Last year, The Daily Wire published twenty hours of Jordan Peterson and friends talking about the Gospels. As Peterson and his erudite colleagues began the series, many of the panelists remarked on the way in which Christianity, the gospel, and the Gospels were experiencing a recovery of interest in the West. Whereas the New Atheism, which surfaced at the turn of the twenty-first century, largely rejected Christianity and its founding documents, even men like Richard Dawkins (one of the four horsemen of the “New Atheists”) has more recently lamented the loss of cultural Christianity.
Accordingly, many non-Christians have begun to recognize the way that Christianity is a necessary source for the Western Tradition. Apparently, they have looked around to see militant Islam overrunning European cities, while transgender ideology has continued to mutilate children in America. Clearly, the cultural upheaval over the last few decades has made a few people wake up to what they have lost.
Equally, there has been a rise in the public discussions about Christ and the Bible. For instance, Joe Rogan interviewed Bible apologist Wesley Huff, while Russell Brand has confessed Christ as his Lord and has been seen commending the work of Joe Boot, a regular contributor to Christ Over All. In this cultural context, it may not be strange to see Jordan Peterson discuss the Bible with a dozen intellectuals. After all, he has been citing the Bible for years—both online and on lecture circuit.
Still, for all the ways that the Bible has found a place in public discourse, the question remains: What are these Christians and non-Christians saying about the Bible? Are they rightly handling the Word of God? Or are they only using the Bible to prop up some other cultural project or to espouse their own ideological pre-commitments? In truth, this question is not new. At least, it is not new in America.
In his two books on the Bible (In the Beginning Was the Word: The Bible in American Public Life, 1492–1783 and America’s Book: The Rise and Decline of a Bible Civilization, 1794–1911), Mark Noll identifies ways the Americans—before and after the founding—used the Bible for political and social ends. While the Bible played a vital role in the formation of America, it is debatable as to the ways in which pastors, politicians, pundits, and professors rightly understood it. Likewise, as Michael Legaspi framed it in The Death of Scripture and the Rise of Biblical Studies, the “academic Bible” became an object of scrutiny instead of retaining its role as a divine source of revelation and command.
Long story short, in a country founded upon and filled with biblical language, customs, and commitments, we must still ask the question: But what does the Bible mean? It is not sufficient to simple answer the postmodern question: What does the Bible mean to me? We must understand Scripture on its own terms and then to help others to do the same. While we can celebrate the return of the Bible in popular conversation and spaces of intellectual debate, we cannot assume that its presence is sufficient to spark a revival.
That said, no revival, spiritual renewal, or cultural restoration can be had without the Bible. Thus, we can and should celebrate these recent shifts, even as we pray that God would give spiritual light. Yet, if spiritual light is going to come, the Bible must be read and understood properly. For truly, it is not the presence of the Bible that brings life; it is the right preaching and believing of the Bible that brings change.
And so, that means with this revival of interest in the Bible, and the Gospels in particular, we need to engage with what is being said. For that reason, we are devoting this whole month to the Gospels, including Jordan Peterson’s recent work. We need to see what he gets right and what he doesn’t. And who knows, maybe if he learns about our project, he’ll want to talk to us. You can pray for that opportunity.
In short, our hope this month is to consider the four Evangelists—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Each year, Christ Over All wants to devote at least one month to a biblical book (or books), and this year it is the Gospels. And so, we have recruited a host of New Testament scholars, pastors, and theologians to give us an introduction to each book and to help us understand the corpus, as a whole.
Lord willing, this month will help you better appreciate and understand what the Gospels are, so that you might discern ways that the Gospels are misused or denied in the public square. All month long, we will be looking at these four witnesses to help us receive and believe the one true Gospel. And if you know anyone who would benefit from this month, please share it with them.
The Nicene Creed: 1700 Years of Homoousios
Before moving on to August, however, let me offer a few reflections on the last month. In July, we looked the Council of Nicea (325), as well as the history and doctrine that emerged from the Nicene Creed. As we celebrate 1700 years of the homoousios—the fact that Jesus the Son is of the same substance or essence as God the Father—we have taken time to help scholars and Sunday School teachers alike to remember why this creed is so important. Even more, as some today have forsaken the Baptist faith citing the pursuit of Nicene orthodoxy, we have sought to provide Baptists with countless reasons for affirming Nicea and the Second London Confession.
In fact, the Second London Baptist Confession, following the Westminster Confession of Faith, is thoroughly Nicene in its statements. And as such, Baptists should have no trouble reconciling the two. And expounding these biblical commitments, this month provided the pre-history leading up to the Council of Nicea and the post-history that saw the debates of Athanasius and Arius lead to the Nicene Creed of 381, when the bishops gathered again in Constantinople.
Equally, our month provided reflections on each section of the creed, from the Father, to the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We looked at how a major distinction between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism really flows down from a difference in understanding the Trinity; Rome elevates Mary and the entity of the Roman Catholic Church to share roles reserved for members of the Trinity. To better understand how to understand the Trinity, we also published on the person and nature distinction, and how it has been clarified over time. We also looked at the statement about the church—“one, holy, catholic, and apostolic.” And getting further into the details, we looked at how God the Son is distinguished from God the Father by eternal generation and whether Mary ought be called “the mother of God” and why that matters. We explored how the Nicene Creed contains the fundamental elements of the gospel, how it helps us to read our Bibles better, and how it is insufficient as the only grounds for unity. We rounded out the month with a call to preach the Nicene Creed, along with a few pointers on how to do this well.
The 1700 year anniversary of Nicaea was not the only milestone this month. This month we acknowledged the 100 year anniversary of the Scopes Trial, a trial that sadly helped pave the way for a wider acceptance of evolutionism—in part due to critical missteps of William Jennings Bryan. We also commemorated the homecoming of Pastor John F. MacArthur Jr., who died at age 86 after pastoring Grace Community Church for around fifty-six years. We mourn the loss of this giant in the faith, and we are grateful to God for his tenacious commitment to the Bible no matter the cost. While we have our respectful differences in some areas, we have sought to share MacArthur’s ethos by confidently apply the whole counsel of God to every area of life, both public and private. You can read our tribute here.
Another way we have sought to imitate MacArthur is by occasionally addressing problems within the church—or in our case, the group of churches that comprise the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). In March 2025, we published an entire month on the SBC’s public policy arm—the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC). The ERLC was led by Brent Leatherwood, who largely carried on the leftward-leaning political legacy of Russell Moore. Our goal was to soberly and civilly identify problem areas in the ERLC along with possible solutions for its future.
At the Southern Baptist Convention a few months later in June of 2025, almost 43% of the messengers representing SBC churches nationwide voted to abolish the ERLC. While that vote fell short, on July 31 of this year, Brent Leatherwood resigned as ERLC President. We wish Brent well for the future, and we hope that this development will lead to needed change in this entity. Would you pray with us for the trustees of the ERLC, that the new ERLC president they appoint will restore confidence in this entity and lead it to represent more accurately the interests of Southern Baptists in Washington, D.C.? This is a pivotal season.
If you missed any of this past month’s article, or if you know of anyone who would benefit from them, we’ve include the list below, with the longform essays and podcasts in bold.
- The Trinitarian Framework of the Nicene Creed by Leonardo de Chirico • Concise Article • All attempts to point to ‘Nicene Christianity’ and ‘creedal orthodoxy’ as the common ground between Roman Catholicism and evangelicalism are historically simplistic and theologically superficial. How the trinitarian framework is received, believed, and applied indicates a significant distance between the two traditions despite formal points of agreement. The words used are the same, but the theological worlds they open are different.
- 4.30 Kyle Claunch, David Schrock, Stephen Wellum • Interview • “God the Father: Namesake of all Fatherhood” by Kyle Claunch, David Schrock, Stephen Wellum • Interview • Listen in as David Schrock and Stephen Wellum interview Kyle Claunch on his Christ Over All essay: “God the Father: Namesake of all Fatherhood”
- On the Trail of Orthodoxy: The Person-Nature Distinction in the Nicene Creed and Beyond by Michael Wilkinson • Concise Article • Nothing is as vital for understanding the doctrine of the Trinity as the distinction between ‘natures’ and ‘persons.’ The distinction is simple to initially grasp, and yet is one of the deepest mysteries of Christian theology. How and why did the Nicene theologians develop this doctrine? And how can we still use it today?
- Creeds and the Gospel: From the Beginnings to the Council of Nicaea (325) by Donald Fairbairn • Longform Essay • Should we abandon man-made confessions of faith and instead have “no creed but Christ”? Enter the Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D.
- 4.31 Donald Fairbairn • Reading • “Creeds and the Gospel: From the Beginnings to the Council of Nicaea (325)” by Donald Fairbairn • Longform Reading • Should we abandon man-made confessions of faith and instead have “no creed but Christ”? Enter the Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D.
- God the Father Almighty: The Trinitarian Depth of the First Article of the Creed by Kyle Claunch • Concise Article • To rightly understand the true Son, one must rightly understand how the Son relates to the Father. This is our God!
- One Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God by Stephen Wellum • Concise Article • Is the Jesus of the Nicene Creed different than the Jesus of the Scriptures?
- On The Holy Spirit by Robert Lyon • Concise Article • The Holy Spirit seems like an afterthought in the first version of the Nicene Creed. Discover the glories hidden in the creed’s short statement, and why they were expanded in the Creed we have today.
- Christ Came for Us Men and for our Salvation by Harrison Perkins • Concise Article • Is the gospel a mere historical announcement of what Jesus has done? Or does it include a call to embrace a personal salvation that Jesus was sent down to accomplish?
- 4.32 “Creeds and the Gospel: From the Beginnings to the Council of Nicaea (325)” by Donald Fairbairn, David Schrock, Stephen Wellum • Interview • Listen in as David Schrock and Stephen Wellum interview Donald Fairbairn on his Christ Over All essay: “Creeds and the Gospel: From the Beginnings to the Council of Nicaea (325)”
- “What hath Nashville to do with Nicaea?” by Michael A.G. Haykin • Concise Article • In rejecting creeds like Nicaea for the sake of ‘soul liberty’ and biblicism, many Baptists—especially in America—have inadvertently marginalized the central theological claim of Scripture: the revelation of the one true God as Triune.
- A Personal Tribute to John MacArthur (1939–2025) by Ardel Caneday • Concise Article • We honor the life and legacy of a man who tenaciously preached the scriptures and stood for the truth no matter the cost.
- How Should One Understand One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic? by Jeremy M. Kimble • Concise Article • When most people think of the Nicene Creed, they think of the Trinity. But the doctrine of God is not all that Nicaea addressed. The Creed called the church “one, holy, catholic, and apostolic.” How can we as Protestants affirm this section of the Creed without returning to Rome?
- Creeds and Quiet Time: How the Nicene Creed Helps Us Read the Bible by Knox Brown • Concise Article • Should we use the Nicene Creed when we read the Bible? Yes. Rather than distorting Scripture’s sense, the Creed enhances it by aligning our worldview with that of the biblical authors, so that we more readily and deeply comprehend Scripture’s meaning. But there is a danger in turning to the Creeds—if wrongly applied, they can subvert Scripture’s authority and lead us back to Rome. So let’s learn the right and wrong ways to use the Nicene Creed in our quiet time.
- The 1925 Scopes Evolution Trial: Why It Matters 100 Years Later by Terry Mortenson • Concise Article • 100 years ago, a bizarre and comical event brought agnostic objections to creationism in full view. Today, the same biblical truths and more are on trial. Our testimony must be faithful to every word of the Word.
- From Nicaea to the “Nicene Creed”: Sixty Years of Confusion and Controversy by Bryan Litfin • Longform Essay • This is the story of how the heresy of Arianism almost become the official doctrine of the early church, and the story of a few brave men who stood in the way.
- 4.33 “From Nicaea to the “Nicene Creed”: Sixty Years of Confusion and Controversy” by Bryan Litfin • Longform Reading • This is the story of how the heresy of Arianism almost become the official doctrine of the early church, and the story of a few brave men who stood in the way.
- Nicaea & Nestorius: Why Old Creeds Are Not Enough to Guard From New Challenges\ by Bijan Mahlouji • Concise Article • Creeds are helpful and necessary, but only insofar as they clarify and define the teaching of the Scriptures. Once creeds and their language start to lose purchase with people in the church, or do not clearly address the issue of the day, it is important to further define or update them.
- Debatable, Unnecessary, or Essential? The Virgin Birth and Mary as the Mother of God by Michael Pereira • Concise Article • All the creeds agree: the Lord Jesus “became incarnate of the Virgin Mary.” But how essential is the affirmation of the virgin conception of Jesus? And is it appropriate to call her “the mother of God”? Michael Pereira weighs in on these two questions.
- Brothers, Preach the Nicene Creed to Magnify Your God by Yuta Seki • Concise Article • There are certain Christian truths where eternity hangs in the balance. The Trinity is foremost among them. The Nicene Creed—preached from the pulpit—addresses the Trinitarian deficiency present among evangelicals.
- God from God: Recovering the Nicene Doctrine of Eternal Generation by Amos Peck • Concise Article • In an age of Christological confusion, the confession that Jesus is “God from God, Light from Light” remains a vital safeguard of his eternal divinity. The Nicene doctrine of eternal generation, grounded in Scripture, offers clarity, depth, and stability for the church’s worship and witness today.
- 4.34 “From Nicaea to the “Nicene Creed”: Sixty Years of Confusion and Controversy” • Bryan Litfin, David Schrock, Stephen Wellum • Interview • Listen in as David Schrock and Stephen Wellum interview Bryan Litfin on his Christ Over All essay: “From Nicaea to the “Nicene Creed”: Sixty Years of Confusion and Controversy”
- Aren’t Catholics and Evangelicals United by the Nicene Creed? A Review of a Book That Answers This Question by Mlungisi Ncube • Concise Article • “Surely we believe in one and the same Lord Jesus Christ” is often claimed to be the foundation of agreement between Roman Catholic doctrine and evangelical theology. But is this affirmation enough to be the grounds of ecumenical unity between Rome and Protestants?
News and Notes
In conclusion, let me highlight a few areas:
First, be aware of our upcoming months.
After we look at the Gospels in July, here is what we are looking at for the rest of the year. (If there are other themes you’d like us to consider in 2026, please shoot us an email).
September 2025: The Doctrine of Vocation
October 2025: Biblical Theology in the Balance
November 2025: Do the Reading: Selections in Political Theology
December 2025: Christmas Medley, Part 2
January 2026: Abolishing Abortion
Second, we’d love to see you face to face later this year.
On Monday, October 27th, Steve Wellum and Trent Hunter will be speaking in Mauldin, South Carolina at the Pastors Encouraging Pastors Conference. This conference is hosted by Christ Over All author Brad Baugham at Emmanuel Bible Church, and will focus on how the Bible fits together.
A number of us will also be at the Evangelical Theological Society in Boston (November 18–20). If you are there, please let us know.
Also, in January we will be visiting Southwest Florida to join the Founders National Conference in Fort Myers on January 22–24. That week David Schrock will be one of the speakers, and we will have a booth. Sign up here to join us.
Third, our Editor in Chief is on sabbatical (sort of).
From the beginning, Christ Over All has been led by a fellowship of pastors and professors, and that means that most of our time is not spent writing, publishing, and podcasting online. Rather, our main place of service is in local churches. And for the next three months, David Schrock is taking a three-month sabbatical at his local church. As for Christ Over All, that means Trent Hunter will quarterback the podcast more than usual, even though David Schrock will make occasional appearances.
Fourth, please consider supporting Christ Over All.
The easiest way to support our ministry is to tell others about us: you can forward this intermission, recommend an article, or share our content on social media. But if you or your church has benefited from our ministry, would you also be willing to make a donation, especially over the lean summer months?
Every dollar given goes toward helping Christians to think with a consistently Christian worldview across all of life. When you give to our ministry, you allow us to serve more people, and make known more completely the glorious Lordship of Christ. So we appreciate a gift of any amount.
That’s all for this month. Until next time, let’s remember that because Christ is Lord over all, we ought exalt Christ in all things.
