Reformed Forum

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.

The Covenant of Grace

admin — Wed, 16 May 2012 05:00:43 +0000

Dr. Lane G. Tipton describes the Covenant of Grace and its two administrations. This is an important lesson that pictures for us the wonderful salvation that comes through the mediation … Read more→

Two Kingdom Theology and God’s Covenantal Fiat – Part 2

James J. Cassidy — Mon, 14 May 2012 10:21:43 +0000

“To identify the redemptive kingdom of the God…with the common causes of the city of man is profaning of the holy, a prostitution of the gospel, a diabolical repudiation of the atonement accomplished by Jesus Christ.”

– M.G. Kline, Kingdom Prologue, 286.

“The regeneration of all things must now be a gift before it can become a task.”

– Cornelius Van Til, “Nature and Scripture,” in The Infallible Word, 271

The two above quotations are of inestimable value for our understanding of the relation between the two kingdoms (notice here that we affirm two kingdoms; one non-redemptive, common realm and one redemptive realm manifest here on earth as the church). In this sense, both Kline and Van Til were adherents of a 2K perspective. There must remain an essential and fundamental distinction between the ethics, tasks, and marks of the kingdoms of this world on the one hand, and the Kingdom of God on the other. To confuse them or conflate them is to destroy the true nature of both. In other words, any application of a Van Tilian and Klinean covenant theology to the question of the relation between the two kingdoms must never fall into a theonomic/transformationalist perspective. Likewise, the perspective I outlined in the first post gives no quarter to theonomy or transformationalism.

But Kline and Van Til also give no quarter to at least two other notions: First, that there is any place, anywhere, in all of God’s creation to which the unbeliever may retreat and find value-free ground. Second, there is no place in all of God’s creation to which special revelation does not speak, interpret, and illuminate. Van Til makes his point clearly when he says (thanks to Warren Cruz for pointing this one out): “Even in Paradise man had to interpret the general (natural) revelation of God in terms of the covenantal obligations placed upon him by God through special revelation.” (Cornelius Van Til, ‘My Credo,’ 90). But Van Til goes on:

In paradise…man could not know from nature itself nor from himself in relation to nature that the result of eating from the tree of good and evil would spell his death. Hence we may speak of this revelation as being positive instead of natural. It had to be a direct communication of thought content on the part of God to man. Then too we may speak of this revelation as supernatural in opposition to natural. It was a revelation that man could not obtain by ever so diligent an application of his thought activity to the phenomena of nature.(Introduction to Systematic Theology, 67)

So, here Van Til expresses his concern over the use of the terminology “natural” as it tends to denote a reality which exists quite independent of “the thought content” of God. Natural revelation, theology or law has often been conceived in the tradition is as an entity which has a life of its own. At best, nature was understood as something which pointed beyond itself to God. But Van Til is here bringing nature and God’s revelation of his Word into a closer relation. In other words, the essence of God’s creation is that it is his Word, and that it can only be properly interpreted by man through God’s special revelation to man. Again, Van Til is particularly insightful:

It is of prime importance to observe that even in paradise man was never meant to study nature by means of observation and experiment without connection with positive super-natural thought communication given to him by God. Nature could not be observed for what it actually is except in relation to history, and history cannot be seen for what it is at any stage except it be viewed in relation to its final end. And only by direct supernatural revelation could man have an adequate notion of this end. (Introduction to Systematic Theology, 68)

So, back to the first point, there is no value-free place in all of creation. The created order is inherently covenantal and thus speaks. It speaks of the creator at every turn. That means that the so-called “common realm” may never be interpreted in an autonomous fashion. It is true, because of common grace, fallen man can still produce much which is good. But even the good that he produces shouts out against him. Therefore, culture is not a “safe place” for man in his rebellion. It is not value-free, neutral territory. 2KT advocates may agree with this, but I wonder how consistent it sits within their system. More on this anon.

Second, even in the common realm, the good which can be (and is!) done by the unbeliever must always and everywhere be interpreted in the light of special revelation. That he does not accept special revelation as true in no way gets him off the hook. Nature, culture, etc were never intended to stand alone. If he is not interpreting reality in light of the telos of God’s created order and redemptive plan, then he is malfunctioning in the common realm. That does not mean that he is functioning in a less productive way than the believer. Rather, because of God’s common grace he may in fact be functioning in a more productive way than the believer. But he is, nevertheless, malfunctioning.

So, is there anyway in which we can say that the “common kingdom” is “Christian?” This is an important question to answer, and to do so in such a way as to avoid confusing culture with the Kingdom of Christ. I affirm whole heatedly that it is a mistake to seek to “transform” culture, Christianize it, and to think that it is the church’s task to redeem it. Yet, I want to also maintain that even the common realm is not disconnected from God’s revelation (in its unified complex of being in the things that have been made as well as in Scripture). After all “the common kingdom” must not and never can be understood in a compartmentalized fashion – independent from Jesus Christ. So, I propose the affirmation of the following points which seek to relate the common kingdom to God’s revelation and the person of Jesus Christ.

The common kingdom is (NB: not “must become”) related to God’s revelation and Christ himself in the sense that it is Christ who rules it by his Word and through his providential power (Col 1:16-17). Nothing happens in the created order without the express will and command of Jesus Christ. Here we stand unabashedly with Abraham Kuyper who rightly affirmed that there is not one square inch of creation about which Christ does not claim “mine!”
The common kingdom is related to God’s revelation and Christ himself in the sense that the common realm is covenantal revelation of God. And in particular, it is properly the covenantal revelation of the second person of the Trinity (though in no way divided from the other persons). The foundation of the revelation of God in creation is the “Logos of creation” (Introduction toSystematic Theology, 69).
The common kingdom is related to God’s revelation and Christ himself in the sense that its purpose is to serve the redemptive Kingdom, the church. Christ upholds the culture and the common kingdom for the sake of his church. In this way, the Noahic covenant preserves the creation, restricts sin, and maintains order in both space and time in order to be the stage upon which God brings about his redemptive purposes for his people. “It is the fact without which the whole of redemptive revelation would drop to the ground.” (Introduction toSystematic Theology, 68).
The common kingdom is related to God’s revelation and Christ himself in that God’s special revelation for his people is the only authoritative interpreter of the common kingdom. The NT may not say much about the common kingdom and cultural pursuits, but it does speak – however general – to the nature of the created, common order (this, some current 2KT advocates affirm). Christ is testifying by his Spirit, through his Word, to his own acts in creation and history. For example, music was made by Jesus and for Jesus. Jesus was the one who ordained and providentially brought about the events of history, both sacred and secular. He not only ordained and brought about the acts of God in redemptive history, but he did so with regard to everything from what you did this morning, to the victory of the Allied forces, and to the earthquake and tsunami off the coast of Japan.

Therefore, we can not agree – without qualification – with Dr. Van Drunen that there are things in the created order which are “simply” universal human obligations, tasks, or events.^¹ In other words, baking cookies is never “just baking cookies,” either for the believer or unbeliever (both objectively and subjectively). While the particulars of the “rules” of cookie-baking are the same for both believer and unbeliever, they are both baking in a realm which – though common to both – is bearing testimony onto condemnation for the latter and testimony onto salvation for the former. It is the same creation for both, but that creation is being used for different ends. Furthermore, God’s special revelation applies equally to both believer and unbeliever in terms of understanding the created order. The same special revelation condemns the one but vindicates the other. In other words, dualism are never valid here.

Even though we understand that Van Drunen intends to speak of things in creation which both Christians and non-Christian have in common, we believe that his unqualified statement leaves open the door to misunderstanding. For instance, talk of “simply human” can mean a compartment in the created order which is value-free. Van Til calls this brute fact. However, all facts are God’s facts, and therefore are Christ’s facts (we are sure Van Drunen here agrees). In this way, then, all things are related to God’s revelation and Christ himself. In this sense, we can say that the common kingdom is Christian (though we do not make it Christian). After all, Christ came to reconcile all things to himself, whether in heaven or on earth (Col 1:20).

That said, however, we do agree with Van Drunen’s strong emphasis on making careful distinctions between which commands in the Bible are proper to the church and which are proper to the common kingdom. Though “common kingdom” remains somewhat problematic for me. I would prefer something along the lines of “The Realm of Christ’s Common Grace in Creation.”

1. David Van Drunen, Living in God’s Two Kingdoms, 168-9. We agree wholeheartedly with Van Drunen’s consistent affirmation that the common kingdom is not “neutral.” See for example the same volume, p. 15. However, the question remains: if there is no neutral territory in all of God’s creation, is it prudent to speak about “simply” or “universal” human obligations or tasks? If by that all he has in view is that both believers and unbelievers engage in them, then that is hardly a point of contention. If however, there is something more in view (i.e., that God’s special revelation is not necessary for the unbeliever in the common realm to function – ethically and epistemologically – rightly), then we must continue to demur.

Why Baptize Children?

admin — Fri, 11 May 2012 05:00:21 +0000

Rev. Daniel Hyde, pastor of Oceanside United Reformed Church in Oceanside, CA builds a case for paedobaptism. Hyde has written Jesus Loves the Little Children: Why We Baptize Children, an excellent book treating the biblical, theological, and historical aspects of the subject. Join us for this insightful discussion.

The Covenantal Context of Redemption

admin — Wed, 09 May 2012 05:00:37 +0000

In speaking of the gospel, it is important to understand the covenantal context in which it occurs. Though Adam sinned in the garden and brought guilt and corruption upon all his posterity, Jesus Christ institutes a new covenant in his blood for all those who believe in him. Dr. Lane G. Tipton speaks about covenant and salvation.

Speaking about the Gospel

admin — Fri, 04 May 2012 05:00:47 +0000

The gospel has become a hot topic in the evangelical world, and for that all Christians should be thankful. But conversation about the gospel is only fruitful in so far as we understand it biblically. In this episode, Jim Cassidy and Camden Bucey discuss the categories Reformed theologians often use to describe the gospel – using Paul’s lesson in 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 as a foundation.

Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. (1 Corinthians 15:1-8 ESV)

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.

How is Redemption Applied?

admin — Wed, 02 May 2012 05:00:23 +0000

The redemption accomplished by Jesus Christ is applied by the Holy Spirit as he effectually calls the elect and unites them to Christ by faith. Dr. Lane G. Tipton unpacks … Read more→

Revjw’s Book Corner: Hoffecker on Hodge

Jeffrey C. Waddington — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 17:31:08 +0000

In this 200th year of Princeton Theological Seminary, it seems appropriate to read the latest biography of Charles Hodge penned by Andrew Hoffecker. Charles Hodge: The Pride of Princeton is also the latest entry in the American Reformed Biographies series published by P&R Publishing. Like its predecessors, this volume was a pleasure to read. It has more of the flavor of an intellectual biography than Paul Gutjahr’s Charles Hodge: Guardian of American Orthodoxy published by Oxford University Press. Hoffecker writes sympathetically yet not uncritically of his subject and the issues of the day. At the end of the book I felt, as I did with John Muether’s volume on Cornelius Van Til in the same series, that I did not want to close the covers and leave the presence of a friend. I have personally found this study to be encouraging and inspirational.

The Gospel and its Implications

admin — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 05:00:20 +0000

Camden Bucey, Jonathan Brack, and Dan Adams speak about the gospel from the steps of the historic Tenth Presbyterian Church. Reformed Forum was delighted to be invited to the annual Philadelphia Conference on Reformed Theology, which is organized by the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. Sinclair Ferguson, Ligon Duncan, Liam Goligher, Harry Reeder, and Rick Phillips contributed to the important theme The Gospel: What? Why? How?

This year, the Alliance considered the message and the method of the gospel. What makes the gospel a source of such abounding joy? What is the bad news, to which the gospel is the remedy? What is the power with which the gospel brings salvation? How is the cross the very center of the gospel? What was the distinct gospel message that Jesus preached, and how do we preach it today? How do pastors and churches take up the gospel ministry of reconciliation, of which we read in the Bible?

On this episode, the panel spends time discussing many of these questions while exploring the implications of the good news of Jesus Christ for all of life.

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.

The Benefits of Salvation

admin — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 05:00:21 +0000

The gospel is first and foremost the good news about the resurrected Christ. Through union with the resurrected Christ believers receive justification, adoption, sanctification, and all other benefits which either flow from or accompany them. In this video, Dr. Lane G. Tipton describes these benefits and how they relate to one another.

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.

More Vossians and Neo-Calvinists Together?

Jared Oliphint — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 11:30:39 +0000

Hart’s response to Jim Cassidy’s excellent post that addresses the consistency of Vos/Van Til/Kline has fueled some brief thoughts that I hope are helpful in clarifying some of the issues. Hart begins by stating,

I have puzzled often about the lack of support in Vossian circles for two-kingdom theology. Many Vossians I know — and I consider myself to be one — find the spirituality of the church agreeable but balk at 2k. Why 2k is distinguished from the spirituality of the church is anyone’s guess, or why Geerhardus Vos’ distinction between this age and the age to come do not put a kabosh on tranformationalism [sic] is another of those brain-teasers you see in the back pages of World magazine (NOT!).

If we rephrase what is said above, a few things become clear. First, Hart sees no inconsistency between 2K (in the line of himself, Van Drunen, etc.) and Vos. Second, Hart reveals that he has only two categories for “kingdom” thinking: 2K and transformationalism.

It should go without saying that parts of 2K are compatible with Vos and other parts are not, so a bit of nuance is called for when speaking on the matter of consistency/inconsistency. And what if 2K and transformationalism were absolutely not the only two choices in this matter? What if there was an option that didn’t hermetically seal off one kingdom from another, yet didn’t see Christian engagement outside the church as an automatic attempt at transforming culture?

Hart goes on:

Whether Jim believes 2kers disagree with this point is not entirely clear. But he should be aware of how important covenant theology is to both David VanDrunen (see his piece in the Strimple festschrift) and Mike Horton (see his dogmatics) at least in part because they studied with Kline. In other words, 2k is not opposed to Jim’s point about the covenantal context of creation. I suspect that most 2kers affirm it, especially of those who studied with Kline.

Instead of engaging Cassidy’s specific points, Hart opts to emphasize that 2K proponents do understand covenant theology in general (not as it particularly relates to Cassidy’s point) as important, listing a couple examples of their work for support of this point. He also notes that 2K proponents studied under Kline, so the reader is left to assume that studying under Kline means that Kline’s students both understand and apply his teaching correctly. However, that kind of argument doesn’t work on even a mere observational level. There are plenty of students who studied under Kline who see quite a few inconsistencies between Kline and 2K.

Finally, Hart says:

First, where does the Bible require believers when interacting in the public square to engage in apologetics? When Joseph, Daniel, Jesus, and Paul engaged pagan rulers, did they first explain the covenantal context of creation before carrying out orders or answering questions?

Second, the public square may presume a covenantal context, but do we need to go to first principles for everything we do with unbelievers in our neighborhoods and communities? Do we need to explain the covenant or creation before we explain to city council the need for a new stop light at a busy intersection? Do we need to appeal to the creator of the universe before opposing a pay raise for public school teachers? Do we even need to give a covenantal account of the universe before declaring war on Iraq?

The objection is that there is no Scriptural support that requires believers to engage the covenantal antithesis in actual conversation, interaction, and operation. Hart reads Cassidy as if he is claiming that the covenantal antithesis must be stated whenever a believer interacts outside the church context, but this confuses what Cassidy and others are saying. Cassidy’s (and other critics of 2k) point is to state what principles lie behind what may or may not be said in actual conversation. Nowhere does Cassidy (or Van Til) state that we must point out the epistemological principles to the unbeliever in every situation. So who is Hart objecting to in the above two paragraphs? Cassidy never claimed such requirements for believers, nor did he claim we need to explain first principles before doing mundane tasks like requesting a new stop light. No, the straw man Hart portrays exists elsewhere, not in Cassidy’s post. Hart assumes an application from his post that Cassidy does not himself state. The closest one could come to such a claim is in reading the following from his post:

There is no safe territory upon which the unbeliever can stand and do right by one kingdom, but not right by another. In every kingdom he is wrong. Even his own cultural endeavors testify against him. And if we, as Christians, do not (lovingly!) point that out to him, who will?

Cassidy is not, I believe, saying we need to point out the difference in every cultural engagement. What he sought to demonstrate were the principles behind these cultural engagements that will hopefully inform conversations with unbelievers, equipping us with an awareness of the reality of who the unbeliever is and how consistent/inconsistent he or she is with his or her simultaneous drive for autonomy and knowledge of the true God.

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.

Two Kingdom Theology and God’s Covenantal Fiat

James J. Cassidy — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 17:56:02 +0000

I want to once again reiterate my deep appreciation for the work done by 2K theologians. I believe their insights are important and essential for the church to hear today. In particular, in so far as they desire to highlight the spiritual nature of the church’s ministry, I am all on board. Furthermore, I am in general agreement and in sympathy with their critique of social transformationalism. I am also deeply indebted to their redemptive-historical hermeneutic for understanding the difference between what parts of God’s Word are applicable to the church or state today, and which are not.

However, where I disagree is on a fundamental, deep-structural level with regard to their covenant theology. And I disagree with them because of Geerhardus Vos, Cornelius Van Til, and above all M.G. Kline.

Now, what I am about to argue does not have universal agreement in the history of Reformed Theology. In fact, we might notice an important difference among the Reformed due to advancement and refinement. For example, one of the noticeable differences between Kline and the great Reformed Scholastic theologian Francis Turretin, is how each relate creation and covenant. What is the relation between creation and covenant? Is covenant something which is, as it were, laid on top of creation (i.e., coming subsequent to creation)? Or is it some thing coordinated, correlative to creation at every point? Francis Turretin seems to advocate the former perspective. First, there is creation and then – subsequent to the act of creation – there is the act of God establishing a covenant with Adam (IET, 8.3.II-III). While I am deeply indebted to Turretin for his doctrine of the Covenant of Works (among many other things!), I must here register a slight objection to his view. To answer the question why I object, I must go back to Vos.

Vos was instrumental in my understanding of how God’s acts in redemption are made known to us living today, thousands of years after the events. We can only know of God’s once and for all acts of redemption in history through his revelatory, inscripturated Word. Further, Vos provides us with a theological framework for understanding how we are to know not just the facts of redemption, but their meaning and significance as well. In this way he provided a faithful, biblical construction which answered the higher critical biblical theologians of his day. Whereas the critics separated fact from meaning (drawing from their post-Kantian German idealism which was founded upon a fundamental epistemological dualism), Vos said that the very God who gives the facts also – with those facts – gives the meaning of them as well. In other words, one can never place God’s redemptive deeds and his revelatory Word in a dualistic relation.

Fast forwarding to Van Til, the great apologist built on his professor’s work and showed how the Bible does not allow for any “brute facts.” That is to say, God does not give us uninterpreted facts. But Van Til went deeper than Vos. He applied the latter’s insights about God’s redemptive-historical events to God’s act of creation. So, not only does God interpret his acts in redemptive history, but he also interprets his act of creation. In his great article “Nature and Scripture,” Van Til pushed God’s covenantal, revelatory Work back before the fall. Even in the garden God did not leave man to interpret and understand nature quite independent of his covenantal, revealed Word. God interpreted the creation to Adam at every turn. So says, Van Til: “revelation in nature was never meant to function by itself. It was from the beginning insufficient without its supernatural concomitant.” (Wooley, The Infallible Word, 275).

That brings us to Kline. Kline dedicated his great work The Structure of Biblical Authority to his professor, Cornelius Van Til. That was appropriate as the work was thoroughly Vosian and Van Tilian. But while he hints at how God’s Word and creation relate in that book (thinking here of chapter 2), the full development of his thought would have to await his Kingdom Prologue. In that book, very early on (i.e., pp. 14-41 of the W&S edition), Kline introduces the concept of God’s “covenantal fiat” in the act of creation. This means, in short, that God’s act of creation IS covenantal. To create is to reveal himself in and to the very creature he calls into existence by the mere power of his Word. So, for Kline, he advances Van Til even further. Not only does God interpret nature through his special revelation, but for Kline creation is – by virtue of it being a product of God’s covenant Word – a Word revelation. Creation speaks (cf. Psalm 19:2). It is inherently covenant-Word-revelation. To put it another way, if God never spoke another Word, creation would be sufficient to testify to the creator. To cut to the chase then, this means that there is no place for Thomas’s nature/grace dualism, nor is there any place for German idealism’s dualisms as well. The very Word which God spoke at creation, testifies to God who spoke it through the things that have been made. At no place and at no time is creation silent. It always and everywhere speaks. This eliminates any and all notions of natural theology as understood by the Thomistic tradition, or as modernized by German idealism. Creation does not need to be perfected by grace. It is quite adequate for the knowledge of God, thank you very much.

In conclusion, if we are to remain faithful to Kline, we must say that God’s creation is covenantal. It is formed by divine, covenantal fiat. And because of this, nature reveals the triune God at every point. And our call as Christians is to point the unbeliever to that reality and call him to repentance. Indeed, God’s common grace allows the unbeliever to function and even thrive in cultural endeavors, and we praise God for that fact. But such grace is only a restrainer. It is never to be confused with common ground. There is no safe territory upon which the unbeliever can stand and do right by one kingdom, but not right by another. In every kingdom he is wrong. Even his own cultural endeavors testify against him. And if we, as Christians, do not (lovingly!) point that out to him, who will? I am afraid that the 2KT may in fact cause Christians to lose their greatest apologetic and witnessing opportunities. This is because while the unbeliever and the believer may not have any epistemological or ethical common ground, Christians do have a point of contact with him at every point. And that is because we all live in the arena of God’s covenantal fiat. And thus, we dare not be silenced: neither in the church nor in the public square. In fact, the latter is arguably the best place to bring both Law and Gospel to bear upon the consciences of fallen men.

Redemption Accomplished and Applied

admin — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 19:33:17 +0000

Dr. Lane G. Tipton, Professor of Biblical and Systematic Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, PA, speaks about the distinction between the once for all accomplishment of redemption and its application to those who have faith in Jesus Christ.

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.

What is the Gospel?

admin — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 22:11:00 +0000

Dr. Lane G. Tipton, Professor of Biblical and Systematic Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, PA, speaks about the heart of the Christian message. Christians must be careful not to mistake the gospel for the benefits of the gospel. While the benefits of the gospel, such as justification, adoption, and sanctification, are essential, we can misunderstand the gospel if we do not focus on the benefactor. The heart of the gospel is the person and work of Jesus Christ, who died and was raised for sinners.

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).

The Creator / Creature Distinction

admin — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 05:00:44 +0000

This is the first lesson in a series examining the theological foundations of Reformed and covenantal apologetics. In this video, Camden Bucey looks at the important difference between God and … Read more→

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.

The History of the Heidelberg Catechism (for Children)

Erica Bucey — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 17:42:31 +0000

A children’s book about the creation of the Heidelberg Catechism? Sounds dry. REALLY dry. Surprisingly, William Boekestein’s book, The Quest for Comfort: The Story of the Heidelberg Catechism, provides an engaging history that young readers will understand. With bold illustrations and large type, the book traces the lives of three men (Caspar Olevianus, Zacharias Ursinus, and Frederick III) who were instrumental in creating the catechism.

The main theme of the book is comfort for God’s people. This includes comfort during difficult circumstances, but the real focus is on assurance of salvation and resting in God’s promises. Boekestein discusses the book in depth during Episode 214 of Christ the Center.

As members of the OPC, our family uses the Westminster Standards. However, I think it is valuable for adults and children alike to have an understanding of other catechisms in the Reformed tradition. This book pairs well with Weight of a Flame, which I read and reviewed last month. Olympia Morata’s journey ends (1555) in Heidelberg, Germany, shortly before the Heidelberg Catechism was written (1563).

William Boekestein (M.Div., Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary) is pastor of Covenant Reformed Church in Carbondale, Pennsylvania. He previously taught in a Christian school for several years. He and his wife, Amy, have three children.

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.

Review: “Weight of a Flame”

Erica Bucey — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 14:34:57 +0000

Simonetta Carr’s latest book, ”Weight of a Flame,” is a historical fiction account of the life of Olympia Morata, a young woman who lived during the Italian Reformation. Written for pre-teen and teenage girls, the biography teaches both history and doctrine in a way that will engage its intended audience.

The book itself is appealing, with a beautiful cover illustration and highly readable typesetting. Carr includes a map, cast of characters, glossary, timeline, and resources for further study. These features show the author’s careful research and overall understanding of her subject matter.

The story covers several years of Olympia’s life, from 1539 to the end of her life in 1555. The chapter headings include dates and locations, which is helpful for following Olympia’s journey. The narrative traces her life from Ferrara, Italy, to Heidelberg, Germany.

An early theme focuses on cultivating and using the gifts God has given to each individual. For Olympia, this means using her mind and language skills for God’s glory. The story also features a loving father/daughter relationship, a godly courtship and marriage, and a heroine whose faith grows strong through trials and persecution. Young girls will be encouraged by Olympia’s example, and they will perhaps consider the strength of their own faith as a result.

Overall, “Weight of a Flame” was both informative and enjoyable. This book is highly recommended.

A note to parents: Young readers could be confused by the frequent use of “Lutheran” to describe Protestants. The author defends this term by saying that it was how sixteenth century Protestants would have referred to each other. Carr also mentions that John Calvin occasionally referred to himself as a Lutheran. Because the term “Lutheran” has a more narrow meaning today, parents might want to discuss these differences.

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.