Reformed Forum

In this installment of #VosGroup, we turn to pages 198–199 of Vos’ book Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments to consider critical theories of prophetism. We extend and amplify the material in these pages more than usual by connecting Vos's teaching to the theology of Karl Barth and other modernist approaches.

Broadly, the term can be associated with “instrument of revelation” and this is so important to note. For Vos, contra Barth, there is a direct, organic disclosure of God’s revealed truth in our calendar-time history. It is not in a distinct, third-time dimension that Barth calls Geschichte that “revelation” occurs. For Barth, revelation is Jesus Christ in a distinct time dimension, God’s third time for us, that “revelation” occurs. Revelation is Jesus Christ. The Scriptures, the prophets and calendar time history are not themselves revelation–they only point to revelation. Revelation is a “supra-historical” event in a time dimension altogether different from our calendar time.

But Vos would say this is fundamentally wrong–it is a different religious conception of “revelation” altogether. God speaks directly to Adam in the Garden of Eden in terms of positive, special, verbal revelation. God’s voice can be heard, speaking with inerrant and inescapable authority, in Eden. It is this initial self-revelation from God, in the Garden of Eden, prior to the fall, that supplies us with our conception of revelation. God both acts and speaks in calendar time history, and that special is initially given to Adam under the covenant of works. God’s revelation in nature (image of God) is by divine design subordinate to God’s revelation in positive categories. In other words, Genesis 2:7 (image of God) and Genesis 2:15–17 (Covenant) demand the idea that God reveals himself with absolute authority and clarity directly in history.

Vos says, “But the Reformed have always insisted upon it that at no point shall a recognition of the historical delivery and apprehension of truth be permitted to degenerate into a relativity of truth. The history remains a history of revelation. Its total product agrees absolutely in every respect with the sum of truth as it lies in the eternal mind and purpose of God."

Direct download: ctc574.mp3
Category:Christ the Center -- posted at: 11:00pm CDT

Direct download: tsp143.mp3
Category:Theology Simply Profound -- posted at: 4:00am CDT

Jeff Waddington speaks about the characteristics of natural and special revelation and their relationship to one another. Jeff recently delivered a lecture at Westminster Theological Seminary on the subject.

https://youtu.be/Rli32nwewxw

Direct download: ctc573.mp3
Category:Christ the Center -- posted at: 11:00pm CDT

This week on Theology Simply Profound, Rob and Bob return to John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress. In the section covered this week, we continue with Apollyon's confrontation of Christian in the Valley of Humiliation. With his words failing to persuade Christian to return to the City of Destruction, Apollyon rages and a glorious fight ensues. 

Direct download: tsp142.mp3
Category:Theology Simply Profound -- posted at: 4:13pm CDT

William Perkins (1558–1602), often called “the father of Puritanism,” was a master preacher and teacher of Reformed, experiential theology. Greg Salazar speaks about Perkins's works on predestination and his influence upon the Puritan and Reformed tradition. In speaking of predestination, we also cover related topics on Perkins's theology such as his Christology, his understanding of the ordo salutis, and even his views on Christian forms of memory recall.

Dr. Salazar is Assistant Professor of Historical Theology for the PhD program at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Along with Dr. Joel Beeke, he has edited volume six of Perkins's works with Reformation Heritage Books.

https://youtu.be/MRS2Emat6Rs

Direct download: ctc572.mp3
Category:Christ the Center -- posted at: 11:00pm CDT

This week's episode of Theology Simply Profound brings Rob and Bob to Stage 4 of John Bunyan's, The Pilgrim's Progress. Here, moving on from the House Beautiful, Christian enters the Valley of Humiliation and is confronted by Apollyon where a war of words begins between the two. 

Direct download: tsp141.mp3
Category:Theology Simply Profound -- posted at: 6:44am CDT

Cory Brock and Nathaniel Gray Sutanto speak about Herman Bavinck's Philosophy of Revelation (Hendrickson Publishers). Drs. Brock and Sutanto have edited a new annotated edition of Bavinck's Stone Lectures, which were delivered at Princeton in 1908. Other than his Reformed Dogmatics, this is Bavinck's most important work. We are blessed to welcome new editions and translations of these works. Along with James Eglinton, Brock and Sutanto are also editing Bavinck’s Christian Worldview, scheduled to be published by Crossway next year.

Cory Brock is Minister of Young Adults and College at First Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Jackson, MS. He also serves on the faculty of Belhaven University teaching biblical studies. Nathaniel Gray Sutanto is Assistant Pastor at Covenant City Church in Jakarta, Indonesia.

https://youtu.be/Y-yaTopNdzw

Direct download: ctc571.mp3
Category:Christ the Center -- posted at: 11:00pm CDT

This week on Theology Simply Profound, Rob and Bob take another walk through John Bunyan's, The Pilgrim's Progress. In this episode we discuss Christian's strong response to his falling asleep, as well as his conversations with Watchful, Discretion, Prudence, Piety, and Chastity. These are those he meets on the way to and in the house described as beautiful, a place of relief and security for pilgrims.

Direct download: tsp140.mp3
Category:Theology Simply Profound -- posted at: 4:00am CDT

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