Gentle Reformation
  • Home
  • About
  • Authors
  • Search
  • Support Us
Subscribe
Jeffrey A Stivason

Jeffrey A Stivason

Jeffrey A Stivason (Ph.D. Westminster Theological Seminary) is a pastor (Grace RPC, graceingibsonia.org) and NT professor at RPTS in Pittsburgh, PA. He is also editor at placefortruth.com.

21 posts •
happiness

Anna Karenina, David, & Happiness

June 08, 2023

I have nearly finished reading Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy and I think that it should be read by every seminarian. Why? Because Tolstoy, like many older authors, made human nature a lifelong

Jeffrey A Stivason Jeffrey A Stivason

The Confession & Hard Providences

May 03, 2023

I can imagine the widow of Nain walking beside the casket of her son, her only son. Her support now gone, she trembles from the aching loss and the fear of insecurity. Or

Jeffrey A Stivason Jeffrey A Stivason
Shepherding

The Heart of Christ

April 05, 2023

The book of Hebrews is an incredibly valuable book. It is a superb theological text. Of course, it’s not a complete theology, but the theology in the book is impeccable.  For example,

Jeffrey A Stivason Jeffrey A Stivason

A Pastoral Lesson from the Past

March 16, 2023

In 2024 I will have been in the pastoral ministry for thirty years. However, almost twenty years ago I started reading some books that have become a yearly literary staple.  They are the

Jeffrey A Stivason Jeffrey A Stivason
Forgiveness

Letham & Turretin Debate Forgiveness

March 01, 2023

I love a good systematic theology.  Benjamin B. Warfield reminds the preacher that systematic theology is indispensable to the preacher.  So, being a preacher, not long ago I took Robert Letham’s Systematic

Jeffrey A Stivason Jeffrey A Stivason
Rich man and Lazarus

One Difference

February 14, 2023

The story of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31 is well-known. So well known is it that we read over the details without giving them much thought. So, let’s

Jeffrey A Stivason Jeffrey A Stivason
Shepherding

The Ministry of the Lord's Servant

January 05, 2023

Young men often romanticize the ministry. I know I did. I was in another denomination when the Lord called me to the ministry. A committee met with me and one of the men

Jeffrey A Stivason Jeffrey A Stivason
Bible

"Just the facts, Ma'am"

December 21, 2022

How is it possible for humans to interpret the world around us? I mean, interpret it properly. Let me put it differently. What is the pre-condition for the ability to interpret the world

Jeffrey A Stivason Jeffrey A Stivason

Stay Awake!

December 07, 2022

When the Lord says in Luke 12:35, “Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning…” we immediately begin nosing around the text looking for what it means to “stay dressed” and

Jeffrey A Stivason Jeffrey A Stivason

Living in Meshech & Kedar

October 19, 2022

The Psalms are an invitation to experience the Psalmist’s experience. That must be clarified. The Psalmist often provides us with just enough information so that we cannot locate the Psalm in any

Jeffrey A Stivason Jeffrey A Stivason
persuasion

The Art of Persuasion

September 21, 2022

Perhaps the most difficult aspect of pastoral work is the work of persuasion. In other words, how do we persuade others? How do we persuade unbelievers to see the beauty of Christ (II

Jeffrey A Stivason Jeffrey A Stivason
King James only

Edward Hills & a Strange Providence

September 08, 2022

Anyone familiar with debates over Bible translations knows that they can become intense. However, those who advocate that the King James Version of the Bible is the only faithful version can treat the

Jeffrey A Stivason Jeffrey A Stivason

The Federal Vision

August 17, 2022

What is Federal Vision (FV)? Can it be defined or described? It is true that there is diversity in the movement, which makes definition difficult.  However, there is a good deal of unity

Jeffrey A Stivason Jeffrey A Stivason

"When I'm at White Lake!"

August 07, 2022

My wife and I were in white Lake, NY this past week. It is a beautiful area situated in the midst of the picturesque Catskill Mountains near Bethel, NY. Some of you may

Jeffrey A Stivason Jeffrey A Stivason
Bible

Benjamin B Warfield and the Preservation of Scripture

July 19, 2022

The careful reader of the Westminster Confession will notice that the preservation of Scripture is not described as “immediate” as was inspiration.  Instead the Confession speaks of God’s “singular care and providence”

Jeffrey A Stivason Jeffrey A Stivason
abortion

Roe, Dobbs & King Jesus

July 06, 2022

Several years ago I read Russell Kirk’s The Roots of American Order. Kirk argued, “The the law is revealed to save man from self destruction.”[1]However, by “save” he meant “restrain.

Jeffrey A Stivason Jeffrey A Stivason
Voting

Church, Polls & a Few Lessons

June 14, 2022

This story begins in November of last year.  While voting I noticed that there was a need for a Majority Inspector of Elections in my county.  The ballot was blank and so I

Jeffrey A Stivason Jeffrey A Stivason
Good Works

To Be Useful

May 18, 2022

He surely saw him from the boat. The Lord watched the erratic and unstable demoniac who was as unruly as the storm he had recently silenced.  The man’s appearance alone made him

Jeffrey A Stivason Jeffrey A Stivason

A Lord's Day Morning Meditation

April 24, 2022

It’s the Lord’s Day morning and I have a window that looks out over the Oswego River. This morning I am going to attend church at the Oswego Reformed Presbyterian Church.

Jeffrey A Stivason Jeffrey A Stivason
literature

The Reader, the Bible & His Presence

April 20, 2022

Recently, I have been reading Terry Eagleton’s book, How to Read Literature. Eagleton is as entertaining as he is insightful. He reminds us readers, for example, that Heathcliff does not exist outside

Jeffrey A Stivason Jeffrey A Stivason
gender issues

Senses, Faith & Gender

April 14, 2022

When I was a teen, I struggled with obsessive compulsive behavior (or what some might tag as OCD). I simply couldn’t get it into my head that the oven was off or

Jeffrey A Stivason Jeffrey A Stivason
Gentle Reformation © 2023
Latest Posts Facebook Twitter Ghost