Church Theology

Revelation 11 is somewhat infamous for its mention of two witnesses who will issue plagues and destroy people with fire from their mouths. In addition, in vv.1-2 we get the mention of a temple and the trampling of its outer court and the "holy city." What is this all referring to? Is it referring to a future, rebuilt temple in Jerusalem, and two literal witnesses in the "end times"? Or is this, as...

In this episode, Kirk covers some overview material on the trumpet judgments and apocalyptic literature, and then dives into the theme of prayer in the book of Revelation as highlighted in Revelation 8:2-5.

In this short book, originally delivered as an oral address in 1911, Princeton theologian and professor Benjamin B. Warfield addresses his seminarians in anticipation of their upcoming theological studies He stresses to them the importance of not divorcing theological study from functional, religious (or what we might call "spiritual") experience.

In this episode, Kirk and Dan quickly survey and review the seal judgments of chapters 6-7. Then they spend the bulk of the episode answering the question, "Who are the 144,000 from chapter 7:1-8?" arguing that they are symbolic of the church in 7:9ff.

Kirk, Sam, and Matt continue their conversation on reading now by discussing, who or what should we read (selecting books)? And, how should we go about reading (practical tips)? Book Recommendations

In this next set of episodes, I'm so pleased to have Sam Park and Matt Dohrmann join me for the podcast. Sam and Matt are both members of CrossWay Community Church where I serve. And in this episode we sit down to talk about the habit of reading good books, specifically, why is it important to be reading books? Book Recommendations

Kirk and Dan sit down to talk about some interpretive reminders as we approach the book of Revelation, and then take a look at Revelation 5:1-14 through the lens of various theological categories.

In this episode, Kirk and Dan discuss some additional matters related to the interpretation of Revelation 4. How should we understand the phrase "after this" used twice in verse 1, and what are some of the theological debates / discussions surrounding this phrase? Second, we take a closer look at the twenty elders and the four living creatures. Who or what might they be, and what role do they serv...

In this episode, Kirk and Dan look at the final message to the seven churches, the message to Laodicea. They discuss the nature of the Laodicean's sin and how we might fight its temptations through the promises of Christ.

In this episode, Kirk and Dan talk about Revelation 3:7-13. Some of the things discussed: What do we know about the background to Philadelphia? Does v.10 support the idea of a pre-tribulation rapture? What does it mean for Christ to refer to the Father as "my God"? And finally, we examine the promise in v.9 that those of the "synagogue of Satan" will one day worship Jesus.

Dan joins Kirk back on the podcast to discuss Revelation 3:1-6. We talk about what was likely going on in the church in Sardis, and what that same sort of sin might look like in our own lives today, as well as how the promises motivate us to "overcome."

We continue in our series, looking now at Revelation 2:18-29. We begin by thinking a bit more about the call to "hold fast" to the "[Christ's] works," and then dig a bit deeper into the description of the false teaching as well as the OT background to this promise that we will reign with Christ. Finally, we close by considering some of the practical questions about what it looks like to interact l...

It's that time of year when people walk around with ash on their foreheads and eat fish on Fridays. But wait, why don't we practice Lent? Sometimes folks in our church, especially those who may have come from a Roman Catholic or more liturgical protestant tradition, will ask me this question. So I thought I'd sit down and record an answer for them.

On Sunday (Feb. 21, 2021) Dan will be preaching on Christ's message to the church in Pergamum in Revelation 2:12-17. So in this episode, in anticipation of that upcoming sermon, we spend time modeling how we might interrogate the passage with questions to try to gain a better understanding of it.

Kirk and Dan record some material on their drive to a Charles Simeon Trust workshop. (Be on the lookout for the part when they go through the Starbucks drive-through). In this episode, they talk about Christ's message in Revelation 2:8-11 to the church in Smyrna.

In this episode, we look at the uses of "conquer," "overcome," or "victory" across John's writings, but especially the book of Revelation. What is the meaning of this call to "conquer"? And how does it shape our understanding of the book and the nature of the Christian life?

In this episode, Kirk looks further at Revelation 2:1-7, diving into some additional matters for our consideration as we reflect on its importance for our lives and our understanding of the rest of the book.

Dan and Kirk dive deeper into the details of the vision of the son of man in Revelation 1:9-20 to ask, "How does this vision -- and its "big" view of Jesus -- empower us for faithful endurance?"

In this episode, Kirk and Dan talk about some additional interpretive and theological matters we encounter in Revelation 1:1-8. We consider how this passage introduces some key themes that set the tone for the rest of the book. We ask, what is an Old Testament allusion and how do we go about attending to these in the book of Revelation? Finally, we reflect on the meaning of the passage's message f...

After a long hiatus (thanks COVID...), we're back with a new series of episodes on Revelation. These episodes are intended to supplement our sermon series working through the book of Revelation at CrossWay Community Church. We begin in these first two episodes by discussing some introductory matters to the book.

After a long hiatus (thanks COVID...), we're back with a new series of episodes on Revelation. These episodes are intended to supplement our sermon series working through the book of Revelation at CrossWay Community Church. We begin in these first two episodes by discussing some introductory matters to the book.

Have you ever felt too progressive for conservatives, but too conservative for progressives? Faced with a false "either/or" framing of many issues, Christians today often times can find themselves feeling politically homeless in our current landscape. Justin Giboney and Michael Wear -- and the AND Campaign -- speak to this issue in their call for compassion and conviction, truth and love, concern...

In this episode, Kirk sits down with pastor and political theologian Jonathan Leeman to talk Church and politics. They discuss, what is the relationship between church and state? Religion and politics? And how do we love those with whom we disagree politically?

In this episode, Kirk sits down with New Testament scholar and professor, Dr. Joshua Jipp, to explore the theme of Biblical hospitality. What is Biblical hospitality? What does Dr. Jipp mean by describing God's saving work in Christ as an act of showing us hospitality? And how should hospitality shape the life of the believer and the life of the church? This episode is brought to you by Logos Bibl...

Mark Ward closes out his series with Kirk by talking about the translation of scripture. What all goes into translation? Why are there so many different ones? Are all translations created equal? This episode is brought to you by Logos Bible Software , with special discounts available to listeners of this podcast.