Podcast appearances and mentions of christian religion

The pandemic caused many to rethink our relationship to work. But how did that relationship develop in the first place? Sean Illing talks with George Blaustein, professor of American Studies, about the legacy and influence of Max Weber, the German theorist whose best-known work is The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (1905) — which, Blaustein says, is often misunderstood. In the summer of 2020, George wrote an essay interpreting Weber's ideas on the psychology of work, the origins of capitalism, and the isolation of modernity — just as it looked like everything might change. Host: Sean Illing (@seanilling), host, The Gray Area Guest: George Blaustein (@blauwsteen), senior lecturer of American Studies and History, University of Amsterdam; editor, European Review of Books References:  "Searching for Consolation in Max Weber's Work Ethic" by George Blaustein (The New Republic; July 2, 2020) The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism by Max Weber (1905; tr. by Talcott Parsons, 1930) The Vocation Lectures, by Max Weber: "Science as a Vocation" (1917) & "Politics as a Vocation" (1919). Published together as Charisma and Disenchantment: The Vocation Lectures (NYRB, 2020; translated by Damion Searls) Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin (1536) Der Amerikamüde by Nikolaus Lenau (1855) The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels (1848) Bullshit Jobs: A Theory by David Graeber (Simon & Schuster; 2018) "Bullshit jobs: why they exist and why you might have one" by Sean Illing (Vox; Nov. 9, 2019) Enjoyed this episode? Rate The Gray Area ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Subscribe for free. Be the first to hear the next episode of The Gray Area. Subscribe in your favorite podcast app. Support The Gray Area by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts This episode was made by:  Producer: Erikk Geannikis Engineer: Patrick Boyd Editorial Director, Vox Talk: A.M. Hall Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Apologetics Live episode 192 The guys answer a wide range of questions, and a surprise Hebrew Israelite joins at the end. Books mentioned: "Keeping the Heart," John Flavel "A Body of Divinity," Thomas Watson "Words to Winners of Souls," Horatius Bonar "Heaven Taken By Storm," Thomas Watson "Because We Love Him" Clyde Cranford "Chosen By God" R.C. Sproul "A Puritan Theology" Joel Beeke "Institutes of the Christian Religion" John Calvin  This podcast is a ministry of Striving for Eternity and all our resources Listen to other podcasts on the Christian Podcast Community Support Striving for Eternity Give us your feedback, email us info@StrivingForEternity.com Write us a review and tell us how we are doing. Fill out our suvery about this show. Sponsors: Logos Bible Software MyPillow or call (800) 873-0176 and use promo SFE

Apologetics Live episode 192 The guys answer a wide range of questions, and a surprise Hebrew Israelite joins at the end. Books mentioned: "Keeping the Heart," John Flavel "A Body of Divinity," Thomas Watson "Words to Winners of Souls," Horatius Bonar "Heaven Taken By Storm," Thomas Watson "Because We Love Him" Clyde Cranford "Chosen By God" R.C. Sproul "A Puritan Theology" Joel Beeke "Institutes of the Christian Religion" John Calvin  This podcast is a ministry of Striving for Eternity and all our resources Listen to other podcasts on the Christian Podcast Community Support Striving for Eternity Give us your feedback, email us info@StrivingForEternity.com Write us a review and tell us how we are doing. Fill out our suvery about this show. Sponsors: Logos Bible Software MyPillow or call (800) 873-0176 and use promo SFE

Transcript:Hello. This is Pastor Don Willeman of Redeemer Church. Welcome to The Kingdom Perspective. If a stranger were to approach you on the street and ask you to describe yourself, what would you say? What is the most important thing about you? What is your most defining characteristic? Well, the late author and pastor A.W. Tozer (1897-1963) suggested that the most important thing about a person is what they think about God. I think he is right. Your view, your conception, your idea about your Creator is more critical to who you are than anything else. In other words, how you answer the questions: “What do you think about God? Who do you think God is? And what do you think God is like?” says more about you than anything else. It reveals more of your soul, who you really are, than any other factor. In similar fashion, it was the great theologian John Calvin who suggested in the opening lines of his most famous work (The Institutes of the Christian Religion) that truly knowing ourselves and truly knowing God are totally intertwined. We cannot know ourselves without knowing God and we cannot know God without having an accurate knowledge of ourselves. This only stands to reason, for, after all, we are made in the divine image. So, have you thought lately about your understanding of God? Upon what do you base your ideas of Him? How well do you understand the One who made you and the One you claim to worship? Do you really know God? Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was a formless and desolate emptiness, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters…. Then God said, ‘Let Us make mankind in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the livestock and over all the earth, and over every crawling thing that crawls on the earth.' So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.'”~ Genesis 1:1-2, 26-28 (NASB)

A group of knowledgeable scholars agree that from the beginning the Bible was intended to be read from mythically as a collection of myths. The Christian Religion started as an Imperial Religion that infected the World and the West with 16 centuries of dark ages.

Continuing with the theme of how and where the Christian Religion went off the rails.

Bernard of Clairvaux was a 12th Century Monk who had a far reaching influence on Catholics and Protestants alike. The great reformer, John Calvin, quoted him often in his "Institutes of the Christian Religion". Let's learn about the life and times of this amazing man as I read to you "The 12th Century Man of all Seasons" by one of my favorite Christian History writers, Tony Lane. This article can be found in issue 24 of the Christian History Magazine. This is Part 2.You can download this issue for free here:https://christianhistoryinstitute.org/uploaded/50cf7991113a34.15985025.pdf

Bernard of Clairvaux was a 12th Century Monk who had a far reaching influence on Catholics and Protestants alike. The great reformer, John Calvin, quoted him often in his "Institutes of the Christian Religion". Let's learn about the life and times of this amazing man as I read to you "The 12th Century Man of all Seasons" by one of my favorite Christian History writers, Tony Lane. This article can be found in issue 24 of the Christian History Magazine.You can download this issue for free here:https://christianhistoryinstitute.org/uploaded/50cf7991113a34.15985025.pdf

In this episode, Barbara takes us on a trip down memory lane. She gives us a glimpse into her childhood, sharing many of the ups and downs that she faced along the way. She talks about how when she entered adulthood she felt like the rug was pulled up from under her and how she had to hustle to stay afloat. And then she shares the quest she pursued in search of a feeling of home and where she ended up landing. This episode highlights Barbara's road of healing and so much more.Barbara Heller is an award winning songwriter, podcaster, filmmaker, and educator.  She is also a published author, playwright, and voice over artist.   Subscribe to her award winning podcast See One Beautiful Soul. Barbra leads "Meditate & Create”  Workshops that Ignite Great Healing and Wonderful Creations from the hearts of her students and colleagues. She is committed to making this world more mentally well, safe, and comfortable for all ages!You can grab some of Barb's original guided mindful meditations here. Email her at info@BarbHeller.com for more information on her Classes, Coaching and Workshops!

In this episode we talk about navigating todays world theologically, with some help from Herman Bavinck and Dr. Cam Clausing. Here's our premise -- everyone has a theology. Being made in the image of God means that we were made to run off of revelation -- we simply can't operate without a theology. And the hard thing that we often find as we walk with Jesus is that we have our stated theological beliefs and our actual theological beliefs. That is, we may say that we believe God is sovereign over all of life, but then we worry and fret. Or, we may say that we believe in the doctrine of total depravity -- that every human being is corrupt in every part of our being, but then we get surprise when people actually act like sinners and wrong us.And since we all have a theology, we are all theologians. The question for everyone is always two-fold -- does your theology match God's revelation? And do you live in light of it?So today, we have a special guest. Cam Clausing. Cam is the Lecturer in Applied Theology at Christ College in Sydney, Australia. Cam earned his PhD from the University in Edinburgh on the Dutch Theologian Herman Bavinck.Guidebook for the Instruction in the Christian Religion, Herman Bavinck

Prayer is an unmerited privilege and a glorious gift that God gives to His people. In today's journey back through the archives, Dr. Stephen Nichols outlines John Calvin's view on prayer as it appears in the Institutes of the Christian Religion. Read the transcript: https://www.5minutesinchurchhistory.com/98-calvin-on-prayer/ A donor-supported outreach of Ligonier Ministries. Donate: https://www.5minutesinchurchhistory.com/donate/

In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Ronni Kurtz to talk about his new book Fruitful Theology: How the Life of the Mind Leads to the Life of the Soul from B&H Publishing. Today, we talk about how theology can help reorient our entire life toward the fruit of the Spirit which leads to right living before God.Meet Dr. Kurtz:Dr. Kurtz earned his PhD from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and currently serves as an assistant professor of theology at Cedarville University. Before moving to Ohio, Ronni was a pastor in Kansas City, Missouri for seven years where he also taught theology at Midwestern Seminary and Spurgeon College. He is also the author of No Shadow of Turning: Divine Immutability and the Economy of Redemption.Resources:Fruitful Theology by Ronni KurtzNo Shadow of Turning by Ronni KurtzGod Without Measure by John WebsterThe Culture of Theology by John WebsterOn the Unity of Christ by Saint Cyril of AlexandriaOn the Trinity by Saint Augustine of HippoOn the Incarnation by Athanasius of AlexandriaOn God and Christ by Saint Gregory of NazianzusInstitutes of the Christian Religion by John CalvinThe Digital Public Square is a production of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission and is produced and hosted by Jason Thacker.Production assistance is provided by Kadin Christian. Technical production provided by Owens Productions. It is edited and mixed by Mark Owens.

Mark Six: A Biblical Understanding of Church Membership by William Klock As we continue our look at the marks of a healthy church, we come today to something of a mid-point.  For that reason I want to back up to where we started.  When we set out, one of the things I explained was the way in which the Protestant Reformation changed how we think about the Church.  The Roman Church, for example, claimed to be the one true church based on its having a line of bishops in succession from St. Peter.  The Reformers, however, defined a true church on the basis of its fidelity to word and sacrament.  And this was written into the confessions and formularies of reformed churches across Europe.  The Lutheran Augsburg Confession, for example, says: “This [the Christian Church] is the assembly of all believers among whom the Gospel is preached in its purity and the holy sacraments are administered according to the Gospel.  For it is sufficient for the true unity of the Christian church that the Gospel be preached in conformity with a pure understanding of it and that the sacraments be administered in accordance with the divine Word.”[1]  John Calvin, in his Institutes of the Christian Religion, wrote: “Wherever we see the word of God purely preached and heard, and the sacraments administered according to Christ's institution, there, it is not to be doubted, a church of God exists.”[2]  Or the Belgic Confession of the Continental Reformed churches: “The marks by which a true Church is known are these: If the pure doctrine of the gospel is preached therein; if she maintains the pure administration of the sacraments as instituted by Christ…”[3]  And, jumping up north, this is what the Scots Confession says: “The Notes, therefore, of the true Kirk of God we believe, confess, and avow to be, first, The true preaching of the word of God; into the which God has revealed himself to us, as the writings of the Prophets and Apostles do declare. Secondly, The right administration of the sacraments of Christ Jesus, which must be annexed to the word and promise of God, to seal and confirm the same in our hearts. Lastly, Ecclesiastical discipline uprightly ministered, as God's word prescribes, whereby vice is repressed, and virtue nourished.”[4]  And of course our own Article XIX: “The visible Church of Christ is a congregation of faithful men, in the which the pure Word of God is preached, and the Sacraments be duly ministered according to Christ's ordinance, in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same.” Faithfulness to God's word and to the sacraments ordained by Jesus are the central marks of a real church.  And, I appreciate and think it's worth noting again the words of the Augsburg Confession, which stress that these two things not only define us and establish our boundaries, but we also share them as the basis for our unity.  We don't have to agree on every theological detail.  We don't have to agree on precisely how the sacraments work.  But if we faithfully preach God's word and observe his sacraments, we can be sure that we are united in the same Messiah.  Our unity does not come from bishops or a line of succession.  It does not come from perfect doctrinal uniformity.  It does not come from geography or culture or language.  It comes from our being in this Jesus whom we know by word and sacrament. So far, the marks—or maybe I should call them “sub-marks” we've been looking at all related to or are derived from the first of those two great marks of the Church: faithfulness to the word of God.  We preach the word and as we do, that word informs and shapes our understanding of God, of the gospel, of conversion, and of evangelism and mission.  Today I want to switch gears and begin to look at points that follow from that second great mark of the Church: the ministration of the sacraments.  Now, there is a sense in which even the administration of the sacraments and everything connected with that is derivative of our preaching of the word and our submission to it.  Without scripture, we would neither understand the sacraments nor know what to do with them.  But I think it's worth changing gears a bit at this point and continuing forward with the next marks of a healthy church and understanding them as derivative of or connected to the sacraments—to Baptism and the Lord's Supper. So, first, if observing these two sacraments, Baptism and the Lord's Supper, if observing them marks us out as Christians, that means they have something to say to us about who belongs to the Church—about the subject of “membership”.  And membership is a subject worth talking about, because not everyone agrees on what constitutes membership in a church or in the Church.  In the early Church, people believed and were baptised and then the baptised gathered regularly—weekly as far as we can tell—and celebrated the Lord's Supper together.  That was it.  The churches were small and it was clear who was a member and who wasn't, because to be baptised in Jesus the Messiah was a big deal.  To gather together, often when it meant punishment or martyrdom, not to mention living daily for Jesus, well, that itself spoke of a real and serious commitment. But jump forward several hundred years and—at least in theory—everyone in Europe became a Christian.  Everyone was baptised.  Everyone went to church and received the Lord's Supper (even though it wasn't offered to them very often).  Many of those people were truly committed to Jesus and gave him their allegiance, but many did not.  And so there were various reform movements down through the ages, with folks trying to reach those nominal believers.  And it's worth noting that those movements—where they were successful—whether the Franciscans or the Dominicans, the Protestant Reformers or, later, Puritans or the Baptists or the Methodists, those movements were founded on the renewed preaching of God's word, because they knew that it is God's word and God's word alone that breathes life into dead bones. But even the Reformers accepted that the sacraments are the markers of membership in the Church.  They knew that there are many who are baptised and rarely thereafter darken the doorway of a church.  They knew that there are many who come regularly to church and who receive the Lord's Supper, but who fail to understand what it's all about or who simply have other motives for coming and participating.  There are many who never show the change that comes with faith in Jesus and the gospel.  And so they put emphasis on the need for fathers and mothers to teach their children and to be faithful in family worship.  They developed catechisms, to teach both children and adults what it means to be a Christian.  The rite of Confirmation was repurposed in the Reformation churches as an opportunity to catechise children on the cusp of adulthood—to make sure they understood the faith into which they had been baptised as infants.  But everyone agreed: Baptism and the Lord's Supper were the marks of the new covenant people of God. But not quite everyone.  The Anabaptists (the forerunners of the Mennonites and Amish) and later the Baptists tweaked the formula.  Only those adults who could give a credible profession of faith in both word and manner of life, only they were baptised.  Not infants, not children, not young adults—only grown men and women who credibly professed and lived out their commitment to Jesus.  But even there, Baptism and the Lord's Supper remained the markers of membership in the Church.  A person enters this covenant people by faith by passing through the waters of Baptism and then the covenant people meet regularly to renew that covenant in the Lord's Supper. I didn't set out to give a history lesson this morning, but as I was working through this matter of church membership, I realised that few people today have ever really thought about this—even a lot of pastors.  Today it's common to admit people to the Lord's Supper whether they're baptised or not.  It's common to admit people as members of a local church regardless of whether they've been baptised.  Sinner's prayers, altar calls, bowed heads and raised hands, and walking aisles have often replaced baptism as the means of entry into the covenant.  And as our culture has become increasingly commitment-phobic, many churches have done away with any kind of membership altogether.  In many otherwise evangelical churches, baptism has become optional.  In rarer instances, so has the Lord's Supper.  And in the case of groups like the Salvation Army, both Baptism and the Lord's Supper have been done away with entirely.  In many Anglican churches, like ours, we've inherited a somewhat confusing practise of sort of informally adding to the role any baptised person who attends as a “baptised member” and then having a separate list of “communicant members”, who are those who have been confirmed—which means they've been officially received as members by the bishop. So what, according to the Bible, constitutes membership in the Church?  Well, let's go back to the Bible and back to the big story.  That's our controlling narrative after all.  Notice how the Lord has always set his people apart.  There has always been a rite of initiation, a rite that marks a person out as a member of the covenant people—a rite by which the Lord marks out his own.  And there has always been a rite of covenant renewal and remembrance by which later members of the covenant family recall and participate for themselves in the great historical action of the Lord to redeem and to set apart this people. In the old covenant that first rite was circumcision.  Bible scholars debate over why specifically circumcision, but this cutting of the organ of procreation was probably meant to be a reminder of the Lord's promise to Abraham that he would make of him a great nation.  But even before the law was given, this rite marked out the Lord's people as his own.  The sign was given to the adult who joined the community, but most importantly to the infant children of its members.  It wasn't optional.  The uncircumcised has no part in the life of the covenant people and neglecting to include one's children was a serious offense.  Consider the story of Moses on his way back to Egypt.  The Lord, we're told sought to kill him, but the Lord's anger was placated when Moses' wife circumcised their son, doing herself what Moses had neglected.  Is salvation by faith?  Yes it is and it always has been.  And circumcision was for the people of Israel, an act of faith in the Lord's promise to Abraham—both for themselves and for their children who were to inherit that promise.  The children of covenant members were to be raised as full members of the covenant people, with all the rights and obligations that came with membership.  A covenant child was to be raised in faith, never to know a time apart from this people who lived with the living God in their midst.  From before they could even remember, they bore his covenant sign. And then came the Exodus, when the Lord delivered his covenant people from Egypt.  And he gave them the second rite, the rite of Passover.  “Rite” is really too sterile a word.  Passover was a meal—a meal that gave meaning to the events of the Exodus, that reminded the covenant people of what the Lord had done for them, and a meal through which every succeeding generation participated for themselves in those saving events and came to know their own place in the people of God. And, of course, there was the torah, the law—the covenant charter between the Lord and his people that outlined what life in this covenant people was to look like.  And, if you can be included in a people, you can also be excluded, and so the torah specified what that looked like, whether it was the death penalty for certain severe offenses to temporary “exile” in cases of impurity, and everything in between. Now, the new covenant people.  I hope the parallels are already starting to come into focus.  We see the same pattern in the Church, because of course, the new covenant is the fulfilment of the old and carries on the same mission that the people of God has always had: to make the living God known to the nations as he works to set his fallen creation to rights.  The old makes sense of the new.  We are his priestly people, mediating his presence to the world. We are his prophetic people, calling the nations to repentance and faith.  We are his kingly people, announcing the royal proclamation that Jesus is Lord and preparing the nations for his dominion.  The difference is that this new people is not defined by circumcision, Passover, or torah, but by Jesus and the life of the Spirit.  And we enter that life in our baptism, just as the Israelites entered God's covenant by means of circumcision.  As circumcision marked out the Israelite, so baptism marks out the Christian as belonging to the Lord.  And as circumcision was, so baptism is a fitting and appropriate sign in that it reminds us of the Lord's promise in Jesus to wash us clean from sin.  Specifically for those first Jewish believers, it spoke to them of forgiveness for having failed to keep the old covenant, but for each of us as we pass through the baptismal waters in faith, we are forgiven our own past unfaithfulness.  And our baptism links us to the Lord's saving acts in the past—with Israel's exodus from Egypt.  The font is our Red Sea and through these waters the Lord leads us into a new life in his presence.  Peter told them men present on Pentecost to repent and to be baptised.  Jesus, earlier, called his hearers to believe and be baptised.  Repentance and belief are necessary, but Paul reminds us repeatedly that it is our baptism that formally unites us to Jesus.  You can repent and believe all day long, but baptism is the means God has given us make us his.  It is his promise to us in visible, tangible form.  “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ,” he writes in Galatians 3:27.  And, “In one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit,” in 2 Corinthians 12:13. And, despite what our Anabaptism and Baptist brothers and sisters might say, just as with the sign of the old covenant, baptism rightly belongs to our children.  Consider that at the very first, the new covenant people was made up entirely of old covenant people.  Think of Peter's sermon on Pentecost.  He finished by announcing to his hearers, “This promise is for you and for your children” (Acts 2:39).  Children were included in the old covenant.  Again, not to include your children got you excluded from the old covenant.  And here Peter announces a new and better covenant in Jesus.  And it's being announced to people who are already members of the old.  Imagine those men who were baptised excitedly going home to their families to tell them about this new and better covenant, but then telling their children: “Sorry, you've been part of the Lord's people, you've participated in the Passover every year you've been alive, but now that there's a better covenant, you're no longer part of it, you can't participate in the new covenant meal—at least not until you're an adult and can make the choice for yourself.  Even then, you can't be baptised until everyone's reasonably certain you really believe.”  That would hardly be a new and better covenant.  The Lord has always fully included the children of covenant members in his people.  The family is one of the primary means of grace—it always has been—for raising, first, new Israelites, and now, new Christians. I know there is concern for children who are baptised, but for whatever reason never develop their own faith, who have no commitment, who leave the church but think, “I'm fine.  I've been baptised.”  Brothers and Sisters, God is concerned about those people too.  It was as great a problem in Israel as it is in the Church.  And yet he has always insisted on the inclusion of our children in the covenant.  It is his gracious means and we need to trust him.  Our duty is to be faithful in raising our own covenant children and—for the leadership of the Church—to do our best to ensure those who bring their children for baptism are, themselves, faithful and aware of what they're doing.  Some fall away, but we trust the Lord knows what he's doing when he insists we include our children in the covenant. So baptism corresponds to circumcision and initiates us into the new covenant.  In the same way the Lord's Supper corresponds to Passover.  The meal itself, when Jesus instituted it the night before he died, was a Passover meal reinterpreted around what he was about to do.  Again, this was the meal by which the Lord's people in the old covenant recalled and participated themselves in the events by which he had made them his people.  Consider that neither Jesus nor his disciples had been there when Israel painted the blood on their doorposts, when the angel of death passed through Egypt, when the Lord parted the sea and then drowned Pharaoh's army.  But part of the Passover meal and the liturgy associated with it, involved—and still involves—the participants talking about those events as if they themselves were part of them.  And Jesus took that meal and recentred it on himself and on his saving death.  The cross and the empty tomb were about to become a new exodus.  And through that new exodus the Lord would create a new people.  Brothers and Sisters, in the Lord's Supper we recall—and not just recall, but participate in—those mighty, saving deeds by which the Lord has led us out of our slavery to sin and death.  The Supper reminds us that by virtue of our baptism into Jesus, we are the Lord's covenant people.  And it reminds us of the life to which we have been called.  The Lord led Israel through the sea and on the other side he gave them his law and took up his presence in their midst.  And so with the Church, the Lord has led us through the sea of baptism, by Jesus' death and resurrection he has delivered us from our slavery to sin and death, and he has, in a new and better way, made himself present in our midst.  He has filled us with his Spirit and he has written the law of his Spirit on our hearts.  He has taken our hearts of stone and replaced them with hearts of flesh, ready to be the people who will mediate his presence and proclaim his good news to the world. Biblically speaking, these two things, Baptism and the Lord's Supper, mark us out objectively as members of the Church.  We can point subjectively to the life of the Spirit.  Every believer will show the fruit of the Spirit.  Every believer will show a love for God and a love for others, for example.  Perhaps what we need to be reminded of most in this day where everything is about the individual: Every believer who professes love for Jesus will also love his body and be eager to gather with it.  But these things aren't as easy to pin down objectively.  Next week, Lord willing, I'll address the topic of church discipline, which addresses those times when our lives fail to match up to our profession.  But this change that takes place in us because of Jesus and the presence of the Spirit doesn't happen at the same pace for everyone.  It's not usually linear.  And none of us is perfect.  Being immature in the faith isn't the same as not being in the faith.  And so we come back to the sacraments as the marks of the Christian.  Have you been baptised into Jesus?  Do you regularly receive his invitation and come to the Table to participate anew in his death and resurrection?  If the answer is yes, then you belong to God.  He has marked you as his own.  And he will work in you day by day by his grace to conform you to the image of his son. What about all the other membership-related things we and other churches do in addition to Baptism and the Lord's Supper?  What about Confirmation or reception by a bishop?  Or membership covenants?  Churches have a variety of ways for people to formally identify with the local church or with the denomination.  Baptism and the Lord's Supper are the biblical markers of membership in the Church.  Does that make those other practises bad?  Not necessarily.  Just because the Bible doesn't tell us specifically to do something doesn't mean we can't or shouldn't do it.  There are good reasons to have means for people to formally identify with a local church and to commit to the people there.  There are good reasons to have means for people to submit themselves to the doctrine and discipline of a local church or denomination.  In a day when there are a lot of people who drift from one church to another—which is not a good thing—we need means of encouraging people to commit to a specific congregation.  Speaking as your pastor, I need to know to whom I have an obligation of pastoral care and you show me that by your commitment to this congregation.  When someone attends here a few weeks, then does the same at three or four or five other churches and then makes her way back here months later for another few weeks—it's hard to care for, to exhort, to discipline people like that, or even to know if I should.  Anything else we do with regard to church membership ought to reinforced Baptism and the Lord's Supper as marks of membership.  If what we do detracts from or becomes a substitute for the sacraments, then we've lost a biblical understanding of membership. Finally, in closing, I want to remind you of the “why” to all of this.  It can be easy to get so focused on the what that we forget the why—that we forget our mission and the reason why membership in the church matters.  Brothers and Sisters, God has called us together, he has marked us out, he has given us his grace so that we can make him known.  St. Paul wrote to the Ephesians, “Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.”  We are the people redeemed by his blood and that makes us, as a people, living witnesses of God's love and mercy and grace.  Our Baptism, our participation in the Lord's Supper, they are not merely for us.  They are for the life of the world as we reveal to the people around us what it is to be part of God's new creation and what it looks like to live in the presence of the living God.  One day the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.  Dear Friends, that day will come, because of God's word, because of God's Spirit, but most importantly, because he has created a people for himself, marked by the waters of baptism and fed with his body and blood, whose faithful presence and witness in the world makes him known and reveals his glory. Let's pray: Father, we come this morning and give you thanks for having graciously brought us into this family we call the Church.  You have washed us clean, you feed us at your Table, you call us your own sons and daughters.  You have poured your own Spirit into us, that we might be conformed to the image of your true son, Jesus.  May we be as committed to this family as you are.  Deliver us from the consumerist mindset of our age, that we would come to give, not so much to get.  We pray that by your word and Spirit you will make us ever more faithful to you and to this mission to make your good news known to world around us.  Through Jesus we pray.  Amen. [1] Article VII [2] IV.i.ix [3] Article XXIX [4] Article XVIII

In this episode of the Parker's Pensées Podcast, I'm joined by Dr. Greg Parker to discuss his new translations of Herman Bavinck's theological works, What is Christianity? and Guidebook for Instruction in the Christian Religion. If you like this podcast, then support it on Patreon for $3, $5 or more a month. Any amount helps, and for $5 you get a Parker's Pensées sticker and instant access to all the episode as I record them instead of waiting for their release date. Check it out here: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/parkers_pensees If you want to give a one-time gift, you can give at my Paypal: https://paypal.me/ParkersPensees?locale.x=en_US Check out my merchandise at my Teespring store: https://teespring.com/stores/parkers-penses-merch Come talk with the Pensées community on Discord: dsc.gg/parkerspensees Check out my blog posts: https://parkersettecase.com/ Check out my Parker's Pensées YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYbTRurpFP5q4TpDD_P2JDA Check out my other YouTube channel on my frogs and turtles: https://www.youtube.com/c/ParkerSettecase Check me out on Twitter: https://twitter.com/trendsettercase Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parkers_pensees/ Time Is Running by MusicLFiles Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/6203-time-is-running License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/parkers-pensees/support

I am Just Joe no title, by the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit, preaching that Christians need to give God all glory.

Welcome to season 2 of Down Under Theology, a podcast equipping and encouraging Australian Christians to get down and under the theology impacting the life and mission of the church.In this special bonus episode we are joined by Dr Gregory Parker Jr for a chat about all things Bavinck. If you have been listening to our show for a while, you will have heard "Bavinck" mentioned several times. But who was Bavinck exactly? And why does Cam talk about him so much? Join us as we unpack the life and theology of Bavinck (and his contemporaries like Kuyper), discuss Greg and Cam's translations of Bavinck's works, and talk about the relevance of his works for the church today. Dr Gregory Parker Jr is the Assistant Professor of Theology at Cairn University, Pennsylvania, USA. He completed his PhD in Systematic Theology at the University of Edinburgh and has worked with Cam on several translations of Bavinck's works.In Season 2, we'll be going over each book of the Bible, bringing out the big ideas, themes, and implications for the life and mission of the church.Thoughts, questions or feedback? Get in touch with us at downundertheology@gmail.com.---Episode Hosts:Allister Lum Mow (@allisterlm)Cameron Clausing (@cam_clausing)Murray SmithGregory Parker Jr (@g_parker_jr)Producer:Nick RabeEpisode Sponsor:Christ College, Sydney---S2 Bonus Episode 4 - Show NotesRecommended Resources - Bavinck's Guidebook for Instruction in the Christian Religion by Herman Bavinck (translated by Gregory Parker Jr and Cameron Clausing)What is Christianity? by Herman Bavinck (translated by Gregory Parker Jr)The Sacrifice of Praise by Herman Bavinck (translated by Gregory Parker Jr and Cameron Clausing)Reformed Dogmatics by Herman BavinckBavinck: A Critical Biography by James EglintonChrist College, Sydney Preparing leaders for God's church and its gospel-centred mission in the world.

Episode 077: Knowing God and Knowing OurselvesCalvin's Institutes famously opens with the assertion that all human knowledge consists of knowing God and knowing ourselves. These two forms of knowledge are interconnected and possibly inseparable — and they are the focus of this episode of The Commentary. Here, Mark and Cameron reflect on the many different areas of life where this fundamental observation of Calvin's shines a light on our thinking. Mentioned in this episode:Institutes of the Christian Religion (1541 Edition) from Banner of Truth

Jen Wilkin, JT English, and Kyle Worley kick off Season 9 talking about what doctrine is and why the doctrine of God matters.Questions Covered in This Episode:Why does the doctrine of God matter?What is a doctrine? When we say the “doctrine of ______,” what are we saying?How do we come to doctrine? (Bible, history, experience, etc.)What role does community play in doctrine?What are some of the crucial issues in considering the doctrine of God?Helpful Definitions:Doctrine: A belief, a creed, or a commonly held belief by a group of people.Revelation/Apocalypse: Disclosing or a veil being opened.Doctrine of God: The basic belief about who God is, what He is like, what He is doing and acting in the world, so that we can appropriately know Him.Resources Mentioned in This Episode:Matthew 5:1-12, Romans 9-11, 1 Timothy 1:13, Romans 1:20“Calvin: Institutes of the Christian Religion” by John CalvinKnowing Faith Season 8“The Knowledge of the Holy” by A.W. TozerAmazon affiliate links are used where appropriate. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, thank you for supporting Knowing Faith.Sponsors:Discover how Midwestern Seminary can equip you to more faithfully serve your church through formal theological education or FREE For the Church resources we provide: mbts.edu/KnowingFaithOur Sister Podcasts:The Family Discipleship Podcast | Confronting ChristianitySupport Training the Church and Become a Patron: patreon.com/trainingthechurch

Check out the Puritans on Canon Plus now: https://mycanonplus.com/tabs/search/collections/1086

Today's guest offers a sobering statistic that should make us all sit up and take notice. “45%-48% of youth leave the church after their freshman year in college and never return.” They never return!If you are a parent, a grandparent, or simply a follower of Jesus, this should sound the alarm! When are children challenged about their faith, what will they say?  Do they know why they believe what they believe?We all know our world has its temptations, but today, our culture is not only making sin more tempting but is also normalizing it.  Anyone who disagrees is hateful, self-righteous, or divisive.It's not enough that our kids are growing up in a Christian environment. Growing up in church and Sunday School will not give them a “free pass”!1 Peter 5:8 says, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” Hilary Morgan Ferrer is the Founder and CEO of Mama Bear Apologetics. Mama bears are known to nurture and protect their young.  That's what Mama Bear Apologetics is all about.If you are a physical mother or a spiritual mother, this episode is for you.  Fathers and father figures, this is for you.  Your child's faith foundation begins with you.MORE ABOUT MAMA BEAR APOLOGETICS:Website:  https://mamabearapologetics.com/Books:  https://mamabearapologetics.com/book/Mama Bear Podcast:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mama-bear-apologetics/id1178373026?itsct=podcast_box_badge&itscg=30200&ls=1Elizabeth Urbanowicz (Careful Thinking Curriculum):https://foundationworldview.com/blog/7-lies-your-kids-will-believe-unless-you-do-somethingSupport the show

How is Christ's church to be structured? Who holds the keys of the kingdom? What does Acts 15 have to teach us today? In this episode, Pastors Brandon and Zac discuss the differences between the Reformed polity and the Baptist polity, from a Presbyterian-type structure to a congregationalist structure.  For more information, see:  Church Order of the United Reformed Churches in North America Belgic Confession, Art. 27-31 The Church by Edmund Clowney A Well-Ordered Church by William Boekestein and Daniel Hyde  Institute of the Christian Religion by John Calvin, Book 4, ch. 2-11. How Jesus Runs the Church by Guy Prentiss Waters Is Reformed Theology Merely '5 Points'? by Cincy Reformed

How is Christ's church to be structured? Who holds the keys of the kingdom? What does Acts 15 have to teach us today? In this episode, Pastors Brandon and Zac discuss the differences between the Reformed polity and the Baptist polity, from a Presbyterian-type structure to a congregationalist structure.  For more information, see:  Church Order of the United Reformed Churches in North America Belgic Confession, Art. 27-31 The Church by Edmund Clowney A Well-Ordered Church by William Boekestein and Daniel Hyde  Institute of the Christian Religion by John Calvin, Book 4, ch. 2-11. How Jesus Runs the Church by Guy Prentiss Waters Is Reformed Theology Merely '5 Points'? by Cincy Reformed

Part 25 Reformation 2 - Ulrich Zwingli, John Calvin and Persecution Today we continue with the Protestant Reformation by looking briefly at two other giants of that time – the Swiss reformer, Ulrich Zwingli and the French Reformer, John Calvin. Ulrich Zwingli (1484-1531) Zwingli was a Swiss reformer independent of Luther who was greatly influenced strongly by the teachings of Erasmus. He was born during a period of time when Swiss national patriotism was emerging. After studying humanities before taking on the role of pastor in a church in Glarus and later in Einsiedeln. It was in 1518 that Zwingli became pastor of Grossmunster in Zurich. Here he preached about reforming the Roman Catholic church. He was particularly critical of fasting during Lent, church hierarchy, clerical celibacy and the use of image in worship. In 1525, he produced a new liturgy to replace the Roman Catholic liturgy. These ideas soon came to the attention of Martin Luther and other reformers. When they met, they did agree on many things but differed on several y matters. Zwingli taught that the Lord's Supper was purely symbolic and the elements of bread and wine did not change literally into the flesh and blood of Jesus Christ and nor did they at any point contain the real presence of Jesus Christ. His reforms went from Switzerland to France, Scotland, Hungary, Holland, Germany, England, Puritans). Zwingli was killed in 1531 during an attack by his enemies within the Roman Catholic church on a food blockade supported by him. Zwingli's theology held the supremacy of the Bible, being the inspired word of God, over the teachings of humans such as the Church Councils and Church Fathers. Concerning baptism, Zwingli differed from the Anabaptists who promote adult baptism only. Zwingli taught that the baptism of children was valid, describing that it was symbolic of God's covenant with the Christian, much the same as it was when God made His covenant with Abraham. He also promoted a non-Roman Catholic view of Church Government and Worship. Zwingli thought that the government was instituted by God and that they governed with divine approval. He taught that Christians were obliged to be obedient to their governments but to be disobedient only when the government acted in a manner to God's will. John Calvin Our next giant is John Calvin! He was French and greatly influenced by Martin Luther. Trained as a lawyer, he broke away from the Roman Catholic church in 1530. During persecution by the Roman Catholic church on the reformation movement, Protestants, Calvin fled to Switzerland. There, in 1536, Calvin published the first edition of his now famous “Institutes of the Christian Religion.” Calvin went onto introduce new forms of church government and worship liturgy despite opposition from secular authorities and people of power. In his final years, Calvin continued unabatedly to promote the Reformation of the church throughout Europe. During this time he also kept busy writing commentaries and regularly preached in churches. Prime to his thinking was Augustinian teaching, leading him to propose the doctrine of predestination and the absolute sovereignty of God in salvation and damnation. Protestant persecution. While the Reformation was only in its infancy, there was intense persecution of the Reformation Protestants by the Roman Catholic Church, particularly in Spain, France and the Netherlands. Thousands of Protestants died in battle and through persecution. It was during this time that the printing press was invented and was the catalyst for the rapid promotion and distribution of these new ideas of Luther, Zwingli, Calvin and others. During this time also, we have noted that there was intense theological debate between the Reforming Protestants over such things as worship, predestination, the Lord's Supper and style of Church government. During this period, the Roman Catholic Church evangelised and rapidly gained new ground and more than made up for the losses to Protestantism. The Roman Catholic church did respond with a Counter Reformation. Commencing with the Council of Trent and the beginning of the Jesuits, these were designed to counter the Reformation movement. The majority of Northern Europe became Protestant, while Central Europe sank into deep conflict. In the mid-1500's many Protestant Christians rejected both the Roman Catholic Church, and Lutheranism for not having gone far enough. They stressed personal discipleship; a daily walk with God; a principle of love and pacifism; the Church as a family not an organisation; adult baptism; congregational Church government; and the separation of Church and State, The spread through Europe and were intensely persecuted by both the Roman Catholic Church and other Protestants resulting in many deaths. One of their leaders was Menno Simons (1496-1561), whose group the Mennonites, are still functioning today. That's it for this time! Next time in our series HAHA, we will look at the Reformation gathering pace - this time in England! Tap i=or click here to download and save this as an audio mp3 file

In this bonus episode, Jake Bishop offers up recommendations for books you will want to add to your reading list. He also turns the tables on Tara and asks her for her number one book to recommend. You can decide for yourself if Jake cheated a bit with his answer. Resources Tara's #1: When People are Big and God Is Small by Edward T. Welch Jake's #1: Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortlund Jake's #2: Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis Jake's #3: The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer Jake's #4: anything by Tim Keller (in particular, The Prodigal God, The Reason for God) Jake's #5: old books that have stood the test of time (e.g., Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan, Confessions by St. Augustine, Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin)

Patrick recommends “The Holy Name Society” whom exist to promote reverence to God  Jake - At Mass no one kneeled. Is that okay?  Mary - I was upset and I said “God bless America.” Was I blaspheming?  Mike - My sister who is fallen away from the church says that one Christian Religion is as good as another. She quotes Luke 9:49-50. How can I respond to this?  Jose - Do the different ethnicity of Jews, light skin and  dark skin come from Isaac and Ishmael respectively? I am wondering about people who say Jesus was not blue eyed.  Patrick responds to an email saying he's misinterpreting the Book of Revelation  Patrick recommends Dr. Scott Hahn's “The End”  Barbara - There is a third types of Judaism.  Also, I am Eastern Orthodox but I don't want to go to the church because of the Ukraine War. What should I do?  Linda - My daughter left the church because of the sex abuse scandal. How can I talk with her about this topic?  Jose - What are your thoughts on the court case with the pregnant woman who was in the carpool lane and got ticketed saying there is a person in her belly? 

When Paul says that a person is "Justified by faith apart from works," what does he mean? Can works play some sort of foundational role in our justification? Where do good works come in? Is faith a work? In this episode, Pastors Brandon and Zac unpack the pillars of the Protestant Doctrine of Justification.  For more information, see:  Rom. 3:24; 4:1-13; 5:1, 15-21; 8:33; 10:3-4; Gal. 2:16; 3:11; 5:4; 1 Cor. 1:30; 6:11; Phil. 3:9; Jas. 2:23 Belgic Confession, Art. 22-23 Heidelberg Catechism, Q. 60-65 Canons of Dort, Rejection of Errors Reformed Catholic vs. Roman Catholic - Part 2: Justification and Sola Fide by Cincy Reformed Redemption Accomplished and Applied by John Murray  Justified In Christ ed. by Scott Oliphint  How Can Justification Make Me Joyful? by Daniel Hyde  By Faith, Not By Sight: Paul and the Order of Salvation by Richard B. Gaffin, Jr. The Whole Christ by Sinclair Ferguson  Guidebook for Instruction in the Christian Religion (ch. 16) by Herman Bavinck  Reformed Dogmatics (vol. 4, ch. 5) by Geerhardus Vos  Redemptive History and Biblical Interpretation (ch. 7, 21) by Geerhardus Vos 

When Paul says that a person is "Justified by faith apart from works," what does he mean? Can works play some sort of foundational role in our justification? Where do good works come in? Is faith a work? In this episode, Pastors Brandon and Zac unpack the pillars of the Protestant Doctrine of Justification.  For more information, see:  Rom. 3:24; 4:1-13; 5:1, 15-21; 8:33; 10:3-4; Gal. 2:16; 3:11; 5:4; 1 Cor. 1:30; 6:11; Phil. 3:9; Jas. 2:23 Belgic Confession, Art. 22-23 Heidelberg Catechism, Q. 60-65 Redemption Accomplished and Applied by John Murray  Justified In Christ ed. by Scott Oliphint  How Can Justification Make Me Joyful? by Daniel Hyde  By Faith, Not By Sight: Paul and the Order of Salvation by Richard B. Gaffin, Jr. The Whole Christ by Sinclair Ferguson  Guidebook for Instruction in the Christian Religion (ch. 16) by Herman Bavinck       

In this episode, Jonathan presents the body of his historical-theological paper on John Calvin's doctrine of the Eucharist as presented in the Institutes of the Christian Religion. The full paper can be found here. Please be sure to visit the new Davenant Hall website (which can be found here) and learn more about Davenant Hall by tuning in to the Davenant Apocolypse. Enjoy the Show.

John Calvin is famous for putting together the first concise and complete doctrine for Reformed Christianity. His Institutes of the Christian Religion laid out precisely what it meant to be Calvinist in a way that Martin Luther and Ulrich Zwingli never did - they both left that task to their successors.Check out the website for more content: www.westerncivpodcast.comBecome a Patron for ad-free versions of the show and bonus content: www.patreon.com/westerncivpodcastSubscribe to our Premium Feed for new monthly content: www.glow.fm/westernciv

Summer is right around the corner and the Pastors are here to recommend some books perfect for summer reading! In traditional Gospel for Life fashion, the books on this list will be targeted to make your Christian faith the central part of your life. So, grab a pen and some paper, and tune in for some great additions to your Christian library! Titles discussed in this episode: The Wonderful Works of God by Herman Bavinck The Guidebook for Instruction in the Christian Religion by Herman BavinckJust Do Something by Kevin DeYoungA Puritan Hope by Iain MurrayReformed and Systematic Theology by Joel Beeke and Paul M. SmalleySystematic Theology by Douglas KellyThe Truths We Confess by R.C. SproulEveryone's a Theologian by R.C. SproulFuture Grace by John PiperProvidence by John Piper About Gospel for Life Join a group of Treasure Valley pastors, all committed to showing that the Gospel is not just for the religious part of your life. Rather, it is for all of life. Tune in Monday through Friday at 8 am to Josh Bales, Russell Herman, Jonathan Van Hoogen, and the occasional guest, as they teach you how to make the Gospel the forefront of your life! For more information about this group, please visit their website at reformationboise.com.

Today we meet our final early reformer: John Calvin. Calvin was significantly younger than Luther or Zwingli and does not even begin his reformation efforts in Geneva until the latter had died. But John Calvin and his Institutes of the Christian Religion are probably more important in the long run than Luther or Zwingli. Calvin, unlike either of those two, took the time to create a completely reformed doctrine. In this first episode, we meet Calvin and discuss his early life. Check out the website for more content: www.westerncivpodcast.comBecome a Patron to get ad-free versions of the show and to support the show: patreon.com/westerncivpodcastSubscribe to our Premium Feed for Western Civ 2.0: www.glow.fm/westernciv

What does it mean to be "Reformed"? Is Reformed Theology merely the "5 Points of Calvinism"? Or is Reformed Theology an entire system of theology derived from Scripture and the ancient church?  For more information, see:  Belgic Confession  Heidelberg Catechism  Canons of Dort Westminster Standards  Reformed Dogmatics by Herman Bavinck  Reformed Dogmatics by Geerhardus Vos  Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin  Recovering the Reformed Confession: Our Theology, Piety, and Practice by R. Scott Clark  Reformation Worship ed. by Jonathan Gibson  With Reverence and Awe: Returning to the Basics of Reformed Worship by Hart and Muether  For Calvinism by Michael Horton  The Shaping of the Reformed Baptismal Rite in the Sixteenth Century by Hughes Oliphant Old  The Patristic Roots of Reformed Worship by Hughes Oliphant Old  Revelation and Reason: New Essays in Reformed Apologetics ed. by K. Scott Oliphint and Lane G. Tipton  The Case for Calvinism by Cornelius Van Til  A Christian Worldview: Essays from a Reformed Perspective ed. by C.N. Willborn  The Puritan Family Resemblance by Randall Pederson  Between Wittenberg and Geneva: Lutheran and Reformed Theology in Conversation by Trueman and Kolb  A Reformed Catholic by William Perkins  John Calvin: For a New Reformation ed. by Derek Thomas  Crisis in the Reformed Churches: Essays in Commemoration of the Great Synod of Dort ed. by Peter DeJong   

What does it mean to be "Reformed"? Is Reformed Theology merely the "5 Points of Calvinism"? Or is Reformed Theology an entire system of theology derived from Scripture and the ancient church?  For more information, see:  Belgic Confession  Heidelberg Catechism  Canons of Dort Westminster Standards  Reformed Dogmatics by Herman Bavinck  Reformed Dogmatics by Geerhardus Vos  Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin  Recovering the Reformed Confession: Our Theology, Piety, and Practice by R. Scott Clark  Reformation Worship ed. by Jonathan Gibson  With Reverence and Awe: Returning to the Basics of Reformed Worship by Hart and Muether  For Calvinism by Michael Horton  The Shaping of the Reformed Baptismal Rite in the Sixteenth Century by Hughes Oliphant Old  The Patristic Roots of Reformed Worship by Hughes Oliphant Old  Revelation and Reason: New Essays in Reformed Apologetics ed. by K. Scott Oliphint and Lane G. Tipton  The Case for Calvinism by Cornelius Van Til  A Christian Worldview: Essays from a Reformed Perspective ed. by C.N. Willborn  The Puritan Family Resemblance by Randall Pederson  Between Wittenberg and Geneva: Lutheran and Reformed Theology in Conversation by Trueman and Kolb  A Reformed Catholic by William Perkins  John Calvin: For a New Reformation ed. by Derek Thomas  Crisis in the Reformed Churches: Essays in Commemoration of the Great Synod of Dort ed. by Peter DeJong 

Is the Pope the "head of the church"? Does Matthew 16 teach apostolic succession or doctrinal succession? Should there be an earthly man at the top of the church hierarchy? In this episode, Pastors Zac and Brandon discuss the Reformed view of church polity as compared to the Roman Catholic view.  For more information, see:  Was Peter the First Pope (Matthew 16)? by Cincy Reformed  Belgic Confession, Art. 27-31 Canons of Dort, 1.7 The Church by Edmund Clowney Institute of the Christian Religion by John Calvin, Book 4, ch. 2-11. How Jesus Runs the Church by Guy Prentiss Waters Are We Together? A Protestant Analyzes Roman Catholicism by R.C. Sproul  Far From Rome, Near to God: Testimonies of Fifty Converted Catholic Priests by Richard Bennett  A Reformed Catholic by William Perkins

Is the Pope the "head of the church"? Does Matthew 16 teach apostolic succession or doctrinal succession? Should there be an earthly man at the top of the church? In this episode, Pastors Zac and Brandon discuss the Reformed view of church polity as compared to the Roman Catholic view.  For more information, see:  Was Peter the First Pope (Matthew 16)? by Cincy Reformed  Belgic Confession, Art. 27-31 Canons of Dort, 1.7 The Church by Edmund Clowney, ch. 14 Institute of the Christian Religion by John Calvin, Book 4, ch. 2-11. How Jesus Runs the Church by Guy Prentiss Waters Are We Together? A Protestant Analyzes Roman Catholicism by R.C. Sproul  Far From Rome, Near to God: Testimonies of Fifty Converted Catholic Priests by Richard Bennett  A Reformed Catholic by William Perkins

Summary: In this episode, Dr. Mark Turman and Dr. Jim Denison discuss God's sovereignty, some basics in philosophy and logic, human agency, Reformed theology, and John Calvin.   Show notes: Dr. Mark Turman and Dr. Jim Denison start by revealing future plans for the podcast to being accepting questions from our audience and bring in more guest speakers.   They introduce the problem of evil and ask, “How can God be sovereign, loving, and allow evil?” Jim establishes that sovereignty means God is Lord and king over every area of life. God's sovereignty shouldn't mean that we think of ourselves as automatons or robots. Some theologians believe our free will isn't real; it's only an illusion. Or, on the other side, some affirm that God's sovereignty is limited by our freedom. The middle ground is that we have free agency because God allows us to, which is the position Jim takes. Since we're limited beings, sometimes truths appear contradictory, when in fact they're not, and this is the case in regards to God's sovereignty and human free will.    At this point, Mark and Jim take a turn to give a brief overview of the Reformation and what Reformed theology entails. They discuss Calvin's systematic theology in his work titled The Institutes of Christian Religion, its brilliance, and its shortcomings. Jim explains his own view in depth regarding the acronym for Calvinist beliefs “TULIP,” describing himself as a “three-and-a-half pointer.”   While these issues are important and warrant discussion, there remains a mystery in the relationship we have with Christ and God's nature. In the midst of evangelism and debates on Reformed theology, we must remember to be first and foremost humble.    P.S. Jim's most pivotal book to date, The Coming Tsunami, is now available on Kindle, hardcover, and Audible.   Resources and further reading:   Wrestling with God – Jim Denison “Is God in charge? Sovereignty and freedom” – Jim Denison Institutes of the Christian Religion – John Calvin   About the hosts  Jim Denison, PhD, is the CEO of Denison Ministries and the author of The Daily Article. He received his PhD in philosophy and Master's in Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.   Dr. Mark Turman is the Executive Director of Denison Forum. He received his DMin from Truett at Baylor and previously served as lead pastor of Crosspoint Church.