Reformed Forum

Lane Tipton delivers his first address at the 2016 Reformed Forum Theology Conference held at Hope Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Grayslake, Illinois on October 8, 2016.

The panel discusses the image of God live from the 2016 Reformed Forum Theology Conference. The event was held at Hope Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Grayslake, Illinois beginning on October 7, 2016. In this conversation, we address historical views of the image of God, the historicity of Adam, woman's relationship to man, and the implications of the image of God doctrine for racial equality.

In this episode we discuss God’s promise to Abram—particularly his pledge to grant him a seed, a land, and to give Abram his own divine presence.

Participants: Adam York, Mark A. Winder, Mark Jenkins, Robert Arendale

Several traditions within the Christian church have understood the second commandment differently. Some have understood it is a prohibition against statues. Others understand the commandment to prohibit images of God in worship. Still others argue it is a prohibition against all images as representations of God. We discuss the duties required and reasons annexed to the second commandment as well as the liturgical theology inherent to the issue.

1. The light of nature showeth that there is a God, who hath lordship and sovereignty over all, is good, and doth good unto all, and is therefore to be feared, loved, praised, called upon, trusted in, and served, with all the heart, and with all the soul, and with all the might. But the acceptable way of worshiping the true God is instituted by himself, and so limited by his own revealed will, that he may not be worshiped according to the imaginations and devices of men, or the suggestions of Satan, under any visible representation, or any other way not prescribed in the Holy Scripture.

Q. 107. Which is the second commandment?

Q. 108. What are the duties required in the second commandment?

Q. 109. What sins are forbidden in the second commandment?

Q. 110. What are the reasons annexed to the second commandment, the more to enforce it?

Q. 49. Which is the second commandment?

Q. 50. What is required in the second commandment?

Q. 51. What is forbidden in the second commandment?

Q. 52. What are the reasons annexed to the second commandment?

A. The reasons annexed to the second commandment are, God’s sovereignty over us, his propriety in us, and the zeal he hath to his own worship.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Glen Clary, Jim Cassidy

Mentioned in this episode:

Christ the Center 1000

Christ the Center 1000 Summit

Christ the Center 1000 Live in Austin, TX

Christ the Center 1000 Summit

In Episode 44 we continue our new series on the Book of Revelation.

Your hosts, Rob and Bob, continue to discuss the Book of Revelation chapter 4.

The opening chapters teach us that Jesus is still very much involved in ruling over His church. Most churches are a mixture of both good and bad, wheat and tares and nothing will go unnoticed by the One who holds them in His hands. Having looked at the seven churches in the first vision John now receives his second vision. What is the throne room of God like? Will this be where we will be when we die and what is up with all these strange creatures?

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.

Participants: Rob McKenzie, Robert Tarullo

Several traditions within the Christian church have understood the second commandment differently. Some have understood it is a prohibition against statues. Others understand the commandment to prohibit images of God in worship. Still others argue it is a prohibition against all images as representations of God. We discuss the duties required and reasons annexed to the second commandment as well as the liturgical theology inherent to the issue.

1. The light of nature showeth that there is a God, who hath lordship and sovereignty over all, is good, and doth good unto all, and is therefore to be feared, loved, praised, called upon, trusted in, and served, with all the heart, and with all the soul, and with all the might. But the acceptable way of worshiping the true God is instituted by himself, and so limited by his own revealed will, that he may not be worshiped according to the imaginations and devices of men, or the suggestions of Satan, under any visible representation, or any other way not prescribed in the Holy Scripture.

Q. 107. Which is the second commandment? A. The second commandment is, Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

Q. 108. What are the duties required in the second commandment? A. The duties required in the second commandment are, the receiving, observing, and keeping pure and entire, all such religious worship and ordinances as God hath instituted in his word; particularly prayer and thanksgiving in the name of Christ; the reading, preaching, and hearing of the word; the administration and receiving of the sacraments; church government and discipline; the ministry and maintenance thereof; religious fasting; swearing by the name of God, and vowing unto him: as also the disapproving, detesting, opposing, all false worship; and, according to each one's place and calling, removing it, and all monuments of idolatry.

Q. 109. What sins are forbidden in the second commandment? A. The sins forbidden in the second commandment are, all devising, counseling, commanding, using, and any wise approving, any religious worship not instituted by God himself; the making any representation of God, of all or of any of the three persons, either inwardly in our mind, or outwardly in any kind of image or likeness of any creature whatsoever; all worshiping of it, or God in it or by it; the making of any representation of feigned deities, and all worship of them, or service belonging to them; all superstitious devices, corrupting the worship of God, adding to it, or taking from it, whether invented and taken up of ourselves, or received by tradition from others, though under the title of antiquity, custom, devotion, good intent, or any other pretense whatsoever; simony; sacrilege; all neglect, contempt, hindering, and opposing the worship and ordinances which God hath appointed.

Q. 110. What are the reasons annexed to the second commandment, the more to enforce it? A. The reasons annexed to the second commandment, the more to enforce it, contained in these words, For I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments; are, besides God's sovereignty over us, and propriety in us, his fervent zeal for his own worship, and his revengeful indignation against all false worship, as being a spiritual whoredom; accounting the breakers of this commandment such as hate him, and threatening to punish them unto divers generations; and esteeming the observers of it such as love him and keep his commandments, and promising mercy to them unto many generations.

Q. 49. Which is the second commandment? A. The second commandment is, Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

Q. 50. What is required in the second commandment? A. The second commandment requireth the receiving, observing, and keeping pure and entire, all such religious worship and ordinances as God hath appointed in his word.

Q. 51. What is forbidden in the second commandment? A. The second commandment forbiddeth the worshiping of God by images, or any other way not appointed in his word.

Q. 52. What are the reasons annexed to the second commandment?

A. The reasons annexed to the second commandment are, God's sovereignty over us, his propriety in us, and the zeal he hath to his own worship.

In Episode 43 we continue our new series on the Book of Revelation.

Your hosts, Rob and Bob, continue to discuss the Book of Revelation by walking through the seven churches of Revelation chapters 2 and 3.

This episode concludes the seven churches with a discussion of the final four churches.

Each Sunday we get out of bed, put the family in the car and take them to Church. Do we think that by doing this we are triumphant overcomers breaking down the gates of Hell? We should. Gathering as the people of God to corporately worship each week is more than being faithful to the commands of Scripture it is more than just routine preparation for the week. In some sense it is the very battleground of our spiritual life. Each week our faith is strengthened as we worship together through prayer, singing, alms giving, and sitting under the preaching and reading of the Word of God. The seven churches in the beginning of the Book of Revelation are not being judged based on their individual efforts throughout the week. They are being judged based upon their cooperate experience of church life. And the reality is so are we.

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.

Participants: Rob McKenzie, Robert Tarullo

Mentioned in this episode:

Christ the Center 1000

Christ the Center 1000

Dan Ragusa speaks about the United Reformed Churches in North America, biblical theology, and the book of Joshua. Dan is a graduate of Mid-America Reformed Seminary and is currently studying at Westminster Theological Seminary. After a brief conversation, we share a lesson from Mr. Ragusa’s Sunday school series on Joshua taught at Oak Glen United Reformed Church of Lansing, Illinois.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Dan Ragusa

Dan Ragusa speaks about the United Reformed Churches in America, biblical theology, and the book of Joshua.

In this episode we discuss how God called Abram to leave behind his homeland and set out to a land that God would show him. We also consider how such a pilgrim motif informs the life of the Christian.

Participants: Adam York, Mark A. Winder, Mark Jenkins, Robert Arendale