White Horse Inn

Is the church guided more by worldly wisdom than the text of Scripture? On this edition of White Horse Inn, the hosts begin a new series on the slogans of the Protestant Reformation and discuss how recovering these ideas are crucial for the health of today’s church. The first program in this series features a discussion of the Reformation slogan: “Scripture alone”(originally aired 09-26-93).

Throughout our current series on the Gospel of John, we’ve encountered numerous parallels to the story of the Israelite exodus from Egypt. For example, Jesus is presented throughout this Gospel as the ultimate sacrificial lamb, the true and final tabernacle, and the source of living water. Additional parallels to the exodus are explored in this episode as the hosts arrive at John chapter 6, in which Jesus miraculously feeds multitudes in the wilderness and proclaims himself to be the true manna that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.

The doctrine of justification is the main subject of Paul’s letter to the Galatians. And as he argues, it’s not merely one doctrine among many, but rather a crucial component of the Christian gospel. In fact, Martin Luther argued that justification by faith alone was actually “the doctrine upon which the church stands or falls.” But how does this doctrine fare in our own day among contemporary Christians? Tune in to find out (originally aired 07-18-93).

How should we read and interpret the stories of the Old Testament? Many Christians today would answer this question by saying that a person like David is basically presented to us as a moral example. We need to have faith and courage like his if we are to slay the Goliaths in our own lives. But in John 5:39, Jesus reveals that this way of reading the Bible is completely off track. “You search the Scriptures,” he says, “because you think that in them you have eternal life; but it is they that bear witness about me.” On this program, Shane Rosenthal discusses the significance of Jesus’ claim with Dennis Johnson, author of Him We Proclaim, and Walking With Jesus Through His Word.

Is today's church confused about the Gospel of Christ? Is it possible that Christian in our day are so preoccupied with living the Christian life that they have lost sight of the redemptive core of the faith? How important is the doctrine of justification by grace alone through faith alone? The hosts will discuss these questions and more on this classic edition of the White Horse Inn (originally aired 07-04-93).

In John chapter 5, Jesus graciously heals a man who had been lame for 38 years, and this man’s lameness is presented as a symbol of our spiritual inability. Just as we’re spiritually blind towards God and can’t even see his kingdom unless we’re first granted new life, so too, all of us by nature are unable to walk in his paths or climb our way up to heaven. As the authorities interrogate Jesus in this chapter for healing this disabled man, Jesus turns the tables on his accusers by revealing himself to be their ultimate Judge. Not only is he able to raise up the lame and to make them walk, but he’s also the one who will “raise up the dead and give them life.”

Previous generations wore suits to baseball games. Now many Americans show up at church in blue jeans and T-shirts. How has this cultural shift toward informality affected Christian worship over the past half-century? Join the White Horse Inn hosts as they evaluate the effects of "radical informality" on contemporary Christian thought and practice (originally aired 11-27-05).

WHI-1466 • Most scholars today assume that the Gospel of John was written toward the end of the first century, but is this conclusion really consistent with the internal and external evidence? Also, how reliable is our present copy of John? Have various passaged been added or deleted over time? Joining the program to discuss these issues and more is Daniel Wallace, the executive director of the Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts and author of Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics.

Americans are addicted to pop-culture. But what exactly is popular culture, and how has it affected the way American Christians think about and practice their faith? Joining the White Horse Inn panel for this discussion is Ken Myers, author of All God's Children & Blue Suede Shoes (originally aired 09-20-09).

WHI-1465 • The Samaritan woman came to Jacob’s well in search for ordinary water. But after her brief conversation with Jesus, she ended up leaving her water jar behind as she went to tell others about the extraordinary man she just met who told her everything she did and who spoke to her about living water. “Can this be the Christ?” she asked them. On this program the hosts will discuss the implications of this passage as they wrap up their discussion of chapter four in their continuing series on The Gospel of John.