The Usefulness of the Cross by Richard B. Gaffin Jr. is an article that has revolutionized the approach to suffering for many Christians across the world. It was first published in 1979 but has now been republished in the volume Word and Spirit which showcases the selected shorter writings of Richard B.Gaffin Jr.

To find out more about the book visit wtspress.com and listen in to the episodes for a special discount on “Word & Spirit” by Richard B. Gaffin Jr.

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This is the story of a theologian. A first rate, world class New Testament scholar and Systematics professor whose body of work stands quietly in the confluence of two great church traditions, Scottish Presbyterianism and Dutch Neo-Calvinism. But unless you’ve gone to seminary or happen to subscribe to peer reviewed academic journals, there’s a good chance you’ve never heard of Richard B. Gaffin, Jr.

To find out more about the book visit wtspress.com and listen in to the episodes for a special discount on “Word & Spirit” by Richard B. Gaffin Jr.

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Few Reformed theologians have exerted the influence in both the church and the academy that Richard B. Gaffin, Jr. has, shaping the theology and spiritual formation of generations of pastors and teachers. Until now, his most significant published works have been inaccessible to most theological readers, published in academic journals, denominational newsletters, and out of print festschrifts and essay collections. A decade in the making, Word & Spirit gathers Gaffin’s finest works of biblical and systematic theology and arranges them in a singular, organic whole that presents Gaffin’s thought and work as comprehensively and clearly as it ever has been. More than 40 essays, articles, and tracts have been compiled, including “The Usefulness of the Cross”, No Adam, No Gospel, “A Cessationist View,” and “The Work of Christ Applied”. This collection is a must-have for any student of theology.

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Shortly before dawn on a cold North Dakota morning, a telegram was sent to John Murray, professor of systematic theology at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia.

“I’m so thankful for the active obedience of Christ,” it read, “no hope without it.”

Not long after composing this telegram, J. Gresham Machen died after a short battle with pneumonia and entered the eternal rest of his savior, who had redeemed his sins and given him peace with God.

Not long before he left for North Dakota, Machen wrote and recorded the message you’re about to listen to. It’s these thoughts—of the incomprehensible act of salvation--which occupied him as he considered the prospect of meeting his Savior face to face.

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In the previous episodes, we heard from J. Gresham Machen about how we can know that God exists, and about our sin that keeps us from having peace with God. In this broadcast, Machen introduces us to the hope for that grim reality, the only person who can redeem us from our sin and give us the peace with God that we need: Jesus Christ.

To find out more about the book visit Wtsbooks.com and listen in to the episodes for a special discount on “Things Unseen” by J. Gresham Machen.

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In the previous episode, we talked about how we can know and have confidence that God exists. But the difference between knowing that God exists, and enjoying a relationship with God is a vast distance. Just believing in God doesn’t explain why he seems so far away.

The answer to that dilemma isn’t a popular one these days. When we talk about sin a lot of modern preconceptions come to mind. Ideas about guilt and shame, judgment and brokenness. But none of these terms really captures what the Bible says about sin, the power that separates us from God.

It’s that biblical definition of sin that J. Gresham Machen sets out to explain in this broadcast, and this isn’t just an exercise in academic theology. Although it can be uncomfortable to dig deeper into the darkness of our hearts, there’s hope. As we learn more about what sin is, we can begin to understand the real meaning of the sacrifice that Jesus made for us on the cross.

To find out more about the book visit Wtsbooks.com and listen in to the episodes for a special discount on “Things Unseen” by J. Gresham Machen.

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Creeds and confessions are the banner of the church militant. They contain statements of doctrine that are to be believed, for knowledge unto godliness; and are to be confessed, for the ministry of the church unto the world. In this way, creeds and confessions are for each member of Christ’s body, and for the body as a whole.

In this podcast I chat with Dr. Peter Lillback about a project that he has been working for close to fifty years. Reformed Standards of Unity is a new volume that carries Christians down ancient paths, so that they might walk in today’s world with a living and confident faith. A church living in accord with these “standards of faith” is essential in the world today.

Westminster Seminary Press has issued a portable, durable, and elegant edition of the ecumenical creeds, the Westminster standards, the three forms of unity, and the second helvetic confession. Order today: www.wtsbooks.com/rsu For the Reformed Standards of Unity database, visit: standards.wts.edu

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How can you know that God is real?

This question has always been difficult, but in 1935, when J. Gresham Machen broadcasted the first of these little talks, the ground had shifted. Cultural Christianity was giving way to new ideas about truth and the universe. Darwinian evolution was becoming entrenched in the public school system, and it had even become fashionable to openly question the existence of God.

In the best of times, it isn’t easy to find a place to start to give answers proving the existence of God, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t answers. It just takes careful, patient explanation. And that’s just the challenge J. Gresham Machen takes up from the beginning of his talks in Things Unseen, giving a clear, succinct and easy to understand case for a God who not only exists, but actually tells us he exists a lot!

To find out more about the book visit Wtspress.com and listen in to the episodes for a special discount on “Things Unseen” by J. Gresham Machen.

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The year is 1935. The Great Depression grinds on in the United States, and dramatic action by the federal government is deepening political divides. Abroad, things aren’t any better. War between communist and fascist factions is about to break out in Spain, and there’s fear o f it spreading to the rest of Europe. In a word, things are looking grim.

Stepping into a broadcast booth in Philadelphia, J. Gresham Machen had all of this in mind. But for more than a decade he had grown accustomed to grim outlooks. Between leaving Princeton Seminary and being defrocked by his denomination, he’d lost everything that gave him significance in the eyes of the world. Along the way, he’d started a new seminary and a new denomination. And none of it had been easy.

For another man, these radio broadcasts might have been a great opportunity to give the world a piece of his mind. But Machen had something else planned. He knew his audience saw the same things he did — a series of impersonal events that seemed to keep the world perpetually teetering on the brink of disaster. And so he did the only thing a Christian can do, he introduced them to things they could not see.

To find out more about the book visit Wtspress.com and listen in to the episodes for a special discount on “Things Unseen” by J. Gresham Machen.

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When theologian J. Gresham Machen died suddenly during a visit to North Dakota on New Year’s Day, 1937, he left unfinished one of the most innovative theological projects of his time.

For the last two years of his life, Machen had begun work on what he hoped would be an accessible four part introduction to Christian theology. Only, he wasn’t just writing. He was broadcasting. Throughout 1935 and 1936, WIP radio in Philadelphia broadcast 50 of Machen’s “little talks,” as he called them, introducing listeners to profound doctrines in a popular and exciting format.    

Machen’s complete radio talks have now been collected into a single volume titled “Things Unseen” with an introduction by Tim Keller, a foreword by Sinclair Ferguson, and more. 

Over the next few weeks, we’re going to share some specially selected chapters from the audiobook of “Things Unseen.” I hope you’ll listen in and enjoy experiencing these talks the way their author intended.

To find out more about the book visit Wtsbooks.com and listen in to the episodes for a special discount on “Things Unseen” by J. Gresham Machen.

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