Dr. Lane Tipton and Camden Bucey open up Geerhardus Vos’ Biblical Theology for the second episode of Vos Group. On pages 3-11 (Chapter 1 up to, but not including, “Guiding Principles”), Vos sets out the nature of the discipline of biblical theology and its relationship to the different departments of theology. In short, biblical theology is a study of the history of God’s special revelation which is his authoritative interpretation of the history of redemption. The discussion also covers Vos’ historical methodology, the organic nature of special revelation, and the particularly practical side of biblical theology. Roughly each month, Lane and Camden will work through the pages of Vos’ Biblical Theology. While Vos’ book is foundational, it’s tough for the “uninitiated” to access. This will be a great opportunity for study groups to listen to our discussions and work things out together. We hope everyone who participates will learn more about Reformed biblical theology. Pick up a copy of Biblical Theology and get on the BT wagon! Lane G. Tipton is Professor of Systematic Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, PA. He has appeared numerous times on our programs. Please visit our archives to listen to Dr. Tipton speak about a range of theological topics. All the episodes in this series will be available at http://reformedforum.org/resources/vos/ If you’d like to subscribe only to these episodes (rather than all episodes of Christ the Center), just use the following feed: http://reformedforum.org/category/series/vos-group/feed

Participants: Camden Bucey, Lane G. Tipton

We begin the New Year with a look at some of our best clips from 2013. Listen to the full episodes of the clips we’ve chosen to include by using the following links:

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carl Trueman, Carlton Wynne, Darryl G. Hart, David Gibson, David Murray, James White, Jared Oliphint, Jim Cassidy, John Currid, Jonathan Gibson, K. Scott Oliphint, Lane G. Tipton, Michael Emlet, Nick Batzig, Scott Manetsch, Scott R. Wright, Timothy Brindle, Vern Poythress, William Edgar

Caroline Weerstra speaks with Christ the Center about the Peniel Bible Conference, based on her article “The Early History of Peniel Bible Conference, Part 1: Zeal Without Knowledge (1933-1938).” The camp was associated with Calvary Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Schenectady, New York, Mrs. Weerstra’s home church. Though associated with a reformed church, the camp was very similar to the Wesleyan and holiness movements in theology and practice. Listen to understand how this camp became associated with the OPC and how Calvary Church finally remained in the OPC. Mrs. Weerstra is a mother of three, a blogger, and the author of several catechism workbooks for children. Her article “The Early History of Peniel Bible Conference, Part 1: Zeal Without Knowledge (1933-1938)” appeared in Vol. 75 No. 2 of the Westminster Theological Journal.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Caroline Weerstra, Jeff Waddington, John Muether

We welcome Dr. John M. Frame, Professor of Systematic Theology and Philosophy at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, FL. Dr. Frame has written a new book, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Christian Belief (P&R Publishing). Listen as we speak about the importance of theology, the nature of theological methodology, and the foundational doctrines of the faith. Dr. Frame has written extensively over the years, and you may access many of his resources online at frame-poythress.org.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jeff Waddington, Jim Cassidy, John Frame

Dr. Lane G. Tipton joins Camden Bucey to begin a new series on Geerhardus Vos’ important book, Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments. For the past thirteen years, Dr. Tipton has led the “Vos Group” at Calvary Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Glenside, PA. Each month, the Vos Group gathers to discuss Reformed biblical theology by studying Scripture and important works by Vos, Kline, Clowney, Gaffin, et al. We are delighted to bring this great teaching to a broader audience. Roughly each month, Lane and Camden will work through the pages of Vos’ Biblical Theology. While Vos’ book is foundational, it’s tough for the “uninitiated” to access. This will be a great opportunity for study groups to listen to our discussions and work things out together. We hope everyone who participates will learn more about Reformed biblical theology. Pick up a copy of Biblical Theology and get on the BT wagon! Lane G. Tipton is Professor of Systematic Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, PA. He has appeared numerous times on our programs. Please visit our archives to listen to Dr. Tipton speak about a range of theological topics. All the episodes in this series will be available at http://reformedforum.org/category/series/vos-group/ If you’d like to subscribe only to these episodes (rather than all episodes of Christ the Center), just use the following feed: http://reformedforum.org/category/series/vos-group/feed

Participants: Camden Bucey, Lane G. Tipton

It’s often argued that because of the political climate, the Scottish commissioners to the Westminster Assembly had full rein over the Westminster Assembly and the confessional documents it produced. In this episode, we are pleased to welcome Dr. Wayne Spear to analyze this common perception. Dr. Spear looks specifically at the influence of the Scottish commissioners upon the ecclesiology of the Westminster Assembly. Dr. Spear has published an excellent book with Reformation Heritage Books entitled, Covenanted Uniformity in Religion: The Influence of the Scottish Commissioners upon the Ecclesiology of the Westminster Assembly. Dr. Spear is Professor Emeritus of Systematic Theology at Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Pittsburgh, PA. Dr. Spear has authored Talking to God: The Theology of Prayer; Faith of Our Fathers: A Commentary on the Westminster Confession of Faith; “The Westminster Confession of Faith and Holy Scripture,” in To Glorify and Enjoy God (Co-author); “Augustine’s Doctrine of Biblical Infallibility,” in Inerrancy and the Church; and, “The Westminster Assembly’s Directory for Church Government,” in Pressing Toward the Mark (Co-author).

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jeff Waddington, Nick Batzig, Wayne Spear

Dr. Brandon Crowe explains the reality and significance of the virgin birth, based on his booklet, “Was Jesus Really Born of a Virgin?,” from the Christian Answers to Hard Questions series. He explains the biblical basis for the doctrine and responds to a host of objections – those scientific, philosophical, mythological, and theological, to name a few. Dr. Crowe is Assistant Professor of New Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, PA. He received his M.Div. from Reformed Theological Seminary and his Ph.D. from the University of Edinburgh. His dissertation has been published as The Obedient Son: Deuteronomy and Christology in the Gospel of Matthew which he spoke about on Christ the Center episode 239. The Christian Answers to Hard Questions series is published by Westminster Press through P&R Publishing.

Participants: Brandon Crowe, Camden Bucey, Jeff Waddington, Jim Cassidy

Dr. Mark Jones returns to Christ the Center to revive seventeenth-century wisdom about antinomianism from his forthcoming book Antinomianism: Reformed Theology’s Unwelcome Guest?. Antinomian thinking is rooted in a weak view of the person of Christ and leads to reducing sanctification to justification. Dr. Jones addresses Martin Luther’s relationship to antinomianism, the relationship between theology and practice, and the necessity of good works for salvation. Dr. Mark Jones 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).” Dr. Jones has spoken on Christ the Center 249 and 218.

Participants: Camden Bucey, David Filson, Jared Oliphint, Jim Cassidy, Mark Jones

The doctrine of definite atonement is the subject of this week’s episode, which features guests David Gibson and Jonathan Gibson, editors of the forthcoming From Heaven He Came and Sought Her: Definite Atonement in Historical, Biblical, Theological, and Pastoral Perspective (Crossway), and Carl Trueman, a contributor to the book and former guest on Christ the Center. The 700-page book features essays from twenty-one scholars and pastors and is intended to be a definitive treatment of the topic. In the episode, we consider definite atonement in church history, in the scriptural witness, in relation to the doctrine of the trinity, with a view to common objections. David Gibson ministers at Trinity Church in Aberdeen, Scotland and received his Ph.D. from the University of Aberdeen. Gibson has also written Rich: The Reality of Encountering Jesus and Reading the Decree: Exegesis, Election and Christology in Calvin and Barth. Jonathan Gibson is currently working on a Ph.D. in Hebrew Studies at Cambridge University. He studied at Moore Theological College, in Sydney, Australia, and has been published in Themelios, in the Journal of Biblical Literature, and in the NIV Proclamation Bible.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carl Trueman, David Gibson, Jared Oliphint, Jonathan Gibson

Dr. Jason B. Hood speaks about the imitation of Christ, based on the biblical theological study found in his book, Imitating God in Christ: Recapturing a Biblical Pattern. The teaching of imitation is sometimes clouded by a “gospel-centered” focus on justification that loses sight of the importance of sanctification in salvation. Dr. Hood clears away these misconceptions to show how the indicative of Christ’s person and work is consistent with the imperative of imitation of Christ. The episode also deals with the concept of the image of God, the imitation of the saints, and the biblical theological basis of imitation from Old Testament to New. Dr. Hood will soon be pastor of St. Margaret’s Anglican Church in Moshi, Tanzania, as well as a professor at Munguishi Bible College, part of the Anglican Diocese of Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. He has also served as an adjunct faculty member at Reformed Theological Seminary in Washington, DC and taught biblical theology of mission with the Memphis Fellows Initiative. Imitating God in Christ is published by IVP Academic.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jared Oliphint, Jason B. Hood