Reformed Forum

Today’s panel recently attended the 2014 Desiring God Pastors’ Conference titled, “The Pastor, the Vine, and the Branches: The Remarkable Reality of Union with Christ,” as representatives for Reformed Forum and Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, PA. The group speaks about the opportunity to spread the ministry of Reformed Forum beyond the bounds of Presbyterianism and the relationship of confessional Reformed theology to the broader, more loosely Reformed community. This episode also features an interview with David Mathis and Jonathan Parnell of Desiring God Ministries about their recent book, How to Stay Christian in Seminary. David Mathis is executive editor at desiringGod.org and an elder at Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, MN. He has edited several books and is co-author of How to Stay Christian in Seminary. Jonathan Parnell is a writer and content strategist for Desiring God Minstries and co-author of How to Stay Christian in Seminary. The book was inspired by a series of blog posts at desiringGod.org. B.B. Warfield’s The Religious Life of Theological Students

Participants: Camden Bucey, David Mathis, Jared Oliphint, Jonathan Brack, Jonathan Parnell

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Christ the Center 1000 Summit

For the third episode of Vos Group, Dr. Lane Tipton joins Camden Bucey to discuss the final portion of the first chapter of Geerhardus Vos’s Biblical Theology (pp. 11-18, “Guiding Principles” through the end of ch. 1). Vos’s view of biblical authority governs his method of studying Scripture and particularly the use he makes of knowledge of the biblical authors’ historical contexts. Today’s discussion also covers the relationship between biblical and systematic 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

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

Dr. Richard B. Gaffin Jr. joins us to speak about his book By Faith, Not by Sight: Paul and the Order of Salvation, now in its second edition and published by P&R Publishing. This study in Paul’s theology begins with the recognition that what is of first importance for Paul is the history of salvation, Christ crucified and raised. But the history of redemption does not exclude the application of redemption to believers. Rather, the application of redemption is grounded in its once-for-all accomplishment. Listen in to hear an exciting discussion about an illuminating book. Dr. Gaffin is Professor of Biblical and Systematic Theology, Emeritus at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. He is also the author of numerous articles and books, including Resurrection and Redemption, Calvin and the Sabbath, Perspectives on Pentecost, By Faith, Not By Sight and he has edited a collection of the shorter writings of Geerhardus Vos, Redemptive History and Biblical Interpretation. In May of 2008 Dr. Gaffin entered into honored retirement and was the recipient of a festschrift entitled Resurrection and Eschatology co-edited by Lane G. Tipton and Jeffrey C. Waddington. Christ the Center has featured Dr. Gaffin on several episodes. Dr. Gaffin’s book was given to the attendees at the 2014 Desiring God Conference for Pastors. The topic of the conference was union with Christ. To introduce the attendees of that conference to Reformed Forum, we compiled many of episodes and links to resources on the doctrine. Please visit our union with Christ page. Lectures by Dr. Gaffin on union with Christ at Calvary OPC, Ringoes, NJ. Lectures at Matthews OPC. iTunes U: By Faith, Not by Sight. Also available is a PDF version of “The Puritans on Justification, Union with Christ, and Regeneration” in A Puritan Theology, edited by Joel Beeke and Mark Jones.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jared Oliphint, Jeff Waddington, Richard B. Gaffin Jr.

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

Dr. Michael J. Kruger speaks with Christ the Center about his recent book, The Question of Canon: Challenging the Status Quo in the New Testament Debate. The book deals not with why we have the books we do in the canon but with the question of the very definition of “canon” and the origin of the idea. Contemporary biblical scholars insist that the idea of canon was a late development in the construction of the New Testament, which imbued with authority texts whose authors did not think of them as authoritative. Dr. Kruger insists that the concept of a set of authoritative books for the New Covenant era of redemptive-history existed from a very early date in the ancient church. Dr. Michael Kruger is President and Professor of New Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte, NC. He received his B.S. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, his M.Div. from Westminster Theological Seminary in California, and his Ph.D. from New College, The University of Edinburgh, Scotland. He is the author of three books on the issue of canon, Canon Revisited: Establishing the Origins and Authority of the New Testament Books (Crossway, 2012), The Early Text of the New Testament (Oxford, 2012; edited with Charles Hill), and now, The Question of Canon.  In addition to his faculty duties, he currently serves part-time as the Pastor of Discipleship Training at Uptown Christ Covenant Church in downtown Charlotte. Dr. Kruger has spoken on Christ the Center episodes 217 and 283, and his wife, Melissa Kruger, has spoken on episodes 276, 297, and 301.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jared Oliphint, Michael Kruger, Nick Batzig

On the sixth anniversary of Christ the Center, we respond to listener feedback with the original contributors. Jeff Waddington, Jim Cassidy, and Camden Bucey speak about a variety of subjects, including the corporate and individual aspects of life in Israel, the republication of the Covenant of Works in the Mosaic economy, and suggested single-volume systematic theologies.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jeff Waddington, Jim Cassidy

David Owen Filson speaks about Dr. J. Oliver Buswell, theologian and former president of Wheaton College and Covenant College and Seminary. A fundamentalist involved with J. Gresham Machen in the founding of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, Buswell joined the Bible Presbyterian Church when it split with the fledgling OPC over premilennialism and teetotalism. He continued to be an interlocutor with members of the OPC and faculty at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, eventually locking heads with Cornelius Van Til over apologetic and theological method. David has recently researched the correspondence between the two men in the archives of Covenant and Westminster (PA) seminaries.

Participants: Camden Bucey, David Filson, Jeff Waddington

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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