Reformed Forum

We speak with Gregg Allison and Chris Castaldo about their excellent book The Unfinished Reformation: What Unites and Divides Catholics and Protestants after 500 Years (Zondervan, 2016). Rev. Dr. Allison is Professor of Christian Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. Rev. Dr. Castaldo serves as Lead Pastor of New Covenant Church in Naperville, Illinois. We are driven to ask, Why are we accepted by God? In the final analysis, it must be Christ's person and work and his imputed righteousness to sinners. Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone. It depends solely on Christ and not anything we do.

Direct download: ctc461.mp3
Category:Christ the Center -- posted at: 11:00am CDT

We speak with William Boekestein about the Swiss reformer, Ulrich Zwingli. Ulrich Zwingli was a leader of the Reformation in Switzerland. His efforts in reforming doctrine and practice serve as examples and lessons for us today. Rev. Boekestein has written two biographies of Zwingli, each capturing the significance of the man for different audiences. He serves as Pastor of Immanuel Fellowship Church (URCNA) in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He joined us on a previous episode of Christ the Center to discuss the history of the Heidelberg Catechism.

Direct download: ctc460.mp3
Category:Christ the Center -- posted at: 12:12pm CDT

East of Eden considers Jonathan Edwards's sermon, "Blessed Struggle," which was delivered in 1735.

Direct download: eoe027.mp3
Category:East of Eden -- posted at: 8:15pm CDT

East of Eden considers Jonathan Edwards's sermon "The Sorrows of the Bereaved Spread before Jesus," which was delivered in 1741.

Direct download: eoe026.mp3
Category:East of Eden -- posted at: 8:14pm CDT

Camden Bucey speaks at the 2016 Reformed Forum Theology Conference held at Hope Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Grayslake, Illinois on October 8, 2016.

Direct download: rf16_06_bucey.mp3
Category:Special Edition -- posted at: 7:01pm CDT

Lane Tipton speaks at the 2016 Reformed Forum Theology Conference held at Hope Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Grayslake, Illinois on October 8, 2016.

Direct download: rf16_05_tipton.mp3
Category:Special Edition -- posted at: 6:59pm CDT

Jeff Waddington speaks at the 2016 Reformed Forum Theology Conference held at Hope Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Grayslake, Illinois on October 8, 2016.

Direct download: rf16_04_waddington.mp3
Category:Special Edition -- posted at: 6:58pm CDT

Glen Clary speaks at the 2016 Reformed Forum Theology Conference held at Hope Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Grayslake, Illinois on October 8, 2016.

Direct download: rf16_03_clary.mp3
Category:Special Edition -- posted at: 6:57pm CDT

Jim Cassidy speaks at the 2016 Reformed Forum Theology Conference held at Hope Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Grayslake, Illinois on October 8, 2016.

Direct download: rf16_02_cassidy.mp3
Category:Special Edition -- posted at: 6:56pm CDT

Lane Tipton delivers his first address at the 2016 Reformed Forum Theology Conference held at Hope Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Grayslake, Illinois on October 8, 2016.

Direct download: rf16_01_tipton.mp3
Category:Special Edition -- posted at: 6:52pm CDT

The panel discusses the image of God live from the 2016 Reformed Forum Theology Conference. The event was held at Hope Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Grayslake, Illinois beginning on October 7, 2016. In this conversation, we address historical views of the image of God, the historicity of Adam, woman's relationship to man, and the implications of the image of God doctrine for racial equality.

Direct download: ctc459.mp3
Category:Christ the Center -- posted at: 12:05pm CDT

Several traditions within the Christian church have understood the second commandment differently. Some have understood it is a prohibition against statues. Others understand the commandment to prohibit images of God in worship. Still others argue it is a prohibition against all images as representations of God. We discuss the duties required and reasons annexed to the second commandment as well as the liturgical theology inherent to the issue.

Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 21: Of Religious Worship, and the Sabbath Day

1. The light of nature showeth that there is a God, who hath lordship and sovereignty over all, is good, and doth good unto all, and is therefore to be feared, loved, praised, called upon, trusted in, and served, with all the heart, and with all the soul, and with all the might. But the acceptable way of worshiping the true God is instituted by himself, and so limited by his own revealed will, that he may not be worshiped according to the imaginations and devices of men, or the suggestions of Satan, under any visible representation, or any other way not prescribed in the Holy Scripture.

Westminster Larger Catechism

Q. 107. Which is the second commandment?
A. The second commandment is, Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

Q. 108. What are the duties required in the second commandment?
A. The duties required in the second commandment are, the receiving, observing, and keeping pure and entire, all such religious worship and ordinances as God hath instituted in his word; particularly prayer and thanksgiving in the name of Christ; the reading, preaching, and hearing of the word; the administration and receiving of the sacraments; church government and discipline; the ministry and maintenance thereof; religious fasting; swearing by the name of God, and vowing unto him: as also the disapproving, detesting, opposing, all false worship; and, according to each one's place and calling, removing it, and all monuments of idolatry.

Q. 109. What sins are forbidden in the second commandment?
A. The sins forbidden in the second commandment are, all devising, counseling, commanding, using, and any wise approving, any religious worship not instituted by God himself; the making any representation of God, of all or of any of the three persons, either inwardly in our mind, or outwardly in any kind of image or likeness of any creature whatsoever; all worshiping of it, or God in it or by it; the making of any representation of feigned deities, and all worship of them, or service belonging to them; all superstitious devices, corrupting the worship of God, adding to it, or taking from it, whether invented and taken up of ourselves, or received by tradition from others, though under the title of antiquity, custom, devotion, good intent, or any other pretense whatsoever; simony; sacrilege; all neglect, contempt, hindering, and opposing the worship and ordinances which God hath appointed.

Q. 110. What are the reasons annexed to the second commandment, the more to enforce it?
A. The reasons annexed to the second commandment, the more to enforce it, contained in these words, For I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments; are, besides God's sovereignty over us, and propriety in us, his fervent zeal for his own worship, and his revengeful indignation against all false worship, as being a spiritual whoredom; accounting the breakers of this commandment such as hate him, and threatening to punish them unto divers generations; and esteeming the observers of it such as love him and keep his commandments, and promising mercy to them unto many generations.

Westminster Shorter Catechism

Q. 49. Which is the second commandment?
A. The second commandment is, Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

Q. 50. What is required in the second commandment?
A. The second commandment requireth the receiving, observing, and keeping pure and entire, all such religious worship and ordinances as God hath appointed in his word.

Q. 51. What is forbidden in the second commandment?
A. The second commandment forbiddeth the worshiping of God by images, or any other way not appointed in his word.

Q. 52. What are the reasons annexed to the second commandment?

A. The reasons annexed to the second commandment are, God's sovereignty over us, his propriety in us, and the zeal he hath to his own worship.

Direct download: ctc458.mp3
Category:Christ the Center -- posted at: 11:21pm CDT

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