Comments on: The Role of the Seminary in Today’s World

By: reading Scripture » The importance of the historic Reformed confessions of faith

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 23:49:02 +0000

[...] the Reformed Forum’s Christ the Center podcast, Camden Bucey interviews two seminary presidents who have had to take a stand against the erosion [...]

By: Confusion Wednesday: In the Spirit of Machen??? « Pilgrimage to Geneva

Confusion Wednesday: In the Spirit of Machen??? « Pilgrimage to Geneva — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 12:56:02 +0000

[...] Al Mohler & Peter Lillback interview on Christ the Center 03-11-11 Click the link above for the audio or video of this Interview [...]

By: Bob Tuten

Bob Tuten — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 20:26:25 +0000

This was one of the better sessions in recent time. The crises reflected in this episode seem to be bullets dodged in a New World battle that has already been lost in Europe. Camden, some of the following topics might make interesting topics for future Reformed Forum episodes:

Are existing Reformed confessions the last confessions traceable to the Reformation?

Is it possible for the post-modern church to create a new confession that Reformed Churches/Christians in the 21st century would accept?

What historic or situational crises would provide sufficient prerequisites for creating a new confession?

What specific issues would a new confession address?

By: Joseph Hansen

Joseph Hansen — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 13:40:07 +0000

Thanks, Camden.

By: Camden Bucey

Camden Bucey — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 13:04:40 +0000

Peter Enns' Inspiration and Incarnation.

By: Joseph Hansen

Joseph Hansen — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 05:11:44 +0000

It would have bee nice if Dr. Lilback had explained the doctrinal error, the name of the book, and the professor that was in issue when he challenged the Board at WTS.

By: James

James — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 09:49:09 +0000

This was a great discussion. The resources mentioned by Richard and Ian should go some distance in showing the organic unity between seventeenth-century English Particular Baptists and their Congregational and Presbyterian counterparts in the Reformed community. I would also recommend that we compare the understanding of the sacraments/ordinances the Second London Confession of Faith (chs. 29 & 30) with that found in the current Southern Baptist “Baptist Faith and Message” (art. 7). The BFM states that baptism “is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer’s faith.” In other words, baptism is primarily (and solely?) an act of the one being baptized. This is not what the Second London Confession teaches. The 2LCF states that baptism is a sign made by God to the party baptized of his fellowship with Christ in his death and resurrection of his “engrafting” into him. In short, the BFM teaches that baptism is a sign made by the one baptized to others within the congregation while the 2LCF teaches that baptism is something that God says and does to the one baptized through the ministration of the church. As for the Lord’s Supper, the BFM says that it is a “symbolic act of obedience” by which the partaker memorializes Christ’s death and anticipates his coming. The 2LCF teaches that in the Supper God confirms the faith of believers in all the benefits of Christ’s death and that he provides for their “spiritual nourishment” and their “growth in him [Christ].” Again, while the BFM notion of the Supper seems to be a strictly memorialistic act performed by believers, the 2LCF affirms that in the Supper God acts in confirming our faith and providing in a peculiar way for our spiritual nourishment and growth in grace (read: real spiritual presence of Christ and “means of grace”). I suppose that many of our Presbyterian friends may be surprised to find that one of the most notable differences between the 2LCF and the Southern Baptist BFM is on their respective conceptions of the sacraments. There seems to be no divine action in the BFM account, while the divine action is the primary element in the 2LCF. By way of clarification, this is why some Reformed Baptists find it a bit odd when their Presbyterian brethren refer to our Calvinistic Southern Baptist friends as “Reformed.” The understanding of the sacraments in the 2LCF (i.e., what they are and what they do) is much closer to the Westminster Confession and the Savoy Declaration than it is to the BFM (the matter of mode and proper recipients notwithstanding).

By: Ian Clary

Ian Clary — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 17:41:11 +0000

Awesome episode, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
In terms of comparison of confessions, James Renihan of IRBS has done some work in that regard, in particular his book “True Confessions: Baptist Documents in the Reformed Family”: http://tinyurl.com/4jjku79

By: Richard L. Lindberg

Richard L. Lindberg — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 21:57:08 +0000

This was a good session. For what it’s worth, Pete thought someone should do a comparison of the Westminster Confession and the Second London Baptist Confession. I did that in my Th.M. at WTS.

By: John Mays

John Mays — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 05:24:44 +0000

Really enjoyed this episode Camden. You guy’s keep up the great work.

P.S. When are you guy’s going to interview Jim Hamilton about his book “God’s Glory in Salvation through Judgement” ?

By: Camden Bucey

Camden Bucey — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 15:59:15 +0000

I thought it was off air too, but I got this info directly from his website. I’ll change it regardless.

By: Kyle

Kyle — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 14:04:34 +0000

I think your Dr. Mohler bio is a little outdated. His daily radio program is off the air and now he does a couple of podcasts.