MarsCast

Concluding our series on the New Perspective on Paul, Rev. Andrew Compton, Dr. Marcus Mininger, and Dr. Cornelis Venema survey the perspective's use of extra-biblical texts to make their claim and offer their thoughts on further implications that holding to this new perspective can have.  To learn more, consider Dr. Venema's book, The Gospel of Free Acceptance in Christ  

With the New Perspective on Paul framed and described for us by Rev. Compton and Dr. Mininger in our last episode, they, along with Dr. Cornelis Venema, continue in today’s episode to examine the New Perspective a little more closely, giving an analysis and critique of this assessment of Paul.

Last week, we wrapped up a series of episodes on Federal Vision. Embedded in that conversation you may have heard our professors mention another theological controversy, namely, the New Perspective on Paul, a debate that’s been around for some time now. What is it, and how should we assess it? Because it deals with the New Testament, Second Temple Judaism, and doctrinal matters, joining the podcas...

Continuing in their review and critique of Federal Vision theology, Dr. J. Mark Beach, along with Drs. Alan Strange and Cornelis Venema, open up the Doctrinal Testimony Regarding Recent Errors , a document written and published by the Faculty of Mid-America back in 2007, where they identify carefully, explain clearly, and evaluate pastorally the errors of this teaching.  You can read the "Doc...

Today marks the first of a couple of episodes where our professors deliberate on a rather controversial topic found in some pockets of the Reformed world: that of Federal Vision theology. What is Federal Vision? Here to help us out are Dr. Alan Strange, Dr. J. Mark Beach, and Dr. Cornelis Venema. 

In this concluding episode of Dr. Alan Strange’s series on church discipline, he discusses the practice and basis of church discipline, using Scripture as our guide.

Continuing in his series church discipline, Dr. Strange moves forward in describing it in the lives of church members, that is, how discipline is both sought for, but also imposed. What does that all mean, exactly? Here’s Dr. Strange to explain.  

On the podcast for the next few weeks is Professor of Church History and Apologetics, Dr. Alan Strange, leading us in a series on Church Discipline. Today he’ll address the importance of it as one of the crucial marks of the church. 

Here’s a subject that should certainly be interesting: The conditionality of the covenant of grace. Is it appropriate to speak of "conditions" present in this covenant? Continue listening as Dr. Beach and Dr. Venema flesh this out a little more for us.

Is there any sense in which God in his providence “prepares” his people for conversion? Dr. Venema and Dr. Beach elaborate a little bit more on this subject of preparatory grace, or preparationism, a topic you’ll typically hear in the context of soteriology, or the doctrine of salvation.

Do you have the Apostles’ Creed memorized? Can you recall how many times you’ve probably recited it in worship in your church growing up, and still do today? It’s a beautiful Creed passed down through church history all the way up to the present time.  But if there’s an article in the Creed that some in the Church may struggle with, it’s our expressing the words “He [Christ] descended into he...

In today's episode, Dr. Marcus Mininger, Professor of New Testament Studies, will speak to Hebrews chapter 6. This is perhaps one of the most well-known passages in Scripture, more so for its striking language of apostasy in the Christian community.

Do you ever wonder how we got the 66 books of the Bible, otherwise known as the canon of Scripture? With us once again is Dr. Marcus Mininger, Professor of New Testament Studies, to help us answer this question. 

Stepping up to the microphone over the next few weeks is New Testament Professor, Dr. Marcus Mininger. He’ll kick off a series of episodes on the New Testament, beginning with a discussion on optimism and pessimism, that is to say, will things get better or worse before Christ’s return?

In this third and last installment of Dr. Beach's series on the Kingdom of God, he addresses the question surrounding the relationship between “the church” and “the Kingdom of God” and, given that, how Christians should live in the world as citizens of God’s Kingdom. 

In today’s episode, Dr. Beach considers the period of redemption, where the Lord embarks upon the work to reestablish the kingdom of God, to regain His reign of fellowship through His redemptive and healing rule over the broken creation. Of course, this finds its focus in God’s fallen image-bearers, but, as Dr. Beach will point out, finally embraces the entire scope of God’s creation.

Beginning today and continuing over the next couple of weeks, Dr. J. Mark Beach, professor of doctrinal and ministerial studies here at Mid-America, takes us on a doctrinal tour of the meaning of the Kingdom of God, where he’ll offer a biblical sketch of what the Bible means by the kingdom of God, outline some aspects of the doctrine of the church as it relates to the kingdom of God, and then look...

If you’ve ever done any amount of studying of the Old Testament, you’ll notice the various visible manifestations of the Lord throughout redemptive history, particularly that of the Angel of the Lord. Theologians call this theophany. Back with us one last time is Old Testament Professor Rev. Mark  Vander Hart, here to go into more detail on this subject of theophany.

Old Testament Professor Mark Vander Hart joins us once more to address another tough issue of Scripture: the violence of the conquest of Canaan. 

Associate Professor of Old Testament Studies, Rev. Mark Vander Hart, joins us to talk about one of the most famous women of the Bible, Esther, and one of the most pressing questions readers of Scripture have when it comes to that book of the Bible: Why is God not mentioned?

Having spoken on rationalism and theological false dichotomies, Dr. Alan Strange turns now to the spirituality of the church. What does this have to do with rationalism? What does it mean for the church to be a spiritual institution, and how was that doctrine abused in the South with respect to American slavery?

Branching out from the theme of the lure of rationalism, Dr. Alan Strange now explores theological false dichotomies, addressing the particular doctrines of salvation and justification, and in doing so, highlights the importance of not privileging certain aspects of those doctrines to the exclusion of others.

With us today is Dr. Alan Strange, Professor of Apologetics and Church History, addressing what he calls “the lure of rationalism.” As Christians, we’re not exempt from this temptation of reason over revelation. It’s certainly been on the rise since the Enlightenment, but really, it’s been with us ever since the Garden, and we need to be careful when playing around with reason and its relationship...

In today’s episode, Rev. Andrew Compton takes the principles of prophecy that he’s spoken to at this point (telescoping, reading biblical imagery in HiDef), and applies it to another Old Testament text in the book of Daniel (chapter 8), where he’ll look at the issue of typology and the oppressor of God’s people: Antiochus Epiphanes.

Last time on the show Rev. Compton elaborated a little bit on reading the Bible in HiDef, a method that is aimed at helping us to see and understand what is going on in biblical prophecy. He takes that method in today’s episode and applies it to a bizarre passage of Scripture in the book of Daniel, chapter 7, and the vision of the Four Beasts