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This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit andrewsullivan.substack.comRobert P. George is a legal scholar and political philosopher. At Princetown, he's the McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence and the director of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions. He's also a senior fellow at both the American Enterprise Institute and the Witherspoon Institute, which he co-founded. His many books include Making Men Moral and In Defense of Natural Law. We spent many years sparring in print over marriage, gays, and Catholicism.For two clips of the episode — on disobeying unjust laws, and the supposed harms of gay marriage — head to our YouTube page.Other topics: his dad's harrowing service in WWII; Robby growing up in Appalachia with his grandfathers in the coal mines; first in his family to go to college; stories of both of us being at Oxford at the same time; the origins of bluegrass; Robert Byrd's legacy; Plato's Gorgias; Aristotle and friendship; Robby's close friendship with Cornel West; Montaigne; Aquinas; Vatican II; Eastern Orthodox liturgy; neo-scholasticism; Darwin's survival of the fittest; Nietzsche; loving one's enemy as uniquely Christian; just law and unjust law; MLK's letter from a Birmingham jail; Hume; Oakeshott; natural law theorists vs legal positivists; the AIDS crisis; Christian marriage vs civil marriage; divorce; the Manhattan Declaration; Henry VIII's annulments; the sexual habits of Clinton and Trump; illiberalism on the left and right; and the beached squids of Ptown.Browse the Dishcast archive for an episode you might enjoy. Coming up: Ross Barkan on the DSA and Mamdani, John O'Sullivan on conservatism, Azam Ahmed on terrifying new drugs, and Megan McArdle on pretty much anything. Please send any guest recs, dissents, and other comments to dish@andrewsullivan.com.
An Eastern Orthodox caller asks, “On what standard do you say Orthodoxy is false?” Joel Settecase turns the authority question back around, pressing whether councils, synods, Church Fathers, and tradition can define their own limits. This intense theology and apologetics exchange ends with a clear Gospel presentation: salvation by grace alone through faith in Jesus Christ alone, according to the Bible alone.===================================================Download your free apologetics guide here: https://thethink.institute/store/p/transcendental-argument-for-god-tag-cheat-sheet-downloadable-pdf Men: Want to become the worldview leader your family and church need? Join the Hammer & Anvil Society. We provide in-depth education and community for Christian men: https://thethink.institute/society===========================================================Think Debates is a ministry of the Think Institute, NFP. We rely on the generous support of our Ministry Partners to pursue our mission. Your financial contributions help equip Christian fathers and their families with the education, resources and community needed to stand firm on God's word in today's challenging climate. Thank you for your help in preparing thousands of regular believers to explain, share and defend the Christian message all over the world.The Think Institute, NFP is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (EIN: 88-3225438). Donations to The Think Institute are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.Donate now: https://thethink.institute/partner
It is very easy to get the church fathers wrong. From thinking that their doctrine was better or more pure, or that their proximity to Christ and the apostles gave them greater authority, there are many ways to go astray in considering their proper place in the church's history. And while Christ has used many men to lead his church, the primary means that He has used to mature and cleanse his bride is the leading of the Holy Spirit working through the power of His Word. One of the central concepts of the church is its corporate nature and that the church is Christ's bride, who is being made ready for him. But because we are often tempted to focus on individuals and their personal contributions and achievements, the church fathers often become a distraction from the corporate nature of the church and how Christ has made it more mature in both doctrine and practice. In this episode, we try to provide a biblical framework for thinking about God's love and care for the church without putting the wrong emphasis on the people he used. We also discuss how the church fathers are often used to make bad arguments about the church and its doctrine, particularly by the Roman Catholic or Eastern Orthodox churches. Even the term “church father” gets used far too liberally by many, with the Roman Catholic church recognizing people as fathers as late as the eighth century (and, of course, they choose to elevate those whose writings support their favorite heresies).The church fathers deserve honor as the ones whom God used to lead the early church. But they do not deserve greater honor than other leaders who came after them. God has and is using different men to lead his church, but in the end, Jesus Christ is the one who is cleansing his bride. We should not sit at their feet and act as if they were made the ones to finalize the doctrine of the church. That honor belongs to our one true father, God himself, who will mature his Son's bride, “till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.”Timecodes00:00 Intro05:24 Early Church in the Bible17:14 Who Has Authority?25:01 The Holy Spirit's Plan49:35 Theological Development57:10 Church Father ExamplesProduction of Reformation Baptist Church of Youngsville, NCPermanent Hosts - Dan Horn, Charles Churchill and Joshua HornTechnical Director - Timothy KaiserTheme Music - Gabriel Hudelson
It is very easy to get the church fathers wrong. From thinking that their doctrine was better or more pure, or that their proximity to Christ and the apostles gave them greater authority, there are many ways to go astray in considering their proper place in the church's history. And while Christ has used many men to lead his church, the primary means that He has used to mature and cleanse his bride is the leading of the Holy Spirit working through the power of His Word. One of the central concepts of the church is its corporate nature and that the church is Christ's bride, who is being made ready for him. But because we are often tempted to focus on individuals and their personal contributions and achievements, the church fathers often become a distraction from the corporate nature of the church and how Christ has made it more mature in both doctrine and practice. In this episode, we try to provide a biblical framework for thinking about God's love and care for the church without putting the wrong emphasis on the people he used. We also discuss how the church fathers are often used to make bad arguments about the church and its doctrine, particularly by the Roman Catholic or Eastern Orthodox churches. Even the term "church father" gets used far too liberally by many, with the Roman Catholic church recognizing people as fathers as late as the eighth century (and, of course, they choose to elevate those whose writings support their favorite heresies).The church fathers deserve honor as the ones whom God used to lead the early church. But they do not deserve greater honor than other leaders who came after them. God has and is using different men to le
Reformed Brotherhood | Sound Doctrine, Systematic Theology, and Brotherly Love
In this episode of The Reformed Brotherhood, Tony Arsenal and Jesse Schwamb bring their extended series on the parables of Matthew to a powerful climax with the passage most listeners have been waiting for: the Sheep and the Goats (Matthew 25:31–46). Far from a checklist of works required for salvation, this text is unpacked as the master parable of Christ's entire parabolic ministry — a sovereign declaration of divine election, not a merit-based audit of individual performance. Tony and Jesse explore why this passage has been chronically misread as a call to works righteousness, why the language of inheritance and predestination is front and center, and how a Reformed reading liberates rather than burdens the conscience. Along the way, they weigh in on Herman Bavinck's prescient warning about media distraction, and Jesse recommends a Puritan gem on anxiety worth picking up immediately. Key Takeaways The Sheep and Goats is best understood as a parable, or at minimum parable-adjacent. The Greek construction in verse 31 mirrors the same comparative language Christ uses throughout his parabolic ministry, placing this text firmly within that tradition rather than outside it. The kingdom was prepared before any works were done — this is election language. The phrase "inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world" (v. 34) is not a reward for performance; it is the language of sovereign predestination preceding all human action. The works of the sheep are diagnostic, not causative. What the righteous did reveals who they already were — sheep — rather than being the mechanism by which they became sheep. The beak doesn't make the bird. Both groups are surprised, and that surprise is the parabolic punchline. Neither the sheep nor the goats anticipated the verdict they received, which undermines any reading that frames this text as an encouragement to accumulate saving merit. This passage is a recapitulation of the wheat and tares parable. Sheep and goats co-mingled until the moment of final separation, just as wheat and tares grow together until the harvest — the judgment reveals what was always true. Any theology that requires a human contribution to activate or complete salvation misreads this text.Whether Roman Catholic, Arminian, or Mormon in flavor, every view that makes God's preparation of the kingdom contingent on foreseen human merit fundamentally inverts the logic of the passage. The scope of judgment — "all nations" (ta ethnos) — would have been scandalous to first-century Jewish ears. This language deliberately expands the kingdom beyond ethnic Israel, fulfilling the Abrahamic covenant promise and confounding the assumptions of the religious elite. Key Concepts The Kingdom Prepared Before Your Works: Sovereign Election, Not Merit When the King says to those on his right, "Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world" (Matthew 25:34), the theological weight of that single sentence is staggering. The kingdom was not prepared in response to anything the sheep did. It was prepared before time, before works, before choice — which means the works that follow in the passage cannot be the grounds of that inheritance. Only a Calvinistic understanding of election can sustain this logic without remainder. Arminian views require God to foresee a qualifying human response; Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox views require some degree of meritorious participation; even certain Lutheran frameworks lean on non-resistance to grace. Reformed theology alone places the entire cause within God's sovereign, unconditional decree — and this passage, read plainly, says exactly that. Works as Evidence, Not Ground: The Diagnostic Function of This Parable The great pastoral error in preaching this passage is treating it as a performance rubric — a list of charitable acts that, if completed, qualify a person for eternal life. But Christ does not separate the sheep from the goats because of what they did or failed to do. He separates them, and then describes the activity that characterized each group. The works are revelatory. They surface what was already true of each person's nature, just as a bird's beak reveals its species rather than constituting it. This reframing is liberating precisely because it means assurance does not rest on tallying acts of charity. It rests on the sovereign act of a Father who prepared a kingdom and the regenerating work of the Spirit who produces, in those He has claimed, a life that looks like the one described here. "All Nations": The Scandal of an Ethnically Inclusive Kingdom The Greek phrase ta ethnē — translated "all nations" in most English Bibles — would have landed very differently on first-century Jewish ears, particularly those of the Pharisees and Sadducees who comprised a significant portion of Christ's audience throughout Matthew 24–25. To them, ta ethnē meant the Gentiles, the peoples out there, those outside the covenant. The implicit effect of Christ's language is to place every people group — including Israel — within a single undifferentiated mass standing before his throne, with no ethnic group receiving preferential standing at the bar of judgment. This is entirely consistent with the Abrahamic promise of blessing to all families of the earth (Genesis 12:3), the vision of Psalm 2, and the missionary thrust of the Great Commission. The scandal is not incidental — it is the point. The kingdom Christ is ushering in is not the ethnic-nationalist kingdom the religious establishment expected. Memorable Quotes The kingdom of heaven was prepared for those whom Christ has elected before the foundation of the world, and it was the preparation of that kingdom that brought you through this such that you did the good works that you did... That is caused by the fact that God prepared a kingdom for you in advance, not that you somehow caused this kingdom to be prepared for you. - Tony It's not the beak that makes it the sparrow, it's the sparrow that makes it the kind of beak it is. That's the kind of classification we're talking about in this parable. - Tony The best freedom is the one that turns over all things to God and takes him at his word when he says, 'In love you were predestined to inherit this as sons and daughters of the kingdom,' so that he does all the work, because we do not want to have any of that work our own. - Jesse Full Transcript [00:01:11] Jesse Schwamb: Welcome to episode 498 of the Reformed Brotherhood. I'm Jesse [00:01:19] Tony Arsenal: And I'm Tony, and this is the podcast with ears to hear. Hey, brother. [00:01:24] Jesse Schwamb: Hey, brother. They said it couldn't be done. They said we couldn't come back. We wouldn't come back and continue in Matthew 25. But here we are, and we're ending this chapter in this whole section about sheep and goats. Everybody was clamoring for it. Everybody wanted to know, what about the sheep and the goats? And I think the last time we all chatted together, we prefaced it by saying it's parable adjacent. Or let's just say- Yes ... we just stacked up these three other parables, lots of things going on, and then Jesus resolves this or brings all these parables to a culmination by speaking about the end times, the end of all things, and the sheep and the goats. Yeah. And so we gotta go there [00:02:06] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah, I'm stoked. [00:02:07] What Counts Parable [00:02:07] Tony Arsenal: And y- you know, I, I was talking with a brother at, um, at church yesterday on the Lord's day, and he was asking how the podcast's going and what we're doing. And, you know, I was kind of thinking, like, I was talking about the parables and how we're kind of moving forward, and we were gonna do some of the I am sayings in John. And, and I was thinking, like, what is a parable anyways? And who decides what a parable is and what a parable isn't? Right. Um, some of the parables Christ calls a parable, others he doesn't. Uh, we'll probably talk a little bit about that when we get to, uh, some of the back half of Luke. But this, this episode I think is gonna be really, really the payoff and really the culmination of not just these, like, this trio of or trilogy of parables that we've talked about, but I think really, like, the payout of all of the parables in Matthew. It's really, like, the summary of all of Christ's parabolic teachings. So it's, it's a good place for us to round out Matthew, and then we'll, we'll dip into the parables in the other gospels, probably have a couple more months of, of, uh, parable talk before we move on to the next thing. But, uh, it's been great, and I'm super, super stoked for this. This is one of my favorite passages, actually, and there's so much to dig into. I, I, I'm just gonna say now, we probably won't make it through the whole thing- Right ... uh, because there's a lot there. But we'll see. We'll see how we do. Maybe Jesse and I will be super efficient tonight, uh, but we usually aren't, so. [00:03:27] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, that's never happened. We, we take it low and slow. Not only that- ... it was reminding me as you spoke about that kind of proverb generally of if you wanna go build a wall, you assess what you need, how many stones, and then you go gather those stones. Yeah. You should double it, or if you're gonna go out and fight an army, take stock of that army. That's basically what we do, but in reverse. Anytime, like, you just... I just heard you say- ... like, "It'll probably take us a couple more months," you should double that. That's probably how long- Yeah ... it's actually gonna take us. [00:03:50] Faith Works Assurance [00:03:50] Jesse Schwamb: Even in this- Yeah ... conversation, I think we're gonna get stuck in the best way possible speaking about things like faith, works, and assurance because there's a lot of language here- Yeah that could seem on the surface to sit in this tension with justification by faith alone. And I think the key to resolving all that tension, as I hopefully think we'll see, lies in the readings of works as the evidence of living faith rather than its ground, and I think that's what- Yes ... Christ is leading us through all of these parables, actually, whether it goes back. And you should listen to all those episodes. In fact, I gotta ask. Th- I mean, this brother you were talking to, it just strikes me as that question had already be answered for him if you were listening to the podcast. So- [00:04:29] Tony Arsenal: Yeah, I don't think he does. No, I don't think he does- ... listen to the podcast. Uh, he knows that I do the podcast, and he's very gracious to ask me about it. Tom. And I think he's probably listened to the podcast before. Got it. Um, and he's, he's just a very kind, gracious brother who, who is concerned and wants to know what I'm doing. And, um, he has, he has his own sort of, like, production stuff that he does that he enjoys that I'm, I'm not super keyed into. But, uh, it was just nice. But, but it did get me thinking, like, I was trying to explain to him where we were in the progress of the parables, and I was like, "I can't really... I don't really know," because, like, it's hard to even understand and fully... There's no, like, full comprehensive universal list of what is a parable- Right ... and what's not. And I think what we've found as we've been going through this is sometimes, sometimes you come up against a portion of a text that is often taught sort of separate from the, the rest of it. Parables get taught discreet from other parables. But then you have these sort of, like, intervening texts, or this one's kind of a summary text, that's so integrated to what the parable means you really can't do a series on these parables without also treating this text. Which is gonna be interesting, 'cause I've never, I've never encountered somebody who really roots this teaching here of Christ in the context of the parables, despite its proximity. So it'll be fun. We're gonna figure it out in real time, and, and it'll be good. [00:05:47] Jesse Schwamb: No, it's gonna be fun. [00:05:48] Deny Doomscrolling Bavinck [00:05:48] Jesse Schwamb: And speaking of fun, we're so glad that you're listening, and we know that you're waiting with bated breath to hear about affirmations or denials. It's of course that part of the conversation where we either affirm with something that we think is fantastic, maybe by way of recommendation, or conversely, we deny against something that isn't that great. So Tony, as is our custom in the liturgy of the Reformed Brotherhood podcast, I ask you once again, are you affirming with or deny against? [00:06:15] Tony Arsenal: I am denying against something, and I'm gonna do that by affirming a Herman Bavinck quote. Uh, so I'm gonna read it for you. This, uh... Some of the guys in the Facebook group have put... or the Facebook group, the Telegram chat, have put together a, uh, like, a reading group to work through Bavinck's, uh, Wonderful Works of God, which is great, and I'm loving it. I haven't been able to participate in the conversation as much as I would like to, but just being part of a reading group, uh, sort of keeps you on schedule, which is great. So I've been reading through Wonderful Works of God, and on the Kindle edition, on page 34, uh, which I think is still the, I think is still the, uh, introduction, he says, quote, "The reading of daily and weekly newspapers, of magazines and brochures, devours our every blink. There's a lack of desire and opportunity for the investigation of scripture and the study of old theological works," end quote. And when I read that, it just really struck me as like- If that was true like 70 years ago, 80 years ago when Bavinck was writing this, right? And all there was was hard, hard copy media. There was no, uh, there was no digital media. There was radio, but there wasn't a lot of programming. Uh, I don't think that there was much in the way of television broadcasting. If there was, it was, it was very, very limited and very rudimentary. Um, even then he was saying the daily news cycle and all of this extra stuff that is out there is consuming our, quote, "Every blink," which I thought was a really interesting phrase. Um, it's basically like it's so ingrained in us, we're so invested and obsessed with the news cycle. Uh, or you might translate that to like to our Twitter feed or our Facebook feed or our Instagram reels or whatever it might be, and dare I say it, the podcasts we listen to. [00:08:05] Jesse Schwamb: Right. [00:08:05] Tony Arsenal: Um, that we don't save time for scripture and other theological works. And I think it's funny too is that the, the eternal, uh, the eternal contemporary statement of the Reformed world is like we don't read enough old theological works. Even Bavinck, who I'm reading as one of the old... I mean, not like super old, but like one of the old theological works, is saying, "Hey, we don't read enough old theological works." So I'm denying this sort of like obsession we have with the daily news cycle and with constantly being up to date and like constantly consuming all of that. Um, we've talked about how like our modern global news cycle sort of, uh, is built around the deception that we can be sort of pseudo omnipotent and know all things about everything. And, um- There's a lot of work that's been done to show that, like, the world's not really that much, not that much more of a violent place than it was 100 years ago. We just know a lot more about what's going on- Right ... in other parts of the world. And there's pros and cons to that. But I think the main con is, like, we, we feel suddenly that we have to be, you know, deeply involved in the goings on of a church on the other side of the country that we never would've even known existed otherwise. It- there's just a, there's a sense of omnipotence and omnipresence that's just not becoming for the creature that I think we try to take on. So Bavinck knew it. Uh, we've talked about it. Lots and lots of people have talked about it. This isn't new. I'm not, I'm not e- engineering anything new on this. But that quote really struck me when I was reading. I was like, "Dang, man, he, he got it right 100 years ago or, or 80 years ago, and we're still struggling with it." And I think probably, like, if you go back and you look at the, I don't know, more occasional writings of people like Martin Luther and John Calvin, um, as they're interacting with, like, people in the Reformed community or the Protestant community, I bet you would find statements like this too about how, like, we really spend a lot of time reading, like, silly things and not spending- Right our time studying the scripture or studying, um, theological works. So that's my denial. I'm sticking to it, and if that means you feel like you need to turn this podcast off and go read some John Calvin or some Herman Bavinck, then by all means. Uh, I think you're probably going to be edified by what we have to talk about. But, uh, th- the Bible's better, so if you gotta go do it, if you only got- That's true ... an hour today to study scripture or listen to this podcast, please go study scripture. Yeah. Uh, hopefully we can do a little bit of both with this podcast. But Herman Bavinck said it best. Our every blink is consumed with pamphlets and newspapers and it just is- It's true it's pretty silly. [00:10:41] Jesse Schwamb: It's true. [00:10:42] Meme Detour Reading Groups [00:10:42] Jesse Schwamb: I gotta take us all the way back to where you started there, and I'm going to betray, to nobody's surprise, my really strong naivete when it comes- ... to social media, and memes in particular. But this is what occurred to me, and I'm gonna try it. This is, like, what classically makes really good podcasting. Let me try to describe a meme to you that I'm not even sure I actually understand or know. So this will be great. I think, you tell me, Tony, 'cause you may have seen this. It's an old meme too, so I'm not even, like, on the cutting edge here. I think it's a meme of two panels showing, like, two pictures of Drake. In know one he's kinda, like, pushing away as if to say, like, "Get that outta here," and the other one's like, "Oh yeah, that's the stuff." Do you know what I'm talking about? Yeah. Is that accurate? [00:11:21] Tony Arsenal: I do. I think you're gonna use it wrong, but yeah. [00:11:23] Jesse Schwamb: Is that Drake? Okay, all [00:11:24] Tony Arsenal: right. Yeah, that's, that's the meme. [00:11:25] Jesse Schwamb: Okay, okay. And usually, if I understand it correctly, it's kind of like a faux juxtaposition of two things, right? Like, okay. So like here, let me try it. Uh, uh, let me just try it on everybody. Here we go. I'm gonna describe to you how I just interpret this based on what you said, 'cause something cracked me up that you said, Tony. If I were gonna make this meme just based on how you opened that up, the first panel would be like Drake pushing away the idea or being like, "That's no good," book club. The second one would be reading group, as in like, like the reading group is like the new cool way of like just kind of... Did I use it properly? Am I close? [00:11:59] Tony Arsenal: I think the problem with this is that there's like a, there's like an ironic way to use it, and then there's like a more direct way to use it. Mm. Yeah. The direct way would be like some- like Drake's pushing away something that's bad, and he's- Yeah ... like accepting something that's good. That'd be like the direct way. Yes. The more ironic one is where like Drake is pushing away something that's actually pretty, actually pretty good, and he's- Yeah ... accepting the one that's pretty silly. Oh, okay. Um, there's a lot of memes that have that basic format. Never mind. There's one with like Jordi LaForge. I think there's a Michael Scott one. I tried. I tried. But yeah, no, I, I think yours is valid, it's just, I think it's an older usage of the meme. That's like the, that's like the middle English version of that meme. The Shakespearean use of that meme. [00:12:36] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. I'll take that. It's the old English style. I love a good book club or a reading group. A, a reading group just, it does have that sound like maybe somebody in the group has a monocle, or you guys have tea. Either way- Yeah ... I absolutely love it. And yes, what are our beautiful quotes. You kind of hear that general conception recapitulated among like theologians almost in every era. But it does make you think, what would Bavinck say about, like doom scrolling on the smartphone? Like- Yeah ... he's beside himself, right? It would just be beside himself. So I'm with you. I, it, there's gonna be a condemnation in every generation. Maybe I say this with some degree of like chronological snobbery, especially in ours, when it comes to not, like you said, I think kind of like not carving out or not prioritizing time in the scriptures. Yeah. There's not gonna be any excuse of like, "Well, I just didn't have time." Right. Or, "There were too many things to read." It's just, it's not gonna cut it. So I'm with you. I think you and I have talked about this at length, even just like the news media like you and I consume, like just s- set aside social media for a second. Just like how i- how much value is there in a lot of like what we cons- used to consider to be like well-informed reporting? How valuable is that to us? Yeah. And I'm certainly not saying like that everybody should be like unconcerned and uninterested in the world, but I think it's to what degree and what fascination we have with that, and how it fits into our priority as we consume information each day. That's the thing that's tricky, and there's no really- [00:14:02] Tony Arsenal: Yeah ... [00:14:02] Jesse Schwamb: good answer except to weigh out with the spiritual discernment- Yeah ... how we ought to consume that stuff. But certainly I think, without question, we need to be prioritizing time in prayer, time in the scriptures. I imagine if we were all doing that with a great deal of attention, that all of the other things would kind of find their way into the right place. Or let's say they would just find their way out of our lives in a significant way- Yeah ... that would remove us from distraction and anxiety, instead bring us back into the providence of God. [00:14:31] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. And I'm not, I'm not gonna be the guy that tells you you can never s- you can never scroll Instagram or TikTok or whatever. Um, I, I think that's a decision that's between you and the Holy Spirit as far as how you spend your time. But I, I do think, um, I think you're right- We are accountable for the decisions we make and how- Right ... we choose to divide up our time. And I- God, I mean, God is the inventor of fun. He's the inventor of leisure, and he is, uh, I think he's pleased and honored when we, we make good use of our time f- for things that are restful and rejuvenating. Um, he doesn't expect us to just slavishly read scripture all day, every day, like every minute. That's not, that's not the biblical expectation. Um, and so I think it's fine if you wanna sit down and watch a fun show, or if you wanna watch some YouTube videos, or listen to a silly podcast, or listen to a serious podcast. Um, but I do, I agree. Like, we, we really need to be thoughtful. And I think where, where Bavinck's quote, uh, is strong is it's not so much about, "Don't read these things." Right. He, he's talking about these things consume our every blink. Like, m- he's treating blink... He's using the word blink as sort of a fill-in for like our, our finite resource of time and attention, and these things have consumed all of them. There's a very strong use of that word consume. Uh, and I, I think that's really the, the point that I'm trying to make is we often allow, either intentionally or unintentionally, we, we just let our time get all sucked up, uh, on things that maybe are good but are not pr- properly proportioned. Um- Like I said, it's, it's fine to spend some time on Twitter and to get into a debate once in a while, or to check in on your friends on Facebook, your old high school, college buddies or whatever, but we can definitely take it too far. So I think it's a good corrective for all of us to at least make a stop and think about how we're spending our time, and whether we are affording the appropriate amount of time to things like scripture, theological study, catechesis of our children, um, family worship, all of those good things. So we don't have to go much more into that. I think the point has been made. Uh, so Jesse, what are you affirming and/or denying tonight? [00:16:43] Affirm Puritan Anxiety Cure [00:16:43] Jesse Schwamb: Perfect segue, because speaking of reading old things, you know me, I've always got some kind of Puritan work in the rotation, and the one I just finished is the one I'm affirming, which is called Special Providence for Anxious Souls by Obadiah Sedgwick, who I think is kinda... Like, people are sleeping on Sedgwick, you know? Mm-hmm. He's, he's kinda like, he's there in the wings, but we need to take him off the bench. And I came across this book and I thought, "Who doesn't want a title like that in their lives?" Like, we got some anxiety in all of our souls. And I'm affirming this because, uh, hi- his definitions, his writing is, are on point. But here's what I thought. I was embarrassed that I picked this up expecting one thing, and then in typical puritanical fashion, was delivered something else that was far better. And I was thinking about this title as you might see it, like, in your modern bookstore today, whether it's, like, in Barnes & Nobles or at any of the periodicals we were just kind of mentioning or implying that are out there. And I was expecting to get some kind of, I don't know, six or seven things, I mean, that's Puritan style, but six or seven things that would really help you diagnose the psychology, and then going back to the scripture in ways, all, all the ways we'd expect about how God loves us and cares for us, and all those things are true. And yet the only way I could describe how this book ministered to me is, like, how you might go to a physical therapist for some kind of ailment, which I have many as I get older, and have recently been to one. And the ailment I had was, um, basically like tarsal tunnel, which is like carpal tunnel for your foot. And so there was some nerves that were inflamed and causing some pain and some weirdness in my feet. And here's what I do know about physical therapy now that I think the Puritans also do for our souls, and that is the physical therapist gave me this full workup. They prodded me and poked me and rubbed things and made things hurt- And in the course of doing that, they clearly could figure out what was wrong with my foot. And so when he gave me the diagnosis, after, again, rubbing that part and, like, doing one of those things where he's like, you know, they tap on your hard and they're like, "Does that hurt?" I'm like, "Yes, it does hurt." And I presume that's because you know anatomy. And, you know, he's, he's ta- tapping on my ankle and it's causing my foot underneath to hurt. And after all that, you know, I run on a treadmill. He d- takes all this video, and this is what he says to me. He goes, "Yeah, so this is actually pretty straightforward." And I was like, "Great, so what are we talking about? Like exercises, uh, splints, like massage?" He's like, "You have a weak butt." And I was like- "I'm sorry, let's talk about that for a second." And this is what I've learned about physical therapy, is it's rarely about the thing that's actually bothering you or the thing that's hurt, right? It's something- Yeah ... far different. It's something almost seemingly, like, disjointed or removed or divorced from the very thing, maybe even non-contiguous, if only in our minds, maybe even logically. And so what I love about this is the first half of the book is just speaking about the province of God before it even gets into this idea of anxiety. And then the treatment on anxiety and worry is, he goes through, like, six or seven things in particular, are just absolutely glorious. So good that I want you to read it. I don't even want to talk about it. Uh, that, that's my admonishment to you, is that you should just go pick it up. So I'm affirming again that the Puritans in particular do this thing where there's, there's no cheap advice here. It's not even hide advice. It's really good advice, but it's the kind that says, "You have a weak butt" when you're concerned that your ankle- is messed up. Yeah. And that's sometimes what you need to hear. And in my case, after... Let's make this super weirdly spiritual. After doing a bunch of squats, I don't know what the spiritual equivalent is of that. After doing a bunch of squats, my ankle and my foot was so much better. And it, because I had somebody who cared enough for me to go through and actually diagnose the root of it, that was the reason that inevitably there was healing. So I've, this has given me so much to think about, this tiny little treatise. So much to put into practice. It's so rich, so good, so practical, and yet I think you'll find in many ways joyfully unexpected. So I highly affirm to everybody listening, and even those who aren't, Special Providence for Anxious Souls, Obadiah Sedgwick. You'll, you'll love it [00:20:49] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. [00:20:49] Physical Therapy Spiritual Practice [00:20:49] Tony Arsenal: So two thoughts. Uh, one, uh, I can confirm Jesse has a weak butt, um, flat as a board. So it's probably, probably better after, after doing some squats. Wow. Uh, two- Wow. ... uh, I can say I also am in some physical therapy right now, and I've been a little bit of a slacker. And what I will contribute to the conversation is just like in physical therapy, they can give you all of the exercises- Yeah uh, that you want. If you don't do the work, you're not going to get better. Yeah. And so whether it's Jesse doing squats or me not finding time to stretch and to do some, like, arm exercises with a, with a s- uh, like a TheraBand, uh, the same holds true. And, and maybe to unify our, uh, affir- our denials/affirmations into one mega, mega recommendation, um, the same holds true in that, one, we can take a book like this from, uh, Sedgwick, and we can turn it into the same thing we do with media where we're just... it's just devouring our blinks. Right. And we're just using it as a way to sort of, like, feed our eye hole Get better. You won't improve. Um, and that's actually the same with scripture. Like y-you can- Right ... turn scripture into, uh, into a snack food that you, you don't actually use to be nutritious. Um, I think there's probably more benefit to reading scripture sort of rote and, and almost mechanically than there is to reading anything else. But, um, but at the end of the day, you can also consume your blinks with scripture and not get a lot out of it if all you're doing is passing your eyes over text. So get in there. I think that's great. I haven't read that one. I mean, I think there's... I think there are probably many, I can't think of one off the top of my head, but I'm sure there are many, many Puritan treaties that- treatises that are similar in theme and tone and have the same kind of like spiritual antidote or spiritual medicine, um, prescribed by these guys that is good and wholesome. And again, like, like you're saying, like it's not that complicated. It's not that hard. Right. It just takes- Right ... you just actually have to do the work. Um, it's funny, my physical therapy thing is my, my shoulder has been really ba- really messed up, and I went in, I expected him to give me all these, all these shoulder exercises, and he's like, "Uh Really what you need to do is you fix your neck, uh, 'cause your shoulder is, is being in- injured because you're sleeping- Okay on that side because you're trying to stay off the other side. So, like, you really gotta fix your neck so you can sleep on the other side of your body. And I was like, "So I'm just, like, sleeping wrong?" Like, it's funny, there's a joke, it's like in your 20s you can do anything you want, in your 30s, like, you gotta be a little bit careful, and in your 40s, like, you hurt yourself just sleeping. Right. Just getting out of bed is dangerous. [00:23:46] Jesse Schwamb: It's [00:23:46] Tony Arsenal: true. [00:23:47] Jesse Schwamb: It's true. So. It's a tough world. But [00:23:48] Tony Arsenal: it's true. I feel like a really old man saying that. [00:23:51] Read Matthew 25 Aloud [00:23:51] Jesse Schwamb: You know, it strikes me that you're right, of course, that there's so much here we always have to put into practice. There's so much here that we have to trust with God. There's a faith that works. And so I think actually that is the most lovely inroad into this final passage of Matthew, because there's a lot here for us to talk about with all of those things, and to understand it in this proper context. So as you've already set us up, Tony, the best part of our podcast is the scripture, for sure, 100%. So let's go there. So we're in Matthew 25 in case you're just joining us. And for some reason I went into, like, a full radio mode, as if this, like, this is being broadcast live, and you just came into the program. We're in Matthew 25, uh, starting in verse 31, and I'm gonna read until the end of the chapter. There's so much here that of course we're not gonna get to all of it, but in the spirit of literally having the full context of the scripture in front of us, and to hear it all, I think it's important. It w- b- better yet, you should go back and read the entire chapter and then tune in right now. But let me start at verse 31. "But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. And all the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate them one from another as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom which has been prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me in, naked, and you clothed me. I was sick, and you visited me. [00:25:32] Judgment Scene Read [00:25:32] Jesse Schwamb: I was in prison, and you came to me.' Then the righteous will answer him saying, "Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? And when did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and come to you?" And the King will answer and say to them, "Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of mine, even the least of them, you did it to me." Then he will say to those on his left, "Depart from me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angers-- angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink. I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me." Then they will themselves also answer saying, "Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and did not take care of you?" Then he will answer them saying, "Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me." And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life [00:26:47] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. [00:26:49] Parable Not Fear [00:26:49] Tony Arsenal: Yeah, it's, it's, um, it's a sobering passage. And just as I think we've seen in a lot of the other parables, um These eschatological parables and these eschatological sayings of Christ, uh, as you kind of alluded to earlier, I, I think they are really, really, um... They are not prone to being misinterpreted. Right. The church has been prone to misinterpreting and misapplying these, um, in a, in a way that's used to make, make the Christian fearful and to, uh, undermine their assurance rather than to call them to action or to accountability. [00:27:33] Why It's A Parable [00:27:33] Tony Arsenal: Um, and I think a- as I've been reading through this and I've been sort of glancing at the Greek as we're reading, I actually think I'm on... I, I stumbled on much more better ground to treat this as a parable than I even originally thought I did. You know, I, I had this whole lead-up that this isn't technically a parable, but when you read here, when it says, in verse 31, it says, "When the Son of Man comes in glory and the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates- Right ... the sheep from the goats." If you go back to verse 14, when it says, "For it will be like a man," uh, that, that first word of verse 14 in the Greek is the same word as is used when it says, um, uh, "He separates people one from another as a shepherd." That same word is used as there, it's just translated differently because of where it comes in the, um, in the text. So Christ is still making this comparison, so it would be as though he said, um, you know, like the common, most common, at least so far, most common kind of parabolic introduction is like, "The Kingdom of Heaven is like." Um, this is the same basic language he's using here to introduce what the eschaton will be like. Right? The ga- the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate them. It says people in the ESV, but will separate them one from another. You could also say the, the nations or the peoples will be gathered before him. Right. He will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep. So the parable here is the s- the shepherd separating the sheep from the goats, this whole process of the separation and this, this, um, frankly, like it's, it feels and smells like a parable, right? It does. This, this, um, figure, this shepherd in the parable or the shepherd in the saying is saying these sort of like parabolic statements. He's using this language that's kind of like shocking punchline statement. Like we've talked about how in parables there's often this sort of unexpected turn of events, or there's this unexpected kind of shocking language, and this whole like twist at the end in both, sort of both s- chunks here, where like the sheep don't really understand, like they didn't really recognize that they were doing sheepy things, and the goats didn't really understand that they were being goats. That's like the parabolic twist or the parabolic punchline here. So the, the kingdom of heaven is like, basically it's like the Son of Man will come in his glory and it will be like this. It will be like a shepherd separating the sheep from the goats. That's the parabolic connection here. Mm-hmm. So I actually think that, that linguistically we're on, we're on pretty solid ground not just to treat this as a summary of all the parables, um- I think of for sure these three parables, but it, it really is like the master parable, and I think probably the master parable that kinda governs and constrains and explains all of the parabolic ministry of Christ. So I'm, I'm stoked for us to really dig into the details a little bit, but I think linguistically we're on super good ground to, to treat this as a parable. I agree. At the very least, it's stronger than just parable adjacent. [00:30:44] Jesse Schwamb: Right. [00:30:44] Tony Arsenal: It- but even if we aren't saying it's a parable proper, it's stronger than that. It still is using this kinda comparative ministry, comparative language that Christ has used throughout the parabolic, um, sayings of Christ. [00:30:57] Jesse Schwamb: The construction seems a little bit less veiled because here we have Jesus implanting himself directly into the account. [00:31:03] Tony Arsenal: Mm-hmm. [00:31:04] Shepherd Imagery Stakes [00:31:04] Jesse Schwamb: At the same time, though, he's drawing on all the things you just said he does, especially with this allusion to shepherding, which would've been, of course, common throughout. So it seems to me a lovely bridge to all of the overt parables he's just told, but now he's bringing them all together and placing himself clearly as, like, the interpreter, as the identifier of all the things, as the one to seal up all of the edges, as it were. So it's clear that this is about the end times. All of these were all about the end times and about Jesus' role in them. And so of course here he identifies himself as the eschatological judge just to make it clear. He's the one who sits on his glorious throne, and that's significant, and that's why I think we sometimes feel like, well, this is not a parable because he's, he's being very, like, Christologically certain and direct here. You know, throughout scripture the final judgment is God's prerogative alone, but the Father has committed all that judgment to the Son, and here's Jesus affirming that. And so again, like Reformed theology, in all our conversations we've consistently emphasized that this text is in many ways, like, proof of Christ's full deity and his role as mediatorial king, and he's exercising his office as the judge at his return in glory. And though, like you said, at the same time, here's the cool parable kind of scent or flavor is you get all these nations, every person who has ever lived, not merely Israel or merely the church. And how does Jesus describe this? He goes back into parabolic language. And we got the shepherd imagery that- Yeah is, like, similar to Ezekiel 34 where God himself is judging between the sheep of his flock. And that separation, the shockingness of it, it's immediate, it's binary. There's no third category. There's only two eternal destinies. There's no purgatory, no middle ground, no post-mortem opportunity for repentance. So all that's at stake. And then again, the beauty of the language itself or the setup of the construction of the story as it unfolds is that both groups- Get the same speech with a change in do or do not, but they both ask the same question from, like, wildly different perspectives and standings. And that's the beautiful- Yeah thing to make reconciliation over is what does all this mean then? How is all this established and how is this final judgment come to be such that there are sheep and goats if, in fact, they're both doing the same things theoretically, or they're at least both asking the same questions of, well, when did this ever actually occur? That, that's what's for us to unpack either way. [00:33:29] All Nations Gathered [00:33:29] Tony Arsenal: Yeah, and b- before we jump into, um, into the parable itself and start to unpack that, the other element that I think is worth, uh, and this just came to me so hopefully I'm not on too far of a, of a limb here. But the other element that I think is worth at least commenting on, um, we've, we've remarked, especially in these last three eschatological, um, parables, how much these are directed at the religious leaders, right? Right. The, the, the people are, um, the, the- the parables are told, um, in the context and sort of following up on these, this real directed, um, assault against the religious leaders who thought they were the ones, right? They're the ones that have a claim to the Kingdom of Heaven, they're the ones that, um, are the, you know, they're the ones that think they're doing the right thing, they're the ones that are ushering in God's kingdom. This little phrase here, "gathered all the nations," would also have really stuck in the craw of the religious leaders, right? Because the word for nations that's translated here is the same word that would el- elsewhere get translated as Gentiles, right? And the word people, when it says, "He will separate the people," that, that word people doesn't actually exist in the Greek. So if you translate this very literally, it'd say, "Before him will, will be gathered all nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats." Now, I don't wanna go the route of saying, like, this is a parable about, like, which pe- people group will be brought into the kingdom and which won't, and I've read some that go that direction. I don't wanna go there. But this idea that, like, even in the final judgment, the people who are in view here are the Gentiles, right? Right. I think most Jewish, particularly the, the Pharisees and the Sadducees hearing this, would've, would've read this and would've read ta ethnos, and would not have thought nations the way we do. Certainly would not have thought of, like, modern nation states. They might have been thinking maybe, like, people groups in general, but they would be thinking more along the lines of, like, Psalm, Psalm 2, like, "Why do the nations rage?" kind of nations. Why do the Gentiles rage? Why do the peoples plot in vain? They would've been thinking th- this, this, uh, judgment almost, at least on the face of it, almost excludes the Jews entirely when you think about it this way. It's really now sort of, like, zooming out where at the very least, at the minimal least, the Jews are just another people group within this broader judgment of the people group. Right. So again, like, we've seen this theme that Christ is continually expanding the scope of what is considered to be the Kingdom of Heaven to include not just the Jewish people, um, but all nations, all people groups, all Gentiles and Jews alike. And in a very real sense, um, and I wanna be careful how I've said this, I know I've commented this in the past, there's a very real sense of anti-Semitism that is prominent in- reform, quote-unquote reformed circles right now that is just vile and disgusting and sinful, and has no place in any sort of Biblical Christianity. But there is a reality that the Jewish people, broadly speaking, um, rejected the Messiah, at least while he was here on Earth. Um, relatively speaking, very few Jewish people, especially in the Jewish elite, like the leadership class, accepted Christ for who he was while he was here. Many Jews came to faith through the ministry of Peter, uh, and, and even through the ministry of Paul, even though he was an apostle to the Gentiles. So it's not as though it remained the case, but at this point in Christ's ministry, the Jewish people were by and large were rejecting him as Messiah. And so this idea and, and sort of this like final culmination now saying like he gathered all the, all the Gentiles, all of the peoples, all of the nations. In Jewish, in Jewish language and, and when you look in the Old Testament, and even in some of the New Testament literature, the nations were those people out there. So even if we don't translate this as Gentiles, we don't, we don't take that more like restrictive sense, even then it still implies that Christ is talking about people out there, the non-Jewish nations- Right are being gathered before his throne. And so that's not to say, absolutely not to say that the Jewish people, that, that the Jewish people of his day or the, the... This is where it gets tricky too, 'cause like we think about modern Israel and we, we import our understandings of like nation states. That's not what was in view here. The, the idea of a modern nation state was not a concept that existed in the first century. Um, you might have something like city states, but even that is kind of like a little bit ethereal. The idea here is that all people groups, and maybe, maybe we conceptualize Israel now as one of these people groups, the Israeli Jewish people as one of these people groups. All of those people groups, Jews, Gentiles, Scythians, Athenians, Spartans, like, uh, Ethiopians, you know, all of these different people- Right ... groups that are mentioned in the, the New Testament, all of those peoples, all of those nations are gathered before the throne, and then he will separate them one from another in the same way that a shepherd sep- separates the goats. [00:38:35] Group Judgment Assurance [00:38:35] Tony Arsenal: And yes, I think there is an individualistic, um, judgment element, and this is where I think, um... And, and then I'll, I'll pause for a second. This is where I think we can go wrong reading this as a parable about the individual judgment of individuals in the future That's not really what the language here is supporting. This is supporting sort of a broader group-based judgment, and the grouping is there are those who are sheep and there are those who are goats. But it doesn't appear as though Christ is saying like, "I'm evaluating each individual person, and this person is a sheep, this person is a goat." It's, it's a broader picture that, yes, has some implications for individual personal judgment, but when we read too much of that individual personal judgment into this parable that doesn't seem to be there, that's where we start to, like, rob individual Christians of their assurance. We start to say, like, "Did you do enough? Did you feed enough poor people or did you not?" That's not really, not really what's at stake here, I don't think. [00:39:40] Jesse Schwamb: No, it's definitely not. It's, it's important to remember just the beauty of, like, the consistent theological thread that runs all the way through the Old Testament, and then that we might expect, of course, to be manifest in Christ's teachings, which happen exactly here. So he is going all the way back to that covenantal promise seed through Abraham, single seed, many people groups, many ethnicities. In this way, the gospel is ethnic inclusive. And so it is, why wouldn't he say that in this way to express that this is exactly from all time what God wanted to do is gather all people groups to himself? Which means then by the time we get to the end of this chapter in verse 46, and there is this righteousness that... or the righteous that lead or go into eternal life, then of course we're led to believe here either directly or implicitly that that means that there would be some for whom the Pharisees would find it's, like, anathema to receive that kind of righteousness and eternal life are the ones in fact who are getting it. And so even that is scandalous. So the, the whole thing is very much a setup, and I think it's the confusion again of this is Jesus saying again to the Sadducees, like, "You are confused. You do not know the power of God. You, you search for it everywhere else but do not find it in front of you. It, it's he who speak to you. I am he. You think you search the scriptures, but you do not know." Everywhere it feels like he's saying that, and here also he's saying that again, but it's in the setup. And I'm with you. I think that there would've been a lot here that would've, like, just come right off his lips that would've been like, "Say what?" Uh, that would've been, like, offensive right off- Yeah ... the top. [00:41:16] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. [00:41:17] Sovereign Separation [00:41:17] Tony Arsenal: And the other, the other theme that plays out really loud and clear here, um, as we start to dig into this is, um, there's a sovereignty to this separation that is baked into, um, the king's right to decide who to keep and who to cast away. Right. So I think we, we, um, understandably read into this an assessment of the productivity or the profitability or somehow the, like, merit or worth of the sheep as contrasted to the worth of the goats. Um, and we read into it like the sheep have utility and the goats don't, so the goats get cast into the- Right outer darkness. That's not really, that's not really what's going on here, right? In a, in an agrarian society, like sheep and goats both have utility. It's not as though, like, sheep are worthless and goats aren't. There's a reason people have goats. Um, th- the, the issue here is that the king has decided that there are those on his right and there are those on his left, and the ones on his right he's gonna keep, and the ones on his left he's gonna cast away. And, and so, um, there's this sovereign election and determination that precedes the rest of this, right? It's not as though he's ... And this is where the personal, sort of personal assessment part comes in. He doesn't look at a person and go, "All right, you did a g- enough good works to qualify as a sheep, so you go ahead and go over-" Right and be a sheep. And you didn't do quite enough, so you're actually a goat, so you go over and you be a goat." He looks at, he says, "Y- sheep, goat. Goat, sheep." You know, he, he's separating them out, and then he describes what sheep do versus what goats do. And I, I, like I'm even drawing some of this language out. The sheep goats part of this is actually only, like, a verse and a half. He then flips out of this parabolic language to now go back to the sort of strictly predictive eschatological ex- like explanatory language. So this is what it's like when the Son of Man is on, on his kingdom. He separates sheep and goats. We read into, and maybe with some good reason, but we read into Uh, we read into the fact that the sheeps go to one side, the goats go to another. Then we sort of like attribute the characteristics of those who go to his right to sheep, and we attribute the characteristics... And I think we do this the wrong way. How many sermons have you heard where the whole sermon is about how sheep are obedient, and they're, they're affable, and they listen, and they, they, they are sweet and kind, and goats are stubborn, and they, they just wreck everything, and they don't listen, right? And how many s- how many sermons have you heard where they talk about, like, well, sheep and goats really look the same in the Middle Eastern context, and the only way you can tell them apart is what, by what they do? I think there's probably some, uh, benefit to thinking through those elements, but Christ does not make that point in this parable- Mm ... at least not directly, right? He said, "This is the activity. Imagine a man who has sheep and he has goats. He takes the sheep, he puts them on one side. He takes the goats on another side." That's what the separation at the end of the time, at the end of time will be like. Then he goes straight back out of the parable language into saying, "This is how the king will actually make the distinction. [00:44:29] Predestination Before Works [00:44:29] Tony Arsenal: The ones on his left, or on his right, he will say, 'Come, you're blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.'" Right? This is predestination language, not eschatological judgment language. The sheep were guaranteed a kingdom from before the foundation of the world. Before they did anything bad or didn't do anything good, they were guaranteed a kingdom from before the foundation of the world. Then he says, he explains to them, like the context that, as you said before, that reveals that they were sheep all along. [00:45:02] Jesse Schwamb: Right. [00:45:02] Tony Arsenal: It shows them that they were already... Man, I just, just made this connection in my head. This is the parable of the wheat and of the tares- Yep ... coming to fruition- Exactly ... at the end of time. Right. Right? The sheep and the goats were allowed to mingle until the time came when they would be separated, just as the wheat and the tares were allowed to grow up until the time when they would be reaped and separated. This is what's going on. The sheep did things that sheep do. Those on the right did the things that the people on the right would do because they were part of God's blessed kingdom all along. [00:45:34] Jesse Schwamb: Right. [00:45:35] Tony Arsenal: And then he goes on to explain what the people on the left did not do, not because now they've been put on the left because they didn't do it, but they were shown to have always been a part of that, part of that population. They were always goats because of these things. This shows that they were goats all along, and they did these things or failed to do these things because they were goats all along. [00:45:58] Jesse Schwamb: That's right. [00:45:59] Works Righteousness Trap [00:45:59] Jesse Schwamb: Let me read another verse. "For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children and also our brethren to believe in Christ and to be reconciled to God. For we know that it is by grace that we are saved after all we can do." My guess is everybody was with me- ... sounded kind of okay until that last part. And if you had that, like, as we say, like, that theological muscle memory that just made you flex or bristle there, or you had the Spidey Sense, as you say, Tony, good, because that's from 2 Nephi 25:23 from the Book of Mormon. And here's what I wanna say that's shocking, is if we read this passage of scripture that we're talking about as if there's something there that we need to do that proves that we've done enough and that somehow God will be pleased with that, even at the end of time in some small way, some modicum, then we're actually acting way more like Mormons than we are like Christians. That's just the bottom line. Yeah. Because Mormons, if you ask about this verse, rather than try to qualify that last statement by saying, "Well, that's misunderstood," or, "It's really not after all you can do," because of course it begs the question how do you know that you've done enough? How you don't- you've done all the things and that you're, you're exhausted. Their explanation of this is to double down on it and say, "Well, the context of that verse is following verse 23 actually does emphasize salvation only coming through Christ, but it also encourages continued observance of the law of Moses in order to be reconciled to God." Because that's all they could do until Christ fulfilled the law through his atonement. Even that is nonsense. So all of this to say, we have to be careful with this because I, I think you're right. We're aligning, we're running right up on this, and that is I would submit to you that we just get distracted because we always, of course, want to bring something to the party here. The, the salvation cake. We wanna, I don't know, we wanna make it, we wanna do. But God is doing all the things on our behalf. And so as a result of that, I think this parable is actually, it's about the divine prerogative and the agency of Christ in judgment at the end which belongs to him and him alone, and not about these actions. But we get caught up in the actions and we're missing this thri- divine prerogative. I also think that Christ gives this to us to reverse it on us and to show us that he sets about all things. It is in fact his foreordination and his providence. By grace we have been saved through faith, and that in providence being predestined is an act of his great love. And so this shows the extent of that love because those whom he has chosen himself are asking in disbelief as if to say, "When did I do the good works that you required?" And he said, "Well, you didn't because you could never do them apart from me." [00:48:38] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. [00:48:38] Jesse Schwamb: And so really that's the whole point. It's just so easy for us to get it twisted and say, "Well, doesn't it make sense that there are two groups?" Well, certainly there are in this passage. And doesn't it make good sense that because he said they did things or they didn't do things, then I just need to be about doing those things. And I think that is unfortunately the adventure in missing the point in this passage. [00:48:58] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah, I, I agree 100%. And it's funny 'cause you were reading that and I was like What translation of J- of First John is it? It sound, I mean, it sounds like, it sounds like something you'd read in First John It sounds okay [00:49:09] Jesse Schwamb: until [00:49:10] Tony Arsenal: the end. Yeah. No, I mean, like, it literally sounds like First John until- Yeah ... you get to that last part. [00:49:14] Jesse Schwamb: Yes. [00:49:15] Tony Arsenal: And, and I think you're right that, um, we'll, we'll explore this more next week, but what has always struck me about this passage is that the, the p- the, the people on His right, I've gotta stop saying sheep, because that's... I just made the point that that's not really what's going on. The people on His right who are called into the kingdom because it was prepared for them before the foundation, because they were elected unto that kingdom. The people on His right, they're surprised at the fact that they did these things. And it, I, I think the works righteousness way of reading this is like, "You better earn your salvation. You better get at it because if you haven't fed Jesus in disguise, then you just aren't gonna make it. At the end of the day- Mm ... He's gonna say, 'I never knew you.'" And it, whether intentionally or unintentionally, sometimes I think intentionally, it implies that we, uh, that Jesus comes to know us because we've done good works, right? When we say, "If you don't do these things, then Jesus will say, 'I never knew you,'" then what you're saying is Jesus doesn't know you apart from your good works. Right. And what the Bible says, what this passage says, just right on the face of it, is that the Kingdom of Heaven was prepared for those whom Christ has elected before the foundation of the world, or who the Father has elected, who are blessed by the Father before the foundation of the world. Now, obviously the Father had to know those people in some sense- [00:50:43] Jesse Schwamb: That's [00:50:43] Tony Arsenal: right ... before the foundation of the world in order for them to be blessed by Him and for Him to prepare a kingdom. So then to come back to the end of it and say, "Well, there are some of those, uh, who the Father never knew because they didn't do enough work," well, the problem is that those who did the good work, the Father knew before they did the good works. They didn't merit the good works. I mean- Right ... it's funny you, you bring up the, the Mormons, and that's certainly true, but, like, you could substitute in, at least on this regard, right? There are meaningful, important differences between the groups I'm about to say and Mormons, that would be the dividing line between those who are possibly saved and those who are y- definitely not saved, right? You could substitute Arminians, who wanna say God looks down the corridor of time, and the reason He prepared a kingdom in advance for them from the foundation of the world is 'cause He saw that they would do these things that would merit salvation, or He saw that they would make the proper decision to receive His grace, right? Or Roman Catholics or Eastern Orthodoxes in a different sense, but similarly who would say like, "Well, yeah, God knows in advance that you're gonna merit salvation, so He prepared- Right ... this kingdom anticipating your merit that you would contribute or your participation or, or whatever." I think in a certain sense, um, you could even apply this to some Lutheran theology, right? Which would say, like, "Well, God prepared this kingdom for you from the foundation of the world because he looked down the corridor of time and he understood that you were not going to resist the grace he gave," right? You were not gonna reject his grace. Um, it really truly only is Reformed theology that can say, "No, God prepared this kingdom in advance for you, and it was the preparation of that kingdom that brought you through this such that you did the good works that you did, such that you made the wise decision to follow Christ that you did. That is caused by the fact that God prepared a kingdom for you in advance, not that you somehow caused this kingdom to be prepared for you." A- and aga- again, again, like, this is dicey. It gets into, like, logical ordering, but fundamentally, a- as far as I can understand it, every competing view besides sort of a Calvinistic understanding of predestination election has to say that in some sense God prepares the kingdom for you as a response to something you have done, or chose- Right to do or chose not to do. The reality is that this passage is saying, "No To those who are on the right. He didn't separate them based on the fact that they did these things. He just said, "You are on the right, and now to those who are on the right, I say to you, come into the kingdom that is blessed. You're blessed by my Father. Come into this kingdom prepared from the foundation of the world." So I think, you know, we're c
Can the Orthobro movement survive scrutiny?Download your free apologetics guide here: https://thethink.institute/store/p/transcendental-argument-for-god-tag-cheat-sheet-downloadable-pdf Men: Want to become the worldview leader your family and church need? Join the Hammer & Anvil Society. We provide in-depth education and community for Christian men: https://thethink.institute/society===========================================================Think Debates is a ministry of the Think Institute, NFP. We rely on the generous support of our Ministry Partners to pursue our mission. Your financial contributions help equip Christian fathers and their families with the education, resources and community needed to stand firm on God's word in today's challenging climate. Thank you for your help in preparing thousands of regular believers to explain, share and defend the Christian message all over the world.The Think Institute, NFP is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (EIN: 88-3225438). Donations to The Think Institute are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.Donate now: https://thethink.institute/partner
Fr. Michael Copenhagen is a Melkite (Eastern Catholic) priest, husband, and father at St. Nicholas the Wonderworker Melkite Catholic Church in Gates, New York. He holds a Bachelor's of Sacred Theology from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. In Today's Show: Why do some families go through more tragedies compared to others? Is it because they sin more? How can we be sure that Paul's understanding of the Gospel is what Jesus Christ actually meant? What resources do you suggest for a beginner Eastern Catholic? What is the Catholic stance on miracles in the Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches, such as Our Lady of Zeitoun? And more. Visit the show page at thestationofthecross.com/askapriest to listen live, check out the weekly lineup, listen to podcasts of past episodes, watch live video, find show resources, sign up for our mailing list of upcoming shows, and submit your question for Father!
DEBATECON 8 will be in DALLAS on July 25/26th! Grab tickets now: https://events.eventnoire.com/e/debatecon-8-by-modern-day-debate Debate Jay Dyer in a 10v1 on Monday, July 27th in Dallas on, "Is the E.O. Church the most similar to the early church?" Sign up here: https://forms.gle/AAP3F9gU9t5jGhMAA - LET'S GOOOOO! Use code MODERNDAYDEBATE at PharmEasyBank for an extra 20% OFF your discounted order—get Ivermectin, Fenbendazole, Hydroxychloroquine, Amoxicillin, and more at https://pharmeasybank.com/moderndaydebate Help support upgraded security at DEBATECON 8 at our live GoFundMe! https://gofund.me/872054503 LINKS TO GUESTS: @Alex_Ortodoxie Evan: https://everymancommentary.substack.com/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Benedict of Nursia (480-547) aka Saint Benedict, was an Italian monk and the founder of the Order of Saint Benedict. He is famed in the Eastern Orthodox, Protestant Lutheran, Anglican Communion, and Catholic Churches. Benedictine monks celebrate two feast days for their founder—celebrating July 11 to honor his title as Patron Saint of Europe, and observing March 21 as the day he died. His twin sister, Scholastica (480-543), founded the Benedictine nuns. Her feast day is February 10. Books about Benedict available at https://amzn.to/4vuEYvR Books about Scholastica available at https://amzn.to/4vuEYvR Books about Benedict Biscop at https://amzn.to/3TaLMR6 Books about Monte Cassino at https://amzn.to/4eWv5BB ENJOY Ad-Free content, Bonus episodes, and Extra materials when joining our growing community on https://patreon.com/markvinet SUPPORT this channel by purchasing any product on Amazon using this FREE entry LINK https://amzn.to/3POlrUD (Amazon gives us credit at NO extra charge to you). Mark Vinet's TIMELINE video channel: https://youtube.com/c/TIMELINE_MarkVinet Mark's History of North America podcast: www.parthenonpodcast.com/history-of-north-america Website: https://markvinet.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mark.vinet.9 X (twitter): https://twitter.com/HistoricalJesu Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denarynovels Mark's books: https://amzn.to/3k8qrGM Audio credits: Saint of the Day podcast—St Benedict of Nursia, abbot (14mar2024) & Venerable Benedict Biscop, Abbot of Wearmouth (12jan2026) Greek Orthodox Deacon Jerome Atherholt and Ancient Faith Radio; The Saint of the Day podcast (St. Benedict, 11july2024 & St. Scholastica 10feb2024) Good Catholic and The Catholic Company; Saint Of The Day podcast with Mike Roberts by Covenant Network (ourcatholicradio.org) Memorial Of Saint Benedict (July 11, 2025) and Saint Scholastica (February 10, 2025). Audio excerpts reproduced under the Fair Use (Fair Dealings) Legal Doctrine for purposes such as criticism, comment, teaching, education, scholarship, research and news reporting.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Join the show with a TEXT here!In today's episode, we continue our deep‑dive review of last week's debate. Pressing further into the kinds of arguments Eastern Orthodox apologists often rely on when biblical support is thin or absent. You'll get a clear, structured look at why these arguments feel so foreign to many Christians, how they can unsettle people who've never encountered them, and what's actually driving the logic beneath Eastern Orthodox argumentation. Most importantly, we'll walk through how Scripture equips us to respond faithfully, confidently, and charitably, because God's Word is living and active and never returns void.Before jumping into the debate review, we'll take a moment to address the increasingly unhealthy state of Eastern Orthodox interactions online. We'll talk honestly about how certain communication patterns, dismissiveness, hostility, and rhetorical posturing, shut down real conversation and breed resentment toward the Church. If you've ever engaged with EO communities online, you've likely seen this firsthand, and it's something that must be called out for the sake of Christ's witness.If you're ready for another round of careful study, debate analysis, and Scripture‑centered clarity, grab your Bible and strap in. This episode is all about truth, discernment, and engaging difficult conversations with confidence rooted in God's Word.
Why are Catholic and Eastern Orthodox voices gaining so much attention online? In this episode, we talk with John Pawlik about the key differences between Catholicism, Orthodoxy, and Protestantism, why these traditions are appealing to so many people today, and how internet debates can shape our understanding of faith. We also explore John 6, what Jesus meant by "eat My flesh and drink My blood," and why true faith in Christ remains at the center of the gospel. Join us for a thoughtful, Bible-centered conversation on church history, worship, and following Jesus with truth and discernment.Why I Left the Catholic FaithSend us Fan MailPlease leave a review on Apple or Spotify to help improve No Sanity Required and help others grow in their faith. Click here to get our Colossians Bible study.
In this final episode of the Mary in the Dock series, we examine the Assumption of Mary — the solemn teaching that, at the end of her earthly life, the Immaculate Mother of God was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory. Many Protestants find this doctrine especially challenging, arguing that it lacks any biblical foundation and was simply invented by the pope when it was defined in 1950. We give those objections a full and fair hearing, including the complete silence of the New Testament, the absence of clear early patristic testimony, and the apparent difference between the Catholic understanding and the Eastern Orthodox celebration of the Dormition. We then present the Catholic case: the biblical precedent of God assuming other holy figures, the ancient and widespread liturgical tradition in both East and West, and the deep theological fittingness of Mary's bodily glorification as the New Eve and the New Ark. Whether you're wrestling with this teaching or simply want to understand why the Church holds it with such conviction, this episode brings the entire series to a coherent and Christ-centered conclusion. SUPPORT THIS SHOW Considering Catholicism is 100% listener-supported. If this podcast has helped you on your journey, please become a patron today! For as little as $5/month you get: • Every regular episode ad-free and organized into topical playlists • Exclusive bonus content (extra Q&As, Deep-Dive courses, live streams, and more) • My deepest gratitude and a growing community of like-minded listeners ➡️ Join now: https://patreon.com/consideringcatholicism (or tap the Patreon link in your podcast app) One-time gift: Donate with PayPal! CONNECT WITH US • Website & contact form: https://consideringcatholicism.com • Email: consideringcatholicism@gmail.com • Leave a comment on Patreon (I read every one!) RATE & REVIEW If you enjoy the show, please leave a rating (and even better, a review) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen — it really helps new listeners find us. SHARE THE SHOW Know someone who's curious about Catholicism? Send them a link or share an episode on social media. Thank you! Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat.
American Evangelical Christianity is in crisis. The story of how it got here is an important part of this series but there are several reasons so many evangelical Christians are discontent and looking for something else, something with historical roots, with a sense of tradition, with a sense of of transcendence, with reverent worship, and with a deeper view of the sacraments. It is the conviction of the Heidelberg Reformation Association that the answer to the longing for more lies not in Rome or in the Eastern Orthodox traditions but, as it were, in Geneva. In this series we will explore the history, theology, piety and practice of Roman Catholicism and the Eastern Orthodox traditions, and we will compare and contrast those two traditions with historic Reformed theology, piety, and practice. This episode of the Heidelcast is sponsored by the Heidelberg Reformation Association. You love the Heidelcast and the Heidelblog. You share it with friends, with members of your church, and others but have you stopped to think what would happen if it all disappeared? The truth is that we depend on your support. If you don't make the coffer clink, the HRA will simply sink. Won't you help us keep it going? The HRA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. All your gifts are tax deductible. Use the donate link on this page or mail a check to Heidelberg Reformation Association, 1637 E Valley Parkway #391, Escondido CA 92027. All the Episodes of the Heidelcast Subscribe to the Heidelcast! Browse the Heidelshop! On X @Heidelcast On Insta & Facebook @Heidelcast Subscribe in Apple Podcast Subscribe directly via RSS Call The Heidelphone via Voice Memo On Your Phone The Heidelcast is available wherever podcasts are found including Spotify. Call or text the Heidelphone anytime at (760) 618-1563. Leave a message or email us a voice memo from your phone and we may use it in a future podcast. Record it and email it to heidelcast@heidelblog.net. If you benefit from the Heidelcast please leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts so that others can find it. Please do not forget to make the coffer clink (see the donate button below). SHOW NOTES How To Subscribe To Heidelmedia The Heidelblog Resource Page Heidelmedia Resources The Ecumenical Creeds The Reformed Confessions The Heidelberg Catechism The Heidelberg Catechism: A Historical, Theological, and Pastoral Commentary (Lexham Academic) Recovering the Reformed Confession (P&R Publishing, 2008) Why I Am A Christian What Must A Christian Believe? Heidelblog Contributors Support Heidelmedia: use the donate button or send a check to: Heidelberg Reformation Association 1637 E. Valley Parkway #391 Escondido CA 92027 USA The HRA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
Christy Honeysett shares her experience with the Eastern Orthodox spirituality of theosis (divinisation) — a transformative participation in God's eternal life, love, and holiness, lived out by sharing in the life of the Trinity
“Are Christians just Protestants?” This question opens a discussion on the diverse identities within Christianity, addressing misconceptions about faith. The conversation also touches on whether Jesus had blood-relative brothers and the Catholic understanding of Mary’s perpetual virginity, alongside the differences between Catholic and Orthodox beliefs regarding the Immaculate Conception. Join the Catholic Answers Live Club Newsletter Invite our apologists to speak at your parish! Visit Catholicanswersspeakers.com Questions Covered: 03:15 – Are people who call themselves Christian just protestants? 05:35 – My Protestant friend said Jesus had blood-relative brothers. I said if that were true, Jesus would not have entrusted Mary to John's care at the foot of the cross. Was that a good defense? 16:10 – I'm protestant. The bible says Jesus had brothers so how do Catholics come to the conclusion that Mary was a virgin all her life? 35:00 – I'm Eastern Orthodox. What is the Catholic argument for the Immaculate conception rather than the Orthodox believe in the Dispassionate Conception, and the Catholic belief in original sin versus the Orthodox idea of ancestral sin. 51:43 – What covenant did Jesus fulfill?
American Evangelical Christianity is in crisis. The story of how it got here is an important part of this series but there are several reasons so many evangelical Christians are discontent and looking for something else, something with historical roots, with a sense of tradition, with a sense of of transcendence, with reverent worship, and with a deeper view of the sacraments. It is the conviction of the Heidelberg Reformation Association that the answer to the longing for more lies not in Rome or in the Eastern Orthodox traditions but, as it were, in Geneva. In this series we will explore the history, theology, piety and practice of Roman Catholicism and the Eastern Orthodox traditions, and we will compare and contrast those two traditions with historic Reformed theology, piety, and practice. This episode of the Heidelcast is sponsored by the Heidelberg Reformation Association. You love the Heidelcast and the Heidelblog. You share it with friends, with members of your church, and others but have you stopped to think what would happen if it all disappeared? The truth is that we depend on your support. If you don't make the coffer clink, the HRA will simply sink. Won't you help us keep it going? The HRA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. All your gifts are tax deductible. Use the donate link on this page or mail a check to Heidelberg Reformation Association, 1637 E Valley Parkway #391, Escondido CA 92027. All the Episodes of the Heidelcast Subscribe to the Heidelcast! Browse the Heidelshop! On X @Heidelcast On Insta & Facebook @Heidelcast Subscribe in Apple Podcast Subscribe directly via RSS Call The Heidelphone via Voice Memo On Your Phone The Heidelcast is available wherever podcasts are found including Spotify. Call or text the Heidelphone anytime at (760) 618-1563. Leave a message or email us a voice memo from your phone and we may use it in a future podcast. Record it and email it to heidelcast@heidelblog.net. If you benefit from the Heidelcast please leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts so that others can find it. Please do not forget to make the coffer clink (see the donate button below). SHOW NOTES How To Subscribe To Heidelmedia The Heidelblog Resource Page Heidelmedia Resources The Ecumenical Creeds The Reformed Confessions The Heidelberg Catechism The Heidelberg Catechism: A Historical, Theological, and Pastoral Commentary (Lexham Academic) Recovering the Reformed Confession (P&R Publishing, 2008) Why I Am A Christian What Must A Christian Believe? Heidelblog Contributors Support Heidelmedia: use the donate button or send a check to: Heidelberg Reformation Association 1637 E. Valley Parkway #391 Escondido CA 92027 USA The HRA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
Welcome to a special Episode 160 – a conversation / debate between Jack Symes and Philip Goff. Philip Goff and Jack Symes have known each other since 2011, when Philip taught Jack's very first philosophy lecture. In the years since, they've both arrived at views that sit awkwardly between God and atheism – but in very different ways. Philip defends a God of limited powers and a form of Christianity rooted in Eastern Orthodox theology. Jack argues that God is just the world. In this conversation, they put their views head to head. They discuss the ontological argument (which Philip loves and Jack accepts begrudgingly), the problem of evil, and Philip's recent mystical experience. They also explore negative religious experiences, panpsychism, whether the self is an illusion, and why neither of them are traditional theists. This is a conversation between two friends who disagree about almost everything – and enjoy every minute of it. Links Philip Goff: YouTube Twitter Website SubStack Why? The Purpose of the Universe (book) Galileo's Error: A New Science of Consciousness (book)
What do Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Christians, and Evangelicals actually believe about miracles, healing, prophecy, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit? While these traditions often seem worlds apart, the reality may surprise you.In this episode we explore the similarities between Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Evangelical beliefs regarding spiritual gifts, miracles, healing, and the work of the Holy Spirit. Instead of focusing only on disagreements, we examine the areas where these Christian traditions overlap and discover that they may be much closer than many people realize.If you've ever wondered whether miracles still happen, what different churches believe about the gifts of the Spirit, or how Christians from different traditions understand the supernatural work of God, this conversation is for you.Whether you are Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, a skeptical seeker, or someone struggling with faith, this discussion offers a thoughtful and biblical overview of these traditions. Our goal is to help Christians think deeply, build unity, and better understand the broader Christian faith.Subscribe to Everyday Gospel for conversations about theology, discipleship, church history, and helping Gen Z navigate faith in today's world.Enjoy!
Join the show with a TEXT here!When your priest can't answer the most basic question—“What is the Gospel?”—it's time to run. Today we take a closer look at yet another Eastern Orthodox voice, but this time it's not a layperson… it's a priest who still cannot give a clear, biblical answer. And wait until you hear what he actually says.We'll unpack why this question is consistently dodged, what's really going on beneath the surface, and what the true Gospel actually is according to Scripture—not tradition, not speculation, not philosophical fog.On top of that, we'll walk through a recently posted debate on what the true church is. I'll break down the main arguments presented by the Eastern Orthodox participant and evaluate whether they hold up—or whether they're just polished evasions dressed up as theology. Expect to see abuses of Scripture, equivocation, category errors, and plenty of posturing against what the Bible plainly teaches.If that sounds like your kind of deep dive, grab your Bible and a snack. Let's get into it.
Went into the big studio today, started off with a little discussion of the Tucker Carlson stuff, and then shifted over to some comments by Eastern Orthodox speaker Alex Sorin that allowed us to discuss some other foundational issues about church history.
Fr. Robert McTeigue examines Fulton Sheen's warnings about a counterfeit “ape of the Church” that imitates Christianity while rejecting God, and the ways in which social morality can supplant personal repentance in modern culture. Father concludes with Weekend Readiness to help prepare you for Sunday Mass. Show Notes Communism and the Conscience of the West Detroit's Archbishop attends mosque opening, says: “There is no place where I feel more respect, fraternity, and kindness” FSSP Pilgrimage in Italy Denied the Traditional Latin Mass at Multiple Shrines: While Nuns hear "Confessions" and Eastern Orthodox celebrate liturgies Two Options: Disclosure Day and the Sacred Heart of Jesus 6-Year-old Finds Ancient Viking Sword on School Field Trip, Buried for 1,300 Years Pope Leo XIV declares American religious founder Mary Teresa Tallon venerable Daily Readings - Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time iCatholic Mobile The Station of the Cross Merchandise - Use Coupon Code 14STATIONS for 10% off | Catholic to the Max Read Fr. McTeigue's Written Works! "Let's Take A Closer Look" with Fr. Robert McTeigue, S.J. | Full Series Playlist Listen to Fr. McTeigue's Preaching! | Herald of the Gospel Sermons Podcast on Spotify Visit Fr. McTeigue's Website | Herald of the Gospel Questions? Comments? Feedback? Ask Father!
Gavin Ortlund and Fr. Stephen De Young discuss Eastern Orthodox exclusivity, the boundaries of the church, and what it means to be a Christian.Truth Unites (https://truthunites.org) exists to promote gospel assurance through theological depth. Gavin Ortlund (PhD, Fuller Theological Seminary) is President of Truth Unites, Visiting Professor of Historical Theology at Phoenix Seminary, and Theologian-in-Residence at Immanuel Nashville.SUPPORT:Tax Deductible Support: https://truthunites.org/donate/Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/truthunitesFOLLOW:Website: https://truthunites.org/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truth.unites/X: https://x.com/gavinortlundFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/TruthUnitesPage/
Patrick opens the hour sorting through the difference between Eastern Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches (01:16), then fields bold questions about faith, relationships, and real-world messiness, such as the impact of living together outside marriage on salvation (05:31). He weaves listener stories of struggle and hope with advice about ordering life around God (16:08), discusses altar servers and gender at Mass (21:14), and gives direct responses to practical concerns like praying personalized rosaries (47:23). One moment quiets into reflection, the next springs into debate; Patrick keeps the energy high and the conversation rooted in Catholic teaching. Millicent (email) - Western Orthodox churches are not in communion with Rome, right? I know Eastern Catholic churches are under the Pope’s reign, but we aren't allowed to attend Western Orthodox, or are we? (01:10) Wesley - My future wife and I are both Catholic and we about to have our second son tomorrow. Hoping to baptize him soon. If I die, before I got married, what would my salvation state be? (04:21) Billy (email) - My wife and I fulfilled our Sunday obligation at a beautiful cathedral in London this past Sunday. Aside from the Priest and the Deacon, every other server in the Mass was female (eight altar girls, all women readers and all women ushers). (21:17) Todd - Similar to Wesley, I fell into living with a girl three different times. I knew it was wrong. (29:34) John - If you die with mortal sin, do you have the option to go to Purgatory or is that option not there? (38:43) Roger – Wesley’s story is similar to mine. I was making excuses and realized I wasn’t living a saintly life. God justifies us, not us. (41:25) Sharie – When I pray the Rosary, is it okay instead of meditating on the mysteries to pray for individual people instead? (47:17)
“Why do Eastern Orthodox apologists reject doctrinal change?” This question opens a discussion on the objections many Eastern Orthodox apologists have regarding doctrinal development. The conversation also touches on the appeal of Orthodoxy’s power structure, strategies for guiding friends toward Catholicism, and the complexities surrounding the filioque controversy. Join the Catholic Answers Live Club Newsletter Invite our apologists to speak at your parish! Visit Catholicanswersspeakers.com Questions Covered: 02:20 – Why Do Many Eastern Orthodox Apologists Object to Doctrinal Development? 18:28 – We are Catholic but are considering Orthodoxy. One argument is that in Orthodoxy there is less emphasis on power structure so less chance of corruption. 23:40 – My non-denom friends are looking into Orthodoxy. How can I steer them towards Catholicism instead of Orthodoxy? 37:15 – There are two Patriarchs of Jerusalem, the Greek Orthodox and the Latin. The Latin one goes back to the Crusades, and the Greek Orthodox one goes back to the New Testament. I think it was schismatic act for the Latins to set up a separate one. 50:44 – The Eastern Orthodox argument against the filioque makes it seem like the Father and the Son have abilities that the holy spirit doesn't have, which would seem to put him in a subservient position. Would you agree with that?
American Evangelical Christianity is in crisis. The story of how it got here is an important part of this series but there are several reasons so many evangelical Christians are discontent and looking for something else, something with historical roots, with a sense of tradition, with a sense of of transcendence, with reverent worship, and with a deeper view of the sacraments. It is the conviction of the Heidelberg Reformation Association that the answer to the longing for more lies not in Rome or in the Eastern Orthodox traditions but, as it were, in Geneva. In this series we will explore the history, theology, piety and practice of Roman Catholicism and the Eastern Orthodox traditions, and we will compare and contrast those two traditions with historic Reformed theology, piety, and practice. This episode of the Heidelcast is sponsored by the Heidelberg Reformation Association. You love the Heidelcast and the Heidelblog. You share it with friends, with members of your church, and others but have you stopped to think what would happen if it all disappeared? The truth is that we depend on your support. If you don't make the coffer clink, the HRA will simply sink. Won't you help us keep it going? The HRA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. All your gifts are tax deductible. Use the donate link on this page or mail a check to Heidelberg Reformation Association, 1637 E Valley Parkway #391, Escondido CA 92027. All the Episodes of the Heidelcast Subscribe to the Heidelcast! Browse the Heidelshop! On X @Heidelcast On Insta & Facebook @Heidelcast Subscribe in Apple Podcast Subscribe directly via RSS Call The Heidelphone via Voice Memo On Your Phone The Heidelcast is available wherever podcasts are found including Spotify. Call or text the Heidelphone anytime at (760) 618-1563. Leave a message or email us a voice memo from your phone and we may use it in a future podcast. Record it and email it to heidelcast@heidelblog.net. If you benefit from the Heidelcast please leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts so that others can find it. Please do not forget to make the coffer clink (see the donate button below). SHOW NOTES How To Subscribe To Heidelmedia The Heidelblog Resource Page Heidelmedia Resources The Ecumenical Creeds The Reformed Confessions The Heidelberg Catechism The Heidelberg Catechism: A Historical, Theological, and Pastoral Commentary (Lexham Academic) Recovering the Reformed Confession (P&R Publishing, 2008) Why I Am A Christian What Must A Christian Believe? Heidelblog Contributors Support Heidelmedia: use the donate button or send a check to: Heidelberg Reformation Association 1637 E. Valley Parkway #391 Escondido CA 92027 USA The HRA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
“What Church did Jesus found?” This question opens a discussion on the foundational beliefs of Christianity, touching on the Church’s teachings about Original Sin and the differing perspectives held by Jews and Muslims. Additionally, the conversation addresses the Orthodox view of apostolic succession and the implications of Jesus’ return for the Earth. Join the Catholic Answers Live Club Newsletter Invite our apologists to speak at your parish! Visit Catholicanswersspeakers.com Questions Covered: 02:09 – What Church did Jesus found? 12:14 – What does the Church teach about Original Sin, and why Jews and Muslims view it differently? 19:42 – The Orthodox believe that any validly consecrated bishop is the successor of Peter. And that Peter was called rock because he was the first to recognize the divinity of Christ. And Peter consecrated other bishops, so he cannot be the only foundation stone. 29:14 – What will happen to the Earth when Jesus returns? 32:07 – Is loving your neighbor and loving God more important than sacrifice. Because Jesus said we live by every word that comes from God, and he said love God and love your neighbor. So is that more important than the Eucharist? 35:20 – In the early Church is there more evidence for divine simplicity over the essence/energy distinction of the Eastern Orthodox? 41:35 – Who were the Apostolic Fathers? How many were there?
Join the show with a TEXT here!You've heard it before: “That's just your interpretation.” But is that a meaningful reply, or simply a way to dodge what Scripture actually says? This common objection exposes a deep divide between how Bible‑believing Christians approach the text and how other groups often impose meaning onto the text rather than drawing meaning from it.In today's episode, we tackle this objection head‑on. We'll walk through how to handle it faithfully, how to approach controversial passages with accuracy and humility, and why this matters for the health of the church. We'll also examine the kinds of “converts” these groups tend to produce, and why so many of them struggle to engage with the gospel or the broader witness of Scripture.This is a delicate but crucial topic. Many are being pulled into these groups by confident claims and persuasive rhetoric, and our aim is to “save others by snatching them out of the fire” (Jude 23) by exposing the deficiencies clearly and biblically.So grab your Bible, settle in, and let's dive deep into truth together.
American Evangelical Christianity is in crisis. The story of how it got here is an important part of this series but there are several reasons so many evangelical Christians are discontent and looking for something else, something with historical roots, with a sense of tradition, with a sense of of transcendence, with reverent worship, and with a deeper view of the sacraments. It is the conviction of the Heidelberg Reformation Association that the answer to the longing for more lies not in Rome or in the Eastern Orthodox traditions but, as it were, in Geneva. In this series we will explore the history, theology, piety and practice of Roman Catholicism and the Eastern Orthodox traditions, and we will compare and contrast those two traditions with historic Reformed theology, piety, and practice. This episode of the Heidelcast is sponsored by the Heidelberg Reformation Association. You love the Heidelcast and the Heidelblog. You share it with friends, with members of your church, and others but have you stopped to think what would happen if it all disappeared? The truth is that we depend on your support. If you don't make the coffer clink, the HRA will simply sink. Won't you help us keep it going? The HRA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. All your gifts are tax deductible. Use the donate link on this page or mail a check to Heidelberg Reformation Association, 1637 E Valley Parkway #391, Escondido CA 92027. All the Episodes of the Heidelcast Subscribe to the Heidelcast! Browse the Heidelshop! On X @Heidelcast On Insta & Facebook @Heidelcast Subscribe in Apple Podcast Subscribe directly via RSS Call The Heidelphone via Voice Memo On Your Phone The Heidelcast is available wherever podcasts are found including Spotify. Call or text the Heidelphone anytime at (760) 618-1563. Leave a message or email us a voice memo from your phone and we may use it in a future podcast. Record it and email it to heidelcast@heidelblog.net. If you benefit from the Heidelcast please leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts so that others can find it. Please do not forget to make the coffer clink (see the donate button below). SHOW NOTES How To Subscribe To Heidelmedia The Heidelblog Resource Page Heidelmedia Resources The Ecumenical Creeds The Reformed Confessions The Heidelberg Catechism The Heidelberg Catechism: A Historical, Theological, and Pastoral Commentary (Lexham Academic) Recovering the Reformed Confession (P&R Publishing, 2008) Why I Am A Christian What Must A Christian Believe? Heidelblog Contributors Support Heidelmedia: use the donate button or send a check to: Heidelberg Reformation Association 1637 E. Valley Parkway #391 Escondido CA 92027 USA The HRA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
Let’s explore the life and times of Justin the Philosopher (100-65 AD), recognized as one of the most important early Church Fathers and it's first major apologist. His annual Feast day is June 1 and he is venerated as a saint by the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Protestant Lutherans, and in Anglicanism. Daily Gospel Reflection on Veritas Catholic Network at https://amzn.to/4vhObHr The Tangent on Veritas Catholic Network at https://amzn.to/4uGnVqe Justin Martyr books available at https://amzn.to/4cIA5ay ENJOY Ad-Free content, Bonus episodes, and Extra materials when joining our growing community on https://patreon.com/markvinet SUPPORT this channel by purchasing any product on Amazon using this FREE entry LINK https://amzn.to/3POlrUD (Amazon gives us credit at NO extra charge to you). Mark Vinet's TIMELINE video channel: https://youtube.com/c/TIMELINE_MarkVine Mark's History of North America podcast: www.parthenonpodcast.com/history-of-north-america Website: https://markvinet.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mark.vinet.9 X (twitter): https://twitter.com/MarkVinet_HNA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denarynovels Mark's books: https://amzn.to/3k8qrGM Audio credits: Saint of the Day podcast: Martyr Justin the Philosopher and those with him at Rome (166) June 1, 2025, Greek Orthodox Deacon Jerome Atherholt and Ancient Faith Radio; The Saint of the Day podcast (St. Justin Martyr, June 1, 2024) Good Catholic and The Catholic Company; Daily Gospel Reflection on Veritas Catholic Network (St. Justin Martyr on the Mass, June 1, 2024); Saint Justin Martyr on Saint Of The Day podcast with Mike Roberts by Covenant Network (ourcatholicradio.org); The Meaning of Catholic: Corpus Christi - Excerpt from St. Justin Martyr, June 11, 2020. Audio excerpts reproduced under the Fair Use (Fair Dealings) Legal Doctrine for purposes such as criticism, comment, teaching, education, scholarship, research and news reporting.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Recognized as one of the most important early Church Fathers and its first major apologist, let’s explore the life and times of Justin the Philosopher (100–65 AD). His annual Feast day is June 1 and he is venerated as a saint by the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Protestant Lutherans, and in Anglicanism. Why Catholic? podcast with Justin Hibbard at https://amzn.to/4dWF73G Justin Martyr books available at https://amzn.to/4cIA5ay ENJOY Ad-Free content, Bonus episodes, and Extra materials when joining our growing community on https://patreon.com/markvinet SUPPORT this channel by purchasing any product on Amazon using this FREE entry LINK https://amzn.to/3POlrUD (Amazon gives us credit at NO extra charge to you). Mark Vinet's TIMELINE video channel: https://youtube.com/c/TIMELINE_MarkVine Mark's History of North America podcast: www.parthenonpodcast.com/history-of-north-america Website: https://markvinet.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mark.vinet.9 X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/MarkVinet_HNA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denarynovels Mark's books: https://amzn.to/3k8qrGM Audio credits: Why Catholic? podcast with Justin Hibbard (Episode 50, Saint Justin - Philosopher, Apologist, Martyr. June 1, 2023). Audio excerpts reproduced under the Fair Use (Fair Dealings) Legal Doctrine for purposes such as criticism, comment, teaching, education, scholarship, research and news reporting.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
American Evangelical Christianity is in crisis. The story of how it got here is an important part of this series but there are several reasons so many evangelical Christians are discontent and looking for something else, something with historical roots, with a sense of tradition, with a sense of of transcendence, with reverent worship, and with a deeper view of the sacraments. It is the conviction of the Heidelberg Reformation Association that the answer to the longing for more lies not in Rome or in the Eastern Orthodox traditions but, as it were, in Geneva. In this series we will explore the history, theology, piety and practice of Roman Catholicism and the Eastern Orthodox traditions, and we will compare and contrast those two traditions with historic Reformed theology, piety, and practice. This episode of the Heidelcast is sponsored by the Heidelberg Reformation Association. You love the Heidelcast and the Heidelblog. You share it with friends, with members of your church, and others but have you stopped to think what would happen if it all disappeared? The truth is that we depend on your support. If you don't make the coffer clink, the HRA will simply sink. Won't you help us keep it going? The HRA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. All your gifts are tax deductible. Use the donate link on this page or mail a check to Heidelberg Reformation Association, 1637 E Valley Parkway #391, Escondido CA 92027. All the Episodes of the Heidelcast Subscribe to the Heidelcast! Browse the Heidelshop! On X @Heidelcast On Insta & Facebook @Heidelcast Subscribe in Apple Podcast Subscribe directly via RSS Call The Heidelphone via Voice Memo On Your Phone The Heidelcast is available wherever podcasts are found including Spotify. Call or text the Heidelphone anytime at (760) 618-1563. Leave a message or email us a voice memo from your phone and we may use it in a future podcast. Record it and email it to heidelcast@heidelblog.net. If you benefit from the Heidelcast please leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts so that others can find it. Please do not forget to make the coffer clink (see the donate button below). SHOW NOTES How To Subscribe To Heidelmedia The Heidelblog Resource Page Heidelmedia Resources The Ecumenical Creeds The Reformed Confessions The Heidelberg Catechism The Heidelberg Catechism: A Historical, Theological, and Pastoral Commentary (Lexham Academic) Recovering the Reformed Confession (P&R Publishing, 2008) Why I Am A Christian What Must A Christian Believe? Heidelblog Contributors Support Heidelmedia: use the donate button or send a check to: Heidelberg Reformation Association 1637 E. Valley Parkway #391 Escondido CA 92027 USA The HRA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
Icon Wars: Has the Church Been Bowing to Idols? How Rome and the East Smuggle Idolatry into Worship Through Sentiment and Bad Arguments “Stop kissing idols.” When God thundered from Sinai, He did not mumble. He did not leave room for clever loopholes. He said: “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image… thou shalt not bow down thyself to them.” Yet for centuries, Rome and the East have tried to explain away what God made plain. In this episode of The Patriarchy Podcast, Pastor Joseph Spurgeon and Zach Krugler step into the Icon Wars. Are icons, statues, relics, and painted images harmless aids to worship… or baptized idolatry dressed up in tradition? The guys break down the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic arguments for icon veneration, including appeals to the incarnation, church history, temple imagery, and “honor passing through the image.” They examine why modern Protestants, exhausted by shallow evangelicalism, are being lured toward ancient aesthetics and mystical sentimentality. They also ask the practical questions many Christians wrestle with: Is every image of Jesus sinful? What about children’s Bibles and movies like The Chosen or The Passion of the Christ? What do we do with relics like the Shroud of Turin? Does church history actually support icon veneration? Can Christians distinguish between honor and worship? This is not a debate about art alone. It is a battle over worship, authority, and whether God gets to decide how He is approached. Faithful men do not improve God’s worship. They obey it. Timestamps 00:00 – Cold Open: “Stop Kissing Idols”02:01 – Introduction to the Icon Wars03:12 – Has God Authorized Religious Images?04:39 – Why Eastern Orthodoxy Is Gaining Ground08:36 – Does Calling Icons Idolatry Mean the Church Fell Away?10:02 – What the Second Commandment Actually Says13:17 – The Bronze Serpent and Corrupted Worship17:24 – Is There a Difference Between Images and Veneration?19:56 – “Jesus Is the Image of God” Argument Examined23:39 – Did Christ Change the Second Commandment?27:33 – The Incarnation and the Logic of Iconography31:36 – Honor vs. Worship: Are They the Same?35:45 – The Regulative Principle of Worship38:20 – Westminster Larger Catechism on Images43:18 – Mental Images of Christ and the Human Imagination47:12 – The Dangers of Modern Depictions of Jesus50:17 – Applying This Debate in Real Life Key Topics Discussed The Second Commandment and worship Eastern Orthodox icon veneration Roman Catholic statues and relics The regulative principle of worship The Westminster Larger Catechism The incarnation and images of Christ Church history and iconoclasm The Shroud of Turin The Chosen and visual depictions of Jesus Idolatry disguised as tradition The King’s Council Men need more than shallow answers and soft leadership. The King’s Council is a gathering for men who want biblical truth, real brotherhood, and strength under the lordship of Christ. Join us June 20 from 5:00–8:00 PM at Sovereign King Church in Jeffersonville, IN. Pastor Michael Clary of Christ the King Church in Fort Thomas, KY will speak on Piety Without Pietism. Food, discussion, and fellowship included. Take your seat at the King’s Council: https://sovereignkingscouncil.com About the Show The Patriarchy Podcast features in-depth conversations on faith, culture, theology, and leadership. Each episode equips Christians to live boldly and biblically in an age of compromise—exploring the challenges and opportunities of standing firm for truth in the modern world. Support the Mission We’re still raising funds to expand Sovereign King Academy and keep tuition affordable for families. Want to invest in the future of Christ’s Kingdom?Give here: https://sovereignkingacademy.com Connect with The Patriarchy Podcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThePatriarchyPodcastSpotify: https://tinyurl.com/58tm5zjzApple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/f3ruzrsaWebsite & All Links: https://linktr.ee/thepatriarchypodcast Follow Joseph Spurgeon:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThePatriarchyPodcastX/Twitter: https://x.com/PatriarchyPodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepatriarchypodcastGab: https://gab.com/thepatriarchypodcast Sponsored By Steadfast Cigars – For men who reject passivity and take dominionOrder: https://steadfastcigars.com/ Fit Father Project – Dr. Balduzzi built the Fit Father Project to help men stop drifting, reclaim discipline, and get strong for life. If you're ready to take ownership of your health, don’t wait. This is the first real step toward lasting strength—for your body, your family, and your legacy. Start: https://secure.fitfatherproject.com/a/transformation/4539 Books by Joseph Spurgeon:It’s Good to Be a Boy – https://a.co/d/7zpEh5DIt’s Good to Be a Girl – https://a.co/d/6VlBTzS Final Call to Action Subscribe for more conversations that sharpen men for battle.Turn on notifications so you never miss an episode.Like and share to support biblical masculinity. icons, icon veneration, Eastern Orthodoxy, Roman Catholicism, idolatry, second commandment, graven images, worship idols, Protestant theology, Reformed theology, Westminster Confession, icon worship, biblical worship, regulative principle, Joseph Spurgeon, Patriarchy Podcast, Christian nationalism, theology podcast, false worship, Exodus 20, images of Jesus, Shroud of Turin, The Chosen critique, church history, Protestant vs Orthodox, Christian apologetics, biblical masculinity
Patrick responds to listener questions on faith, family, and Catholic teaching, moving from the struggles of family planning and discussions about contraception to the everyday difficulty of prioritizing God over personal plans. Each exchange reveals the urgency of moral conviction, the weight of tradition, and the rawness of prayerful hope amid uncertainty. Throughout, Patrick folds together personal stories, scripture, and practical guidance, giving listeners more than advice—he gives a companion on the road of faith. Keisha (email) – Will the Oriental Orthodox and the Eastern Orthodox re-unite. (01:11) A.B. (email) – My wife has no trust in NFP and is planning on being sterilized after our next baby is born. There’s nothing I can do to convince her otherwise. What can I do? (06:17) No, Natural Family Planning Is Not Contraception: The Church's Clear Distinction Makes All the Difference – By Patrick Madrid - https://patrickmadrid.substack.com/p/why-natural-family-planning-is-not Jeanine - The woman is saying she doesn't trust God and doesn’t want to be open to His plan. Being open to God's plan leads to peace. (20:17) Jody - The story of Abraham and Sarah shows why we need to follow God's plan for fertility. (29:36) Andrew - We didn't go to Mass during Memorial Day Weekend. Do I need to go to Confession? (32:59) Tiffany (email) - My mom has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. It is progressively getting worse. She shared with that she had a "healing pastor" come and pray over her. (38:41) Laura - A priest told me that we could never go straight to heaven as we always have to make a stop in Purgatory. (46:41)
Join the show with a TEXT here!Last time on the podcast, we examined a deeply concerning ecumenical exchange between Gavin Ortlund and Trent Horn. We didn't get to everything in that video, so today we're wrapping up by addressing the most critical points of compromise in their dialogue, and why these kinds of conversations only confuse people, muddy the waters, and blur what is actually very simple: the gospel truth.In this episode, we'll break down where the discussion went off the rails, why these attempts at “unity” often create more fog than clarity, and how we can pursue real progress in conversations with Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholics without compromising the Gospel or the Bible's definition of first‑degree issues.There's a lot to cover and not much time, so strap in, enjoy the episode, and don't forget to share and leave a comment to join the conversation.
While Orthodox apologists are gaining traction online today, a similar wave of disillusionment with evangelicalism was already unfolding in American culture back in 1996. In this classic episode of White Horse Inn, Fr. Peter Gillquist, an evangelical convert to Eastern Orthodoxy, joins Michael Horton to explore the appeal of Orthodoxy among evangelicals. GET YOUR FREE SOLA NEWSPAPER A quarterly print publication featuring articles on theology, the historic creeds and confessions, and reflections for the Christian life, delivered straight to your mailbox. For free. FOLLOW US YouTube | Instagram | X/Twitter | Facebook | Newsletter WHO WE ARE Sola Media serves today's global church by producing resources for reformation grounded in the historic Christian faith. For over thirty-five years, Sola has walked alongside Christians in their faith, pointing away from novelty and ourselves, and toward Christ and his gospel as proclaimed in the Scriptures, articulated in the ancient Christian Creeds, and summarized in the confessions of the Protestant Reformation. Learn more: https://solamedia.org/
American Evangelical Christianity is in crisis. The story of how it got here is an important part of this series but there are several reasons so many evangelical Christians are discontent and looking for something else, something with historical roots, with a sense of tradition, with a sense of of transcendence, with reverent worship, and with a deeper view of the sacraments. It is the conviction of the Heidelberg Reformation Association that the answer to the longing for more lies not in Rome or in the Eastern Orthodox traditions but, as it were, in Geneva. In this series we will explore the history, theology, piety and practice of Roman Catholicism and the Eastern Orthodox traditions, and we will compare and contrast those two traditions with historic Reformed theology, piety, and practice. This episode of the Heidelcast is sponsored by the Heidelberg Reformation Association. You love the Heidelcast and the Heidelblog. You share it with friends, with members of your church, and others but have you stopped to think what would happen if it all disappeared? The truth is that we depend on your support. If you don't make the coffer clink, the HRA will simply sink. Won't you help us keep it going? The HRA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. All your gifts are tax deductible. Use the donate link on this page or mail a check to Heidelberg Reformation Association, 1637 E Valley Parkway #391, Escondido CA 92027. All the Episodes of the Heidelcast All the episodes of the series Subscribe to the Heidelcast! Browse the Heidelshop! On X @Heidelcast On Insta & Facebook @Heidelcast Subscribe in Apple Podcast Subscribe directly via RSS Call The Heidelphone via Voice Memo On Your Phone The Heidelcast is available wherever podcasts are found including Spotify. Call or text the Heidelphone anytime at (760) 618-1563. Leave a message or email us a voice memo from your phone and we may use it in a future podcast. Record it and email it to heidelcast@heidelblog.net. If you benefit from the Heidelcast please leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts so that others can find it. Please do not forget to make the coffer clink (see the donate button below). SHOW NOTES How To Subscribe To Heidelmedia The Heidelblog Resource Page Heidelmedia Resources The Ecumenical Creeds The Reformed Confessions The Heidelberg Catechism The Heidelberg Catechism: A Historical, Theological, and Pastoral Commentary (Lexham Academic) Recovering the Reformed Confession (P&R Publishing, 2008) Why I Am A Christian What Must A Christian Believe? Heidelblog Contributors Support Heidelmedia: use the donate button or send a check to: Heidelberg Reformation Association 1637 E. Valley Parkway #391 Escondido CA 92027 USA The HRA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
Few issues show more clearly show the error of the supposed infallble authority of the Roman Catholic Church (or the Eastern Orthodox Church!) than that of icon veneration. That may sound strange, but both Catholic and Eastern Orthodox theologies claim that the findings of the Second Council of Nicea (787 AD) were infallible. And at this council, the veneration of icons is not just affirmed, but all who reject it are put under a supposedly infallible 'anathema'! This is no small matter. You can watch this message here.
Faith Under FireIn the early hours of another sleepless night in Kyiv, air raid sirens echoed through the city as missiles and drones struck residential neighborhoods. One apartment building collapsed into a mountain of concrete and smoke. Rescue workers clawed through the rubble searching for survivors. For many Ukrainians, this has become a grim rhythm of life. Yet even amid war, the gospel continues to shine.Recently, Caleb interviewed Ukrainian pastor, professor, and volunteer chaplain Andrii Murzin in Kyiv to discuss how the war has affected the church, the preaching of the gospel, and the spiritual challenges facing Christians in Ukraine today.A Ministry Shaped by WarAndrii Murzin serves at Kyiv Theological Seminary as the director of the Master's program in biblical counseling. His ministry focuses on discipleship, counseling, and helping Christians understand how to minister effectively within Eastern Orthodox culture. But since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, his ministry has expanded beyond classrooms and lecture halls. Andrii also serves as a volunteer chaplain to soldiers affected by the war.Andrii on the far left When the war became much closer and much more intense and much more obvious that it is our war not somebody else's war. I realized that as a Christian I have to be active. I cannot ignore that it's the area of one of the biggest needs. For Andrii, chaplain ministry is not political theater. It is obedience to Christ. He pointed to Matthew 25 and reflected that if Jesus were physically walking through Ukraine today, He might say:He could have said I was in prison, I was in the hospital, l and I was in the trenches and you did not visit me.When War Comes to Your DoorstepThe interview itself took place only hours after one of the largest attacks on Kyiv in recent months. Andrii and his wife had chosen to sleep at the seminary that night rather than remain in their high-rise apartment on the 15th floor. Throughout the night they heard explosions nearby as drones and missiles struck the city. By morning, an entire section of a residential building had collapsed. Caleb described watching rescue workers pull bodies from the rubble only a short distance away from where they were filming.For Ukrainian believers, war is no longer distant news. It is outside their windows, above their rooftops, and sometimes directly over their heads.“We Are Fighting for Survival”One of the strongest themes Andrii emphasized was that Ukrainians do not see this war primarily as a battle over territory. I think it's important for the western audience to understand that Ukrainians are fighting for our survival.He explained that many Western narratives oversimplify the conflict as a political dispute over borders. But Ukrainians view it differently. They believe Russia seeks to erase Ukraine as a nation and suppress its identity, language, and freedom. This fear is not rooted merely in speculation, but in history. Andrii referenced the long history of Soviet oppression, mass killings, and persecution that Ukrainians endured under the Russian Empire and later the Soviet Union. Because of this history, many Ukrainians believe surrender would not end suffering, but instead deepen it.Religious FreedomMurzin challenged a common misconception heard in some Western Christian circles; that Ukraine and Russia are spiritually or morally equivalent. According to him, the difference in religious freedom is enormous. In Ukraine, evangelical churches have enjoyed broad freedom to preach the gospel since the fall of the Soviet Union. Churches openly evangelize, serve in schools, minister to soldiers, and conduct outreach across society.By contrast, he described Russia as increasingly authoritarian, where churches are expected to support state ideology and where religious groups with Western ties are often treated with suspicion or hostility. Many reports have also surged from occupied Ukrainian territories where priests and pastors from multiple denominations have been killed or persecutedThe Church in a Time of TestingWar has created both opportunities and pressures for the Ukrainian church. On one hand, churches are serving refugees, supporting soldiers, and ministering to grieving families. Thousands of Ukrainians who previously showed little spiritual interest are now suddenly confronting questions about death, eternity, and hope.[War] makes all people think about eternity, about your soul, about God, and spiritual issues.Chaplain ministry, especially among men in the military, has opened doors many churches struggled to reach before the invasion.Yet the war has also exposed fear within the church itself. Ukraine's military mobilization affects nearly every congregation. Some men avoid traveling across cities out of fear of being drafted. Others wrestle with anxiety about serving near the front lines. Andrii spoke carefully and compassionately about this reality, acknowledging the fear many experience. He himself was once detained and taken to a draft center. Still, he believes the gospel directly confronts humanity's deepest fear - death. He referenced Hebrews 2 and explained that Christ frees believers from slavery to the fear of death through His victory on the cross....So that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. - Hebrews 2:14-15Murzin emphases on the fact that this is a time when our actions have to prove that we really believe what we preach.The Gospel Still AdvancesEven in the middle of war, many churches in Ukraine have become places of refuge and hope for people who have lost homes, family members, or any sense of stability. Christians across the country continue sharing the gospel, serving their communities, and pointing people to Christ while daily life is still marked by uncertainty and air raid sirens. The war has turned Ukraine into both a battlefield and a mission field. And through the smoke, sorrow, and uncertainty, many Christians there continue proclaiming the same message the church has carried for centuries - Christ remains Lord, even in wartime.
Justin Hibbard answers one of his most frequently asked questions - Why Catholic and not Eastern Orthodox? In this longer than normal episode, Justin Hibbard addresses the anti-Catholicism that's at the root of Protestantism, takes a deep dive into the historical record of the Church, delves into the longstanding conflict between Rome and Constantinople, and calls attention to the Catholic Church's efforts towards Jesus' call to unity. SOCIAL LINKS* Follow Why Catholic on Instagram.* Subscribe to Why Catholic on YouTube.* Follow Justin on Facebook.SHOW NOTES* Episode 70: The Four Marks of the True Church* Episode 63: Not all Catholics are Roman Catholic* Episode 64: The Purpose of a Well-Defined Hierarchy* Episode 72: Eastern & Ukrainian Catholicism with Fr. Dcn. Anthony Dragani* Episode 147: The World that Led to the Council of Nicaea* Episode 148: The First Council of Nicaea (325)* Episode 149: From Nicaea to Constantinople* Episode 150: The First Council of Constantinople (381)* Episode 151: The Council of Ephesus (431)* Episode 152: The Council of Chalcedon (451)* Episode 153: The Second Council of Constantinople (553)* Episode 154: War Among the Monotheists* Episode 155: The Third Council of Constantinople (680-681)* Episode 156: The Second Council of Nicaea (787)* Episode 157: Reflections on the First Seven Ecumenical Councils* Episode 158: The Fourth Council of Constantinople (869-870)* Episode 159: The Great Schism* Episode 165: The Second Council of Lyon (1274)* Episode 169: The Council of Florence (1431-1445)* Episode 175: Reflections on the 21 Ecumenical Councils Get full access to Why Catholic? at whycatholic.substack.com/subscribe
The Feast of the Ascension of Jesus Christ commemorates the Christian belief of the bodily Ascension of Jesus into Heaven. It is one of the ecumenical (shared by multiple denominations) feasts of Christian churches, ranking with the feasts of the Passion and Pentecost. Ascension Day is traditionally celebrated on a Thursday, the fortieth day of Easter according to inclusive counting, although some Christian denominations have moved the observance to the following Sunday, sometimes called Ascension Sunday. The day of observance varies in many Christian denominations, including Catholics, Protestant Anglicans, Lutherans, Moravians, Methodists, Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox. Enjoy this special reading from the Gospel of Mark, Chapter 16. Gospel of Mark available at https://amzn.to/3X3m9Ba Historical Jesus books available at https://amzn.to/43rnYbq Catholicism series Video Box Set at https://amzn.to/4vd0pBp Catholicism series Book at https://amzn.to/3RdVuBk ENJOY Ad-Free content, Bonus episodes, and Extra materials when joining our growing community on https://patreon.com/markvinet SUPPORT this channel by purchasing any product on Amazon using this FREE entry LINK https://amzn.to/3POlrUD (Amazon gives us credit at NO extra charge to you). Mark's video channel: https://youtube.com/c/TIMELINE_MarkVinet Website: https://markvinet.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mark.vinet.9 X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/HistoricalJesu Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denarynovels Mark's books: https://amzn.to/3k8qrGM Audio credits: Bible Audio narration: Book of Mark-Chapter 3 (WordProject, International Biblical Association); Angus Dei music is a vocal arrangement of Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings by the Cambridge Trinity College Choir (Catholicism series, Word on Fire & Picture Show Films). Audio excerpts reproduced under the Fair Use (Fair Dealings) Legal Doctrine for purposes such as criticism, comment, teaching, education, scholarship, research and news reporting.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This is a debate clip between Joel Settecase (Reformed Evangelical) and an Orthodox who called in to one of our debate streams. ===================================================Download your free apologetics guide here: https://thethink.institute/store/p/transcendental-argument-for-god-tag-cheat-sheet-downloadable-pdf Men: Want to become the worldview leader your family and church need? Join the Hammer & Anvil Society. We provide in-depth education and community for Christian men: https://thethink.institute/society===========================================================Think Debates is a ministry of the Think Institute, NFP. We rely on the generous support of our Ministry Partners to pursue our mission. Your financial contributions help equip Christian fathers and their families with the education, resources and community needed to stand firm on God's word in today's challenging climate. Thank you for your help in preparing thousands of regular believers to explain, share and defend the Christian message all over the world.The Think Institute, NFP is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (EIN: 88-3225438). Donations to The Think Institute are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.Donate now: https://thethink.institute/partner
The Feast of the Ascension of Jesus Christ (also called the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord) commemorates the Christian belief of the bodily Ascension of Jesus into Heaven. It is one of the ecumenical (shared by multiple denominations) feasts of Christian churches, ranking with the feasts of the Passion and Pentecost. Ascension Day is traditionally celebrated on a Thursday, the fortieth day of Easter according to inclusive counting, although some Christian denominations have moved the observance to the following Sunday, sometimes called Ascension Sunday. The day of observance varies in many Christian denominations, including Catholics, Protestant Anglicans, Lutherans, Moravians, Methodists, Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox. Enjoy this special reading of the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 24. Breathe Bible Audio CD available at https://amzn.to/3CPRa4x Gospel of Luke available at https://amzn.to/3M6sTId Historical Jesus books available at https://amzn.to/43rnYbq ENJOY Ad-Free content, Bonus episodes, and Extra materials when joining our growing community on https://patreon.com/markvinet SUPPORT this channel by purchasing any product on Amazon using this FREE entry LINK https://amzn.to/3POlrUD (Amazon gives us credit at NO extra charge to you). Mark's TIMELINE video channel: https://youtube.com/c/TIMELINE_MarkVinet Website: https://markvinet.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mark.vinet.9 Twitter: https://twitter.com/HistoricalJesu Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denarynovels Mark's books: https://amzn.to/3k8qrGM Audio credits: Breathe Bible podcast (LifeAudio Podcast Network, Salem Web Network). Audio excerpts reproduced under the Fair Use (Fair Dealings) Legal Doctrine for purposes such as criticism, comment, teaching, education, scholarship, research and news reporting. Join Mark on one of his social media platforms to comment, discuss, and analyze this episode’s Testament passages.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Matt Slick Live (Live Broadcast of 05/13/2026) is a production of the Christian Apologetics Research Ministry (CARM). Matt answers questions on topics such as: The Bible, Apologetics, Theology, World Religions, Atheism, and other issues! You can also email questions to Matt using: info@carm.org, Put "Radio Show Question" in the Subject line! Answers will be discussed in a future show. Topics Include: Why are young people leaving Protestantism and joining the Eastern Orthodox and the Roman Catholic Churches?/ Shallow Preaching/ Seeing the Face of God/ Scripture is our Authority/ We Will See Jesus/ Define Murder and Killing/ Romans 3:23, All have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God/ Internal versus External Critique/ Apologetics and Atheism/ May 13, 2026
Join the show with a TEXT here!Ecclesial Anxiety, a phrase gaining traction as more people exploring Christianity wrestle with uncertainty about which church truly holds the gospel. Questions abound: Who can really be saved? Which church preserves the right traditions and theology? In today's episode, we dig into the root of this confusion. When ecumenical dialogue turns into compromise, the inevitable question arises: “What is a Christian?” Featuring a discussion between Trent Horn (Catholic) and Gavin Ortlund (Protestant), we examine how their attempt to affirm one another as brothers in faith—while sidestepping their exclusive claims—creates theological fog instead of clarity.It's time to cut through the cloudy talking points and polished rhetoric to uncover what Scripture actually says defines a Christian, not merely in name, but in reality!
Is Eastern Orthodoxy more mystical than Roman Catholicism? Or have Catholics simply forgotten the mystical heart of their own tradition?In this episode, we explore Eastern Orthodox vs. Roman Catholic mysticism without turning it into a competition. Both East and West seek union with God. Both have deep theology, contemplative prayer, asceticism, sacramental life, and saints who burned with divine love.But they often speak with different mystical accents.Eastern Orthodoxy often foregrounds theosis, watchfulness, hesychasm, the Jesus Prayer, icons, Tabor, and the healing of the eye of the heart to behold divine light. Roman Catholic mysticism often foregrounds Eucharistic union, bridal mysticism, the Sacred Heart, the wounds of Christ, the dark night, contemplation, and the heart being wounded open by love.This is not about choosing East or West. It is about recovering the mystical depth already present in the Catholic tradition.Catholic mysticism is not missing.It is Eucharistic.It is bridal.It is wounded.It is contemplative.It is incarnational.And it is still burning.
Welcome to Day 2851 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom – Theosis and Its Counterfeit: How Hermeticism, Gnosticism, and Their Heirs Distorted Deification. Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2851 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2851 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Our current series of Theology Thursday lessons is written by theologian and teacher John Daniels. I have found that his lessons are short, easy to understand, doctrinally sound, and applicable to all who desire to learn more of God's Word. John's lessons can be found on his website theologyinfive.com. Today's lesson is titled: Theosis and Its Counterfeit: How Hermeticism, Gnosticism, and Their Heirs Distorted Deification. The Eastern Orthodox Church preserves one of the most profound teachings of Christianity: theosis, or deification. This doctrine is not about erasing the line between Creator and creation but about God drawing humanity into His own life. Through Christ's incarnation, death, and resurrection, believers become partakers of the divine nature, not by nature but by grace. Athanasius expressed it clearly: “God became man so that man might become god.” By this, the Fathers never meant that humanity becomes equal to Yahweh in essence. Rather, theosis means that through grace we are healed, restored, and glorified in Christ, sharing in His life while always remaining His creatures. The Counterfeit in Eden The serpent in Eden also offered a form of deification. His words, “You will be like gods,” suggested that humanity could seize by rebellion what God intended to give through communion. The Eastern Orthodox vision of theosis fulfills God's purpose, while the serpent's promise distorts it. Throughout history, this distortion has reappeared in many guises, most notably in Hermeticism and Gnosticism. Echoes of Antediluvian Rebellion Many occult systems, whether ancient mystery religions or modern esoteric revivals, could have drawn their perceived legitimacy from the idea that they recover lost knowledge from before the Flood. Traditions surrounding the Watchers, the Apkallu, or figures like Prometheus all involve heavenly beings imparting forbidden wisdom to humanity in defiance of divine boundaries. This knowledge, which included arts, sciences, and sorcery, was not neutral. It was given with the intent to corrupt and destroy. After the Flood, while the physical giants perished, their spirits, what later literature calls demons, remained. These disembodied spirits could have been the source of insight or inspiration for occult practitioners throughout history, masquerading as guides to hidden wisdom while promoting rebellion against God. Whether through direct contact or mythic lineage, many esoteric movements trace their roots back to this primeval transgression. Hermeticism: Optimistic Gnosis The Corpus Hermeticum, composed in the early centuries of the Christian era, fused Egyptian religion with Greek philosophy. It taught that humans contain a divine spark that can be awakened through hidden wisdom. Salvation came not through God's grace but through gnosis, mystical ascent, and the realization of one's innate divinity. Unlike Gnosticism, Hermeticism viewed the cosmos more positively, as a reflection of divine order, but its end goal was the same: erasing the line between Creator and creation. Gnosticism: Dualistic Gnosis Gnosticism developed in the same cultural environment and shared Hermeticism's focus on hidden wisdom and the divine spark in man. But it was far more pessimistic. Many Gnostic systems taught that the material world was a prison fashioned by a false or ignorant creator, the Demiurge. Salvation meant escaping matter entirely and returning to the realm of spirit. Its texts, like the Apocryphon of John or the Gospel of Thomas, presented elaborate myths of aeons, archons, and cosmic struggles that reframed rebellion as enlightenment. Parallel Streams of Corruption Though different in tone, Hermeticism optimistic and Gnosticism pessimistic, both traditions proclaimed salvation by gnosis. Both claimed man was divine by nature. Both promised deification apart from Christ. And both blurred or destroyed the Creator–creature distinction. Where Orthodoxy taught communion by grace, Hermeticism and Gnosticism promised exaltation by hidden knowledge. Renaissance Rediscovery and Transmission In the Renaissance, Hermetic and Gnostic writings were rediscovered and hailed as the prisca theologia, a supposed universal truth older than Moses. Figures like Marsilio Ficino and Pico della Mirandola embraced these texts as revelations of timeless wisdom. Their influence spread through alchemy, astrology, and ritual magic, setting the stage for later esoteric societies. Hermetic optimism and Gnostic dualism together nourished the roots of Western occultism. Freemasonry Freemasonry grew out of the esoteric ferment of the Renaissance and Enlightenment, which were themselves shaped by the rediscovery of the Hermetic and Gnostic writings. While the fraternity presents itself publicly as a system of moral improvement and brotherhood, its inner symbolism and ritual language reveal a strong dependence on Hermetic and alchemical traditions. The Masonic use of sacred geometry, the emphasis on hidden degrees of initiation, and the maxim “as above, so below” all trace back to the Corpus Hermeticum and related Hermetic texts. The Renaissance had already reintroduced these ideas into European culture, presenting Hermeticism and Gnosticism as prisca theologia, a supposed ancient wisdom that underlay all religions. These concepts filtered into Rosicrucian manifestos in the seventeenth century, which combined mystical Christianity with alchemy and Hermetic philosophy. Rosicrucian influence, in turn, fed directly into the development of modern Freemasonry in the eighteenth century. The lodge thus became an heir to the Hermetic worldview, reframing gnosis not in overtly pagan terms but as moral allegory and ritual drama. Freemasonry's initiation system reflects the Gnostic idea that truth is revealed progressively to an inner circle of the enlightened. The candidate begins in ignorance, is symbolically “raised” to new life, and ascends through degrees of increasing illumination. The rituals employ veiled symbols and allegories rather than explicit teaching, echoing the Hermetic conviction that divine truths must be concealed from the unworthy and revealed only to initiates. This places Freemasonry in continuity with both Hermetic mysteries and Gnostic elitism. Although Freemasonry claims to honor God, it deliberately leaves the identity of God undefined. Its universalist ethos allows men of any faith to participate, so long as they acknowledge a Supreme Being. This broad inclusivity is not biblical covenantal faith but a continuation of Hermetic universalism, which treated all religions as partial reflections of a hidden wisdom tradition. By blending fragments of biblical language with Hermetic symbols and Gnostic structures, Freemasonry offers a path of human self-perfection and enlightenment apart from Christ. Mormonism Mormonism reflects both the Hermetic worldview and Masonic ritual structure. Long before Joseph Smith entered a Masonic lodge in Nauvoo, he was already immersed in practices rooted in Hermetic and occult traditions. In his youth, Smith participated in treasure-seeking expeditions using a divining rod, seer stones, and ritual circles. These tools and practices were drawn from the folk-magic culture of early America, which itself was saturated with ideas that had filtered down from Renaissance Hermeticism and alchemical traditions. The belief that hidden knowledge could be accessed through special instruments, secret formulas, and visionary techniques fits neatly within the Hermetic framework of unlocking the unseen world. When Smith later became a Mason in 1842, he layered these Hermetic practices with Masonic structures. Within weeks of his initiation, he introduced LDS temple ceremonies that bore striking resemblances to Masonic rituals, including secret handshakes, symbolic clothing, and oaths of secrecy. Just as Freemasonry framed its degrees as progressive revelations of hidden wisdom, so too did Smith present Mormon temple ordinances as the means by which believers gained access to the mysteries of exaltation. Doctrinally, Mormonism's teaching of eternal progression mirrors the Hermetic promise of apotheosis. God the Father is said to have been a man who became a god, and faithful men may follow the same path. This collapses the biblical distinction between Creator and creature and transforms salvation into a process of exaltation through hidden rites and teachings. The Mormon vision of countless gods presiding over countless worlds echoes the multiplicity of divine beings in Hermetic and Gnostic systems, while its temple ceremonies function as initiatory mysteries in which knowledge is revealed step by step. From his earliest magical experiments...
Big Money, Big Changes, and Why AJ Dybantsa Picked BYU AJ Dybantsa and just declared for the NBA draft. We discuss why AJ Dybantsa picked BYU. He’s likely top NBA prospect, and he is reportedly earning millions to play in Provo. Dr. Matthew Bowman, author of Game Changers, dives into the modern reality of college sports and its collision with BYU’s historical values. We explore the massive shifts brought about by NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) deals and how BYU continues to rely on its unique religious culture to recruit top talent. https://youtu.be/EGf8Tya3aQw 0:00 Why AJ Dybantsa Picked BYU 8:45 Protests Against BYU/Recruiting 15:27 Money, Religion, & Sports Don't miss our other discussions with Matthew. https://gospeltangents.com/people/matthew-bowman Copyright © 2026 Gospel Tangents All Rights Reserved The NIL Revolution and the End of the “Student-Athlete” For decades, the NCAA heavily enforced strict amateurism rules—sometimes to absurd lengths, such as penalizing a player for putting cream cheese on a bagel provided by a coach, or suspending players if a fan took them out to dinner. However, recent lawsuits, spearheaded by former players like Ed O’Bannon, have completely dismantled this restrictive system. Today, athletes can legally profit from their likeness and sign massive endorsement deals. Through BYU’s NIL collective “The Royal Blue,” as well as sponsorships like Crumbl Cookies, AJ Dybantsa is set to make around $5 million to play at BYU. More Than Just a Paycheck While the massive payday is undeniable, Dybantsa’s family stated they requested the exact same monetary offer from all the schools recruiting him—including heavyweights like Kansas and Arkansas—so that his final decision wouldn’t strictly be about the highest bidder. Ultimately, Dybantsa chose BYU because of its strong emphasis on family and its supportive environment. His parents, Ace and Chelsea, actually toured the campus first and were highly impressed by what they saw. This family-centric appeal isn’t just for players. Head coach Kevin Young left a highly promising NBA career trajectory to coach at BYU, specifically because the university environment offered a better work-life balance for his family, including not having to work on Sundays. Navigating Race and Religion on Campus let’s look at the complicated history of race in BYU athletics. During the Ernest Wilkinson era in the 1960s and 70s, the school faced federal investigations and intense protests—such as the Wyoming 14 incident—over its virtually all-white teams and the church’s racial priesthood ban. It wasn’t until the last decade that BYU fielded its first all-black starting five in basketball. Today, recruiting has shifted in fascinating ways. While BYU has historically struggled to recruit Black athletes due to the cultural difficulties of the Honor Code, the university is increasingly finding success by recruiting religious non-LDS players. Many Muslim athletes, for instance, find the Honor Code’s strict ban on alcohol perfectly aligned with their own faith. Dybantsa, whose parents have Catholic roots from the Congo and Jamaica, similarly found BYU’s faith-based environment appealing. Other religious players, like Eastern Orthodox athletes, have also explicitly praised the school for supporting their strong personal faith. The Struggle for BYU’s Soul As BYU competes in the Big 12, it faces a philosophical crossroads. Some Ivy League schools chose to stop chasing athletic scholarship money, allowing their sports programs to recede into purely amateur, educational endeavors. But BYU has taken a different path. The university is now grappling with the tension between its original religious mission and the modern reality of operating what critics call “professional teams with schools attached”. To dive deeper into the fascinating intersection of big money, faith, and the future of BYU athletics, catch the full episode on Patreon.com/GospelTangents! Don't miss our other discussions with Matthew. https://gospeltangents.com/people/matthew-bowman Copyright © 2026 Gospel Tangents All Rights Reserved
Jonathan and Mark Feather talk to Joshua Schooping, a former Eastern Orthodox priest, on how to pastor church members who may be considering joining the Eastern Orthodox church.
Jonathan, Mark and Mark Feather talk to Joshua Schooping, a former Eastern Orthodox priest, on the reasons he had to leave that church.
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