Pilgrim Talk: Theology for Sojourners

Dylan and John talk about the contrast between the Tower of Babylon and the blessings promised to Abram. How do these two events in the book of Genesis connect to the gospel? Who is the true seed of Abraham? Why is the song "Father Abraham" rich in biblical theology?

Dylan and John discuss how Paul preached the gospel to Jews and Gentiles from the Old Testament. The Old Testament is Christian Scripture, and there is one gospel message from the Fall of Adam to the second coming of Christ. The Old Testament is the gospel promised. The New Testament is the gospel established.

Greg Parker Jr. has recently translated two of Bavinck's essays which has recently been published with Hendrickson Publishing Group under the title What is Christianity. Greg joins us on the podcast to talk about Bavinck's purpose in writing these two essays, where they fall into the rest of Bavinck's corpus, what Bavinck sees as the essence of Christianity, how the subjective side of Christianity permeates all of life and culture, and closing with a reason why Pastor's should read this work. 

In this episode, Dylan and John continue through 1 Peter.

Accurately handing the Bible is drawing out the text’s God intended meaning. This is why expository preaching and expository reading of Scripture must be the primary diet of the Christian and the church because God did not reveal himself through bunch of random truisms or isolated statements. Proof texts are often wielded in a way that ignores their context or are used as spring boards to say “true things” that the text does not address. Failing to properly interpret Scripture will result in a failure to distinguish the voice of God from the voice of men.

Scripture is the progressive unfolding of the unified and intertwined historical story of redemption- seed to tree (promise to fulfillment / shadow to substance/ type to antitype with Jesus Christ as the center. If we fail to understand the organic unity and centrality of Christ in Scripture, then we will err greatly in our interpretation of Scripture. 

This is the beginning of a short series that John taught at Covenant Community Church on How to Read the Bible. In this lesson, John unpacks the doctrine of Scripture leaning on chapter 1 of the Second London Confession. What Scripture is must be understood before we can ask how we are to read Scripture. 

In this episode, John and Dylan discuss chapter two of Bavinck's, The Wonderful Works of God. Bavinck in this chapter speaks of the knowledge of God and how it is distinguished from other forms of knowledge. The knowledge of God is distinct from other knowledge in its origin, object, essence, and effect. 

The Wonderful Works of God is Bavinck's handbook for Reformed Theology that he wrote for the ordinary Christian. In this episode, John and Dylan introduce the book and talk about how it is immensely devotional and Christ centered. As we study the work of God, we are moved to wonder and awe. Bavinck's book reminds us of this and takes us along on a journey to consider these wonderful works. 

Bavinck writes, “I wish to give a simple explanation of the Christian faith in a book of modest scope, as confessed by the Reformed Churches.”

You can purchase the book here 

Adam was no mere gardner and Eve was no mere garden. In this episode, the guys discuss the significance of Adam's vocation and place in the Garden of Eden, and how it connects to the gospel and the work of Christ.