“The Message of Cornelius Van Til” by John M. Frame

Beneath all of Cornelius Van Til’s technical terminology and philosophical depth was a warm faith in Jesus Christ. He loved to quote the first question and answer of the Heidelberg Catechism: What is your only comfort in life and in death?

 

That I, with body and soul, both in life and in death, am not my own, but belong to my faithful savior Jesus Christ, who with his precious blood has fully satisfied for all my sins, and redeemed me from all the power of the devil; and so preserves me that without the will of my Father in heaven not a hair can fall from my head; yea, that all things must work together for my salvation. Wherefore, by his Holy Spirit, he also assures me of eternal life, and makes me heartily willing and ready henceforth to live unto him.

 

At the most fundamental level, that was the message of Dr. Van Til. He saw his work in apologetics and theology as a form of preaching, preaching that wonderful, warm, comforting gospel. …