Lane Keister speaks about features of Ezekiel 9–10 that help us understand the identity of the man of linen in the passage. Rev. Keister's article, "The Man in Linen: A New and Old Interpretation of Ezekiel 9–10" is published in issue 14 of the Confessional Presbyterian Journal (2018). Lane Keister is the pastor of Momence OPC in Momence, Illinois and a PhD student at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

We continue our #VosGroup series in pages 194–197 of Vos' book Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments to consider the biblical conception of prophetism. We discuss the Greek and pagan conceptions and their connection to contemporary modernist conceptions.

Vos has in view here a Hellenic, and not New Testament, conception of the prophet. Some would seek to understand prophet as a foreteller, which brings into view predictive prophecy—a telling of a situation in advance of the actual occurrence of the situation. However, it is not proper to take the concept in this direction only. While there is a predictive element present in much of what the prophets communicate, it is better to take them as foretellers in a local sense. This means that prophet is one who speaks an oracle from God. It is a place in time where one speaks on behalf of God.

However, the Greek terms, as it appears in a Hellenic, extra-biblical context, has a different connotation, and this is critical to grasp, that we must reject. That connotation is this: the prophet in this Greek conception is an interpreter of a fundamentally opaque, hidden utterance from god. Pythia (the name of the high priestess of the temple Apollo at Delphi), would be the interpreter of this fundamentally hidden oracle—a dark saying that needed a human interpreter in order to be rendered intelligible.

The Greek prophet does not stand in a direct relation to the deity, as in the Old Testament prophet, who spoke, by inspiration, directly from God, a word from God. Rather than being a mouth-piece of the deity, as is the case with the Nabi, the prophet in the Old Testament sense of the term, the prophet in the Greek, Hellenic sense, is an interpreter of the deity’s oracle. The oracle comes from the Deity but requires interpretation, an interpretive act, from a prophet, to render that message intelligible or clear. The prophet, in this Hellenic conception, is therefore not one who speaks the words of the deity. Rather, he is one who intercepts a supra-rational, intrinsically opaque, communication from a deity. It is precisely this conception of the prophet that Vos sees being appropriated by the liberals of his day.

The Westminster Larger Catechism, Question and Answer 154 describes the ordinary and outwards means of grace as the Word, sacraments, and prayer. We discuss these ordinary means and how they apply to the day-to-day ministry of the local church.

Glen Clary compares and contrasts the Reformation liturgies of Martin Bucer, John Calvin, and John Knox. Studying each of these helps us to understand the significance of worship reformed according to Scripture and focuses our attention upon worship in our present day.

Further Reading

• Knox Liturgy
• Genevan Liturgy
• Catholic Describes Communion Service in Calvin's Church
• John Knox and Public Prayer

Glen Clary and Camden Bucey discuss the apostle Paul's teaching in Romans 8:28–30. Paul speaks of the purpose of God's foreknowledge and predestination—leading to conformity to the image of Christ.

²⁸ And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. ²⁹ For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. ³⁰ And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. (Romans 8:28–30, ESV)

Dominic Legge, O. P. speaks about the deep connection between Thomas's Christology and his trinitarian theology. Dr. Legge is Assistant Professor of Systematic Theology and Director of the Thomistic Institute Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception at the Dominican House of Studies. He is the author of The Trinitarian Christology of St. Thomas Aquinas (Oxford University Press, 2017).

https://youtu.be/vXK23papdC0

Dr. Whitney Gamble speaks about antinomianism and the Westminster Assembly. She has written Christ and the Law: Antinomianism at the Westminster Assembly, which is part of the Studies on the Westminster Assembly series published by Reformation Heritage Books.

Dr. Gamble is associate professor of biblical and theological studies at Providence Christian College. She holds a PhD in historical and systematic theology from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, a master of theological studies from Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and a B.A. in biblical studies from Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania.

Dr. Gamble is a frequent guest on The White Horse Inn podcast, speaking on issues ranging from the doctrine of justification to the theology of Christmas movies: https://www.whitehorseinn.org/host/whitney-gamble/

Her first book, Christ and the Law: Antinomianism at the Westminster Assembly, is forthcoming with Reformation Heritage Books. Along with seventy other leading scholars from around the world, she is contributing a chapter in the forthcoming multi-volume series, The History of Scottish Theology, published by Oxford University Press. https://www.historyscottishtheology.div.ed.ac.uk

We continue our #VosGroup series in pages 191–194 of Vos' book Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments to consider the conception of prophecy in Scripture.

Ken Golden speaks about the Lord's Day throughout redemptive-history and what it means to seek our heavenly rest in Christ. In his book, Entering God's Rest: The Sabbath from Genesis to Revelation (Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals, 2018), Rev. Golden seeks to move beyond a checklist of do's and don'ts to consider the deeper significance of finding our joy in the Lord.

Dr. Lawrence Feingold brings us a Catholic's perspective on Thomas Aquinas and the important connection between his doctrines of the Eucharist and the Beatific Vision.

Jeff Waddington previews his address for the 2018 Theology Conference. He speaks about Pseudo-Dionysius, a key influence upon Thomas Aquinas. Dionysius attempted to integrate neoplatonism with Christianity. The result was a Christianization of the great chain of being. Register for the upcoming conference.

Reading List

• Daria Spezzano, The Glory of God's Grace: Deification According to St. Thomas Aquinas
• Dominic Legge: The Trinitarian Christology of St. Thomas Aquinas
• Lawrence Feingold: The Natural Desire to See God According to St. Thomas and His Interpreters
• Hans Boersma, Seeing God: The Beatific Vision in Christian Tradition

[embed]https://youtu.be/L4sTPjFyBPU[/embed]

We discuss how a return to sola scriptura through confessional Reformed theology spares us from the errors of Roman Catholicism and modernism. Reformed covenant theology, broadly considered, is facing a crisis regarding what constitutes “reformed” theology. The situation currently is one of chaos and confusion. Some claim that the way forward is by way of retrieving the theology of Thomas Aquinas, the angelic doctor of the Roman Catholic church, in the service of a so-called “Reformed” apologetic. The line of this argument is that if you follow the Roman Catholic theology and method of Aquinas, you will arrive at Protestant conclusions. Others enlist Aquinas in conversation with the likes of John Webster and Karl Barth, in the interest of retrieving “catholic” tradition in the development of a reformed theological identity. Still others, outside of our reformed circles, are engaged in ecumenical dialogue between Thomas and Barth (Bruce McCormack and Thomas Joseph White’s Thomas Aquinas and Karl Barth: An Unofficial Dialogue, or Keith Johnson’s Karl Barth and the Analogia Entis, which helpfully to my mind points out the significant points of convergence between the two theologians). It is very much worth pointing out that Van Til virtually predicted this in advance in his sadly neglected but highly important work Confession of 1967, where he says, “If now we live in a dialogical age and if only the church as ecumenical can meet the needs of such an age, then surely the Roman Catholic too must learn to see this fact. As Martin Marty says, “If Protestants and Roman Catholics wish to make possible a creative coexistence, to enrich our pluralistic society, and to profit from each other’s separate histories, they will have to participate in dialogue.…” And what does such “dialogue” look like? Again, Van Til says, “It was Hans Urs von Balthasar who, more than anyone else, has helped Barth to see that Roman Catholicism also begins its theology from the Christ-Event. Roman Catholicism, says von Balthasar, does not believe in direct revelation any more than does Barth. To be sure, Rome does speak of “faith and works,” of “nature and grace,” of “reason and revelation.” But this “and” is not, as Barth thinks, fatal to the idea of the primacy of Christ and of faith in Christ. The whole discussion between Barth and the Roman Catholic position may therefore start from the idea that revelation is revelation in hiddenness. ”The difference between Barth and Roman Catholicism will therefore be not of principle but of degree” (Confession, 119). [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9xyz5RQhfQ[/embed]

Darryl G. Hart, Distinguished Associate Professor of History at Hillsdale College, joins us to speak about his book, Still Protesting: Why the Reformation Matters (Reformation Heritage Books). This book addresses the divide between Protestants and Roman Catholics, considering some of the reasons that prompted the Reformation and the Counter-Reformation. It emerges particularly from the context of the increasing number of Protestants who convert to Roman Catholicism, and Hart's aim is to address some of the most frequent reasons given for abandoning Protestantism. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZG2G2j8LkdA[/embed]

Links

• DGH at Patheos
• Old Life

We continue our #VosGroup series in pages 187–190 of Vos' book Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments to consider the word of God and prophetism. Prophetism is restricted to the word as its instrument. The prophetic ministry was a declarative, spiritual authority of one who speaks and writes in the words of Jehovah himself. There is the closest possible connection, then, between the prophetic office and the declaration of the Word of the Lord, as that Word is given by the superintending agency of the Spirit, who breathes out the prophetic Scriptures (cf. 1 Pet. 1:10–11; 2 Tim. 3:16). The effect of being restricted to the ministry of the Word of God was a heightening of the “spiritualizing” relation between Jehovah and Israel. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DFJ7eccK58[/embed]

The impeccability of Christ is an important, though debated point. It involves not only the sinlessness of our savior, but whether it was possible for him to sin. As we consider the issue, we turn to F. W. Kremer’s article, “The Impeccability of the Lord Jesus Christ” published in Reformed Quarterly Review, Volume 26, April 1879.

We discuss the tendency to consider Christ’s humanity independently of his divinity. It’s not merely that people recognize the natures are distinct, but that they implicitly acknowledge that his humanity can be abstracted from his divinity. In the abstract, we could acknowledge that Jesus’s human nature had the capability of sinning. For example, his body was physically capable of taking a sword and murdering someone. But we cannot consider Christ’s human nature in the abstract. He is the second person of the trinity who has assumed a true body and a reasonable soul. Sin involves a moral agent. Does the human nature of Christ constitute a full moral agent apart from the person of the son? This also raises serious issues regarding God’s decree. Throughout the episode, we maintain that if it was possible for Christ to sin, it was possible for Christ to fail.

We continue our #VosGroup series in pages 185–188 of Vos' book Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments to consider the unfolding of God's plan as it moves from the period under Moses to that of the prophets. Prophetism marks an epochal movement in OT revelation. In other words, the “new happenings” of God’s mighty deeds in redemptive revelation bring enduring advancement toward consummation—each epoch builds upon and brings advancement to what has proceeded.

The new feature is “the organization of the theocratic kingdom under a human ruler” (185). God is seeking to confer himself on a holy people through a holy king in a holy theocratic realm. As such, Prophetism is a “Kingdom-Producing Movement (186–187). This is a critical point to grasp: prophetism is attached to the advancement of the theocratic kingdom. Prophetism therefore has no independent significance. Its entire rationale grows out of the producing and advancement of the theocratic kingdom of Jehovah.

This comes into even greater clarity as we recognize that the Word is the instrument of Prophetism (187–88). The essence, formally, of prophetism is that it “restricts” itself to the Word of God—the Word from the mouth of Jehovah. The Word of God “in reality did more than anything else towards the spiritualizing of the relation between Jehovah and Israel” (187).

In this episode, we speak about the free offer of the gospel. The real point in dispute in connection with the free offer of the gospel is whether it can properly be said that God desires the salvation of all men. This issue was related to several theological controversies of the 1940s and stemming back decades earlier. Much of this particular issue comes the split of 1924 within the Christian Reformed Church which led to the formation of the Protestant Reformed Church under the leadership of Herman Hoeksema. For some, the antithesis is so absolutized that there can be no real transition from wrath to grace and no free offer of the gospel. Cornelius Van Til spoke of the antithesis as an ethical rather than metaphysical antithesis. In a letter to Jesse de Boer, he indicated that it was merely another way to speak of total depravity. As we walk through a study committee report delivered to the 15th General Assembly of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, we are confronted with the great mystery of God's will and his infallible revelation to us in Scripture.

Links

• OPC Study Committee Report (15th General Assembly, 1948)
• Abraham Kuyper, Common Grace
• Cornelius Van Til, Common Grace and the Gospel

The first paragraph of chapter twenty-nine in the Westminster Confession of Faith sets forth the institution of Lord’s Supper and the uses and ends for which it is designed:

Our Lord Jesus, in the night wherein he was betrayed, instituted the sacrament of his body and blood, called the Lord’s Supper, to be observed in his church, unto the end of the world, for the perpetual remembrance of the sacrifice of himself in his death; the sealing all benefits thereof unto true believers, their spiritual nourishment and growth in him, their further engagement in and to all duties which they owe unto him; and, to be a bond and pledge of their communion with him, and with each other, as members of his mystical body.

In this episode, we discuss the five purposes of the Lord's Supper detailed in the confession:

1. Christ instituted the Lord’s Supper as a commemorative ordinance for the perpetual remembrance of the sacrifice of himself in his death.
2. The Lord’s Supper is a confirmatory sign (cf. Rom. 4:11) for the purpose of sealing all the benefits procured by Christ’s death unto true believers.
3. Christ instituted the Lord’s Supper for the spiritual nourishment and growth of believers in him.
4. Christ instituted the Lord’s Supper for believers for their further engagement in and to all duties which they owe unto him.
5. Finally, Christ instituted the Lord’s Supper to be a bond and pledge of believers’ communion with him, and with each other, as members of his mystical body.

We continue our #VosGroup series in pages 175–182 of Vos' book Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments to consider ancestor worship and animism before moving to a summary of Part I of the entire book and specifically, revelation during the period of M

We speak with Dr. Stephen G. Myers about Ebenezer Erskine and the important events of Presbyterian history with which he was involved.

William Vandoodewaard speaks to us about Martin Bucer, John Knox, and the development of pastoral care during the Reformation.

Bill Dennison speaks about Karl Marx, leading us through his biography, influences, and his intellectual effects upon social and political history.

Jonathan Gibson and Mark Earngey speak about Reformation worship. Their new book Reformation Worship: Liturgies from the Past for the Present, is an irenic plea for the Church (and especially her ministers) to engage again in the two-millennia-old question: "How then shall we worship?"

Hebrews 6 has been a challenging passage to interpret for ages. What does it mean to fall away? What is the specific nature of the apostasy? Do majority interpretations do justice to all the features of the text?

Camden Bucey and Jim Cassidy discuss Lamentations, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah. Camden recently wrote a 12-week study on the books for Crossway's Knowing the Bible series.

Alan Strange speaks about the doctrine of the spirituality of the church in the ecclesiology of Charles Hodge and how it was formed in the years leading up to and during the American Civil War. Dr. Strange's dissertation on the topic has been published in P&R Publishing's Reformed Academic Dissertations series as The Doctrine of the Spirituality of the Church in the Ecclesiology of Charles Hodge. Dr. Strange previously addressed the topic in episode 443 of Christ the Center, but in this episode, we focus more on the Presbyterian General Assemblies and how they wrestled with the theological and political issues surrounding the war.

Vos Group takes an excursus to discuss Vos's Reformed Dogmatics. In this series, like all of his works, Vos presents the "deeper Protestant conception" of covenantal union and communion with the Triune God. We discuss how the immutable Creator does n

In this episode, we answer questions from our listeners and discuss a few things we've been contemplating recently. We discuss a proposed reading list for the works of Cornelius Van Til, worshiping in Sunday, Evangelicals and Catholics Together, and African worldview and theology. It's a wide-ranging conversation and one we hope you enjoy.

Dissertations/Theses Mentioned

• Leonardo de Chirico, Evangelical theological perspectives on post-Vatican II Roman Catholicism
• Trevor H. G. Smith, Christian Theology Emerging from the Akan Single-Tiered Unitive Perspective on Reality

Eden and Canaan are earthly projections that both reveal yet veil the glory of the heavenly dwelling place of God. Had Adam passed probation, he would have been translated into the highest heavens in the presence of God where he would enter Sabbath Rest (Genesis 2/Ez. 28:14 and the mountain of God). When Christ finished his wilderness sojourn, he ascended into that very reality of Sabbath Rest—rest the first Adam did not enter (Heb. 1:3; 8:2, 5; 9:23–24; 10:12; 12:24; 4:9–10). Christ, as ascended, has entered rest—a rest he in the process of conferring on the church in this age (4:3) and will bring to consummation in the age to come (4:9–11).

The whole point of the land of Canaan in Hebrews—the way it relates to this big-picture creational concern—is that it was a place of rest (Psalm 95:7–11 is quoted in Hebrews 3:7–11). Israel was seeking to leave the wilderness and enter into the “rest” of God in Canaan. Canaan was a local, earthly expression of a corresponding heavenly Sabbath Rest (95:11/Genesis 2:2 as the two theme texts in Hebrews 3 and 4).

Canaan was an earthly type of Sabbath Rest, and some in Israel failed to enter the earthly typical land of rest because they lacked faith in the promised Messiah (Heb. 3:19). In a parallel way, the author of Hebrews grounds his exhortation that the church in this age press on to Sabbath Rest by faith in the ascended Messiah, so that none of us fail to enter that Rest.

Dr. Vern Poythress speaks with us about his book, Theophany: A Biblical Theology of God's Appearing, published by Crossway. Each time God appears to his people throughout the Bible—in the form of a thunderstorm, a man, a warrior, a chariot, etc.—he comes to a specific person for a specific purpose. And each of these temporary appearances— called theophanies—helps us to better understand who he is, anticipating his climactic, permanent self-revelation in the incarnation of Christ.

Describing the various accounts of God’s visible presence from Genesis to Revelation, Dr. Poythress helps us consider more deeply what they reveal about who God is and how he dwells with us today.

We also spoke about the upcoming Westminster Conference on Science & Faith to be held  April 6–7, 2018 at Proclamation Presbyterian Church in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania (see map). They will explore the relationship between theistic evolution and the Christian faith. Register at wcosaf.com.

Dr. Poythress is Professor of New Testament Interpretation at Westminster Theological Seminary in Glenside, Pennsylvania.

In Episode 38 of Proclaiming Christ, our newest panelist, Jim Cassidy, provides our listeners with a model of biblical interpretation through an introduction to the book of Hosea.

Ryan Noha shares several rare books just added to the Reformed Forum online store.

Michael J. Kruger joins us to speak about his book Christianity at the Crossroads: How the Second Century Shaped the Future of the Church.

Jim Cassidy discusses Darren O Sumner's book, Karl Barth and the Incarnation.

We continue our #VosGroup series in pages 174–175 of Vos' book Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments to consider totemism and Vos's deep critique of biblicistic modernism.

Dr. Eric Watkins, Pastor of Covenant OPC in St. Augustine, Florida, joins Jim Cassidy, Chris Hartshorn, and Dale Van Dyke for a discussion on his book, The Drama of Preaching: Participating with God in the History of Redemption. Dr. Watkins explains how the idea of drama informs our understanding of peaching. Preaching is the telling of God's drama of redemption in which believers find themselves as active participants. He further explains how the drama motif gives the church a ready entry point with a postmodern world in which story is so highly valued.

Dr. Marcus Mininger, Associate Professor of New Testament Studies at Mid-America Reformed Seminary, speaks about the theme of revelation in the book of Romans. In his book, Uncovering the Theme of Revelation in Romans 1:16–3:26: Discovering a New Approach to Paul's Argument (Mohr Siebeck), Dr. Mininger argues for approaching Romans 1–3 through a new interpretive paradigm that features revelation over reading Paul's words primarily through a soteriological or sociological framework. In this fourth episode of a brief series with Dr. Mininger, we look into a revelation-historical interpretation of Romans 3:21–26 and draw several conclusions in summary to our entire discussion.

Listen to the Series

• Uncovering the Theme of Revelation in Romans 1:16–3:26
• A Revelation-Historical Interpretation of Romans 2:1–29
• A Revelation-Historical Interpretation of Romans 3:1–20
• A Revelation-Historical Interpretation of Romans 3:21–26

Danny Olinger speaks about the life of E. J. Young, long-time Professor of Old Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary.

We continue our #VosGroup series in pages 173–174 of Vos' book Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments to consider uncleanness and purification, a deep structure of Scripture, what Vos says, "forms a fundamental conception, which . . . has entered into the permanent fabric of biblical religion."

Dr. Marcus Mininger, Assistant Professor of New Testament Studies at Mid-America Reformed Seminary, speaks about the theme of revelation in the book of Romans. In his book, Uncovering the Theme of Revelation in Romans 1:16–3:26: Discovering a New Approach to Paul's Argument (Mohr Siebeck), Dr. Mininger argues for approaching Romans 1–3 through a new interpretive paradigm that features revelation rather than reading Paul's words primarily through a soteriological or sociological framework. This is part three of our discussion.

Dr. Marcus Mininger, Assistant Professor of New Testament Studies at Mid-America Reformed Seminary, speaks about the theme of revelation in the book of Romans. In his book, Uncovering the Theme of Revelation in Romans 1:16–3:26: Discovering a New Approach to Paul's Argument (Mohr Siebeck), Dr. Mininger argues for approaching Romans 1–3 through a new interpretive paradigm that features revelation rather than reading Paul's words primarily through a soteriological or sociological framework. This is part two of our discussion.

Dr. Marcus Mininger, Assistant Professor of New Testament Studies at Mid-America Reformed Seminary, speaks about the theme of revelation in the book of Romans. In his book, Uncovering the Theme of Revelation in Romans 1:16–3:26: Discovering a New A

We continue our #VosGroup series starting on page 170–172 of Vos' book Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments to consider the variety of Old Testament offerings and sacrifices. Vos addresses the different types of offerings and how they relate to one another and to the eschatological plan of salvation in Jesus Christ.

We look back at some of our favorite guests and moments from 2017.

In this episode, Rev. Andrew Compton, Assistant Professor of Old Testament Studies at Mid-America Reformed Seminary, speaks about the book of Proverbs. While many have approached Proverbs as a source for personal guidance or a collection of general life lessons, Compton argues that Proverbs possesses a canonical awareness and presents itself as the divinely inspired source of true wisdom, as well as the infallible norm for the wisdom of God, against which all other so-called "wisdom" must be tested.

Jeff Stivason joins us to speak about his article, "Benjamin B. Warfield and True Church Unity," published in the Westminster Theological Journal 79 (2017): 327–43. He argues that Warfield developed a theology that requires the existence of denomination

Matthew Patton speaks of Augustine's hermeneutical principle of totus Christus, which emphasizes how Christ as head as well as the Church as his body provide the eschatological fulfillment of the Old Testament.

Lane Tipton and Camden Bucey discuss pages 166–168 of Vos' Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments.

Jeff Waddington speaks about his chapter in the new festschrift for Vern Poythress, Redeeming the Life of the Mind (Crossway). Jeff's chapter, titled, "Jonathan Edwards on God's Involvement in Creation," is an examination of "Miscellanies," no.

What did the Tree of Life symbolize in the Garden of Eden? Why does it reappear in Revelation 2:7 and 22:2? We discuss the symbolism of the tree and the eschatological mode of life it signifies and seals.

We speak about God's original intent for the image of God and how his offer to Adam in the garden was of a higher, consummate mode of life.

Lane Tipton and Camden Bucey discuss pages 165–166 of Vos' Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments.

This episode was recorded just prior to our 2017 Theology Conference on The Reformation of Apologetics. We discuss Scholasticism as it relates to the theology of Thomas Aquinas, the Reformers, and Cornelius Van Til.

This episode was recorded live at our 2017 Theology Conference on The Reformation of Apologetics.

Dan Ragusa speaks about Herman Bavinck's Trinitarian theology and its implications for a revelational epistemology and worldview.

Chad Van Dixhoorn speaks about the Westminster Assembly and its reform of the pulpit ministry.

Ryan Noha, the Indiana Jones of Reformed books, speaks about several rare books to be added to the Reformed Forum online store.

Lane Tipton and Camden Bucey discuss pages 161–165 of Vos' Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments.

Camden Bucey and Jeff Waddington discuss the image of God and whether man retains the image after the fall into sin.

Chad and Emily Van Dixhoorn discuss studying the Westminster Confession of Faith.

Glen Clary and Camden Bucey discuss Ole Hallesby's classic book on prayer.

Jim Cassidy walks us through the major themes of the book of Hosea.

Jim Cassidy and Camden Bucey discuss theological methodology in light of Calvin's view of natural theology.

Dr. Robert J. Cara speaks about his book, Cracking the Foundation of the New Perspective on Paul: Covenantal Nomism versus Reformed Covenantal Theology (Mentor, 2017), which is published in the Reformed Exegetical and Doctrinal Series. The New Perspective on Paul is broadly united on its view of Second Temple Jewish literature. Arguing that these documents do not contain a doctrine of works righteousness, Paul certainly cannot be arguing against such a view—quite simply because it didn't exist. Dr. Cara examines the Jewish sources and "cracks the foundation" of the NPP by demonstrating how they incorporate meritorious works and thus establishing the traditional Protestant view of Paul and his doctrine of justification.

Lane Tipton and Camden Bucey discuss pages 159–161 of Vos' Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments.

We took to Facebook to broadcast a live Q&A session. With questions submitted through email and the live comment thread, we covered Lord's Day observance, fasting and gluttony, and membership in the New Covenant.

We celebrate five-hundred episodes of Christ the Center.

We continue our #VosGroup series by opening pages 157–159 of Vos' book Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments to consider offerings, gifts, and sacrifices within the Mosaic economy.

Chris Castaldo compares the respective doctrines of justification of the Reformer Peter Martyr Vermigli and the Roman Catholic John Henry Cardinal Newman.

In June 2011, we spoke with Bill Dennison, Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies at Covenant College, about Transformationalism and Christian Higher Education. In that episode, we touched upon his article, "Dutch Neo-Calvinism and the Roots for Transformation: An Introductory Essay" from the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 42/2 (June 1999). We only had a few minutes to discuss the article in episode 180, and so today, we pick up where we left off. Dennison contends that while Dutch neo-Calvinism sought to transform culture in response to the threat of the Enlightenment, they stood upon a foundation of Enlightenment principles to do it. Many of the themes discussed in this episode were developed and applied in our twelve-part series on Christ and Culture, in which Dennison debated Darryl Hart, Nelson Kloosterman, and Doug Wilson.

Previous Episodes with Bill Dennison

• In Defense of the Eschaton
• Transformationalism and Christian Higher Education
• Machen and Bultmann at Marburg
• Paul’s Two-Age Construction and Apologetics

We welcome Brandon Crowe back to the program to speak about the gospel of Matthew. Dr. Crowe is assistant professor of New Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. He is the author of the article, "Fulfillment in Matthew as Eschatological Reversal" in Westminster Theological Journal 75 (2013), pp. 111–127. Matthew's use of the Old Testament has perplexed interpreters for years. It is difficult to ascertain precisely how Jesus "fulfills" the prophets in several of Matthew's references. Dr. Crowe argues that Jesus not only fulfills the Old Testament as the new Israel and consummate Davidic king, but according to Matthew's formulae, he does so by reversing Israel's pattern of covenant infidelity.

Other Episodes with Brandon Crowe

• The Last Adam: A Theology of the Obedient Life of Jesus in the Gospels
• The New Testament Foundations of Trinitarian Theology
• The Message of the General Epistles
• The Virgin Birth of Christ
• Deuteronomy and Christology in the Gospel of Matthew

Today, we speak with Andrew Abernethy about his book, The Book of Isaiah and God's Kingdom: A Thematic-Theological Approach from IVP Academic's New Studies in Biblical Theology series. Abernethy contends that thematic points of reference can help one to encounter Isaiah and its rich theological message. Dr. Abernethy is Assistant Professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College. He is the author of Eating in Isaiah: Approaching Food and Drink in Isaiah's Structure and Message and coeditor of Isaiah and Imperial Context: The Book of Isaiah in Times of Empire.

Rob McKenzie hosts the interview with Dr. Abernethy. And so in the episode, we also took the opportunity to speak about the latest addition to our podcast family, Theology Simply Profound, which he produces with Bob Tarullo. Rob and Camden speak about the program and how it fits within our lineup, helping us to bring Reformed theology to more people. Rob is sales representative for trade, academic, and special markets at IVP and a distant student at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, Florida.

Jim Cassidy and Camden Bucey revisit Paul Woolley's article, "Discontent!" as it pertains to the ministry of the church. While Woolley wrote in 1944, his lessons are just as applicable today.

Darryl G. Hart speaks about J. Gresham Machen and his use of media throughout the modernist-fundamentalist controversy.

In this episode of Vos Group, we turn to pages 155–157 of Geerhardus Vos's Biblical Theology to consider the sacrificial system of the law. Vos describes two main ends of sacrifices—expiation and consecration—and how they relate to one another.

William Wood challenges the conventional wisdom that the author of Judges exhibits an anti-Ephraimite stance exclusively.

Brett Mahlen speaks about his ministry to inmates at the Stateville Correctional Center in Crest Hill, Illinois.

Charles Williams speaks about the life and theology of one of Christianity's greatest figures, Augustine.

A. Craig Troxel speaks about Reformed spirituality.

In this episode of Vos Group, we turn to pages 154–155 of Geerhardus Vos's Biblical Theology to consider how Christ reveals and consummates the religious principles and realities embodied in the tabernacle and then elevated into the Church.

Today we welcome Daniel Ragusa, to speak about the Westminster Standards and their teaching of the self-sufficient and self-contained triune God of Scripture. Ragusa begins with Westminster Confession of Faith 3.1:

God, from all eternity, did, by the most wise and holy counsel of his own will, freely, and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass: yet so, as thereby neither is God the author of sin, nor is violence offered to the will of the creatures; nor is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established.

In developing this doctrine, Ragusa draws upon Cornelius Van Til's Trinitarian theology, covenant theology, and representational principle. Ragusa writes,

According to Van Til's representational principle, for man's will to operate and for an act of his will to be significant and meaningful it must take place within an exhaustively personal environment, that is, it must take place within the sovereign and eternal plan of the self-sufficient triune God. The absolute freedom of God does not take away or limit man's freedom, but rather establishes it in an analogical fashion.

While many in the Christian tradition prepare to celebrate Good Friday and Easter Sunday this week and next, we turn to consider the meaning of the gospel. Paul describes the gospel in 1 Corinthians 15:1–8 as a message of Jesus' historical life, death, and resurrection for sinners. This is a matter of first importance.

Earlier this week, we exhibited at The Gospel Coalition 2017 Conference, "No Other Gospel: Reformation 500 and Beyond" in Indianapolis. We were able to share 900 copies of our new book No Uncertain Sound with interested conference attendees. We had numerous conversations with people about confessional Reformed theology, worship, apologetics, and ecclesiology. In the few quieter moments, we picked up the microphones and spoke about our experience.

In his plenary address at TGC, "The Reformed Tradition Beyond Calvin," Ligon Duncan spoke of Johannes Oecolampadius and Dr. Diane Poythress' work on the Reformer. In Christ the Center episode 269, we spoke with Dr Poythress about her dissertation, “Johannes Oecolampadius’ Exposition of Isaiah, Chapters 36–37,” which is one of the only lengthy treatments of Oecolampadius in English. She has also written an excellent book about him titled, Reformer of Basel: The Life, Thought, and Influence of Johannes Oecolampadius, published by Reformation Heritage Books.

Rev. Chiarot is the pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Rock Tavern, New York. He joins us today to speak about "T. F. Torrance and Apostolic Succession," an article he wrote for Participatio. He has also written, The Unassumed Is the Unhealed: The Humanity of Christ in the Christology of T. F. Torrance (Pickwick, 2013).

Links

• Westminster Presbyterian Church, Rock Tavern, NY
• Christ the Center episode 403, "The Unassumed Is the Unhealed"

K. Scott Oliphint speaks about the incomprehensible mysteries of our God. As creatures, we will never and can never comprehend fully God's mysteries. Indeed, this must even be an epistemological and methodological starting point. Standing upon this biblically-based notion of mystery, Dr. Oliphint drives us to doxology—to worship our glorious God.

We welcome Dr. Brandon Crowe to speak about his book, The Last Adam: A Theology of the Obedient Life of Jesus in the Gospels, in which he sets forth the soteriological significance of the life of Jesus in the Gospels. He offers an exegetical case for understanding the Adam-Christ parallel in the Gospels themselves, and thereby allows us to see the great glory of person and work of Christ as he is revealed in all of Scripture.

Other episodes with Brandon Crowe

• Deuteronomy and Christology in the Gospel of Matthew
• The Virgin Birth of Christ
• The Message of the General Epistles
• The New Testament Foundations of Trinitarian Theology

Vos Group continues our study looking at the majesty and holiness of God and its relationship to the place of worship. Read along in Biblical Theology on pp. 150–154.

Today we speak about John Murray's "The Attestation of Scripture," a chapter in The Infallible Word. Murray writes,

The objective witness is that Scripture is authoritative by reason of the character it possesses as the infallible Word of God and this divine quality belongs to Scripture because it is the product of God’s creative breath through the mode of plenary inspiration by the Holy Spirit.

In his book Created & Creating, William Edgar offers a rich biblical theology in light of our contemporary culture that contends that Christians must engaged in culture. Dr. Edgar is Professor of Apologetics at Westminster Theological Seminary. He joins us to speak about this wonderful book.

Its thesis is simple: the cultural mandate, declared at the dawn of human history, and reiterated through the different episodes of redemptive history, culminating in Jesus' Great Commission, is the central calling for humanity.

The tabernacle is a premier symbol and type in the Old Testament. It demonstrates God's dwelling with his people. Lane Tipton and Camden Bucey turn to Vos's discussion and consider the redemptive-historical significance of the tabernacle. Read along on pp. 148–150.

Peter Gurry speaks about a new method of textual criticism used in the latest critical editions of the New Testament.

Today we speak with Austin Reed about Karl Barth's theology of election. Austin is a student at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary and walks us through a critical review of Karl Barth's Infralapsarian Theology: Origins and Development, 1920-1953 by Shao Kai Tseng. Tseng challenges the scholarly status quo, arguing that despite Barth's stated favor of supralapsarianism, his mature lapsarian theology is complex and dialectical. It demonstrates elements of both supra- and infralapsarianism, though it favors the latter. In Tseng's assessment, Barth's theology is basically infralapsarian because he sees the object of election as fallen humankind and understands the incarnation as God's act of taking on human nature in its condition of fallenness.

Be sure to read Austin Reed's review of Reading Barth with Charity: A Hermeneutic Proposal by George Hunsinger.

 

On this episode, we are joined by Ryan McGraw, who speaks about the foundational role and practical significance of Trinitarian theology to John Owen. Dr. McGraw is Professor of Systematic Theology at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Greenville, South Caroline. His article, "Trinitarian Doxology: Reassessing John Owen's Contribution to Reformed Orthodox Trinitarian Theology" was published in The Westminster Theological Journal, Vol. 77, No. 2.

Dr. McGraw joined us on a previous episode of Christ the Center to speak about the meaning of the phrase "good and necessary consequence" in the Westminster Confession of Faith 1.6.

On this episode, we are joined by Nathaniel Gray Sutanto, who speaks about the Theological Interpretation of Scripture (TIS). Gray is a PhD Candidate at New College, University of Edinburgh. His article, "On the Theological Interpretation of Scripture: The Indirect Identity Thesis, Reformed Orthodoxy, and Trinitarian Considerations" was published in The Westminster Theological Journal, Vol. 77, No. 2.

TIS is an approach to reading biblical texts that seeks to do justice to the theological nature of the texts and embrace the influence of theology on interpretation. Sutanto focuses on Francis Watson and his relationship to Karl Barth's doctrine of revelation. He concludes that, “. . . the uniqueness of TIS depends upon the assumption of the validity of Kant’s turn in philosophical history along with its attendant ideological implications.”

As another year gets into swing, many people have begun new Bible reading plans. Reading through Scripture each day is a powerful and transformative discipline. We discuss the practice of Bible reading personally, in the home, and in the church.

We continue our study of Geerhardus Vos's Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments to consider typology and how types relate to symbols. This is some of the richest material in Vos. Read along on pp. 143-148.

As we head into our tenth year of Christ the Center, we look back at some of our favorite guests and moments from 2016.

In the second part of this special two-part episode, we discuss the observation of Christmas. This subject is perennially debated in the Reformed community. Listen as we discuss the historical, theological, and practical issues.

In this special two-part episode, we discuss the observation of Christmas. This subject is perennially debated in the Reformed community. Listen as we discuss the historical, theological, and practical issues.

Patricia Clawson and Diane Olinger speak about the new book from the OPC's Committee for the Historian. This book captures the stories of ninety-three women of the denomination.