Behind the Names

Okay, two posts, two days. Not bad! I decided since our polling is so popular I would put faces behind the names. A lot of people are into names that sound "cute" or go nicely with the last name "Borg." But the sounding of a name palls in comparison with the meaning of the name. Rather then worry if kids will make fun of our child on the playground, we want names that are strong in meaning and significance.

Thomas Manton (1620-1677)

"Ministers who do not know Manton

need not wonder if they are themselves unknown."-CH Spurgeon

Manton was a Puritan of great repute. It has been commented that he was a man of many virtues and few failings. He suffered much as a preacher, especially during the Great Ejection. He has particularly been remembered for a WONDERFUL commentary on the Epistle of Jude (it's one of my favorites).

Geerhardus Vos (1862-1949)

Vos was a gentleman and a scholar...okay, so I don't know about the former but he certainly was the later. Vos was a Dutch Refo rmed theologian. We appreciate his legacy because he has l eft us with some wonderful stuff on Biblical Theology. Biblical Theology is a way of reading Scripture. Instead of systematizing all of Scripture, Biblical Theology seeks to interpret Scripture from a redemptive historical perspective. We have especially appreciated Vos' books Biblical Theology and The Kingdom of God and the Church.


Benjamin Breckenridge Warfield (aka The Lion of Princeton) (1851-1921)

Warfield was perhaps one of the last great theologian of Princeton before the forming of Westminster Theological Seminary. If you ever get a chance to listen to a biography on this man's life, do it. Perhaps no one in the history of Reformed Theology has given such a great defense of revelation and inspiration of the Bible. He also did some work on the Person and Work of Jesus which we have appreciated. Above all this, he has a super cool beard, we only hope to attain his level someday.


William Perkins (1558-1602)

Was a Puritan in both word and deed. He was an outstanding preacher and has written a great little book called The Art of Prophecy. He is also well known for a chart he composed of election and re probation. Despite his deep theological work Perkins never seemed to have lost the pastoral tenderness. It is recorded that just before a young man was executed he came to Perkins begging him to show the way of avoiding God's righteous judgment. Perkins urge d the young man to believe on Christ and repent. The young man did and faced his execution. At any rate, William Perkins' works are currently being translated and we eagerly await the arrival!


Herman Witsius (1636-1708)
Okay, I'm not going to lie this is one of my favorites. If it was solely up to me our firstborn (boy or girl) would be named Herman Witsius Borg (H. Witsius Borg, or H.W. Borg...sounds sweet). Witsius was a renowned Puritan and INCREDIBLY intelligent. I am always astounded when I read him how educated he was. But mostly, there is rarely a time when I pick up something he has written (namely Economy of the Covenants Between God and Man) when I am struck with a great and deeper love for Christ. His work on the divine covenants seems to be unparalleled. I d on't even know where to begin, other then to say I would be delighted to someday share with my child the story of his name, and the great man who he is named after.

Cornelius Van Til (1895-1987)
Van Til is just a stud. One of the founding fathers of Westminster Theological Seminary, Van Til has had a profound impact on my life. Van Til was a pastor stuck in a philosopher's mind. His work on presuppositional apologetics is phenomenal. Really, what he did was show the philosophic conclusions of the Reformed faith, while throwing down all other philosophical theories. He was brilliant! He brought the gospel to the forefront of philosophical inquiry, which has given me an endless amount of help in my philosophy career.


Brian Lund (1982-Present)

What can I say? He's my NSC!





**UPDATE**
My wife wanted everyone to know that she is not serious about these names. Okay, we're not serious about them. She didn't think everyone would fully understand my sense of humor. It is said in humor with some serious overtones. For example the significance of a name is FAR more important to us than how well it goes with "Borg." Are the above names serious? Well, if it were just me they would be, but alas, marriage is about two becoming one, so I must take Rachel's thoughts into perspective (and she mine) which certainly rules out every name on that list. Save for Herman Witsius, I'm dead serious about wanting that one. But for the record, we have our names down to our favorite boy name and girl name. There, I hope this update satisfies my wife's desire.