Dr. Vern Poythress speaks about the study of history and historiography from a Christian perspective. In his book, Redeeming Our Thinking about History: A God-Centered Approach (Crossway), Dr. Poythress emphasizes God’s own command to remember his works and share them with the next generation. He explores providentialism, divine purpose, and the four basic phases of biblical history: creation, fall, redemption, and consummation.

Dr. Vern Poythress, Distinguished Professor of New Testament, Biblical Interpretation, and Systematic Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary in Glenside, Pennsylvania, where he has taught for four decades. In addition to earning six academic degrees, he is the author of numerous books and articles on biblical interpretation, language, and science.

• 00:00:00 Introduction
• 00:03:44 Focusing on History
• 00:14:01 Presuppositions of Historical Methodology
• 00:17:06 Defining and Experiencing History
• 00:22:07 Three Important Aspects of History
• 00:32:29 Divine Inscrutability and Divine Revelation
• 00:34:36 Common Grace and History
• 00:40:12 Reductionistic Approaches to History
• 00:48:14 The Academic Pursuit of History
• 00:59:59 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Vern Poythress

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

• 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

Where is Christ’s body now?

In short, that is the question behind our conversation today with K. J. Drake, the author of The Flesh of the Word: The extra Calvinisticum from Zwingli to Early Orthodoxy (Oxford University Press, 2021). In this book, Drake seeks to broaden the study of the extra Calvinisticum by investigating how the doctrine arose within sixteenth-century Reformed theology as well as how its form and function developed over time due to the changing polemical and theological contexts from Zwingli to the period of early Reformed orthodoxy.

K. J. Drake is Academic Dean and Assistant Professor of Historical Theology at Indianapolis Theological Seminary. He received his BA in History, Classics, Medieval and Renaissance Studies, and Latin from the University of Nebraska. He attended Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis where he received his M.Div.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Dan Ragusa, K. J. Drake

Carlton Wynne, Lane Tipton, and Camden Bucey turn to pp. 48–54 of Cornelius Van Til’s The Defense of the Faith to discuss the Christian theory of knowledge. In this section, Van Til speaks of the relationship between a theory of reality and the theory of knowledge and how for orthodox Christians, the absolute God of Scripture is identical with his knowledge while finite creatures are fundamentally dependent upon him.

We also announce the arrival of Lane Tipton’s book, The Trinitarian Theology of Cornelius Van Til.

• The Trinitarian Theology of Cornelius Van Til (eBook) $9.99 Add to cart
• The Trinitarian Theology of Cornelius Van Til $34.99 Add to cart

• 00:00:00 Introduction
• 00:02:16 New Book: The Trinitarian Theology of Cornelius Van Til
• 00:12:28 Reviewing Chapters 1–2 of the Book
• 00:23:38 A Christian Theory of Being
• 00:35:30 The Bible and Christian Experience
• 00:37:50 Ontology and Epistemology from the Garden of Eden
• 00:42:59 Epistemological Authority
• 00:48:35 Satan’s Tactic in Temptation
• 00:55:16 God’s Knowledge and Being are Coterminous
• 01:00:52 Pantheism
• 01:06:04 Consequences of Saying that God’s Knowledge Changes
• 01:15:44 Biblical Examples of God’s Knowledge in Relation to Creation
• 01:21:00 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne, Lane G. Tipton

Dr. Benjamin Gladd shares his methods and favorite tools for facilitating research and eventual publication of his writing.

Dr. Gladd is Professor of New Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, Mississippi. He is the author of Handbook on the Gospels (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2021) and From Adam and Israel to the Church: A Biblical Theology of the People of God (Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2019). Along with G. K. Beale, he is the co-author of The Story Retold: A Biblical-Theological Introduction to the New Testament (Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2020). Dr. Gladd is also series editor for IVP’s Essential Studies in Biblical Theology and Baker’s Handbook on the New Testament.

• Richard Hays, Reading Backwards
• Sönke Ahrens, How to Take Smart Notes (Reformed Media Review, ep. 126 on the subject)
• Drafts
• Notability
• Liquid Text
• Zotero (Reformed Media Review, ep. 129 on the subject)
• Papers
• SimpleMind
• Neil Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death
• Accordance
• Logos

• 00:00:00 Introduction
• 00:07:02 Reading and Writing
• 00:10:08 Reading and Taking Smart Notes
• 00:19:16 Working with PDFs
• 00:23:43 Citation Managers
• 00:26:15 Writing for Teaching
• 00:31:11 Mind Mapping
• 00:36:07 The Effects of Technology
• 00:38:19 Cross References
• 00:40:50 From Bible Study to Writing Output
• 00:44:11 Plagiarism and Derivative Thought
• 00:55:44 The Cumulative Benefit of Consistent Study
• 00:59:39 The Pastor Is Called to Study
• 01:01:25 Going Deeper Independently
• 01:11:23 Updates on RTS Jackson and Dr. Gladd’s Books
• 01:13:08 Conclusion

Participants: Benjamin Gladd, Camden Bucey

Dr. Carlton Wynne speaks about his chapter, “Scripture: Foundational for Life and Ministry,” which is published in Theology for Ministry: How Doctrine Affects Pastoral Life and Practice. This book is a festschrift for Sinclair Ferguson, edited by William R. Edwards, John C. A. Ferguson, and Chad Van Dixhoorn, and published by P&R Publishing.

Dr. Wynne discusses the significance of the doctrine of inspiration as well as the necessity, sufficiency, and authority of Scripture. He then connects these essential doctrines to their practicality and usefulness for daily life and particularly, pastoral ministry. By understanding the doctrine of Scripture and especially its redemptive-historical character, we come to a greater appreciation of God’s enduring love and care for his covenant people.

Carlton Wynne is Associate Pastor at Westminster PCA in Atlanta and Adjunct Professor of Systematic Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary Atlanta.

• 00:00:00 Introduction
• 00:06:03 Carlton’s Introduction to Sinclair Ferguson
• 00:15:21 Theology for Life
• 00:20:05 The Inspiration of Scripture
• 00:37:42 The Accommodation of Scripture
• 00:40:59 The Usefulness of Doctrine for Pastoral Ministry
• 00:49:32 The Redemptive-Historical Character of Scripture
• 01:02:38 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne

Mark Winder previews his upcoming course on Zephaniah wherein he will discuss the prophecy in its context, and in doing so examine how the prophet utilizes protological themes to construct an eschatological picture pointing to the great Day of the Lord. We will begin with an introduction to covenant themes and establish the veracity of the theological assumptions and hermeneutical method employed in approaching Zephaniah.

Dr. Winder will be teaching an in-person course at the Reformed Forum headquarters in Libertyville, Illinois, August 12–13, 2022.

• 00:00 Introduction
• 06:12 An Upcoming Course on Zephaniah
• 22:25 The Structure of the Course
• 33:16 Protology and Eschatology
• 44:29 The Expectation of the Day of the Lord
• 50:45 Covenant Restoration
• 57:56 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Mark A. Winder, Ryan Noha

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.

• 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

Brad Isbell (@ChortlesWeakly) briefly steps away from the General Assembly floor, Twitter, and Presbycast to jump on another podcast mic to speak with Camden Bucey about the PCA General Assembly and the storied histories of naming the OPC and the PCA.

Mr. Isbell is a ruling elder at Covenant PCA in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Along with @Wresbyterian, he hosts Presbycast. He recently wrote, “What’s in a Denominational Name?” for the Nicotine Theological Journal. The article has also been published at The Aquila Report.

• 00:00 General Assemblies Review
• 09:43 More in the PCA
• 15:18 PCA and OPC 50th Anniversaries
• 19:36 Denominational Names
• 32:06 Ardor and Order in the National Presbyterian Church
• 46:14 Presbyterian Collegiality
• 48:52 Church Planting Old School Ordinary Means of Grace Churches
• 53:11 Conclusion

Participants: Brad Isbell, Camden Bucey

In the third volume of this new translation of Petrus Van Mastricht’s Theoretical-Practical Theology,

Mastricht begins with a discussion of the decrees of God and how they establish His eternal purpose for everything. He then shows how the decrees are carried out in creation and in God’s continual providence. The volume concludes with Mastricht’s treatment of the apostacy of Adam from his original estate and the devastating effects of sin that followed. This is an important volume for learning how God governs all things, even the rebellious actions of those good things He created.

Jeff Waddington, Dan Ragusa, and Camden Bucey speak about several of the unique positions Van Mastricht held, including his somewhat mediating view between infra- and supralapsarianism, his argument against Copernicanism, his view of the third heaven, and his view of angelic and demonic activity.

• 0:00:00 Introduction
• 0:04:35 Van Mastricht’s Theoretical-Practical
• 0:17:14 Infra- and Supralapsarianism
• 0:26:45 Copernicanism
• 0:36:31 The Third Heaven
• 0:42:59 The Covenant of Nature
• 0:54:44 Right Reason
• 1:00:40 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Dan Ragusa, Jeff Waddington