Podcasts about creedal imperative

A new MP3 sermon from Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Lesson 10 - Confession As Praise Subtitle: The Creedal Imperative Speaker: Joe Anady Broadcaster: Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church Event: Sunday School Date: 8/11/2024 Length: 45 min.

This week, Keaton and Seth discuss the importance of creeds, catechisms, and confessions as well as what they are and some of the historical development behind the confessions we hold to today. To learn more about Zion Presbyterian Church go to www.zioncolumbia.org For feedback and questions, email Keaton at keaton.paul@pcazion.org (00:00) What are creeds, confessions and catechisms? And why do we need them? (31:13) Creeds (44:40) Confessions & Catechisms (51:28) Creeds, Confessions, and Catechisms and their Biblical basis (57:58) Why do we use them in worship? Resources mentioned in this episode: The Creedal Imperative by Carl Trueman Christ Centered Worship by Bryan Chappell

James and Jonathan are happy to welcome Carl Trueman back to the podcast to discuss his newly-released book, Crisis of Confidence: Reclaiming the Historic Faith in a Culture Consumed with Individualism and Identity. An updated version of The Creedal Imperative (2012), Carl's new edition analyzes how ancient creeds and confessions protect and promote biblical Christianity in a culture of expressive individualism. Listen to find out what has changed in the culture in the 11 years since he wrote the first book and why this updated version is so important.  Thanks to the generosity of our friends at Crossway Books, we have a couple copies of Crisis of Confidence to give away. Register here for the opportunity to win.

Less than five years ago, questions like; What is a Woman? or What Does it Mean to be Human? had obvious and easy answers. But with the advent of artificial intelligence, abortion through birth, technology, the right to euthanasia, and a plethora of genders – defining and understanding the truth that human beings are sacred and made in the image of God got more than complicated! In this keynote address, Dr. Trueman will trace the evolution of the sexual mores and psychological identities that got us to where we are today.Carl Trueman is a Christian theologian and ecclesiastical historian. He was Professor of Historical Theology and Church History at Westminster Theological Seminary, where he held the Paul Woolley Chair of Church History. In 2018 Trueman resigned his position at Westminster to become a full-time undergraduate professor at Grove City College, serving as Full Professor in their Department of Biblical and Religious Studies.Among Trueman's books are John Owen: Reformed Catholic, Renaissance Man, The Creedal Imperative, Fools Rush in Where Monkeys Fear to Tread: Taking Aim at Everyone, and Republocrat: Confessions of a Liberal Conservative.In 2020, Trueman published what is probably his most popular and widely read book: The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self: Cultural Amnesia, Expressive Individualism, and the Road to Sexual Revolution. His most recent book, Strange New World: How Thinkers and Activists Redefined Identity and Sparked the Sexual Revolution, is a condensed version of his previous book. He contributes to First Things (Journal of Religion and Public Life) blogs regularly at Reformation21 and co-hosts the Mortification of Spin podcast.Trueman is also an ordained minister in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church.Be sure to stay up to date with Abundant Life: You Were Made for More by visiting our blog - and if you're loving the podcast, send guest recommendations to us or leave us a star-rating/review on your favorite listening platform to spread the word about the you were made for more message.You Were Made for More Social Media: FacebookTwitterInstagram

Once we understand the depth and breadth of the problems we face as the Church in defining the value of humanity, Dr. Trueman will share strategies and tools he believes the Church can employ to respond to the cultural upheaval we encounter daily. He will discuss how understanding what it means to be a created human being, and employing the creeds, the Anglican Catechism, and the counsel of God can equip believers to respond with love to our neighbors with different worldviews.  Both Keynotes will feature time for Q & A.Carl is a Christian theologian and ecclesiastical historian. He was Professor of Historical Theology and Church History at Westminster Theological Seminary, where he held the Paul Woolley Chair of Church History. In 2018 Trueman resigned his position at Westminster to become a full-time undergraduate professor at Grove City College, serving as Full Professor in their Department of Biblical and Religious Studies.Among Trueman's books are John Owen: Reformed Catholic, Renaissance Man, The Creedal Imperative, Fools Rush in Where Monkeys Fear to Tread: Taking Aim at Everyone, and Republocrat: Confessions of a Liberal Conservative.In 2020, Trueman published what is probably his most popular and widely read book: The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self: Cultural Amnesia, Expressive Individualism, and the Road to Sexual Revolution. His most recent book, Strange New World: How Thinkers and Activists Redefined Identity and Sparked the Sexual Revolution, is a condensed version of his previous book. He contributes to First Things (Journal of Religion and Public Life) blogs regularly at Reformation21 and co-hosts the Mortification of Spin podcast.Trueman is also an ordained minister in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church.Be sure to stay up to date with Abundant Life: You Were Made for More by visiting our blog - and if you're loving the podcast, send guest recommendations to us or leave us a star-rating/review on your favorite listening platform to spread the word about the you were made for more message.You Were Made for More Social Media: FacebookTwitterInstagram

Disagree, agree, or have a question: Contact us through the contact page on our website; http://www.biblebulldog.com What more do they need to believe and understand than the teenager who was converted last Sunday morning on his first visit to the church? “Every heretic has his text.”? Creeds Reflect the Ministerial Authority of the Church. “Creeds are corporate documents which are authored and owned by corporate churches.” “As Protestants, we are of course naturally wary of any kind of claims for church authority that would place the church over Scripture or exhibit any tendencies we associate with Roman Catholicism.” “Instant gratification.” “Many of us are inclined to believe that if something does not make sense the first time we look at it, it - and not we - must be wrong.” “Respect for the authority of the church and respect for the creeds and confessions that churches adopt must become an important part of our Christian lives if we are to be truly biblical.” Creeds Represent the Maximum Doctrinal Competence That Can Be Expected from a Congregation. “Many countries have laws that its citizens know will be broken.” “Laws set before us a vision of the kind of society we would like to see realized.” “Creeds send a signal to the congregation about what the church considers to be important.” “If a church has a six-point creed she essentially communicates to her people that these six things, and only these, are important.” We would not want to exclude from membership the educationally challenged? “The church should not send a signal to the congregation that members should simply be satisfied with a basic, mere Christianity.” God expects us to grow. “Thus, the questions ministers need to ask themselves are: What vision do we wish to give our people, from the most recent convert to the long-established church member? Is a creed a stick with which to beat people with? “This should also lead us to be wary of the role parachurch organizations play in the Christian life. They are to serve the church not vice versa.” “They can be a helpful and encouraging activity but should not supplant the absolute priority of the local church.” Creeds Relativize the Present. “If something has proved significant over the centuries, one can have a reasonable degree of confidence that it is of importance to more than just this day and generation.” “Creeds speak to issues that the church has found important for generations.” Is confessional revision always a possibility? Do the creeds connect us to the past and indicate that our identity is rooted in that past? Is this kind of counterculturalism important? Creeds Help to Define One Church in Relation to Another. Church members are able to point others to a succinct summary of the church's position on key doctrines. “It is convenient, honest, and transparent. It leaves nobody in any doubt about what the church is and what she teaches.” Creeds Are Necessary for Maintaining Corporate Unity. “We live in an age that fears exclusion.” “Churches have often been part of the problem, not the solution.” Brought about phrases like “love unites, doctrine divides” and “belonging before believing”. Does the Bible characterizes deviation from true doctrine as divisive? “Not all who cry “Lord, Lord” have a real saving knowledge of God.” Is exclusion necessary in the church? “Creeds establish boundaries of belonging and exclusion. Both are necessary if the church is to have a meaningful corporate identity and unity.” Can creeds cause Church discipline to be necessary? “More often, unity will manifest itself with the congregation reciting (and rejoicing in) the words of the creeds on Sunday mornings.” Conclusion. “Each of the above points is grounded in the apostle Paul's concern for the health of the church through her careful stewardship of God's truth, and the handing of that down from generation to generation.” May God help us to be faithful stewards of His truth. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/biblebulldog/message

Disagree, agree, or have a question: Contact us through the contact page on our website; http://www.biblebulldog.com Creeds Offer Succinct and Thorough Summaries of the Faith. Is there anything that offers a more thorough summary of the faith than the historic creeds and confessions? Two related aspects of using historical creeds: First, creeds focus the church's mind on the main things. Longevity. Why is this important? Is it unlikely for a church that holds to a historic creed to become sidetracked by the issues of the passing moment? Does it help to focus instead on the great theological categories that touch on matters of eternal significance? Second, the succinctness of creeds. “Today we have the woeful influence of things like Wikipedia in leading some to think that all important knowledge can be swiftly grasped in short sentences and after a few minutes of cursory reading.” “Would one really want to have a church confession that said nothing about the doctrine of Scripture, the doctrine of God, the nature of justification and sanctification, the definition of the church, and so on?” “A church confession needs a level of complexity in order for each of its doctrines to be stable and to function correctly.“ Does the history of doctrine in the church give ample witness to this fact? Creeds Allow for Appropriate Discrimination between Members & Office-bearers. Should laypeople be required to subscribe to a church's doctrinal standards in the same way as an elder or deacon? “Typically, Presbyterians set the bar for full communicant church membership very low: a simple but publicly coherent profession of faith in the line of Romans 10:9-10 is sufficient.” Qualifications of teachers: 1 Timothy 1:1-7 - Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope, To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions. “the careful communication of the faith in a manner that focuses on the straight forward teaching of the gospel.” “maturity and discernment” “He is also to make sure that his ambition is to teach, not to be a teacher.” What is the difference? So, in order to teach, the teacher is to have a certain competence in doctrine that does not typically mark the church member. Is the ability to teach nonnegotiable? --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/biblebulldog/message

Disagree, agree, or have a question: Contact us through the contact page on our website; http://www.biblebulldog.com “Two important aspects of pastors: doctrinal competence and authority. That the two are linked is crucial.” Doctrinal competence without authority. What are the consequences of this? Authority without doctrinal competence. Same question. “In order to establish church power within appropriate limits, several things need to be in place:” First, there needs to be a clear understanding of what the church is. It's stated purpose. Are some church's purpose confusing to people? Second, there needs to be a statement of the church's beliefs; a creed or confession of faith. Would this confession describe the message which the church is to preach? Would it limit the church's power to what is contained within that document? Third, there needs to be a set of procedures that articulate and define how the confession of faith is to be practically applied within the congregation. Paul had to address issues of the abuse of church power. Galatians 5:12-13, the teaching that the Galatians need to be circumcised. “The NT church's power is delimited by the Gospel.” “We see a similar situation in Colossians 2:16 - Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. Was this connected to a dictatorial church eldership? In these contexts, could confessions be helpful? How else could we create a church community where what is regarded as normal belief and practice is publicly stated in such a fashion: that it expresses biblical teaching, can be challenged and tested in the light of Scripture, and allows both elders and laypeople to know exactly where they stand in relationship to each other? Does a creed or confession guarantee that abuse of power will not take place? --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/biblebulldog/message

Disagree, agree, or have a question: Contact us through the contact page on our website; http://www.biblebulldog.com “In this last chapter I want to conclude by listing a series of further advantages that the church can enjoy if she gives creeds their proper place in her daily life.” All Churches & All Christians Have Creeds and Confessions. “No church or Christian simply believes the Bible.” What is a Bible believing church? When asked by a friend what the Bible teaches, how do we usually answer them? (we all try to offer a summary of what the Bible says.) When we reflect on how we read the Bible, does what we think as a whole shape how we understand individual verses, chapters, & books? “Paul gives an imperative for the church and her leadership: the stable transmission of the gospel from one generation to another.” How do creeds fulfill this vital role? “Some say they have no creed, but they just will not write it down and allow you to look at it and scrutinize it in the light of Scripture.” Why do you think this is true? “A confession is not enough. The church also needs mechanisms to ensure that, on the one hand, the confession does not become an unassailable idol and, on the other hand, that it is not subject to arbitrary wild interpretation.” Become a mere ritual. How can a creed become an idol? “Imagine a church that has “no creed but the Bible”, where the minister one week is convinced that baptism should be restricted to only professing believers and the next week changes his mind and thinks babies can be baptized too. Can he be held to account?” “If he thinks the Bible teaches Pelagianism one Sunday and Calvinism the next, who is to contradict him and how could they do so?” Confessions Delimit (sets boundaries) the Power of the Church. “Creeds serve to delimit the power of the church and of her officer-bearers.” “This is possibly one of the most important functions confessional documents can fulfill.” Why is this true? --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/biblebulldog/message

Disagree, agree, or have a question: Contact us through the contact page on our website; http://www.biblebulldog.com Creeds Liturgy and Formalism Do you think some churches simply go through the motions of praise without ever actually engaging their hearts and their minds? “spontaneous” Why do you think some feel the need to be “spontaneous”? “The only real point of difference between churches on this issue is the level of self-consciousness and explicit formality with which they are held.” Explain? Does the lack of a stated form mean that the same basic routine is not followed, week in, week out? Where would one go in the NT to find “being spontaneous” as being a hallmark of genuine Christian worship?” “It often appears that people use the term spontaneous to refer to nontraditional liturgical structures.” … “where nobody but the worship leader is entirely sure how many times the chorus is repeated” All are pre-planned using set forms of some kind, the content is fixed in advance of the service. Does our society put great stock in the idea that what makes us who we are is our individual self-creation and self-determination? “consumerism.” Should our faith be the faith of the other people in the church, both today and throughout the ages? “If reciting the creeds become formalism, it is not the fault of the creeds themselves.” Are creeds merely a tool for achieving a desired end? The Threefold Aspect of Creedal Doxology Creeds Offer a Corporate Summary of the Bible's Teaching Is one of your complaints the theological and biblical illiteracy of congregants compared to previous generations? “Two short Bible readings and one thirty minute sermon each Sunday will not solve the problem.” How should churches address such a lack? “As the congregation recites the creeds each week they are reminded of the cardinal doctrines of the Christian faith.” Does a person who knows the creed have a potentially profound grasp of theology? Can and should Catechisms be used in preaching or as part of the worship service? Creeds Are Countercultural Is the recitation of a creed in a worship service one of the most counter-cultural things that Christians can do? Is worship is meant to be counter-cultural? “seeker-sensitive services” “offering both traditional and contemporary services” “cultural conformity” 1 Corinthians 14:23-25 - If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your minds? But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you. Is there any evidence here of any attempt to make the unbeliever comfortable? “It is the difference that the unbeliever finds so striking.” How do these challenge the world: The public reading of God's Word? Singing praises to God? Corporate reading of a creed? “As soon as the congregation says, We believe in one God …” Aren't creeds a devastating blow against cultural conformity? The church looks to Christ, not the world. Creeds Ascribe to God What Belongs to Him and Him Alone. “The nature of us as fallen human beings is to forget who God is, and to remake Him in our own image.” How true is that? Why does God tell us to “not forsake assembling together”? Is worship: giving to God what is His? Why would a church that uses songs that are written beforehand and sung in unison object to reciting a creed? Simply a judgement based on taste. Pleasing ourselves rather attempting to please God. Conclusion. “I would argue that if one takes Scripture seriously and sees it as regulating both the form, content, and purpose of Christian praise, then it is hard to see why creedal material should not be included in a worship service.” Next chapter: On The Usefulness of Creeds and Confessions. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/biblebulldog/message

Disagree, agree, or have a question: Contact us through the contact page on our website; http://www.biblebulldog.com “The development of Trinitarian and christological discussion was driven in part by the need to give a coherent account of the worship cry ‘Jesus is Lord'.” … Were the Trinitarian controversies heated debates about the nature of Christian worship and Christian belonging? “Thus, the Trinitarian controversies of the early centuries are nothing if not heated debates about the nature of Christian worship and the nature of Christian belonging.” “The separation of doctrine and Christian experience was, arguably, a species of liberalism, in which human religious psychology is definitive of Christianity.” Do you agree? “Yet we must remember that liberalism is not primarily a rejection of the supernatural; it is a reconfiguration of the nature of Christianity in such a way as to highlight religious psychology or experience and downplay or marginalize doctrine.” Do you agree? Does the identity of God form the content of how we praise Him? “The identity of whom we praise actually informs the content of how we praise Him.” “The identity of God is foundation to, and constitutive of, the content and forms of biblical revelation and that is foundational to, and formative of, the Christian response in praise and worship.” “This point cannot be stressed enough with regard to doxology: the identity of God has priority over the content of Christian praise.” What does this mean and why it is true? Does a faulty understanding of God and how to respond to Him lead to praise that inadequate in both it's motivation and it's expression? In reciting the creeds, is the purpose to simply declare a set of biblical truths? “They are expressing their common belief with every other Christian throughout history who has used these words to witness to Christ.” “The creeds, in liturgical context, become a means of fulfilling the public declaration that Romans 10 demands of believers.” How and why is this true? The Creeds and Trinitarian Worship “Is the Trinity the result of infighting churchmen in the early centuries and not something that connects to modern life? Is the Christian life Trinitarian by its very nature.” Is the Church as a body Trinitarian.” Is Baptism Trinitarian.” Is the Trinity a doctrine that both shapes our worship and pervades our worship? Is simply reciting the creed enough? “it needs to be connected to clear teaching.” “Christians should expect worship to always be a learning experience.” Do you think modern day Christians look at worship in this way? “The creeds take a few minutes to memorize and recite but a lifetime to master.” --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/biblebulldog/message

Disagree, agree, or have a question: Contact us through the contact page on our website; http://www.biblebulldog.com Confession as praise. “For Paul, doctrine and doxology are not separated.” Philippians 2:6-11 - who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Should Christians separate doctrine and doxology? “This is both descriptive and prescriptive.” How is it descriptive and how is it prescriptive?… “It is a superb example of what it enjoins: theological confession as doxology”. 1 Timothy 3:14-16 - I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth. Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world,taken up in glory. Is there any difference between doctrine and doxology here? Do our creeds and confessions arise out of a desire to praise God? 1 Timothy 1:15-17 - The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in Him for eternal life. To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. “This is a remarkable example of how doctrine, personal testimony, and praise can be wonderfully intertwined in the words spoken by a Christian.” I have heard people say, “your personal testimony is not the gospel” is this true? Polemic - How is praise polemic? “Praise is rooted in the identity of God. It is thus always going to be polemical in a fallen world that flees God and prostrates itself before idols.” Theology - “doctrine or dogma is part of the very essence of Christianity.” … Is Believing is the means of belonging? Doxology - “Christian believing and belonging are two sides of the same coin” … Is praise that expresses the content of our belief the means by which our belonging is given publicly? Early Creeds and Christian Praise Is the worship aspect of creeds evident in the early church? Didache 9. The prayer of thanksgiving after the meal. Page 140 “This is magnificent theology” Did church doxology develop along with doctrinal statements in the early church? “Doctrinal statement and doxology are corresponding developments within the church and we must not lose sight of the latter in our reflections upon the former.” --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/biblebulldog/message

Disagree, agree, or have a question: Contact us through the contact page on our website; http://www.biblebulldog.com “It is easy even for those who delight in creeds to forget that doxology or praise is a vital aspect of their function.” Do you think most Christian's think of creeds as a form of praise? “Christian theology as a whole is one long extended reflection upon the meaning and significance of that most basic doxological declaration, ‘Jesus is Lord'.” … ”If we fail to make this connection, then our appreciation of the creeds and confessions will be dramatically impoverished as, I would argue, will be our understanding of Christian worship itself.” Why is this true? “The term ‘Jesus' carries with it a vast amount of implicit doctrinal content.” Can anyone talk about Jesus without using doctrine? “The basic worship cry 'Jesus is Lord' is in itself a confession in the sense that it is both a public declaration of praise and a public declaration of doctrinal commitment.” Does this statement sum up the Christian life and the church's worship? The Bible and Confessional Praise Romans 10:9-10 - because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. Why is “with the mouth one confesses” significant? Can't we just believe in our heart? A public act. “The confessing to which Paul refers is is a public act, and such public acts of confession serve a variety of purposes. Confessing before the world. Why should Christians confess before the world? Confessing within the church. How and why do Christian confess within the church? --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/biblebulldog/message

Disagree, agree, or have a question: Contact us through the contact page on our website; http://www.biblebulldog.com The Westminster Larger Catechism: Are the Westminster less pastoral than the Heidelberg catechism? No confessional or catechism stands by itself; it is part of an ecclesiastical way of life, one element of our lives as Christians. “Confessions are far more than a set of dry propositions that never touch real life and experience.” Larger - “chapter 15.5 ‘Men ought not to content themselves with a general repentance but it is every man's duty to repent of his particular sins, particularly.'” “Condemning by implication the lazy tendency that we can have as Christians to repent in general terms and let that be sufficient. Confessionalism is not simply about abstract doctrine; confessions also bind one to certain practices, certain ways of life. Christianity as a set of beliefs or a way of life. What is the Westminster Larger Catechism, and why was it included in the Westminster Standards? How does the Westminster Larger Catechism reflect the theological beliefs of the Presbyterian tradition, particularly with regard to the nature of salvation and the role of faith? What was the historical context in which the Westminster Larger Catechism was written, and how did this context shape its contents? What is the significance of the Westminster Larger Catechism for modern Presbyterian theology, and how does it continue to shape Presbyterian understanding of salvation and faith? The Westminster Shorter Catechism: What is the Westminster Shorter Catechism, and why was it included in the Westminster Standards? How does the Westminster Shorter Catechism reflect the theological beliefs of the Presbyterian tradition, particularly with regard to the nature of God and the role of humans in the world? What was the historical context in which the Westminster Shorter Catechism was written, and how did this context shape its contents? What is the significance of the Westminster Shorter Catechism for modern Presbyterian theology, and how does it continue to shape Presbyterian understanding of God and humanity? Conclusion. Classic orthodox Protestantism has a rich confessional heritage. All stand within the basic Trinitarian and christological framework laid out in the early church creedal formulations. There is a remarkable degree of consensus on the basics of salvation. There are differences. Lords supper, baptism, What we have today in confessional evangelical circles is an eclectic pick ‘n' mix approach. Holding to some or all 5 points of Calvinism does not make one confessional. Confessions are only really confessions when they are adopted and confessed by a church. Thus, to say that one is a confessional Christian requires that one also specify to which confession one adheres and in what specific church context one does so. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/biblebulldog/message

129. What doth the word “Amen” signify? “Amen” signifies it shall truly and certainly be, for my prayer is more assuredly heard of God than I feel in my heart that I desire these things of Him.   Assurance of our faith. What is the Heidelberg Catechism, and why was it included in The Three Forms of Unity?   How does the Heidelberg Catechism reflect the theological beliefs of the Reformed tradition, particularly with regard to the nature of salvation and the role of faith?   What was the historical context in which the Heidelberg Catechism was written, and how did this context shape its contents?   How does the Heidelberg Catechism differ from other Protestant catechisms, particularly those of the Lutheran tradition, in terms of its theological emphases?   What is the significance of the Heidelberg Catechism for modern Reformed theology, and how does it continue to shape Reformed understanding of salvation and faith?   The Canons of Dort (1619)   What are the Canons of Dort, and why were they included in The Three Forms of Unity? A direct response to the Five Remonstrant Articles of 1610, set forth by the followers of Jacob Arminius. - Conditional election, universal atonement, a modified understanding of depravity, and the resistibility of grace, along with an article that questioned perseverance.   How do the Canons of Dort reflect the theological beliefs of the Reformed tradition, particularly with regard to the doctrine of predestination and the nature of sin and grace? The Canons of Dordt responded by asserting total depravity, unconditional election, particular redemption (“limited atonement”), irresistible grace, and the perseverance of the saints.   “The Canons were thus not intended as anything approaching a comprehensive statement of Christian doctrine.” What was the historical context in which the Canons of Dort were written, and how did this context shape their contents?   How do the Canons of Dort differ from other Protestant confessions, particularly those of the Lutheran tradition, in terms of their theological emphases?   What is the significance of the Canons of Dort for modern Reformed theology, and how do they continue to shape Reformed understanding of predestination and grace? “Anybody who thinks that Protestant confessionalism is a hard, dry creed needs to read the Heidelberg Catechism. Only the willfully stupid or deluded could possibly dismiss such a document.” The Westminster Standards. The Westminster Standards is a collective name for the documents drawn up by the Westminster Assembly (1643–49). These include the Westminster Confession of Faith, the Westminster Shorter Catechism, the Westminster Larger Catechism, the Directory of Public Worship, and the Form of Church Government,[1] and represent the doctrine and church polity of 17th-century English and Scottish Presbyterianism. The Westminster Confession of Faith and Larger and Shorter Catechism have been adopted as doctrinal standards by a number of Reformed and Presbyterian Christian denominations, but not the Church of Scotland nor those derived directly from it. What are the Westminster Standards, and why were they written? The standards indicate that the authors were men of acute pastoral insight.   How do the Westminster Standards reflect the theological beliefs of the Protestant Reformation, particularly those of the Presbyterian tradition? Westminster has a much stricter view of the fourth commandment when compared to the Heidelberg Catechism.   In what ways do the Westminster Standards demonstrate the importance of theological precision and the use of creeds in the modern church?   What is the structure of the Westminster Standards, and how does this structure contribute to their usefulness as a confessional document?   The Westminster Confession of Faith: gard to the doctrine of God and the nature of salvation?   --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/biblebulldog/message

Disagree, agree, or have a question: Contact us through the contact page on our website; http://www.biblebulldog.com The Three Forms of Unity. The Three Forms of Unity is a collective name for the 'Belgic' Confession of Faith, the Canons of Dort, and the Heidelberg Catechism, which are accepted as official statements of doctrine by many of the Reformed churches, including the URCNA. What are The Three Forms of Unity, and why were they written?   “Part of the reformation that looks to the continental Reformation (as opposed to the Anglo-Scottish Reformation).” Modern day Belgium and the Netherlands (Dutch).   How do The Three Forms of Unity reflect the theological beliefs of the Protestant Reformation, particularly those of the Reformed tradition?   In what ways do The Three Forms of Unity demonstrate the importance of theological precision and the use of creeds in the modern church?   What is the structure of The Three Forms of Unity, and how does this structure contribute to its usefulness as a confessional document?   How does The Three Forms of Unity differ from other Protestant confessions, such as the Westminster Confession or The Book of Concord, in terms of its theological emphases and historical context?   The Belgic Confession: (1561) What is the Belgic Confession, and why was it included in The Three Forms of Unity?   “In Article 9 it accepts the teaching of the Apostles', Nicene, and Athanasian creeds.” Why is this important?   “Holding fast to sound words.”   How does the Belgic Confession reflect the theological beliefs of the Reformed tradition, particularly with regard to the doctrine of God and the nature of salvation?   “And this holy church is preserved by God against the rage of the whole world, even though for a time it may appear very small in the eyes of men-as though it were completely extinguished.” A great encouragement. What was the historical context in which the Belgic Confession was written, and how did this context shape its contents?   What is the significance of the Belgic Confession for modern Reformed theology, and how does it continue to shape Reformed understanding of God and salvation?   The Heidelberg Catechism (1563)   “omits any direct teaching on predestination.” “According to the introduction, the Heidelberg Catechism was to provided a basis for confessional unity, a model for training youth, and a guide to teachers and pastors to prevent them from adopting doctrinal changes at will.”  Why is this important?   52 sections.   “The tone and phrasing of the first and last questions: 1. What is thy only comfort in life and death? That I with body and soul, both in life and death, am not my own, but belong unto my faithful Savior Jesus Christ; who, with His precious blood, hath fully satisfied for all my sins, and delivered me from all the power of the devil; and so preserves me that without the will of my heavenly Father, not a hair can fall from my head; yea, that all things must be subservient to my salvation, and therefore, by His Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal life, and makes me sincerely willing and ready, henceforth, to live unto Him. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/biblebulldog/message

Disagree, agree, or have a question: Contact us through the contact page on our website; http://www.biblebulldog.com The Book of Concord. The Book of Concord (1580) or Concordia (often referred to as the Lutheran Confessions) is the historic doctrinal standard of the Lutheran Church, consisting of ten credal documents recognized as authoritative in Lutheranism since the 16th century. Martin Luther's quirky quotes. “May God punish you, I say, you shameless, barefaced liar, devil's mouthpiece, who dares to spit out, before God, before all the angels, before the dear sun, before all the world, your devil's filth.” From Against the Roman Papacy, an Institution of the Devil, pg. 349 of Luther's Works, Vol. 41 “For you are an excellent person, as skillful, clever, and versed in Holy Scripture as a cow in a walnut tree or a sow on a harp.” From Against Hanswurst, pg. 219 of Luther's Works, Vol. 41 “You are like a magician who conjures gulden into the mouths of silly people, but when they open their mouths they have horse dirt in them.” From Against the Roman Papacy, an Institution of the Devil, pg. 264 of Luther's Works, Vol. 41 The Book of Concord is a collection of 10 writings: The Apostle's Creed The Nicene Creed The Athanasian Creed. The Augsburg Confession: The Augsburg Confession is a key document of the Lutheran tradition that outlines the basic beliefs of the Lutheran Church. It was written in 1530. e Augsburg Confession consists of 28 articles that cover a range of topics. Some of the key points of the Augsburg Confession are: Justification by faith: The Augsburg Confession emphasizes that salvation is a free gift of God that is received through faith alone. The authority of scripture: The Augsburg Confession affirms the authority of scripture as the final authority in matters of faith and practice. The sacraments: The Augsburg Confession affirms the importance of two sacraments, Baptism and the Lord's Supper, and rejects the Catholic teaching of transubstantiation. The priesthood of all believers: The Augsburg Confession emphasizes that all believers have direct access to God through Christ, and that there is no need for a mediator between God and humanity. The Apology of the Augsburg Confession: The Apology of the Augsburg Confession is a document written by Philipp Melanchthon, a German reformer, in 1531. It was written as a response to the Roman Catholic Church's rejection of the Augsburg Confession. The Smalcald Articles: The Smalcald Articles are a Lutheran confession of faith that was written by Martin Luther in 1537. The Smalcald Articles were written in response to the Council of Trent. They are a statement of faith that outlines the key beliefs of the Lutheran Church. The Smalcald Articles affirm the Lutheran belief in salvation by grace through faith alone and reject the Catholic belief in salvation through good works The Treatise on the Power and Primacy of the Pope: The Treatise on the Power and Primacy of the Pope is a document written by Philip Melanchthon, a German reformer, in 1537. The Treatise on the Power and Primacy of the Pope was written to clarify the Lutheran position on the role of the Pope in the Church. It affirms the Lutheran belief in the authority of the Bible as the sole source of Christian doctrine. The Formula of Concord: The Formula of Concord is a Lutheran confession of faith that was written in 1577. It was a response to divisions within the Lutheran Church and aimed to unify Lutheran beliefs and practices. Final thought from Martin Luther: “I'm fed up with the world, and it is fed up with me. I'm quite content with that. The world thinks that if it is only rid of me everything will be fine, and it will accomplish this. After all, it's as I've often said: I'm like a ripe stool and the world is like a gigantic anus, and so we're about to let go of each other.” (Martin Luther, Table Talk, 5537). --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/biblebulldog/message

Disagree, agree, or have a question: Contact us through the contact page on our website; http://www.biblebulldog.com Pastor William Shifflett discusses PART TWO - Classical Protestant Confessions Chapter 4, The Creedal Imperative by Dr. Carl Trueman. The Anglican Articles (Confessions). What is the Anglican Church and where did it get it's beginning? Henry VIII played a pivotal role in the formation of the Anglican Church itself. In 1534, he broke with the Roman Catholic Church and declared himself the Supreme Head of the Church of England, establishing the Church of England as a separate entity from the Roman Catholic Church. What are the Anglican Articles? The Anglican Articles are a collection of statements of faith that define the beliefs of the Anglican Church. They were first published in 1563 during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, and have since been an important part of Anglican theology and doctrine. What are some of the topics in the Anglican Articles? The Articles cover a wide range of topics, including the nature of God, the authority of Scripture, the sacraments, the role of the church, and the relationship between church and state. They reflect the unique history and identity of the Anglican Church, which emerged out of the English Reformation and sought to strike a balance between Catholic and Protestant traditions. What role have the Anglican Articles play in history? The Articles have played an important role in shaping Anglican theology and practice, providing a foundation for the church's liturgy, teaching, and governance. They have also been a source of controversy and debate, as different groups within the church have interpreted them in different ways over the centuries. Today, the Articles continue to be an important part of Anglican identity and serve as a guide for Anglicans around the world. They are often cited in theological discussions and debates, and remain a central part of the church's historical and theological heritage. The Book of Homilies. The Books of Homilies are authorized sermons issued in two books for use in the Church of England during the reigns of Edward VI and Elizabeth I. They were to provide for the Church a new model of simplified topical preaching as well as a theological understanding of the Reformation that had taken place in England. Thomas Cranmer broached the idea of a Book of Homilies in 1539, but it was not authorized by the Church's Convocation until 1542. Within a year the twelve homilies of the first book were collected and edited by Cranmer, who also wrote at least five of them. They were not published, however, until 1547. The first six homilies present distinctive Protestant theology, namely the authority and sufficiency of Scripture, the radical sinfulness of man, justification by faith alone (entitled "Of the Salvation of All Mankind"), evangelical faith, and sanctification. The Homilies were revoked under Queen Mary but reinstated by Elizabeth. The Book of Common Prayer. The first English Book of Common Prayer, published in 1549. In September 1548 a committee under the presidency of Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, met to draft what was to become the first English Book of Common Prayer. It was authorised by the first Act of Uniformity passed on 15 January 1549 and published later that year. Following the Reformation and the translation of the Bible into vernacular languages, the plan was to make prayers available in the vernacular as well and to provide one book for all the services of the church and all occasions of life. Thus it was written in English rather than the usual Latin. The Thirty-nine Articles. The Thirty-nine Articles of Religion (commonly abbreviated as the Thirty-nine Articles or the XXXIX Articles), finalised in 1571, are the historically defining statements of doctrines and practices of the Church of England with respect to the controversies of the English Reformation. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/biblebulldog/message

Disagree, agree, or have a question: Contact us through the contact page on our website; http://www.biblebulldog.com Pastor William Shifflett discusses PART ONE - Classical Protestant Confessions Chapter 4, The Creedal Imperative by Dr. Carl Trueman. Dr. Trueman writes about the fragmentation of the church in the 16th century. Was the primary factor for that fragmentation the Protestant Reformation? Did it also involve territorial politics? What role did the territorial politics of the time play in shaping the confessions? What was the role of the Confessions in the establishment and consolidation of territorial churches? How did the Confessions function as a means of defining and enforcing orthodoxy within Protestantism? How did the confessions and creeds of this era influence theological thought and debate? How do the Confessions reflect the tensions between individual conscience and the authority of the church? How did the development of confessions and creeds impact the unity of the church at that time? What can we learn from the dual impulses of theology and politics behind the production of Confessions? How did the Protestant confessions and creeds impact religious practices and beliefs in the 1600s and beyond? How have these confessions and creeds impacted Protestant Christianity today? --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/biblebulldog/message

Disagree, agree, or have a question: Contact us through the contact page on our website; http://www.biblebulldog.com Pastor William Shifflett discusses PART SEVEN - The Early Church - Chapter 3 The Creedal Imperative by Carl R. Truman The Council of Chalcedon. 451 The last of the early councils which is of major relevance to modern Protestants. It effectively put into place four boundaries for future christological discussion: Christ is must be fully God; Christ must be fully human; the two natures must not be so mixed together that either disappears into the other or that a third hybrid nature is produced; and the two natures must not be separated so as to undermine the unity of the one person. There are strong element of negative theology in Chalcedon. What is negative theology? Defining where one should not go with one's christology. It places boundaries. Generated new questions: If Christ is one person and two natures, how many wills does He have? As noted, each time one problem is solved, new questions are generated. Your response to his quotes - “Indeed, Christian orthodoxy is sometimes the sum of the least number of doctrinal difficulties, complications, and strange statements with which one is prepared to live.” “Historical theology, the genealogy of doctrinal discussion and formulation, is thus an important part of Christian education and should be part of every pastor's background. It should also be a central part of the teaching ministry in all churches.” The Athanasian Creed. Played a significant role in the life of the church, both East and especially West. For example, it is part of the liturgy of the Book of Common Prayer. The name implies that it was Athanasius who was behind it. Not the case, Western provenance, written in Latin by person unknown. (around 320-420). 2 contentious clauses 2 and 44: 1. Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic faith; 2. Which faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly. 44. This is the catholic faith, which except a man believe faithfully he cannot be saved. “Such anathemas, fall foul of contemporary tastes.” Why is this the case? Exclusion. Boundaries are vital to the healthy, orthodox Christianity. Like other ancient creeds, it was not dealing with trivial matters. It was dealing with the very identity of God in such a manner that denial of its affirmations placed one's soul in serious jeopardy. Conclusion. 1.The fact that the early church developed them in the first place. The church as whole came to the conclusion that binding creedal formulas were on way of attempting to establish public criteria for orthodoxy. Creeds are simply “forms of sound words”. 2.The early church creeds focus on the most basic building blocks of the faith. 3.They all address the very identity of God. They seek to answer the most basic question in Christian theology and in the life of every believer. 4.If you want to abolish the early church creeds, you are going to need to replace them with something straightaway. 5.The Lord has graciously provided us with a great cloud of witnesses throughout history who can help us to understand the Bible and to apply it to our present day. 6.Of course as Protestants, we do not believe that the ancient creeds say everything that a church committed to teaching the whole counsel of God needs to say to the world. For Protestants, discussion of creedalism cannot stop with Chalcedon. It must also address confessional developments in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. It is to these we turn in the next chapter. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/biblebulldog/message

Disagree, agree, or have a question: Contact us through the contact page on our website; http://www.biblebulldog.com Pastor William Shifflett discusses PART SIX - The Early Church - Chapter 3 The Creedal Imperative by Carl R. Truman The 7 Ecumenical Councils: The 1st Council of Nicaea.325 The Council of Constantinople.381 The 1st Council of Ephesus.431 The Council of Chalcedon.451 The 2nd Council of Constantinople,553 The 3rd Council of Constantinople,680-681 The 2nd Council of Nicaea,787 “It is not the purpose of this book to outline in detail the history of individual councils.” The 1st Council of Nicaea. 325 Is there a more important question than the one Jesus asked His disciples: "Who do you say that I am?" (Matt. 16:15)? The correct answer to that question is, in some respects, simple enough for a child to be saved, but also complex enough to keep theologians busy for all eternity. A Hebrew phrase, called the “Shema,” was memorized and repeated: “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One” (Deut. 6:4). This is good and true teaching! Nevertheless, if the Lord is “One,” how does Jesus fit into the equation? The Arian Controversy. What was the Arian Controversy? Arianism — is alive today in cults such as the Jehovah's Witnesses. It may also be held unwittingly by Christians who have not received good teaching and believe, implicitly, that the Father is a “higher” God than the Son. Significance of Nicaea: The issue of the Son's relationship with the Father. Recent scholarship has demonstrated that Nicaea 1 did not play a significant part until the 350s. Nicaea 1 was extremely important, provoking the church to reflect on the doctrinal content of the gospel, on the need to fashion an extra-biblical vocabulary for expressing this, and on the need for this vocabulary to be established as normative across the church. The Council of Constantinople. 381 The complex struggles - linguistic, theological, ecclesiastical and political in the half century after Nicaea culminated in the great Council of Constantinople. But there were still some unconvinced troublemakers. They would not bow their knees to the notion of a full incarnation of the eternally divine Son of God. They pushed the envelope further and said that Jesus was “unlike” the Father in His substance. John 17:3 says, “And this is eternal life, that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” Tradition ascribes the Nicene Creed was actually formulated here. Debated the nature of God existing in 3 persons and that the Holy Spirit is fully God. The Nicene Creed enjoyed normative status as definitive of catholic orthodoxy. This remains until present day. The creed contains considerable elaboration of the deity of the Spirit and represents a more Trinitarian description of who God is. - Wasn't this in Baptismal formulas and the most basic liturgical actions of the church? “If doctrine develops, does this mean that what unites us to Christ Changes over time, too?” The 1st Council of Ephesus. 431 Creeds do not simply offer new doctrinal models and establish new vocabulary with which to solve particular issues; the also generate new problems and questions and set the terms for future debates. How do these two substances, the divine and the human, relate to each other in Christ? The issue at Ephesus was Nestorianism. Nestorianism is a heresy, which will be condemned at this council in 431, which believed that the human body of Jesus, that was from Mary, but the divine Logos replaced the human soul. Nestorianism taught that Jesus was not truly human. “This is one of the reasons why theology cannot simply be done by reading the Bible: the fine-tuning of concepts an vocabulary is a cumulative and traditionary exercise. It means one will search in vain for the terms “Trinity”, “substance”, or for that matter, “conversion experience, “personal relationship with Jesus”, “missional”, “relational”, and “no creed but the Bible!” --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/biblebulldog/message

Disagree, agree, or have a question: Contact us through the contact page on our website; http://www.biblebulldog.com Pastor William Shifflett discusses PART FIVE - The Early Church - Chapter 3 The Creedal Imperative by Carl R. Truman The “Rule of Faith” is a summary of the essentials of Christianity that occurs in various verbal forms in the writings of numerous early church fathers. The Apostles' Creed. Did the apostles write it, from where did it come? The similarities with the Rule of Faith are obvious, but there is no consensus on the literary origins of the creed. It probably has its origins in the third century. It was formalized somewhere around 800 AD. Early catechisms used the Apostles' Creed as the framework for teaching doctrine. Both Lutheran and the Heidelberg include it. Liberal & conservative theologians use it. Why does it have such a universal presence? It contains the controversial and disputed clause that “Christ descended into hell”. The basic teaching of “He descended into Hell” from - https://apostles-creed.org/interpreta... Those in Hell will not only see God, God will be present in their torment. They will have an ever reminder of God in plain view. Is this correct? Preaching to the Spirits in Hell The Roman Catechism teaches that, when Christ was dead and in the tomb, He was in Hades or Hell preaching the gospel to those who were dead prior to Christs crucifixion. The Roman Catholic Catechism states, “The gospel was preached even to the dead.” The descent into hell brings the Gospel message of salvation to complete fulfillment. This is the last phase of Jesus' messianic mission, a phase which is condensed in time but vast in its real significance: the spread of Christ's redemptive work to all men of all times and all places, for all who are saved have been made sharers in the redemption. Christ went down into the depths of death so that “the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.” Jesus, “the Author of life”, by dying destroyed “him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and [delivered] all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage.” Henceforth the risen Christ holds “the keys of Death and Hades”, so that “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth.” The Catechism of the Roman Catholic Church #634 – 635 One section in the Bible that the writers of the Roman Catechism get this teaching from 1st Peter. For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, in order that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water. (1Pe 3:18-20 NAS) For the gospel has for this purpose been preached even to those who are dead, that though they are judged in the flesh as men, they may live in the spirit according to the will of God. (1Pe 4:6 NAS) Another section of the Bible that is used to support this is found in John chapter 5. Truly, truly, I say to you, a time is coming and even now has arrived, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live… Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs shall hear His voice, and shall come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment. (John 5:25, 28-29) Does this refer to the 1st or 2nd coming of Christ? Reformed pastor Daniel R. Hyde; “the words simply express the OT prophecies of the death and resurrection of Christ.” Dr. Trueman; “We should not abandon a clause in a creed simply because we do not understand it at first reading.” --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/biblebulldog/message

Docetism: derived from the Greek verb dokeō , which means “seem” or “appear”; thus, the name of the heresy points to its teaching that Jesus did not have a real physical body. Instead, He only seemed to possess physicality. His body was an illusion, something that looked real but in fact was not a part of the physical order at all. Pastor, we see this in the Bible don't we? 2 John 7 - For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist. The Apostle John says it is false teaching to deny that Jesus Christ came “in the flesh.” He is referring to docetic teaching or at least to teaching that would later blossom into full-fledged docetism. Gnosticism: Gnosticism was a prominent movement that grew up around the church in the second century, although it was partly of pre-Christian origin. It was a cocktail of Persian, Egyptian, Jewish, and Christian ideas, with some Greek philosophy thrown in. The word gnōsis itself is Greek and means “knowing” or “having knowledge.” “Having knowledge” is a significant part of Gnosticism. Do we see this in the Bible as well? Simon Magus is described in the book of Acts. He's been called the first Gnostic, and according to Acts chapter 8, “he amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great.” Gnostics can't believe that the Son of God actually took on human flesh forever in the incarnation, because all matter is evil. So as a result, many of them argued that Jesus merely took on human form temporarily, rather like putting on a moldy smelling old coat that you can't wait to take off as soon as you put it on. What is the biggest problem with gnosticism? The problem of course, is that Jesus' atonement for human sin requires that He be both truly God and truly human. Marcion: a heretic we need to know: https://reformedperspective.ca/marcion-a-heretic-we-need-to-know/ “His major distinctive was his insistence on the Christian gospel as exclusively one of love to the extent that he came to a complete rejection of the Old Testament and only a qualified acceptance of those parts of the New Testament which he considered to be consistent with his central thesis.” Marcion sounds like he could be the minister at many churches of today. 1.Out with wrath. 2. Out with the OT. 3. Out with God's songs. 4.-Making God unknowable. - “Ultimately, I think it will push “the God who is there” back into the realm of the unknowable and make our god a mere projection of our own psychology, and make our worship simply into group therapy sessions where we all come together to pretend we are feeling great.” “The struggle over the tradition of apostolic teaching and the extent and content of the biblical canon were significant.” Does this struggle still exist? Dr. Trueman - “Reformed worship places the Word at the center because the declaration of the truth of the Gospel is central. Ideally, this truth shapes the liturgical actions of the Reformed community. For example, in the church service, the minister reads the Decalogue and brings words of judgment down on God's people, reminding them of their death in Adam. He leads them in a corporate confession of sin and then reads words from Scripture, pointing toward the promise in Christ of comfort, forgiveness, and the final ­resurrection to come. Fall, death, forgiveness, resurrection: The basic elements of the Christian message find concise and precise expression in Reformed liturgical practice. The congregation responds with a hymn of praise to God for His goodness. Here, the beauty and the distinctiveness of the Reformed faith become evident. The congregation, reminded of who they are—sinners who stand before God condemned for their ­unrighteousness and uncleanness—receive the promise in Christ that, grasped by faith, seals forgiveness upon their hearts and moves them to praise and thanksgiving.” --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/biblebulldog/message

Disagree, agree, or have a question: Contact us through the contact page on our website; http://www.biblebulldog.com Pastor William Shifflett discusses PART THREE - The Early Church/Church Fathers - Chapter 3 The Creedal Imperative by Carl R. Truman Does the study of church history/fathers point us to the Roman Catholic Church? Ignatius of Antioch:(?-98) #Ignatius Warned the church against heresies that threatened peace and unity, opposed Gnosticism and Docetism. Is there anything more you can tell us about him? Irenaeus:(around AD 130-202) Irenaeus, bishop of Lyons (located in present-day France). In his work Against Heresies, Irenaeus confronts the teachings of Gnosticism, appealing to apostolic tradition as the final arbiter of truth. Again, is there anything more you can tell us about him? Tertullian:(155-220) The first of the ancient church fathers to use the term Trinitas, or “Trinity,” is often credited with saying, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.” Same question. Hippolytus of Rome:(170-236) He was the last Roman theologian to write in the language of the New Testament. And because the use of Greek died out in Rome by the mid fourth century, many of Hippolytus' works were forgotten and even lost. Same question. Athanasius:(296-373) Athanasius, the fourth-century bishop of Alexandria. During the fourth century, the church was forced to deal with the Arian controversy. This controversy was named after Arius who was a well-known teacher in the church at that time. Arius denied that Jesus was eternally divine. Rather, he said that Jesus was only a god-like creature. Same question. Augustine of Hippo:(354-430) Augustine became bishop of Hippo in 395 and exerted an enormous influence on the church. He argued against the British monk Pelagius who denied original sin and said that a person did not need special grace in order to be saved. Augustine's work on the Trinity became very influential in the history of Christian theology. His Confessions is one of the most important autobiographies ever written. Same question. 2.Doctrinal Content: How important is it to keep doctrine pure, and how can it be done? --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/biblebulldog/message

Disagree, agree, or have a question: Contact us through the contact page on our website; http://www.biblebulldog.com Pastor William Shifflett discusses PART TWO - The Early Church - Chapter 3 The Creedal Imperative by Carl R. Truman The Rule of Faith. The “Rule of Faith” is a summary of the essentials of Christianity that occurs in various verbal forms in the writings of numerous early church fathers. The postapostolic period presented 2 challenges. 1.Leadership structure: Due to the death of the apostles. What was Paul's main concern in his letters to Timothy & Titus? The Didache (AD 70 to AD 100): https://www.reformation21.org/miscellaneous/window-on-the-past-the-didache-editorial-director-reformation21.php Derek Thomas, “The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles, or its subtitle, The Teaching of the Lord Through the Twelve Apostles (neither of which are thought to be original) is known today simply as The Didache ("The Teaching"). … The document itself contains five discernible parts, though there is no chapter or section division in the document itself. Issues and themes move from one to another with a breathtaking abruptness. These sections are: 1) A Training Program in "The Way of Life" (1:1 - 6:2) [44%] 2) Regulations regarding eating, baptizing, fasting, and praying (6:3 - 11:2) [22%] 3) Regulations regarding hospitality and the testing of various classes of visitors (especially "prophets" - itinerant preachers dependent on the kindness of the church for their well-being and among whom might well be hucksters and charlatans (11:3 - 13:2) [15%] 4) Regulations regarding offerings: firstfruits and "sacrfices" (13:3 - 15:4) [10%] 5) Closing Apocalyptic section of warning and hope (16:1 - 8) [9%] This sounds similar to a creed. Where is it similar and where is it not? Was it written by the apostles? Were any of the apostles aware of the Didache? “Church government issues are significant topic of discussion in the early second century church.” Would you say that this is still true in the church today? Which is Biblical? Before we discuss the church fathers I want to touch on this. In my studies for this podcast I came across this quote: “I remember reading a Protestant scholar, an article he wrote a few years ago. He said that the most arrogant thing he thought that a Catholic had ever said was “to be deep in history is to cease to be Protestant.” Of course, from Cardinal John Henry Newman. … So when you look at the history of the church, Catholicism fully blooms. Now, he took great chagrin at this because this particular scholar was a Protestant church historian.” - Trent Horn https://www.catholic.com/audio/cot/protestant-distortions-of-the-church-fathers Does the study of church history/fathers point us to the Roman Catholic Church? --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/biblebulldog/message

Disagree, agree, or have a question: Contact us through the contact page on our website; http://www.biblebulldog.com Pastor William Shifflett discusses PART ONE - The Early Church - Chapter 3 The Creedal Imperative by Carl R. Truman One of the frequent objections to creeds is that the Bible does not contain any. Is this true? Creeds and confessions are biblical. This is illustrated by the fact that the Old Testament people of God confessed their faith every morning and evening with the words of Deuteronomy 6:4, the basic confession of the Old Testament: "Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God: the LORD is one." Where else are there examples of creeds in Scripture? Peter confessed Jesus as "the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matt. 16:16). This was the basic creed of the New Testament. Paul went on to elaborate on this in places such as 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, where he summarized the faith of the church in this creed: "Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures … he was buried … he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures." In the previously referenced Ephesians 4:4-6, Paul gave what many scholars believe to be a creed that was recited when a new convert was baptized: "There is one body and one Spirit … one hope … one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father." One last example of a New Testament creed is 1 Timothy 3:16, where Paul wrote to the young pastor Timothy, saying, "Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory." When we move from the period of biblical history into the post-apostolic age, creed-like formulations start to appear. We need to understand that Creeds have a 2 fold aspect: 1.Content: Which is designed to serve the transmission of the faith, the doctrinal concern. 2.Normative nature (implying, creating, or prescribing a norm or standard): The ecclesiological concern. Concerns in the study of the Church. How would you define orthodoxy? The Rule of Faith. The “Rule of Faith” is a summary of the essentials of Christianity that occurs in various verbal forms in the writings of numerous early church fathers. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/biblebulldog/message

Disagree, agree, or have a question: Contact us through the contact page on our website; http://www.biblebulldog.com with Pastor William Shifflett 2 Timothy 1:13 - Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. What is the “form of sound words” and why is it important? p74 Dr Truman says that there is both a theological and a pastoral concern. What is the theological concern? p74 What is the pastoral concern? p75 Why is an established, conventional vocabulary for orthodox teaching a great help to the church? p75 Are creeds and confessions a “form of sound words”? p75 How does this affect the claim of “no creed but the Bible”? p75-76 Is continuity of teaching crucial? p77 2 Thessalonians 2:15 - Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle. Why do some Christians view traditions as things that they should avoid? Why does the world view traditions as a strange notion? p77 Is the notion of tradition, of the need to hand on the gospel, embedded in the gospel itself? p78 Our worship consists of sermons, hymns, and prayers. Is this a “form of sound words”? p78 Does failure to continue in the true traditions or teaching bring strong words and action from the Apostle Paul? p78 Conclusion. The past is important. Language must be an appropriate vehicle for the stable transmission of truth. There must be a body or an institution that can authoritatively compose and enforce creeds and confessions. The Bible clearly teaches all three elements. Next time: The Early Church. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/biblebulldog/message

Disagree, agree, or have a question: Contact us through the contact page on our website; http://www.biblebulldog.com with Pastor William Shifflett A Form of Sound Words. 1 Peter 5:1-3- So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: 2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight,[a] not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you;[b] not for shameful gain, but eagerly; 3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. Elders are to be examples, is this why they will be judged more strictly? p72 If words are central to God's identity, to human identity, and to the relationship that exists between the two, then are those words to be connected to a specific content? Why? p72 “There are legitimate … and illegitimate ways … of understanding the significance of the cross. The message of the cross involves a fixed field of meaning that must be respected by those who claim to teach its true significance.” What are some legitimate ways? What are some illegitimate ways? What is the fixed field of meaning? p73 “God is a God who reveals himself through actions and words.” Is this why the Reformers made the pulpit central? p73 God remains the same, humans continue to be made in His image and face the same questions concerning God. Does God require the same response from all despite of race, culture, or whether we are male or female? --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/biblebulldog/message

Disagree, agree, or have a question: Contact us through the contact page on our website; http://www.biblebulldog.com Pastor William Shifflett discusses PART THREE of Chapter 2 - The Foundations of Creedalism - The Creedal Imperative by Carl R. Truman The logic of Romans 5 and of 1 Corinthians 15 depends upon corporate solidarity. p63 What does he mean by that? So how does all this apply to creeds and confessions? The Church as an Institution. What does he mean by the existence of the church as an institution? p66 The biblical church acknowledges authority at a number of levels. P66 Basic to belonging to the church are two things. p67 Romans 10:9-10 Is doctrine-both in terms of belief and content-still important to this profession? Does the New Testament envision that church members will over time grow and deepen in their knowledge and understanding of the Christian faith? p68 Why does the Bible lay out clear principles by which leaders are to be selected and by which they are to rule the church? p69 Is an overseer to have both the ability to teach true doctrine and to refute those who teach falsehood? p69 “The whole notion of eldership runs counter to modern tastes.” Why is this true? p70 Are elders the equivalent of hired hands? p70 “Church leadership is to be marked by service to others.” Is this the way the world sees leadership? p71 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/biblebulldog/message

Disagree, agree, or have a question: Contact us through the contact page on our website; http://www.biblebulldog.com Pastor William Shifflett discusses PART TWO of Chapter 2 - The Foundations of Creedalism - The Creedal Imperative by Carl R. Truman How are words a vital means of communicating the message of God? p60 “Words are a normative and normal part of Christianity.” Why is this true? p60-61 Human Nature as a Universal. There is a distinction between Creator and creation. Why is this important to understand? p61 How are human beings distinguished from all other creatures? p61 Humans have a specific mandate from God. What is this mandate? p62 Gen. 1:26, 28-30 Adam names all other creatures. p62 Gen. 2:19 Humans are linguistic beings. p62 Is human nature something which is more basic than gender, class, culture, location, or time? p63 We are all made in God's image; and He addresses us all through His word. p63 All humans are partakers of a common human nature. p64 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/biblebulldog/message

Disagree, agree, or have a question: Contact us through the contact page on our website; http://www.biblebulldog.com Pastor William Shifflett discusses PART ONE - Chapter 2 - The Foundations of Creedalism - The Creedal Imperative by Carl R. Truman The Adequacy of Words. Genesis 1:1-4 - In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. John 1:1 - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Pastor, our God is a God who speaks. p52 His word is powerful and creative. p53, true? All divine acts are performed by speech. (1) His eternal plan (eternal inter-trinitarian communication), Gen. 1:26,Ps.2:7-9, 110,45:6-8, Matt. 11:25-27, John 5:20, 17:1-26, Acts 2:33-36, John 4:34,6:38£ (2) Creation, Gen. 1:3, Ps. 33:6,9,148:5, Prov. 8:22[, John 1:3,10, Heb.11:3, II Pet. 3:5-7 (3) Providence, Gen. 1:9,11,22, 8:21f, Ps. 145:15f, 119:89-91, 148:8, Job 37:12, 33:11f, Ps. 18:15,28:3-9, Matt. 8:27, Heb. 1:3, II Pet. 3. (4) Judgment, Gen. 3: 17ff, 6:7, 11 :6f, Ps. 46:6 (5) Grace: Luke 7:1-10, Rom. 1:16 His word is a means of His presence. p53 How is divine speech a fundamental aspect of the special relationship that exists between God and those made in His image? The Word as God's Presence 1. God's name is placed upon his people; Gen. 17:5, Num. 6:21, Deut. 12:5, etc. (cf. above, A, 2,8), I Sam. 12:22, Isa. 43:1,7, 45:3f, 62:2, Amos 9:12, Matt. 28:19f, Rev. 2:17,22:4. 2. The word is written on their heart: Deut. 6:6, Prov. 3:3,7:3, Ps. 119:11, Ezek. 11:19[, 18:31,36:26,37:23,27, Isa.ll:9, 51:7,54:13, Hab. 2:14, Ps. 37:31,40:8, Jer. 24:7,32:40, John 6:45, II Cor. 3:2f, I Thes. 4:9, Heb. 8:8-12, I John 2:27, Jer. 31 :31-34 key text. His word is active and powerful. p54 “As Lord, God controls all things, and controls them by his speech. All of God s actions are performed by his word, his speech. His "decretive will," therefore, by which he controls the whole course of nature and history , is a function of his word. Everything happens because God has ordered it to happen by his word.” - Dr John Frame Words are the means God has chosen for His presence. p57 Presence, or Covenant Solidarity (priestly office) a. "I will be with you," Gen. 26:3,28:15,31:3,46:4, Ex. 3:12,93:14, Deut. 31:6,8 23, Judges 6:16, Jer. 31:33. Isa. 7:14, I Cor. 3:16ff, John 17:25, Matt. 28:20, Rev.21:22. God's chosen means for revealing Himself to His people. p57 Knowing God 1. God knowable (Rom. 1:21 ), but incomprehensible (Isa. 55 :8-9). a. In one sense, all people know God (Rom. 1:21 ) b. Only believers possess saving knowledge, knowledge of God as friend (John 17:3, Matt. 11:27, John 1:14,1 Cor. 2:9-15,1 John 5:20). Some of what I say below will pertain to both kinds of knowledge, but I am focusing on the first. 2. To know God is to know him as Lord (Ex. 14:18,33:11-34:9,1 Kings 8:43, I Chron.28:6-9): "that they may know that I am the Lord." Without a clear word from God, a clear promise, we are without hope. Words in Service of the Divine. Are human use of words important in theology? Words are the human means of responding to God and communicating with each other about God. p57 The importance of history. p58 Exodus 12:26-27 - And when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?' 27 you shall say, ‘It is the sacrifice of the Lord's Passover, for he passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt, when he struck the Egyptians but spared our houses.'” And the people bowed their heads and worshiped. Is the ritual of Passover meaningless without the historical framework in which to understand it? What was the role of the prophet? Does the role of prophet continue in the New Testament? --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/biblebulldog/message

Disagree, agree, or have a question: Contact us through the contact page on our website; http://www.biblebulldog.com Do you think pastors that say they hold to “no creed, Scripture alone” use only the Scripture to prepare their sermons? John Calvin: “Protestants have the true tradition, Roman Catholics have moved away from the truth.” Agree? Dr. Trueman: “The Reformation was not Scripture versus tradition, but scriptural tradition versus unscriptural tradition.” Define each. Carl Truman: “Creeds and confessions represent a public statement of what a particular church or denomination believes that Scripture teaches in a synthetic form.” What does he mean by synthetic form? Why is it important for creeds to be public? Carl Truman: “I am aware that there can be a rather distasteful, not to mention sinful, tendency among many confessional writers to look down with scorn and derision on those who are not confessional.” Why do you think that is true? The case he wants to make: That creeds and confessions are thoroughly consistent with the belief that Scripture alone is the unique source of revelation and authority. That creeds and confessions are, in fact, necessary for the well-being of the church, and that churches that claim not to have them place themselves at a permanent disadvantage when it comes to holding fast to that form of sound words which was so precious to the aging Paul as he advised his young protege, Timothy. That it is at least arguable, based on Scripture, that the need for creeds and confessions is not jus a practical imperative for the church but is also a biblical imperative. Next episode, Chapter 1, The Cultural Case against Creeds and Confessions. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/biblebulldog/message

Disagree, agree, or have a question: Contact us through the contact page on our website; http://www.biblebulldog.com PART 3 - Introduction of The Creedal Imperative by Carl R. Truman with Pastor William Shifflett Scripture alone is the sole authority, correct? Of what use therefore are further documents? How can one ever claim such documents have authority without thus derogating from the authority of Scripture? Dr Truman: “Christians are not divided between those who have creeds and confessions and those who do not.” Do you agree? Public and unwritten creeds. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/biblebulldog/message

Disagree, agree, or have a question: Contact us through the contact page on our website; http://www.biblebulldog.com What is a Creed? What is a Confession? Dr. Truman: “Creeds and confessions are vital to the present and future well-being of the church.” Does his claim not strike at the very heart of the notion of Scripture alone? Does it not place him in jeopardy of regarding both Scripture and something outside Scripture, some tradition, as being of coordinate and potentially equal authority? Is there not a danger that commitment to time-bound creeds and confessions might well doom the church to irrelevance in the modern world? Carl Truman is a professor at a confessional Presbyterian seminary, Westminster in Philadelphia, and a minister in a confessional Presbyterian denomination, the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. What does it mean to be Presbyterian? What does it mean to be confessional? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Is there not a danger of the tail wagging the dog, by treating the summary of Scripture by which we read Scripture? Dr. Truman: “The fact that I am a confessional Christian places me at odds with the vast majority of evangelical Christians today.” Do you agree? Some churches have “Statements of faith”. What is the difference between a statement of faith and a creed or confession? --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scripture alone is the sole authority, correct? Of what use therefore are further documents? How can one ever claim such documents have authority without thus derogating from the authority of Scripture? Dr Truman: “Christians are not divided between those who have creeds and confessions and those who do not.” Do you agree? Public and unwritten creeds. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/biblebulldog/message

Disagree, agree, or have a question: Contact us through the contact page on our website; http://www.biblebulldog.com PART ONE - Introduction of The Creedal Imperative by Carl R. Truman with Pastor William Shifflett What is a Creed? What is a Confession? Dr. Truman: “Creeds and confessions are vital to the present and future well-being of the church.” Does his claim not strike at the very heart of the notion of Scripture alone? Does it not place him in jeopardy of regarding both Scripture and something outside Scripture, some tradition, as being of coordinate and potentially equal authority? Is there not a danger that commitment to time-bound creeds and confessions might well doom the church to irrelevance in the modern world? Carl Truman is a professor at a confessional Presbyterian seminary, Westminster in Philadelphia, and a minister in a confessional Presbyterian denomination, the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. What does it mean to be Presbyterian? What does it mean to be confessional? --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/biblebulldog/message

What best explains the development of the Sexual Revolution? According to Carl Trueman, there are three key components: technology, politics, and ideas. In this interview, Sean and Dr. Trueman discuss his latest book – The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self – which focuses on key thinkers that helped pave the way for the Sexual Revolution. This interview was first recorded on Sean's YouTube channel, which is in partnership with the Talbot Apologetics program.Dr. Carl Trueman (PhD, University of Aberdeen) is professor of biblical and religious studies at Grove City College. He is an esteemed church historian and previously served as the William E. Simon Fellow in Religion and Public Life at Princeton University. Trueman has authored or edited more than a dozen books, including The Creedal Imperative; Luther on the Christian Life; and Histories and Fallacies. Trueman is a member of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church.==========Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith and Culture is a podcast from Talbot School of Theology at Biola University, which offers degrees both online and on campus in Southern California.   Read a transcript of this episode at: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2023/bonus-the-rise-and-triumph-of-the-modern-self.   Find all episodes of Think Biblically at: https://www.biola.edu/think-biblically   Watch video episodes at: https://bit.ly/think-biblically-video   

Links from the show:* Strange New World: How Thinkers and Activists Redefined Identity and Sparked the Sexual Revolution* Carl's blog* EPPCAbout my guest:Carl R. Trueman (PhD, University of Aberdeen) is professor of biblical and religious studies at Grove City College. He is a contributing editor at First Things, an esteemed church historian, and a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. Trueman has authored or edited more than a dozen books, including The Creedal Imperative; Luther on the Christian Life; and Histories and Fallacies. He is a member of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. Get full access to Dispatches from the War Room at dispatchesfromthewarroom.substack.com/subscribe

*This episode was originally published on 2/21/22 This week I am delighted to welcome Dr. Carl Trueman to the podcast. Dr. Trueman serves as Professor of Biblical & Religious Studies at Grove City College. He is an accomplished author having published many works including Luther's Legacy; Histories and Fallacies, The Creedal Imperative, and his 2015 contribution to the Theologians on the Christian Life Series centered on Martin Luther.

Carl Trueman is a Christian theologian and ecclesiastical historian. He was Professor of Historical Theology and Church History at Westminster Theological Seminary, where he held the Paul Woolley Chair of Church History. In 2018 he became a professor at Grove City College in Pennsylvania.  He has published several books including The Creedal Imperative, Republocrat: Confessions of a Liberal Conservative, and, most recently in 2020, The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self.Support the show

Why do we take the time to introduce ourselves as “confessionally reformed?" In this episode we discuss Carl Trueman's book The Creedal Imperative. We talk about why we think confessionalism is important and warn against the cultural influence that causes us to approach tradition with suspicion. We discuss authority, tradition, the power of words, and how embracing creeds and confessions can lead to worship and unity. Resources Mentioned The Creedal Imperative by Carl Trueman Rediscovering Conservatism by Yoram Hazony Episode 20: Expressive Individualism and Strange New World by Carl Trueman Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll The Apostles Creed for All God's Children By Ben Myers The New City Catechism The Westminster Shorter Catechism The Good News We Almost Forgot by Kevin DeYoung Affirming the Apostles Creed by J.I. Packer

Carl Trueman is professor of biblical and religious studies at Grove City College in Grove City, Pennsylvania. He has written more than a dozen books, including Histories and Fallacies: Problems Faced in the Writing of History, Luther on the Christian Life, The Creedal Imperative, and The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self: Cultural Amnesia, Expressive Individualism, and the Road to Sexual Revolution. Follow Zuby - https://twitter.com/zubymusic Follow Carl - https://www.firstthings.com/featured-author/carl-r-trueman Subscribe to the 'Real Talk With Zuby' podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify & more - https://fanlink.to/zubypodcast Support Zuby on Locals - https://teamzuby.locals.com Support Zuby on Patreon - https://patreon.com/zubymusic Special thanks to GOLD TIER Patreon members: Matt Gallagher, Libbie Richardson, Edwin Chiang, Paul Pugh, Todd Weyl, Destiny Hillhouse & OnlineBookClub.org Get Zuby's children's book 'The Candy Calamity' - http://candycalamity.com Get Zuby's fitness book 'Strong Advice: Zuby's Guide to Fitness For Everybody' - https://teamzuby.com/products/strong-advice-zubys-guide-to-fitness-for-everybody Website - https://zubymusic.com Online Store - https://teamzuby.com

This week I am delighted to welcome Dr. Carl Trueman to the podcast. Dr. Trueman serves as Professor of Biblical & Religious Studies at Grove City College. He is an accomplished author having published many works including Luther's Legacy; Histories and Fallacies, The Creedal Imperative, and his 2015 contribution to the Theologians on the Christian Life Series centered on Martin Luther.

Looking for a Reformed Church in Orange County? Check out Santa Ana Reformed; informational meetings starting end of October 2021! Please help support the show on our Patreon Page! Member of the Society of Reformed Podcasters WELCOME TO BOOK CLUB! Bruce Gordon taught at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, where he was professor of modern history and deputy director of the St Andrews Reformation Studies Institute. He came to Yale in 2008. His research and teaching focus on European religious cultures of the late-medieval and early modern periods, with a particular interest in the Reformation and its reception. His John Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion (Princeton 2016) looks the reception from the sixteenth century to the age of YouTube of one of the defining works of the Reformation. He is the author of Calvin (Yale, 2009), a biography of the Genevan reformer, and the Swiss Reformation (Manchester, 2002), a Choice Magazine “Outstanding Publication” (2003). In addition, he has edited books and written widely on early modern history writing, biblical culture, Reformation devotion and spirituality, and the place of the dead in pre-modern culture. He was principal investigator for a grant from the Arts and Humanities Research Council in the United Kingdom for a project “Protestant Latin Bibles of the Sixteenth Century”. He received a Horace W. Goldsmith Award from Yale University to develop an online course (MOOC) called ‘A Journey through Western Christianity', appeared in 2016. In 2021 he published The Oxford Handbook of Calvin and Calvinism (Oxford) and Huldrych Zwingli. God's Armed Prophet(Yale). He is currently writing The Bible: A Global History for Basic Books in New York. Carl R. Trueman (PhD, University of Aberdeen) is professor of biblical and religious studies at Grove City College, and co-host of the popular podcast The Mortification of Spin. He is contributing editor at First Things, an esteemed church historian, and a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. Trueman has authored or edited more than a dozen books, including the best-seller The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self, The Creedal Imperative; Luther on the Christian Life; and Histories and Fallacies. Trueman is a member of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. We want to thank Oxford University Press for help setting up this interview and providing us with the necessary materials to interview Drs. Gordon & Trueman! Purchase the books here: The Oxford Handbook of Calvin and Calvinism Have Feedback or Questions? Email us at: guiltgracepod@gmail.com Find us on Instagram: @guiltgracepod Follow us on Twitter: @guiltgracepod Please rate and subscribe to the podcast on whatever platform you use! Looking for a Reformed Church? North American Presbyterian & Reformed Churches --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gggpodcast/support

Welcome to More Christ, where we seek to bring some of the world's most interesting and insightful guests to discuss life's central and abiding questions. In this thirty ninth episode in a series of discussions, I'm joined by the terrific Dr Carl Trueman. Carl is a Christian theologian and ecclesiastical historian. He was Professor of Historical Theology and Church History at Westminster Theological Seminary, where he held the Paul Woolley Chair of Church History. In 2018 Trueman resigned his position at Westminster to become a full-time undergraduate Professor at Grove City College, serving as Full Professor in their Department of Biblical and Religious Studies as of the fall semester of that same year. Among Trueman's books are John Owen: Reformed Catholic, Renaissance Man, The Creedal Imperative, Fools Rush in Where Monkeys Fear to Tread: Taking Aim at Everyone, and Republocrat: Confessions of a Liberal Conservative. He contributes to First Things (Journal of Religion and Public Life) blogs regularly at Reformation21 and co-hosts the Mortification of Spin podcast.

Welcome to The Shorter Podcast: the podcast that demonstrates that the Shorter Catechism is for all and useful for all of life. You'll find all of the The Shorter episodes right here. We are excited to journey through the Shorter Catechism with you. Please invite a friend to listen along. In this episode of the podcast, Tommy and Stephen interview Dr. J.V. Fesko, Professor of Systematic and Historical Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, MS. They discuss Dr. Fesko's new book The Need for Creeds Today Resources mentioned in this episode: The Creedal Imperative by Carl Trueman Why Do We Have Creeds? by Burk Parsons We are thankful to Christian Focus Publications for gifting us with great copies of the Shorter Catechism. GET $5 from Westminster Book Store Thanks to Andy Zipf and Yellowhammer Hymns for our intro and exit music. You can find their music on platforms like Amazon Music and Spotify. You can learn more about these talented musicians here: Andy Zipf and Yellowhammer Hymns at https://www.yellowhammerhymns.com Tommy Park can be found at www.unf.ruf.org and Stephen Spinnenweber at https://www.wpcajax.us

Join Pat and Mike as they talk about the benefits of being a confessional Christian. Resources mentioned in this episode: – The Creedal Imperative by Carl Trueman – The Need for Creeds Today by J.V. Fesko

In this episode, Josh, Brent, and Lindsay discuss the winter weather hitting the U.S. this week, the Texas power crisis, why COVID-19 cases are dropping and cutting life expectancy, Rush Limbaugh and Carman passing away, Ravi Zacharias investigation, and spring training starting up. Lindsay gives a rundown of this week's ERLC content including the Policy Staff with "Explainer: How should Christians think about France's “separatism” bill?," Stephen Stallard with "3 ways to engage our neighbors during a pandemic," Julie Passon with "Common questions about the COVID-19 vaccine." Also in this episode, the hosts are joined by Carl R. Trueman for a conversation about life and ministry. About CarlCarl R. Trueman (PhD, University of Aberdeen) is professor of biblical and religious studies at Grove City College. He is an esteemed church historian and previously served as the William E. Simon Fellow in Religion and Public Life at Princeton University. Trueman has authored or edited more than a dozen books, including The Creedal Imperative; Luther on the Christian Life; and Histories and Fallacies. Trueman is a member of The Orthodox Presbyterian Church.ERLC ContentPolicy Staff with Explainer: How should Christians think about France's “separatism” bill?Stephen Stallard with 3 ways to engage our neighbors during a pandemicJulie Masson with Common questions about the COVID-19 vaccineCultureWinter storm slams dozens of states and leaves millions without powerRecord-setting cold snap turns deadlyWinter storm strikes much of USTexas power crisisDispatch fact check on Texas powerCOVID-19 Cases Are Dropping Fast. Why?Axios: Covid cases dropCovid cuts life expectancyRush Limbaugh, conservative media icon, dead at 70 following battle with cancerCarman, Christian music icon and Gospel Music Hall of Famer, dies at 65Open Letter from the International Board of Directors of RZIMInvestigation reveals Zacharias' years-long history of sexual abuse of womenSpring training is hereLunchroomLindsay: Plan Your VaccineJosh: Less About The Fence, More About The Playground: Female Ambition and Complementarian CultureMeagan: Gen Z/Millennial spatConnect with us on Twitter@ERLC@jbwester@LeatherwoodTN@LindsNicoletSponsorsA Parent's Guide to Teaching Your Children About Gender: by Jared Kennedy. This short book walks through six conversation topics designed to help you apply the truth and hope of the gospel to the complex issue of gender. Stand for Life: At the ERLC, we stand for life. Our work to save preborn babies and care for the vulnerable is vital to our work. Believing that abortion can end in our lifetime, will you join us as we STAND FOR LIFE?

How did Western society descend from culture of Christendom to the triumph of the “T” in LGBT? Dr. Carl Trueman, historian and author of The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self (Crossway, 2020), lays blame at the feet of expressive individualism. But individualism isn't just the world's problem—it's the air we breathe in the church and in cross-cultural missions, too. In this exclusive interview, Dr. Trueman explains why. Carl Trueman (Ph.D., University of Aberdeen) is professor of biblical and religious studies at Grove City College in Grove City, Pennsylvania. He has written more than a dozen books, including Histories and Fallacies: Problems Faced in the Writing of History, Luther on the Christian Life, The Creedal Imperative, and The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self: Cultural Amnesia, Expressive Individualism, and The Road to Sexual Revolution. Want to ask a question or suggest a topic? Email alex@missionspodcast.com. The Missions Podcast is powered by ABWE International and the Global Gospel Fund. This episode is also sponsored by Radius International, Fusion, and Evangelical Council for Abuse Prevention. Abuse Prevention National Conference 2021 attendees: use promo code ABWE21 to receive 20% off your registration.

How did Western society descend from culture of Christendom to the triumph of the “T” in LGBT? Dr. Carl Trueman, historian and author of The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self (Crossway, 2020), lays blame at the feet of expressive individualism. But individualism isn't just the world's problem—it's the air we breathe in the church and in cross-cultural missions, too. In this exclusive interview, Dr. Trueman explains why. Carl Trueman (Ph.D., University of Aberdeen) is professor of biblical and religious studies at Grove City College in Grove City, Pennsylvania. He has written more than a dozen books, including Histories and Fallacies: Problems Faced in the Writing of History, Luther on the Christian Life, The Creedal Imperative, and The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self: Cultural Amnesia, Expressive Individualism, and The Road to Sexual Revolution. Want to ask a question or suggest a topic? Email alex@missionspodstg.wpengine.com. The Missions Podcast is powered by ABWE International and the Global Gospel Fund. This episode is also sponsored by Radius International, Fusion, and Evangelical Council for Abuse Prevention. Abuse Prevention National Conference 2021 attendees: use promo code ABWE21 to receive 20% off your registration.

In this episode, Shane sits down with historian Carl Trueman to discuss his latest book on the Sexual Revolution: The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self.  Watch on Youtube: https://youtu.be/YYBME2eBv0kOur culture is largely addicted to porn, casual sex has replaced honest dating, and our movies and malls are hyper-sexualized—all due to the Sexual Revolution. But how many of us can actually define what the Sexual Revolution is/was? Is it an event? An ongoing phenomenon? Or something else entirely? During this interview, Dr. Trueman helps us see where we are as a culture and how we got here! Check out Dr. Trueman's latest book about the Sexual Revolution: The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self: Cultural Amnesia, Expressive Individualism, and the Road to Sexual RevolutionCarl R. Trueman (PhD, University of Aberdeen) is professor of biblical and religious studies at Grove City College. He is an esteemed church historian and previously served as the William E. Simon Fellow in Religion and Public Life at Princeton University. Trueman has authored or edited more than a dozen books, including The Creedal Imperative; Luther on the Christian Life; and Histories and Fallacies. Trueman is a member of The Orthodox Presbyterian Church.

Brandon and Jordan introduce confessional theology. What is it? Why is it relevant? Why should anyone practice it?Check out these Confessional book recommendations:1) R. Scott Clark, Recovering the Reformed Confession (https://www.amazon.com/Recovering-Reformed-Confession-Scott-Clark/dp/1596381108/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=scott+clark+recovering+the+reformed&qid=1570218474&sr=8-1)2) Carl Trueman, The Creedal Imperative (https://www.amazon.com/Creedal-Imperative-Carl-R-Trueman/dp/1433521903/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=trueman+the+creedal&qid=1570218503&sr=8-1)Support the show

This week on Theology on the Go, our host, Dr. Jonathan Master is joined by the Rev. Dr. Peter Lillback (PhD, Westminster Theological Seminary).  Dr. Lillback is president and professor of historical theology and church history at Westminster Theological Seminary. He also serves as the president of The Providence Forum and senior editor of the new Unio cum Christo: An International Journal of Reformed Theology and Life.  Dr. Lillback is the author of George Washington's Sacred Fire and The Wall of Misconception.   In addition to his academic positions, Dr. Lillback has also served the church as a pastor for over twenty-five years. Over the next several weeks, Theology on the Go will focus on various topics related to what it means to be a confessional Christian.  Today we invite you to grab a cup of coffee, sit down with Dr. Master and Dr. Lillback, and enjoy the discussion on History and Confession. Just for listening, the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals would like to give you a free resource. An MP3 of Dr. Lillback's message, The Faith of the Founding Fathers, is yours free as our gift to you.  Go to ReformedResources.org to download your free MPS!     http://www.reformedresources.org/rpts-2010/the-faith-of-the-founding-fat... Also, Dr. Lillback mentioned a couple of books in which you may be interested.  In order to help you get those onto your shelf the Alliance has a special deal for you!  In two weeks, we will be giving away, The Practice of Confessional Subscription, by David Hall.  So, look for that opportunity on May 30th.  However, this week we are offering a $5 dollar discount on Carl Trueman's, A Creedal Imperative.  Just click on the link and type creeds in the coupon code.   http://www.reformedresources.org/carl-trueman-books/the-creedal-imperative/

On Saturday, October 11, 2014, Dr. Carl Trueman concluded the first annual Dallas/Fort Worth Reformation Conference (#DFWRefCon) with his lecture "Usefulness of Creeds for Today." Conference Description: Mid-Cities Presbyterian Church welcomes Dr. Carl Trueman for our first annual OPC DFW Reformation Conference. The theme of the conference will be "Reformation Creeds for Today" Dr. Carl Trueman is: Pastor of Cornerstone OPC in Ambler, PA; Paul Wooley Professor of Church History at Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, PA; Co-Host of The Mortification of Spin podcast for the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals Author of The Creedal Imperative (2012, Crossway) Conference Schedule Friday, Oct. 10, 7:00pm -- Why Creeds are Biblical (refreshments following lecture) Saturday, Oct. 11, 9:30am -- Survey of Creeds from the Reformation (donuts available before lecture) 10:30am-11:00 -- 30 minute break between lectures Saturday, Oct. 11, 11:00am -- Usefulness of Creeds for Today

On Friday, October 10, 2014, Dr. Carl Trueman opened the first annual Dallas/Fort Worth Reformation Conference (#DFWRefCon) with his lecture "Why Creeds Are Biblical." Conference Description: Mid-Cities Presbyterian Church welcomes Dr. Carl Trueman for our first annual OPC DFW Reformation Conference. The theme of the conference will be "Reformation Creeds for Today" Dr. Carl Trueman is: Pastor of Cornerstone OPC in Ambler, PA; Paul Wooley Professor of Church History at Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, PA; Co-Host of The Mortification of Spin podcast for the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals Author of The Creedal Imperative (2012, Crossway) Conference Schedule Friday, Oct. 10, 7:00pm -- Why Creeds are Biblical (refreshments following lecture) Saturday, Oct. 11, 9:30am -- Survey of Creeds from the Reformation (donuts available before lecture) 10:30am-11:00 -- 30 minute break between lectures Saturday, Oct. 11, 11:00am -- Usefulness of Creeds for Today

On Saturday, October 11, 2014, Dr. Carl Trueman delivered his second lecture "Survey of Creeds from the Reformation" at the first annual Dallas/Fort Worth Reformation Conference. Conference Description: Mid-Cities Presbyterian Church welcomes Dr. Carl Trueman for our first annual OPC DFW Reformation Conference. The theme of the conference will be "Reformation Creeds for Today" Dr. Carl Trueman is: Pastor of Cornerstone OPC in Ambler, PA; Paul Wooley Professor of Church History at Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, PA; Co-Host of The Mortification of Spin podcast for the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals Author of The Creedal Imperative (2012, Crossway) Conference Schedule Friday, Oct. 10, 7:00pm -- Why Creeds are Biblical (refreshments following lecture) Saturday, Oct. 11, 9:30am -- Survey of Creeds from the Reformation (donuts available before lecture) 10:30am-11:00 -- 30 minute break between lectures Saturday, Oct. 11, 11:00am -- Usefulness of Creeds for Today