In this episode of Christ the Center, Daniel Ragusa leads us in a consideration of nativity through the lens of Geerhardus Vos’s Biblical Theology. As this season prompts reflection on the incarnation of Christ, this conversation explores the eight aspects of the nativity highlighted by Vos, including its linguistic and redemptive-historical continuity, non-political and gracious character, eschatological significance, and missional scope. Along the way, we examine how Vos’s insights foster a deeper sense of wonder and worship, connecting the nativity to God’s covenantal promises and his grand redemptive plan.

Whether you’re a student of biblical theology or seeking to enrich your understanding of the birth of Christ, this episode offers profound insights and a timely celebration of the wonder of Christ’s coming. Listen in for a thought-provoking conversation that ties the nativity to the broader redemptive narrative and stirs your heart to worship this season.

Watch on YouTube and Vimeo.

Chapters

• 00:00:00 Sponsor: Five More Talents
• 00:01:04 Introduction
• 00:13:17 Vos on the Nativity
• 00:15:59 Horizontal and Vertical Dimensions
• 00:26:21 The Structure of Revelation regarding the Nativity
• 00:31:55 Aspects of the Nativity
• 00:33:36 Organic-Linguistic Continuity
• 00:35:26 Historical Continuity
• 00:37:49 The Redemptive Aspect
• 00:42:16 The Non-Political Aspect
• 00:46:56 The Aspect of Grace and Obedience
• 00:56:30 The Eschatological Aspect
• 01:02:07 The Universal/Missional Aspect
• 01:06:44 The Supernatural Aspect
• 01:11:53 Bonus: A Covenantal Aspect
• 01:14:24 Practical Application
• 01:22:43 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Dan Ragusa

In this episode, Camden Bucey connects with Dr. Ben Gladd, the inaugural executive director of The Carson Center for Theological Renewal at The Gospel Coalition. Dr. Gladd shares the vision behind the Carson Center, its commitment to biblical theology, and its efforts to provide accessible resources to the global church.

The conversation touches on the center’s flagship projects, including a comprehensive, multimedia-enhanced Bible commentary and its ambitious translation goals. Dr. Gladd also discusses the current state of biblical theology and New Testament studies, highlighting the opportunities and challenges facing the church today.

Listeners will also enjoy insights into Dr. Gladd’s writing methods, his editorial role in the New Studies in Biblical Theology series, and the vital work of connecting the Bible’s story to believers around the world. Whether you’re a scholar, pastor, or simply curious about biblical theology, this episode provides insight and encouragement.

Watch on YouTube or Vimeo.

Links

• Learn more about The Carson Center for Theological Renewal at The Gospel Coalition.
• Explore Reformed Forum’s new publications: Order in the Offices, 2nd Edition and Fullness of Joy by Dan Ragusa.

Chapters

• 00:07 Introduction
• 03:52 Woodworking Talk
• 10:37 New Books from Reformed Forum
• 13:48 Reformed Forum’s Christmas Extravaganza
• 16:03 Introducing the Carson Center
• 24:47 Key Programs
• 32:31 Theological Journals
• 42:07 The Current State of Biblical-Theological Understanding
• 55:31 How to Follow Up
• 57:44 Conclusion

Participants: Benjamin Gladd, Camden Bucey

Join Camden Bucey and Ryan Noha as they welcome Dr. Daniel Ragusa, pastor of Messiah’s Reformed Fellowship in New York, to discuss his new book, Fullness of Joy: A Biblical Theology of God With Us (single copies, ten-pack), published by Reformed Forum. In this engaging conversation, Dr. Ragusa dives into the biblical theme of Emmanuel, tracing the promise of “God with us” from Genesis to Revelation, showing how this theme unfolds through the covenantal storyline of Scripture and culminates in Jesus Christ. The book’s ten chapters correspond to a video course now freely available through our Reformed Academy, making it ideal for church groups, Bible studies, or personal study.

Explore how Dr. Ragusa uses biblical theology to reveal the coherence of Scripture and God’s redemptive plan for His people. From the Garden of Eden, through the patriarchs, tabernacle, and temple, to the final new creation, this episode unpacks how each stage of redemptive history points to Christ, inviting us to find true joy in fellowship with God. Perfect for believers wanting to deepen their understanding of Scripture’s unity and its application to the Christian life, this conversation offers accessible yet profound insights that are as useful for laypeople as they are for church leaders.

Tune in to discover the richness of God’s redemptive historical work and be encouraged to behold Christ on every page of the Bible.

Watch on YouTube.

Chapters

• 0:07 Introduction
• 14:16 Tracing the Theme of God with Us throughout the Scriptures
• 20:33 True God and True and Righteous Man
• 27:47 Eschatology and Fellowship with God
• 36:18 Deep Biblical Truths for Everyone
• 39:43 Christ Progressively Revealed in All of Scripture
• 46:38 The Tabernacle and Temple
• 54:58 Christ’s Resurrection and the Sending of the Spirit
• 1:02:06 The New Heavens and New Earth
• 1:10:31 Supporting Course Materials
• 1:13:11 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Dan Ragusa, Ryan Noha

In this episode of Christ the Center, Camden Bucey and Jim Cassidy discuss the profound theme of the Great Commission and God’s overarching plan for the nations. This conversation serves as a follow-up to a pre-conference event held at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary in March as well as a prelude to Reformed Forum’s upcoming annual theology conference, set for September 28, 2024, in Grayslake, Illinois.

Camden and Jim discuss the biblical foundations of the Great Commission, tracing its roots from the Old Testament through to the New Testament fulfillment in Christ. They emphasize the continuity of God’s redemptive plan, highlighting key scriptural passages such as Matthew 28:18-20 and Isaiah 2:2-4, and unpack the theological significance of the inclusion of Gentiles as seen through the line of Japheth.

Listeners will gain insights into the unity of Scripture, the role of the ordinary means of grace, and the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promise to gather His people from every nation into His heavenly kingdom. This episode also provides practical encouragement for engaging in missions, both locally and globally, and underscores the importance of the Great Commission in the life of the church.

Join us for this enriching theological discussion that prepares the heart and mind for a deeper understanding of God’s unfolding plan for the nations.

Resources Mentioned:

• To the Ends of the Earth: The Great Commission and God’s Unfolding Plan for the Nations booklet
• Camden Bucey’s address from the GPTS pre-conference
• Reformed Forum Theology Conference 2024

Chapters

• 00:00:07 Introduction
• 00:06:41 Greenville Seminary Pre-Conference Event
• 00:23:46 Isaiah’s Vision and the End of Missions
• 00:28:15 The End of Nations
• 00:37:07 The Blessing of Japheth
• 00:47:21 The Work of the Church Today
• 00:53:43 Where to Focus Missions Efforts
• 01:01:58 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jim Cassidy

In this episode, we welcome Drs. Benjamin Gladd and G. K. Beale, co-editors of The Dictionary of the New Testament Use of the Old Testament (Baker Academic) along with D. A. Carson and Andrew Naselli. We explore various theological and biblical topics, particularly focusing on the intricate relationship between the New Testament and the Old Testament. This conversation includes examining how New Testament writers drew upon and interpreted Old Testament texts, shedding light on the continuity and development of biblical themes across the testaments. The episode illuminates the complex intertextuality present in the Bible, emphasizing the importance of understanding these connections for a more comprehensive grasp of Christian theology.

Additionally, the dialogue touches upon various methods and challenges in biblical scholarship, including the interpretation of biblical allusions and the significance of these allusions in understanding the New Testament’s fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies and typologies. Drs. Gladd and Beale’s expertise provides a rich, nuanced perspective on these subjects, making the episode particularly valuable for those interested in deepening their understanding of biblical theology and the hermeneutical principles underlying the study of Scripture.

Links

• G. K. Beale on the Expected Universalization of the Old Testament Land Promises

Chapters

• 0:00 – Introduction and Guest Welcome
• 0:57 – New Testament Use of the Old Testament
• 2:17 – Current Projects and Articles
• 4:38 – The Study Bible Project
• 13:54 – Dictionary of the New Testament Use of the Old Testament
• 18:00 – Evangelical Perspective and Competing Works
• 20:00 – Biblical Intertextuality and Hermeneutics
• 43:04 – Practical Applications for Pastors and Students
• 51:11 – Future of Biblical Theology and Studies
• 1:03:33 – Conclusion and Resources

Participants: Benjamin Gladd, Camden Bucey, Greg Beale

In this installment of our Vos Group, we turn to pp. 335–336 of Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments to explore the uniquely messianic nature of these temptations, examining how Christ’s experiences differ significantly from human temptations. A key theme of this passage is the comparison of Christ’s temptation with Adam’s, emphasizing Christ’s role as the second Adam and the federal head encountering temptation.

Vos warns against a moralizing interpretation of the temptations, instead focusing on their theocentric character and their relation to true religion. The episode further explores the role of the Holy Spirit in these temptations, particularly in empowering Christ and highlighting the inauguration of the kingdom of God.

The discussion is rich in its exploration of redemptive history, connecting Christ’s wilderness temptations to the broader biblical narrative, from Adam’s failure to Israel’s typological sonship, leading to Christ’s successful fulfillment of God’s commands as the obedient Son of God. This comprehensive analysis aims to deepen understanding of Christ’s work and encourages listeners to appreciate the significance of these biblical events in the context of the entire history of salvation​​.

Chapters

• 00:07 Introduction
• 04:32 The Religious Character of Jesus’ Temptations
• 09:39 Jesus’ Temptation Compared and Contrasted with Adam’s
• 16:40 Encouragement for Sinners
• 19:54 The Nature of the Temptations and Jesus’ Use of the Law
• 25:25 Satan’s Strategy in Tempting Jesus
• 32:33 Israel’s Temptation and Christ as the Obedient Son of God
• 40:21 The Work of the Spirit in Jesus’ Temptation
• 53:08 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Lane G. Tipton

We welcome David Schrock to discuss his book The Royal Priesthood and the Glory of God in which he presents a biblical theology that explores the theme of priesthood throughout the Bible. The book demonstrates that the concept of priesthood, starting with Adam in the Garden of Eden, is central to understanding God’s plan for humanity and the overarching narrative of Scripture. Schrock argues that Adam, as the first priest in the biblical narrative, sets a pattern for priesthood that echoes through the patriarchs and is ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ. This priesthood is not limited to a specific lineage or tribe but is a calling for all of God’s people.

The book traces the development of this theme from the Levitical priesthood of the Old Testament to the royal priesthood in Christ in the New Testament, fulfilling God’s purpose for humanity to serve as mediators of his presence and ministers of his covenant. Schrock’s work invites readers to see themselves as part of this royal priesthood, called to serve God and reflect his glory.

David S. Schrock is pastor for preaching and theology at Occoquan Bible Church in Woodbridge, Virginia. He is a founding faculty member at Indianapolis Theological Seminary, where he teaches theology.

Chapters

• 00:07 Introduction
• 03:03 David Schrock’s Background and Activities
• 12:20 Definition of a Priest
• 16:18 The Threefold Office of Christ
• 20:58 Six Stages of Development in the Priesthood
• 26:35 Priests from Noah to Abraham and Melchizedek
• 30:24 The Priesthoods of Melchizedek and Christ
• 40:59 The Priesthood of All Believers
• 48:28 Conclusion

Links

• davidschrock.com
• Indianapolis Theological Seminary
• Christ Over All
• David Stephen Schrock, A Biblical-Theological Investigation of Christ’s Priesthood and Covenant Mediation with Respect to the Extent of the Atonement, 2013.

Participants: Camden Bucey, David Schrock

Join us for a compelling conversation with Dr. Matthew S. Harmon, Professor of New Testament studies at Grace College and Theological Seminary. Camden Bucey engages Dr. Harmon in an exploration of his book, The Servant of the Lord and His Servant People, which explores the theme of servanthood across the biblical canon, offering insightful perspectives on this pervasive and significant motif​​.

During the episode, Dr. Harmon surveys several key biblical figures identified as servants of the Lord, including Adam, Moses, Joshua, David, and Jesus. The conversation also touches upon the New Testament, specifically Paul’s self-identification with the servant of the Lord described in Isaiah. Dr. Harmon elucidates how Paul, and by extension, the Christian church, embody this servant role through Christ’s indwelling, thereby continuing the mission of revealing God’s glory to the ends of the earth​​.

This episode promises to offer listeners profound insights into the biblical concept of servanthood and its implications for understanding both the Old and New Testaments, as well as its relevance for the Christian life today.

Links

• Rebels and Exiles: A Biblical Theology of Sin and Restoration
• The Various and Sundry Podcast
• Biblical Theology Briefing Podcast

Chapters

• 00:00:07 Introduction
• 00:03:08 Grace College and Theological Seminary in Winona Lake
• 00:05:25 New Testament Studies and Biblical Theology
• 00:13:23 The Story Behind the Book
• 00:18:47 Ancient and Contemporary Conceptions of Servants and Slaves
• 00:23:49 The Tendency to Reject Servitude
• 00:27:41 Adam as Servant of the Lord
• 00:32:21 Moses as Servant of the Lord
• 00:36:22 Joshua as Servant of the Lord
• 00:42:34 David as Servant of the Lord
• 00:45:50 Isaiah as Servant of the Lord
• 00:49:58 The Apostles and the Contemporary Church as Servants
• 00:53:53 Serving the Lord in Our Daily Lives
• 01:02:30 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Matthew Harmon

Since 2008, we have been taking time around New Year’s Day to bring you some of the top moments from the preceding year. We have several great clips lined up for you today.

The Top Episodes of 2023 (by YouTube views)

1. Dan Ragusa — Preterism and 2 Peter 3 (YouTube)
2. Gray Sutanto and Cory Brock — A Theological Introduction to Neo-Calvinism (YouTube)
3. Greg Beale — The New Testament Use of the Old Testament (YouTube)
4. Carlton Wynne — Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion (YouTube)
5. Camden Bucey — The Importance of Cornelius Van Til for Today (YouTube)
6. Jim Cassidy — Introducing and Interpreting Karl Barth (YouTube)
7. Danny Olinger — Christianity and Liberalism: Introduction (YouTube)
8. Lane Tipton — Exitus and Reditus in the Theology of Thomas Aquinas (YouTube)
9. Jonathan Master — Reformed Theology (YouTube)
10. Michael Beck — Covenant Theology and Cultural Engagement in the Thought of Meredith G. Kline (YouTube)

Chapters

• 00:00:07 Introduction
• 00:03:26 The Top 10 Episodes of 2023
• 00:15:13 [Dan Ragusa] Preterism and 2 Peter 3
• 00:24:22 [Gray Sutanto and Cory Brock] A Theological Introduction to Neo-Calvinism
• 00:30:14 [Greg Beale] The New Testament Use of the Old Testament
• 00:39:28 [Carlton Wynne] Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion
• 00:46:58 [Camden Bucey] The Importance of Cornelius Van Til for Today
• 01:00:24 [Jim Cassidy] Introducing and Interpreting Karl Barth
• 01:12:16 [Danny Olinger] Christianity and Liberalism: Introduction
• 01:16:59 [Lane Tipton] Exitus and Reditus in the Theology of Thomas Aquinas
• 01:25:09 [Jonathan Master] Reformed Theology
• 01:34:52 [Michael Beck] Covenant Theology and Cultural Engagement in the Thought of Meredith G. Kline
• 01:40:52 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne, Cory Brock, Dan Ragusa, Danny Olinger, Greg Beale, Jim Cassidy, Jonathan Master, Lane G. Tipton, Michael Beck, Nathaniel Gray Sutanto

Today, we turn to pages 318–322 of Vos’ Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments to explore the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist. Our goal is to offer a nuanced understanding by identifying both the similarities and differences between John’s baptism of Jesus and the baptisms John performed upon the people.

Vos aims to steer clear of two misconceptions: the first being that Jesus’ baptism and the people’s baptisms were entirely distinct events, and the second that they were essentially the same.

The baptism of Jesus holds dual significance. Firstly, it serves as a public and objective revelation of the Holy Spirit’s glory, manifested as the Spirit descended from heaven onto Jesus. Secondly, it has a sacramental meaning for Jesus himself, as he received something from the Spirit that furthered his earthly mission, which was a journey of suffering leading to glory.

In addition, we’ll examine the connection between Jesus’s baptism and his role as the Messiah, offering insights into both pneumatology—the study of the Holy Spirit—and eschatology—the study of end times.

Chapters

• 00:07 Introduction
• 00:37 Discussing the Recent Course on Aquinas’ Trinitarian Theology
• 09:49 John’s Baptism of Jesus
• 23:22 The Redemptive-Historical Roles of Jesus and John
• 27:05 Jesus Identifies with His People
• 29:55 The Objective Office of Messiah
• 41:42 The Descent of the Spirit upon Jesus
• 46:54 The Sacramental Significance of Jesus Baptism
• 50:31 The Beginning of the New Creation
• 58:49 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Lane G. Tipton

We turn to pp. 309–310 of Geerhardus Vos’s book, Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments to discuss aspects of the nativity. The convergence of the coming of Jehovah and the coming of the Messiah is found in Jesus Christ and revealed particularly at the time of the nativity. Two Old Testament roots support this convergence: the circle of Mary and Joseph, who stand in the line of David, and the circle of Zacharias and Elizabeth, where the idea of Jehovah’s coming prevails.

Additionally, Vos notes that the name “Jesus” means “Jehovah is Salvation,” signifying Jesus’ divine identity as the one who delivers his people from the guilt and power of sin. Finally, Vos emphasizes that the inclusion of the Gentiles into God’s covenant people is another important aspect of Jesus’ redemptive work revealed with the incarnation.

Chapters

• 00:07 Introduction
• 01:31 The Coming of the Son of David
• 11:41 The Coming of the Lord
• 15:43 John the Baptist’s Ministry
• 21:45 The Name of “Jesus”
• 27:54 Simeon and the Inclusion of the Gentiles
• 36:42 Jesus Has No Earthly Father
• 39:52 Creation and Incarnation
• 50:09 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Lane G. Tipton

Dr. Gregory K. Beale, Professor of New Testament at RTS Dallas, returns to the program to speak about a wide array of topics touching upon the study of the Bible. After speaking about an exciting upcoming conference and workshop in Plano, Texas, Dr. Beale discusses developments in Old and New Testament studies over the last several decades, the nature of intertextuality and biblical theology, future areas ripe for new research, and research methods and tools.

Links

• Conference: Preaching and Teaching the New Testament Use of the Old Testament

Chapters

• 00:00:07 Introduction
• 00:08:27 Conference: Preaching and Teaching the NT Use of the OT
• 00:15:29 Developments in Scholarship
• 00:26:53 Intertextuality and Biblical Theology
• 00:35:59 Potential New Areas of Study
• 00:47:47 Hermeneutics and Homiletics
• 00:55:27 Study Methods and Tools
• 01:11:21 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Greg Beale

We discuss Geerhardus Vos’s sermon on Hebrews 12:1–3, “Running the Race,” from his collection Grace and Glory: Sermons Preached at Princeton Seminary.

Chapters

• 00:07 Introduction
• 01:11 Historical Context
• 06:06 Doctrine and Exhortation
• 18:05 A Cloud of Witnesses
• 21:19 The Imagery of Running
• 24:40 Union with the Ascended Christ
• 29:24 A Grumbling Spirit
• 38:27 Run the Race with Patience
• 45:23 The Sermon Ends on an Indicative
• 53:00 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Danny Olinger, Lane G. Tipton

Since 2008, we have been taking a beat around New Year’s Day to bring you some of the top moments from the preceding year. We have several great clips lined up for you today.

This was another encouraging year for us at Reformed Forum. We published four new courses. We also hosted our first two in-person courses (on Zephaniah and 2 Peter) and increased our online student base to 4,210 people (+11% over last year) in 84 countries (+13%).

But perhaps the highlight of the year was the publication of Lane G. Tipton’s book, The Trinitarian Theology of Cornelius Van Til. We believe this work is a significant advance in Reformed apologetic scholarship and will be read for decades to come.

Every Person Mature

Our mission is to support the church in her charge of presenting every person mature in Christ (Col. 1:28). In order to continue producing resources that benefit local churches at home and around the world in accord with this mission, we have launched the Every Person Mature campaign. Our goal is to raise $150,000 by the end of 2022 so that we may continue to provide free theological resources for your congregation and others like it around the world.

The good news is that we are nearly halfway there! A generous donor has committed to match all donations toward this cause up to $75,000. By donating to the Every Person Mature campaign, you will fund essential resources for believers who are hungry for confessionally Reformed resources.

Top Episodes

• Episode 745 — Van Til, Thomas Aquinas, and the Natural Knowledge of God with Lane Tipton
• Episode 764 — A God-Centered Approach to History with Vern Poythress
• Episode 761 — Van Til Group #8 — The Christian Philosophy of Knowledge with Carlton Wynne and Lane Tipton
• Episode 736 — John Owen, Jeremiah 31, and the Old Covenant with Carlton Wynne and Will Wood
• Episode 780 — 1689 Federalism and the Old Covenant with Jeremy Boothby, Carlton Wynne, and Lane Tipton
• Episode 762 — The Extra Calvinistic from Zwingli to Early Orthodoxy with K. J. Drake
• Episode 746 — Natural Theology and the Effects of Sin with Lane Tipton, Rob McKenzie, and Ryan Noha
• Episode 748 — Van Til Group #7 — Creation, Sin and Its Curse with Carlton Wynne and Lane Tipton
• Episode 772 — A Tale of Two Trees with Scott Wright
• Episode 752 — The Two Ages in Scripture with Adam York

Chapters

• 00:00:06 Introduction
• 00:05:32 Lane Tipton — Van Til, Thomas Aquinas, and the Natural Knowledge of God
• 00:11:35 Vern Poythress — A God-Centered Approach to History
• 00:20:01 Van Til Group #8 — The Christian Philosophy of Knowledge
• 00:26:14 Carlton Wynne — John Owen, Jeremiah 31, and the Old Covenant
• 00:34:20 Carlton Wynne, Jeremy Boothby, and Lane Tipton — 1689 Federalism and the Old Covenant
• 00:45:38 K. J. Drake — The Extra Calvinistic from Zwingli to Early Orthodoxy
• 00:51:16 Lane Tipton — Natural Theology and the Effects of Sin
• 00:56:23 Van Til Group #7 — Creation, Sin and Its Curse
• 01:09:09 Scott Wright — A Tale of Two Trees
• 01:14:15 Adam York — The Two Ages in Scripture
• 01:20:59 Conclusion

Participants: Adam York, Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne, Dan Ragusa, Jeremy Boothby, K. J. Drake, Lane G. Tipton, Rob McKenzie, Ryan Noha, Vern Poythress, Will Wood

We embark on a study through a new book—Psalms. Jim Cassidy provides some important interpretive principles which he illustrates through a consideration of Psalm 1. Written for Israel, a nation under a theocracy, how do the Psalms manifest Christ, and how are they applicable to us today? How may it be said that the Christian today will prosper?

Participants: Jim Cassidy, Mark A. Winder

The baptism of Jesus is a pivotal event in the life of Christ and in all of redemptive history. In this episode, we explore its significance, seek to answer the question of why Jesus would need to undergo a baptism of repentance, and examine some of the thematic elements of his baptism.

Participants: Joel Fick, Mark A. Winder

Jacob exhibits his faith as he responds in obedience to the Lord’s command to return to the land of his fathers. He had made a vow before the Lord, and the Lord now calls upon him to keep his vows. In this episode we see an appearance of “the angel of God,” who points Jacob — and us — to a greater inheritance than land or riches, but the inheritance of “the God of Bethel” — redemption from sin and reconciliation with God.

Participants: Joel Fick, Mark A. Winder

Repentance today is a byword. It conjures up images of a religious fanatic standing on a street corner with a cheap megaphone that more obscures the sound than amplifies it. But the call to repentance is divine grace. In this final chapter of Hosea, the Lord calls Israel to return to him. What a gift this is! God’s arms remain wide open. He will take away their iniquity, he will accept a sacrifice for their sins, he will heal their apostasy, he will love them freely, and make his people to reside under his shadow and to flourish. All this he does in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son. So we return to God through Christ, for he has made a way for us to be accepted by the Father. 

Participants: Jim Cassidy, Mark A. Winder

In this episode, we include Lane Tipton’s address from our 2022 Theology Conference. Dr. Tipton’s address was titled, “Perichoresis, Encoronation, and Ascension: Christology in (the) Light of Endoxation.”

At this year’s conference we considered, “The Covenantal Tale of Creation, Christ, and Consummation: The Life and Work of M. G. Kline.” This year marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Meredith G. Kline. We will take the opportunity to consider his unique contributions by exploring several covenantal and eschatological themes he identified throughout the Old and New Testaments.

Dr. Tipton serves as pastor of Trinity Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Easton, Pennsylvania and fellow of biblical and systematic theology at Reformed Forum. He is the author of Foundations of Covenant Theology and has taught several courses available through Reformed Academy.

Chapters

• 00:00:00 Introduction
• 00:07:26 Perichoresis, Encoronation, and Ascension
• 01:05:54 Questions and Answers
• 01:24:54 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Lane G. Tipton

In this episode, we bring you the third plenary address from our 2022 Theology Conference wherein we considered, “The Covenantal Tale of Creation, Christ, and Consummation: The Life and Work of M. G. Kline.” This year marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Meredith G. Kline. We will take the opportunity to consider his unique contributions by exploring several covenantal and eschatological themes he identified throughout the Old and New Testaments.

Danny Olinger is General Secretary for the Committee on Christian Education for the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. He is the author of Geerhardus Vos: Reformed Biblical Theologian, Confessional Presbyterian.

Links

• Nathan Feldmeth, S. Donald Fortson III, Garth M. Rosell, and Kenneth J. Stewart, Reformed and Evangelical Across Four Centuries: The Presbyterian Story in America
• Mark Noll, America’s Book: The Rise and Decline of a Bible Civilization, 1794-1911
• Jeffrey S. McDonald, “Advancing the Evangelical Mind: Melvin Grove Kyle, J. Gresham Machen, and the League of Evangelical Students“

Chapters

• 0:00:00 Introduction
• 0:08:01 The Biblical Theology of Vos-Kline-Gaffin
• 1:00:45 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Danny Olinger

Scott Wright speaks about the continued relevance of Meredith G. Kline. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Meredith G. Kline. We recently hosted our annual theology conference and took the opportunity to consider his unique contributions by exploring several covenantal and eschatological themes he identified throughout the Old and New Testaments. Dr. Wright’s address is titled, “A Tale of Two Trees.”

Rev. Dr. Scott Wright is senior pastor of Redeemer Church (PCA) in Hudson, Ohio. He received his B.A. in Economics from Princeton University (1982), his M.Div. from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (1991), and his Ph.D. in Systematic Theology from Westminster Theological Seminary (Philadelphia). He is the author of Regeneration and Redemptive-History (Reformed Forum, forthcoming).

Chapters

• 00:00:00 Introduction
• 00:10:51 Volunteer Opportunities
• 00:18:46 Introduction to Dr. Scott Wright
• 00:25:30 A Tale of Two Trees
• 01:13:04 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Ryan Noha, Scott R. Wright

We turn to pp. 299–301 of Geerhardus Vos’s book, Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments. Vos discusses three ways in which the structure of New Testament Revelation can be determined from within Scripture itself.

1. From indications in the Old Testament
2. From the teachings of Jesus
3. From the teachings of Paul and the other apostles

Chapters

• 00:00:00 Introduction
• 00:07:43 The Structure of New Testament Revelation
• 00:15:11 Organic vs. Artificial
• 00:21:32 Old Testament Indications of the Nature of Revelation
• 00:27:04 The Old and the New
• 00:38:23 The Teaching of Jesus
• 00:43:00 Abrogation and Perfection
• 00:52:03 Hebrews 10:19-24 and the Era of Religious Fellowship
• 00:56:58 Paul and the Teaching of the Other Apostles
• 01:01:21 Hebrews 1:1-2
• 01:06:06 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Lane G. Tipton

At Reformed Forum we often speak about the organic unity of the Scriptures. This is the basic idea that the Old Testament is naturally related to the New Testament. I’m using “naturally” in distinction from “artificially.” In the Old Testament God is revealing his plan and purpose to his people of old, but he’s revealing it to them in “seed” form.

Just as soon as Adam and Eve sin in Genesis 3, God promises to provide the seed of the woman who would crush the head of the serpent. He promises them a redeemer, no one other than Jesus Christ.

There in Genesis 3 we see Christ, but he is revealed in shadowy form—as a seed compared to a full flowering plant. God’s full plan of redemption in Jesus Christ has not fully unfolded. Later on, we see it in greater detail as God reveals himself to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We see it through Moses and the Mosaic Covenant through David and the Theocratic Kingdom. In all of these stages, we come to see more and more the greatness and the fullness of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ so that when Jesus Christ comes in the flesh and he accomplishes his perfect work of redemption. He is fulfilling that which was depicted and revealed in advance throughout the Old Testament.

Just as a seed is planted and then watered it comes to sprout from the ground. Over time it grows and matures into a larger plant. We then begin to see it bud and eventually it will blossom into a full flower. All the beauty and grandeur we see in that process over time is part of a whole. No phase is discreet and unrelated to the whole. The parts are naturally—as opposed to artificially—related to one another. What we see in the growth of that plant over time is the unfolding of what it is intended to be from the very beginning.

Likewise, when we read of the Apostles speaking about Christ as the fulfillment of the Old Testament, they are underscoring that Christ is the sum and substance of Old Testament revelation. The Apostles are not artificially placing Christ onto the Old Testament Scriptures as if they’re somehow engaging in some form of reader response theory. Jesus is not tacked onto the message of the Old. The Scriptures from beginning to end are all about Jesus Christ. He is the sum and substance of the word of God. He is the word of God incarnate and all of his word is organically related.

We discuss Geerhardus Vos’s sermon, “Heavenly Mindedness” from his collection Grace and Glory: Sermons Preached at Princeton Seminary. In this sermon, Vos directs the Christian to consider the heavenly realities, where Christ is, as the proper focus and posture for the Christian throughout this present earthly pilgrimage.

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction
• 03:45 Historical Context of the Sermon
• 08:44 Key Passages on Faith
• 12:54 A Biblical Theology of Faith
• 16:11 Faith and the Foundation of the Christian Life
• 19:58 Vos’s Exegesis and the History of Redemption
• 22:06 Faith and the Vitality of the Christian Life
• 23:44 Supernaturalism and History
• 26:45 Themes Picked up by Kline
• 30:04 Abraham’s Pilgrimage
• 36:27 The Remedy for the Ills of the Modern Life
• 38:40 Heavenly-Mindedness vs Mysticism
• 48:38 The Means of Grace
• 57:59 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Danny Olinger, Lane G. Tipton

In this episode, we speak about the ecclesiastical and theological contributions of Dr. Richard B. Gaffin, Jr. This year marks the 50th anniversary of Dr. Gaffin having been elected the chairman of the OPC’s Committee on Foreign Missions. Crossway has also published his latest book, In the Fullness of Time, a revision of his lecture notes from his course, Acts and Paul.

Dr. Gaffin’s history is inextricably linked with two institutions closely identified with J. Gresham Machen: Westminster Theological Seminary and the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. Taking this opportunity to reflect on the life and works of Dr. Gaffin, the panel comments on his unique contributions.

Chapters

• 00:00:00 Introduction
• 00:08:41 Dr. Gaffin’s 50+ Years of Service to OPC Foreign Missions
• 00:14:21 Meeting Dr. Gaffin
• 00:27:54 Dr. Gaffin’s Bibliography
• 00:32:13 Gaffin and Vos
• 00:37:11 Resurrection and Eschatology: A Festschrift for Dr. Gaffin
• 00:43:12 Gaffin’s Theological Contributions
• 00:57:31 1 Corinthians 15:45 and 2 Corinthians 3:17–18
• 01:00:35 Richard B. Gaffin, Jr. and Charlie Dennison
• 01:03:09 Conclusion

Order the Book

While supplies last, we’re running a big sale on copies of Dr. Gaffin’s book. For the best deal, get a bundle of In the Fullness of Time, Geerhardus Vos by Danny E. Olinger, and Foundations of Covenant Theology by Lane G. Tipton. We’re offering this bundle for $49.99. The combined retail price is $91.97. That’s a savings of more than 45%. You may also save more than 40% on individual copies.

Select Bibliography

Gaffin, Jr., Richard B. By Faith Not By Sight. Bletchley, Milton Keynes, UK: Paternoster Press, 2006.

———. God’s Word in Servant-Form. Reformed Academic Press, n.d.

———. “‘Life-Giving Spirit’: Probing the Center of Paul’s Pneumatology.” JETS 41 (1998): 573–89.

———. “Old Amsterdam and Inerrancy.” Westminster Theological Journal 44, no. 2 (Fall 1982): p 250-289.

———. Perspectives on Pentecost. P & R Publishing, 1979.

———. Resurrection and Redemption: A Study in Paul’s Soteriology. 2nd ed. Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co., 1987.

———. “The Place and Importance of Introduction to the New Testament.” In Studying the New Testament Today, 143–51. Presbyterian and Reformed Pub. Co, n.d.

———. “The Redemptive-Historical View.” In Biblical Hermeneutics: Five Views, edited by Stanley E Porter and Beth M Stovell. Downers Grove, Ill.: IVP Academic, 2012.

———. “The Usefulness of the Cross,” The Westminster Theological Journal, Vol. 41 No. 2 Spring 1979, pp. 228–246. (We discussed this article on Christ the Center, episode 585)

Tipton, Lane G., and Jeffrey C. Waddington. Resurrection and Eschatology: Theology in Service of the Church: Essays in Honor of Richard B. Gaffin, Jr. Phillipsburg  N.J.: P&R Pub., 2008.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Danny Olinger, Jeff Waddington, Jim Cassidy, Lane G. Tipton

We turn to the mailbag today to answer questions from listeners. We discuss the “organic” unity of the Scriptures, Van Til’s understanding of the phenomenal world, why the covenant of works and the covenant of grace point to something better than Eden, and vital and formal aspects of covenant membership.

Chapters

• 00:00:00 Introduction
• 00:04:57 Update on Reformed Academy
• 00:15:38 The “Organic” Unity of the Scriptures
• 00:25:04 Van Til and the Phenomenal World
• 00:41:18 Covenant Advancement in the Garden
• 00:48:16 Vital and Formal Aspects of the Covenant
• 01:08:42 Conclusion

Links

• Lane Tipton lesson from Union with Christ: The Benefits of His Suffering and Glory — The Gospel, the Old Testament, and the Two Estates in Romans 1:1–4

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jeff Waddington, Ryan Noha

It’s that time of year again. Since 2008, we have been taking a beat around New Year’s Day to bring you some of the top moments from the preceding year. We have a bunch of great clips lined up for you today.

Throughout 2021 we continued to develop Reformed Academy, our online learning platform. We doubled our student base from last year to more than 3,800 people in 73 countries. These brothers and sisters are taking our on-demand courses in Reformed theology, and many of their churches are using these resources in study groups and Sunday school courses.

We are committed to having each of our courses translated and subtitled in languages where we have established relationships with Reformed missionaries and indigenous churches.

Over the last two years, we have had many wonderful opportunities but not enough people and time in the day to complete many of these projects. We have grown significantly in terms of our reach, but we need to mature in terms of our ministry’s staff and infrastructure.

Please consider supporting us prayerfully and financially in these efforts. Visit https://www.reformedforum.org/donate

Top Clips from 2021

1. Episode 689 with Christopher Watkin — Foucault on Sexuality and Identity
2. Episode 689 with Christopher Watkin — Foucault on Power
3. Episode 695 with Bruce Pass — Bavinck and Supralapsarianism
4. Episode 706 with Jim Cassidy — Comparing PCA and OPC General Assemblies
5. Episode 687 with Benjamin Gladd — Israel and Dispensationalism
6. Episode 712 — Van Til Group #5 with Lane Tipton and Carlton Wynne — Natural Theology, Experience, and Reason
7. Episode 699 with G.K. Beale and Benjamin Gladd — Inaugurated Eschatology
8. Episode 713 with Danny Olinger and John Muether — Premillennialism among Presbyterian Fundamentalists
9. Episode 709 — Listener Questions with Ryan Noha and Jeff Waddington — Thomas, Van Til, and Classical Theism
10. Episode 696 with Crawford Gribben — Christian Reconstruction and the Religious Right
11. Reformed Forum Hot Ones

Episode Chapters

• 00:00:00 Introduction
• 00:01:13 2021 in Review
• 00:10:19 Foucault on Sexuality and Identity
• 00:16:18 Foucault on Power
• 00:20:32 Bavinck and Supralapsarianism
• 00:23:55 Comparing PCA and OPC General Assemblies
• 00:28:45 Israel and Dispensationalism
• 00:31:35 Natural Theology, Experience, and Reason
• 00:36:16 Inaugurated Eschatology
• 00:44:14 Premillennialism among Presbyterian Fundamentalists
• 00:49:54 Thomas, Van Til, and Classical Theism
• 00:55:09 Christian Reconstruction and the Religious Right
• 00:59:56 Reformed Theology Meets Spicy Wings
• 01:06:14 Looking Ahead to 2022

Participants: Benjamin Gladd, Bruce Pass, Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne, Christopher Watkin, Crawford Gribben, Danny Olinger, Greg Beale, Jeff Waddington, John Muether, Lane G. Tipton, Ryan Noha

Lane Tipton delivers a plenary address from the annual Reformed Forum Theology Conference, which was hosted October 8–9 at Providence OPC in Pflugerville, Texas. Dr. Tipton’s address is titled, “Perichoresis, Endoxation, and the Glory-Spirit: Foundations for Image-Endowment and Covenant Theology in the Work of Meredith G. Kline“

Chapters

• 00:00:00 Introduction
• 00:02:36 Perichoresis, Endoxation, and the Glory-Spirit
• 00:18:22 Endoxation and Incarnation
• 00:32:50 Endoxation as the Initial Creational Replication of Trinitarian Perichoresis
• 00:46:42 The Glory-Spirit and the Image of God
• 01:01:21 Special Revelation and Covenantal Advancement
• 01:09:16 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Lane G. Tipton

Lane Tipton speaks about his new book, Foundations of Covenant Theology, available now through Reformed Forum.

Drawing from Genesis 1:1 and subsequent biblical revelation, Lane Tipton argues that before creating the visible world, the immutable triune God created a heavenly temple dwelling, filled that heavenly dwelling with the unchanging glory of his Spirit, and sanctified that heavenly dwelling as the realm of everlasting Sabbath rest.

Adam, as the created image of God and federal head of his posterity, could have advanced through perfect covenantal obedience beyond probation on the mountain of God in earthly Eden into the heavenly dwelling of God in Sabbath rest. This God-centered and heaven-focused theological backdrop enriches our understanding of the person and work of Jesus Christ, as the second and last Adam in the covenant of grace, who in his humiliation and exaltation has opened the gates of heavenly paradise for his church.

Copies are available now.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Lane G. Tipton

Lane Tipton is in the studio with Camden Bucey to discuss the doctrine of salvation and union with Christ from the eschatological perspective of redemption accomplished and applied. On the heels of recording a new course on the topic with Dr. Tipton, they discuss the foundational categories of historia salutis and ordo salutis as well as how Jesus’s resurrection was simultaneously his justification, adoption, sanctification, and glorification. They then connect the death and resurrection of Christ to the Holy Spirit’s application of his work to individual believers in history.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Lane G. Tipton

Drs. G. K. Beale and Benjamin Gladd speak about their book The Story Retold: A Biblical-Theological Introduction to the New Testament (IVP Academic) in which they seek to couch every major passage of Scripture within the broad history of redemption, making sense of the New Testament in light of the Old. New Testament introductions typically either emphasize the history behind the text through discussions of authorship, dating, and audience or explore the content of the text itself. This introduction is unique in that it considers the Old Testament background to the New Testament and the overarching narrative of redemption throughout all of redemptive-history.

Dr. G. K. Beale is Professor of New Testament and Biblical Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary in Dallas, Texas.

Dr. Benjamin L. Gladd is Associate Professor of New Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, Mississippi.

Links

• G. K. Beale’s website
• Essential Studies in Biblical Theology series edited by Dr. Benjamin Gladd (IVP Academic)
• G. K. Beale, Colossians and Philemon (BECNT)
• G. K. Beale, The Temple and the Church’s Mission: A Biblical Theology of the Dwelling Place of God (IVP Academic)
• G. K. Beale and Benjamin L. Gladd, Hidden But Now Revealed: A Biblical Theology of Mystery (IVP Academic)
• Benjamin L. Gladd, From Adam and Israel to the Church (IVP Academic).
• Benjamin L. Gladd, Revealing the Mysterion: The Use of Mystery in Daniel and Second Temple Judaism with Its Bearing on First Corinthians. Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die neutestamentliche Wissenschaft 160 (Walter de Gruyter, 2008).
• Benjamin L. Gladd, Handbook on the Gospels (Baker Academic).

Participants: Benjamin Gladd, Camden Bucey, Greg Beale

We welcome Dr. Rita Cefalu to speak about the rich biblical-theological themes regarding Christ in Acts 2–3. Dr. Cefalu has written, “The Sufferings and Glory of Jesus the Messiah in Acts 2–3,” which appears in The Seed of Promise: The Sufferings and Glory of the Messiah: Essays in Honor of T. Desmond Alexander (Glossa House), co-edited by Dr. Cefalu and Paul R. Williamson. Dr. Cefalu is a writer and lecturer in biblical and theological studies in Florida.

This book is a festschrift presented to T. Desmond Alexander on the year of his 65th birthday. In distinction from other volumes of this type, this book is structured around the biblical theological theme of the seed promise of Genesis 3:15, with its sub-theme focused on the sufferings and glory of the Messiah. Accordingly, biblical scholars (both OT and NT), who have in some capacity benefited from Dr. Alexander’s scholarship and are known for their work in particular books of the Bible and/or the discipline of biblical theology, investigate these particular themes in light of their respective books.

Links

• Christ the Center, episode 373 with Rita Cefalu, “The Sons of God and Daughters of Man in Genesis 6”
• Rita Cefalu, “You Should Know T. Desmond Alexander: Exploring God’s Plan for Life on Earth With a Shepherd’s Heart”
• T. Desmond Alexander interview at the Laymen’s Lounge
• Watch the presentation of the festschrift to Dr. Alexander

Participants: Adam York, Camden Bucey, Rita Cefalu

Danny Olinger, Lane Tipton, and Camden Bucey discuss Geerhardus Vos’s sermon, “Hungering and Thirsting after Righteousness” from Matthew 5:6. This sermon is included in Grace and Glory: Sermons Preached at Princeton Theological Seminary.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Danny Olinger, Lane G. Tipton

Benjamin Gladd, associate professor of New Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary, Jackson, Mississippi joins us to speak about his book, From Adam and Israel to the Church: A Biblical Theology of the People of God, which is in the Essential Studies in Biblical Theology series from IVP Academic. Dr. Gladd is also the editor of the series. In this particular book, Dr. Gladd examines the nature of the people of God from Genesis to Revelation through the lens of being in God’s “image.”

Gladd addresses biblical-theological themes such as Eden as a mountain-temple, Israel as a corporate image of God, Christ as the perfect image of God and firstborn over all creation, and the Church as the renewed image of God oriented toward the new heavens and new earth.

Participants: Benjamin Gladd, Camden Bucey, Jeremy Boothby

We turn to pages 245–250 of Geerhardus Vos’s book Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments to discuss the prophet’s view of God’s holiness. Vos contrasts the concept of holiness found in pagan religions with that of the biblical prophets. The concept of holiness in Scripture is God-centered. It begins with the Lord, his transcendence, and then radiates outward to creation as he is revealed. This is how we must consider holiness when it is applied to creation—whether to man made in his image, to places, or to consecrated objects used in worship.

The liberal theologians Vos often addresses have no issue acknowledging the “holiness” of man understood as moral goodness. But for Vos, ethical goodness requires the comparison and relation to a holy God. In this sense, it is not possible to de-spiritualize Scripture and retain the Bible’s concept of holiness.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Lane G. Tipton

One of the highlights of the Christmas season is singing the Christmas hymns. Singing songs about the nativity of Jesus is one of the oldest traditions in the Christian church, and dates to the beginning of the New Testament church—even to the birth of Christ himself. Luke includes four such songs: Mary’s (1:46–55), Zechariah’s (1:68–79), Simeon’s (2:29–32), and the Angels’ (2:14).

In this episode, Glen Clary seeks to explain the redemptive-historical significance of the songs with reference to the temple cultus. These nativity canticles register a transition in the temple cultus from shadow to reality (type to antitype) in that they proclaim the arrival of the high priest of the heaven, who will bring the earthly temple cultus to its consummate fulfillment. They serve as a liturgical bridge between the old covenant and the new covenant and set the stage for the message of Luke, introducing significant theological themes developed in Luke-Acts.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Glen Clary

Dr. G. K. Beale speaks about the use of irony in redemptive-history, which is the subject of his book Redemptive Reversals and the Ironic Overturning of Human Wisdom (Crossway).

The Bible is full of ironic situations in which God overturns the world’s wisdom by doing the opposite of what is expected―people are punished by their own sin, the persecution of the church is the catalyst for its growth, Paul claims to have strength through weakness, and more. In this book, Beale explores God’s pattern of divine irony in both judgment and salvation, finding its greatest expression in Jesus’s triumph over death through death on a cross. Unpacking this pattern throughout redemptive history, Beale shows us how God often uses what is seemingly weak and foolish to underscore his own strength and power in the lives of his people today.

Dr. Beale holds the J. Gresham Machen chair of New Testament and is research professor of New Testament and biblical interpretation at Westminster Theological Seminary.

Links

• G. K. Beale, “The Book of Revelation and COVID-19” in New Horizons Volume 41, No. 9 (September 2020)
• G. K. Beale, Colossians and Philemon (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament)
• G. K. Beale and Benjamin L. Gladd, The Story Retold: A Biblical-Theological Introduction to the New Testament (IVP Academic)
• G. K. Beale on Christ the Center, episode 54 — The Erosion of Inerrancy in Evangelicalism

Participants: Camden Bucey, Greg Beale

In 1922, Reformed Press published six sermons by Geerhardus Vos in a volume titled Grace and Glory. In 1994, Banner of Truth published the same collection with ten additional sermons, which were discovered and edited by James Dennison. Banner has now brought this full collection back into print with a new edition: Grace and Glory: Sermons Preached at Princeton Seminary.

Danny Olinger, author of Geerhardus Vos: Reformed Biblical Theologian, Confessional Presbyterian, joins us to speak about Vos’s sermons in their biblical context as well as the historical context in which they were written and delivered. Rev. Olinger is General Secretary for the Committee on Christian Education of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Danny Olinger, Lane G. Tipton

The matter hinges on the present life-setting of the New Covenant Church in the wilderness. The author of Hebrews compares the church, which is presently in the New Covenant, to the first generation of Israelites in the wilderness. They were on their pilgrimage and had not yet entered their promised rest. As such, there was a real possibility of apostasy from the covenant. Likewise, the New Covenant Church has not yet entered the New Heavens and New Earth, to which earthly Canaan pointed. The author encourages covenant members to strive to enter their rest, not to fall away as they follow their forerunner and heavenly high priest, Jesus Christ.

Rev. Boothby is pastor of Christ Covenant OPC in Amarillo, Texas.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jeremy Boothby

Joel Fick shows us how important it is to bring various passages of Scripture to bear upon one another, particularly where one may fill in the gap for the other. In Exodus 2 we learn how Christ is not a picture of Moses, but rather Moses is a picture of Christ.

Participants: Joel Fick, Mark A. Winder

We turn to pages 230–233 of Vos’s book, Biblical Theology, to speak about the mode by which the Lord delivers his message to the prophet. Man is made in the image of God, which means he has a special capacity to commune with God. Vos marvels at the way in which divine speech is transmitted to those made in his image. God’s word is communicated in servant form without evacuating the message of any of its divine characteristics, such as inerrancy or infallibility. The Holy Spirit works in the prophet in such a way as to inspire and superintend the entire activity of the prophet—whether in speech or inscripturation.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Lane G. Tipton

If the ease of being illustrated were a touchstone of the truth, then Augustine’s well known adage has been proven ten times over: “The new is in the old concealed; the old is in the new revealed.”

John Calvin (1509–1564) employed the shadow-form (σκια-εικων) imagery of Hebrews 10:1 to speak of the Old Testament Law as a sketch that the New Testament Gospel colors in. He writes, “Under the Law was shadowed forth only in rude and imperfect lines what is under the Gospel set forth in living colors and graphically distinct.”

B. B. Warfield (1851–1921), with particular reference to the revelation of the doctrine of the Trinity, likened the Old Testament to “a chamber richly furnished but dimly lighted.” The New Testament, by introducing more light, “brings into it nothing which was not in it before.” Rather, “it brings out into clearer view much of what is in it, but was only dimly or even not at all perceived before.” This image has been echoed by many, including Geerhardus Vos, who wrote in his Compendium with respect to the doctrine of the Trinity, “We can read much in the O.T. by the light of the N.T. that the O.T. saints could not find there” (Wij kunnen veel in het O.T. lezen bij het licht van het N.T., dat de O.T. heiligen er niet vinden konden).

Herman Bavinck (1854–1921) wrote that the relationship between the Old and New Testaments “is like that of pedestal and statue, lock and key, shadow and body.”

Geerhardus Vos (1862–1949) emphasized the organic progression of God’s revelation in Scripture over against evolutionary models by speaking of it as a seed that grows into a tree.

Robert Knudsen (1924–2000) captured the necessary yet fading nature of the old in relation to the new: “[The old] is on the order of the chrysalis of a butterfly which must be cast aside when the butterfly emerges; nevertheless, like a chrysalis, the old bears the new.”

A lesser known illustration may be found in the work of the Dutch-Reformed politician and historian, Guillaume Groen van Prinsterer (1801–1876), entitled, Proeve over de middelen waardoor de waarheid wordt gekend en gestaafd. He quotes the German theologian, Philipp Marheinecke (1780–1846):

Der … dunkle Mond des Alten Testaments hat sein Licht allein von der Gnadensonne des Evangeliums.

The dark moon of the Old Testament has its light only from the sun of grace of the Gospel.

Groen comments,

De Israëliet zag op den Heiland die komen zou; de Christen ziet op den Heiland die gekomen is en wederkomen zal.

The Israelite looked on the Savior who was to come; the Christian looks on the Savior who has come and will come again.

In the words of Christ himself in John 5:39,

You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me.

Dr. S. M. Baugh joins us to speak about his book, The Majesty on High: An Introduction to the Kingdom of God in the New Testament. Beginning with a definition of the kingdom of God based on the new creation, Baugh introduces the reader to the kingdom and its foundational issues.

Dr. Baugh is professor of New Testament at Westminster Seminary California in Escondido, California. He is also the author of Ephesians: Evangelical Exegetical Commentary (EEC).

Participants: Camden Bucey, S. M. Baugh

Participants: Rob McKenzie, Robert Tarullo

We take a brief break from our regular schedule in Geerhardus Vos’s book, Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments, to discuss Vos’s sermon “Rabboni,” on John 20:16. This sermon is found in Grace & Glory, a collection of Vos’s sermons preached at the chapel of Princeton Seminary.

John 20:1–18 (ESV)

Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. ² So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” ³ So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. ⁴ Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. ⁵ And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. ⁶ Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, ⁷ and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. ⁸ Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; ⁹ for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. ¹⁰ Then the disciples went back to their homes. 

¹¹ But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. ¹² And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. ¹³ They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” ¹⁴ Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. ¹⁵ Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” ¹⁶ Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). ¹⁷ Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ” ¹⁸ Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her. 

Participants: Camden Bucey, Lane G. Tipton

We turn to pages 224–229 of Vos’s book, Biblical Theology, to speak about the intra-mental state of the prophet, by which Vos means to inquire into “how the soul felt and reacted under the things shown within the vision” (p. 224).

Far too much attention has been given to what is represented by the Greek term ecstasis. The term served first as a translation of the Hebrew tardemah (cf. Gen. 2:21 with Adam and Genesis 15:12 with Abram). In Adam’s case, there is no visionary state. In Abram’s case, there is such a vision (expound the theology of the theophany). But tardemah does not throw any light on Abram’s state of mind.

Ecstasis, on the other hand, has a very definite conception in Greek consciousness that leads in the direction of error. That conception is that of “insanity or mania” and was applied to the oracular process—the process of receiving visions and the resultant state in which it put the seer-prophet. This led to a close association between the prophet and some feature of instability—some manic tendency that seems inherent to the process of receiving a vision.

Vos points us to God’s inspired, inerrant, and infallible revelation in history, which does not bypass the human mind or allow the recipient to escape his humanity, but elevates him to greater communion with God.

Knowledge is not an end in itself, it is a means to an end that we might know the new world of God. When we understand that we are citizens of the age to come, it changes everything about how we live our lives in the midst of this present evil age.

Participants: Adam York, Jim Cassidy, Mark A. Winder

Lane Tipton speaks about his recent conference addresses and his newly available video course, Foundations of Covenant Theology. In this conversation, we seek to address the question of the Spiritual character of the law as an administration of the Covenant of Grace in the Old Testament and set the priority for the history of heaven as a frame of reference for understanding covenant theology in general and the law’s relationship to the Covenant of Works and Covenant of Grace in particular.

In the beginning in Genesis 1:1, “heavens” is a reference to an archetypal temple-dwelling of God. Before God creates an earthly temple or tabernacle, he makes a heavenly temple dwelling that he fills with the glory of his Spirit and populates with angels. The earth is a replica of these invisible heavens. Prior to a history on earth per se, there is a bona fide history of heaven, which results in the Lord being enthroned in heaven at the end of the creation week. Covenant history now moves forward with the death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ to this throne and his return when he will bring his people into this glory.

Links

• YouTube playlist of all the 2019 Theology Conference addresses.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Lane G. Tipton

Dr. Lane G. Tipton delivers his first plenary address at the 2019 Reformed Forum Theology Conference held at Hope OPC in Grayslake, Illinois.

Participants: Lane G. Tipton

The conflict between Jacob and Esau serves as a paradigm for the redemptive conflict of the ages. God uses what the world would consider weak to accomplish his plan and demonstrate his power.

Participants: Adam York, Jim Cassidy, Mark A. Winder