Reformed Forum

And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.”’ But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests. “But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Jesus used this parable to condemn the Jewish religious leaders. They had rejected the teaching of the prophets, they rejected the teaching the teaching of Jesus and they refused to listen to God. What does this parable have to do with Revelation 19? Why is there an Angel standing in the Sun and what is on the menu of the marriage supper of the Lamb? We will discuss these and other questions today on Theology Simply Profound.

Theology Simply Profound is a podcast of Westminster Presbyterian Church, an Orthodox Presbyterian Church, serving the western suburbs of Chicago, where God powerfully speaks through his means of grace. Also, check out the work of the OPC in Chicagoland at Chicago Reformed.

Music credit: pamelayork.com. Thank you, Pamela York, for the use of your beautiful jazzy rendition of “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.” We encourage our listeners to check out her website and consider purchasing some of her music.

Participants: Rob McKenzie, Robert Tarullo

Today we speak about John Murray’s “The Attestation of Scripture,” a chapter in The Infallible Word. Scripture attests to its own character and authority. Being God’s Word and our ultimate authority, it could be no other way. Murray writes,

The doctrine of Scripture must be based upon the witness of Scripture just as any other doctrine in the whole realm of Christian confession.

The objective witness is that Scripture is authoritative by reason of the character it possesses as the infallible Word of God and this divine quality belongs to Scripture because it is the product of God’s creative breath through the mode of plenary inspiration by the Holy Spirit.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Glen Clary, Jim Cassidy

Today we speak about John Murray's "The Attestation of Scripture," a chapter in The Infallible Word. Murray writes,

The objective witness is that Scripture is authoritative by reason of the character it possesses as the infallible Word of God and this divine quality belongs to Scripture because it is the product of God's creative breath through the mode of plenary inspiration by the Holy Spirit.

Chapter 17 talked about this Great City that sits upon the many waters. The City we are told is the kingdom of Satan and the many waters we are told are the multitudes of people throughout the earth that worship the beast and the false prophet. This city is said to rule over the kings of the earth which is one way to know that this is not talking about one specific city. This city is called Babylon the Great. The rulers of this world that worship the Beast give over their allegiance to this city so that they will do all the bidding of the Beast. This city is mighty and fills the Earth ruling over the people of the Earth. But this is all of God, just as in Romans 1 God gives wicked people over to their sin so that they might fulfill its desires, and in the end reap the rewards of their wickedness. So to do these people love the city and give themselves over to its sinful purposes. Just as Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery what they meant for evil God meant for good. The rulers of the nations of the Earth give themselves and their nations to the city, yet; they hate the city, they hate the beast. Why? Because sin is self-destructive the more we serve sin the more empty we become. If we give ourselves over to sin fully there is nothing that can satisfy so that all that is left is bitterness.

Theology Simply Profound is a podcast of Westminster Presbyterian Church, an Orthodox Presbyterian Church, serving the western suburbs of Chicago, where God powerfully speaks through his means of grace. Also, check out the work of the OPC in Chicagoland at Chicago Reformed.

Music credit: pamelayork.com. Thank you, Pamela York, for the use of your beautiful jazzy rendition of “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.” We encourage our listeners to check out her website and consider purchasing some of her music.

Participants: Rob McKenzie, Robert Tarullo

Mentioned in this episode:

Christ the Center 1000

Christ the Center 1000

In his book Created & Creating (IVP Academic), William Edgar offers a rich biblical theology contending that Christians must engage in culture. Dr. Edgar is Professor of Apologetics at Westminster Theological Seminary. He joins us to speak about this wonderful book.

Its thesis is simple: the cultural mandate, declared at the dawn of human history, and reiterated through the different episodes of redemptive history, culminating in Jesus’ Great Commission, is the central calling for humanity.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jeff Waddington, William Edgar

Mentioned in this episode:

Christ the Center 1000 Live in Austin, TX

Christ the Center 1000 Summit

Christ the Center 1000

Christ the Center 1000 Summit

In his book Created & Creating, William Edgar offers a rich biblical theology in light of our contemporary culture that contends that Christians must engaged in culture. Dr. Edgar is Professor of Apologetics at Westminster Theological Seminary. He joins us to speak about this wonderful book.

Its thesis is simple: the cultural mandate, declared at the dawn of human history, and reiterated through the different episodes of redemptive history, culminating in Jesus' Great Commission, is the central calling for humanity.

With the conspicuous absence of Rob, from the Rob and Bob famed duo, Bob was relegated to offering up an old sermon for this episode of Theology Simply Profound. The sermon is on Matthew 17:1-8, entitled Immanuel and the Transfiguration.

Theology Simply Profound is a podcast of Westminster Presbyterian Church, an Orthodox Presbyterian Church, serving the western suburbs of Chicago, where God powerfully speaks through his means of grace. Also, check out the work of the OPC in Chicagoland at Chicago Reformed.

Music credit: pamelayork.com. Thank you, Pamela York, for the use of your beautiful jazzy rendition of “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.” We encourage our listeners to check out her website and consider purchasing some of her music.

Participants: Rob McKenzie, Robert Tarullo

Mentioned in this episode:

Christ the Center 1000

Christ the Center 1000

We continue our #VosGroup series by opening pages 148–150 of Vos’ book Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments to consider types and symbols. The tabernacle is a premier symbol and type in the Old Testament. It demonstrates God’s dwelling with his people. Lane Tipton and Camden Bucey turn to Vos’s discussion and consider the redemptive-historical significance of the tabernacle.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Lane G. Tipton

Mentioned in this episode:

Christ the Center 1000 Live in Austin, TX

Christ the Center 1000 Summit

Christ the Center 1000

Christ the Center 1000 Summit

The tabernacle is a premier symbol and type in the Old Testament. It demonstrates God's dwelling with his people. Lane Tipton and Camden Bucey turn to Vos's discussion and consider the redemptive-historical significance of the tabernacle. Read along on pp. 148–150.

I am sure that everyone listening to this podcast has seen the bumper sticker that say “coexist”. Each letter symbolizes a great religion of the world. For many who proudly display this plea there is a reasoning that if they can with their roving auto-witness persuade people from one particular faith to embrace the equal status of all the other religions then peace will ensue upon the Earth. For some this plea is made because they abhor killing and strife that they see in the world and they think that by people accepting each other’s belief as just as valid as their own they will ensure peace. But there is an underlying worldview behind this message—there is no absolute truth. To call for every religion to be placed upon the same level of truth is to either claim ignorance or to declare that all truth is relative to the individual who believes it. Is it possible to coexist in this way? Will all persecution stop if Christians just stop claiming to have the true religion? Should governments hold all religions as the same or should they remain neutral? We will discuss these and other questions today on Theology Simply Profound.

Theology Simply Profound is a podcast of Westminster Presbyterian Church, an Orthodox Presbyterian Church, serving the western suburbs of Chicago, where God powerfully speaks through his means of grace. Also, check out the work of the OPC in Chicagoland at Chicago Reformed.

Music credit: pamelayork.com. Thank you, Pamela York, for the use of your beautiful jazzy rendition of “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.” We encourage our listeners to check out her website and consider purchasing some of her music.

Participants: Rob McKenzie, Robert Tarullo