Reformed Forum

The Apostle Paul wrote to the believers in Ephesus to remind them of the "unsearchable riches" of Christ (3:8).  That is, he writes to remind the Christians living in that metropolitan port city, awash in paganism, of the heavenly blessings that belong to them in Christ (1:3).  A few years prior to his writing the letter to the Ephesians, Paul had labored in the city for almost three years.  God in his grace blessed Paul's ministry in Ephesus, and many sinners repented and turned to Christ (Acts 19:1-20).  Paul's letter to the Ephesians is a rich treasure of Christ-exalting truth.  In Christ the age to come has exploded into this present evil age; and by means of the Holy Spirit, the exalted Christ is building his church composed of both Jew and Gentile who have been reconciled unto God and unto one another.  As we, like the Ephesians, revel in the blessings of our union with Christ, we are called to 'live a life worthy of the calling we have received' (4:1).  We are called to walk by faith in a manner befitting our status as saints in Christ (1:1).  Join us as we introduce the glorious letter of the Apostle Paul.

Direct download: pc100.mp3
Category:Proclaiming Christ -- posted at: 11:00pm CDT

This week on Theology Simply Profound, Rob and Bob continue a discussion of John Bunyan’s, The Pilgrim’s Progress, Book 2. In this episode, after the usual banter between friends, we discuss how Christiana, Mercy, and the boys turn a corner to find Si

Direct download: tsp233.mp3
Category:Theology Simply Profound -- posted at: 3:22pm CDT

Rev. John Fikkert speaks about providing specialized care for ministers. Rev. Fikkert is the director of the OPC’s Committee on Ministerial Care, which provides a range services for ministers such as counseling and diaconal aid, financial planning assistance, webinars on a range of topics, and funds for sabbaticals.

Direct download: ctc704.mp3
Category:Christ the Center -- posted at: 11:00pm CDT

Lane Tipton speaks about his new book, available now through Reformed Forum.

Drawing from Genesis 1:1 and subsequent biblical revelation, Lane Tipton argues that before creating the visible world, the immutable triune God created a heavenly temple dwelling, filled that heavenly dwelling with the unchanging glory of his Spirit, and sanctified that heavenly dwelling as the realm of everlasting Sabbath rest.

Adam, as the created image of God and federal head of his posterity, could have advanced through perfect covenantal obedience beyond probation on the mountain of God in earthly Eden into the heavenly dwelling of God in Sabbath rest. This God-centered and heaven-focused theological backdrop enriches our understanding of the person and work of Jesus Christ, as the second and last Adam in the covenant of grace, who in his humiliation and exaltation has opened the gates of heavenly paradise for his church.

Copies are available now at https://reformedforum.org/product/foundations-of-covenant-theology-paperback/

Direct download: rmr139.mp3
Category:Reformed Media Review -- posted at: 11:00pm CDT

Jacob’s search for a bride parallels two other searches, all of which point us to Christ who offers the water of life and becomes a servant to secure his bride. We therefore must become servants of Christ that as his bride we might receive the water of life.

Direct download: pc098.mp3
Category:Proclaiming Christ -- posted at: 2:49pm CDT

Rob McKenzie speaks about the Christian life and a variety of apologetic encounters he has woven into his book Seeker’s Progress. In this novel, McKenzie explores the world that John Bunyan created in his classic book, The Pilgrim’s Progress. There is another man from the City of Destruction who follows after Christian also seeking to find truth. With the help of Evangelist, Seeker follows the King’s road on his way to the Celestial City. Along the way, he visits many of the same places that Christian visited and meets several of the same people that Christian met all the while trying to catch up to his friends, Christian and Faithful. His experiences are very different than his predecessors. His journey takes him to some places that Christian never went, such as the towns of Morality and Fair Speech. Seeker wrestles with the questions, “Don’t all roads lead to the Celestial City?” “If the King loves everyone, wouldn’t He save everyone?”

Rob McKenzie is a ruling elder at Westminster OPC in Indian Head Park and co-host of the podcast, Theology Simply Profound. He is the author of Identifying the Seed: An Examination and Evaluation of the Differences between Dispensationalism and Covenant Theology and its corresponding study guide. You may buy both as a bundle through our online store.

Direct download: ctc703.mp3
Category:Christ the Center -- posted at: 11:00pm CDT

Dr. Stephen J. Nichols speaks about the life and legacy of Dr. R. C. Sproul. Dr. Nichols has written a biography of Dr. Sproul, which has recently been published by Crossway. This biography details R. C.’s family history and early life in Pittsburgh, through his seminary education and early ministry all the way to the end of his life, reflecting on the many institutions Dr. Sproul founded and helped to shape.

Dr. Stephen J. Nichols is president of Reformation Bible College, chief academic officer for Ligonier Ministries, and a Ligonier Ministries teaching fellow. He holds a Ph.D. from Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. He is host of the podcasts 5 Minutes in Church History and Open Book. He is author of more than twenty books, including Beyond the 95 Theses, a Time for Confidence, and R.C. Sproul: A Life and coeditor of Crossway’s Theologians on the Christian Life series.

Direct download: ctc702.mp3
Category:Christ the Center -- posted at: 11:00pm CDT

Camden Bucey speaks about Murray Forst Thompson’s tract, The Auburn Betrayal, which provides historical and theological context for the Auburn Affirmation, an important document in early twentieth-century American Presbyterianism. The tract was published in 1941 by the Committee on Christian Education for the Orthodox Presbyterian Church.

Direct download: rmr138.mp3
Category:Reformed Media Review -- posted at: 11:00pm CDT

We turn to the third sermon in Grace and Glory, a collection of sermons Geerhardus Vos preached at the Miller Chapel of Princeton Theological Seminary. In “Seeking and Saving the Lost,” Vos preaches from Luke 19:10, wherein Jesus describes his ministry to redeem sinners and to bring them into communion with the one true and living God.

Direct download: ctc701.mp3
Category:Christ the Center -- posted at: 11:00pm CDT

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