Theology for the Church

In this week’s episode, Caleb is joined by Michael Carlino (PhD Candidate), The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) Operations Director for the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood and Assistant Director for the Mathena Center for Church Revitalization at Southern Seminary, to discuss God’s covenant with Noah from a progressive covenantalist perspective. Together, they show how the Noahic...

In this week’s episode, Caleb is joined by Richard Lucas (PhD, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) Pastor of Teaching and Reaching at First Baptist Jacksonville to discuss God’s covenant with creation from a progressive covenantalist perspective. Together, they compare and contrast progressive covenantalism with dispensationalism and covenant theology to highlight how the creation covenant...

In this week’s episode, Caleb is joined by Peter Gentry (PhD, University of Toronto) Distinguished Visiting Professor of Old Testament and Senior Research Fellow at the Text & Canon Institute at Phoenix Seminary, to talk about the importance of covenantal relationships in the biblical story. Together, they discuss the similarities and differences between ancient Near Eastern covenants and and...

In this episode, Caleb is joined by Stephen Dempster (PhD, University of Toronto) professor emeritus of religious studies at Crandall University, to discuss a biblical theology of the kingdom of God. Together, they trace the themes of kingship and kingdom throughout Scripture exploring how the story of God’s kingship is ultimately the fulfillment of a promise to restore the rightful rule of humani...

In this episode, Caleb is joined by Mitch Chase (PhD, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) Preaching Pastor at Kosmosdale Baptist Church and Associate Professor of Biblical Studies at Southern Seminary, to discuss his new book, Walking the Way of the Wise: A Biblical Theology of Wisdom. Together, they unpack how wisdom is not merely knowledge or cleverness but a life-giving path of joyful ob...

In this episode, Caleb is joined by Ardel Caneday (PhD, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School), retired professor of New Testament at University of Northwestern in St. Paul Minnesota, to discuss a biblical theology of perseverance and assurance. Together they discuss eight different kinds of biblical passages that help give us a holistic understanding of these doctrines and their  relationship in li...

In this episode, Caleb is joined by Stephen Presely (PhD, University of St. Andrews), Senior Fellow for Religion and Public Life at the Center for Religion, Culture & Democracy (CRCD) and Associate Professor of Church History at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary to discuss his new book: Biblical Theology in the Life of the Early Church: Recovering an Ancient Vision.  Resources Biblical...

In this episode, Caleb is joined by Matthew Bingham (PhD, Queen’s University Belfast) vice president of academic affairs and associate professor of church history at Phoenix Seminary in Scottsdale, Arizona to discuss his new book: A Heart Aflame for God: A Reformed Approach to Spiritual Formation . Together they discuss spiritual formation practices that are consistent with the 5 solas of the Prot...

In this episode, Caleb is joined by August Konkel (PhD, Westminster Theological Seminary) Professor of Old Testament at McMaster Divinity College in Hamilton, Ontario Canada to discuss the theology of the book of Deuteronomy. Together they unpack the main idea, purpose, structure, key themes, and gospel connections.  Resources:  ESV Expository Commentary: Deuteronomy–Ruth by August Konkel (Deutero...

In this episode, Caleb is joined by Greg Beale (PhD, Cambridge) Professor of New Testament and Biblical Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary in Dallas, to discuss a biblical theology of the temple. Together they trace this theme from Genesis to Revelation, creation to new creation, pointing out its significance for the people of God and their mission as the church. Resources:  The Temple and...

In this episode, Caleb has a conversation with his father, Tim Lenard, about fighting for faith while wrestling with cancer. Tim was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer three years ago and this conversation peels back the curtain into what kinds of questions and struggles have come up along the way as well as how the ordinary means of grace and Christ’s church have brought comfort, encouragement, a...

In this episode, Caleb is joined by Daniel Scheiderer (PhD, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) pastor at Grace Baptist Church in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania to discuss God’s attributes. Together, they provide an overview of how to talk about and categorize the attributes of God as well as practical applications for the Chrisitan life.  Resources None Greater: The Undomesticated Attributes o...

In this episode, Caleb is joined by Keith Goad (PhD, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) preaching pastor at Jefferson Park Baptist Church in Charlottesville, Virginia to discuss Gregory of Nazianzus and his contribution to our understanding of pastoral theology and ministry. Together, they discuss questions like: What does it look like to be a pastor-theologian? What does it mean for a pas...

In this episode, Caleb is joined by Iain Dugid (PhD, Cambridge) professor of Old Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary to discuss a theology of the book of Numbers. Together, they tackle the purpose, main idea, structure, key themes, and gospel connections in the book of Numbers. Resources Numbers: God's Presence in the Wilderness by Iain Duguid ESV Expository Commentary: Genesis–Numbers  ...

In this episode, Caleb is joined by Thomas Weinandy (PhD, King's College London) to discuss the doctrine of divine impassibility. Together, they speak to how God does not experience emotional change in any way, nor does God suffer, and how this is good news for us. Resources Does God Suffer? by Thomas Weinandy God without Passions: A Primer by Samuel Renihan None Greater: The Undomesticated Attrib...

In this episode, Caleb is joined by Jared Compton (PhD, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) Professor of New Testament and Biblical Theology at Bethlehem College and Seminary to discuss the four major views or perspectives on Romans 9-11. Together, they provide a summary of Paul’s argument in Romans 1-8, an outline of Romans 9-11, and finally survey each view pointing out strengths and offering c...

In this episode, Caleb is joined by Casey Hough (PhD, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary) to discuss his new book, When Poets were Warriors: Retrieving a Biblical Vision of Masculinity. Together, they discuss how, instead of allowing cultural stereotypes to form our vision of masculinity, we need to return to the emotionally complex and paradoxically challenging example of Jesus’ own life an...

In this episode, Caleb is joined by Nicholas Piotrowski (PhD, Wheaton College) President of Indianapolis Theological Seminary to discuss his new book, Return From Exile and the Renewal of God’s People . Together, they trace the theme of exile and return from Genesis to Revelation offering practical and pastoral implications along the way. Resources Return from Exile and the Renewal of God's People...

In this episode, Caleb is joined by Craig Blomberg (PhD, University of Aberdeen) professor emeritus of New Testament at Denver Seminary to discuss the nature and meaning of Jesus’s parables, and how to interpret and apply them to our lives today. Resources Interpreting the Parables by Craig Blomberg Poet and Peasant and Through Peasant Eyes: A Literary-Cultural Approach to the Parables in Luke by...

In this episode, Caleb is joined by Peter Orr (PhD, University of Durham) New Testament lecturer at Moore Theological College in Sydney, Australia, to explore a theology of Mark’s Gospel Account via Orr's recent work, “The Beginning of the Gospel: A Theology of Mark.” Together, they discuss the main idea, purpose, structure, and key themes in the gospel of Mark. Resources:  ⁠The Beginning of the G...

In this episode, Caleb is joined by Richard Phillips (DDiv, Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary) senior minister of Second Presbyterian Church in Greenville, SC to discuss lapsarian views. Together they discuss how theologians seek to understand the mind of God as revealed in Scripture with respect to the logical or conceptual relationships between God’s eternal decrees. Resources Lapsari...

In this episode, Caleb is joined by Jason Alligood (PhD, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) assistant professor of theology at Cedarville University to discuss his latest book, Raised in Splendor: The Hope of Glorification for a Secular Age. Together, they discuss the hope of glory that transcends the fears and frustrations of a secular age and that not only points to the hope for the future...

In this episode, Caleb is joined by Daniel Stevens (PhD, University of Cambridge) professor of New Testament at Boyce College and Southern Seminary to discuss his latest book, Songs of the Son: Reading the Psalms with the Author of Hebrews. Together, they discuss how more than just relatable poetry, the Psalms reveal a rich theology of God, the nature and work of Jesus, and Christ’s voice hidden i...

In this episode, Caleb is joined by Ronni Kurtz (PhD, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) professor of theology at Cedarville University to discuss his newest book, Light Unapproachable: Divine Incomprehensibility and the Task of Theology. Together they discuss how our inability to see God in his totality should not lead us to despair, but rather; through God's gracious accommodation, to joy...

In this episode, Caleb is joined by Michael Lawrence (PhD, University of Cambridge) lead pastor of Hinson Baptist Church in Portland, Oregon to discuss the nature and marks of the church. Together they discuss things like: what is the church? What is the relationship between the universal church and local churches? What is the visible/invisible church distinction? What does it mean for a church to...