Christ the Center

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...

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 not change in the freely willed “new relation” to creation—only creation does, and that the Roman Catholic view of the i...

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 on 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 C...

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—res...

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...

Michael J. Kruger joins us to speak about his book,  Christianity at the Crossroads: How the Second Century Shaped the Future of the Church  in which he examines how Christianity took root in the second century, how it battled to stay true to the vision of the apostles, and how it developed in ways that would shape both the church and Western culture over the next two thousand years. Dr. Kruger is...

Jim Cassidy discusses Darren O. Sumner’s book, Karl Barth and the Incarnation: Christology and the Humility of God . Dr. Cassidy wrote a review article on the book in the Fall 2017 issue (Vol. 79, No. 2) of the  Westminster Theological Journal . Participants: Camden Bucey , Jim Cassidy

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. Totemism seeks to explain the distinction between the clean and the unclean by way of “a form of superstition” rooted in “savage tribes and families” who offered worship to certain animals and plants. Biblicism i...

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 the...

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 reve...

Danny Olinger speaks about the life of E. J. Young, long-time Professor of Old Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary. Davis Young has written a wonderful biography of his father,  For Me to Live Is Christ: The Life of Edward J. Young , published by the Christian Education Committee of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. Rev. Olinger serves as the General Secretary for the Committee. Particip...

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.” Participants: Camden Bucey , Lane G. Tipton

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 reve...

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 reve...

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 rev...

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. Participants: Camden Bucey , Lane G. Tipton

For those of you who’ve been with us for some time know we like to take an hour or so at the end of the year to look back on everything we did. Today, we’ve selected ten clips from the episodes we released in 2017. We spoke with many people and had many fascinating conversations. I hope we’ll pique your interest, and you’ll go back to listen to many of the full conversations represented by these h...

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...

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 denominations. Jeff is pastor of Grace Reformed Presbyterian Church (RPCNA) in Gibsonia, Pennsylvania and has joined us previously to speak about W...

Matthew Patton speaks about Augustine’s hermeneutical principle  totus Christus , which recognizes an interpretive role for the Church in that the “whole Christ” (head and body) serves as the eschatological fulfillment of the Old Testament. Dr. Patton delivered a paper titled, “ Totus Christus as Hermeneutical Key for a Christian Reading of Jeremiah,” at the 2017 Nati...

We continue our #VosGroup series starting on page 166 of Vos’ book  Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments to consider the meaning of covering. Vos focuses on the meaning of expiation and demonstrates how the blood of Jesus functions with reference to sin. God covers, takes away, and obliterates the sin of his elect. Participants: Camden Bucey , Lane G. Tipton

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. 1263. Jeff examines four theological and philosophical themes in Edwards’s doctrine: Trinitarian-theistic idea...

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. Participants: Camden Bucey , Glen Clary , Jim Cassidy

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. Participants: Camden Bucey , Glen Clary , Jeff Waddington

We continue our #VosGroup series by opening pages 165–166 of Vos’ book  Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments to consider the definition of vicariousness. Orthodox Christianity recognizes the vicariousness of Christ’s life and death for sinners, but what does that mean precisely? Geerhardus Vos explores several possibilities and offers the best biblical option for understanding how...