Published work
Where Sin Abounds
The Spread of Sin and the Curse in Genesis with Special Focus on the Patriarchal Narratives
A study of sin and its consequences across the narratives of Genesis.
About the author
Robert R. Gonzales Jr. is a biblical scholar and Reformed Baptist Seminary faculty member whose work includes Old Testament interpretation and biblical theology.
He is the author of Where Sin Abounds and has contributed to theological journals as well as the Reformed Baptist Blog archive.
BOOKS & WRITING
From the author’s pen.
Articles & contributions
Family Worship: Some Practical Guidelines
Having considered the decline of family worship, as well as some biblical principles and positive benefits to support its practice, I’d now like to offer several basic guidelines that should govern our thinking and practice as we endeavor to implement family worship in our homes.
Family Worship: Some Positive Benefits
Having considered the decline of family worship (Part 1) and some biblical support for its practice (Part 2), we look now at some positive benefits, which in turn supply another argument for its restoration. As Paul instructs us in 1 Corinthians 10:31, “Whether we eat, drink, or whatever we do, we’re to do all to…
Family Worship: Its Biblical Basis
In Part 1, we defined family worship as “the occasion in which the members of a given family gather together in order to participate in special acts of worship, such as the singing of praise, the reading and hearing of Scripture, and the offering of prayer to God.” In this segment of our study, we’ll…
Family Worship: Its Decline
I attended a Christian University along with 5,000 other students, most of whom came from Christian homes. Although I never conducted an official survey, my general impression was that very few of my fellow Christian students had grown up in homes where family worship had been regularly practiced. It was a foreign concept to most…
Choosing & Using a Confession of Faith
If we grant the legitimacy and usefulness of a confession of faith, we’re faced with two practical questions: first, what particular confession of faith should a local church or collective body of churches adopt? And, second, what type or level of confessional subscription should such a church or body of churches require of its officers…
Confessional Subscription: Its Terms and Types
We normally associate the term “subscription” with signing up to receive certain periodicals, journals, and/or magazines to which we’ve “subscribed.” In religious or ecclesiastical parlance, however, the terms “subscription” or “subscribe” when tied to a doctrinal creed or confession refers to one’s affirmation of, agreement with, and commitment to a fixed body of doctrines or…
The Validity & Value of Confessions
The tensions were high. In June of 1922, the Northern Baptist Convention convened under the theme, “Agreed to Differ, but Resolved to Love.” One might dispute whether the resolution was successfully carried out. But no one will debate that they “agreed to differ.” The tensions were high.
The Baptist Confession on Lawful Oaths and Vows
In the seventeenth century, certain sects of Christendom, such as the Anabaptists and, later, the Quakers, denied the legitimacy of taking oaths or making vows. The teaching of this chapter was designed to clarify the meaning and confirm the lawfulness of oaths and vows when properly used. The Baptist Confession (2LCF) retains the substance of…
Confessional Subscription: Strict vs. Substantial
We normally associate the term “subscription” with an arrangement to receive a certain number of periodicals, journals, and/or magazines to which we’ve “subscribed.” In religious or ecclesiastical parlance, however, the terminology “subscription” or “subscribe” when predicated of a creed, confession, or doctrinal statement refers to one’s agreement with or affirmation of a fixed body of doctrines or articles of faith that are officially representative…
Joy Comes in the Mourning
Do you know what it’s like to feel the sorrow of a bereaved mother? A mother’s life is wrapped up in the care and well-being of her children. When those children are taken away from her or, worse, when they’re wantonly slaughtered before her eyes, it’s like ripping out her heart. She feels empty. She feels as if she no longer has…