Reformed Forum » Camden Bucey

Covenantal Condescension

Camden Bucey — Thu, 17 May 2012 11:00:41 +0000

K. Scott Oliphint’s chapter, “I Am … Your God” in his book God with Us: Divine Condescension and the Attributes of God is an excellent primer on the relation of the Triune God to creation. God is wholly other, yet he decided to create and relate to creation. This truth presents an initial problem for theologians. We must be careful how we consider these things as orthodox Christians, because we may compromise God’s independence, freedom, and sovereignty with only the smallest of errors. And so we must be faithful and precise in our theology—giving full attention to Scripture. Oliphint works with this intent. He moves toward an orthodox conception of the transcendent God while avoiding the problems that are so common to variations of Kantian metaphysics. Oliphint writes,

… what does it mean for God to condescend to and to be with his creation? Certainly the notion of “condescend” or “coming down” is a metaphor… We mean that God freely determined to take on attributes, characteristics, and properties that he did not have, and would not have without creation. In his taking on these characteristics, we understand as well that whatever characteristics or attributes he takes on, they cannot be of the essence of who he is, nor can they be necessary to his essential identity as god. In other words, given that whatever properties he takes on are a result of his free knowledge and will, he did not have to take them on; he could have chosen not to create or decree anything. [p. 110]

Oliphint emphasizes God’s freedom to create and to relate to creation. Whatever we might say of God’s condescension, we must begin with the dogmatic truth that God was not bound to create. In other words, Christianity is not a form of pantheism. Later, Dr. Oliphint explains how this concept of condescension is developed under the idea of a covenant.

God condescended to his creation in order to begin and maintain a relationship with that creation, more specifically, with those he had made in his image. [...] the Confession summarizes God’s condescension in the word covenant [specifically, Westminster Confession of Faith, 7.1]. The condescension itself includes a contract that God makes with his human creatures, a contract that requires, first, God relating himself to us and, second, an understanding of our relationship to him. [p. 111]

This covenantal arrangement rests upon the pactum salutis (Covenant of Redemption/Salvation), which is an eternal (though free) agreement between the Father, Son, and Spirit to create and redeem a people for God’s own glory. In terms of redemptive-history, this general covenantal relationship has been expressed by means of two main covenants: the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace. This is one of the most basic features to Reformed theology, but it’s one that might be a bit perplexing to evangelicals. It gets a bit more complicated since the Covenant of Grace itself has been issued under two administrations, often called the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. For a quick explanation of these covenants and how they pertain to the gospel, watch our series of several short videos with Dr. Lane G. Tipton.

The Reformed doctrine of God can be intimidating to people new to Reformed Christianity. I would recommend working [slowly] through Herman Bavinck’s Reformed Dogmatics, volume 2. For those even more adventurous, Dr. Oliphint’s MDiv course, Doctrine of God is available for free on iTunesU. We would all do well to know our God more fully as he has revealed himself to us in creation, in Scripture, and in Jesus Christ.

Jesus Loves the Little Children Still on Sale for $3

Camden Bucey — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:36:18 +0000

Rev. Daniel Hyde’s Jesus Loves the Little Children: Why We Baptize Children is still on sale at the Westminster Bookstore for only $3. Get a copy (or a dozen) while the deal is still on. This is an excellent book treating the biblical, theological, and historical aspects of the subject. It is a great introduction to the subject and would make a perfect gift for people new to Reformed Christianity.

Charles Hodge on Trinitarian Personality

Camden Bucey — Thu, 03 May 2012 11:00:26 +0000

If you’ve had a chance to peruse Andrew Hoffecker’s biography, Charles Hodge: The Pride of Princeton or Hodge’s own works, you’ll know that Charles Hodge is an old school giant. In my opinion, his three volume Systematic Theology belongs on every pastor’s shelf. The following excerpts come from Hodge’s discussion on the Trinity and are great examples of Hodge’s mind in action. Though he delivers the goods on orthodoxy, he does so with a deep biblical sensitivity and a desire for creative, yet faithful theologizing within the tradition.

As the essence of the Godhead is common to the several persons, they have a common intelligence, will, and power. There are not in God three intelligences, three wills, three efficiencies. The Three are one God, and therefore have one mind and will. This intimate union was expressed in the Greek Church by the word [perichoresis], which the Latin words inexistentia, inhabitatio, and intercommunio, were used to explain. These terms were intended to express the Scriptural facts that the Son is in the Father, and the father in the Son; that where the Father is, there the Son and Spirit are; that what the one does the others do (the Father creates, the Son creates, the Spirit creates), or, as our Lord expresses it, “What things soever” the Father “doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.” (John v. 19.) So also what the one knows, the others know. “The Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.” (1 Cor. ii. 10, 11.) A common knowledge implies a common consciousness. In man the soul and body are distinct, yet, while united, they have a common life. We distinguish between acts of the intellect, and acts of the will, and yet in every act of the will there is an exercise of the intelligence; as in every act of the affections there is a joint action of the intelligence and will. These are not illustrations of the relations of the persons of the Trinity, which are ineffable, but of the fact that in other and entirely different spheres there is this community of life in different subsistences,—different subsistences, at least so far as the body and soul are concerned. (Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, vol. 1 (Hendrickson Publishers, 1999), 461–462)

Hodge develops the doctrine of perichoresis, particularly as it bears upon divine consciousness and the three hypostases. Relating these is no small ordeal, but Hodge does so in a way that preserves Trinitarian orthodoxy, while also maintaining the personality of God as God. Hodge continues,

This fact—of the intimate union, communion, and inhabitation of the persons of the Trinity—is the reason why everywhere in Scripture, and instinctively by all Christians, God as God is addressed as a person, in perfect consistency with the Tripersonality of the Godhead. We can, and do pray to each of the Persons separately; and we pray to God as God; for the three persons are one God; one not only in substance, but in knowledge, will, and power. To expect that we, who cannot understand anything, not even ourselves, should understand these mysteries of the Godhead, is to the last degree unreasonable. But as in every other sphere we must believe what we cannot understand; so we may believe all that God has revealed in his Word concerning Himself, although we cannot understand the Almighty unto perfection. (Hodge, 462)

Speaking more in philosophical vernacular, Hodge argues that God—as unity—is addressed as a person, while God as three is also three persons. It’s important to note that Hodge is not departing from Nicean and Constantinopalitan orthodoxy here. In the creedal usage, God is three persons (hypostases) in one essence. He’s drawing out the implications of the notion of perichoresis, that is, the mutual indwelling of the hypostases in the divine essence. Cornelius Van Til built upon Hodge’s work on Trinitarian personality. If you would care to read more on Van Til’s use of Hodge, find a copy of Dr. Lane Tipton’s dissertation “The Triune Personal God: Trinitarian Theology in the Thought of Cornelius Van Til”. Ph.D. dissertation, Westminster Theological Seminary, 2004. You may also listen to Christ the Center episodes 49 and 152.

Transform the Greek System, Transform the World?

Camden Bucey — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 15:54:11 +0000

I recently came across a promotional poster for Greek Intervarsity, a part of the well-known Intervarsity Christian Fellowship campus ministry. As a fraternity member myself, I appreciate the focus of this organization greatly. I would have benefited from a Christian influence “on the inside.” Yet there are a few things worth noting regarding the underlying message of this well-intentioned promo.

In accord with other Reformed thinkers, I’m slightly perplexed by the evangelical preoccupation with influencing the wider culture through the presidency and presidential elections. Evangelicals place too much emphasis on the presidential cycle to the exclusion of baser concerns. But even more significant is that the premise of this message is flawed from a logical standpoint. It may very well be the case that the salvation of a potential future president during his or her fraternity/sorority days might exclude the candidate from future activities necessary to the attainment of the presidency in the first place. The presidency is not decided on elections alone. One must have certain connections with those with political power, influence, and money. These connections don’t just happen randomly. We should not be so naïve as to think the mode in which these connections are formed would always be appropriate for Christians.

Transformation from within is a good idea so long as transformation is always defined as the regeneration of souls by the Holy Spirit. However, transformationalism is more often cast in terms of socio-political and cultural influence, and it frequently comes at the expense of biblical polity. I’m not convinced that “ministry activities” within fraternity and sorority houses are the greatest idea, though I would be happy to be convinced otherwise. This is one person’s story, but in my experience, I needed to excise myself from my surrounding influences when the Lord called me to repentance. I kept my closest friends, but in general, the ethos of the Greek environment was a great detriment to my spiritual walk.

Toward the end of my time on campus, several young men were meeting for bible study in my fraternity house, but without the necessary ecclesiological emphasis that would engender a relationship with a local church, the study was misguided at best. Indeed, I had some friends that would attend services on Sunday morning because the girl sleeping over the night before insisted. There was no accountability, shepherding, discipline, or call to repentance. Though it may have a potentially useful role in such an endeavor, a campus ministry is not a suitable replacement for the local church.

This is not an indictment of campus ministries, especially those that want to focus on the Greek system. I wish someone would have had more of this focus while I was an undergraduate Greek student. But I also desire that as a Church, we engage in this needed ministry critically and with an appropriate view of our goals and the means by which we seek to achieve them.

* One small matter of statistical accuracy—you can’t make out the statistical reference in the image, but my fraternity was founded in 1856, 21 years before the supposed founding of social fraternities. That 68% might be a tad bit lower.

Machen’s Letters from WWI

Camden Bucey — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:16:12 +0000

I just received a copy of Barry Waugh’s new book of Machen letters. Letters from the Front: J. Gresham Machen’s Correspondence from World War I (P&R Publishing) looks to be a fascinating collection of letters Machen wrote while serving with the YMCA during the Great War. If you’re at all familiar with this type of work, you’ll know what an incredible service Waugh has done for us in transcribing and editing these letters for our benefit. I hope more volumes of this sort will be available in the future.

We’ll certainly want to treat this in detail on Christ the Center, and I’m sure we’ll have opportunity to explore this significant time in Machen’s life with the usual suspects. But until then, listen to Darryl Hart’s series on Machen or get copies of his books Defending the Faith: J. Gresham Machen and the Crisis of Conservative Protestant and J. Gresham Machen: Selected Shorter Writings.

Counseling, Medication, and Common Grace

Camden Bucey — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 22:27:44 +0000

The relationship of Christianity to various forms of counseling has been a turbulent subject in recent decades. With the advancement of medicinal science and the proliferation of different disease and therapy conceptual frameworks, a wide variety of challenging questions have been presented to Christians. Even within the Christian tradition, schools of thought vary widely in their understanding. Some see psychological issues as purely physiological. They strictly require a biological fix. Others view all psychological issues as direct results of personal sin that should be addressed with repentance. In my understanding, neither extreme does justice to biblical anthropology and the gospel.

Certainly, many things in life are difficult, and Christians should in no way discredit the many blessings God has given for the help and healing of suffering people. We are body-soul unities, and Christians ought to be concerned with addressing the entire person in every situation. Even in psychological/psychiatric matters, we should be willing to see various medications and therapies in light of common grace. God often provides healing through the technological advancement of medicine. Mike Emlet’s course Counseling and Physiology at Westminster Theological Seminary via CCEF was incredibly helpful for me on these matters.

We should not be under the impression that we can simply preach at people with manic depression or schizophrenia, for instance, expecting that will address these acute forms of suffering. In many instances God has given us medication and other therapies as good gifts of common grace. However, ultimately speaking, our good deeds in the body must be done in service of the ultimate “healing” which happens through salvation in Jesus Christ. In that sense, the gospel is the ultimate healing, since the gospel is a matter of special, salvific grace. It is the matter of first importance (1 Cor 15:3) and should be our ultimate (but not exclusive) concern. When we understand counseling in light of special and common grace, we can begin to address many of these difficult issues with biblical clarity and conviction. And in doing so, the preaching of the gospel begins to take on a central role in our understanding of counseling (cf. Rom 10:14-17) while embracing, and not eclipsing, the necessary care for whole persons.

The Word of God and Inerrancy

Camden Bucey — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 05:00:58 +0000

Gabe Fluhrer joins the panel to speak about inerrancy. The subject continues to be an issue of perennial importance. Gabe has edited a wonderful book on the subject with contributions from many well-recognized scholars and pastors. The contributions are taken from addresses at the Philadelphia Conference on Reformed Theology, organized each year by the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals.

Christ in the Old Testament

Camden Bucey — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 05:00:13 +0000

On this episode we welcome Nancy Guthrie back to the program to speak about Christ in the Old Testament. Nancy has written the latest in her series on the subject titled The Wisdom of God: Seeing Jesus in the Psalms and Wisdom Books, which is the center of our discussion. Nancy is a member of Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville, Tennessee, speaks at conferences worldwide, and is currently pursuing graduate studies at Covenant Theological Seminary. Nancy and her husband David have ministered to countless couples who have lost a child, and they continue to provide resources through retreats and Nancy’s autobiographical books on the subject such as Holding Onto Hope: A Pathway Through Suffering to the Heart of God.

Baptism, Covenant, and Election

Camden Bucey — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 05:00:02 +0000

Richard B. Gaffin, Jr. and Lane G. Tipton analyze arguments for credo-baptism and discuss Reformed views of covenant and election. Many Reformed Baptists will be quick to differentiate themselves from dispensationalists. They favor a covenantal hermeneutic that seeks to take into account the redemptive-historical features of Scripture. For this reason, many confessing credo-baptists argue that the Old Covenant administration has yielded several features to the New.

For instance, many Reformed Baptists argue that circumcision, the Old Covenant sign of membership, was given to physical seed, but water baptism, the New Covenant sign of membership, should only be given to spiritual seed. Moreover, the covenant included unregenerate members in its previous administration, but all people know the Lord in the New Covenant. Drs. Gaffin and Tipton analyze these and other arguments for credo-baptism.

An Interview with Steve Lawson

Camden Bucey — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 05:00:37 +0000

Andrew Moody sat down with Dr. Steve Lawson at a recent conference for the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. This is a fun discussion about exposition, church history, and a host of … Read more→

How Jesus Runs the Church

Camden Bucey — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 05:00:54 +0000

On this program we welcome Guy Prentiss Waters to speak about his book How Jesus Runs the Church. The doctrine of the church is critically important for the Christian life, but often lags behind in received attention. Dr. Waters brings us back to the Scriptural foundation that shows us how Jesus Christ actively reigns in and through his body.

Dr. Waters is Associate Professor of New Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, Mississippi. He holds degrees from the University of Pennsylvania (B.A.), Westminster Theological Seminary (M.Div.), and Duke University (Ph.D.). He is ordained in the Presbyterian Church in America and is the author of Justification and the New Perspectives on Paul. Dr. Waters previously visited Christ the Center to speak about N.T. Wright’s doctrine of justification. You may listen to the entire two-part conversation (part 1 and part 2).

Engaging Philosophy as a Christian

Camden Bucey — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 05:00:04 +0000

Jared Oliphint sits down with Dr. K. Scott Oliphint to speak about how Christians should approach the subject of philosophy. They speak about the necessity of the Christian position, the questions asked and answers offered by secular philosophers, and the worldviews communicated in popular culture.

An Interview with Derek Thomas

Camden Bucey — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 05:00:42 +0000

Andrew Moody sat down with Dr. Derek Thomas at a recent conference for the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. This is a fun discussion about a number of topics related to Dr. Thomas’ years of service in Christ’s Church.

Theology and Ministry in Light of Union with Christ

Camden Bucey — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 05:00:41 +0000

In this episode, we welcome Dr. J. Todd Billings to speak about the doctrine of union with Christ and its implications for all of theology and ministry. Dr. Billings has written a new book on the subject, titled Union with Christ: Reframing Theology and Ministry for the Church, published by Baker.

Dr. J. Todd Billings is Associate Professor of Reformed Theology at Western Theological Seminary in Holland, MI. An ordained minister in the Reformed Church in America, he received his M.Div. from Fuller Seminary and his Th.D. from Harvard. His first book, Calvin, Participation, and the Gift: The Activity of Believers in Union With Christ (Oxford, 2007) won a 2009 Templeton Award for Theological Promise, awarded internationally for the best first books of scholars in theology and religious studies. He is also author of The Word of God for the People of God: An Entryway to the Theological Interpretation of Scripture (Eerdmans, 2010), and Union with Christ: Reframing Theology and Ministry for the Church (Baker Academic, 2011), winner of an “Award of Merit in Theology and Ethics” in the Christianity Today Book Awards, 2012. Dr. Billings has published articles in a variety of journals, including Modern Theology, Harvard Theological Review, Missiology, and International Journal of Systematic Theology, as well as periodicals such as Christianity Today, The Christian Century, and Sojourners. He has lectured at seminaries and universities around the world, and has been awarded grants from the Association of Theological Schools and the Wabash Center for his research.

The Law and Redemptive-History

Camden Bucey — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 05:00:08 +0000

Notwithstanding the diversity of opinion and debate that has surfaced throughout the last century and a half surrounding the nature of the Mosaic Covenant and the Law of God, Reformed theologians have constantly emphasized—with a great measure of uniformity—what has been denominated, the third use of the Law. With almost equal uniformity, myriads of objections continue to be raised when this subject is discussed among Christians today. In this episode, Nick Batzig leads a discussion on the law and unfolding redemptive-history.

The State and Religious Liberty

Camden Bucey — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 05:00:15 +0000

Today we welcome Dr. David Skeel and James Sweet to speak about recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions that impact the church. Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. EEOC was a recent case that raised several important questions. Oyez.org asks, “Does the ministerial exception, which prohibits most employment-related lawsuits against religious organizations by employees performing religious functions, apply to a teacher at a religious elementary school who teaches the full secular curriculum, but also teaches daily religion classes, is a commissioned minister, and regularly leads students in prayer and worship?” Our guests discuss the decision and explain its significance for Christians.

David Skeel is the S. Samuel Arsht Professor of Corporate Law at the University of Pennsylvania and an elder at Tenth Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Philadelphia. He has written an op-ed on the case for the Wall Street Journal. James Sweet is counsel and Director of Special Projects for Westminster Theological Seminary and former chairman of Drinker, Biddle, and Reath.

Debates in 17th Century British Puritanism

Camden Bucey — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 05:00:49 +0000

Rev. Dr. Mark Jones joins us to speak about diversity and debates within Puritanism. A healthy view of polemics has fallen on hard times, and Dr. Jones reminds us of several fruitful discussions over several issues related to the covenants. Our conversation focuses on the book Drawn into Controversie: Reformed Theological Diversity and Debates Within Seventeenth Century British Puritanism (Vandenhoeck and Ruprecht, 2011), which Mark co-edited with Michael Haykin.

Mark is the minister of Faith Presbyterian Church, a congregation of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), in Vancouver, British Columbia. He is also Research Associate in the Faculty of Theology at University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa. Mark’s Ph.D. is from Leiden Universiteit (Oct. 2009) and his doctoral dissertation was entitled, “Why Heaven Kissed Earth: The Christology of the Puritan Reformed Orthodox theologian, Thomas Goodwin (1600–1680).”

The Theology and History of the Canon

Camden Bucey — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 05:00:55 +0000

In this episode, we welcome Michael Kruger to the program to speak about the theology and history of the canon. Dr. Kruger is one of the pastors at Uptown PCA in Charlotte, NC, as well as Professor of New Testament and Academic Dean at Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte, NC.

Dr. Kruger received his B.S. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, his M.Div. from Westminster Theological Seminary in California, and his Ph.D. from New College, The University of Edinburgh, Scotland. He is the author of The Gospel of the Savior (E.J. Brill, 2005), co-author of Gospel Fragments (Oxford University Press, 2009) and the forthcoming The Heresy of Orthodoxy: How Contemporary Culture’s Fascination with Diversity has Reshaped Our Understanding of Early Christianity (Crossway, 2010), and has had articles appear in such journals as The Journal of Theological Studies, The Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, The Expository Times, and The Master’s Seminary Journal.

His research interests center upon Christian Origins, particularly the development of the New Testament canon within the context of the early church. Prior to joining the RTS faculty, Dr. Kruger served in the pastorate for several years at Church of the Redeemer in Phoenix, AZ. There he developed a passion for preaching and ministry which he passes on to his students in the classroom. In addition to his faculty duties, he currently serves part-time as the Pastor of Discipleship Training at Uptown Christ Covenant Church in downtown Charlotte.

The Pastor as Scholar and the Scholar as Pastor

Camden Bucey — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 05:00:53 +0000

Today we welcome Owen Strachan to the program to speak about the new book, The Pastor as Scholar and the Scholar as Pastor: Reflections on Life and Ministry. Dr. Strachan is Assistant Professor of Christian Theology and Church History at Boyce College in Louisville, Kentucky. He has published six books and written with The Atlantic, First Things, Christianity Today, and the Scottish Bulletin of Evangelical Theology.

Apologetics and Counseling

Camden Bucey — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 17:40:03 +0000

Following Christ the Center episode 205, we kept the recording running and spoke with Dr. K. Scott Oliphint about counseling, apologetics, and the doctrine of God. Throughout the discussion, Dr. Oliphint and the panelists reference CCEF, the Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation, in Glenside, PA.

Charles Hodge: The Pride of Princeton

Camden Bucey — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:00:27 +0000

Dr. W. Andrew Hoffecker describes the life and influence of Charles Hodge, one of the giants of American Presbyterianism. Dr. Hoffecker has written a fantastic biography titled Charles Hodge: Pride of Princeton, which has been published by Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing.

The History of the Heidelberg Catechism

Camden Bucey — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:00:12 +0000

William Boekestein speaks about the history of the Heidelberg Catechism. Rev. Boekestein is pastor of Covenant Reformed Church in Carbondale, PA and the author of The Quest for Comfort: The Story of the Heidelberg Catechism published by Reformation Heritage Books. This wonderful book is written as a way for children to grasp the history behind the catechism, and its illustrations by Evan Hughes bring the book to life.

The Historical Adam

Camden Bucey — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:00:06 +0000

Rick Phillips joins Nick Batzig and Kenneth Kang-Hui to speak about the historical Adam. The teaching that Adam was a historical figure, the federal head of all those who descend from him by ordinary generation, has become a much debated topic. Rev. Phillips and the panel navigate through the issues and underscore why this traditional doctrine is so significant.

Rev. Phillips is pastor of Second Presbyterian Church PCA in Greenville, SC. Nick Batzig is church planter at New Covenant Presbyterian Church in Richmond Hill, GA. Kenneth Kang-Hui has been a long-time friend to Reformed Forum, and he is a member of a PCA church in New York City.

Justification and Union with Christ

Camden Bucey — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 05:00:57 +0000

Today we welcome Dr. Michael S. Horton and Dr. Lane G. Tipton to the program to discuss justification and its relation to union with Christ. Dr. Horton is Professor of Systematic Theology and Apologetics at Westminster Seminary California. He is the author of many books on a variety of theological topics—two of which that are germane to our discussion today are Covenant and Salvation: Union with Christ and The Christian Faith: A Systematic Theology for Pilgrims on the Way. Dr. Tipton is Charles Krahe Professor of Biblical and Systematic Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, PA. He has co-edited Revelation and Reasons: New Essays in Reformed Apologetics and Resurrection and Eschatology: Essays in Honor of Richard B. Gaffin, Jr.

In Christ the Center episode 200, Dr. Tipton spoke about the doctrine of union with Christ. In the course of the interview, Tipton drew out what he saw as implications of the views presented by Dr. Horton in his book Covenant and Salvation: Union with Christ. In Christ the Center episode 207, Dr. Horton responded to the remarks. We are delighted to welcome both men to the program to continue the conversation together.

The views and opinions expressed in this interview are solely of the individuals and are not the views of Reformed Forum or any other organization affiliated with the participants in this interview.

Sanctification

Camden Bucey — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 05:00:20 +0000

Rick Phillips and Kevin DeYoung join a panel to address the doctrine of sanctification. This is an important conversation that addresses the work of the Holy Spirit in applying the death and resurrection of Christ to believers. Join us for a fascinating conversation on this aspect of soteriology.

Rev. Phillips is Senior Minister of Second Presbyterian Church in Greenville, SC and the author of several books including Jesus the Evangelist, What’s So Great About the Doctrines of Grace?, and the Hebrews and Zechariah Reformed Expository commentaries. Rev. DeYoung is Senior Pastor at University Reformed Church (RCA) in East Lansing, Michigan and the author of several books including Don’t Call it a Comeback: The Old Faith for a New Day and What is the Mission of the Church? Making Sense of Social Justice, Shalom, and the Great Commission with Greg Gilbert.

Jesus + Nothing = Everything

Camden Bucey — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 05:00:52 +0000

Mark Jones and Jared Oliphint speak about Tullian Tchividjian’s Jesus + Nothing = Everything. Rev. Tchividjian is pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale and blogs at the Gospel Coalition. Dr. Jones published a review of the book at MeetThePuritans.com. Jared Oliphint’s review will appear soon at Reformation21.

Teaching Children Who are Reluctant to Change

Camden Bucey — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 15:00:31 +0000

CCEF has posted another excellent video with counselor Julie Lowe, who speaks about teaching children that are reluctant to change.

Julie Lowe – Teaching children who are reluctant to change from CCEF on Vimeo.

Church Planting

Camden Bucey — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 05:00:56 +0000

Jim Cassidy leads a discussion on church planting in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church with Brad Hertzog and Mark Winder. Rev. Hertzog is Pastor of Reformation Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Queens, NY and Rev. Winder is Church Planter of Wolf River Presbyterian Church in Collierville, TN near Memphis.

post image by _sig_.

Counseling an Abused Spouse

Camden Bucey — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 03:13:34 +0000

Winston Smith, from the Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation, speaks about counseling abused spouses.

Winston Smith – Am I equipped to counsel an abused spouse? from CCEF on Vimeo.

Family Bible Reading with McCheyne

Camden Bucey — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 02:08:39 +0000

With the beginning of another new year it was time to print a clean copy of a Bible reading reading plan. Last year I went through a chronological plan, but this year I’ve decided to return to a trusty old friend: the McCheyne reading plan. For several years I went through a 2x McCheyne plan that would get me through the New Testament and Psalms four times and the Old Testament twice in a year. It’s been a helpful way for me to get to those lesser-known portions of Scripture regularly.

This year I was looking for something to incorporate into family worship. The McCheyne plan is great for this as well since two of his chapters are meant to be read as a family. This is a great way to provide structure to your family Bible reading. Print a PDF of the plan and start working through it with your family. I trust you will be richly blessed (yes, even as you get to explain all those “difficult” stories as well as read through Numbers and Chronicles!).

2011 Highlights

Camden Bucey — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 05:00:38 +0000

We celebrate another year of Christ the Center by bringing to you a number of highlights from 2011.

Episode 156 – Darryl Hart on Machen, Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, and the OPC
Episode 160 – Carl Trueman on historiography
Episode 161 – Winston Smith on marriage as a picture of Christ’s relation to the Church
Episode 162 – Mark A. Garcia on the justification landscape
Episode 163 – K. Scott Oliphint on Gordon Clark, Cornelius Van Til, the Trinity, and logic
Episode 185 – James Dolezal on the doctrine of divine simplicity
Episode 192 – Sandy Finlayson on the founding of the Free Church of Scotland
Episode 200 – Lane Tipton on various Lutheran theologies of justification
Episode 203 – Jim Cassidy on Van Til’s criticism of Barth
Episode 206 – Kevin DeYoung on holiness, antinomianism, and neo-nomianism

Suffering and the Christian Life

Camden Bucey — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0000

In this episode we speak with Dr. J. Ligon Duncan about suffering and the Christian life. Rev. Dr. Duncan is Senior Minister of First Presbyterian Church in Jackson, MS and President of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. He’s also the author of several books including Fear Not: Death and the Afterlife from a Christian Perspective and Does Grace Grow Best in Winter?. This interview was recorded on November 4, 2011 during the Princeton Conference on Reformed Theology organized by the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals.

post image by The Doctr.

Union with Christ, A Response

Camden Bucey — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 05:00:31 +0000

We are pleased to welcome Dr. Michael S. Horton to the program once again. Dr. Horton is Professor of Systematic Theology and Apologetics at Westminster Seminary California. He is also the president of White Horse Inn, a co-host of their national radio program, and the editor-in-chief of Modern Reformation magazine. He is also the author of many books on a variety of theological topics—two of which that are germane to our discussion today are Covenant and Salvation: Union with Christ and The Christian Faith: A Systematic Theology for Pilgrims on the Way.

In Christ the Center episode 200, Dr. Lane G. Tipton, Professor of Systematic and Biblical Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary, spoke about the doctrine of union with Christ. In the course of the interview, Tipton drew out what he saw as implications of the views presented by Dr. Horton in his book Covenant and Salvation: Union with Christ. This episode is Dr. Horton’s response to Tipton’s previous statements.

2011 Confessional Presbyterian Journal

Camden Bucey — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 05:00:26 +0000

Jim and Camden speak about several new offerings from Naphtali Press. But a majority of the discussion focused on the latest issue of The Confessional Presbyterian Journal. The journal is a substantial volume and well worth the read. Pick up a copy today at cpjournal.com. You can also win a free copy of the journal at Historia Salutis.

Holiness and the Christian Life

Camden Bucey — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 05:00:06 +0000

Kevin DeYoung speaks about holiness and sanctification in this episode of Christ the Center. Given the recent discussions of the role of sanctification in soteriology and the age-old errors of antinomianism and neonomianism, we are delighted to focus our attention on this important issue. DeYoung is the Senior Pastor at University Reformed Church (RCA) in East Lansing, Michigan and the author of several books including Don’t Call it a Comeback: The Old Faith for a New Day and What is the Mission of the Church? Making Sense of Social Justice, Shalom, and the Great Commission with Greg Gilbert. He also posts regularly at his blog. This discussion focuses on DeYoung’s forthcoming book The Hole in Our Holiness.

God… With Us

Camden Bucey — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 05:00:03 +0000

Dr. K. Scott Oliphint speaks about the doctrine of God and his book God with Us: Divine Condescension and the Attributes of God. Dr. Oliphint is Professor of Apologetics and Systematic Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary in Glenside, PA. In this episode, he entertains several general questions about the doctrine of God before moving to a more pointed discussion of how an infinite, eternal, and immutable God can create and then relate to that creation.

The King James Bible

Camden Bucey — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 05:00:13 +0000

Dr. Carl Trueman, Professor of Historical Theology and Church History at Westminster Theological Seminary, describes the historical context leading up to the creation of the King James Bible. This year marks the 400th anniversary of the influential translation, and Dr. Trueman has appeared in a film detailing its birth. The movie, KJB: The Book that Changed the World is wonderfully done. Join us for this fascinating discussion of this incredibly influential translation.

Union with Christ and Glorification

Camden Bucey — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 17:49:33 +0000

Rev. James Cassidy, Pastor of Calvary OPC, preaches on glorification in this special presentation from Alive with Christ: Saving Union with Christ. This series of addresses comes from the Fall Seminar on Reformed Theology, held on November 12 and 13th 2011 at Calvary Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Ringoes, NJ. This is the eighth and final installment of the series. The entire series is as follows:

A Biblical Overview: Dr Richard Gaffin
Regeneration: Dr Lane Tipton
The Good Work Begun: Dr Richard Gaffin
Sanctification: Dr Lane Tipton
Questions and Answers
The Gateway into Fellowship with the Triune God: Rev. Jeff Waddington (Sunday School)
The Gospel: Dr Lane Tipton (Sunday morning service)
Glorification: Rev. James Cassidy (Sunday evening service)

Union with Christ and the Gospel

Camden Bucey — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 17:48:23 +0000

Dr. Lane G. Tipton, the Charles Krahe Professor of Biblical and Systematic Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary, preaches on the gospel in this special presentation from Alive with Christ: Saving Union with Christ. This series of addresses comes from the Fall Seminar on Reformed Theology, held on November 12 and 13th 2011 at Calvary Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Ringoes, NJ. This is the seventh installment of the series. The entire series is as follows:

A Biblical Overview: Dr Richard Gaffin
Regeneration: Dr Lane Tipton
The Good Work Begun: Dr Richard Gaffin
Sanctification: Dr Lane Tipton
Questions and Answers
The Gateway into Fellowship with the Triune God: Rev. Jeff Waddington (Sunday School)
The Gospel: Dr Lane Tipton (Sunday morning service)
Glorification: Rev. James Cassidy (Sunday evening service)

Union with Christ: The Gateway into Fellowship with the Triune God

Camden Bucey — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 17:47:27 +0000

Rev. Jeffrey C. Waddington, Teacher of the Congregation at Calvary, teaches on fellowship with the Triune God in this special presentation titled Alive with Christ: Saving Union with Christ. This series of addresses comes from the Fall Seminar on Reformed Theology, held on November 12 and 13th 2011 at Calvary Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Ringoes, NJ. This is the sixth installment of the series. The entire series is as follows:

A Biblical Overview: Dr Richard Gaffin
Regeneration: Dr Lane Tipton
The Good Work Begun: Dr Richard Gaffin
Sanctification: Dr Lane Tipton
Questions and Answers
The Gateway into Fellowship with the Triune God: Rev. Jeff Waddington (Sunday School)
The Gospel: Dr Lane Tipton (Sunday morning service)
Glorification: Rev. James Cassidy (Sunday evening service)