Christ the Center

Jim Cassidy speaks about his experience teaching a New Testament survey at South Austin OPC in South Austin, Texas. Surveys of the Old Testament, New Testament, and the entire Bible are useful for provide historical, cultural, geographical, and other forms of context in order to help us deepen and widen our understanding of God’s plan and purpose for his covenant people. Participants: Camden...

In the incarnation, the eternal Son of God assumed a human nature. He did this without giving up his divinity. He retains his immutability, omniscience, omnipresence, and all the attributes according to his eternal, divine, and necessary existence. In this episode, we discuss how these two natures relate to the person in the hypostatic union. By looking at Scripture, the Council of Chalcedon, and...

We turn to pages 202–205 of Vos’ book Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments to continue our discussion of critical theories of prophetism. Vos answers critics who believe that Israel derived its understanding of prophetism from Canaanite religion by focusing our attention upon God’s word revealed in history. Contrary to the false prophets, true prophetism is centered on true religion, un...

The sabbath principle is established in Genesis 2:1–3, immediately upon the completion of God’s work of creation. This Sabbath rest principle is a function neither of redemption nor theocracy. It is part of God’s creation order. We trace this theme through Scripture with particular attention to worship. Glen Clary recently addressed this subject in a conference for the Amarillo Reforme...

We gather around the table in Wimberley, Texas to discuss the authority of the self-contained Triune God of Scripture. The absolute, self-sufficient God nevertheless established a covenant with man by an act of special providence. In that act, the authority of God’s word is diplayed—entirely independently of man’s response. Whether Adam obeyed or disobeyed, God’s infallible word...

Andrew Compton, Assistant Professor of Old Testament Studies at Mid-America Reformed Seminary, speaks about the nature of the prophecy in Isaiah 44:24–45:7 wherein the Lord declares that he will raise up Cyrus. Rev. Compton addresses the challenges of critical scholars, who often see this passage as a later addition. Participants: Andrew Compton , Camden Bucey

Will Wood , Assistant Professor of Old Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary in Atlanta, Georgia , joins us to speak about the blessings and promises of the New Covenant as described in Deuteronomy 30:1–10. Handout: Chiastic Structure of Deuteronomy 30 Download Links Mellel word processor Participants: Adam York , Camden Bucey , Will Wood

What does suffering have to do with the life of the Christian? Is suffering something we just have to endure until that time that we will have the victory in Christ? To address this matter, we turn to a classic article by Richard B. Gaffin, Jr., “ The Usefulness of the Cross ,” The Westminster Theological Journal , Vol. 41 No. 2 Spring 1979, pp. 228–246. Links Audio of Dr. Gaffin deliv...

Danny Olinger, author of Geerhardus Vos: Reformed Biblical Theology, Confessional Presbyterian , joins us for a special conversation. We take a brief break from Vos’s book Biblical Theology to discuss the influence of Vos upon several other theologians. We then open the floor to questions from people participating in our live webinar. Participants: Camden Bucey , Danny Olinger , Lane G. Tipt...

William Boekestein speaks about eschatology and the life of the Christian. While many limit eschatology merely to the consideration of millennial views, Rev. Boekestein calls all Christians to understand how our view of the future in Christ shapes all of life. Boekestein is the author of The Future of Everything: Essential Truths about the End Times (Reforma...

Dr. Vern Poythress speaks about the hermeneutical issues of interpreting Genesis 1–3 and how biblical interpretation relates to contemporary scientific study. Dr. Poythress is Distinguished Professor of New Testament and Biblical Interpretation at Westminster Theological Seminary and the author of Interpreting Eden: A Guide to Faithfully Understanding and Reading...

In this episode of #VosGroup, we turn to pages 200–201 of Vos’ book Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments to continue our discussion of critical theories of prophetism. Participants: Camden Bucey , Lane G. Tipton

Jim Cassidy speaks about his recent trip to Colombia to lecture on Van Til’s apologetic. Jim, Glen, and Camden also speak about books they are currently reading or have read. Links Video of Jim Cassidy teaching at Iglesia Cristiana Biblica Raah Alan Strange, The Doctrine of the Spirituality of the Church in the Ecclesiology of Charles Hodge Gustavo Gutierrez, A Theology of Lib...

Dr. Ransom Poythress has written Richard Dawkins in P&R Publishing’s Great Thinkers series. Poythress speaks about Richard Dawkins’s system of thought. Since the early 2000s, Dawkins has been an outspoken advocate of what has been termed the New Atheism. Poythress discusses Dawkins’s beliefs and advocates methods for approaching those who believe likewise. Dr. Poythress...

Carl Trueman speaks about the Marburg Colloquy, a meeting called by Philip I of Hesse to unite the Protestant states in a political alliance. To accomplish such a union, he sought theological agreement between Martin Luther and Ulrich Zwingli. While Luther and Zwingli could agree on fourteen theological points laid out at the meeting, they could not come to terms on the real presence of Christ in...

Dr. Cornelis Van Dam, Emeritus Professor of Old Testament at Canadian Reformed Theological Seminary in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, joins us to speak about the biblical office of deacon and the Church’s responsibility to provide for those in need. Dr. Van Dam has written The Deacon: Biblical Foundations for Today’s Ministry of Mercy (Reformation Heritage Books, 2016). In this excellent b...

Today we provide an introduction to the doctrine of justification with a consideration of several basic categories. We begin with a confessional doctrine of justification from the Westminster Standards. We then consider justification’s relationship to faith. Then we turn to the believer’s relationship to the person and work of Christ and consider how we are united to him. Finally, we s...

As is our annual custom, we’ve selected several clips from the episodes we released over the last year. 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 highlights. Thank you to everyone who visited  reformedforum.org/donate throughout the year. We are t...

In this installment of #VosGroup, we turn to pages 198–199 of Vos’ book Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments to consider critical theories of prophetism. We extend and amplify the material in these pages more than usual by connecting Vos’s teaching to the theology of Karl Barth and other modernist approaches. Broadly, the term can be associated with “instrument of revelation” and this i...

Jeff Waddington speaks about the characteristics of natural and special revelation and their relationship to one another. Jeff recently delivered a lecture at Westminster Theological Seminary on the subject. Participants: Camden Bucey , Jeff Waddington

William Perkins (1558–1602), often called “the father of Puritanism,” was a master preacher and teacher of Reformed, experiential theology. Greg Salazar speaks about Perkins’s works on predestination and his influence upon the Puritan and Reformed tradition. In speaking of predestination, we also cover related topics on Perkins’s theology such as his Christology, his understanding of t...

Cory Brock and Nathaniel Gray Sutanto speak about Herman Bavinck’s  Philosophy of Revelation  (Hendrickson Publishers). Drs. Brock and Sutanto have edited a new annotated edition of Bavinck’s Stone Lectures, which were delivered at Princeton in 1908. Other than his Reformed Dogmatics , this is Bavinck’s most important work. We are blessed to welcome new editions and tra...

Danny Olinger speaks about the life and thought of Geerhardus Vos. Richard B. Gaffin, Jr. has identified Vos as the father of Reformed biblical theology and we take the time to speak of his contribution and legacy. Rev. Olinger is General Secretary for the OPC Committee on Christian Education. He has written a tremendous biography of Vos, titled  Geerhardus Vos: Reformed Biblical Theologian,...

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...

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 foretelle...