This is the seventh lesson in Dr. Camden Bucey’s Reformed Academy course, Defending Our Hope: An Introduction to Christian Apologetics. Is there any shared ground between believers and unbelievers? In this lesson, we explore the doctrine of common grace—the means by which God, in his goodness, temporarily restrains judgment and bestows non-saving blessings even on those who remain in rebellion against him. You will discover how this temporary, non-saving grace provides space for meaningful interaction, cultural engagement, and the proclamation of the gospel. Drawing from biblical and theological insights, including historical reflections from Calvin, Warfield, Kuyper, and Van Til, we examine how common grace enables communication without compromising the antithesis. Learn how to faithfully build bridges without erasing the gospel’s call to repentance and faith.

• 01:53 The Nature and Scope of Common Grace
•  07:20 Common Grace in Redemptive History
• 09:51 Biblical Foundations of Common Grace
• 20:24 Common Grace and Apologetics
• 27:21 Historical Perspectives on Common Grace
• 35:57 Withstanding Rejection
• 39:11 Summary and Conclusion  

Register for this free on-demand course on our website to track your progress, download supplemental resources, and assess your understanding through quizzes for each lesson. You will also receive free access to more than two dozen more video courses in covenant theology, apologetics, biblical studies, church history, and more: https://reformedforum.org/courses/def...  

Camden Bucey (MDiv, PhD) is Executive Director of Reformed Forum and a minister of Hope Presbyterian Church (OPC) in Grayslake, Illinois. He is the author of Karl Rahner (Great Thinkers) and Lamentations, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah: A 12-Week Study.   Your donations help us to provide free Reformed resources for students like you worldwide: https://reformedforum.org/donate/  

 #apologetics #evangelism #presupp

In this episode, Camden Bucey welcomes Dr. David VanDrunen to discuss his new book, Faith in Exile: Psalm 119 and the Christian Life (Christian Focus). VanDrunen shares the backstory behind this unique project—his first published collection of sermons—and reflects on how Psalm 119, the Bible’s longest chapter, unfolds a deep theology of suffering, obedience, and the pilgrim experience.

Drawing from the structure and literary artistry of the Psalm, VanDrunen explores its unifying themes and situates it within the broader redemptive narrative. He highlights how the psalmist’s experience of exile and longing resonates with believers today who sojourn in a world that is not their home. The conversation weaves together biblical theology, practical piety, and reflections on theological pedagogy—particularly the enduring influence of Dr. Robert Strimple.

This episode offers rich insight into the Christian life shaped by the Word of God amid affliction, anticipation, and hope.

Watch on YouTube

Chapters

00:00 Mid-America Reformed Seminary CME Conference
01:41 Introduction
02:50 Westminster Seminary California Update
06:40 Remembering Dr. Robert Strimple
15:39 The Story Behind the Book
24:30 The Literary Features of Psalm 119
29:16 The Historical Context of the Psalm
36:24 The Theme of Obedience
57:05 Conclusion

This is Christ the Center episode 917 (https://www.reformedforum.org/ctc917)

This is the sixth lesson in Dr. Camden Bucey’s Reformed Academy course, Defending Our Hope: An Introduction to Christian Apologetics. Why is there such a stark contrast between the worldview of the believer and that of the unbeliever? This lesson addresses the theological concept of the antithesis—the fundamental spiritual divide between those in Christ and those outside of him. You will learn how this distinction, rooted in covenant representation and union with Christ, shapes every aspect of life and apologetic engagement. By understanding the nature of regeneration, resurrection life, and our new identity in Christ, we are better prepared to witness to the truth with clarity and conviction, while holding fast to the hope of God’s redemptive purpose for his people.

• 01:13 The Fundamental Distinction between Believers and Unbelievers
• 04:31 Covenantal Representation
• 09:25 The Resurrection
• 20:18 The New Identity in Christ
• 29:23 Living Out Our Union with Christ
• 32:10 Summary and Conclusion 

Register for this free on-demand course on our website to track your progress, download supplemental resources, and assess your understanding through quizzes for each lesson. You will also receive free access to more than two dozen more video courses in covenant theology, apologetics, biblical studies, church history, and more: https://reformedforum.org/courses/def...  

Camden Bucey (MDiv, PhD) is Executive Director of Reformed Forum and a minister of Hope Presbyterian Church (OPC) in Grayslake, Illinois. He is the author of Karl Rahner (Great Thinkers) and Lamentations, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah: A 12-Week Study.   Your donations help us to provide free Reformed resources for students like you worldwide: https://reformedforum.org/donate/  

 #apologetics #evangelism #presupp

Dr. Guy Waters is the Professor of New Testament at the Reformed Theological Seminary, Jackson, Mississippi and a teaching elder in the Mississippi presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in America. Today, he joins us to speak about his book, One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church (Lexham Academic), in which he sets out a full-scale Reformed doctrine of the church. The title echoes the four classical “marks” confessed in the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed. This study is an extended exploration of how Scripture, read through a Reformed lens, fills out each of those creedal descriptors and binds them together into a single, coherent doctrine of the church.

Dr. Waters organizes the book in three movements:

1. Biblical Revelation (Part I). Seven chapters trace “the people of God” from creation and Eden through Abraham, Moses, the prophets, Christ and the apostles, showing that God has always had one covenant people that reaches its eschatological maturity in the new-covenant church.
2. Doctrinal Construction (Part II). Waters treats the classic loci of ecclesiology: the church’s four attributes (one, holy, catholic, apostolic); its marks (pure preaching, right sacraments, biblical discipline); its government (Christ the king, officers and courts); its worship (word, sacraments, prayer, Lord’s Day); its life (gifts and discipline); and its mission (“gathering and perfecting the saints” until Christ returns) .
3. Truth for Life and Mission (Part III). A final chapter applies the doctrine to church-state relations, defending a robust spirituality of the church and principled religious liberty.

The conclusion distills the argument into seven theses that function as a theological checksum. Throughout, Waters interlaces biblical exegesis, historical theology and confessional sources (especially the Westminster Standards). The result is both an academic survey and a pastoral manifesto aimed at equipping the church for faithful witness today.

The conversation explores the essential identity and mission of the church, the continuity between the Old and New Testaments, and what is distinctly new through Christ’s redemptive work. Waters outlines the seven theses of his book, offering clarity on ecclesiology for today’s church, particularly in light of confusion over polity, worship, and the church’s relation to the state.

This episode is an invitation to recover a robust, Reformed understanding of the church’s nature and calling, rooted in Scripture and developed in the tradition of historic confessions.

Watch on YouTube

Chapters

• 00:00 Mid-America Reformed Seminary CME Conference
• 01:30 Introduction
• 03:20 The Story Behind the Book
• 06:54 The Emphasis of this Book
• 10:43 The Need for Ecclesiology Today
• 15:33 The Seven Theses of the Book
• 18:54 The Continuity of God’s People in the Old and New Testaments
• 22:02 What Is New in the NT through Christ
• 28:02 The Mission of the Church
• 33:56 The Relation of Scripture to Polity
• 38:00 Worship
• 43:32 Ministering in Word and Deed
• 47:28 The Church and the State
• 52:26 The Spirituality of the Church
• 56:27 Conclusion

This week on Theology Simply Profound, Bob returns to a reading of Geerhardus Vos’s 1903 book, The Teaching of Jesus Concerning the Kingdom of God and the Church. Chapter 9, “The Kingdom and the Church.”

This is the fifth lesson in Dr. Camden Bucey’s Reformed Academy course, Defending Our Hope: An Introduction to Christian Apologetics. What does it mean to be human? This lesson explores the doctrine of man, centered on the profound reality of being created in God’s image. We discover how this divine image manifests in official, formal, and ethical dimensions, shaping our knowledge, dignity, and purpose. Through the lens of covenant theology and Reformed thought, we investigate humanity’s original condition, the impact of sin, and the enduring significance of bearing God’s image. This foundational understanding strengthens apologetics by illuminating the connection between believers and nonbelievers, affirming that all people exist coram Deo—in the presence of God.

•  02:24 The Point of Contact: The Image of God
• 08:47 The Image of God and Sin
• 19:11 Narrow and Broad Senses of the Image of God
• 27:20 The Image of God and Human Knowledge
• 35:51 Summary and Conclusion

 Register for this free on-demand course on our website to track your progress, download supplemental resources, and assess your understanding through quizzes for each lesson. You will also receive free access to more than two dozen more video courses in covenant theology, apologetics, biblical studies, church history, and more: https://reformedforum.org/courses/def...  

Camden Bucey (MDiv, PhD) is Executive Director of Reformed Forum and a minister of Hope Presbyterian Church (OPC) in Grayslake, Illinois. He is the author of Karl Rahner (Great Thinkers) and Lamentations, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah: A 12-Week Study.   Your donations help us to provide free Reformed resources for students like you worldwide: https://reformedforum.org/donate/  

#apologetics #evangelism #presupp

In this installment of the Vos Group, Camden Bucey and Lane Tipton turn to pages 378–381 of Geerhardus Vos’s Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments, focusing on Jesus’ teaching and the eschatology of the kingdom. They explore the vital biblical distinction between the “already” and “not yet” aspects of the kingdom of God, examining how this two-age structure stands in contrast to various eschatological systems, including premillennialism, postmillennialism, and what Vos labels “ultra-eschatology.”

Tipton and Bucey analyze Vos’s critique of these systems, highlighting the theological implications of denying either the inaugurated or consummated dimensions of the kingdom. They also discuss the resurrection, the second coming of Christ, and the theological coherence of amillennialism within the Reformed tradition. In the course of the discussion, they reflect on the life and teaching of Dr. Robert B. Strimple, affirming his Christ-centered theological pedagogy and lasting influence.

Listeners will find this episode a robust and thought-provoking engagement with biblical theology, eschatology, and Reformed orthodoxy.

Watch on YouTube

Chapters

[00:00] Mid-America Reformed Seminary Center for Missions and Evangelism Conference
[01:30] Introduction
[02:45] Remembering Dr. Robert Strimple
[09:03] The Two-Stage Kingdom
[20:32] Albert Schweitzer and Ultra-Eschatology
[25:30] Postmillennialism and Gradualism
[33:42] Measuring the Kingdom’s Advance
[38:58] Vos on Premillennialism
[48:32] Premillennialism and the Westminster Standards
[58:45] Conclusion

 

On today’s episode of Theology Simply Profound, Rob takes us on a walk through Matthew 24, the Olivet Discourse.

This is the fourth lesson in Dr. Camden Bucey’s Reformed Academy course, Defending Our Hope: An Introduction to Christian Apologetics. How can we know the God we seek to defend? In this lesson, we explore the doctrine of revelation—God’s gracious self-disclosure to humanity. You will learn the crucial distinction between general revelation, seen in creation and providence, and special revelation, given through Scripture and ultimately in Jesus Christ. This lesson lays a foundation for understanding why divine revelation is necessary for knowledge, faith, and apologetics. By examining how revelation reveals God’s character, will, and redemptive purposes, you will be equipped to uphold the authority of Scripture and the sufficiency of Christ in the face of skepticism and competing truth claims.

• 01:52 General Revelation
• 08:50 Special Revelation
• 21:51 Attributes of Revelation
• 29:16 The Relationship between General and Special Revelation
• 31:14 Jesus Christ
• 33:26 Summary and Conclusion

Register for this free on-demand course on our website to track your progress, download supplemental resources, and assess your understanding through quizzes for each lesson. You will also receive free access to more than two dozen more video courses in covenant theology, apologetics, biblical studies, church history, and more: https://reformedforum.org/courses/def...  

Camden Bucey (MDiv, PhD) is Executive Director of Reformed Forum and a minister of Hope Presbyterian Church (OPC) in Grayslake, Illinois. He is the author of Karl Rahner (Great Thinkers) and Lamentations, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah: A 12-Week Study.   Your donations help us to provide free Reformed resources for students like you worldwide: https://reformedforum.org/donate/   #apologetics #evangelism #presupp

In this episode of Christ the Center, Camden Bucey is joined once again by Lane Tipton and Carlton Wynne for a substantive follow-up to their earlier discussion of Keith Mathison’s Toward a Reformed Apologetic: A Critique of the Thought of Cornelius Van Til. In the months since their first review, Dr. Mathison published a blog response, prompting deeper analysis and clarification.

Together, Drs. Bucey, Tipton and Wynne explore key critiques Mathison levels against Van Til, especially the claims of epistemological idealism and the so-called “omniscience requirement” for true knowledge. The panel addresses these concerns with thoughtful care, highlighting Van Til’s emphasis on covenantal epistemology, the distinction between psychological and ethical knowledge, and the non-neutrality of unbelieving thought.

The episode also tackles Mathison’s treatment of common grace and the antithesis—core concepts in Van Til’s apologetic system. Does Van Til teach that unbelievers attain true knowledge by way of common grace? What is the actual function of common grace in a fallen world? And how does Van Til preserve the absolute ethical antithesis between belief and unbelief without denying shared external reality or meaningful engagement?

This is a clarifying and edifying conversation for anyone interested in Reformed theology, presuppositional apologetics, or the legacy of Cornelius Van Til.

Mentioned Resources

• Keith Mathison, Toward a Reformed Apologetics
• Cornelius Van Til, The Defense of the Faith
• Cornelius Van Til, Common Grace and the Gospel
• Follow-up blog post by Dr. Mathison

Topics Covered

• Epistemological holism and the “omniscience thesis”
• Idealist influence and Van Til’s use of borrowed terminology
• The meaning of “true knowledge” in covenantal context
• The image of God, suppression of truth, and natural revelation
• Common grace and its relationship to knowledge and antithesis
• The continuing relevance of Van Til’s apologetic method

Chapters

• 00:00 – Introduction
• 02:56 – Upcoming General Assembly
• 03:45 – Overview of Keith Mathison’s Book and Blog Response
• 05:06 – Main Concerns: Common Grace, Antithesis, and Epistemology
• 07:12 – Van Til’s Doctrine of Knowledge and Ethical Implications
• 09:13 – Response to Mathison’s Critique and Blog Post
• 12:34 – The ‘Omniscience Thesis’ in Dr. Mathison’s Reading
• 17:18 – Clarifying True Knowledge in Van Til’s View
• 23:04 – Idealism, Epistemological Holism, and Formal Influence
• 28:36 – Borrowed Capital vs. Replanting from Idealism
• 33:13 – Ethical Antithesis and Knowledge Suppression
• 42:12 – Common Grace: Misunderstanding and Clarification
• 47:13 – Van Til’s View: Knowledge Precedes Common Grace
• 54:11 – True Knowledge and the Ethical Rebellion of Man
• 59:28 – Common Grace and Inconsistent Suppression
• 66:10 – Antithesis in Every Sphere of Life
• 69:55 – Common Grace Doesn’t Suspend Total Depravity
• 71:48 – Looking Ahead to Reconstructed Theistic Proofs

How should Reformed churches approach the selection of psalms and hymns for corporate worship? In this video, Camden Bucey offers a rich, pastoral, and practical guide for choosing music that reflects the theological and liturgical shape of a service. Drawing on years of ministry experience, Camden explains how to align musical selections with Scripture texts, sermon themes, and the redemptive-historical movement of the liturgy.

This talk goes beyond personal preference or musical taste. Learn how thoughtful hymnody and psalmody can serve the worship of the triune God by reinforcing Scripture, guiding the congregation’s response, and cultivating reverence, joy, and theological depth.

Key Topics

• Theological principles guiding music selection
• Aligning songs with the sermon text and liturgical moment
• Balancing musical accessibility with doctrinal richness
• The role of repetition, variety, and congregational familiarity
• The emotional and redemptive-historical flow of a worship service
• Special considerations for sacraments, transitions, and unique services

Watch on YouTube

Chapters

• 00:00 – Introduction and Context
• 01:15 – Why Song Selection Matters in Reformed Worship
• 02:45 – Letting the Sermon Text Guide the Service
• 05:23 – Matching Music with Liturgical Placement
• 07:16 – Knowing Your Congregation and Musicians
• 09:18 – The Role of Records and Repetition
• 13:28 – Attention to Tune, Tempo, and Emotional Tone
• 17:45 – Maintaining a Redemptive-Historical Flow of Worship
• 21:05 – Strategic Placement: The Post-Sermon Hymn
• 23:14 – Special Elements and Transitions
• 28:36 – Conclusion: Cohesive Worship for the Glory of God