Truth or Chaos

Friends in the Faith,

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It’s no secret that our world is in woeful need of the truth. It always has been so. That's what prompted the Reformation, which we celebrate today. And long before, that’s why God graciously sent the person of truth to us (John 14:6), along with the Spirit of truth to indwell us (John 16:13). Truth is our lifeblood. Without it, we’re lost. Without it, we’re aimless. Without it, we follow falsehood. If we leave behind God’s revealed truth, we lose our meaning, our character, and our hope.

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That’s why J. Gresham Machen left Princeton Seminary and founded Westminster in 1929. And it’s also why the modern West is in such disarray. Truth is our God-given gravitational center. The only thing awaiting those who pull themselves away from it is chaos and darkness. You and I know this.

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Truth is our God-given gravitational center.

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It’s in Machen’s spirit that we’re excited to announce and invite you to a renewed and expanded initiative: Point of Contact. This is a regular newsletter that will speak to the church and culture in our unprecedented times. And just as Luther's boldness and the advent of the Gutenberg printing press led to great change and biblical fidelity, we hope that this newsletter contributes to a renewed commitment to God's word on the web.

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The phrase “point of contact” was used by another Westminster founding faculty member, Cornelius Van Til. By it, he meant something simple that is always relevant: all people know the God of truth. This was the Apostle Paul’s message in Romans 1. And it’s a message we’ll stand on to speak to the world today.

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Point of Contact will be a place where truth is proclaimed, applied, and distributed on the web—the counsel of God for the life of his creatures. We’ll look at the most pressing issues in culture, theology, and spirituality, bringing the unchanging truth to bear on a changing world.

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To kick things off, we recommend you check out the landmark book Christianity and Liberalism written by our founder, J. Gresham Machen. Machen wrote the book that addressed a church in similar perils: threatened by war on the outside and liberalism on the inside. Christianity and Liberalism has since become a hallmark of orthodox theology. As such, we feel it embodies the spirit of ourPoint of Contact. It was also announced as the book of the year in 2023 by World Magazine, and we now have a beautiful audiobook for listeners to enjoy, read by Pierce Taylor Hibbs.

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We trust that Machen’s voice will be as relevant to you today as it was a century ago, for Machen was standing on the truth of God’s word. And that’s where Westminster will continue to stand, no matter the cost. Enjoy the new foreword by Kevin DeYoung, with additional reader resources to follow, including a brand new podcast series.

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As you listen to Machen’s message, would you spread the word about Point of Contact? We pray that this will be a service to Christ’s church in a world that desperately needs his light. For it’s only in that light that we see light (Ps. 36:9).

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