White Horse Inn

Scholars frequently claim that John is the latest and most idealized of all the Gospels. Its picture of Jesus, they say, represents the beliefs of late first century Christians, rather than actual historical events. But is this view consistent with the evidence? What if it could be demonstrated that the author of this text was actually a careful and reliable eyewitness? On this program, we’ll discuss these issues and more with Richard Bauckham, author of the new updated edition of Jesus and the Eyewitnesses and The Testimony of the Beloved Disciple.

If you pay close attention to the details of the fourth Gospel, you’ll notice that words such as testimony, witness, judgment, and truth appear quite frequently throughout this text. And this has led various scholars to conclude that the basic underlying structure of this Gospel is actually that of trial narrative. Though Jesus was rejected by his own people and sentenced to death, the goal of John’s Gospel is to set the record straight by presenting a number of witnesses who give us insight into Jesus’ true identity and mission. Join us for this edition of White Horse Inn as we kick off our brand new year-long series on the Gospel of John.

On this program the hosts will begin a new series that seeks to explore the Bible’s most amazing prophecy from Isaiah 52 and 53. In this text, written over half a millennia before the time of Christ, Israel’s messiah is not described as a life-coach, or social transformer, but as a sacrificial lamb whose role it is to bear our sins and to credit us with his righteousness. In this new four-part series, the hosts will take a deep-dive into this remarkable prophecy, and point to its fulfillment in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

At the heart of the Protestant view of justification by faith alone is the doctrine of an imputed righteousness. But does the Bible actually teach that we are declared righteous on the basis of Christ’s work on our behalf? Also, some argue that this view of justification essentially amounts to “legal fiction,” but is this really the case? These are some of the questions the hosts will address on this edition ofWhite Horse Inn as they conclude their series on the doctrine of justification.

Sometimes Christians will say things like, “I’m not interested in all those heavy doctrines that Paul talks about. I’m only interested in the simple teachings of Jesus.” But did Paul reshape the Christian message, or was he actually a faithful apostle? To put the question more sharply, did Paul invent the doctrine of justification by grace alone through faith alone on account of Christ alone, or was this something that Jesus himself clearly taught in a variety of ways throughout his earthly ministry? That’s the focus of this edition of White Horse Inn.

On this program, the hosts will take a look at the background to the doctrine of justification, seeing it not as some kind of revolutionary new idea invented by Christians, but rather as the fulfillment of something that had been hinted at and promised throughout the Old Testament Scriptures, and also discussed in a variety of Jewish sources in the intertestamental period. From before the time of Christ, we find a confident hope and expectation that the Lord himself will be “our righteousness” (Jer. 23:6).

If the most important question we can ask is, “How can I become the person I want to be?”, the best answer might relate to a new diet plan or learning new techniques to relieve stress. But what if the most important question really is, “How can sinners like me be justified in the sight of an infinitely holy God?” On this program, the hosts will attempt to answer this question as they begin a new series that takes a deep-dive into the doctrine of justification.

Why are mystical versions of Christianity so popular in our day among academic types or popular writers and celebrities such as Rob Bell or Oprah Winfrey? What is the history of this speculative view of God, and what are the implications of this approach on the way we think about heaven, hell and ultimate redemption? Michael Horton discusses these questions with St. Louis University professor Michael McClymond, author of The Devil’s Redemption, A New History and Interpretation of Christian Universalism.

Let’s face it, we all long for justice. But this longing of ours, if we’re honest, is typically focused on the really big sins of other people. It’s the evil we witness on the nightly news, not the evil lurking in the dark recesses of our own fallen hearts that we’re really concerned about. Sure, military leaders need to be tried for their war crimes, but if God is truly just, then he needs to hold all of us accountable for lying, greed, covetousness, sexual impurity and pride. This is why, in addition to justice, we desperately need God’s mercy and grace.

One of the early slogans that appeared on signs and banners during the founding of our country was the phrase: “We serve no sovereigns here.” Getting rid of tyrannical kings was a good thing, politically speaking, but what happens when this idea morphs into the rejection of all forms of sovereignty? What happens when even in Christian circles, God is no longer thought of as the high king of heaven, but as a kind of cosmic bellhop who exists to do our bidding, or to cheer us up when times get tough? That’s the focus of this edition of White Horse Inn.