncorrected could lead eventually to a sad undoing. But before addressing any concerns let me be clear on this point: the PCA is...

Robert Gagnon on Revoice

Todd Pruitt
Jul 20, 2018
Dr. Robert Gagnon, author of what is probably the most thorough study available on what the Bible teaches about homosexuality, has written a helpful piece responding to the upcoming Revoice conference being held at Memorial Presbyterian Church (PCA) in St. Louis (July 26-28). Gagnon writes: "...

The Hard Apprenticeship of Sorrow

Todd Pruitt
Jul 17, 2018
“Beloved the objects we look at are distant, and we are near-sighted.” Charles Spurgeon I am a melancholic; a depressive. I am typically rather sad and in some cases deeply sorrowing. I have never required hospitalization for depression or received a diagnosis. But most days I walk...

Robert Gagnon Responds to Thabiti Anyabwile

Todd Pruitt
Jun 29, 2018
Thabiti Anyabwile has stirred up a bit of controversy with an op ed published by the Washington Post . In it he makes some rather serious statements concerning fellow evangelicals who differ with him on certain political issues. In the interest of full disclosure, in the 2016 presidential election...

Robert Gagnon Responds to Thabiti Anyabwile

Todd Pruitt
Jun 29, 2018
Thabiti Anyabwile has stirred up a bit of controversy with an op ed published by the Washington Post . In it he makes some rather serious statements concerning fellow evangelicals who differ with him on certain political issues. In the interest of full disclosure, in the 2016 presidential election...

Moving Forward in the PCA

Todd Pruitt
Jun 26, 2018
It remains to be seen whether the unity displayed at this year's General Assembly represents an ecouraging trend or something fleeting. There are times when I wonder whether our differences are largely pragmatic or whether they represent something more fundamental. If our differences are more...

A Good Turn

Todd Pruitt
Jun 15, 2018
The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America has concluded and there is good news to report. In my last post I lamented the decision of the Overtures Committee of the General Assembly to answer in the negative the overtures presented to make constitutionally binding the solemnization...

A Wrong Turn

Todd Pruitt
Jun 12, 2018
Bad news from PCA General Assembly. The overtures seeking to make Book of Church Order 59 (the solemnization of marriage) constitutional were all defeated by the Overtures Committee. It is a sad, sad day for the PCA. There will be a minority report from the OC which will give the assembly the...

For the Love of Those Fighting Against Homosexuality

Todd Pruitt
Jun 7, 2018
There is a great deal of discussion going on among Christians these days about the moral status of homosexuality and homosexual desires. In my own denomination, the PCA, the latest dustup is swirling around the Revoice conference being held in St. Louis at Memorial Presbyterian Church (PCA). The...

Theological Discipleship

Todd Pruitt
Jun 5, 2018
There is a new and exciting initiative from Scott Swain and Michael Allen of Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando . It is called the Paideia Center for Theological Discipleship . The Paideia Center will offer regional reading groups of classic Christian texts, monthly gatherings , and an annual...

The Wedding Sermon and the PCA

Todd Pruitt
May 21, 2018
I am not sure if it is possible for me to find anything I care about less than the royal wedding. I care more about how liver is cooked and I don’t eat liver. So I have no interest in the festivities that took place last weekend at Windsor Castle. At least I did not care until brothers in my...

Take and Read

Todd Pruitt
May 11, 2018
When was the last time you read a book on Patristic exegesis that was a genuine page-turner? If you have not yet had that experience then you must add Craig Carter’s outstanding new book Interpreting Scripture with the Great Tradition to your reading. The subtitle of Dr. Carter’s book...

The Road to Nowhere

Todd Pruitt
Mar 6, 2018
Recently Carl delivered two lectures at Reformed Theological Seminary (D.C.) . They are entitled The Road to Nowhere and are well worth your time. Broadly speaking, the subject is how we have become a people for whom the statement "I am a man trapped in a woman's body" makes sense. Or...

Rachael Denhollander Responds to SGM

Todd Pruitt
Mar 5, 2018
Like many, I was troubled by the response from Sovereign Grace Ministries to Rachael Denhollander's stated concerns about their handling of sexual abuse allegations. I was equally troubled by the number of men who forwarded SGM's response along as "thoughtful" and "helpful...

Rachael Denhollander Responds to SGM

Todd Pruitt
Mar 5, 2018
Like many, I was troubled by the response from Sovereign Grace Ministries to Rachael Denhollander's stated concerns about their handling of sexual abuse allegations. I was equally troubled by the number of men who forwarded SGM's response along as "thoughtful" and "helpful...

How to become a de-convert

Todd Pruitt
Feb 5, 2018
The media loves a former Christian. Recent years have seen well-known former believers rise to prominence. Some are scholars like Bart Ehrman while others are are more folksy celebrities like Rob Bell and Jenn Hatmaker. Now, Mrs. Hatmaker still maintains that she is Christian. The problem is that...

What if he was a racist?

Todd Pruitt
Jan 31, 2018
I have been challenged politely by some and excoriated by others for writing an open letter to Andrew White , the staunch defender of Roe V Wade, PCA Ruling Elder, and candidate for governor of Texas. I have been called divisive and even unchristian by some fellow Teaching Elders for posting the...

An Open Letter to Andrew White

Todd Pruitt
Jan 29, 2018
Andrew White is a Ruling Elder in a PCA church in Houston, Texas. He is also running for Governor of Texas. He has recently stated his full support for Roe V. Wade the 1973 Supreme Court ruling which made laws prohibiting abortion unconstitutional. In an interview aired on Texas Public Radio Mr...

The Best Resource on Covenant Theology

Todd Pruitt
Jan 26, 2018
The Best thing I have ever found on understanding Covenant Theology is Ligon Duncan's lectures from Reformed Theological Seminary. You can listen to them free on ITunes. If you would like to actually understand Covenant Theology you won't find a better explanation...

Law and Gospel in Judge Aquilina's Court

Todd Pruitt
Jan 25, 2018
I will not rehearse the grotesque acts of Larry Nasser. As you probably know by now, Nassar is the former USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University doctor whose crimes led to his disgraceful end. Today (January 24) he was sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison. It is estimated that...

On the Relevance of Racial Reconciliation Services

Todd Pruitt
Jan 20, 2018
In a continuing effort to bring to you the voices of those you will likely not hear in the current race "discussion" I pass along an excellent article on the propriety of so-called "Racial Reconciliation" services by Reverend Sam Murrell. Sam Murrell is an Anglican priest living...

More helpful voices on race

Todd Pruitt
Jan 19, 2018
Given the profusion of regrettable things being said about race by those who are members of reformed churches like “repent of your whiteness” it is necessary to actively support those whose voices are aggressively marginalized . It does not take much to be marginalized in the current...

Trueman in Washington

Todd Pruitt
Jan 12, 2018
On Friday February 16 our friend Carl Trueman will be lecturing at the Washington DC campus of Reformed Theological Seminary . He will deliver two lectures on the subject of "The Road to Nowhere: How Our Understanding of Human Identity Has Changed and Why It Matters." If you are anywhere...

A Thought Experiment

Todd Pruitt
Jan 3, 2018
Imagine a man named A. Davis. Mr. Davis is a white nationalist and a former leader in the Nazi Party in the United States. He has had membership or at least close affiliation and sympathy with various domestic terrorist groups. The groups which he defends have been responsible for an array of...

My Favorite Books of 2017

Todd Pruitt
Dec 23, 2017
My pick for book of the year… Sanctification by Michael Allen Michael Allen has contributed the third volume in the New Studies in Dogmatics series. It is a feast and my pick for book of the year. I won’t try to describe the book other than to say that Dr. Allen grounds holiness in the...

R.C. Sproul: An Appreciation

Todd Pruitt
Dec 15, 2017
The first book I read from a Reformed scholar was The Holiness of God by R.C. Sproul. It was 1987 and I was a student at a Southern Baptist University. I had no idea what Reformed theology was or what Presbyterians believed. I picked up the book because the title struck me. Also, it was relatively...

Jones Reviews Frame's Review

Todd Pruitt
Nov 27, 2017
Mark Jones has written a review of John Frame’s review of James Dolezal’s fine book entitled All That Is In God . For good reason, Jones is puzzled by some of the statements in Frame’s review. Jones points out the rather uncomfortable fact that some of what Frame writes simply...

No Cross, No Gospel

Todd Pruitt
Nov 26, 2017
"For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared...

Reconciled in Christ?

Todd Pruitt
Oct 23, 2017
The dreadful condition of the conversation regarding racial reconciliation among evangelicals is a cause for sadness. Within the denomination to which I belong it has become rather toxic. Dissent from the approved narrative is met either with venom or dismissal. For instance I witnessed a black...

The NFL, President Trump, and Conservative Consistency

Todd Pruitt
Sep 27, 2017
I am a conservative law and order sort of guy. I like the idea of giving police officers the benefit of the doubt. I like it when NFL players stand for the National Anthem. But I also believe that conservatives like myself ought to be intellectually consistent. And I am seeing a lot of...

One more thought on Nashville

Todd Pruitt
Sep 8, 2017
I respect many of those who chose to sign the Nashville Statement. Some of them are friends. And, as I have stated before, I am in agreement with the substance of the document. However, any suggestion that those who drafted and/or signed the Nashville Statement are like John the Baptist is, to...

On Not Signing the Nashville Statement

Todd Pruitt
Sep 8, 2017
Just as we predicted on the podcast, signing the Nashville Statement has become a measure of one’s commitment to biblical sexual ethics and gender distinctions. These sorts of things are inevitable. One group drafts a statement and opens it up to signatures with all the right people and...

TGC and the 2nd Commandment

Todd Pruitt
Sep 7, 2017
I had a few spare minutes so I thought I’d ask… Are the Presbyterian members of The Gospel Coalition Board bothered at all by the fact that TGC’s website employs images of Christ? As Presbyterians they have taken sacred vows to uphold and teach according to the Westminster...