RamistThomist
Puritanboard Clerk
Did Van Til address the Covenant of Works? I am curious because of his proximity to the Shepherd controversy and the influence of Schilder, the latter having held the CoW in reserve.
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Van Til was quite elderly during the Shepherd controversy. It has been suggested by people who witnessed it that VT might not have been at his sharpest in terms of really knowing what was going on. He had been overheard to say, for instance, that "Shepherd was right because Bill Bright is wrong." Also, because I think VT trusted Gaffin at the time, that is probably why he supported Shepherd. Gaffin, of course, was a close friend of Shepherd, and therefore has only gradually come to see the problems in Shepherd's theology. Plus, Gaffin is not a controversialist. I don't see any trace of Schilder in VT. I agree that Bavinck and Vos are the greatest influences in VT's theology.
What was the Shepherd issue?Van Til was quite elderly during the Shepherd controversy. It has been suggested by people who witnessed it that VT might not have been at his sharpest in terms of really knowing what was going on. He had been overheard to say, for instance, that "Shepherd was right because Bill Bright is wrong." Also, because I think VT trusted Gaffin at the time, that is probably why he supported Shepherd. Gaffin, of course, was a close friend of Shepherd, and therefore has only gradually come to see the problems in Shepherd's theology. Plus, Gaffin is not a controversialist. I don't see any trace of Schilder in VT. I agree that Bavinck and Vos are the greatest influences in VT's theology.
Reading through those links the Brother provided, what struck me, was that how much that dispute among Reformed mirrored to a large extent the discussions revolving around Lordship salvation that broke out among Baptists.In addition to the fine resources Jacob has linked, O. Palmer Robertson's book The Current Justification Controversy is a good, concise, but accurate representation of what happened.
Sort of. Lordship controversy is between true Gospel believers and true antinomians. The antinomians (or some of those accused by Shepherd, et al. are not antinomians at all just like legalists or proto-Fv).Reading through those links the Brother provided, what struck me, was that how much that dispute among Reformed mirrored to a large extent the discussions revolving around Lordship salvation that broke out among Baptists.
The Big problem with Baptist circles regarding the Lordship issue was that neither side was really accepting what was held and believed, as those holding to Lordship saw "easy believism" on other side, and those on other side saw the Lordship ones advocating a kind of Christian legalism.Sort of. Lordship controversy is between true Gospel believers and true antinomians. The antinomians (or some of those accused by Shepherd, et al. are not antinomians at all just like legalists or proto-Fv).