Reformed Brotherhood | Reformed Theology and Brotherly Love

Join Tony and Jesse in this thought-provoking episode of the Reformed Brotherhood Podcast as they delve into the concept of the final judgement and its implications. Explore the intricate relationship between works and salvation, and gain a deeper understanding of the eschatological reality of eternal consequences. Discover the tension between our justification and sanctification, and how it relates to our eternal destiny. Don't miss this enlightening discussion on the final judgement, resurrection, and the hope and condemnation that accompany them. Tune in now to expand your theological knowledge and engage in a profound exploration of Christian faith.

In this thought-provoking episode of the Reformed Brotherhood Podcast, Tony and Jesse dive deep into the topic of the final judgment and the resurrection of both the just and the unjust. They explore the implications of eternal consequences, the hope and condemnation that arise from God's ultimate judgment, and the theological significance of this eschatological reality. Join them as they engage in a constructive theological discussion, tackling tough questions and offering valuable insights. If you're interested in understanding the complexities of the final judgment and its impact on the Christian faith, this episode is a must-listen. Tune in and be prepared to be challenged and encouraged.

Join Tony and Jesse in this thought-provoking episode of the Reformed Brotherhood Podcast as they dive deep into the eschatological topic of the resurrection of the just and the unjust. With a focus on the physical and spiritual implications, they explore the consequences faced by those who reject Christ and the glorious hope of those who are in Him. Discover the profound truth of God's justice and the eternal destiny that awaits every individual as the hosts navigate through the complexities of this doctrine. This episode provides a captivating and challenging discussion that will leave you pondering the gravity of God's judgment and the significance of the resurrection in the Christian faith.

In this episode of The Reformed Brotherhood, hosts Tony Arsenal and Jesse Schwamb begin their exploration of eschatology by addressing the intermediate state—what happens to believers between death and resurrection. Drawing from Scripture and Reformed confessions, they explain how the souls of Christians immediately pass into the presence of Christ upon death, while awaiting bodily resurrection. The hosts tackle common misconceptions about the afterlife, including soul sleep, purgatory, and the fusion of intermediate and eternal states. This foundational discussion establishes a biblical framework for understanding personal eschatology that brings comfort to believers facing mortality and grief.

Key Takeaways

• The intermediate state refers to the condition of souls between physical death and bodily resurrection at Christ's return.
• Immediate conscious presence with Christ is the experience of believers upon death, not a waiting period or unconscious state.
• The Westminster Confession teaches that "the souls of the righteous being then made perfect in holiness are received into the highest heavens where they behold the face of God in light and glory."
• No biblical support exists for purgatory, which undermines the sufficiency of Christ's work by suggesting additional purification is needed after death.
• The thief on the cross serves as a clear biblical example that believers go immediately to be with Christ upon death (Luke 23:43).
• Soul sleep theories that suggest unconsciousness after death contradict Scripture's teaching on the conscious intermediate state.
• The physical resurrection remains essential in Christian eschatology, as the soul will eventually be reunited with a glorified body.

Understanding the Intermediate State

The intermediate state is often misunderstood in contemporary Christianity. As the hosts explain, Reformed theology makes a crucial distinction between what happens to believers at death and what occurs at the final resurrection. When Christians die, their souls—the spiritual aspect of their being—immediately enter Christ's presence in a conscious state. This is not the final state, as our physical bodies remain in the grave awaiting resurrection, but it is a blessed condition where believers experience the joy of being with Christ.

The biblical foundation for this understanding comes from numerous passages, particularly Paul's words in 2 Corinthians 5:6-8, where he states his preference "to be absent from the body and to be home with the Lord." Similarly, Jesus' promise to the repentant thief—"Today you will be with me in paradise" (Luke 23:43)—establishes the immediacy of the soul's entrance into Christ's presence after death. These texts undermine theories of soul sleep or post-mortem purification periods.

Why Purgatory Contradicts the Gospel

The doctrine of purgatory represents one of the most significant errors regarding the intermediate state. As the hosts discuss, purgatory presupposes that Christ's work is insufficient to fully sanctify believers at death. While proponents might argue that purgatory honors God's holiness, it actually diminishes Christ's finished work by suggesting that additional purification is needed before entering God's presence.

The Westminster Shorter Catechism (Q.37) succinctly addresses this: "The souls of believers are at their death made perfect in holiness and do immediately pass into glory." This reflects the biblical teaching that sanctification is completed at death for those in Christ. The notion that believers must undergo further purification fundamentally contradicts the gospel's emphasis on Christ's all-sufficient merit and imputed righteousness. As Jesse notes, purgatory suggests "what Jesus did was good enough for certain things but not all things," a position that undermines the completeness of Christ's redemptive work.

Memorable Quotes

The intermediate state is not like you transcend to different worlds. It just means between the time that you die and that your body is reunited with your soul. - Jesse Schwamb

I prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be home with the Lord... This is Paul making this clear line that Christian theology states from its very beginning, that death means the soul being with God present in conscience, aware. - Jesse Schwamb

What a theology here does is denies that Christ has the ability to make a person holy upon their death... To say that Christ can't instantly sanctify someone upon their death, that just seems blasphemous. - Tony Arsenal

In this episode of the Reformed Brotherhood Podcast, Tony and Jesse dive deep into the topic of private prayer. They explore the intimate nature of prayer in heaven, contrasting it with the sentimental view often portrayed in contemporary worship songs. Drawing from Revelation 5, they discuss the significance of the Lamb and how prayer is the closest experience we have to heavenly communion. The hosts challenge listeners to embrace the privilege of prayer and the foretaste it provides of our future fellowship with God. Joined by the engaging and relatable conversation, this episode encourages believers to approach prayer with confidence and intentionality. Tune in to discover the transformative power of private prayer.

In this insightful episode, Tony Arsenal and Jesse Schwamb explore how the Psalms can fundamentally reshape our approach to prayer. Moving beyond structured formulas, they discuss how God's inspired prayer book offers us divine language for every human experience—from praise to lament, from thanksgiving to righteous anger. The hosts challenge listeners to embrace the sometimes uncomfortable or alien nature of praying the Psalms, arguing that this very discomfort is what makes them so transformative for modern Christians. This episode offers practical guidance for incorporating the Psalms into your daily prayer life and explains why doing so connects us to a pattern of prayer that Jesus himself practiced.

Key Takeaways

• The Psalms are God's inspired prayer book, giving us divine language to express every aspect of the human experience in conversation with God
• Modern evangelical prayer often lacks the robust emotional range that the Psalms provide, particularly regarding lament and God's judgment of the wicked
• Jesus himself prayed the Psalms, even from the cross, demonstrating their centrality to a healthy prayer life
• Praying the Psalms reorients our understanding of God's character by allowing us to rehearse theological truths in conversation with Him
• The alien nature of the Psalms is their strength, forcing us out of comfortable prayer patterns and into deeper, more biblical expressions
• The Psalms provide comfort through teaching us to find hope in God's righteous judgment, an aspect often neglected in contemporary Christian prayer
• Starting a Psalm prayer practice requires no special preparation—simply begin with any Psalm and allow it to shape your prayers

Understanding the Psalms as God's Prayer Book

The hosts emphasize that the Psalms aren't merely ancient poems but divinely inspired patterns for prayer. Unlike contemporary prayer approaches that often feel sanitized and structured around acronyms like ACTS (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication), the Psalms encompass the full breadth of human experience in relation to God. As Jesse notes, "There's so much there that is for us, that all of our prayer life should encompass all of what it means to be human."

What makes the Psalms particularly powerful is how they give us permission—and even commands—to bring our raw emotions before God. From crying out in apparent abandonment to expressing righteous anger about injustice, the Psalms demonstrate that God welcomes honest communication. Tony points out that "the fact that the psalm feels alien to us" is precisely why they're so important—they reshape our understanding of what prayer can and should be.

The Transformative Effect of Praying Uncomfortable Psalms

One of the most challenging aspects of the Psalms that the hosts discuss is how they teach us to pray about God's judgment. Modern evangelical sensibilities often shy away from praying for justice against the wicked, yet the hosts argue this is a biblical pattern that provides genuine comfort to the suffering.

As Tony explains, "One of the things about judgment that I think a lot of modern Christians miss is the judgment of the wicked is a source of comfort for the righteous. And that's a constant refrain in the psalms." This perspective doesn't replace evangelism or love for enemies, but acknowledges the reality that God's justice is part of His character and worthy of our prayer.

When we pray these uncomfortable passages, we're training ourselves to see reality as God sees it—finding hope in His ultimate setting things right. These prayers are especially meaningful for believers facing persecution, providing assurance that God's justice will prevail even when human justice fails.

Memorable Quotes

The Psalms force us into that position because I wouldn't normally put myself there, but they give you the proper idea and way to think about praying when we might be content with prayers that aren't particularly deep. - Jesse Schwamb

God's hymn book is something that is given to us. It's profitable for us, it's useful for our teaching and our correction. And it's useful for our correction in terms of the way that we think about prayer and the way we actually pray. - Tony Arsenal

Who understands the power of your anger and your fury according to the fear that is due you? This is like the most honest thing to pray, which is 'God, I've read your scriptures... and even then I don't understand you as I ought to.' - Jesse Schwamb

In this episode of the Reformed Brotherhood Podcast, Jesse and Tony dive deep into John 17 and explore the profound unity and prayer within the church. They discuss how prayer reflects the unity of the Godhead, the importance of understanding our identity as the unified body of Christ, and the power of praying in alignment with God's promises. With insightful reflection and practical application, they emphasize the significance of real Christian community and the transformative nature of prayer. Join them on this journey of understanding and embracing the unity that Christ prayed for His people.

In this episode of The Reformed Brotherhood, Tony and Jesse dive deep into John 17, often called Jesus' "High Priestly Prayer." Building on their summer-long study of the Lord's Prayer, they examine how Jesus' own prayer life embodies profound theological truths while serving as a model for believers. The hosts unpack the trinitarian aspects of prayer, Christ's requests for glory, and the assurance believers have in Jesus' intercession. Throughout their discussion, they highlight how theology isn't merely academic but deeply practical, noting how Christ's prayer for His followers' security provides immense comfort for Christians who struggle with doubts about their salvation. The conversation ultimately reveals how prayer, properly understood, is grounded in who God is and what He has done.

Key Takeaways

• Jesus prays for His own glory, but only to bring greater glory to the Father - His request isn't self-seeking but is rooted in the proper trinitarian relationship and His completed work.
• Christ's prayer demonstrates that good prayer is theologically rich - Jesus' prayer in John 17 contains nearly every major doctrine of systematic theology.
• Jesus' prayer follows the same pattern He taught His disciples - The High Priestly Prayer contains many of the same elements and even specific phrases found in the Lord's Prayer.
• The security of believers rests in Christ's intercession, not their own faith - Jesus specifically prays for the Father to keep His followers in His name.
• True Christian prayer is personal communion with the persons of the Trinity - We don't pray to an abstract divine nature but to the persons of the Godhead.
• Acts of kindness to neighbors are expressions of gospel living - Even simple acts of community service and neighborliness reflect Christ's love when done with the right intent.
• The fact that this prayer was spoken audibly and recorded is itself a gift - God ensured this intimate conversation was preserved for our instruction and comfort.

Deep Dive: Prayer as Trinitarian Communion

Christ's prayer in John 17 reveals that proper Christian prayer is deeply trinitarian. As Tony explains, "Prayer shouldn't exclude any person of the Trinity, certainly not implicitly, but it doesn't need to exclude any person of the Trinity explicitly." While we typically pray to the Father through the Son in the power of the Spirit, we must remember that we are addressing the entire Godhead.

The High Priestly Prayer demonstrates this reality as Jesus prays to the Father while affirming both His own divine nature and the Father's. This reminds us that we don't commune with an abstract divine nature, but with persons. As Tony references John Owen's work on communion with God, we have "personal fellowship with the Father, the Son, and the Spirit." This personal communion is modeled perfectly in Christ's prayer - one person of the Trinity coming to another in intimate dialogue.

Deep Dive: The Security of Believers in Christ's Prayer

One of the most comforting aspects of Christ's High Priestly Prayer is His petition for the Father to keep all those who belong to Him. Jesse notes, "Praise God that our future does not rest upon the strength of our faith, but in the object, and keeping is God's work. It's ours to abide, His to keep."

This truth has immense practical significance. When believers feel beaten down or attacked by the enemy, they can rest in the knowledge that Jesus has specifically prayed for their preservation. And since Jesus always prays according to the Father's will, and the Father loves to give the Son what He asks for, we can have complete confidence that this prayer will be answered. As Tony explains, Christ's ongoing intercession means "every prayer is the high priestly prayer of Christ... Christ is praying on our behalf, in our stead." This reality provides the theological foundation for the Reformed doctrine of the perseverance of the saints.

Memorable Quotes

What an amazing way to just show the love of Christ in a hot dog. Because when we're making that hot dog, it's coming with the love of Christ... It's coming with the love of Christ. - Jesse Schwamb

Christ's divine glory is obscured in that he is not displaying it... So he's petitioning the Father, basically, to restore Him to that manifestation of His glory... Then he's petitioning the Father to glorify Him with the glory that He's going to obtain, the glory He will merit on the cross. And then he petitions the Father to glorify his people with that same glory. - Tony Arsenal

I think sometimes Christians have this weird tendency to view certain acts of kindness as spiritual enough... but at their basic instinct, they're both acts of kindness that we do out of our Christian conviction. - Tony Arsenal

In this episode of the Reformed Brotherhood, Tony and Jesse explore the prayer in Habakkuk 3, examining how it offers a powerful model for believers facing difficult circumstances. They discuss how Habakkuk's prayer demonstrates trusting God even when facing catastrophe, highlighting the prophet's journey from complaint to confidence. The hosts draw connections between Habakkuk's prayer and the Lord's Prayer, showing how biblical prayers follow similar patterns while allowing for contextual emphasis. Most importantly, they unpack how Habakkuk arrives at radical trust—declaring he will rejoice in God even if everything is taken away—and how this exemplifies mature Christian prayer that trusts God's goodness regardless of circumstances.

Key Takeaways

• Biblical prayers, like Habakkuk 3, share structural similarities with the Lord's Prayer while adapting to specific contexts and needs.
• Habakkuk grounds his prayer in God's historical actions, reminding himself of God's faithfulness in the past to build confidence for the present crisis.
• Not every prayer needs to include all elements of the Lord's Prayer; contextual emphasis on specific petitions is appropriate.
• The climax of Habakkuk's prayer demonstrates radical trust: "Though the fig tree should not blossom...yet I will rejoice in the Lord."
• True "daily bread" prayer acknowledges God's sovereignty even if He chooses not to provide material needs.
• Prayer serves as a means of reorienting our minds to God's perspective rather than merely requesting what we want.
• God's judgment is always righteous, and like Eli in 1 Samuel, we should respond with "He is the Lord, let Him do what is right."

Deep Dive: Radical Trust in God's Provision

Habakkuk's prayer culminates in what Tony describes as "the most distilled, purified version" of what it means to pray "give us this day our daily bread." In verses 17-19, the prophet declares that even if all crops fail, livestock die, and every provision disappears, "yet I will rejoice in the Lord." This represents a profound level of trust that goes beyond merely asking God to meet needs while secretly doubting if He doesn't deliver.

This type of prayer acknowledges that God's sovereignty extends beyond our temporal circumstances. When we pray for our daily bread, we're not just asking for God to meet our perceived needs, but declaring our trust that whatever He provides (or doesn't provide) is ultimately for our good and His glory. As the hosts discuss, this reflects the Heidelberg Catechism's teaching that "all things must be subservient to my salvation." Habakkuk understood that God might allow temporal suffering for ultimate spiritual good.

For believers today, this models how to pray during personal or global calamities. Rather than simply asking God to remove difficult circumstances, we can follow Habakkuk's example of declaring trust in God's character and purposes regardless of outcomes. This is not stoicism or fatalism, but confident faith in a sovereign God who works all things for the good of those who love Him.

Deep Dive: Grounding Prayer in God's Past Acts

Tony highlights how Habakkuk grounds his confidence in God by recalling divine acts in Israel's history. The prophet's reference to God coming "from Teman" and "Mount Paran" in verse 3 recalls the conquest narrative when God swept through the land to establish His people. This historical remembrance serves as an anchor for Habakkuk's faith in the present crisis.

This pattern appears throughout Scripture, particularly in the Psalms, where prayers often recall God's victory over Egypt, defeat of Canaanites, or establishment of the temple. While we should praise God for who He is, Scripture encourages us to also ground our prayers in what God has done—both in biblical history and in our personal experience.

For Christians today, this means our prayers can and should recall not only biblical history but also Christ's work on the cross, resurrection, and God's specific interventions in our own lives. When facing uncertainty, remembering God's faithfulness in the past provides confidence for the present crisis. As Jesse notes, this practice helps "transform our minds to catch up in our thoughts and in our hearts" to align with God's perspective rather than our limited viewpoint.

Memorable Quotes

"Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food... yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will take joy in the God of my salvation." - Habakkuk 3:17-18

"This is Lord, I trust you to meet my needs. Even if meeting my needs means there's no food...Even if it means my enemies overcome me, even if there's no food, even if it means that my animals have died, my land has been taken—yet I will rejoice in the Lord." - Tony Arsenal

"All things must be subservient to the salvation of God's people... That is an amazing level of trust that needs to be present in our prayers." - Tony Arsenal

In this illuminating episode of The Reformed Brotherhood, hosts Jesse Schwamb and Tony Arsenal delve into the often-debated doxology of the Lord's Prayer: "For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen." While addressing the textual questions surrounding its inclusion in Scripture, they focus primarily on its profound theological significance. The hosts explore how this concluding phrase transforms our understanding of prayer from mere petition to confident declaration, grounding our requests in God's sovereign authority. Through careful analysis of each component—the kingdom, power, and glory—they reveal how the doxology serves as both the climactic crescendo of the Lord's Prayer and a theological foundation that empowers all our prayers with certainty in God's character and promises.

Key Takeaways

• Textual Considerations: While absent from the oldest manuscripts, the doxology has ancient origins in the early church and theological consistency with Scripture, making it worthy of serious consideration regardless of its contested status.
• The Bookend Effect: The doxology creates a beautiful theological symmetry with the opening of the Lord's Prayer, beginning with acknowledging God as Father in heaven and ending with affirming His eternal kingdom, power, and glory.
• Definitive Articles: The use of "the" before kingdom, power, and glory emphasizes God's comprehensive and exclusive possession of these attributes—not just some power but THE power.
• The Transformation of Prayer: The doxology shifts prayer from uncertain petition to confident declaration, anchoring our requests in the certainty of who God is and His ability to answer.
• The Power of God: Acknowledging God's omnipotence reminds us that our prayers are addressed to the One who has absolute authority to accomplish His will and answer our petitions.
• From Spoken to Declared: The doxology transitions us from asking God to act to affirming who He is, effectively dragging the answer into the present through confident declaration.
• Community Affirmation: The concluding "Amen" functions as a communal stamp of agreement, making the doxology particularly powerful when recited together in worship.

The Kingdom, Power, and Glory: God's Exclusive Domain

The doxology's use of definite articles ("the kingdom," "the power," "the glory") is theologically significant. As Tony Arsenal points out, God doesn't merely possess some kingdom among many, or a portion of power—He possesses THE kingdom, THE power, and THE glory. All other authorities, capabilities, and excellencies in creation are merely derivative, pale reflections of God's ultimate sovereignty. This understanding shapes our prayer life profoundly, as we recognize that every authority figure, from kings to parents, exercises only delegated power under God's ultimate authority. When we pray, we're approaching the source of all authority and power, not merely one power among many. This recognition produces both humility (as we acknowledge our dependence) and confidence (as we trust in God's supreme ability to answer our prayers according to His perfect will).

The Prayer's Crescendo: From Petition to Declaration

Rather than seeing the doxology as a gentle conclusion that winds down the Lord's Prayer, both hosts emphasize its function as a powerful crescendo. Throughout the prayer, we petition God to act—to give us bread, forgive our debts, lead us not into temptation. But the doxology shifts dramatically from asking to declaring. As Jesse Schwamb notes, this is where we effectively "drag the answer into the present" by confidently affirming God's eternal character and capabilities. This shift transforms our entire approach to prayer—we're not tentatively asking a reluctant deity to consider our requests, but confidently entrusting our needs to the One who possesses all authority and power to answer. The doxology isn't merely an add-on; it's the theological foundation that empowers all the petitions that came before it.

Memorable Quotes

"When you get to the end of this prayer, there's no ambiguity about the fact that the One who has the power is the one you just spoke to and He will bring it to pass." — Jesse Schwamb

"All of our theology sprang forward in a context where this was considered to be the Scripture, so we can't just ignore it. We can't just chop it out of our Bibles and pretend like it doesn't exist... because this prayer is so central to the life of the church." — Tony Arsenal

"This grounds all of our prayers and our entire ability to pray and to trust God that He not only can but will answer our prayers, that He wants to answer the prayers of His people." — Tony Arsenal