Podcasts about John Gerstner

Listen in as Leonardo De Chirico joins David Schrock and Brad Green to discuss his appraisal of Thomas Aquinas. Timestamps 00:41 – Intro 04:43 – Dr. De Chirico's Background 09:04 – Engaging With Thomas Aquinas 12:40 – What Should We Know About Aquinas for Today? 15:23 – The Place of Thomas Aquinas in Church History 19:32 – How Did Aristotle Influence Aquinas? 26:00 – Aristotle and Scripture in Dialogue for Aquinas 31:48 – Why Would Someone Today Be So Drawn to Aristotle? 37:46 – Distinctions Between Aristotle and Plato 41:47 – What Are Strengths, Weaknesses, and Cautions with Aquinas? 49:53 – Closing Thoughts 51:04 - Outro Resources to Click “Excerpt from Leonardo De Chirico's Engaging with Thomas Aquinas: How Ought Evangelicals to Engage With Him” – Leonardo De Chirico Reformanda Initiative Vatican Files “Letter to Cardinal Sadoleto” – John Calvin “Upholding the Unity of Scripture Today” – J.I. Packer “25 Myths About Thomas Aquinas” – Matthew Barrett “Twenty Watershed Doctrines on Which Evangelicals Do Not Agree with Thomas Aquinas” – Pro Pastor Journal “A Trinitarian Reading of Aquinas' Treatise on Law” - Angelicum “What Indeed Hath Thomas To Do With Vos?: A Review Article” – James Baird  Theme of the Month: Beware of Greeks Bearing Gifts Give to Support the Work Books to Read Engaging with Thomas Aquinas: An Evangelical Approach – Leonardo De Chirico A Christian's Pocket Guide to the Papacy: It's Origin and Role in the 21st Century – Leonardo De Chirico Natural Theology – Geerhardus Vos Gamechangers: Key Figures of the Christian Church – Robert Letham ‘Aquinas on Nature, Grace, and the Moral Life' by D. Spezzano in The Oxford Handbook on the Reception of Aquinas – eds. Matthew Levering & Marcus Plested Reformed Ethics, Vol. 1 – Herman Bavinck Roman Catholic Theology and Practice: An Evangelical Assessment – Gregg R. Allison Contemplating God with the Great Tradition: Recovering Trinitarian Classical Theism – Craig A. Carter Classical Apologetics: A Rational Defense of the Christian Faith and a Critique of Presuppositional Apologetics – eds. R.C. Sproul, John Gerstner, & Arthur Lindsley Evangelical Exodus: Evangelical Seminarians and Their Paths to Rome – ed. Douglas Beaumont Mind, Heart, and Soul: Intellectuals and the Path to Rome – eds. Robert P. George and R.J. Snell

QUOTES FOR REFLECTION “Love is when the other person's happiness is more important than your own.”~H. Jackson Brown, Jr. (1940-2021), inspirational author “The happiness you feel is in direct proportion with the love you give.”~Oprah Winfrey, talk show host and media mogul “Happiness is only real when shared.”~Jon Krakauer, writer and mountaineer “We are not those who pay homage to stones, that are without sensation; but of the only God, who is before all and over all, and, moreover, we are worshippers of His Christ, who is truly God the Word existing before all time.”~Melito, Bishop of Sardis (written c. 169-170) in his “Apology to Marcus Aurelius” “Jesus is the Word, the Image, the Expression and Exegesis of God.”~Hans Urs von Balthasar (1905-1988), Swiss theologian “To receive God's grace, the main thing you need is need—the main thing you need is nothing. But not many people have it.”~John Gerstner (1914-1996), theologian and professor of church history Question 8: Is there more than one God? Answer: There is only one, the living and true God.Question 9. How many persons are in the one God? Answer: Three persons are in the one God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Although they are differentiated by their own individual, personal qualities, these three are one true, eternal God, the same in substance and equal in power and glory.~Westminster Larger Catechism (1647) “In space, astronauts experience the misery of having no reference point, no force that draws them to the center. Where there is no ‘moral gravity'…there is spiritual weightlessness. We float on feelings that will carry us where we were never meant to go; we bubble with emotional experiences that we often take for spiritual ones; and we are puffed up with pride. Instead of seriousness, there is foolishness. Instead of gravity, flippancy. Sentimentality takes the place of theology. Our reference point…is merely ourselves. We cannot possibly tell which end is up.”~Elisabeth Elliot (1926-2015), missionary and authorSERMON PASSAGEGalatians 6:1, 6, 13-15, 19-26 (ESV)Galatians 5 1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery…. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love…. 13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another…. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. Ephesians 4 1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,

Jeff McDonald introduces several significant points about William Jennings Bryan, including his early life and upbringing in a strong evangelical tradition, his belief that schools and universities posed a problem to religious freedom, and his concern that students could be led away from faith into unbelief if they fell under the influence of mind worshipers. The author also notes Bryan's political career and his advocacy for economic and religious freedom, as well as his influence on the Democratic party and his ongoing relevance to current political issues. Jeffrey McDonald is a Presbyterian minister, historian, and author of John Gerstner and the Renewal of Presbyterian and Reformed Evangelicalism in Modern America (Wipf & Stock, 2017). Richard M. Gamble is Professor of History and holds the Anna Margaret Ross Alexander Chair in History and Politics at Hillsdale College. Links David W. Beggington, ed., The Gospel and Religious Freedom: Historical Studies in Evangelicalism and Political Engagement (Baylor University Press) Christ the Center episode 776 — Melvin Grove Kyle, J. Gresham Machen, and the League of Evangelical Students Christ the Center episode 599 — John Gerstner and the Renewal of Presbyterian and Reformed Evangelicalism Christ the Center episode 593 — The Battle Hymn of the Republic and Civil Religion Books Jeffrey S. McDonald, “Advancing the Evangelical Mind: Melvin Grove Kyle, J. Gresham Machen, and the League of Evangelical Students” A Fiery Gospel: The Battle Hymn of the Republic and the Road to Righteous War (Religion and American Public Life) The War for Righteousness: Progressive Christianity, the Great War, and the Rise of the Messianic Nation. Wilmington, DE: ISI Books, 2003. The Great Tradition: Classic Readings on What It Means to be an Educated Human Being. Wilmington, DE: ISI Books, 2007. In Search of the City on a Hill: The Making and Unmaking of an American Myth. New York: Continuum/Bloomsbury, 2012.

There is a solitary, humble, wooden structure on a windswept hill in rural New England. To open the door is to engage our minds, our hearts, and our imaginations. In this place, preachers and professors, past and present, come alive as they walk the aisle, ascend the pulpit stairs, and teach…from theology, from history, and from the Word of God. Welcome to the Saybrook Meetinghouse, an audio production of Saybrook Ministries.Saybrook's Vision:Inspiring and invigorating Christians with imaginative and intellectual content.Saybrook's Mission:To provide didactic and devotional content from the Christian faith delivered to the saints; recovered and refined by the Protestant Reformation.With God's blessing, our prayer is that Saybrook's content will be…(1) to Christians convinced of Reformation truths: Encouraging & Powerful(2) to Christians unconvinced of Reformation truths: Educational & Persuasive(3) to Non-Christians: Engaging & Prophetic

There is a solitary, humble, wooden structure on a windswept hill in rural New England. To open the door is to engage our minds, our hearts, and our imaginations. In this place, preachers and professors, past and present, come alive as they walk the aisle, ascend the pulpit stairs, and teach…from theology, from history, and from the Word of God. Welcome to the Saybrook Meetinghouse, an audio production of Saybrook Ministries.Saybrook's Vision:Inspiring and invigorating Christians with imaginative and intellectual content.Saybrook's Mission:To provide didactic and devotional content from the Christian faith delivered to the saints; recovered and refined by the Protestant Reformation.With God's blessing, our prayer is that Saybrook's content will be…(1) to Christians convinced of Reformation truths: Encouraging & Powerful(2) to Christians unconvinced of Reformation truths: Educational & Persuasive(3) to Non-Christians: Engaging & Prophetic

There is a solitary, humble, wooden structure on a windswept hill in rural New England. To open the door is to engage our minds, our hearts, and our imaginations. In this place, preachers and professors, past and present, come alive as they walk the aisle, ascend the pulpit stairs, and teach…from theology, from history, and from the Word of God. Welcome to the Saybrook Meetinghouse, an audio production of Saybrook Ministries.Saybrook's Vision:Inspiring and invigorating Christians with imaginative and intellectual content.Saybrook's Mission:To provide didactic and devotional content from the Christian faith delivered to the saints; recovered and refined by the Protestant Reformation.With God's blessing, our prayer is that Saybrook's content will be…(1) to Christians convinced of Reformation truths: Encouraging & Powerful(2) to Christians unconvinced of Reformation truths: Educational & Persuasive(3) to Non-Christians: Engaging & Prophetic

Mike and Steve discuss a book that needs to be in every home! With contributors ranging from S Lewis Johnson to John Gerstner, the dictionary is solid! 

Jeff McDonald discusses Melvin Grove Kyle and the growth of the League of Evangelical Students (LES) founded by J. Gresham Machen and Princeton Seminary students in 1925. Both Kyle and Machen were scholarly leaders in the LES and served on the organization's board together. In his paper on the subject, Dr. McDonald establishes the importance of Melvin Grove Kyle as a leading evangelical scholar and biblical archaeologist. He also explains the origins and growth of the LES and how various Presbyterians influenced the organization and sought to advance a broader evangelical Protestant intellectual life in the difficult period of the 1920s and 1930s. Dr. McDonald is pastor of Avery Presbyterian Church in Bellevue, Nebraska and the author of John Gerstner and the Renewal of Presbyterian and Reformed Evangelicalism in Modern America (Wipf & Stock, 2017). Links Jeffrey S. McDonald, “Advancing the Evangelical Mind: Melvin Grove Kyle, J. Gresham Machen, and the League of Evangelical Students“ Christ the Center episode 599 — John Gerstner and the Renewal of Presbyterian and Reformed Evangelicalism

We are saved by works in one sense, the works of Christ. It is what He did FOR us, not what He does IN us that matters._____________________Dr. Don Kistler, founder of The Northampton Press.  He holds the M. Div. and D. Min. degrees and is an ordained minister.  As part of his preaching and teaching ministry, he has spoken at conferences with such notable figures as Dr. John MacArthur, Dr. R. C. Sproul, Dr. D. James Kennedy, Dr. J. I. Packer, Dr. John Gerstner, Elisabeth Elliot, Dr. Sinclair Ferguson, Dr. Michael Horton, Rev. Alistair Begg, Dr. Albert M. Mohler, the late Dr. James Boice, and Rev. Eric Alexander, to name just a few.Dr. Kistler is the author of the book A Spectacle Unto God: The Life and Death of Christopher Love, and Why Read the Puritans Today? He is the editor of all the Soli Deo Gloria Puritan reprints and was a contributing author for Justification by Faith ALONE!; Sola Scriptura; Trust and Obey: Obedience and the Christian; Onward, Christian Soldiers: Protestants Affirm the Church; and Feed My Sheep: A Passionate Plea for Preaching.He has edited over 150 books and currently resides in Orlando, FL.You can find his publications at:  https://www.donkistler.org/ ★ Support this podcast ★

The second Q&A session with Dr. Don Kistler._____________________Dr. Don Kistler, founder of The Northampton Press.  He holds the M. Div. and D. Min. degrees and is an ordained minister.  As part of his preaching and teaching ministry, he has spoken at conferences with such notable figures as Dr. John MacArthur, Dr. R. C. Sproul, Dr. D. James Kennedy, Dr. J. I. Packer, Dr. John Gerstner, Elisabeth Elliot, Dr. Sinclair Ferguson, Dr. Michael Horton, Rev. Alistair Begg, Dr. Albert M. Mohler, the late Dr. James Boice, and Rev. Eric Alexander, to name just a few.Dr. Kistler is the author of the book A Spectacle Unto God: The Life and Death of Christopher Love, and Why Read the Puritans Today? He is the editor of all the Soli Deo Gloria Puritan reprints and was a contributing author for Justification by Faith ALONE!; Sola Scriptura; Trust and Obey: Obedience and the Christian; Onward, Christian Soldiers: Protestants Affirm the Church; and Feed My Sheep: A Passionate Plea for Preaching.He has edited over 150 books and currently resides in Orlando, FL.You can find his publications at:  https://www.donkistler.org/ ★ Support this podcast ★

This is a summary of the Five Solas of the Reformation, shown in Scripture._____________________Dr. Don Kistler, founder of The Northampton Press.  He holds the M. Div. and D. Min. degrees and is an ordained minister.  As part of his preaching and teaching ministry, he has spoken at conferences with such notable figures as Dr. John MacArthur, Dr. R. C. Sproul, Dr. D. James Kennedy, Dr. J. I. Packer, Dr. John Gerstner, Elisabeth Elliot, Dr. Sinclair Ferguson, Dr. Michael Horton, Rev. Alistair Begg, Dr. Albert M. Mohler, the late Dr. James Boice, and Rev. Eric Alexander, to name just a few.Dr. Kistler is the author of the book A Spectacle Unto God: The Life and Death of Christopher Love, and Why Read the Puritans Today? He is the editor of all the Soli Deo Gloria Puritan reprints and was a contributing author for Justification by Faith ALONE!; Sola Scriptura; Trust and Obey: Obedience and the Christian; Onward, Christian Soldiers: Protestants Affirm the Church; and Feed My Sheep: A Passionate Plea for Preaching.He has edited over 150 books and currently resides in Orlando, FL.You can find his publications at:  https://www.donkistler.org/ ★ Support this podcast ★

Why was there a reformation? Was it necessary?_____________________Dr. Don Kistler, founder of The Northampton Press.  He holds the M. Div. and D. Min. degrees and is an ordained minister.  As part of his preaching and teaching ministry, he has spoken at conferences with such notable figures as Dr. John MacArthur, Dr. R. C. Sproul, Dr. D. James Kennedy, Dr. J. I. Packer, Dr. John Gerstner, Elisabeth Elliot, Dr. Sinclair Ferguson, Dr. Michael Horton, Rev. Alistair Begg, Dr. Albert M. Mohler, the late Dr. James Boice, and Rev. Eric Alexander, to name just a few.Dr. Kistler is the author of the book A Spectacle Unto God: The Life and Death of Christopher Love, and Why Read the Puritans Today? He is the editor of all the Soli Deo Gloria Puritan reprints and was a contributing author for Justification by Faith ALONE!; Sola Scriptura; Trust and Obey: Obedience and the Christian; Onward, Christian Soldiers: Protestants Affirm the Church; and Feed My Sheep: A Passionate Plea for Preaching.He has edited over 150 books and currently resides in Orlando, FL.You can find his publications at:  https://www.donkistler.org/ ★ Support this podcast ★

We must never forget the essence of the gospel. When that happens it leads to unholy alliances._____________________Dr. Don Kistler, founder of The Northampton Press.  He holds the M. Div. and D. Min. degrees and is an ordained minister.  As part of his preaching and teaching ministry, he has spoken at conferences with such notable figures as Dr. John MacArthur, Dr. R. C. Sproul, Dr. D. James Kennedy, Dr. J. I. Packer, Dr. John Gerstner, Elisabeth Elliot, Dr. Sinclair Ferguson, Dr. Michael Horton, Rev. Alistair Begg, Dr. Albert M. Mohler, the late Dr. James Boice, and Rev. Eric Alexander, to name just a few.Dr. Kistler is the author of the book A Spectacle Unto God: The Life and Death of Christopher Love, and Why Read the Puritans Today? He is the editor of all the Soli Deo Gloria Puritan reprints and was a contributing author for Justification by Faith ALONE!; Sola Scriptura; Trust and Obey: Obedience and the Christian; Onward, Christian Soldiers: Protestants Affirm the Church; and Feed My Sheep: A Passionate Plea for Preaching.He has edited over 150 books and currently resides in Orlando, FL.You can find his publications at:  https://www.donkistler.org/ ★ Support this podcast ★

The gospel has never changed. It is the faith that has been once and for all delivered to the saints._____________________Dr. Don Kistler, founder of The Northampton Press.  He holds the M. Div. and D. Min. degrees and is an ordained minister.  As part of his preaching and teaching ministry, he has spoken at conferences with such notable figures as Dr. John MacArthur, Dr. R. C. Sproul, Dr. D. James Kennedy, Dr. J. I. Packer, Dr. John Gerstner, Elisabeth Elliot, Dr. Sinclair Ferguson, Dr. Michael Horton, Rev. Alistair Begg, Dr. Albert M. Mohler, the late Dr. James Boice, and Rev. Eric Alexander, to name just a few.Dr. Kistler is the author of the book A Spectacle Unto God: The Life and Death of Christopher Love, and Why Read the Puritans Today? He is the editor of all the Soli Deo Gloria Puritan reprints and was a contributing author for Justification by Faith ALONE!; Sola Scriptura; Trust and Obey: Obedience and the Christian; Onward, Christian Soldiers: Protestants Affirm the Church; and Feed My Sheep: A Passionate Plea for Preaching.He has edited over 150 books and currently resides in Orlando, FL.You can find his publications at:  https://www.donkistler.org/ ★ Support this podcast ★

The first Q&A Session with Dr. Don Kistler.______________________Dr. Don Kistler, founder of The Northampton Press.  He holds the M. Div. and D. Min. degrees and is an ordained minister.  As part of his preaching and teaching ministry, he has spoken at conferences with such notable figures as Dr. John MacArthur, Dr. R. C. Sproul, Dr. D. James Kennedy, Dr. J. I. Packer, Dr. John Gerstner, Elisabeth Elliot, Dr. Sinclair Ferguson, Dr. Michael Horton, Rev. Alistair Begg, Dr. Albert M. Mohler, the late Dr. James Boice, and Rev. Eric Alexander, to name just a few.Dr. Kistler is the author of the book A Spectacle Unto God: The Life and Death of Christopher Love, and Why Read the Puritans Today? He is the editor of all the Soli Deo Gloria Puritan reprints and was a contributing author for Justification by Faith ALONE!; Sola Scriptura; Trust and Obey: Obedience and the Christian; Onward, Christian Soldiers: Protestants Affirm the Church; and Feed My Sheep: A Passionate Plea for Preaching.He has edited over 150 books and currently resides in Orlando, FL.You can find his publications at:  https://www.donkistler.org/ ★ Support this podcast ★

Episode 161 – Paul’s Places – Part 2: When in Rome Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” The goal of Anchored by Truth is to encourage everyone to grow in the Christian faith by anchoring themselves to the secure truth found in the inspired, inerrant, and infallible word of God. Script: From Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus. God chose me to be an apostle, and he appointed me to preach the good news … This letter is to all of you in Rome. God loves you and has chosen you to be his very own people. Romans, chapter 1, verses 1 and 7, Contemporary English Version ******** VK: Hello! I’m Victoria K. Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. We’re very grateful that we are able to be with you today as we continue forward with our new series on Anchored by Truth. We’ve entitled this series “Paul’s Places.” By “Paul” we’re referring to the Apostle Paul who wrote at least 13 of the books out of the 27 books that comprise the New Testament. The Apostle Paul, of course, started out life named “Saul.” But the “fire breathing” rebel Saul was converted on the road to Damascus by an encounter with the risen Christ. Then in Acts, chapter 13, verse 9, the writer of Acts, Luke, tells us that “Saul” was also called “Paul.” To help us learn more about “Paul’s Places” we have RD Fierro back in the studio. RD is an author and the founder of Crystal Sea Books. RD, why did you want to call this series “Paul’s Places?” RD: Well, before I comment on that I would like to add to your thanks to the listeners for tuning in today – whether they’re listening on the broadcast or podcast. We’re grateful for anyone who devotes part of their day or week with us. We wanted to do this series because while most Christians know that several of the books in the New Testament are named after places … VK: 9 books to be exact – and among those 9 books there are 7 different places named because two of the named cities received two letters from Paul. RD: Right. 21 of the books of the New Testament are essentially just letters that the writer sent either to a person or to a group such as a particular church. You often hear those letters referred to as “epistles” – but those epistles really are just a form of letter not any different from the same kind of letters sent today. VK: Though none of those letters were sent by email. RD: Right again. The best scholarship tells us that all of the books in the New Testament were written in the 1st century AD with the majority probably written between 45 to 65 AD. So, those 21 letters were sent by three different writers. The Apostle John wrote 3 epistles. The Apostle Peter wrote 2 epistles. 2 epistles were sent by Jesus’ half-brothers Jude and James. Paul wrote 13 of the remaining 14 epistles or letters and the author of the epistle to the Hebrews is not named. Many scholars think Paul also wrote it but since Hebrews does not name its writer that isn’t a certainty. And some scholars believe another figure from the early church such as Apollos or Barnabas may have written Hebrews. VK: And 9 of Paul’s 13 epistles are named in the Bible by the destination to which the epistle was sent. And there are 7 different destinations. RD: Yes. In the order in which they are included in the New Testament those so-called Pauline epistles were sent to churches in Rome, Corinth, Galatia, Ephesus, Philippi, Thessalonica, and Colossae. VK: 6 of the 7 destinations named are cities and 1, Galatia, was a region similar in size to a small American state. 3 of those cities are located in what would be the nation of Greece today. 2 of those cities and Galatia are located in what would be the nation of Turkey Greece today. And Rome, of course, was located in the same place then as it was today in Italy. RD: Yes. Corinth, Philippi, and Thessalonica are located in modern day Greece. But in Paul’s day Philippi and Thessalonica were located in a region called Macedonia and Corinth was located in a region called Achaia. Ephesus, Colossae, and Galatia were all located in modern day Turkey. And, as you said, Rome is right where Rome has always been. VK: And today we want to focus on the epistle to the Romans. So, what are we hoping to see as we examine each of these epistles in turn? RD: Well, first of all I want people to focus on the fact that, contrary to some uniformed critics, the Bible is not filled with “myths and fairy tales.” It is true that the Bible reports on supernatural events in the same way that it reports on mundane or secular matters. And as we often say on Anchored by Truth we can have confidence in the Bible’s reports about supernatural matters because in areas where we can directly test the Bible’s historical and geographic accuracy we see that the Bible writers were accurate. VK: It’s a very simple principle. If we have a friend who we know to be honest and truthful and then one day that friend tells us they saw something extraordinary our first impulse should be to trust their report. We can trust their report because we have a track record and history with that person that tells us that person consistently tells the truth. Naturally, the opposite might be true. If we know somebody who consistently lies then we might have reason to doubt them, even if occasionally they tell us something that is true. RD: Right. Character matters. And when the Bible’s character is tested in ways we can verify it always stands up to the test. VK: So, one of the reasons we are doing this series is to help people see that the geography of the Bible is real, reliable geography. That is not true with some books that claim to have come from God, is it? RD: No. But in keeping with our long-standing practice on Anchored by Truth we do not normally criticize other works by name. Our practice is to proclaim the truth of the Bible, the Word of God, for the same reason new bank tellers are trained to recognize counterfeit bills by being handed lots of genuine ones. When you know what’s genuine you can spot the counterfeits. Also, frankly, the time we have for these shows is limited so we’re not going to give any time to discussing the errors of others. We focus on demonstrating that Bible is the inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God. VK: But the basic point stands. As we will see throughout this series not only can you find the locations to which the epistles were sent on maps of the time, the situations discussed within the individual letter correspond to what we know about the character and culture of the location. RD: Exactly. So, we are starting with the epistle, the letter, to the church in Rome because it is the first in order in most modern Bibles after the 4 gospels and the book of Acts. Now no one holds that the order of the epistles as they appear in the New Testament is inspired. But the order, nevertheless, helps us see how the earthly church fathers felt about that book. And Romans occupies the first position not because it was the first one written but because of its importance and the importance of the church that was located in what was the most important city in the Roman Empire. VK: The book of Romans has been placed first pretty much since the time the New Testament was assembled in the 4th century AD. It has held this place in the sacred canon, even though many commentators believe that the Galatians, First Corinthians, and perhaps First and Second Thessalonians were written before it. RD: Right. Romans contains the most complete treatment of the major doctrines of the Christian faith that is found in any of the epistles. In Romans Paul discussed the doctrines of regeneration, justification, sanctification, and the need for evangelism. He discussed such weighty themes as judgment, God’s wrath against sin, man’s universal rebellion, and the primacy of faith for reconciliation between man and God to be possible. Yet with all the weighty matters he undertook in the book of Romans Paul still made sure that he provided some of the most comforting language that is found in the entire Bible. VK: I’m sure you’re thinking of that famous section from chapter 8 of Romans, especially the part contained in verses 31 through 39. “What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? … Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. … in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” That’s from the New International Version. RD: Yes. So, in and amongst all the principles and doctrine Paul included in Romans he never lost sight of the need to be encouraging to his readers. So, the book of Romans includes some of the most sobering observations in all of scripture … VK: Like, “There is none who does good, no, not one.” That’s Romans 3:12 in the New King James Version. RD: Yes. In that line Paul was quoting Psalm 14:3. But in addition to all the sobering language Paul also gave us so much encouragement like the assurance that nothing can separate us from God’s love and we are more than conquerors through the God that loves us. So, Romans contains these great discussions of these great themes but in Romans Paul also took great pains to discuss the relationship between gentiles and Jews with respect to Christianity. Chapters 9 through 11 contain one of the most thorough explanations in the Bible of the Jewish roots of Christianity and how God now views Jews and Gentiles with respect to the church. VK: And essentially Paul tells us that anyone who places their faith in Jesus for salvation, whether they are a Jew or Gentile, will be saved. Paul notes that even though Israel was God’s “chosen people” and was the original recipient of God’s word that even in the Old Testament there was the promise that someday God’s plan of salvation would include the gentiles. RD: Yes. Paul took more time in the book of Romans to discuss the interaction between Jews, gentiles, the church, and the history of salvation than in any other book. VK: So, we can be sure that one reason he did that was because the Roman church was composed of Jewish and gentile believers. But Rome, of course, was a long way from the Holy Land. Why would there have been so many Jews in Rome? RD: In 63 BC the Roman general Pompey the Great overran Judea. When he did he sent a large number of Jewish prisoners to Rome to be sold as slaves. But the Romans found out it was not easy to control them. The Jews persevered resolutely and obstinately in adhering to their faith and rites of their religion. Eventually the Romans chose to give them their freedom and assigned them a place in the vicinity of the city across the Tiber River. They built a town which was principally inhabited by Jews. And we know from history that Judaism was even one of the religions that the Romans accepted officially – so much so that the Jews were exempt from worshipping Caesar which most citizens of the empire were not. So, in Rome there were plenty of Jews, some of whom obviously came to accept Christ as the Messiah. These believers along with the gentile converts comprised the Roman church in Paul’s time. VK: So, this explains why Paul would have taken such pains to go into the relationship between Jews, gentiles, and the church. There were probably lots of discussions within the Roman church as to “who had to do what” or “who was to blame for what.” This was long before the New Testament existed. Undoubtedly, there was a great deal of confusion about some issues that today we almost take for granted. RD: Right. And Paul either knew about the differences from reports he received or quite likely he could have guessed that any church comprised of Jewish and gentile believers would have had certain questions. It’s apparent from Romans that at the time Paul wrote to the church he had not yet personally been there. VK: Although later he would go to Rome in person after he was arrested in Jerusalem and, as a Roman citizen, he appealed to the emperor to hear his case. We hear about that episode in chapters 24 through 28 of the book of Acts. RD: Yes. Most commentators believe Paul wrote his epistle to the Romans between 55 and 57 AD with many believing it was in 57 AD. VK: Why is that? RD: Around 52 or 54 AD the Roman Emperor Claudius banished all Jews from Rome. Acts 18:2 tells us that Paul first met a husband and wife named Aquila and Priscilla in Corinth. Acts 18:2 tells us that Paul met Aquila and Priscilla in Corinth and that they had left Rome because of that decree. So, this had to have occurred after the year 52 ad. In Acts 18:19, we are told that Paul left Corinth accompanied by Aquila and Priscilla and subsequently Paul left them at Ephesus. Paul then made a journey through the neighboring regions, and then returned to Ephesus. That’s reported in Acts 19:1. Paul then remained at Ephesus at least two years. In the Epistle to the Romans Paul sends his salutation to Aquila and Priscilla. So, by the time Paul wrote Romans Aquila and Priscilla had returned at Rome. So, Romans could not have been written until after Aquila and Priscilla had left Ephesus and returned to Rome. That would have to have been at least three years after the decree of Claudius in 52 or 54 AD. VK: But we also have some other clues as to the timing of Romans. We know that when Paul wrote this Epistle to Romans, he was about to depart for Jerusalem to take them a collection taken up by the churches in Macedonia and Achaia which had been made for the poor. That’s in Romans 15:25-26. And Paul said that when he had done this, he intended to go to Rome. That’s Romans 15:28. So, that gives us further clues as to the timing of when Romans was written. RD: Right. Now, by looking at the book of Acts again, we can determine when this occurred. In Acts Paul said he sent Timothy and Erastus ahead of him into Macedonia, while he remained in Asia for a while. That’s Acts 19:22. After this (Acts 20:1-2), Paul himself went into Macedonia, passed through Greece, and remained there about three months. On this journey it is almost certain that Paul went to Corinth, the capital of Achaia. Romans was written at Corinth. After Paul was in Corinth Paul set out for Jerusalem where he arrested and became a prisoner. He remained a prisoner for two years. That’s Acts 24:27. Then after those 2 years he was sent to Rome about 60 AD. Allowing all of the time for traveling and his 2 year imprisonment, it must have been about three years after he finished Romans until the time when he actually reached Rome. Taken all together this means the Epistle to the Romans must have been written about 57 AD. VK: How do we know Paul wrote the epistle to the Romans while he was in Corinth? RD: The Epistle to the Romans mentions, Phoebe, a member of the church at Cenchrea. Cenchrea was the port of the city of Corinth, about seven or eight miles from the Corinth. Paul commends Phoebe to the Roman Christians. Phoebe probably carried the letter. Remember in Romans Paul sends his greetings to Aquila and Priscilla, two people he knew very well. Paul could easily have told Phoebe that when she went to Rome to seek out Aquila and Priscilla and give them the letter. At a minimum Phoebe accompanied those who had the letter. Furthermore, in Romans 16:23, Gaius is spoken of as the host of Paul. Gaius lived in Corinth and Paul had baptized him. Erastus is also mentioned as the chamberlain of the city where the Epistle to the Romans was written. And in 2 Timothy Erastus is mentioned as having his home at Corinth. Put all this together and there is strong evidence that Romans was written at Corinth about the year 57 AD. VK: And at that time Rome was pretty much at the peak of its power. So Paul wrote the most complete description of the doctrines and principles of the Christian faith to a church located in the most important city in the Roman Empire. And, of course, the Roman Empire was where God began the distribution of the gospel. Later and throughout history, including today, the gospel has spread far beyond the boundaries of the old Roman Empire but God chose to begin the gospel’s spread within the Roman Empire. So, at the time Paul wrote Romans we can be very sure he knew he was writing an important letter to the church located in the most important city of his time. All that fits together very well. Paul knew his letters would circulate beyond his initial recipient or audience. And he knew people from all over the empire would travel to and through Rome. So, it was simply good common sense for him to ensure that the epistle, the letter, he wrote to the church in Rome was a thorough discussion of the foundations of the Christian faith. But we don’t really know what prompted Paul to write the letter, do we? RD: No. Paul does not give us the specifics of his initial impulse. But I think we can use what Dr. John Gerstner used to call our “sanctified imagination” and come up with a plausible scenario. VK: Well, you are a fiction writer. RD: I am. So, in my imaginative world here is at least one possible scenario. We know from Acts, chapter 18 that after Paul had met Aquila and Priscilla in Corinth they all travelled to Ephesus together. That made sense. They were all tent makers and in addition to their ministry needs they may have been looking for a good place for Aquila and Priscilla to re-establish their business. Ephesus was one of the primary business centers within the Roman Empire and it was the primary business center for what the Romans called Asia. We know from Acts 18:19 that Paul left them in Ephesus when he went back to Israel to conclude what is called his second missionary journey. Well, sometime after Paul left them Aquila in Ephesus they returned to Rome. Likely after Claudius was no longer emperor (he died in October 54 AD) things calmed down in Rome enough for them to return. VK: And having spent a year or two with Paul they were now well trained in the Christian faith. So much so, that in Acts 18:24 through 27 we hear, “Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor a and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. … When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.” That’s the New International Version. RD: Right. So, after Aquila and Priscilla returned to Rome naturally they would have found other believers and joined a church. Well, sometime later they probably learned that Paul was on his 3rd missionary journey and was going to be in Corinth. So, it’s entirely possible they asked him if he could come to Rome. Corinth is a relatively short boat ride away from Rome so from a travel standpoint that would make sense. VK: And Paul wanted to go to Rome but right then he couldn’t. In Acts, chapter 18, verses 23 through 26 we hear “I have been longing for many years to visit you, I plan to do so when I go to Spain. I hope to see you while passing through and to have you assist me on my journey there, after I have enjoyed your company for a while. Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem in the service of the Lord’s people there. For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the Lord’s people in Jerusalem.” RD: Exactly. So, Paul couldn’t go to Rome at that point. So, he did the next best thing. He sat down and wrote a comprehensive letter to the church where his good friends and former ministry partners were located. And Paul had a reliable person he could trust with the letter: Phoebe. VK: And Phoebe lived in a port city so she may very well have travelled frequently, even to Rome. She may have had her own business since in Romans, chapter 16, verses 1 and 2 Paul says, “I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church in Cenchrea, that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and assist her in whatever business she has need of you…” RD: Right. The point is when you look at the details of the people, the places, the larger political and cultural setting, Paul’s writing the letter he did to the church in Rome makes perfect sense. VK: Sometimes I think people may think that when the Bible writers were inspired to write the books that are in Bible they get the impression that the writer heard a voice from the clouds, had a bright light shined on them, and heard the command “Write.” God sometimes deals with people that way, but more often God does his work through ordinary people using ordinary means. RD: Right. The letter to the church in Rome was a real letter written by a real man to real people – people just like us. Next time we’re going to expand on this theme a bit more but for today we want people to realize that, like all of the Bible, Paul’s letter are perfectly consistent with what we know about the larger context in which they were written. VK: This sounds like a great time for a prayer. Today, let’s listen to a prayer for the missionaries of our time – the people that today carry the gospel to the farthest corners of the world just as the Apostle Paul carried it to corners of the world he knew. ---- PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN MISSIONARIES VK: Before we close we’d like to remind our audience that a lot of our radio episodes are linked together in series of topics so if they missed any episodes in this series or if they just want to hear one again, all of these episodes are available on your favorite podcast app. To find them just search on “Anchored by Truth by Crystal Sea Books.” If you’d like to hear more, try out crystalseabooks.com where “We’re not perfect but our Boss is!” (Opening Bible Quote from the Contemporary English Version) Romans, chapter 1, verses 1 and 7, Contemporary English Version Romans 1 Barnes' Notes (biblehub.com)

In the final part of his 3-part series on Hell, Dr. John Gerstner exhorts us toward the only means of escaping eternal judgment.•••There is a solitary, humble, wooden structure on a windswept hill in rural New England. To open the door is to engage our minds, our hearts, and our imaginations. In this place, preachers and professors, past and present, come alive as they walk the aisle, ascend the pulpit stairs, and teach…from theology, from history, and from the Word of God. Welcome to the Saybrook Meetinghouse, an audio production of Saybrook Ministries.Saybrook's Vision:Inspiring and invigorating Christians with imaginative and intellectual content.Saybrook's Mission:To provide didactic and devotional content from the Christian faith delivered to the saints; recovered and refined by the Protestant Reformation.With God's blessing, our prayer is that Saybrook's content will be…(1) to Christians convinced of Reformation truths: Encouraging & Powerful(2) to Christians unconvinced of Reformation truths: Educational & Persuasive(3) to Non-Christians: Engaging & Prophetic

In the 2nd of his 3-part series on Hell, Dr. John Gerstner gives us an unvarnished look at its very real and existential danger to the souls of those who do not listen to our Savior's warnings.•••There is a solitary, humble, wooden structure on a windswept hill in rural New England. To open the door is to engage our minds, our hearts, and our imaginations. In this place, preachers and professors, past and present, come alive as they walk the aisle, ascend the pulpit stairs, and teach…from theology, from history, and from the Word of God. Welcome to the Saybrook Meetinghouse, an audio production of Saybrook Ministries.Saybrook's Vision:Inspiring and invigorating Christians with imaginative and intellectual content.Saybrook's Mission:To provide didactic and devotional content from the Christian faith delivered to the saints; recovered and refined by the Protestant Reformation.With God's blessing, our prayer is that Saybrook's content will be…(1) to Christians convinced of Reformation truths: Encouraging & Powerful(2) to Christians unconvinced of Reformation truths: Educational & Persuasive(3) to Non-Christians: Engaging & Prophetic

Dr. John Gerstner passionately pleads with us to understand the reality of Hell, and its often overlooked prominence in the warnings of Jesus Christ.•••There is a solitary, humble, wooden structure on a windswept hill in rural New England. To open the door is to engage our minds, our hearts, and our imaginations. In this place, preachers and professors, past and present, come alive as they walk the aisle, ascend the pulpit stairs, and teach…from theology, from history, and from the Word of God. Welcome to the Saybrook Meetinghouse, an audio production of Saybrook Ministries.Saybrook's Vision:Inspiring and invigorating Christians with imaginative and intellectual content.Saybrook's Mission:To provide didactic and devotional content from the Christian faith delivered to the saints; recovered and refined by the Protestant Reformation.With God's blessing, our prayer is that Saybrook's content will be…(1) to Christians convinced of Reformation truths: Encouraging & Powerful(2) to Christians unconvinced of Reformation truths: Educational & Persuasive(3) to Non-Christians: Engaging & Prophetic

Episode 124 – But What About … Angels Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” The goal of Anchored by Truth is to encourage everyone to grow in the Christian faith by anchoring themselves to the secure truth found in the inspired, inerrant, and infallible word of God. Script: This salvation was something even the prophets wanted to know more about when they prophesied about this gracious salvation prepared for you. They wondered what time or situation the Spirit of Christ within them was talking about ... It is all so wonderful that even the angels are eagerly watching these things happen. 1 Peter, chapter 1, verses 10 through 12, New Living Translation ******** VK: Hello. I’m Victoria K and today on Anchored by Truth we are continuing our latest study series brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. We’ve labeled this series “But what about” because a lot of time that’s how the questions about the Christian faith start. As we’ve noted before, Christianity is a faith that is firmly rooted in place and time. But that doesn’t mean that Christianity doesn’t have a supernatural dimension. It does. So, often when people encounter the supernatural aspect of the Christian faith they will ask questions like, “but what about angels and demons” or “but what about heaven and hell?” These are usually subjects that are familiar to most people, but which are actually poorly understood. So, we want to do individual episodes on several of these subjects to see what the Bible actually has to say about them. I’m in the studio today with RD Fierro, author and Founder of Crystal Sea Books. RD, why did you decide we should do this what about series? RD: Well, hello to all the Anchored by Truth listeners. Thank you for joining us here today. As you mentioned there are a lot of subjects that pertain to the Christian faith where knowledge about them in our culture is a mile wide but an inch deep. Sometimes I think there is more misinformation that circulates around these subjects than actual information. Much of the confusion can be directly traced back to a lack of Biblical literacy in our culture. That’s the bad news. The good news is most of the confusion can be eliminated simply by going to back to the Bible to see what it has to say. Reading the Bible not only will clarify our views on the supernatural elements of Christianity but it is also an excellent cure for a vast variety of the ills that confront our faith and society. VK: That’s one of the things that distinguishes Christianity from other religions. Christianity is comfortable both in the here and now. But Christianity is also comfortable in the realms that can’t be perceived by our five senses. A lot of people would like to deny that those realms exist but we all know that they do. As the Nicene Creed states, “We believe in one God, Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen.” RD: Yes. As Romans 1:18 through 20 says: But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. … Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.” VK: That’s from the New Living Translation. The Contemporary English Version has that same section as “From heaven God shows how angry he is with all the wicked and evil things that sinful people do to crush the truth. ... God's eternal power and character cannot be seen. But from the beginning of creation, God has shown what these are like by all he has made. That's why those people don't have any excuse.” RD: Yes. So, the point the Apostle Paul is making is that everyone knows that God exists. When they try to deny that truth they have to “suppress” or “crush” that truth. But, as that verse also says God, cannot be perceived directly with our five senses. God is a supernatural being. God is the ultimate supernatural being. So, as Christians we affirm both the existence of the natural universe – the universe that we can see with our eyes, ears, and other senses. But we also affirm the existence of an unseen realm. We perceive the unseen realm by applying logic and reason to evidence we can obtain from the natural world we can see. For instance, the 2nd law of thermodynamics tells us that the visible universe is burning through its available supply of usable energy. This means that the universe cannot be infinitely old because otherwise it would have run out of energy. No matter how much energy the universe has it burns a certain percentage every year. And no matter how many years it might last an infinite number would still be a bigger number. VK: A simple way of stating the dilemma is that “the universe cannot explain its own origin or existence.” But the existence of an eternal, personal, creative Being can explain the origin and existence of the universe. That’s what the verse from Romans means. We can know about God’s power and character by applying the logic and intelligence God has given us to the grandeur we see about us. RD: Yes. And by applying logic and intelligence we can determine that the Bible is God’s special revelation to people. And part of that special revelation is that the unseen, the supernatural realm, contains other beings than just God. VK: Such as angels and demons? RD: Right. We know from the Bible that God has created two categories of intelligent, personal beings: men and angels. And we know that those two categories have some things in common but that they are also vastly different. VK: Well, before we move on to that part of the discussion let’s just be precise on one point. You said the Bible tells us that God has created two categories of intelligent, personal beings: men and angels. I’m sure some people wonder whether God could have created other categories of such beings? RD: He could have, but we have no evidence that He did. When it comes to contemplating the supernatural aspects of creation some speculation is probably inevitable. But the danger in speculating is that we become so enamored with our speculations we lose sight of what we do or can know to be true. Provided we’re solidly grounded in the truth, exercising what John Gerstner used to call our “sanctified imaginations” can help us think through questions thoroughly. But we always need to be sure that we don’t invest our trust in anything that is the product of those imaginations. When I see the titles of a lot of books it’s obvious that many writers have elevated the products of their own imaginations over the very real realms made by the Creator. VK: I think that’s a good caution to keep in mind. So, today we want to begin our look at angels. As we’ve already noted, angels are one of two categories of intelligent, personal beings that the Bible discusses. What else do we know about angels? For instance, when were angels created? RD: That’s a very good question. There’s not universal agreement among scholars as to when angels were created. Some scholars believe that angels were created at the same time as God created everything else. Dr. Jonathan Sarfati, in his commentary on Genesis entitled The Genesis Account, says that whenever the words “heavens and earth” are linked together in Old Testament Hebrew that this is a figure of speech called a “merism.” VK: A merism is a figure of speech in which two opposites are joined together into an all-encompassing whole. We do the same thing in English when we say things like the store is open day and night. We don’t mean the store is only open when it’s bright sunshine or dark. We mean the store is open all the time. Other merisms include “searched high and low” or “we checked near and far.” RD: Yes. So, Dr. Sarfati’s point is that Genesis 1:1 which says that “in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” includes the creation of both the visible and invisible realms, both the physical and the non-physical. But there are other scholars who believe that the angels were created before the physical creation. And they point to Job 38 verses 4 through 7 as support for this view. VK: Those verses are where God is confronting Job and pointing out the limits of Job’s knowledge. God says to Job, “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you know so much. Who determined its dimensions and stretched out the surveying line? What supports its foundations, and who laid its cornerstone as the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?” That’s the New Living Translation. RD: Right. Now, it’s pretty obvious that if the angels shouted for joy when God laid the foundations of the earth the angels were already in existence. But many scholars believe that part of Job is just a poetic expression and is not meant to be taken literally. So, the question of when angels created is a bit of an open question, but it is clear that angels were in existence either before man or they came into existence no later than man. Some commentators see the angels being created at the same time as the heavens and earth. But God may have created angels early on the first day they would still have been around to see the rest of creation, including the creation of man on day 6. VK: So, there is not agreement on the exact time that angels were created but there is agreement that the angels all possessed some form of free will and that they were initially created, like man, in a probationary status. After all, demons are just fallen angels. The demons obviously elected to use their freedom to choose in an unholy way and rebel against God. In effect, they violated their probation. As a consequence, they were expelled from their original place in heaven. But the holy angels didn’t misuse their freedom. The holy angels remained faithful and loyal to their Creator. RD: Yes. So, let’s make a couple of other observations at this point. Angels were created in a fully mature state. Ordinarily angels don’t have a physical presence, though at times some do take on some form of a corporeal structure. Since angels were created fully developed there was no need for angels to “grow up.” They were formed in their final state, which means, that upon creation, they were fully able to exercise their capabilities. As you said, the fallen angels used their free will to rebel against God and the holy angels used their free will to be obedient to God. God has affirmed that choice by allowing each group to retain that status they chose for eternity. VK: The New Geneva Study Bible puts it this way for the holy angels: “The many who passed the [probationary] test are now evidently confirmed in a state of holiness and immortal glory. Heaven is their dwelling place where they constantly worship God and from where they go out at God’s command to render service to Christians.” RD: So, just as the holy angels are confirmed in a state of holiness, the unholy angels are confirmed in a state of permanent damnation. But both groups have an intense interest in what happens on the earth especially with Christians. One aspect of the angels’ personality is apparently curiosity. As we heard in our opening quotation, 1 Peter 1:12 says that even angels long to look into [the] things pertaining to salvation and the gospel. VK: So, like people angels are personal, intelligent beings. But unlike people angels ordinarily exist as spirits not as beings of flesh and blood. The fact that angels are not physical in their nature also implies that angels don’t age or die like human beings do. Jesus confirmed this in his exchange with the Sadducees in Mark, chapter 12 when he said that after the resurrection people are like the angels and don’t marry and aren’t given in marriage. Now, it’s important to note in that passage that Jesus said that after the resurrection believers will be like the angels in certain respects. Jesus did not say that believers become angels. The idea that believers are transformed into angels after death is an idea that’s contained in books and movies but it is completely unbiblical. RD: Great point. No matter how charming It’s a Wonderful Life is as a movie, human beings and angels are completely different orders of created beings. People will always be people. We might be people in heaven who will have glorified bodies. That’s the same kind of body Jesus had after He came out of the tomb. Or, sadly, some people will be people in hell who will suffer for all eternity. But we will always be people. VK: Of course, there’s no need for anyone to suffer in hell especially not anyone who is listening to Anchored by Truth. All anyone has to do is turn to Jesus, acknowledge they have sinned, and ask Jesus to save them. Jesus saves everyone who asks Him to and there’s nothing Jesus wants more than to save everyone with a salvation that is full and free. RD: Another great point. We certainly hope and pray that anyone listening to this program who has not already trusted in Jesus to be their Savior will immediately turn to Him. None of us are guaranteed another hour much less another day or decade. The time to be saved is always now. At any rate people will always be people and angels will always be angels whether they are fallen or unfallen. But it is also true that at certain times and for certain reasons angels have been able to take on the appearance of being human. So, that’s where some of the confusion about humans becoming angels or angels becoming human may have arisen. VK: Well, before we get to specific instances of what angels did in the Bible, are there any other things we should note about what angels are? RD: Well, thus far we’ve seen that angels are the second category of created beings that are intelligent and personal. Angels were fully formed and mature upon their creation. They didn’t start out as baby angels and have to grow up. Angels don’t age or die. VK: In that respect the only two people that were created like that were Adam and Eve. They were created as fully mature adults, but every other person has had to undergo a maturation process. That’s true for all higher order species of plants and animals on earth. To paraphrase an old observation even the mighty oak starts out as an acorn. RD: Right. But angels don’t. Ordinarily, angels do not have a corporeal presence so there’s no need for them to mature physically and ordinarily they are intangible and unseen. But this does not mean that the physical parameters of our universe do not have some impact on the activities of angels. For instance, in Daniel, chapter 10, we have the famous episode of an angel being sent by God to provide an answer to Daniel’s prayer. But the angel did not arrive instantaneously. Apparently some travel was involved. VK: Daniel 10:12 and 13 says, “Then [the angel] said, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer. But for twenty-one days the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia blocked my way. Then Michael, one of the archangels, came to help me, and I left him there with the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia.” RD: So, the angel didn’t just pop instantaneously from one location to another. VK: Apparently there’s no teleportation or “beaming” in the angelic realm. RD: Apparently not. But we have no way of knowing in what manner or at what speeds they move in their realm or how their movement in the unseen realm relates to time and distance in our universe. Here is where a bit of sanctified speculation seems to indicate that they likely aren’t confined by the laws of physics either in their realm or ours. So, the speed limits that affect travel here probably don’t apply to them. They can probably cross distances in time frames that would make us dizzy but that still doesn’t mean they are immune to all of the constructs of the physical creation. VK: And our verse from Daniel shows us something else. It seems that there is a hierarchical system within the angelic realm. The messenger sent to Daniel was blocked by the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia until Michael, one of the archangels, came to help him. That would seem to indicate that the “spirit prince of Persia” had more power than the messenger but not as much as Michael. Do we know how many levels there are in this hierarchy? RD: Not really. Some commentators think Paul, in his epistles, referred to the ranks of angels using the terms, "principalities," "powers," "thrones," "dominions," and "powers." The first four are apparently used in a good sense in Colossians 1:16, where it is said that all these beings were created through Christ and unto Him; but, in most of the other passages in which words from this group occur, they seem to represent evil powers. But other than knowing for sure that Michael is referred to as an “archangel” or a “chief prince” we don’t have any solid information as to how the angelic hierarchies are ordered. VK: So, this is probably a good time to make another note for today about the angelic realm. There are apparently various types or groups of angels but we are given titles for only two of those in the Bible: the Seraphim and Cherubim. There are over 60 references in the Bible to Cherubs or Cherubim but only 2 references to Seraphim. The term Seraphim means “burning” or “glowing.” The only references to Seraphim are in Isaiah chapter 6 where they are said to be around the throne of God. They have six wings. They fly with two and use two wings to cover their feet and two to cover their faces. Covering their feet is a display of modesty and apparently they cover their faces because even the holy angels cannot bear to gaze into the refulgent glory of God almighty. RD: That’s a great lesson for us. God is so magnificent that even these powerful angels are awed and intimidated by His presence. But this does not drive them away from God. They remain in His presence just in a posture of perpetual worship. When we approach God we should be reverent and respectful of God’s absolute holiness as they are. So, the only reference to Seraphim mentions them as being in the immediate presence of God. By contrast, the Cherubim (the plural of cherub) seem to be an order of angels tasked with representing God or performing missions for God on this earth. The first mention of them is when they were placed outside the Garden of Eden to act as guards and keep man from re-entering it. VK: But cherubim are mentioned in many other places as well. And cherubim adorned the mercy seat which was the top of the famous Ark of the Covenant. One of the most amazing appearances of cherubim is in Ezekiel chapters 1 and 10 where their appearance is described as a creature with four wings, four faces, human hands, but straight legs that ended in calf-like hooves and they were shining and glowing. It’s hard to know what to make of an appearance like that. RD: Yes, it is, especially since the cherubim that adorned the mercy seat didn’t look anything like that. Many commentators have offered explanations for why the cherubim in Ezekiel had that bizarre (to our eyes) appearance but I don’t want to get too diverted by that right now. The major point is that angels can seem to appear in various guises that are suitable for the occasion. And since angels ordinarily do not possess physicality it’s probably best not to try to press them into a specific mold the way we do the appearances of creatures on our world. And one final point we need to make on today’s show is that despite the large number of angels that various people encountered in the Bible we know the names of only two. VK: We know the archangel Michael and the messenger Gabriel. The name Michael means “who is like God.” The name Gabriel means “God is my strength.” But this does not include the names of angels mentioned in the Apocrypha does it? RD: No. It does not. The Apocrypha are not considered to be canonical by most Protestant churches so the Roman Catholics and some of the Orthodox traditions do accept them as canonical. So, other angelic names such as Raphael and Uriel do appear in either the Apocrypha or some other ancient literature. Some lists contain as many as 8 named angels, but among the 66 books of the Bible generally used by Protestants only Michael and Gabriel are named. VK: Does this mean that other angels do not have names or that we just don’t know them? RD: I would lean more toward the side that other angels do have names but they’re just not recorded in the Bible. In Luke 8:30 (Mark 5:9) there is the well-known encounter between Jesus and a man who was possessed by demons. In speaking to the demons, Jesus asks “what is your name?” Now, if other angels didn’t have names, there would have been no point in Jesus asking the question. By the way I don’t for one minute think Jesus needed the answer to the question but his disciples did. And notice that the name the demons, plural in this case, gave was not a personal name but a descriptive one: legion – because there were many of them in the man. This may indicate that angels may sometimes identify themselves in ways other than the use of a personal name – perhaps by a function or an attribute. VK: Well, that’s not actually uncommon. In many countries at one time people used names that were tied to their occupation. For instance, Carpenter, Shoemaker, or Baker were common names at one point. And even today either names or nicknames are tied to an attribute or a physical feature. Well, today we’ve spent most of our time talking about the nature and characteristics of angels. In our next episode of Anchored by Truth we’re going to talk about what angels do or at least what they did in the Bible. The goal of this discussion is to help people see that the Bible is consistent throughout its entire text, even though that text was compiled over a period of 1,500 years. The remarkable unity of the Bible is evidence of the Bible’s own supernatural point of origin. Sounds to me like a good time for a prayer. Today's prayer comes from another one of Crystal Seas’ offerings, the book Purposeful Prayers and is a prayer of adoration for the Creator who made and sustains the entire universe and each of us: ---- PRAYER FOR PERSECUTED CHRISTIANS (TREY). We hope you’ll be with us next time and we hope you’ll take some time to encourage some friends to tune in too, or listen to the podcast version of this show. If you’d like to hear more, try out crystalseabooks.com where “We’re not famous but our Boss is!” (Bible Quote from the New Living Translation) 1 Peter, chapter 1, verses 10 through 12, New Living Translation Topical Bible: Angel (biblehub.com) Relevant extract from the Biblehub article: In New Testament the word aggelos, when it refers to a Divine messenger, is frequently accompanied by some phrase which makes this meaning clear, e.g. "the angels of heaven" (Matthew 24:36). Angels belong to the "heavenly host" (Luke 2:13). In reference to their nature they are called "spirits" (Hebrews 1:14). Paul evidently referred to the ordered ranks of supra-mundane beings in a group of words that are found in various combinations, namely, archai, "principalities," exousiai, "powers," thronoi, "thrones," kuriotetes, "dominions," and dunameis, also translated "powers." The first four are apparently used in a good sense in Colossians 1:16, where it is said that all these beings were created through Christ and unto Him; in most of the other passages in which words from this group occur, they seem to represent evil powers. We are told that our wrestling is against them (Ephesians 6:12), and that Christ triumphs over the principalities and powers (Colossians 2:15; compare Romans 8:38 1 Corinthians 15:24). In two passages the word archaggelos, "archangel" or chief angel, occurs: "the voice of the archangel" (1 Thessalonians 4:16), and "Michael the archangel" (Jude 1:9).

Many people today claim that the world's living creatures naturally developed on their own--with no help from a Creator. Today, R.C. Sproul and John Gerstner continue their mock debate by discussing the origins of the universe. Get the 'Silencing the Devil' and 'Defending Your Faith' Teaching Series' on DVD for a Gift of Any Amount: https://gift.renewingyourmind.org/1825/silencing-the-devil-defending-your-faith Don't forget to make RenewingYourMind.org your home for daily in-depth Bible study and Christian resources.

Is it truly possible to know that God exists, even though we do not see, hear, or touch Him? Today, R.C. Sproul and his mentor John Gerstner begin to square off in a mock debate to test the truth claims of the Christian faith. Get the 'Silencing the Devil' and 'Defending Your Faith' Teaching Series' on DVD for a Gift of Any Amount: https://gift.renewingyourmind.org/1825/silencing-the-devil-defending-your-faith Don't forget to make RenewingYourMind.org your home for daily in-depth Bible study and Christian resources.

Today I remember the life and ministry of my hero's hero, Dr. John Gerstner. I give thanks for his service to the church, for training my father and for blessing me. Plus, we consider his last book, Theology in Dialogue.

How can suffering and a good God exist together? Don't all religions lead to the same place? Hasn't Christianity led to wars and terrible events in history? Isn't Christianity all about being a good person? Join Nick Fullwiler & Peter Bell as they discuss the proof of Christianity, how suffering and God fit together, and how to answer both critics and other believers you disagree with! Have any questions or feedback about this episode? Email us at: guiltgracepod@gmail.com Find us on Instagram: @guiltgracegratitudepodcast Resources on Apologetics: 5 Volume Apologetics Collection - Cornelius Van Til Five Views on Apologetics - Stanley Gundry Reforming Apologetics - JV Fesko The Case for Christ - Lee Strobel Mere Christianity - CS Lewis Classical Apologetics - RC Sproul, John Gerstner, Arthur Lindsley Expository Apologetics - Vauddie Baucham Faith Has Its Reasons - Boa & Bowman The Reason for God - Tim Keller Walking with God through Pain & Suffering - Tim Keller Essays on Religion, Science, & Society - Herman Bavinck Questions used during the podcast: Relevant Magazine & Faith Facts Looking for a Reformed Church? Check out NAPARC. Please rate and subscribe to the podcast on whatever platform you use! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gggpodcast/support

Carter from the last shows exclusive psalmody debate joins us today to the EP debate. Show Links: The Westminster Confession of Faith (Chap. 21) with John Gerstner https://youtu.be/oVS9M4srGqs?list=PLhORVCVz3B2YyeXLs8b0SAtC3OZW7Vokj&t=1363 The Westminster Confession of Faith (Chaps. 25–27) with John Gerstner https://youtu.be/SnXagOyavYE?t=905 Why we should use the Scottish Psalte https://www.sermonaudio.com/solo/ldrpc/sermons/7210515718/ Psalms of David in Metre With Notes by John Brown of Haddington https://www.sermonaudio.com/new_details3.asp?ID=19280

We continue our series highlighting the personal testimonies and ministries of the faculty of Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary by catching Dr. Benjamin Shaw -Old Testament - Hebrew- before he moves to Sanford, Florida to take up a position at Reformation Bible College. In this episode, Dr. Shaw recounts his childhood in Roswell, New Mexico- seminary experience at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary under John Gerstner and Ford Lewis Battles- advanced degree-work at Princeton Theological Seminary and Duke Divinity School- seminary service at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary- and hopes for the future at Reformation Bible College.

We continue our series highlighting the personal testimonies and ministries of the faculty of Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary by catching Dr. Benjamin Shaw (Old Testament & Hebrew) before he moves to Sanford, Florida to take up a position at Reformation Bible College. In this episode, Dr. Shaw recounts his childhood in Roswell, New Mexico; seminary experience at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary under John Gerstner and Ford Lewis Battles; advanced degree-work at Princeton Theological Seminary and Duke Divinity School; seminary service at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary; and hopes for the future at Reformation Bible College.

Dr. Art Lindsley (PhD, University of Pittsburgh) is vice president of theological initiatives at the Institute for Faith, Work, & Economics and author of C.S. Lewis’s Case for Christ, True Truth, Love: The Ultimate Apologetic, and co-author with R.C. Sproul and John Gerstner of Classical Apologetics.Is with Bishop Castillo this week on UK and Singapore's #1 Christian Podcast. At least in America, evangelical churches have largely neglected the subjects of faith, work, and calling. We tend to focus on salvation, evangelism, or basic personal discipleship (Bible reading, prayer, fellowship) but ignore what most people do 40, 60, or 80 hours a week. 1. Watch your language.One top Christian leader referred to his work of training pastors as equipping people for a “higher calling.” When someone objected, “We don’t believe that,” he apologetically admitted that the pastoral calling is not intrinsically higher than that of a doctor, lawyer, government worker, carpenter, music teacher, and so on. It’s easy to fall back into this kind of hierarchical thinking (pastoral ministry being higher than other work) even if we ought to know better. 2. Pray for people in professions.Make it a regular part of pastoral prayer to pray not only for those who are sick, but also for doctors, homemakers, business executives, construction workers, and so on, that they might do excellent work that gives glory to God. 3. Interview workers.For instance, call three lawyers to come forward and interview them about how they see their faith being expressed in their work. Then pray for them and any other lawyers in the congregation. You could do this with different professions—say, once a month, or on another regular cycle. 4. Commission people for ministry in their work.Periodically call all the practitioners in a particular vocation to come up, have the elders lay hands on them, and commission them just as you would do for someone entering the pastorate or going as a missionary overseas. 5. Stress that you can have a ministry at work.In Romans 13:4, Paul twice calls government workers “ministers.” They are ministers not just when they evangelize or lead Bible studies at work but also when they practice their calling in government. The same could be said for any other valid profession. Emphasize that on Sunday we are the body of Christ gathered, and on Monday we are the body scattered to work in the world by bearing witness in what we say and do. These are just suggestions of ways pastors and churches can regularly communicate implicitly that they value the connection between faith and work as well as the validity of various callings. If more churches did this, it would go a long way toward strengthening people in our congregations who work outside the church. https://tifwe.org/about/art-lindsley/Support the show (https://www.theriverchurchtulsa.com/donate)

Jeffrey S. McDonald speaks about his book, John Gerstner and the Renewal of Presbyterian and Reformed Evangelicalism in Modern America (Wipf & Stock, 2017). It is published in the Princeton Theological Monograph Series. John Gerstner (1914–96) was a significant leader in the renewal of Presbyterian and Reformed evangelicalism in America during the second half of […]

Jeffrey S. McDonald speaks about his book, John Gerstner and the Renewal of Presbyterian and Reformed Evangelicalism in Modern America (Wipf & Stock, 2017). It is published in the Princeton Theological Monograph Series. John Gerstner (1914–96) was a significant leader in the renewal of Presbyterian and Reformed evangelicalism in America during the second half of the twentieth century. Gerstner's work as a church historian sought to shape evangelicalism, but also northern mainline Presbyterianism. He wrote, taught, lectured, debated, and preached widely. Jeffrey S. McDonald is the pastor of Avery Presbyterian Church in Bellevue, Nebraska and an Affiliate Professor of Church History at Sioux Falls Seminary, Omaha. https://vimeo.com/343473458  

Dr. Art Lindsley (PhD, University of Pittsburgh) is vice president of theological initiatives at the Institute for Faith, Work, & Economics and author of C.S. Lewis’s Case for Christ, True Truth, Love: The Ultimate Apologetic, and co-author with R.C. Sproul and John Gerstner of Classical Apologetics.Is with Bishop Castillo this week on UK and Singapore's #1 Christian Podcast. At least in America, evangelical churches have largely neglected the subjects of faith, work, and calling. We tend to focus on salvation, evangelism, or basic personal discipleship (Bible reading, prayer, fellowship) but ignore what most people do 40, 60, or 80 hours a week. 1. Watch your language.One top Christian leader referred to his work of training pastors as equipping people for a “higher calling.” When someone objected, “We don’t believe that,” he apologetically admitted that the pastoral calling is not intrinsically higher than that of a doctor, lawyer, government worker, carpenter, music teacher, and so on. It’s easy to fall back into this kind of hierarchical thinking (pastoral ministry being higher than other work) even if we ought to know better. 2. Pray for people in professions.Make it a regular part of pastoral prayer to pray not only for those who are sick, but also for doctors, homemakers, business executives, construction workers, and so on, that they might do excellent work that gives glory to God. 3. Interview workers.For instance, call three lawyers to come forward and interview them about how they see their faith being expressed in their work. Then pray for them and any other lawyers in the congregation. You could do this with different professions—say, once a month, or on another regular cycle. 4. Commission people for ministry in their work.Periodically call all the practitioners in a particular vocation to come up, have the elders lay hands on them, and commission them just as you would do for someone entering the pastorate or going as a missionary overseas. 5. Stress that you can have a ministry at work.In Romans 13:4, Paul twice calls government workers “ministers.” They are ministers not just when they evangelize or lead Bible studies at work but also when they practice their calling in government. The same could be said for any other valid profession. Emphasize that on Sunday we are the body of Christ gathered, and on Monday we are the body scattered to work in the world by bearing witness in what we say and do. These are just suggestions of ways pastors and churches can regularly communicate implicitly that they value the connection between faith and work as well as the validity of various callings. If more churches did this, it would go a long way toward strengthening people in our congregations who work outside the church. https://tifwe.org/about/art-lindsley/Support the show (http://JesuslovesAsia.com)

John Gerstner, Jonathan Edwards, Blaise Pascal e Martin Lloyd-Jones. Gratidão eterna!

John Gerstner, Jonathan Edwards, Blaise Pascal e Martin Lloyd-Jones. Gratidão eterna!

On May 10th, Geneva College will host a dedication event in honor of John Gerstner, as the theological library and papers of this prominent theologian and prolific author are donated by his family to the college. In anticipation of this time, 3GT invited his biographer, Jeffrey McDonald, on the program to interview him about Gerstner. …

One of the most important trends within evangelicalism over the last half-century has been a renewal of Reformed theology. In this important new book, Jeffrey S. McDonald, who is a Presbyterian pastor in Bellevue, Nebraska, and an affiliate professor of church history at Sioux Falls Seminary, Omaha, reconstructs the life of one of the individuals who did most to make that renewal possible. John Gerstner and the Renewal of Presbyterian and Reformed Evangelicalism in Modern America (Pickwick, 2017) is the story of how one theologian moved ever closer to the margins of his mainstream denomination while simultaneously shaping the individuals and institutions that would do most to recover traditional theological claims within the broader movement of evangelicals. This impressive new work documents the failures as well as the successes of the individual who did more than almost any other to renew the reformation. Crawford Gribben is a professor of history at Queen’s University Belfast. His research interests focus on the history of puritanism and evangelicalism, and he is the author most recently of John Owen and English Puritanism (Oxford University Press, 2016). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the most important trends within evangelicalism over the last half-century has been a renewal of Reformed theology. In this important new book, Jeffrey S. McDonald, who is a Presbyterian pastor in Bellevue, Nebraska, and an affiliate professor of church history at Sioux Falls Seminary, Omaha, reconstructs the life of one of the individuals who did most to make that renewal possible. John Gerstner and the Renewal of Presbyterian and Reformed Evangelicalism in Modern America (Pickwick, 2017) is the story of how one theologian moved ever closer to the margins of his mainstream denomination while simultaneously shaping the individuals and institutions that would do most to recover traditional theological claims within the broader movement of evangelicals. This impressive new work documents the failures as well as the successes of the individual who did more than almost any other to renew the reformation. Crawford Gribben is a professor of history at Queen’s University Belfast. His research interests focus on the history of puritanism and evangelicalism, and he is the author most recently of John Owen and English Puritanism (Oxford University Press, 2016). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the most important trends within evangelicalism over the last half-century has been a renewal of Reformed theology. In this important new book, Jeffrey S. McDonald, who is a Presbyterian pastor in Bellevue, Nebraska, and an affiliate professor of church history at Sioux Falls Seminary, Omaha, reconstructs the life of one of the individuals who did most to make that renewal possible. John Gerstner and the Renewal of Presbyterian and Reformed Evangelicalism in Modern America (Pickwick, 2017) is the story of how one theologian moved ever closer to the margins of his mainstream denomination while simultaneously shaping the individuals and institutions that would do most to recover traditional theological claims within the broader movement of evangelicals. This impressive new work documents the failures as well as the successes of the individual who did more than almost any other to renew the reformation. Crawford Gribben is a professor of history at Queen’s University Belfast. His research interests focus on the history of puritanism and evangelicalism, and he is the author most recently of John Owen and English Puritanism (Oxford University Press, 2016). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the most important trends within evangelicalism over the last half-century has been a renewal of Reformed theology. In this important new book, Jeffrey S. McDonald, who is a Presbyterian pastor in Bellevue, Nebraska, and an affiliate professor of church history at Sioux Falls Seminary, Omaha, reconstructs the life of one of the individuals who did most to make that renewal possible. John Gerstner and the Renewal of Presbyterian and Reformed Evangelicalism in Modern America (Pickwick, 2017) is the story of how one theologian moved ever closer to the margins of his mainstream denomination while simultaneously shaping the individuals and institutions that would do most to recover traditional theological claims within the broader movement of evangelicals. This impressive new work documents the failures as well as the successes of the individual who did more than almost any other to renew the reformation. Crawford Gribben is a professor of history at Queen’s University Belfast. His research interests focus on the history of puritanism and evangelicalism, and he is the author most recently of John Owen and English Puritanism (Oxford University Press, 2016). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the most important trends within evangelicalism over the last half-century has been a renewal of Reformed theology. In this important new book, Jeffrey S. McDonald, who is a Presbyterian pastor in Bellevue, Nebraska, and an affiliate professor of church history at Sioux Falls Seminary, Omaha, reconstructs the life of one of the individuals who did most to make that renewal possible. John Gerstner and the Renewal of Presbyterian and Reformed Evangelicalism in Modern America (Pickwick, 2017) is the story of how one theologian moved ever closer to the margins of his mainstream denomination while simultaneously shaping the individuals and institutions that would do most to recover traditional theological claims within the broader movement of evangelicals. This impressive new work documents the failures as well as the successes of the individual who did more than almost any other to renew the reformation. Crawford Gribben is a professor of history at Queen’s University Belfast. His research interests focus on the history of puritanism and evangelicalism, and he is the author most recently of John Owen and English Puritanism (Oxford University Press, 2016). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the most important trends within evangelicalism over the last half-century has been a renewal of Reformed theology. In this important new book, Jeffrey S. McDonald, who is a Presbyterian pastor in Bellevue, Nebraska, and an affiliate professor of church history at Sioux Falls Seminary, Omaha, reconstructs the life of one of the individuals who did most to make that renewal possible. John Gerstner and the Renewal of Presbyterian and Reformed Evangelicalism in Modern America (Pickwick, 2017) is the story of how one theologian moved ever closer to the margins of his mainstream denomination while simultaneously shaping the individuals and institutions that would do most to recover traditional theological claims within the broader movement of evangelicals. This impressive new work documents the failures as well as the successes of the individual who did more than almost any other to renew the reformation. Crawford Gribben is a professor of history at Queen’s University Belfast. His research interests focus on the history of puritanism and evangelicalism, and he is the author most recently of John Owen and English Puritanism (Oxford University Press, 2016). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the most important trends within evangelicalism over the last half-century has been a renewal of Reformed theology. In this important new book, Jeffrey S. McDonald, who is a Presbyterian pastor in Bellevue, Nebraska, and an affiliate professor of church history at Sioux Falls Seminary, Omaha, reconstructs the life of one of the individuals who did most to make that renewal possible. John Gerstner and the Renewal of Presbyterian and Reformed Evangelicalism in Modern America (Pickwick, 2017) is the story of how one theologian moved ever closer to the margins of his mainstream denomination while simultaneously shaping the individuals and institutions that would do most to recover traditional theological claims within the broader movement of evangelicals. This impressive new work documents the failures as well as the successes of the individual who did more than almost any other to renew the reformation. Crawford Gribben is a professor of history at Queen’s University Belfast. His research interests focus on the history of puritanism and evangelicalism, and he is the author most recently of John Owen and English Puritanism (Oxford University Press, 2016). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week's spotlight sermon is fromJohn Gerstner: Hell: the Fate of the Lost. Very good study taken from the theology of Jonathan Edward. This is from our sermon collection, 100 Best Sermons Every Christian Should Hear. Click here to Listen! Join us on Facebook!  Click here to “Like” our page and see our latest additions!  As […] The post John Gerstner: Hell: the Fate of the Lost appeared first on More Of God Please.

This week’s spotlight sermon is fromJohn Gerstner: Hell: the Fate of the Lost. Very good study taken from the theology of Jonathan Edward. This is from our sermon collection, 100 Best Sermons Every Christian Should Hear. Click here to Listen! Join us on Facebook!  Click here to “Like” our page and see our latest additions!  As[...] The post John Gerstner: Hell: the Fate of the Lost appeared first on More Of God Please.

Communicators tend to be inclined toward creativity. We are writers, videographers, and artists, after all. But a corporation can sometimes suck the creativity out of a person. How can communicators bring creativity and innovation to their work in an organization? What approaches work? And how can they convince senior leadership that it produces genuine results when we break out of the mundane reporting we see from so many companies? In this episode of Circle of Fellows, host Shel Holtz joins four IABC Fellows -- Pixie Emslie (from South Africa), Leticia Narvaez (from Mexico), and John Gerstner and Mark Schumann (from the US) for a deep dive into creativity and innovation in the world of organizational communications.Continue Reading → The post Circle of Fellows #9: Creativity and Innovation appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Communicators tend to be inclined toward creativity. We are writers, videographers, and artists, after all. But a corporation can sometimes suck the creativity out of a person. How can communicators bring creativity and innovation to their work in an organization? What approaches work? And how can they convince senior leadership that it produces genuine results when we break out of the mundane reporting we see from so many companies? In this episode of Circle of Fellows, host Shel Holtz joins four IABC Fellows -- Pixie Emslie (from South Africa), Leticia Narvaez (from Mexico), and John Gerstner and Mark Schumann (from the US) for a deep dive into creativity and innovation in the world of organizational communications.Continue Reading → The post Circle of Fellows #9: Creativity and Innovation appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

A new MP3 sermon from Still Waters Revival Books is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: When Prayer is Sin Subtitle: Contemporary Issues Series Speaker: John Gerstner Broadcaster: Still Waters Revival Books Event: Teaching Date: 12/12/2007 Bible: Psalm 66; Galatians 6:1 Length: 46 min.