Reformed Forum

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.

Jared Oliphint and Camden Bucey speak about a newly published set of the Bible designed to enhance readability.

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.

We continue our study of Geerhardus Vos's Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments with a look at the world-wide application of the Decalogue and the second commandment. Read along on pp. 137-143.

Marcus Mininger is Associate Professor in New Testament Studies at Mid-America Reformed Seminary in Dyer, Indiana. Today he joins us to speak about his article, "Eschatology and Protology, Christ and Culture: Marriage as a Biblical Test-Case" MAJT 25

Mark Vander Hart and Cornelis P. Venema join us to speak about the Reformed church in Latvia. Mark Vander Hart is Associate Professor of Old Testament Studies at Mid-America Reformed Seminary. Cornelis Venema is President and Professor of Doctrinal Studies. Both men have taught at Baltic Reformed Seminary in Riga, Latvia.

Cornelis P. Venema joins us to speak about his book By His Spirit and Word: How Christ Builds His Church (Reformed Fellowship, Inc.). Venema engages in an extended exposition on the doctrine of the church and its ministry as described in the historic confessions and catechisms of the Reformation churches. These confessions emphasize the church's indispensability to the salvation of believers, for the triune God's redemptive mission is principally effected through the ministry of the church. Dr. Venema is President and Professor of Doctrinal Studies at Mid-America Reformed Seminary in Dyer, Indiana.

We continue our study of Geerhardus Vos's Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments with a look at the world-wide application of the Decalogue and the second commandment. Read along on pp. 135-137.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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 appoint

Dan Ragusa speaks about the United Reformed Churches in America, biblical theology, and the book of Joshua.

Many churches may be familiar with lectio continua preaching in the form of the weekly practice of preaching consecutive passages through a book of Scripture. Catechetical preaching uses a catechism to organize the weekly sermons rather than the book of Scripture. Does that make catechetical preaching unscriptural? By no means! While some catechetical sermons may derive their points directly from the catechism and others merely use the catechism to determine the topic and then select a pertinent Scripture passage to exposit. Catechetical preaching merely provides the skeleton for the subject and points of a sermon, but it need not make the sermon unscriptural. There are many benefits to catechetical preaching. It provides a wide range of Scriptural thought. It encourages familiarity with a system of doctrine. It also keeps before the congregation the basic fact that we have a catechism. We encourage people to work through it, reading it, and catechizing themselves and their children. Catechetical preaching fortifies this practice and helps people to embrace our secondary standards as a tool and help for us to understand what God has taught us about various doctrinal subjects. It aids in showing the unity and harmony of Scripture as a whole. Resources Wayne Brouwer, "Preaching the Heidelberg: A New Look at the Tradition of Catechetical Preaching." R. E. Knodel, Jr. "Catechetical Preaching" William Boekestein, "The Benefits of Catechetical Preaching: Catechism Preaching Is Another Kind of Bible Preaching" Jeffrey C. Waddington catechetical series on the Westminster Shorter Catechism. James J. Cassidy sermons

We speak about two biblical theological titles from Intervarsity Press including John Goldingay's Biblical Theology and Unceasing Kindness, a biblical theology of Ruth by Peter Lau and Gregory Goswell.

Dr. Richard B. Gaffin, Jr. speaks about Calvin's views on the Sabbath. In this conversation, we look to Dr. Gaffin's book Calvin and the Sabbath: The Controversy of Applying the Fourth Commandment (Mentor/Christian Focus), which is a revised version of his ThM thesis originally written under the supervision of John Murray at Westminster in 1961–62. We also speak about Dr. Gaffin's exegesis and theological development of Hebrews 3–4 in Pressing Toward the Mark: Essays Commemorating Fifty Years of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church.

We introduce two new books from InterVarsity Press: Created and Creating by William Edgar and Contours of the Kuyperian Tradition by Craig Barthlomew.

In this episode we discuss the gathering in Genesis 11 to build a city and tower for the name of man. This chapter provides many themes that will be explored throughout the rest of Scripture as the historical enmity develops between the city of man and th

In this episode we discuss God's promise to Abram—particularly his pledge to grant him a seed, a land, and to give Abram his own divine presence.

In this episode we discuss how God called Abram to leave behind his homeland and set out to a land that God would show him. We also consider how such a pilgrim motif informs the life of the Christian.

We continue our study of Geerhardus Vos's Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments with a look at the world-wide application of the Decalogue, its prologue, and the first commandment. Read along on pp. 131-135.

Dennis Johnson speaks about reading all the Scriptures Christianly as he shares the themes in his book Walking with Jesus through His Word: Discovering Christ in All the Scriptures.

Dr. Michael J. Kruger speaks with us about A Biblical-Theological Introduction to the New Testament. This volume introduces each New Testament book in the context of the whole canon of Scripture, helping a wide range of readers with a rich, redemptive-historical guide to each book. Dr. Kruger is President and Professor of New Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte, North Carolina. He received his B.S. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, his M.Div. from Westminster Seminary California, and his Ph.D. from New College, The University of Edinburgh, Scotland. He is the author of three books on the issue of canon, Canon Revisited: Establishing the Origins and Authority of the New Testament Books (Crossway, 2012), The Early Text of the New Testament (Oxford, 2012; edited with Charles Hill), and The Question of Canon: Challenging the Status Quo in the New Testament Debate. In addition to his faculty duties, he currently serves part-time as the Pastor of Teaching at Uptown Christ Covenant Church in downtown Charlotte. Dr. Kruger has spoken on Christ the Center episodes 217 and 283, and his wife, Melissa Kruger, has spoken on episodes 276, 297, and 301.

Lane Tipton speaks about the report of the Committee to Study Republication of the General Assembly of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. The report describes the impetus of the committee's work: The 81st General Assembly, in response to an overture from the Presbytery of the Northwest, elected a study committee "to examine and give advice as to whether and in what particular senses the concept of the Mosaic Covenant as a republication of the Adamic Covenant is consistent with the doctrinal system taught in the confessional standards of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church." The men who were elected to this committee are Messrs. Bryan D. Estelle, Benjamin W. Swinburnson (Secretary), Lane G. Tipton, A. Craig Troxel (Chairman), and Chad V. Van Dixhoorn. For an overview of the General Assembly, read D. G. Hart's report, "2016 General Assembly: Nothing Out of the Ordinary."

We speak with Daniel R. Hyde. Rev. Hyde is pastor of Oceanside URC in Oceanside, California. He has written an article examining the Synod of Dort's doctrine of the Sabbath, titled "Regulae de Observatione Sabbathi: The Synod of Dort's (1618–19) Deliverance on the Sabbath." Originally written for The Puritan Reformed Journal, you can now find it on pages 173–184 of The Confessional Presbyterian Journal, Issue 12 (2016). Books by Danny Hyde Welcome to a Reformed Church Why Believe in God Jesus Loves the Little Children Books on the Sabbath Non-Sabbatarian Position: Sunday by Willy Rordorf (Philadelphia, PA: The Westminster Press, 1968). This is a fantastic resource on the patristic doctrine and observance of the Lord's Day. From Sabbath to Lord's Day: A Biblical, Historical and Theological Investigation, ed. D. A. Carson (Wipf & Stock Pub, 2000). Richard Bauckham's articles in this volume are excellent. Sabbatarian Position: The Confessional Presbyterian Journal, Issue 12 (2016) Calvin and the Sabbath by Richard Gaffin (Mentor, 1998). Gaffin's positive defense of the Sabbath is superb. The True Doctrine of the Sabbath by Nicholas Bownde (Reformation Heritage, 2015).

In this episode we discuss the canonical, biblical theological, and historical significance of the genealogy of Genesis 10. We also discuss the challenges and problems of how to preach genealogical passages.

In this episode we discuss: Noah and Adam, the sin of Noah, and the redemptive-historical significance of the oracles which Noah pronounces regarding his three sons.

Dispensationalism is a system of doctrine that views human history as divided into distinct eras (or dispensations). In each of these dispensations, God provides a unique test to humanity. Repeatedly, they fail these tests and receive the judgment requisi

The people of God presently live in between grace and glory. We look back upon the finished work of Jesus Christ while also looking forward to his return, our resurrection, and the consummation of the New Heavens and New Earth. Speaking of the faithful, the author of the epistle to the Hebrews writes, "These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth" (Heb 11:13). While we labor in the world, we do not ultimately belong in this world. We are citizens of heaven. In this episode, we explore the biblical pilgrim motif and its application for the Christian life.

We continue our #VosGroup series by opening pages 128–131 of Vos' book Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments to consider once again the function of the law and the Decalogue. Why was the law given? How does it function in the life of Israel, the red

Dr. Keith Stanglin joins us to speak about the theology of Jacobus Arminius. Dr. Stanglin is associate professor at Austin Graduate School of Theology. Arminius was a Dutch theologian who served as a professor of theology at the University of Leiden. Many

Sections 1. Absurd fictions of opponents first refuted, and then certain passages of Scripture explained. Answer by a negative. Confirmation of the answer. 2. Another absurdity of Aristotle and Pelagius. Answer by a distinction. Answer fortified by passages from Augustine, and supported by the authority of an Apostle. 3. Third absurdity borrowed from the words of Chrysostom. Answer by a negative. 4. Fourth absurdity urged of old by the Pelagians. Answer from the works of Augustine. Illustrated by the testimony of our Saviour. Another answer, which explains the use of exhortations. 5. A third answer, which contains a fuller explanation of the second. Objection to the previous answers. Objection refuted. Summary of the previous answers.