Theology on the Go

The Exclusivity of the Gospel   Jonathan and James have a one-on-one conversation to sort through three views surrounding the way of salvation. Is Jesus Christ really the only way? If so, what is required? Can one be saved without any knowledge of Christ’s person and work? Romans chapter one offers clarity in sorting through each of the three views.   We are giving away copies of Only One Way, a c...

Green Pastures Ryan Davidson is the pastor of Grace Baptist Chapel in Hampton, VA, and the author of Green Pastures, A Primer on the Ordinary Means of Grace. Ryan starts the discussion by defining means of grace, then drills down to explain the ordinary means of grace.  What does the word ordinary really mean in this context? Ryan identifies the fruit and the effects of the ordinary means of grace...

The Cure for Unjust Anger  Jonathan and James welcome Brian Hedges to the podcast. Brian is the lead pastor at Redeemer Church in Niles, MI and is responsible for breathing new life into one of the works of John Downame, a 16th century Puritan who was known as a “physician of souls.”  In The Cure for Unjust Anger, Downame defines differing types of anger, distinguishing righteous anger from unjust...

Puritan: All of Life to the Glory of God   Jonathan and James invite Joel Beeke to the podcast to discuss the outstanding documentary Puritan: All of Life to the Glory of God, tracing Puritanism from its birth to its modern influence.      Dr. Beeke—president of Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, editorial director of Reformation Heritage Books, and mastermind of this joint-project with Media...

COVID Repentance  Peter VanDoodewaard is the pastor of Covenant Community Church in Taylors, SC. He’s in-house today to chat about an article he’s written for Reformation21.org titled Covid-19 Repentance. Peter's piece combines a reflection on the Old Testament minor prophets with the unprecedented sequence of events that followed the first COVID-19 lockdown in March. At issue: the speed at which...

The Story Retold  Benjamin Gladd is the associate professor of New Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, MS. He joins James and Jonathan to discuss The Story Retold: A Biblical-Theological Introduction to the New Testament, his recently published book co-written with G.K. Beale. No ordinary work, Ben enthusiastically tells us what’s so distinct about this project. Reformed theolog...

Pastors and Polemics  Jonathan and James bring up a timeless topic facing pastors of every generation—most especially, today. Polemical debates and arguments rage in the streets, online, even from the pulpit. But, should pastors be involved, and—if so—to what extent?    Could engaging in polemics actually be one of the duties of a pastor? Should all polemics be discussed behind closed doors, or ar...

Every Day Matters  Brandon Crowe is the associate professor of New Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary, and the author of several books—most of them on the theology of the Old Testament. This time, he’s written a book on productivity, which piqued our curiosity. In the past decade or so, Crowe has heard through his students’ innumerable prayer requests for time management to balance fami...

The Doctrine of Angels  Jonathan and James tackle a topic somewhat underemphasized in Reformed circles, and—perhaps—overemphasized elsewhere. Should we give more attention to angels? What are the benefits of studying the few verses in Scriptures that address these holy and glorious creatures?  Angels are certainly a display of God’s creative power, but what is their purpose, and how do they relate...

With All Your Heart Dr. Craig Troxel is professor of Practical Theology at Westminster Seminary California and James’ former pastor.  Craig visits the podcast to discuss his recently written book, With All Your Heart: Orienting Your Mind, Desires, and Will toward Christ.  When Scripture mentions the word heart, to what is it referring? Some view the heart as a “gut feeling;” others believe the hea...

Historical Collections of the Past  A socially-distanced Caleb Cangelosi joins Jonathan and James via Zoom. Caleb is the senior pastor at Pear Orchard Presbyterian Church in Ridgeland, MS, and the founder of Log College Press—the topic of our conversation today. Log College Press is a publishing company and free online library that seeks to collect and reprint historic Christian texts, especially...

Walking with God Jonathan and James have the pleasure of speaking with Rhett Dodson today. He’s the pastor of Grace Presbyterian Church in Hudson, OH. Pastor Dodson was scheduled to speak at the Banner of Truth East Coast Ministers’ Conference this month, had the event not been cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Communion with God would have been the topic of Rhett’s talks at the conference,...

Fear Podcast  Jonathan and James lead a timely conversation about fear. As we all grapple with a viral pandemic—and the social isolation, anxiety, and economic uncertainty it can bring--fear can creep in, bringing with it hopelessness and even despair.   How must Christians respond when the world is struggling with such unusual and difficult times? Our hosts ponder both the negative and the positi...

Hugh Martin was a 19th century Scotsman and distinguished mathematician who became a minister of the gospel. As he battled mental health issues, Martin’s last 20 years of life were marked by writing--sermons, essays, and letters--as well as some occasional preaching. Sinclair Ferguson joins Jonathan and James to talk about Martin’s book, Christ Victorious, and give us a wider scope of Hugh Martin’...

Doctrinal Introduction: Perseverance of the Saints Jonathan and James have a chat about the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints. The Christian race isn’t always easy, which sometimes may cause us to wonder whether we’ll finish well. What assurance do we have that our running is not in vain and that we’ll finish the course? What’s the role of grace in the perseverance of the saints, and is t...

Imputation of the Active Obedience of Christ   Jonathan and James are joined by Alan Strange. Alan is professor of church history at Mid-America Reformed Seminary, and a minister in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. The question is posed: How important is the doctrine of the active obedience of Christ? The resulting conversation deals not only with the biblical text, but with the historical aspect...

Theological Retrieval for Evangelicals What do evangelicals need to retrieve, and why? Gavin Ortlund is pastor of First Baptist Church of Ojai, California.  He joins James and Jonathan to talk about his book--Theological Retrieval for Evangelicals--and to answer these questions, and others. Some church history and tradition have been forgotten or neglected by many modern Christians…in part, for la...

Ministering With a Clear Conscience  Why does Paul emphasize clearness of conscience in regard to one’s ministry? James defines “conscience”, expands on its dual function, and talks about how it often speaks against our will.  The hosts discuss the fallibility of the conscience, and how it can—at times—prevent us from enjoying a fruitful spiritual walk. So, what determines the standard of conscien...

Jonathan and James are happy to introduce our listeners to another great book written by Benjamin Shaw, who—for many years—was professor of Hebrew and Old Testament at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary…but recently took a position as Professor of Old Testament at Reformation Bible College in Orlando, FL. The book’s title is Ecclesiastes: Life in a Fallen World, and in it, Shaw describes...

Foundations of Covenant Theology  Jonathan and James are very excited to introduce Lane Tipton. He’s fellow of Biblical and Systematic Theology at Reformed Forum, and pastor of Trinity OPC church in Easton, PA. Lane has assembled an outstanding video series for the Forum titled Foundations of Covenant Theology, which he passionately calls “the history of heaven”. In this series, Lane seeks to ask...

Doctrine of God and Church Discipline - Q&A  Jonathan and James answer a few listener’s questions as a follow-up to a prior episode. Our hosts address the question of how one can know if Scripture is speaking of God metaphorically or literally. How should one understand Scripture when it talks about God having body parts and emotions, such as passions and feelings? James uses the term “God’s absol...

The Newton Guy  Keith Plummer is professor at Cairn University teaching a variety of classes related to pastoral ministry, apologetics, and biblical courses. He also happens to work next door to Jonathan and James, lending a comfortable familiarity to their conversation.  Keith shares how he became interested in the life of John Newton, and how that interest affected his reading habits. What is it...

The First Five  Jonathan and James welcome their friend Stephen Unthank. He’s pastor of Greenbelt Baptist Church in Maryland, and a contributing writer for PlaceForTruth.org. Stephen shares his experiences as a relatively new pastor…the joys and challenges of the calling…and, how it all lined up with his expectations.  Stephen’s convictions about the ordinary means of grace and the slow, steady pr...

Our dynamic duo brings up a topic that is usually difficult, and—many times—hard to swallow in the local church. Church leaders and congregants alike can also often misunderstand its procedure and purposes.   What is church discipline, and what does Scripture teach about it? What’s the purpose of church discipline, and what does it represent to the body of Christ? Jonathan and James answer those q...

God Without Passions What do we mean when we say that God is without passion…that He’s indifferent to His creation? Is God moved by anyone or anything? How should we handle the difficult Bible passages that seem to contradict the doctrine of impassibility?   Sam Renihan is a pastor at Trinity Reformed Baptist Church in La Mirada, CA, and adjunct faculty member of IRBS Theological Seminary. Sam joi...