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Dear Friends,
I love to receive emails. You can imagine that I receive a great amount
of email as a result of this Reformed online ministry. However, as
a result of receiving so many, I would like to set down some rules:
1. I will always read every email sent.
2. I will always respond in some way to every email sent; as the Lord
gives me time.
Educational Homework and Papers:
3. I will not do your homework for you if you are in school and
doing a paper on the Puritans. I will be glad to guide to you good books
or websites which may have information on your topic. So please be sure
you do not ask to me to write down everything I know about the puritans
on "worship" and send it to you, or something like that.
Differing on a Theological Topic
4. If you differ theologically on a given doctrine, I will be glad
to correspond with you on the topic if my time permits. However,
I will certainly direct you to read certain books. I will not reinvent
the wheel on a topic. Retyping what has already been written is busy
work which eats up far too much time. Email is not the best way to
debate a theological topic in any great length. So do not be surprised
if I exhort you to read the best Puritan work on a given subject. Yes, I
am apt and able to defend every position I have on this website in great
detail, but I do not have the time to do so in writing!
Arminians, Amyraldians, Roman Catholics, and the Like
5. If you are an Arminian, or an Amyraldian, or anything less than a 5
point Calvinist (i.e. a 4 point "Calvinist", 3 point "Calvinist", etc.)
then I would expect you to read at least 1 of the following: John Owen's
work The Death of Death in the Death of Christ, Lorraine
Boettner's book The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination, The
Freedom of the Will by Jonathan Edwards, Calvin's Calvinism
by John Calvin, Calvin's Bondage and Liberation of the Will, and
Luther's Bondage of the Will, Please do this BEFORE you begin
arguing with me over the efficacy of the work of Christ and free will.
That is where I will direct you when you email me.
6. If you are Roman Catholic and Desire to debate the authority of the
Bible or of the Apocryphal books, I will direct you to read
Disputations on Holy Scripture, by William Whitaker, or Earnest
Hours, by Christopher Plumer, first.
Any Questions Gladly Accepted
7. I am open to discuss any questions you may have on any topic. I am
not the final say on a topic, or the greatest authority (not by far). I
will direct you to those better than I if needs be, especially to the
Westminster Standards which exemplify the Biblical picture of theology
so well.
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Biblical Counseling
8. I am open to give biblical counsel on any practical matter you may
have, but be sure to keep in mind that I will ultimately direct you to
nearby pastoral oversight if the correspondence becomes too involved for
email. All counsel is derived from the Bible and I practice noetic
counseling given the fallen state of man's nature.
Yelling At Me Because You Think I Am In Theological Error
9. As with any Christian, I am willing to learn and improve
theologically. I am not willing to "debate" for "debating" sake. That
has a place, but right now is not the time. My time is limited. If you
want to debate theology, then go to my web-board and debate online (www.puritanboard.com)
with 900 other people who like to do that too. If you think I am in
error on a subject, please email me with Scriptural information. I have,
as of late, received emails where people are just venting their views
without rationality, or without willingness to search the Bible or
adhere to Sola Scriptura. I am more than willing to discuss
theology, but I am not willing to be sounding board for your theological
frustrations. I say that with respect, but at the same time, people
think I get one or two emails a month - this is not the case. I get
hundreds of emails daily from all over the world from people who would
like to talk about theology in email discourse. That is just way too
much correspondence for me to handle while engaged in doctoral work
right now. Please be considerate and email me because you want to
discuss Scripture, not just to vent your frustrations.
I await your letters!
Check the FAQ page for answers to your questions first.
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