Weighed in the Balance

Send us Fan Mail Catholic apologist Trent Horn argues that Protestants can’t really know which books belong in the Bible without an infallible Magisterium to define the canon. But is that true? In this episode of Weighed in the Balance, Jonathan Brooks pushes back on that claim, showing why Christians don’t need Rome’s authority to have confidence in Scripture. From the testimony of the early chur...

Send us Fan Mail Many people treat the Reformation as a historical event locked in the 1500s, but its impact didn’t stop with Luther, Calvin, or the early Protestants. In this episode of Weighed in the Balance , Jonathan Brooks and guest Matthew Duraski explore how the Reformation continues to shape the church today—for better and for worse. From the rediscovery of Scripture’s authority, to the on...

Send us Fan Mail Too often, apologetics gets reduced to an intellectual arm-wrestling match—who’s the smartest, the quickest, or the best at dropping “gotcha” questions. But that’s not what biblical apologetics is for. In this episode of Weighed in the Balance , Jonathan Brooks and Josh Goodwin unpack why the goal of defending the faith isn’t to crush an opponent but to faithfully represent Christ...

Send us Fan Mail Did God set humanity up to fail in the Garden of Eden? Was the Fall inevitable—or even unjust? In this episode of Wade in the Balance, Jonathan Brooks and Josh Howard respond to a popular atheist objection: that God gave Adam and Eve an unfair test with impossible odds. But when we look at the biblical text, the covenant framework, and the goodness of God, the narrative tells a ve...

Send us Fan Mail Do Roman Catholic doctrines like purgatory, indulgences, or papal supremacy reflect the organic development of early Christian teaching—or are they later additions with no real roots in Scripture? In this episode of Wade in the Balance, Jonathan Brooks critically engages Joe Heschmeyer’s ranking of arguments against Catholicism, exploring what counts as legitimate doctrinal growth...

Send us Fan Mail Martin Luther wasn’t trying to start a new church—he was trying to start a conversation. In this episode of Wade in the Balance, Jonathan Brooks and Matthew Duraski break down the real story behind the 95 Theses, challenge the myth of a fully-formed “Lutheran Luther” in 1517, and unpack how the Reformer’s theology actually developed over time. From lightning storms to excommunicat...

Send us Fan Mail Martin Luther didn’t set out to start a new church—so how did we get here? In this episode, Jonathan Brooks is joined by fellow PCA minister Matt Duraski for a no-holds-barred look at the Reformation, the myths surrounding Luther, and the infamous “44,000 denominations” claim. They tackle historical misunderstandings, Roman Catholic critiques, and the real reasons Protestant churc...

Send us Fan Mail Was Peter really the first pope? Or have we misread one of the most famous passages in the Gospels?   In this episode, Jonathan and Alex take a deep dive into Matthew 16 and the Roman Catholic argument for papal authority. They unpack the grammar, explore the Greek, and show why the “keys of the kingdom” may not mean what you’ve been told. Along the way, they compare Matthew 16 to...

Send us Fan Mail What really happened on the floor of the 2025 PCA General Assembly? Was Teaching Elder Timothy Brindle unfairly cut off? Did Moderator Kevin DeYoung cross a line—or keep things from crossing it?  In this special edition of Weighed in the Balance , Jonathan Brooks is joined by Ryan Biese and Nathan Xanders to unpack the clash between parliamentary order and rising tensions around t...

Send us Fan Mail In this second installment of our three-part series on Matthew 16 and the Roman Catholic claim to papal authority, Jonathan Brooks and Alex Lott take a deep dive into the controversial question: Is Peter really the rock on which Christ builds His Church? Drawing from Scripture, grammar, and the writings of early Church Fathers like John Chrysostom , they unpack what Jesus meant in...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Jonathan Brooks and Alex Lott begin a three-part series responding to a video by Cameron Riker, who argues that Matthew 16 supports the Roman Catholic claim to papal authority. While acknowledging Riker’s sincerity and catechetical background, Jonathan and Alex take a close look at what the text actually says—starting with the foundational question Jesus asks His...

Send us Fan Mail Weighed in the Balance returns with a critical response to Cameron Rieker’s so-called “insuperable” argument against Protestantism. Rieker claims that without an infallible magisterium (i.e., the Roman Catholic Church), all of Protestantism collapses under the weight of interpretive chaos. But is that actually true? In this episode, we walk through: The heart of Rieker’s claim: “W...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I respond to Joe Heschmeyer’s recent presentation of what he sees as the best and worst arguments made against the Catholic Church. As a Presbyterian pastor, my goal isn’t to attack but to engage—graciously, clearly, and with a heart for truth. I hope this video helps Protestants think more carefully about how we represent our convictions, and helps Catholics bett...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Jonathan Brooks is joined by cohosts Josh Goodwin and Alex Lott to respond to a recent video from the Catholic Truth channel ( watch it here ). The original video claims that Protestants avoid discussing the biblical canon and that, lacking infallible certainty, they cannot truly know what belongs in Scripture. Josh Goodwin, who holds a bachelor’s degree in philos...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we respond to a recent video by Cameron Rieker ( watch it here ) in which he argues that Roman Catholics can "win" the Sola Scriptura debate by demonstrating Catholic doctrine from Scripture via "good and necessary consequence." Cameron claims that if Protestants reject these arguments, it proves Scripture's insufficiency. We take a closer...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Rev. Jonathan Brooks and cohost Rev. Alex Lott respond to a provocative claim from Joe Heschmeyer of The Shameless Popery Podcast. Heschmeyer argues that the Protestant doctrine of Scripture is self-defeating because it supposedly leads to doctrinal unity — yet Protestants remain divided on what is “essential.” His argument runs as follows: If the Protestant view...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we take a close look at a popular Catholic critique of Protestantism, put forward by Catholic apologist Joe Heschmeyer. Heschmeyer argues: 1️⃣ If the Protestant view of Scripture is correct, there should be unity on essential doctrines. 2️⃣ There is not unity among Protestants on essential doctrines. 🔚 Therefore, the Protestant view of Scripture is incorrect. He...

Send us Fan Mail Is Protestantism Dying?!? That’s the question raised by @ CameronRiecker — and in this episode of Weighed in the Balance , we’re responding directly from a Reformed Protestant perspective. Rev. Jonathan Brooks weighs in on the claim that Protestantism is collapsing under the weight of disunity, doctrinal drift, and cultural irrelevance. Is the Reformation unraveling? Or is the pic...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Weighed in the Balance, Rev. Jonathan Brooks (Presbyterian Church in America), Rev. Alex Lott (Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church), and philosophy graduate Josh Goodwin sit down to examine one of the most foundational — and controversial — doctrines of the Protestant Reformation: Sola Scriptura. Roman Catholic theology teaches that Scripture and Tradition, i...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Weighed in the Balance ! In this very first episode, Rev. Jonathan Brooks introduces you to the heart behind the show: examining claims — whether religious, philosophical, or cultural — and testing them against the truth of Scripture. From the eloquent but misleading arguments of online influencers to deeply rooted theological traditions, Weighed in the Balance exists t...