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"Not Ashamed of the Gospel" (Romans 1:16-17) A New Episode of the Blessed Hope Podcast!

Episode Synopsis:

Paul is eager to come to Rome to preach the gospel. These words have long been familiar to Christians, and we understand Paul’s sentiment. Yet, in Paul’s day, preaching the gospel was an absolutely scandalous message. The gospel is centered on the cross of Jesus Christ. For us, a cross is a well-known Christian symbol. But for those in Paul’s day, the cross was a sign of shame and denigration. It was something people abhorred and would not speak about. The noted Roman statesman and orator Cicero spoke of the cross as so horrible that Roman citizens should never be subject to such a thing, and should never even entertain the thought of such a horrible manner of death, much less speak of it. So why would Paul be eager to preach such a message if it was likely to repulse and offend people, rather than draw or attract them?

Paul knows that this gospel—centered in the cross of Jesus Christ—is the power of God for the salvation of all who believe. God uses this scandalous message to call his people unto himself, create faith, and grant them eternal life. As Paul tells the Romans, the gospel was first preached to Jews in the types and shadows of the Old Testament, and then through recounting the events associated with the messianic mission of Jesus Christ, which culminated in his suffering and death upon a Roman cross. When the crucified Jesus was raised from the dead three days after his crucifixion, God demonstrated his power—which is of a different kind and far greater than all the military might of Rome. Jesus is truly Lord—not Caesar nor any of the Roman gods. So, when Paul says he desires to come to Rome to preach this message, he is trusting the power of God to do what is impossible for sinful humans: to be given new life, the forgiveness of sins, and to be counted as righteous before God.

Paul is also eager to preach the gospel because in it the righteousness of God is revealed. Sinful men and women can be reckoned or credited as righteous by trusting in the crucified and risen Savior proclaimed by Paul. No amount of sorrow or tears, no enlightened teacher or guru, and no amount of good works can grant this righteous status to sinful people. The only proper response to Paul’s gospel is the empty hands of faith—the reception of this free gift of a perfect and faultless righteousness that is found in the gospel. This is why Paul is eager to come to Rome and preach this scandalous message.

To see the show notes and listen to the episode, follow the link below

Blessed Hope PodcastKim RiddlebargerJuly 20, 2026Romans 1:16-17, The Righteousness of GodComment

Summer Musings (7/17/2026)

Riddleblog and Blessed Hope Podcast Updates:

The mountains are calling. There will be a brief interruption of the Riddleblog and Season Five of the Blessed Hope Podcast on the Book of Romans

Thinking Out Loud:

No to Türkiye—it is “Turkey.” No to Mumbai—it is “Bombay.” No to the “Gulf of America.” It is the “Gulf of Mexico”
I heard one political commentator make the point that the biggest ideological divide in America today might just be between the political class (those who are super on-line, left and/or right tribalists) and the rest of America who pay little or no attention to political in-fighting until immediately before elections, and even then they usually pay no mind to the political class. The commentator might just be right
Why do professional sports leagues (MLB, NBA, NFL) feel the need to promote Pride night? This certainly generates more public ill-will than ticket sales
And why not celebrate Swiss night? The players could all wear lederhosen, and alpenhorns could be used for the national anthem. Stadiums could sell some great cheese and chocolate at the concession stands. Instead of Bobble head dolls, they could sell Swatches with the player’s faces. All the fans would be neutral and could suck on a Riccola cough drop if they get hoarse from celebrating their neutrality. I am an oppressed minority!
The late State Department official John Negroponte once made the sarcastic comment after Richard Nixon’s 1972 Christmas bombing campaign in North Vietnam—“We bombed them into accepting our concessions.” I hope Trump’s efforts in Iran don’t end the same way
An old friend and I were recently discussing our favorite rock concerts we attended back in the day. We didn’t know each other at the time, but we were both at the Hollywood Palladium in November of 1973 to see Robin Trower and Wishbone Ash. They were meh . . . But the as of then unknown opening band absolutely stole the show—that little ole band from Texas, ZZ Top. Best 45 minutes of blues rock/boogie I ever saw in person
We also agreed that the worst concert we ever saw (we both there and still didn’t know each other yet) was Deep Purple in Long Beach in April of 1973. Richie Blackmore was in a snit (what else was new), and someone threw a cherry bomb at the band during their set. When it went off over their heads, the band was furious and stormed off—who can blame them? They came back after a long wait, played three songs half-heartedly, and that was it. Huge disappointment

To see the review, links, and video, follow the link below

MusingsKim RiddlebargerJuly 17, 2026Horton Smith IV Hart, Allen Guelzo on Western Civ, Big Boy, ZZ Top and Deep Purple Comment

Warfield on the Mysticism of Evelyn Underhill (Part Two) -- Union With The "Absolute"

In Part One, I set forth the background to Warfield’s stinging review of four books written by the then popular mystic Evelyn Underhill. Although Warfield’s “Review” was written in 1914, Underhill’s variety of mysticism (now called “spirituality”) is still very much alive today. As I noted in Part One, a subjective/mystical experience which she and others champion, “provides common ground for those seeking theological justification for religious `diversity and inclusion.’” It is often claimed that doctrine divides, but spirituality—such as a “conversion experience”—unites a broad segment of Americans, which includes many professing evangelicals. Those who are doctrinally ignorant, indifferent, or even hostile to a concrete set of beliefs, can find common ground through a vague and ill-defined “spirituality,” aligning with those with similar experiences. This revival of Underhill’s mysticism is what Michael Horton has identified as the “spiritual but not religious” phenomenon which is now widespread in America.

Warfield, whose job description at Princeton Theological Seminary (Professor of Polemic and Didactic Theology) requires him to pounce upon all perceived doctrinal error, acknowledges Underhill’s skill as a writer. She is good at what she does, which is why Warfield felt so compelled to devote significant attention to her work. He writes . . .

This volume is brilliantly written. All the resources of a trained literary art are expended upon it, and its pages are not only illuminated with numerous well-chosen extracts from the Mystical writers who are thus permitted to tell in their own quaint and often singularly impressive language exactly what they are, but are also gemmed with vivid phrases caught from the Mystics and used by Miss Underhill in her own composition with exquisite skill. Above all it is written with a verve and enthusiasm which impart to it an élan (as Miss Underhill would call it) that sweeps the reader well-nigh off his feet. (337)

Early on in his “Review,” Warfield points out that a definition of terms is very important—especially with an ill-defined subject (Mysticism) grounded in subjective religious experience. Here is where the trouble begins.

Formal definition of the term begins for us already in the Preface. “Broadly speaking,” we read there (p. x.), “I understand it to be the expression of the innate tendency of the human spirit towards complete harmony with the transcendental order; whatever be the theological formula under which that order is understood.” This is “broadly speaking” indeed. By the final clause, Mysticism is at once separated from all “positive religions” whatever; and (as we are immediately told) it is made matter of indifference to the experience of “mystic union” in which it “attains its end,” whether that union is conceived to be with “the God of Christianity, the World-Soul of Pantheism, the Absolute of Philosophy” (p. x.). “Attempts to limit mystical truth—the direct apprehension of the Divine Substance—to the formulae of any one religion,” we are accordingly told later (p. 115), “are as futile as the attempt to identify a precious metal with the die which converts it into current coin.”

Mysticism of the sort advocated by Ms. Underhill cannot be limited to any formulas of “positive religion” (presumably one with any sort of authoritative doctrine). The image given us by Isaiah (in 6:1-13) of one such moment of “direct apprehension of the Divine substance” is vastly different from the type of mystical union spelled out by Underhill. She might find “union and harmony” when encountering what she assumes is “the divine substance,” but Isaiah was immediately overcome by the awareness of his sinfulness. This is but one of the things missing from Underhill’s supposed encounter with the divine.

To read the rest, follow the link below

B. B. WarfieldKim RiddlebargerJuly 15, 2026Evelyn Underhill, MysticismComment

The Gospel, Calling, and a Light to the Nations

From Episode Four of Season Five of the Blessed Hope Podcast series on the Book of Romans

Paul’s doctrine of calling Gentiles—those apart from membership in Israel—to trust in Israel’s Messiah grows out of the messianic expectations of the Old Testament. In Isaiah 49:1–7, the prophet speaks of a future time in which the gospel will go out to the ends of the earth and bring great blessings to the nations.

Listen to me, O coastlands, and give attention, you peoples from afar. The Lord called me from the womb, from the body of my mother he named my name. . . . I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth. Thus says the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One, to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nation, the servant of rulers: “Kings shall see and arise; princes, and they shall prostrate themselves; because of the Lord, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.

According to Isaiah, the coming of the Messiah is connected to those Gentile nations that formerly oppressed God’s people and are now being called to join Israel as worshipers of YHWH. Jesus Christ, who is the true servant of YHWH spoken of by Isaiah, is the light to the Gentiles (cf. Isaiah 42:6; 52:10; 60:3), a theme fulfilled in the messianic mission of Jesus when he declares, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12). Jesus will call his chosen ones to faith. His messianic kingdom will crush empires and convert princes. Therefore, when Paul reminds the church in Rome that the sovereign God has called them to faith in Israel’s Messiah through the gospel, Paul is bearing witness to the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy. Let us not miss the irony here—the capital of the world’s greatest pagan empire is now home to a Christian church full of former pagans from distant lands who worship Israel’s God. Isaiah’s prophecy is being fulfilled—the church in Rome is proof.

To read the rest, follow the link below

Pauline Studies, Blessed Hope Podcast, The Book of RomansKim RiddlebargerJuly 13, 2026Romans 1:6-15, Calling, Isaiah 49:1-7Comment

“If We Walk in the Light” The Second in an Exposition of John’s Epistles (1 John 1:5-2:2)

The Blessing of Light

Imagine stumbling through life in complete darkness, not knowing where you are going, and unable to avoid danger or disaster. For the apostle John, walking in darkness is a powerful metaphor depicting the fate of those apart from Christ–forced to live as slaves to sin, in complete ignorance to the things of God, and at the mercy of false teachers who claimed to be “enlightened,” but who are completely in the dark about the things of the Lord. As John opens this epistle, he reminds us that God is light, and because we have eternal life, we walk in the light of God’s revelation of himself in the person of Jesus Christ, the word of life made manifest in the flesh.

The three epistles we know as 1st, 2nd, and 3rd John were written by the apostle John, who is also the author of the Gospel bearing his name. We know this to be the case based upon the grammar and style of these epistles, which repeatedly allude to, or are dependent upon, the Gospel of John. It is highly probably that these epistles were written after John had completed his gospel. Christian tradition tells us that John had fled Jerusalem at some point before the destruction of the city in 70 CE, eventually relocating to Ephesus, where it is believed that he lived well into old age, dying during the reign of the Roman emperor Trajan. Since I spent a fair amount of time on background material in the first installment in this series, you can read prior exposition to better understand the situation in which these epistles were written.

A Brief Recap

Since we are covering new ground, it is important to briefly recap John’s purpose in writing before we work through our text. Based upon the content of these epistles it is reasonable to conclude that they were written for the purpose of explaining and elaborating upon themes within John’s gospel, as well as to correct the errors of various false teachers who were distorting things John had stated earlier. This will become clear shortly when we come to verses 1:6-2:1, in which John responds to a series of errors being taught by those who departed from the faith.

Like the Book of James, John’s first epistle is probably a sermon in which John proclaims to us that Jesus is God manifest in the flesh, who came to earth to bring the word of life. At many points, John simply sets out the truth regarding the person and work of Christ in full confidence that the truth will cast out all error. At the heart of this truth is the fact that Jesus is God manifest in human flesh who came to save us from our sins. This is the light of the gospel, and those who know and understand Christ’s person and work will walk in that light. Walking in the light means repenting of our sins, loving our brothers and sisters, and living confidently in the hope of eternal life.

The Presence of Apostates/Heretics

But John also must deal with those whom he says “went out from us” (1 John 2:19), men who were now denying what John had taught them–that Jesus was God manifest in the flesh. Thus in 1 John 4:1-3, the apostle warns his reader,

beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.

Not only have false prophets gone out (from the church, having become apostates), but their message is very straight-forward. They deny that Jesus is God in the flesh–an error with catastrophic consequences. Believers are therefore to test everyone’s teaching in light of John’s revelation that Jesus Christ is God come to earth in human flesh. To deny the incarnation of Christ is to embrace the spirit of antichrist.

To read the rest, follow the link below

John's EpistlesKim RiddlebargerJuly 10, 20261 John 1:5-2:2, Confession of sin, PropititationComment

“An Incentive to Godliness” -- Article Twelve, The Fifth Point of Doctrine, Canons of Dort

Article 12: This Assurance as an Incentive to Godliness

This assurance of perseverance, however, so far from making true believers proud and carnally self-assured, is rather the true root of humility, of childlike respect, of genuine godliness, of endurance in every conflict, of fervent prayers, of steadfastness in crossbearing and in confessing the truth, and of well-founded joy in God. Reflecting on this benefit provides an incentive to a serious and continual practice of thanksgiving and good works, as is evident from the testimonies of Scripture and the examples of the saints.

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The charge that God’s sovereign grace removes all motives for good works is a longstanding canard raised by those who would base the motives for godly living in the fear of punishment and hope of reward. This matter was addressed in previous heads of doctrine (CD 1.12-13; and CD 3-4.15-17) because it is such a common objection raised by opponents of the Reformed understanding of salvation as monergistic. To put it simply—God does all the saving, of which our repentance and good works are the effects of prior salvation and not the basis for it. And if God does all the saving, and it is purely by grace, the challange arises, “what motivation remains for doing good works?”

The authors of the Canons point out the obvious. Assurance of salvation is the root of true humility, not a basis for boasting. Semi-Pelagian schemes (most notably Roman Catholic and Arminian) which understand salvation as a cooperative act (synergism—God makes his grace available to all who want it) ought to consider the fact that their scheme of salvation actually creates the very boasting they accuse the Reformed of teaching.

If we cannot save ourselves, and if any good we do is the fruit of prior grace and salvation (monergistic), then there is no basis whatsoever for boasting. What do we have to boast about? Nothing. But if grace is merely potential (as semi-Pelagians tell us is the case), then those who come to faith did something about which they can boast—they are the ones who realized that they had it within themselves to act in such a way that they could force God to respond favorably. They can boast that they saved themselves, with God’s help, of course.

To read the rest, follow the link below

The Canons of DortKim RiddlebargerJuly 8, 2026Assuance and good worksComment

“Called to be Saints” (Romans 1:6-15) -- A New Episode of the Blessed Hope Podcast

Episode Synopsis:

The next time you pass a Roman Catholic hospital, school, or church named for Catholic “saints,” you ought to remind yourself that you, too, are a “saint.” Only your sainthood is something far greater than an honor bestowed upon you by the Roman church because of your notable piety or service. You are a saint because you are clothed in the faultless righteousness of Jesus Christ, have been called to faith through the gospel, and have been set apart by God for his purposes. Your saintliness is grounded in nothing that you did or accomplished. Rather, the righteousness that reckons you a “saint” was earned for you—through the obedience of Jesus, his death upon the cross, and his triumphant resurrection from the dead.

Like those in Rome receiving Paul’s letter, you too will hear from Paul that you are called to belong to Jesus and are now a saint. If you are a Gentile believer in Jesus, you are, in part, one of the multitude mentioned in Isaiah 49 who has seen the light for the nations—the salvation promised to reach the ends of the earth, granted to you by the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel. Like those in Rome—members of a Christian church in the capital of a pagan empire—you too are serving the God of Israel, who is supremely revealed in Jesus Christ, in whatever locale you may currently find yourself. You are a “saint” living in the midst of pagan darkness—now seeing the world around you through the lens of God’s word, as one called and set apart by God for God, who is your only source of true light and true life.

And since you are in Christ, you are both reckoned a “saint” and are also now to strive to live as the saint that you are. Once called to faith, Paul explains, you will acknowledge who you are in Christ (holy) and then strive to put to death the old self (who you were in Adam). You begin to live as what you are—a saint—now alive in Christ. And to those who are now such “saints”—justified by grace through faith and set apart for God’s purposes—Paul extends to you God’s shalom: “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

To read the show notes and listen to the episode, follow the link below

Blessed Hope PodcastKim RiddlebargerJuly 6, 2026Holy/saints, Romans 1:6-15Comment

Happy 250th, America!

John Adams wrote to his wife, Abigail, on July 3, 1776, expressing his hopes for the new nation's annual day of celebration:
"It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more."
Let us fulfill John Adam’s wishes! No doubt, 250 years is well-worth a massive national celebration!
But as we celebrate this great day, let us not forget that this remarkable anniversary was brought to us, in part, by thousands upon thousands of men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice of their lives, treasure, and their pledge of sacred honor, so that we might live in freedom, liberty, and enjoy a prosperity of a kind previously unknown in human history.
To read the rest and see the images, use the link below

Current Events, History and Culture, Riddleblog PublicationKim RiddlebargerJuly 3, 2026Happy 250th America! Comments

Who Said That? (13)

Who Said That?

The Mosaic code contained all the laws of the Law. And today we live under the law of Christ (Gal. 6:2) or the law of the Spirit of life in Christ (Rom. 8:2). This code contains the hundreds of specific commandments recorded in the New Testament. Now the Mosaic Law was done away with in its entirety as a code . . . . All of the laws of the Mosaic code have been abolished because the code has. Specific Mosaic commands which are part of the Christian code which appear there not as a continuation of part of the Mosaic Law, or in order to be observed in some deeper sense, but specifically incorporated into that code, and as such, they are binding on believers today.

Please leave your guess in the comments section using the link below. Please no google searches or cheating. Don’t ruin it for everyone else!

Who Said That?Kim RiddlebargerJuly 1, 2026The law of Moses/law of Christ Comment

Paul -- Apostle and Servant of Christ

From Season Five/Episode Three of the Blessed Hope Podcast

As a servant of Christ and an apostle, Paul has been set apart by God for God’s purposes. Since Jesus Christ is Lord, Paul is his servant—literally his “bond-servant.” This is an image his Roman audience would easily understand, but one about which they might miss the full biblical background and significance. “Those who spoke for the Lord, such as Moses and the prophets, were sometimes called `slaves’ of the Lord, and that is probably how Paul uses the term here. He is a slave of Christ because he speaks for Christ.”[1]

Paul was called to the office of Apostle to the Gentiles nearly twenty-five years before composing this letter, while traveling along the Damascus Road on his way to hunt down and arrest Christians (cf. Acts 9:1-19). As John Calvin describes Paul’s conversion, God took a cruel wolf [Saul] and not only made him one of his sheep [Paul], but then transformed Paul into a shepherd and assigned to him the office of apostle of the Gentile flock.[2] Paul was not a dissatisfied Jew seeking something better. Rather, Paul was an avowed enemy of Jesus Christ and was, at the point of his conversion, fully confident in his own righteousness due to law-keeping (cf. Phil. 3:4-6). But Jesus suddenly appeared to him, blinded him, called him to faith, and then transformed him into an apostle.

Paul’s calling to faith in Jesus and to his apostolic office originates in the will of God—not some foreseen good in the sinful human heart which God sees and to which he responds. The verb “to call” (καλειν – kalein) refers to God’s gracious call of sinners to faith, life, and salvation through the preaching of the gospel. In this case, Paul no doubt has in mind the prior calling of God’s servants to a divine purpose, such as that experienced by Abraham (Gen. 12:1-13), Moses (Ex. 3:10), and prophets such as Jeremiah (1:4-5) and Isaiah (49:1b), when the latter writes, “the Lord called me from the womb, from the body of my mother he named my name.” Paul stands in the line of divinely appointed prophets and servants of YHWH.

To read the rest, follow the link below

The Book of Romans, Pauline StudiesKim RiddlebargerJune 29, 2026Paul Apostle and ServantComment

“Was Made Manifest” The First in an Exposition of John’s Epistles (1 John 1:1-4)

The Uniqueness of Christianity — God Incarnate

I know of no religious truth claim quite like the one found in the opening verses of John’s first epistle. According to the author (John)–who claims to be an eyewitness to the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ–God himself was manifest in human flesh in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. The author knows this to be true because with his own ears he has heard God in the flesh teach and preach. With his own eyes, John has seen God in the flesh perform miracles, demonstrate his glory, and present himself alive after his resurrection from the dead. With his own hands, John has reached out and touched the very son of God. Even as John opens this epistle, he proclaims to us that we too may have fellowship with that same incarnate word whom John describes throughout this epistle as God manifest in the flesh. Therefore, Christianity is a religion of flesh and blood, anchored in the public record of history, and not in the secret recesses of the sinful human heart.

The Background to John’s Three Short Epistles

We begin a new series—an exposition of the epistles of John. These epistles include the letters known to us as 1st , 2nd , and 3rd John. In order to interpret these epistles correctly, it is vital that we know something about the historical background and circumstances which led to their composition. Therefore, I’d like to spend some time going through this material before we turn our attention to the first four verses of John’s first epistle, in which John announces his intention to proclaim to us that Jesus is the word of life, God manifest in the flesh.

The historical circumstances which led to the writing of John’s epistles is vastly different from that of the Book of James, which we covered previously. James was written about ten years after Christ’s death, resurrection, and ascension to a group of persecuted Jewish Christians living throughout Palestine and Syria. John, on the other hand, is writing to a group of house churches in and around Ephesus (made up of Jews and Gentiles). Not only does John compose these epistles as much as a generation later than James, the churches to which he was writing were facing a number of false teachers who were denying that Jesus was God in the flesh. Sadly, many of those teaching such a thing were men who had departed from the faith they previously professed. John must deal with an entirely different set of circumstances than James. If James was the earliest letter in the New Testament, the epistles of John are surely among the last documents to be included in the canon of the New Testament.

The case is overwhelming that these three letters were written by the apostle John. Based upon the grammar and style of these three letters, there can be no doubt that they were written by the same person who composed the Gospel of John.[1] In fact, virtually every line in this epistle demonstrates some sort of similarity to, or dependance upon, the Gospel of John.[2] Although critical scholars go to unbelievable lengths to argue that these letters were not actually written by John (the apostle and associate of Jesus), they are not driven to this conclusion because of any evidence, but because of their rather ingenious but purely speculative theories about gospel origins.[3] The traditional view that the gospel and the three letters of John all came from the apostle John, still has far and away the most evidence in its favor.[4]

To read the rest, follow the link below

John's EpistlesKim RiddlebargerJune 26, 20261 John 1:1-4Comment

A Riddleblog Malfunction (ugh)

If you’ve tried to reach me via the “contact me” form in the last month or so, apparently your question or comment is floating somewhere in cyberspace. The form has always been a bit wonky, but I’ve fixed the issue (with an old school solution).

Riddleblog UpdateKim RiddlebargerJune 25, 2026Contact Me formComment

“Doubts About Assurance” -- Article Eleven, The Fifth Point of Doctrine, Canons of Dort

Article 11: Doubts Concerning This Assurance

Meanwhile, Scripture testifies that believers have to contend in this life with various doubts of the flesh and that under severe temptation they do not always experience this full assurance of faith and certainty of perseverance. But God, the Father of all comfort, “does not let them be tempted beyond what they can bear, but with the temptation he also provides a way out” (1 Cor. 10:13), and by the Holy Spirit revives in them the assurance of their perseverance.

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In this article, the Canons address the reality of doubt in the Christian life. In making this assertion, the authors are likely drawing upon several comments about doubt made by John Calvin, which are widely known and quoted throughout the Reformed tradition. In his influential Institutes of the Christian Religion, Calvin noted that “believers are never so established as not to be subject to some doubt.” (Institutes 3.2.17). And in his commentary on Mark’s gospel (Mark 9:24), when encountering a man with a demon-possessed child, Jesus told the man to believe the power and promises of God to deliver his child, and the man cried out to Jesus, “I believe, help my unbelief,” Calvin notes that “for since no perfect faith exists anywhere, it follows that we are in part unbelievers; nevertheless, God in his indulgence forgives us, and from even a small measure of faith counts us as believers” (Commentary on a Harmony of the Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, on Mark 9:24).

The article focuses upon the severe temptations believers often experience, but does not explain or address the specific reasons why true believers find themselves doubting whether or not the promises God makes to save sinners apply to them personally. The Canons state the reality of times of doubt without giving many specifics.

Indwelling sin is a fact of the Christian life—the temptation to sin is both an inward pull and an external foe. So too is the carelessness of many who neglect the means of grace (the preaching of the Word and the sacraments). In effect, such people cut themselves off from the primary way in which our assurance is strengthened: hearing the promises of God, being convicted of sin, confessing those sins, and then being assured by the pastor (or in the church’s liturgy) of the reality promised to us in 1 John 1:7–2:2.

To read the rest, follow the link below

The Canons of DortKim RiddlebargerJune 24, 2026Doubt of AssuranceComment

“The Gospel of God – Promised Beforehand” (Romans 1:1-5) A New Episode of the Blessed Hope Podcast

Episode Synopsis:

In the opening words of the Book of Romans, Paul introduces himself to a church he has never visited and to a group of fellow believers, most of whom he has never met in person. Therefore, it is important for Paul to explain his apostolic office as well his role in undertaking the Gentile mission. Paul is making travel plans which include a future visit to the city of Rome. Since the church in Rome was predominantly Gentile (with a Jewish Minority), it is important that both groups understand that all of Paul’s missionary efforts are grounded in the preaching of the Gospel of God–the death and resurrection of Jesus on behalf of sinners.

To the Jewish Christians in Rome, Paul must explain that the gospel he preaches was revealed to him by Jesus Christ who was himself a descendant of David (Israel’s greatest king), while at the same time the eternal Son of God who ushers in a new age in redemptive history. This gospel is not a message invented by Paul–a charge he’s heard previously from opponents in Galatia and Corinth. The gospel which he is about to proclaim in the balance of the letter to follow, is the same message proclaimed throughout the Old Testament–though hidden in types and shadows, and a mystery which Paul is about to explain. Furthermore, the gospel is true because its central figure (Jesus) has not only the proper Davidic genealogy, but he was raised bodily from the dead in power in accordance with the work of the Holy Spirit. By virtue of his resurrection, Jesus is the Lord–an important bit of information to those living in Rome during the days of Caesar Nero, who thinks of himself as a sort of demi-God. Nero is not Lord, Jesus is.

Since Rome is such an important place–the capital of a huge pagan empire–Paul will make the point that this gospel “promised before hand,” is a gospel for all the nations, as foretold by Israel’s prophets. This gospel summons all those called to belong to Jesus to the obedience of faith. Is faith an act of obedience in our part. Is it a work? Is it the one thing which we must do to be saved? Is there any merit in faith–something God sees and rewards. And what is so-called, “evangelical obedience?”

To read the show notes and listen to the episode, follow the link below

Blessed Hope Podcast, The Book of RomansKim RiddlebargerJune 22, 2026Son of God Son of David, the gospel of God, The obedience of faith, Romans 1:1-5Comment

Warfield on the Mysticism of Evelyn Underhill (Part One) — Hint, He’s Not a Fan

In the 1914 Princeton Theological Review, (105–123), B. B. Warfield published an in-depth review of four books written by Evelyn Underhill (1875-1941). Underhill, who was the author over 30 books, considered herself a “Christian mystic,” and wrote numerous books on the inner life, spirituality, worship, and several on mysticism. She is venerated on the liturgical calendar by several Anglican national churches, and her works are still read in a number of mainline Protestant, Roman Catholic, and even in some evangelical circles where religious experience is paramount and pursued.

If you know anything about B. B. Warfield, you know where this “review” is going. Warfield was, let’s just say, not a fan of Mrs. Underhill. As a scholar and a Kentucky-bred gentleman, Warfield was usually respectful, if tough on those who rejected the supernatural, historical, and miraculous elements of Christianity (i.e., miracles, the virgin birth, the veracity of the New Testament, etc.). When he reviewed several of her recent books in one lengthy review essay (which has been reprinted in The Works of Benjamin B. Warfield: Critical Reviews, vol. 10 (334-356), it is immediately clear that his patience with her work and influence has come to an end—the reason for his terse “review” of her efforts.

The four volumes from Underhill under review include:

Mysticism. A Study in the Nature and Development of Man’s Spiritual Consciousness (1911).

The Mystic Way. A Psychological Study in Christian Origins (1913).

Immanence. A Book of Verses (1912).

The Miracles of Our Lady Saint Mary: brought out of divers tongues and newly set forth in English (1906).

Warfield begins by recounting how Underhill’s previous and well-known novels reveal a number of her operating assumptions. The novels, “already reveal to us the intensity of her engagement with what is loosely called the mystical aspects of life, and no doubt embody, in an imaginative form, much of what she would consider symbolically at least wholesome instruction for our sense-preoccupied world" (334).

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B. B. WarfieldKim RiddlebargerJune 19, 2026MysticismComment

Hitler As An Antichrist Figure (Redux)

Note: This was originally posted on the Riddleblog in December of 2020 and has become surprising relevant again

Hitler as an Antichrist Figure

How did the ordinary-looking child (pictured above) become an antichrist figure, the maniacal leader of a "Christian" nation such as Germany—as pictured in the second image?

Uncovering the answer to this question has kept many capable historians busy since the Second World War. But evangelical theologians and Bible prophecy experts, who may have genuine insight into providing an answer, have largely remained silent.

One reason for this silence regarding Adolf Hitler as an antichrist figure is that many who write in the field of eschatology these days tend to push the discussion of the two beasts in Revelation 13 back into the distant past. In Revelation 13, John sees one beast rising out of the sea (Rev. 13:1-10), and another beast rising out of the earth (Rev. 13:11-18). This understanding of Revelation 13 is obvious because of the historical connection between these two "beasts" and imperial Rome and its self-deified Caesars. This is characteristic of the preterist reading of Revelation, which contends that the Apocalypse was written before 70 CE and speaks of the destruction of Jerusalem, it's temple, along God's judgment upon Israel in the form of the Diaspora.

Others interested in biblical prophecy (futurists) tend to see the events of Revelation 13 as something yet to come during a future tribulation period. Many futurists see John's description as a prophetic warning of a revived Roman empire, unleashing its full fury in the final days upon those who remain "left behind" after the rapture, now forced to face the Antichrist during the seven-year tribulation period.

On both of these views, there is no reason to look for "antichrists" manifesting themselves during the inter-advental period--i.e., in the present course of history. Either the beast has come and gone (the preterist view), or is yet to come (the futurist view). Although some futurists identified Hitler as the beast and Mussolini as the false prophet in the years before the Second World War, now that these two famed fascists have met their respective fates, there is little reason to tie them to antichrist imagery.

As I have argued in my book The Man of Sin, the preterist identification of the two beasts of Revelation 13 with Rome is largely correct, but significantly errs by not seeing the first-century Roman empire's persecution of Christians as an example of the kind of persecution which Christians should expect throughout the entire inter-advental period. In other words, what John describes in Revelation 13, is a reality for the seven churches to which the Book of Revelation (Rev. 2-3) is addressed. But it is also indicative of the kind of persecution Christians will face at various times and places throughout the entire inter-advental period. To put it yet another way, the two beasts are historically tied to Rome, but these beasts also epitomize subsequent manifestations of Satanic opposition to Christ's church and his people, until the Lord returns.

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Current Events, History and Culture, Riddleblog PublicationKim RiddlebargerJune 17, 2026Hitler as AntichristComment

Some Thoughts on Why Paul Composed His Epistle to the Romans

From Season Five, Episode Two, Of the Blessed Hope Podcast

Why did Paul compose this letter? Romans is Paul’s longest letter and written to a church that neither he nor his coworkers had founded. People often speak of the Book of Romans as though Paul were writing a systematic treatise on the Christian faith. Phillip Melanchthon famously described Romans as a compendium of Christian doctrine refuting Romanism.[1] As Roman Catholic biblical scholar, Joseph Fitzmyer points out, “one can almost write the history of Christian theology by surveying the ways in which Romans has been interpreted.”[2] No doubt true and a very good point worth considering.

Yes, Paul does have a systematic core of doctrinal beliefs expressed at many points throughout Romans, but this epistle is written to the church in Rome likely to introduce himself and explain his future travel plans which included a visit to the city.[3] While Romans does address a particular set of circumstances (focusing upon the relationship between Jews and Gentiles in the church, along with the nature of God’s righteousness which revealed in the gospel), the Book of Romans is not a systematic theology of the Christian faith in any modern sense of the term.[4]

Many interpreters of the Book of Romans have attempted to identify a single theme which dominates the letter.[5] Yet Paul says little about why he composed this letter, although in the introduction (verses 1-15) he does speak of his future travel plans. He informs the Roman congregation that he hopes to go to Spain after his trip to Jerusalem is completed, and if he does, he will stop and visit the church in Rome on his way back from Jerusalem, and then go on to Spain.[6] His desire to make this trip is expressed again at the end of the letter in Romans 15:25. When Paul employs Tertius to set his words to parchment, Paul is still in Corinth–things there apparently calmer–getting ready to make his way to Jerusalem to deliver the offering for the poor collected from the Corinthians and the churches of Macedonia as recounted in Acts 20-21.[7] But so far, he tells the Romans, he has been prevented from making his way to Spain because present circumstances require him to take care of other matters before that can happen (cf. Romans 1:13; 15:22).

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Pauline Studies, Blessed Hope Podcast, The Book of RomansKim RiddlebargerJune 15, 2026Why Did Paul Write Romans?Comment

“The Prayer of Faith” The Eleventh and Concluding Exposition in a Series on the Book of James (James 5:12-20)

The Prayer of faith Is Not An “Abracadabra” for Healing

What is the most important thing that a persecuted and suffering church can do? The answer is so obvious that we easily overlook it. Pray!

In the final verses of his epistle, James wraps up with an exhortation to the suffering Christians of the Dispersion to seek the power of God through prayer. James reminds them that prayer is the means through which God sustains his people, especially during times of great trial. Sadly, many in our day have turned James’s exhortation to pray for healing into a mantra through which God will supposedly heal all of our diseases–if only we dare claim what is rightfully ours. Instead of seeing James’s exhortation to pray as the means through which God sustains us in the midst of our trials, faith-healers, and prosperity gospelers have turned James’s words into a magical “abracadabra” supposedly enabling us to “claim our miracle.”

It always amazes me that persecuted Jewish Christians to whom James is writing would never understood James in this way, yet prosperous Americans, who have never known a moment of persecution in their lives, take James to be promising them health and wealth. But what James is doing is reminding persecuted Christians that God has heard their cries, and that he stands ever ready to help in time of need. All we need do is ask.

Wrapping Up

With this post, we conclude our series on the Book of James as we make our way through the final verses of chapter five. I hope this series has been as helpful and interesting to you as it has been to me. There is much here for us and I hope you now feel as at home in the Book of James as you do in the letters of Paul.

While some have thought that the Book of James is nothing more than warmed over Jewish legalism, we have seen how that sentiment could not be further from the truth. James does not contradict Paul when it comes to justification. When interpreted correctly, James reminds us of the importance of good works, as well as the need for us to be more than mere “hearers” of the word. In fact, James has taught us that it is God who brings us forth (from death to life) through the preached word which he implants within us, thereby ensuring that we hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

James exhorts struggling Christians to draw near to God, because James knows God’s promise that God will draw near to us whenever we seek his face. James reminds that when we humble ourselves, God responds by exalting us. James tells us that whenever we seek God’s grace, God is willing to give us even more grace. James is very clear that from beginning to end, the Christian life is grounded in the grace of God, who has promised to see us through all of the trials of life. The way in which God sees us through the trials of life is through prayer, the subject of this exposition.

Waiting Patiently

As we turn to the final section of James 5, we pick up with verse 12, which we briefly considered last time. Then we’ll take up James’s discussion of prayer, beginning in verse 13. One of the difficulties in interpreting the Book of James can be seen with verses like this which seem disconnected from what has gone before or comes after. It is hard to tell whether verse 12 goes with the preceding–James’s warning to those rich landowners who were exploiting Jewish Christians who were forced to leave Jerusalem to seek safety in areas to the north and east of the city–or does it go with what follows, “above all” being James directive that not swearing an oath is the most important exhortation in this letter.

As displaced refugees, many of James’s readers were now forced to eke out a living, finding themselves at the mercy of those landowners who were, apparently, withholding wages from these refugees. After reminding his readers that Jesus’s return was imminent–hence, God’s judgment was soon to come upon those who persecuted God’s people–James tells them that they should wait patiently for the Lord, because in the meantime believers can surely count upon the Lord’s compassion and mercy to sustain them in the midst of their trials. Since James’s readers are largely Jewish converts to Christianity, they knew the story of Job, as well as the history of Israel’s prophets who had suffered greatly at the hands of their own people. Those who know the Old Testament know that God is always faithful to his suffering people, just as he will be faithful to those to whom James is writing.

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The Epistle of JamesKim RiddlebargerJune 12, 2026Prayer of Faith, James 5:12-20Comment

“The Ground of This Assurance” -- Article Ten, The Fifth Point of Doctrine, Canons of Dort

“The Ground of This Assurance”

Accordingly, this assurance does not derive from some private revelation beyond or outside the Word, but from faith in the promises of God which he has very plentifully revealed in his Word for our comfort, from the testimony “of the Holy Spirit testifying with our spirit that we are God’s children and heirs” (Rom. 8:16–17), and finally from a serious and holy pursuit of a clear conscience and of good works. And if God’s chosen ones in this world did not have this well-founded comfort that the victory will be theirs and this reliable guarantee of eternal glory, they would be of all people most miserable.

________________________________________

The assurance of one’s salvation is not strictly a theological matter, but essentially a pastoral one. How can God’s people live in the knowledge that God will deliver them from the guilt and power of sin, despite the flesh (the sinful nature) continuing to create sinful thoughts and desires within which often manifest in sinful acts and behaviors? Anyone who has ever wrestled with the question, “how can I know that I will be saved?” has dealt with the matter addressed in this article.

The Dutch Arminians (along with Roman Catholics) contend that the Reformed view of the assurance of one’s salvation (that you can presently know that you will be saved) leads to the sin of presumption—we presume that God will save us despite the possibility of serious future sin and the possibility of apostasy (falling away). The challenge raised is that a Christian may believe the gospel at present, but cannot be assured that at some future point they will not fall into serious sin or renounce the faith. To presume that we can have such assurance, it is claimed, makes people indifferent to sin and lazy and careless in the pursuit of holiness. “If I can’t lose my salvation (and have a false assurance that I will not) then what motive do I have to avoid sin or strive to make progress in the Christian life.” The critics of the Reformed view often opt for suitable motivation through asserting that the Christian life is grounded in the “fear of punishment and hope of reward.”

In previous articles under the fifth head of doctrine, the Canons addressed the reality of indwelling sin in believers, and emphasized the fact that despite the temptations and struggles of the Christian life, true believers will persevere to the end of their lives in faith and repentance because Jesus preserves them through his present work as mediator and intercessor.

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The Canons of DortKim RiddlebargerJune 10, 2026The Assurance of SalvationComment

"Rome in the Days of Paul" -- A New Episode of the Blessed Hope Podcast

Episode Synopsis:

When Paul writes his letter to the church in Rome, he is still in Corinth, having made a difficult visit there to deal with the ongoing problems in the Corinthian church, which we addressed in Season Four (when we covered 2 Corinthians). But things have improved in Corinth to the point that Paul is making plans to continue his Gentile mission. Before that can happen, Paul must make the journey to Jerusalem to deliver the offering collected from the churches in Greece. Having done that, Paul hopes to go on to Spain (at the opposite end of the Mediterranean Sea). The midpoint between Jerusalem and Spain is the Italian peninsula and the city of Rome. So Paul writes a letter of introduction to the church there, a letter which we now know as Paul’s Epistle to the Romans.

Paul is unquestionably the author of Romans. His epistle was sent by messenger – a woman named Phoebe – from Corinth to Rome early in 57 CE. In this letter, the apostle addresses a number of matters which we will discuss in great detail in future episodes. But if we are to boil down the contents of Romans to a single word, that word would be “gospel.” Paul does not say much about the church to which he is writing–he’s never been there. But we do know from the contents of this letter that like other churches of the Gentile mission, the Roman church was predominantly Gentile, though a number of Jews in Rome had come to faith in Jesus Christ. And so Paul must explain how these two groups fit in God’s larger plan and how they are to get along with each other despite their cultural and religious differences. Paul does this by stressing that both Jews and Gentiles are reckoned righteous, reconciled to the same God through the work of the same Savior in the power of the Holy Spirit, and this through the preaching of the one gospel.

Many Christians are familiar with the Book of Romans, but are likely far less familiar with the city, the situation there, and the recipients of this letter. What was Rome like in the days of Paul? What was it like to be an inhabitant of the city? How did you live, and under what circumstances? Where did you eat or work? What was it like to live under the reign of Nero? Life was brutal and cruel for many of the city’s inhabitants, but luxurious by first-century standards for others. Why were the Jews expelled twice from the city? And how did the gospel first arrive in the capital of this powerful pagan empire? It is an interesting story and I’ll do my best to tell it.

To read the show notes and listen to the episode, follow the link below

Blessed Hope PodcastKim RiddlebargerJune 8, 2026Rome in the Days of PaulComment