Podcasts about Reformation

In this episode of the Podcast for Cultural Reformation, Dr. Michael Thiessen and Dr. Joe Boot discuss identity from a biblical worldview. They look at how modern culture has detached identity from God and made it something each person must create for themselves. They trace how ideas from philosophy, psychology, critical theory, transgenderism, and transhumanism have shaped the modern view of the self. In contrast, Scripture teaches that human identity begins with creation: we are made by God, in the image of God, male and female, with purpose and responsibility before Him. This episode explains why the modern identity crisis is really a worship crisis, and why true identity can only be found in Jesus Christ.

Today on the Christian History Almanac, we remember the Danes, their Reformation, and poet Anders Arrebo. Show Notes: Germany / Switzerland - Study Tour Support 1517 Podcast Network 1517 Podcasts 1517 on YouTube 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts 1517 Events Schedule 1517 Academy - Free Theological Education What's New from 1517: By Water and the Word by Brian Thomas: https://shop.1517.org/products/9781967920013-by-water-and-the-word?srsltid=AfmBOopBUXbtbkYK0o6UHbWQm8_6UA7hG6B4RXYSeMxos6wbtbxX3Hnk Being Family by Dr. Scott Keith https://shop.1517.org/products/9781964419961-being-family?srsltid=AfmBOooZqqK-X8KqD64jZn1qUUrqiRwO-l3S4Z_WtIcfayMLAlTyHgoN A Reasoned Defense of the Faith by Adam Francisco https://shop.1517.org/collections/coming-soon/products/9781964419879-a-reasoned-defense-of-the-faith Stretched: A Study for Lent and the Entire Christian Life by Dr. Christopher Richmannhttps://shop.1517.org/products/9781964419381-stretched The Essential Nestingen: Essays on Preaching, Catechism, and the Reformationhttps://shop.1517.org/products/9781964419121-the-essential-nestingen More from the hosts: Dan van Voorhis SHOW TRANSCRIPTS are available: https://www.1517.org/podcasts/the-christian-history-almanac CONTACT: CHA@1517.org SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts Spotify Stitcher Overcast Google Play FOLLOW US: Facebook Twitter Audio production by Christopher Gillespie (outerrimterritories.com).

Pastor Lindsey teaches how connecting with God through reformation invites surrender, obedience, and alignment with His heart. Using Saul's conversion as an example, she emphasizes that God transforms individuals first, equipping them to bring righteousness, justice, and godly influence to the world around them.

Larry Alex Taunton interviews Eric Metaxas about his new book, “Revolution: The Birth of the Greatest Nation in the History of the World,” and why he argues the American Revolution was uniquely grounded in biblical ideas of self-government, tracing its precedent to the Sinai Covenant and its development through the Reformation and colonial covenant theology. Eric contrasts America's God-centered view of liberty with the French Revolution's secular attempt at self-rule, discusses the neglected role of sermons and the First Great Awakening in shaping revolutionary conviction, and cites founders' repeated references to providence, including Washington and Franklin. They explore the Declaration of Independence as a fundamentally biblical claim about equality, debate misconceptions about Enlightenment origins, highlight John Adams' influence, and connect revolutionary faith to present-day calls to rededicate the nation to God.

Georgia's ancient faith is still alive — and it demands more than just going through the motions.Professor Levan Gigineishvili joins John to discuss the importance of continuous personal growth as an Orthodox Christian, the ultimate answer to avoiding complacency and transforming our lives in Christ. A medievalist, philosopher, and one of Georgia's most respected public intellectuals — walks us through 1,600 years of Christianity that refuses to die.This conversation goes deep, we cover:✧ Why Ilia Chavchavadze (philosopher, national hero, and saint) believed good ritual isn't good enough✧ The Golden Age of Georgia: Rustavelli, Neoplatonism, and the "Second Athens"✧ How Georgia kept the faith when empires — Byzantine, Persian, Ottoman, Russian, Soviet — tried to erase it✧ Why Sola Scriptura and the Reformation never took root in the Caucasus✧ Levan's own journey from Soviet atheism to Orthodox Christianity✧ The Georgian Supra: why Americans are falling in love with this ancient feast tradition✧ And one unforgettable story about a panic attack, a monastery, and a phone call

This episode of the Westminster Podcast features Harrison Perkins in conversation with Nate Shannon, exploring Perkins' scholarly work on James Ussher and a newly released volume of his previously unpublished theological manuscripts. The discussion traces Perkins' journey into church history and highlights Ussher's significance as a Reformed theologian deeply engaged in preaching, catechesis, and historical polemics against Rome, particularly in the context of the Reformation in Ireland. Drawing from newly translated archival sources, Perkins presents Ussher as a model of doctrinal clarity and pastoral faithfulness, demonstrating how consistent theological commitments shaped his ministry across diverse and turbulent contexts, including the English Civil War. The episode underscores the enduring importance of doctrinal preaching, the integration of theology and pastoral ministry, and the value of recovering historical voices like Ussher for the life of the modern church.

Whether it be graduation, tax day, or an important holiday, human beings intuitively understand what it means to live in light of a coming date on the calendar. In Psalm 75, God declares that he has appointed a day when he will judge with equity. In this sermon, we explore how living backward from the certainty of Judgment Day sets us free to walk in humility and hope.

May 23, 2026Strength to Strength welcomed Stephen Russell for this wrap-up talk on our Sacred Roots series.In the Sacred Roots series, we have surveyed the history and development of the Church of Jesus Christ from its founding through to the end of the Reformation. We will look at what happened during this 1600 years, both the good and the bad, and consider how this history may effectively give direction to the contemporary church.An interactive question-and-answer period follows.https://strengthtostrength.org/god-is-faithful-and-the-gates-of-hell-will-not-prevail-against-the-church/

Today on the Christian History Almanac, we tell the story of the Assassination of a Cardinal and a famous underground battle. Show Notes: Germany / Switzerland - Study Tour  Support 1517 Podcast Network 1517 Podcasts 1517 on YouTube 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts 1517 Events Schedule 1517 Academy - Free Theological Education What's New from 1517: By Water and the Word by Brian Thomas: https://shop.1517.org/products/9781967920013-by-water-and-the-word?srsltid=AfmBOopBUXbtbkYK0o6UHbWQm8_6UA7hG6B4RXYSeMxos6wbtbxX3Hnk Being Family by Dr. Scott Keith https://shop.1517.org/products/9781964419961-being-family?srsltid=AfmBOooZqqK-X8KqD64jZn1qUUrqiRwO-l3S4Z_WtIcfayMLAlTyHgoN A Reasoned Defense of the Faith by Adam Francisco https://shop.1517.org/collections/coming-soon/products/9781964419879-a-reasoned-defense-of-the-faith Stretched: A Study for Lent and the Entire Christian Life by Dr. Christopher Richmann https://shop.1517.org/products/9781964419381-stretched The Essential Nestingen: Essays on Preaching, Catechism, and the Reformation https://shop.1517.org/products/9781964419121-the-essential-nestingen More from the hosts: Dan van Voorhis SHOW TRANSCRIPTS are available: https://www.1517.org/podcasts/the-christian-history-almanac CONTACT: CHA@1517.org SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts Spotify Stitcher Overcast Google Play FOLLOW US: Facebook Twitter Audio production by Christopher Gillespie (outerrimterritories.com).

With Arms Wide Open! In this episode, on the eve of Trinity Sunday, we sit with Carl Trueman's essay, "The Value and Role of Creeds and Confession." Is there any usefulness of Creeds and Confessions at present? Are they important as historic documents? Are they authoritative for the churches? What are the biblical origins of the ecumenical creeds, and are they the rule of faith for contemporary Christians? What about contemporary churches that write their own creeds, confessions, or statements of faith — do they participate in the catholic faith, or are they confessing something separate from historic, orthodox Christianity? All that and much, much more on this episode of Banned Books. SHOW NOTES:  Carl Trueman "The Value and Role of Creeds and Confessions" https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/essay/the-value-and-role-of-creeds-and-confessions/ Interactive Nicene Creed https://sjrl.org/interactive-nicene-creed/ Arian hymn https://www.fourthcentury.com/arius-thalia-intro/   More from 1517: Support 1517 Podcast Network: https://www.1517.org/donate-podcasts 1517 Podcasts: http://www.1517.org/podcasts 1517 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@1517org 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/channel/1517-podcast-network/id6442751370 1517 Events Schedule: https://www.1517.org/events 1517 Academy - Free Theological Education: https://academy.1517.org/   What's New from 1517: By Water and the Word by Brian Thomas: https://shop.1517.org/products/9781967920013-by-water-and-the-word?srsltid=AfmBOopBUXbtbkYK0o6UHbWQm8_6UA7hG6B4RXYSeMxos6wbtbxX3Hnk Being Family by Dr. Scott Keith https://shop.1517.org/products/9781964419961-being-family?srsltid=AfmBOooZqqK-X8KqD64jZn1qUUrqiRwO-l3S4Z_WtIcfayMLAlTyHgoN A Reasoned Defense of the Faith by Adam Francisco https://shop.1517.org/collections/coming-soon/products/9781964419879-a-reasoned-defense-of-the-faith Stretched: A Study for Lent and the Entire Christian Life by Dr. Christopher Richmann https://shop.1517.org/products/9781964419381-stretched The Essential Nestingen: Essays on Preaching, Catechism, and the Reformation https://shop.1517.org/products/9781964419121-the-essential-nestingen   More from the hosts: Donovan Riley https://www.1517.org/contributors/donavon-riley  Christopher Gillespie https://www.1517.org/contributors/christopher-gillespie   CONTACT and FOLLOW: Email mailto:BannedBooks@1517.org  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BannedBooksPod/  Twitter https://twitter.com/bannedbooks1517   SUBSCRIBE: YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@BannedBooks Rumble https://rumble.com/c/c-1223313  Odysee https://odysee.com/@bannedbooks:5 Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/banned-books/id1370993639  Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/2ahA20sZMpBxg9vgiRVQba  Overcast https://overcast.fm/itunes1370993639/banned-books    MORE LINKS: Banned Books Wiki https://bannedbooks1517.org  Tin Foil Haloes https://t.me/bannedpastors St John's Lutheran Church (Webster, MN) - FB Live Bible Study Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/356667039608511  Donavon's Substack https://donavonlriley.substack.com Gillespie's Sermons and Catechesis https://outerrimterritories.com/recent-sermons Gillespie Coffee https://gillespie.coffee   Gillespie Media https://gillespie.media  

In this episode of the Podcast for Cultural Reformation, Pastor Nate Wright and Dr. Joe Boot continue their discussion on Marxism by tracing how traditional Marxist theory shifted from economics to culture, giving rise to critical theory and the modern sexual revolution. They examine why Marxist economic revolution failed to take hold in the West, how thinkers like Antonio Gramsci, the Frankfurt School, Wilhelm Reich, Herbert Marcuse, and Judith Butler redirected the struggle toward family, sexuality, education, language, and institutions, and why critical theory is not a neutral tool Christians can borrow. At its root, critical theory attacks the creational structures God has built into the world—marriage, family, male and female, authority, truth, and the cultural mandate itself. Rather than reforming culture under the lordship of Christ, it seeks to deconstruct God’s order in the name of liberation. Nate and Joe argue that Christians must recognize critical theory as a rival religious worldview with its own doctrine of creation, sin, justice, and salvation—and must answer it not with compromise, but with confidence in Scripture, creation, the family, the church, and the kingship of Christ over all things.

Today on the Christian History Almanac, we tell the story of the "original" William of Orange — the Warrior Monk. Show Notes: Germany / Switzerland - Study Tour  Support 1517 Podcast Network 1517 Podcasts 1517 on YouTube 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts 1517 Events Schedule 1517 Academy - Free Theological Education What's New from 1517: By Water and the Word by Brian Thomas: https://shop.1517.org/products/9781967920013-by-water-and-the-word?srsltid=AfmBOopBUXbtbkYK0o6UHbWQm8_6UA7hG6B4RXYSeMxos6wbtbxX3Hnk Being Family by Dr. Scott Keith https://shop.1517.org/products/9781964419961-being-family?srsltid=AfmBOooZqqK-X8KqD64jZn1qUUrqiRwO-l3S4Z_WtIcfayMLAlTyHgoN A Reasoned Defense of the Faith by Adam Francisco https://shop.1517.org/collections/coming-soon/products/9781964419879-a-reasoned-defense-of-the-faith Stretched: A Study for Lent and the Entire Christian Life by Dr. Christopher Richmann https://shop.1517.org/products/9781964419381-stretched The Essential Nestingen: Essays on Preaching, Catechism, and the Reformation https://shop.1517.org/products/9781964419121-the-essential-nestingen More from the hosts: Dan van Voorhis SHOW TRANSCRIPTS are available: https://www.1517.org/podcasts/the-christian-history-almanac CONTACT: CHA@1517.org SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts Spotify Stitcher Overcast Google Play FOLLOW US: Facebook Twitter Audio production by Christopher Gillespie (outerrimterritories.com).

If you enjoy this episode, we're sure you will enjoy more content like this on The Occult Rejects.  In fact, we have curated playlists on occult topics like grimoires, esoteric concepts and phenomena, occult history, analyzing true crime and cults with an occult lens, Para politics, and occultism in music. Whether you enjoy consuming your content visually or via audio, we've got you covered - and it will always be provided free of charge.  So, if you enjoy what we do and want to support our work of providing accessible, free content on various platforms, please consider making a donation to the links provided below.  Thank you and enjoy the episode!Links For The Occult Rejectshttps://linktr.ee/theoccultrejectsOccult Research Institutehttps://www.occultresearchinstitute.org/Substackhttps://substack.com/@theoccultrejects?r=7auau0&utm_campaign=profile&utm_medium=profile-pageCash Apphttps://cash.app/$theoccultrejectsVenmo@TheOccultRejectsBuy Me A Coffeebuymeacoffee.com/TheOccultRejectsPatreonhttps://www.patreon.com/TheOccultRejectsBIBLIOGRAPHYLoaded Ground and Temple GrammarBradley, Richard. An Archaeology of Natural Places. Key use: Natural features as ritual centers: springs, caves, mountains, watery places, unusual stones, and the way landscape itself becomes an active participant in sacred behavior.Bradley, Richard. The Significance of Monuments: On the Shaping of Human Experience in Neolithic and Bronze Age Europe. Key use: Monumentality, repeated movement, ritual landscapes, and how built earth/stone structures anchor memory and collective story.Scarre, Chris, ed. Monuments and Landscape in Atlantic Europe: Perception and Society During the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age. Key use: Landscape archaeology, perception, monument placement, sacred routes, and social memory.Tilley, Christopher. A Phenomenology of Landscape: Places, Paths and Monuments. Key use: Embodied movement through sacred landscapes. Good for explaining why approach, walking, turning, climbing, entering, and returning matter as much as the site itself.Ruggles, Clive. Ancient Astronomy: An Encyclopedia of Cosmologies and Myth. Key use: Archaeoastronomy, horizon alignment, sky events, and methodological caution against sloppy “everything is a star map” claims.Ruggles, Clive. Astronomy in Prehistoric Britain and Ireland. Key use: Prehistoric monuments, solar/lunar alignments, and sky-ground relationships.Watson, Aaron, and David Keating. “Architecture and Sound: An Acoustic Analysis of Megalithic Monuments in Prehistoric Britain.” Antiquity 73, no. 280 (1999): 325–336. Key use: Archaeoacoustics, megalithic sound environments, echo, resonance, and how ancient monuments may have shaped movement and perception through sound as well as sight.Eliade, Mircea. The Sacred and the Profane: The Nature of Religion. Key use: Sacred space, center, axis mundi, threshold, and the difference between ordinary space and holy space.Smith, Jonathan Z. To Take Place: Toward Theory in Ritual. Key use: Ritual as place-making. Useful for the idea that sacred places are not merely found; they are produced through repeated action, interpretation, and return.Tuan, Yi-Fu. Space and Place: The Perspective of Experience. Key use: Lived place, memory, orientation, and the difference between abstract space and meaningful place.van Gennep, Arnold. The Rites of Passage. Key use: Separation, threshold, and incorporation. Useful for crossings, caves, temples, initiation, and the movement from ordinary to sacred space.Turner, Victor. The Ritual Process: Structure and Anti-Structure. Key use: Liminality, betweenness, communitas, and why thresholds create psychological and social transformation.Vitruvius. Ten Books on Architecture / De Architectura. Key use: Classical architecture, proportion, order, temple siting, and the ancient architectural concern with harmony, geometry, and orientation.Scully, Vincent. The Earth, the Temple, and the Gods: Greek Sacred Architecture. Key use: Greek temples in relation to landscape, sightlines, deity, terrain, and sacred placement.Ward-Perkins, J. B. Roman Imperial Architecture. Key use: Roman monumental space, basilicas, civic authority, imperial architecture, and the built environment Christianity later inherits.Wycherley, R. E. How the Greeks Built Cities. Key use: Greek civic and sacred urban planning, temple placement, public space, and the relationship between architecture and city order.Onians, John. Bearers of Meaning: The Classical Orders in Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and the Renaissance. Key use: Classical orders as carriers of meaning, authority, proportion, and inherited architectural language.Assmann, Jan. The Search for God in Ancient Egypt. Key use: Egyptian sacred space, temple theology, divine presence, ritual service, and cosmic order.Shafer, Byron E., ed. Temples of Ancient Egypt. Key use: Egyptian temple structure, processional access, restricted interiors, ritual activity, light/dark progression, and the temple as cosmic environment.Levenson, Jon D. Sinai and Zion: An Entry into the Jewish Bible. Key use: Temple, mountain, divine presence, sacred center, covenant, and the biblical imagination of holy place.Levine, Lee I., ed. Jerusalem: Its Sanctity and Centrality to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Key use: Jerusalem, sacred center, Temple memory, pilgrimage, and the later religious mapping of holiness.The Bible, especially Exodus, Leviticus, 1 Kings, Ezekiel, Psalms, the Gospels, Hebrews, and Revelation. Key use: Tabernacle, Temple, altar, priesthood, sacrifice, holiness, veil, divine presence, living water, pilgrimage, heavenly city, and sacred orientation.Misstear, Bruce. “The Hydrogeology of Sacred Wells: Insights from Ireland.” Hydrogeology Journal, 2024. Key use: Sacred wells as real groundwater systems, including hydrogeological settings, water chemistry, cultural meaning, and anthropogenic impacts. This supports the line that holy wells are both sacred sites and physical water systems.Bord, Janet, and Colin Bord. Sacred Waters: Holy Wells and Water Lore in Britain and Ireland. Key use: Holy wells, healing traditions, local water lore, offerings, vows, and repeated devotional return.Rattue, James. The Living Stream: Holy Wells in Historical Context. Key use: Historical context for holy wells, Christianization, local devotion, and the persistence of sacred water sites.Ray, Celeste. The Origins of Ireland's Holy Wells. Key use: Irish holy wells, sacred water, pilgrimage, healing, local tradition, and the complex relation between Christian practice and older water sites.National Churches Trust. “Medieval Bridge Chapels.” Key use: Bridge chapels as medieval crossing sites, often chantry chapels connected to prayers for founders, benefactors, travelers, and pilgrims.Green, Edward. “Bridge Chapels.” Building Conservation. Key use: Bridge chapels as Christian worship sites built on or near bridges for travelers, safe arrival, and the sacralization of movement.Research report. The Bridge Chapels of Medieval Britain. Key use: Bridge construction and maintenance as pious and charitable work, chapels and crosses at bridges, safe passage, tolls, repairs, and the link between devotion and infrastructure.Walsham, Alexandra. The Reformation of the Landscape: Religion, Identity, and Memory in Early Modern Britain and Ireland. Key use: How sacred geography, wells, crosses, shrines, roads, memory, and local religious landscapes were reclassified and contested during the Reformation.Ren, L., et al. “GIS-Based Viewshed Analysis on the Visibility of Historic Towns.” ISPRS Archives, 2021. Key use: Viewshed analysis, line-of-sight, historic structures, and the use of GIS to study visibility in built heritage environments. Useful for keeping claims about towers, spires, and landmark dominance grounded in method.Vaz de Freitas, I. “Historical Landscape: A Methodological Proposal to Characterise the Landscape of Monasteries in Early Medieval Portugal.” Religions 15, no. 10 (2024): 1158. Key use: Early medieval monastic landscapes, GIS method, religious siting, and environmental variables. Useful for sacred visibility, water proximity, slope, altitude, and landscape choice.Kilde, Jeanne Halgren. Sacred Power, Sacred Space: An Introduction to Christian Architecture and Worship. Key use: Broad Christian architecture source for power, worship, sacred space, and the way buildings shape religious experience.Kieckhefer, Richard. Theology in Stone: Church Architecture from Byzantium to Berkeley. Key use: Church architecture as theology in built form. Useful as a bridge from ancient sacred grammar into later Christian architectural expression.Also want to remind people about the website, if you're into reading we have tons of information by multiple contributors, and we got t-shirts up on the site if you're interested. Fun fact, the art is all based on the eyeball. A

Should we keep sinning since Christ already died and atoned for all of our sins? Paul's answer to whether we should simply sin in the face of abounding grace is clear: absolutely not! In baptism you were buried with Christ and raised to walk in a new life. Grace does abound over and against sin, but sin is no longer your master because you have a new one—Jesus—and this master gives life. The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.   The Rev. Kale Hanson, senior pastor of Zion Lutheran Church in Bethalto, IL, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Romans 6:1–23.  To learn more about Zion Lutheran, visit zionbethalto.org. Why does doing the right thing sometimes feel impossible? Why do feelings of guilt follow us even when we've been forgiven? These aren't new questions. St. Paul wrote his letter to the Romans for a church he had never visited, and yet he addressed the struggles every Christian knows firsthand: the weight of the law, the persistence of sin, the sufficiency of what God has done in Christ. Romans covers enormous ground. Paul moves from the universal problem of sin through justification by faith, the role of baptism, the war between flesh and spirit, God's faithfulness to Israel, and the shape of life together in the body of Christ. There's a reason the Reformation was born in this letter. Join us on Thy Strong Word as we open up Romans, weekdays at 11am or on-demand anytime, at KFUO.org.  Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God's Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: thystrongword@kfuo.org.

Today on the Christian History Almanac, we tell the story of an often overlooked humanist, the wonderfully named Bernhard Adelmann von Adelmannsfeld. Show Notes: Germany / Switzerland - Study Tour  Support 1517 Podcast Network 1517 Podcasts 1517 on YouTube 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts 1517 Events Schedule 1517 Academy - Free Theological Education What's New from 1517: By Water and the Word by Brian Thomas: https://shop.1517.org/products/9781967920013-by-water-and-the-word?srsltid=AfmBOopBUXbtbkYK0o6UHbWQm8_6UA7hG6B4RXYSeMxos6wbtbxX3Hnk Being Family by Dr. Scott Keith https://shop.1517.org/products/9781964419961-being-family?srsltid=AfmBOooZqqK-X8KqD64jZn1qUUrqiRwO-l3S4Z_WtIcfayMLAlTyHgoN A Reasoned Defense of the Faith by Adam Francisco https://shop.1517.org/collections/coming-soon/products/9781964419879-a-reasoned-defense-of-the-faith Stretched: A Study for Lent and the Entire Christian Life by Dr. Christopher Richmann https://shop.1517.org/products/9781964419381-stretched The Essential Nestingen: Essays on Preaching, Catechism, and the Reformation https://shop.1517.org/products/9781964419121-the-essential-nestingen More from the hosts: Dan van Voorhis SHOW TRANSCRIPTS are available: https://www.1517.org/podcasts/the-christian-history-almanac CONTACT: CHA@1517.org SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts Spotify Stitcher Overcast Google Play FOLLOW US: Facebook Twitter Audio production by Christopher Gillespie (outerrimterritories.com).

Adam sinned, and death spread to every human being who ever lived. Paul states that plainly and does not soften it. But the free gift is not like the trespass. Where sin increased, grace increased all the more. One man's disobedience made the many sinners; one Man's obedience makes the many righteous. Paul draws the contrast as starkly as possible, and the math always favors grace because Christ's obedience outweighs Adam's fall.  The Rev. David Boisclair, senior pastor at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Overland, MO, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Romans 5:12–21.  To learn more about Our Redeemer in Overland, visit ourredeemerstl.org. Why does doing the right thing sometimes feel impossible? Why do feelings of guilt follow us even when we've been forgiven? These aren't new questions. St. Paul wrote his letter to the Romans for a church he had never visited, and yet he addressed the struggles every Christian knows firsthand: the weight of the law, the persistence of sin, the sufficiency of what God has done in Christ. Romans covers enormous ground. Paul moves from the universal problem of sin through justification by faith, the role of baptism, the war between flesh and spirit, God's faithfulness to Israel, and the shape of life together in the body of Christ. There's a reason the Reformation was born in this letter. Join us on Thy Strong Word as we open up Romans, weekdays at 11am or on-demand anytime, at KFUO.org.  Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God's Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: thystrongword@kfuo.org.

Islam, Zionism, and the Future of the West | Dr. Zuhdi Jasser on Reform, Radicalism & AmericaWhat happens when a proud Muslim, U.S. Navy veteran, outspoken Zionist, and congressional candidate takes on political Islam head-on?In this explosive episode, Dr. Zuhdi Jasser joins the podcast for one of the most important conversations on Islam, reform, antisemitism, liberalism, and the future of the West. From the failures of the post-9/11 Muslim establishment to the ideological roots of Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood, and anti-Zionism, Dr. Jasser argues that the real battle of the 21st century is not military — it is ideological.We discuss:Why Islam needs a reformation movementThe difference between Islam and IslamismWhether “Islamophobia” is being weaponized to silence criticismWhy antisemitism thrives in parts of the Muslim worldIsrael's role in the Middle East and the Abraham AccordsIdentity politics, DEI, and the radicalization of the WestReform Judaism and parallels to Islamic reformSyria, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the future of liberalismWhy Dr. Jasser believes America is worth defending above all elseThis is a wide-ranging and deeply philosophical discussion about faith, freedom, nationalism, democracy, and modernity.

More from Dr. George Grant https://georgegrant.net/ Adoring God Foundation https://adoringgod.org/

Today on the Christian History Almanac, we tell the story of the first "Christian" nation and the treaty for religious freedom. Show Notes: Germany / Switzerland - Study Tour  Support 1517 Podcast Network 1517 Podcasts 1517 on YouTube 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts 1517 Events Schedule 1517 Academy - Free Theological Education What's New from 1517: By Water and the Word by Brian Thomas: https://shop.1517.org/products/9781967920013-by-water-and-the-word?srsltid=AfmBOopBUXbtbkYK0o6UHbWQm8_6UA7hG6B4RXYSeMxos6wbtbxX3Hnk Being Family by Dr. Scott Keith https://shop.1517.org/products/9781964419961-being-family?srsltid=AfmBOooZqqK-X8KqD64jZn1qUUrqiRwO-l3S4Z_WtIcfayMLAlTyHgoN A Reasoned Defense of the Faith by Adam Francisco https://shop.1517.org/collections/coming-soon/products/9781964419879-a-reasoned-defense-of-the-faith Stretched: A Study for Lent and the Entire Christian Life by Dr. Christopher Richmann https://shop.1517.org/products/9781964419381-stretched The Essential Nestingen: Essays on Preaching, Catechism, and the Reformation https://shop.1517.org/products/9781964419121-the-essential-nestingen More from the hosts: Dan van Voorhis SHOW TRANSCRIPTS are available: https://www.1517.org/podcasts/the-christian-history-almanac CONTACT: CHA@1517.org SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts Spotify Stitcher Overcast Google Play FOLLOW US: Facebook Twitter Audio production by Christopher Gillespie (outerrimterritories.com).

We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. That is where Paul plants his feet before he says something strange: we boast in our sufferings. Suffering produces endurance, endurance produces character, character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame. This is not a self-help sequence. It works because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. That is the love driving the whole chain.  The Rev. Jacob Hercamp, pastor of Christ Lutheran Church in Noblesville, IN, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Romans 5:1–11.  To learn more about Christ Lutheran, visit clc-in.org. Why does doing the right thing sometimes feel impossible? Why do feelings of guilt follow us even when we've been forgiven? These aren't new questions. St. Paul wrote his letter to the Romans for a church he had never visited, and yet he addressed the struggles every Christian knows firsthand: the weight of the law, the persistence of sin, the sufficiency of what God has done in Christ. Romans covers enormous ground. Paul moves from the universal problem of sin through justification by faith, the role of baptism, the war between flesh and spirit, God's faithfulness to Israel, and the shape of life together in the body of Christ. There's a reason the Reformation was born in this letter. Join us on Thy Strong Word as we open up Romans, weekdays at 11am or on-demand anytime, at KFUO.org.  Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God's Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: thystrongword@kfuo.org.

Today on the Christian History Almanac, head to the mailbag to talk about the end of the world. Show Notes: Germany / Switzerland - Study Tour  Support 1517 Podcast Network 1517 Podcasts 1517 on YouTube 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts 1517 Events Schedule 1517 Academy - Free Theological Education What's New from 1517: By Water and the Word by Brian Thomas: https://shop.1517.org/products/9781967920013-by-water-and-the-word?srsltid=AfmBOopBUXbtbkYK0o6UHbWQm8_6UA7hG6B4RXYSeMxos6wbtbxX3Hnk Being Family by Dr. Scott Keith https://shop.1517.org/products/9781964419961-being-family?srsltid=AfmBOooZqqK-X8KqD64jZn1qUUrqiRwO-l3S4Z_WtIcfayMLAlTyHgoN A Reasoned Defense of the Faith by Adam Francisco https://shop.1517.org/collections/coming-soon/products/9781964419879-a-reasoned-defense-of-the-faith Stretched: A Study for Lent and the Entire Christian Life by Dr. Christopher Richmann https://shop.1517.org/products/9781964419381-stretched The Essential Nestingen: Essays on Preaching, Catechism, and the Reformation https://shop.1517.org/products/9781964419121-the-essential-nestingen More from the hosts: Dan van Voorhis SHOW TRANSCRIPTS are available: https://www.1517.org/podcasts/the-christian-history-almanac CONTACT: CHA@1517.org SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts Spotify Stitcher Overcast Google Play FOLLOW US: Facebook Twitter Audio production by Christopher Gillespie (outerrimterritories.com).

It's Memorial Day, and I've been thinking about patriotism -- where it comes from, why people feel it so strongly, and whether Tudor people felt anything like it at all. The answer is more interesting than I expected. In 1485, when Henry VII takes the throne after the Battle of Bosworth Field, England is basically a collection of feudal relationships. Loyalty runs to your lord, your family, your region -- not to some abstract idea of "England." There's no standing army, no national church, no real sense of a shared national identity. And then the Reformation happens. And everything changes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this profound exploration of Matthew 22:1-14, we examine Jesus's parable of the wedding feast—one of the most theologically dense teachings in Scripture. This parable reveals the magnificent scope of God's gospel invitation extended to all humanity, the tragic reality of human rejection, and the sovereign grace that ensures God's purposes will not be thwarted. Through the imagery of a royal wedding banquet, Jesus addresses the religious leaders who challenged His authority while simultaneously unveiling timeless truths about salvation, election, and the nature of the Church. This episode unpacks the parable's layers of meaning, from the universal call of the gospel to the particular grace of election, equipping believers to understand both the urgency and the sovereignty of God's redemptive work. Key Takeaways The Universal Gospel Call Is Genuine and Urgent: God's invitation to salvation goes out indiscriminately to all people, regardless of ethnicity, social status, or moral condition. This external call is sincere, well-meant, and accompanied by genuine offers of grace. Human Rejection Is Willful and Culpable: The parable demonstrates that humanity's refusal of God's invitation is not due to insufficient information but to volitional rebellion. This rejection often progresses from indifference to active hostility against God and His messengers. God's Sovereign Purposes Cannot Be Frustrated: Despite widespread rejection, the wedding hall will be filled. God's redemptive plan includes the expansion of His covenant community beyond ethnic Israel to include Gentiles from every nation. The Wedding Garment Represents Imputed Righteousness: The garment required for the feast symbolizes the righteousness of Christ, received by faith alone, not earned through human effort. This illustrates the doctrine of justification by grace through faith. The Visible Church Contains Both Genuine and False Believers: The parable warns that not all who hear the gospel and enter the visible church possess true saving faith, distinguishing between the external call and the internal, effectual work of the Spirit. Eternal Punishment Is Real and Conscious: The parable's conclusion soberly affirms the doctrine of eternal, conscious punishment for those who reject Christ, depicted as "outer darkness" with "weeping and gnashing of teeth." "Many Are Called, But Few Are Chosen": This foundational statement maintains the biblical tension between the universal external call of the gospel and the particular, effectual call of God that sovereignly draws the elect to salvation. Key Concepts The Nature of the Gospel Call: External and Effectual Reformed theology has carefully distinguished between two aspects of God's call. The external or general call is the sincere proclamation of the gospel to all without distinction, inviting everyone to faith and repentance. This call is genuine on God's part—He truly offers salvation to all who hear. However, due to total depravity, the natural person will not respond to this call on their own. The internal or effectual call is the sovereign, irresistible work of the Holy Spirit by which the elect are regenerated, have their wills renewed, and are infallibly brought to saving faith. This distinction preserves both human responsibility (we are culpable for rejecting a genuine offer) and divine sovereignty (God alone saves by His grace). The parable beautifully illustrates both realities: servants genuinely invite all they find on the highways, yet the King ultimately determines who is properly clothed for the feast. The Wedding Garment and Justification by Faith Alone The wedding garment represents one of the parable's most critical theological elements. In ancient Near Eastern culture, hosts often provided garments for wedding guests, making the lack of proper attire inexcusable. Theologically, this garment symbolizes the righteousness of Christ imputed to believers—a righteousness not produced by human effort but received through faith alone. This directly confronts any notion of works-righteousness or the idea that we can stand before God based on our own moral achievements, religious observances, or church membership. The man without the garment represents those who presume to approach God on the basis of their own righteousness rather than Christ's alien righteousness. His speechlessness before judgment illustrates that on the last day, no one will successfully argue their case on grounds of personal merit. This underscores the Reformation principle of sola gratia and sola fide—salvation is by grace alone through faith alone, clothing us in a righteousness that is entirely Christ's. The Tension Between Universal Call and Particular Election The parable's conclusion—"many are called, but few are chosen"—encapsulates one of theology's profound mysteries. This statement places two realities side by side without resolving the tension philosophically. The invitation truly goes to all (universal call), yet only some respond savingly (particular election). Reformed theology maintains this biblical tension rather than collapsing it in either direction. We don't limit the external call only to the elect (hyper-Calvinism), nor do we make the internal call dependent solely on human decision (Arminianism). Instead, we affirm that the gospel invitation is genuinely universal while the effectual drawing is sovereignly particular. This means Christians can proclaim unreservedly, "Christ has died for you" to any person, knowing the offer is sincere, while simultaneously trusting that God will infallibly save all His elect through that proclamation. Memorable Quotes "The most scandalous and tragic thing that could happen at a wedding or a wedding banquet is that nobody shows up. The guests don't come. Or in fact, not only do they not come, they don't want to come—they burn the invitations." "You don't bring anything to your salvation except the sin that made it necessary." "Many a man in this world will silence his own conscience with many a fair excuse. But in that day, there will be no excuse, no plea, no delay." - William Perkins Full Episode Transcript [00:00:58] Jesse Schwamb: Welcome to episode 493 of The Reformed Brotherhood. I'm Jesse, and this is the podcast where we will talk about every single parable. Hey, brothers and sisters. So when was the last time that you were at a wedding? I think weddings are one of the most glorious of all kinds of human events and celebrations, and I think the solemness of the vows and the promises that are exchanged between a man and a woman in marriage in that ceremony, or maybe only equaled by the joy of those same vows and promises. And of course, the whole point of coming together to celebrate a, a wedding. Is to make that joy consummate and complete by having others participate in it. The seeing the union of a man and a woman become one, the excitement of that love expressed in promise and commitment. It's an incredible thing. And I was thinking about this recently because our wedding invitation is actually framed in, in our living room because one of the guests that we invited gave that to us as a really thoughtful gift. And so our wedding ceremony and the party that followed, and it was a. Amazing and awesome party, especially thanks to my in-laws and my parents who generously made sure that that was possible was an exceptional event that we still talk about all the time. Actually, you know, in my wedding when we had this grand kind of wedding banquet afterwards, we had a friend of ours who actually performed the song that we danced to on grand piano and sang for us, which is amazing. We had a DJ in one room and we had a live jazz band in another, and I specifically recall. That when we left late in the evening, my new wife and I, that there were still people on the dance floor having a good time. And I thought, this is the way it's supposed to be. I mean, this is a wedding. This is a wedding banquet. [00:02:58] Why No One Comes [00:02:58] Jesse Schwamb: And so it also made me think recently, especially as we find ourselves in Matthew chapter 22, continuing to look at all these incredible parables that Jesus gives to us, that perhaps the most scandalous and tragic thing that could happen at a wedding or a wedding banquet is that nobody shows up. The guests don't come. Or in fact, like not only do they not come, they don't want to come, they burn the invitations. They wanna have nothing to do with the celebration or the ceremony itself. And so Jesus has been doing all of this teaching that we've been tracking, and he's been responding to these leaders in the Jewish community, the people we call the Pharisees and the scribes who have challenged his authority. And he's been progressing in the way that he's almost ratcheting up the language that he's using, the indictments that he's bringing to them. And now he's about to bring in weddings and specifically the wedding banquet. And that is where we're gonna find ourselves in a Matthew Chapter 22. Now, by the way, I should also mention that because my wife is super popular lady and super lovable. We had a pretty large wedding. I think we had over 200 guests, and so. Because my father-in-law is retired military, we were actually able to have our whole wedding banquet, our whole celebration and party on a local army base. But because of that, it meant that before you could actually get onto the base, all of our guests. Had to be searched. So it's nothing like, you know, basically just shaken down your wedding guests before they show up. So that also was super fun.  [00:04:32] Reading Matthew 22 [00:04:32] Jesse Schwamb: But let's go to the scriptures, everybody. So here's Matthew chapter 22. Uh, listen to this as we take a look at what Jesus has to say and why he brings in weddings. Actually, it might be helpful to say or to give you something, rather to listen to or listen for before you even hear me read the scriptures because. This parable of this wedding banquet, it is definitely one of the most theologically dense parables in the entire synaptic tradition. It is set like we've been saying within the final week of Jesus' ministry in Jerusalem, and it's embedded in the sequence of confrontational exchanges that he's having with the Jewish leadership because they have challenged his authority. And so as you listen to this being read, I want you to clue in, key in as they say to a couple of things. See if you can find the, like the Christological proclamation in this. There's a, a covenantal poll. I think there's some sociological instruction and there's an eschatological warning. All of this happens as is Jesus's jam in the short span of several verses where he illuminates all of these principles of the sovereign grace of God and the summons of the gospel. Total depravity and culpability of this, these rebellious people who refuse the call, the historical judgment of God upon the covenant breaking Israel. And then of course, the subsequent expansion of that covenant into the community include to include the Gentiles. All of this is happening. In this parable, and so I want you just to listen for that as we together read. Or in my case, I guess I just read, especially if you're driving, do not read the parable that begins in the first part of Matthew chapter 22. Here's the word of God. And Jesus answered and spoke to them again in parables saying The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, and he sent out his slaves to call those who had been called to the wedding feast and they were unwilling to come again. He sent out other slaves saying, tell those who have been called. Behold. I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fon livestock are all butchered and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast. But they paid no attention and went their way, one to his farm, another to his business, and the rest seized the slaves and mistreated them and killed them. But the king was enraged and he sent his armies and destroyed those murderers and set their city on fire. Then he said to his slaves, the wedding is ready, but those who were called were not worthy. Go, therefore, to the main highways and as many as you find there, call to the wedding feast. And those slaves went out into the streets and gathered together all they found both evil and good, and the wedding hall was filled with dinner guests. But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who is not dressed in wedding clothes, and he said to him, friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes? And the man was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, bind him hand and foot and throw him into the outer darkness. In that place, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth for many are called, but few are chosen.  [00:07:50] Parable Context [00:07:50] Jesse Schwamb: Wow. So what an incredible. Story, what an incredible foundation or rubric or context in which so many rich theological concepts and pastoral concepts, doctrinal concepts are given to us from Jesus. And you'll notice that of course, chronologically here, this parable is following the parable of the two sons and the parable of the wicked tenants. Those are the vine growers that we were talking about over the last several episodes. And this one rounds everything out. It forms like a triptych of rejection parables directed against these chief priests and the Pharisees who keep coming after Jesus and his authority. And Matthew signals this kind of escalating tension. The Jewish leaders are now explicitly seeking to arrest Jesus. And Jesus responds not by treating their, not by retreating, of course, but by intensifying his indictment in this parabolic form. And here's where we arrive in Matthew 22. It's interesting to me, of course, that this is the approach that Jesus takes. He has already conveyed these two great stories, and at the end of the last one, Tony and I spoke about how this was where at least Matthew explains to us very directly that the, the Pharisees and the scribes, they understood, they discerned that Jesus was speaking about them, and yet Jesus says, I'm not done yet. I've got one more. And this is the culmination of all the things that he's been saying. And it starts again in verse one with Jesus saying, and again, he spoke to them in a parable. You know, it signals that the parable itself is still a reply. Not to a verbal question at this immediate moment, but to this ongoing posture of rejection exhibited by the religious leaders. You notice that what Matthew says here is very, I think, theologically significant in light of where Jesus explains that the parables both reveal and they conceal their instruments of divine judgment upon heart and hearts, even as they illuminate those with ears to hear. This is why I think it's just so important that as Christians. Even as we study God's word, as we participate in it, so to speak, as we let it read us, that we come with this posture of prayer, that we desperately need God's Holy, holy, holy Spirit to illuminate for us what the scriptures say, to lead us into the paths of righteousness and judgment, which are present in the scriptures, so that we may understand them with these spirit-filled eyes, with a spirit enabled brain with ears that have been unstopped by the spirit. So these parables are the mode by which Christ simultaneously honors and judges his audience. He shows indirectly what it would've been of no use to state plainly. And so the parable form itself is really part of the message here. I think that's something hopefully you picked up as we've been processing them all together, that Jesus opponents cannot arrest what they cannot fully comprehend, yet their incomprehension is itself their condemnation, right? This is, this is the mystery. Of the gospel of what God does, where there is this outward and full unbiased external call, and yet there is something that is efficacious by the power of the Holy Spirit for those whom God has chosen and called to himself so reformed to eus. Are attentive to the authorial intent in historical situatedness of each thing that Jesus says. That's one of the things I think is great about the way in which we kind of have organized our theological perspective and these parables function as a prophetic oracle of judgment. And certainly that's like in an Old Testament accent. I mean, that's the Old Testament jam. It's an Old Testament lawsuit kind of John. It's like law and order. If law and order were Moses, were doing it right. So notice that again, as Tony and I've said so many times before, what I kind of always find so phenomenal about these parables is that often we think of parables as having the main object of being a noun of some kind. It's a person, it's a place. It's a thing that is sometimes the case, but more often than not, it's one of those nouns associated with a verb.  [00:11:59] Kingdom And The King [00:11:59] Jesse Schwamb: And so we get that in verse two. The kingdom of heaven may be compared to what? To a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. And so it implies that the kingdom is being revealed and likened in a definitive act. We got verbs, loved ones. This is the classic. The ultimate, God does all the verbs because you're gonna hear her over and over again. God is going out. God is giving. God is seeking. God is going after, and these verbs are really the center of the parable itself. It's not just that it's the wedding banquet as maybe the title in your scripture gives you, but it's more about this giving of this event and it's preparing of this grand feast. And so the recurrence of this allegory seemed, I think, pretty straightforward to us. The the king is God, the Father, the Son is Christ, and the wedding banquet, which by the way in the Greek here is plural, is really emphasizing that it's a totality of an occasion. This is the Messianic feast. This is the eschatological consummation of the Covenant of Grace. And that image imagery draws like so deep from this Old Testament well and background of God as the husband and the bridegroom of Israel. Again, how lovely and amazing for Jesus and his thorough knowledge of the scriptures to draw in something that the audience would've been like, yes, I know what you're talking about. I'm totally down with that. And so the son's wedding is therefore not some kind of like incidental entertainment. It is the central event of all history, the installation of the Messianic king and the gathering of his bride. And of course, the people hearing this would've immediately gravitated toward that. I think they would've leaned in maybe even like smiled or smirked at one another, knowing that this was now all that veiled. What Christ was drawing on here was the classic presentation. Of the family of God represented in the children of Israel itself, being drawn back into consummate harmony with God the Father, where there was peace and unitedness, and a celebration of this fact that all things were now made and brought together, that God was restoring and bringing all those back to himself in his true and true kingdom that could not be thwarted. So the fact that the king gives the banquet, prepares it, sends servants, selects the guests, underscores this incredible modernistic character of salvation. I think it's impossible to miss here that God is literally doing all the verbs. The initiative at every point is divine. There's no hint here of synergism. The guests do not arrange their own invitations, literally. And so that's why in verse three, we see God, he sending out his servants. And of course that's a familiar theme. It should be to us. If you've been tracking with us the last several parables we've been speaking of because the servants represent the prophets of the Old Testament and subsequently the apostles and the ministers of the word. The invitation had already gone out to quote those who were invited. So it's this perfect passive parable in the Greek, it's, it's indicating a prior and standing invitation. This is the external or general call of the gospel going out through the preaching of the word. And notice that there is always a response. Even here, Jesus moves directly and quickly to here's what the response was. In other words, as the scripture has told us that God's word never goes out in returns void, there's always, as it were, a response here, that's illustrated for us very directly because the response is not so good.  [00:15:32] Invitation Refused [00:15:32] Jesse Schwamb: I mean, this is what would, this is horrible like wedding etiquette. They were not willing to come. And this verb I think is critical because it's volitional refusal. It's not mere ignorance. And reformed theology is insistent here against any kind of constellation that makes man's rejection of the gospel. A matter of insufficient information or circumstances we know better, right? We as people should know that we as Christians who have been changed, know that the natural man here is not natural, merely because he lacks the certain kind of information as if he could be restored or regenerated or reformed if we just knew more things. The will is in bondage to sin. And so as the Westminster Confession, faith says, man, by his fall into a state of sin, hath wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual good accompanying salvation. This is classic Jonathan Edwards, like, you don't bring anything to your salvation except the sin that made it necessary. For some reason in my head, I said that with kind of a, a weird, almost like southern attitude, which I did not mean to convey. But the point is that this refusal is total, it's willing, it's culpable, it's damnable, it's precisely that, which makes it all the more grievous. The invitation is genuine, the refusal is genuine, and the guilt here is entirely real. So the invited in verse three, represent all of Israel. I, I would say like particularly the leaders here, Tony and I have been talking about the responsibility of these, these leaders in particular to, of course, lead Shepherd, grow these people in faith and a love toward God in a way that is toward freedom and now toward more conviction around extraneous rules or heavy burdens that they set up for them that they cannot perform. And so we have these leaders who had received the covenantal promises and the prophetic witness. I mean, that's like classic Romans nine. The rejection of the servants echoes the pattern of prophetic persecution throughout all of Israel's history. So this is sad stuff. It's a sad beginning to have this grand wedding feast prepared by this king for his son set in motion with the invitations already gone out. And essentially all of those who have been invited have Ally refused.  [00:17:49] Feast Is Ready [00:17:49] Jesse Schwamb: But what's so incredible about God and his loving kindness is still represented here in verse four. The king does not relent after the first refusal, which is remarkable. I mean, this is, again, going back to our proper understanding that we love because God first loved us. That love always leads to giving. And so therefore, God so loved the world that he gave his only son. And when did he give his son? At the fullness of time when we were still at enmity, when we were enemies with him still, he sent his son for us and he sends, therefore a second embassy with an even more urgent and elaborate message that he gives them. He puts into their mouth. And the feast, again, is not merely planned. It's prepared. It's ready. The oxen and fat and calves are images of this lavish like sacrificial celebration. Everything's all slaughtered. Everything is ready to go. Now, I don't know the last time you've been to like an epic feast. I do mean like epic over the top feast. I want you to look up something for me. When you have a chance, look up, just go to your browser of choice and type in shady maples smorgasbord. Now, I don't know if you know what a smorgasbord is, but it's like a, I guess it's like a buffet, but like if you took a buffet and multiply it by a million and then only serve like rich, decadent food and more food than you could possibly really imagine and close to where I live, there's a very famous Amish style. Buffet called Shady Maple Smoker Sport. Just go look it up. 'cause it's gonna be possible for you to describe, but all I can say to you is this isn't just like your standard buffet, it's not just like a potluck where it's like, Hey, we got ham. And, um, we've got some salads and, uh, we've got that, uh, what's that? That weird stuff. You can I, the ambrosia, like we, we've got your hydrox cookies for dessert. This is the last time I was there and uh, actually I was there with my parents and my wife and they treated us. And because this was at a part of my life where my gallbladder was trying to attack me and kill me, I remember just being so ill while I was there feeling so ill, and yet just being so disappointed and bummed out that I couldn't eat all this glorious food because there was filet mignon and lobsters. And shrimp and fish and ham like glazed ham and like carving stations. And then for desserts there was like custards and pies and ice cream and cookies and whoopee pies. And it was this over the top celebration of food. And you couldn't help but just feel like, wow, this thing that we're doing right now is like incredible. I've also, I don't think ever seen my father sample so many different desserts because it was special. This was a, a lavish and incredible celebration for us, and it was prepared, it was ready to go. And we find the same thing here. And so the second sending corresponds to this ministry of the Apostles and the early churches proclamation to Israel. The urgency of the messages come now. It reflects this eschatological pressure of the gospel. A good kind of pressure as if like there's a tea kettle on the stove and it's heating up, and now it's starting to whistle and then to boil over. The kingdom has arrived. Loved ones, the feast is set, delay is inexcusable, and, and so the language of readiness, I think is this glorious language of the gospel. The atonement has accomplished. Christ has been crucified, risen, and exalted, and the feast of salvation is prepared. And what I love is that the reformed tradition consistently insists on the sufficiency of Christ's work for all and the genuine freeness of that gospel offer. I like this is what I usually go back to, is that the cannons of dort affirm this in this way. This is the quote. The promise of the gospel is that whosoever believes in Christ, crucified shall not perish, but of everlasting life. This promise together with the command to repent and believe, ought to be declared and proclaimed to all the nations. The invitation is genuine and urgent. The feast is truly ready. [00:22:01] Mission To All [00:22:01] Jesse Schwamb: The church that I attend is part of the Christian Missionary Alliance denomination, and one of the many things I love about my church is that outward and continual focus on this very thing. That the invitation is genuine. It is urgent, and the feast is truly ready, and it is for all peoples. This freeness to, as we talked about before, scatter the seed of the gospel message unreservedly and without bias to all, all in your sphere of influence. All nations, all people, all tongues, all tribe. And my church is very serious about this. In fact, one of the things our pastor loves to do is oftentimes when he's giving it this kind of proclamation, in fact, just this Lord's day, he was speaking from Matthew 28 and about the Great Commission and the essential nature of that great commission is every Christian's promise to participate in that. It is something you and I are commissioned for and we ought to regularly evaluate our, what our prayers look like. What our finances look like and what our time looks like with respect to whether we are taking seriously that commission, which God has given to us. And so in reminding us of that very fact, one of the things he'll often say from the pulpit is he'll ask out to the congregation, he'll say, what is our middle name? And everybody will respond, missionary. And, and while it's a little bit trite, it reminds us that as part of like the essential ethos in DNA of who we are as Christians, and in fact in this particular year. One of the themes that the whole Christian Missionary Alliance nomination has been focusing on is all of Jesus for All the World takes all of us. I love that all of Jesus for all the world takes all of us. And so we have embedded in this parable here, so much of this intentionality of the gospel, of going out for all people, making this, this message and this mission available. Going out and speaking and preaching and witnessing and testifying of how great God is and what he has done in setting and preparing this gospel message for all people. But in verse five, we find out that even still with all of this, they paid no attention. They went off one to his farm and another to his business. In other words, the word here suggests this kind of contemptuous indifference rather than this active hatred that that actually comes a little bit later. But worldly affairs, a farm, some converse. All this displaces the invitation. And these are not wicked activities, of course, in themselves. Their wickedness consists in their displacement of what is the ultimate. And that I think is actually like very penetrating diagnosis of the human condition. The great enemy of the gospel, at least it seems to me, is not always, as you talk to people, like some kind of dramatic philosophical rejection, some well articulated hatred toward God. It's instead like a quiet absorption in the ordinary pursuits of life. It's like what I think Augustine called being curved inward upon oneself. The world is a great enchant. It be witches our souls, it distracts us. There are so many things that can pull us away from not only meditating on this gospel message, but coming alongside and appreciating. In participating in that great commission. There's so many things to distract us. It's, it's not as if we need a list. I think if I asked each one of you or you asked me, what are some things that you find distracting that pull you away from time and prayer time, studying God's word, time spent with my wife, time spent serving in my local church. I'm not gonna be hard pressed to find those things to say to you. So this idea that we have, whether it's the farm or this business pursuit here, I suppose it could be representative to at least great earthly loves. You have the land, kind of a agrarian rooted life, and then there's trade mercantile and acquisitive life. I mean, maybe these just suggests that the rejection spans all of our social and economic classes, both within Israel at the time and for us today. And so we move both from like this kind of cold indifference, this we'll have other things to do. I'm, I'm just too busy. And, uh, how many times do we really convince ourselves that we can justify our busyness when we feel the pull of the spirit that there is a need? We feel the pull of the gospel message because there's the gospel pressure to ensure that we are speaking truth and love to those around us. That we ourselves are responding to this invitation with our wholeheartedness, our mind, soul, and spirit, everything that we are, and we convince ourselves. Well, I just, you know, I have a lot going on right now. God, there's just so much that I need to do.  [00:26:34] Indifference Turns Violent [00:26:34] Jesse Schwamb: Now we get to verse six and things shift a little bit. Verse six reads, while the rest sees the servants and treated them shamefully and killed them. Now, what's interesting to me is the indifference, kinda just that cold lackadaisical ness of verse five escalates somehow into violence. In verse six, some of them invited not only ignore the servants, but actively persecute them. And so here we have them, basically are being told they treated them outrageously, shamelessly, they killed them, and, and that's really the language of the entire prophetic tradition, the killing of the prophets. In fact, this Greek word here is ris. It's a word for arrogance. Honor, violating, assault, a sin against the honor of both the messenger and the one who sent him both. Like the one who is the emissary and the one who grants power or vouch saves authority to that emissary. And so to assault the king's servant is of course, to come against the king, and this is an act of high treason. It's against the sovereign God of the entire universe. I, I like here something that Calvin notes about this kind of inexcusable aggregation of aggravation of Israel's sin. He writes, they not only rejected the grace, which was offered to them, but added cruelty to their contempt. That's incredible. Right? That's exactly what we do. We reject God. It's, it's of course like not only just taking all the gifts he gives us and pretending as if they're under our own authority or. Have been the result of our own talents or abilities. But instead, when we do this, we add cruelty to all of our contempt. And the reformed doctrine, of course, of total depravity is not merely the claim that humans are bad. It's the claim that following humanity left to itself moves progressively from the indifference. That we saw in the previous verse, verse five, two, hostility toward the living God in his gospel messengers, which we see in verse six. In other words, unless God constrain us, loved ones, that is the natural end of man to move from this place where I do not care about God till I hate him, and then I hate all those who represent him, all those who speak on his behalf. [00:28:46] Judgment On The City [00:28:46] Jesse Schwamb: And so the king's response here, as you might imagine, is one of anger. He's angry. He sends his troops and he destroys the scriptures, say those are murderers, and he burns their city. I mean, the verse is almost certainly this kind of pro prophecy filled in its intent and its content. It's I think, probably a transparent reference to the destruction of Jerusalem by Roman armies in 80, 70. And Matthew, even if we say he's writing after that event, or in like a conservative dating with prophetic anticipation, presents Christ as foreseeing and pronouncing the divine judgment upon the city. And this King's anger, of course, is not just, it's not anger that's looking for reciprocity. It's not just anger that's saying, this has made me upset and I'm responding viscerally and emotionally. It's not petulant rage. It is holy and righteous wrath of the sovereign whose grace has been despised and whose servants have been murdered. The destruction is complete. The murderers are destroyed, the city is burned to the ground, and there are foreign tradition kind of following. A covenantal hermeneutic, I think reads 80, 70 as this terminus of the old Covenant administration in many ways, and the judgment upon Nashville Israel for his rejection, for her rejection, rather of the Messiah, you know? While all of that is true, I think what this presents for us is a reminder of how serious our God's Holiness is. And that again, every time we sin, every time that we come against God and someone would challenge his authority as it were, either directly or indirectly, we put ourselves in the place of those who reject the gospel message. And in so doing, we ought to fall on our knees and ask for the kind of repentance that is necessary because we ourselves are putting our place, we're extending among. The murderers, and in this case, the, the message that Jesus has for those is only anger and again, is a righteous kind of anger. So one might imagine as we read in like the previous parables, that Jesus could have just entirely ended there. It almost sounds like we've drawn to a close.  [00:31:04] Invitation Rejected [00:31:04] Jesse Schwamb: Listen, there's a king. He has a wedding banquet for his son. He sent out last invitations. Nobody came. He goes to confronts the guests and not only do they say we're not interested, some of them are like, yeah, we burned all the invitations. And then the people that you sent to remind us, we killed those people. And it'll be right for the king to say. That's it. Everybody's done here. I'm shutting the whole thing down. And honestly, that could have happened in the garden. That could happen at the cross. Instead, we find something totally different. The parable goes on.  [00:31:33] Feast Still Happens [00:31:33] Jesse Schwamb: In fact, verse eight reads, then he said to his servants, the wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Notice loved ones that the feast does not get canceled. I mean, Christmas doesn't get canceled. It's just redirected. The king's purposes will not, cannot be frustrated, and this is a critical sociological and eschatological claim to me, at least. What we're seeing here is the refusal of the invited guests does not leave the wedding hall empty. Praise the Lord. It occasions the wider extension of the invitation.  [00:32:07] Gospel Offer Explained [00:32:07] Jesse Schwamb: And this idea of not worthy does not introduce a prior standard of merit by which the guests were found deficient. But instead, as you know, their unworthiness consists in their refusal To refuse the gospel is to demonstrate one's unworthiness of it. And so worthiness in this context is not some kinda like moral achievement, but it's a covenantal responsiveness. It's the openness of the creature to receive what the king graciously provides. It's why when we stand before God in the kind of judgment that we rightfully deserve, and he says something to the extent of, why should I let you into my heaven? Why should I let you enjoy eternal life with me? We should rightly say, because you promised. And because by the power of your Holy Spirit, through the faith you have given and instilled in me by this imputed righteousness, I can trust you at your promise. And so I think this verse is like so critical for understanding the well meant offer of the gospel. Again, we should together affirm that the gospel is offered to all without distinction, and that those who do not come are inexcusable. God does not will. The damnation of those who reject the gospel as a bare first intention, their damnation follows from their own culpable refusal.  [00:33:31] Mission To All Roads [00:33:31] Jesse Schwamb: And so the king says, listen guys, go out everywhere. Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding piece. As many as you find. I don't know how you're envisioning. If you were listening to this story and you were like setting the actual scene, but I don't know, to me, I just find them, the, the servants or the slaves that they look at it one another and they're just like s go time and they just turn around and start going everywhere to all the places, uh, to anyone who will listen to all the like, stops that there were on the byways. All the highways, all the roads. They're just going through all the places. Wherever the road takes 'em, that's where they're going. And all along the way they're spreading this mission, this invitation, and the mission now. Is universal in scope. The main roads, literally the, the exits, the outlets of all these places. The thoroughfares, where the roads branch out of the city and the highways diverge in the countryside. This is representing, of course, like the ends of the earth, the places where any and all may be found. And the command here to as many as you find to go to those is of course, like a command of universal scope. It's for you and me, loved ones there. There's no prior qualification, rich or poor, Jewish, gentile, moral or immoral. This is the missio day, breaking through all ethnic and social boundaries, and in this loving way, in this pastoral way, it underpins the free and indiscriminate offer of the gospel. Again, like going back to the Westminster Confession and the shorter catechism, affirming this covenant of grace that is administered by the preaching of the word. And no matter where you work, like reform theology from like William Cur, David Bernard, like to the modern missionary movement, we're drawing from this mandate of precisely this kind of universal commission. You know, it's like Spurgeon, I think once said something effect of like, Christ has done more than give a general invitation. He has given an urgent, pressing, commanding invitation to all something like that. And I always remember that because when I think about what it means to step into this role of fulfilling the great commission of understanding what Jesus is saying here, it's not just as if we're saying, listen, the world is in a dire place. This is an emergency situation. And so for all of us in our sphere of influence. To bring forward this message of the indiscriminate offer of the gospel is to take God at his word and then to deliver that word to all of those, all the highways, all the byways, all the outplace, every tribe, Tong, nation. What a glorious thing that our God has given us and put us on mission in this way so that no matter who we meet, we know we might say Jesus loves you, that Jesus has died for you. This is, I think, one of the things that those who maybe are new to the reformed tradition and the theological perspective. Find a little bit interesting to parse out, or maybe sometimes if you've had conversations like I have people think that we're parsing the words too much, but there's something to be said for the death of Jesus being sufficient for all and efficacious for the elect, that we're not simply splitting words. There we're describing very discreetly, very cogently, very crisply. This indiscriminate gospel message while at the same time recognizing that it's God's sovereign choice and will to draw those whom he will to himself. And so in verse 10.  [00:36:54] Good And Bad Gathered [00:36:54] Jesse Schwamb: These servants go out to the roads and they gather all whom they found both good and bad. And so the wedding hall, guess what was filled with guests, because this is God's sovereign prerogative because he can do all these things because even those who have denied him does not remove him from power. That he does all the verbs and so the servants obey and the results are comprehensive. They gather in all of these, and Matthew's quick to say both the good and the bad, and I think like the good and the bad pairing is significant. I don't think this is necessarily meaning that there's the morally virtuous and the morally depraved, though that probably is included somewhere. But I think this, this more, this reflection that, once again, it's all kinds of people. For God's to love the world that whomsoever, all of those who believe in him should not perish, but have eternal life. The wedding hall is filled, it was filled, and it's filled by God's sovereign action through human instrumentality.  [00:37:53] Visible And Invisible Church [00:37:53] Jesse Schwamb: And there is, like I'd say, if you're tracking with this, you should notice that there is a, a kinda a tension here. It sits between verses 10 and 11, and it's going to resolve the banquet hall is full. But you'll notice that it's not all within, well, not everybody who's within it are truly saved. And we'll get to why that isn't just a second. But the filling of the hall through the universal gospel summons does produce a mixed company. We've already talked about the parable of the terrors in the wheat before, so this, this should be news if you've been listening to us for a little while, but it's precisely the condition of the visible church in this age. Again, I just think it's fantastic that when we go to the scriptures, one of the reasons we know it's true is because God tells us the truth about the way things are. And we know that this is the way that the church is today. We would call this the visible versus the invisible church. And of course there's a distinguishing between the visible church, which consists of all those throughout the world that profess the true religion from the invisible church, which is the totality of the elect, those who God has actually called to himself. So the hole is full. But not all in the hall are clothed. And this is fascinating how Jesus brings in this idea of dressing of not, I mean, not what you put on your salad, a smorgasbord, but like what you're actually wearing.  [00:39:07] Wedding Garment Meaning [00:39:07] Jesse Schwamb: So in verse 11, but the king came in to look at the guests and he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. So notice that the parable scene here kind of shifts dramatically all of a sudden because the king arrives suddenly. He's present. He was speaking, he was giving instructions, he was preparing, he was a character, kind of chilling in the background. But now there's this eschatological moment the king's coming to inspect. The guests corresponds to this final judgment, and what he finds is there's a man without a wedding garment. He's at the center, I think of this parables, theological climax. So what, what is this wedding garment? I would put it to you like, as you're thinking through this and maybe interpreting listening for yourself, what do you think the wedding garment is? And I would say like what most reformed interpreters have been unified on is that this really represents that imputed righteousness, the the righteousness of Christ that's credited to the believer and received by faith alone. And so by a wedding garment, I would understand this to mean the purity and the holiness of that transforms and regenerated life, which is required of all those who are brought inside the true and invisible church. And though he immediately qualifies this as like righteousness, that is inseparable from justification. It is not earned, but it is received. In fact, I think, uh, I have my Logos Bible software up as I'm talking to you, and I see that Matthew Henry comments on this by saying, the righteousness of Christ is the robe of righteousness, the garment of salvation in which true believers are closed. I mean. That's a great turn of phrase, brothers and sisters. I love this idea of what the scriptures tell us elsewhere of putting on these garments of praise or worship, the garments of Christ, of being exchanged out as it were, for what is dirty and unsuitable for something that suits the occasion that is given to you to wear by faith alone. And of course, this wedding garment is not a work that the guest has produced, but it's a garment provided, uh, presumably like the king's servants actually supplied it. Uh, I, I think that's like a detail implied by the ancient custom and the severity of the guest condemnation for lacking it. It's almost as if the king is saying. Uh, like you were, should have been provided. Why did you not put this on? Why did by faith you not accept this? And this underscores the so gratia and so fide. The righteousness by which we stand before God on the last day is not our own, but Christ, it's received through faith. And the man without the garment represents those who presume to stand before God on the basis of their own righteousness. Whether that's religious profession. Moral achievement, charitable giving, mere church membership rather. And instead of. That alien and beautiful righteousness of Christ. So the fact that this man is inside the hall, you know, he's come in through the general call confirms that the parable addresses not only those outside the church, but those within it who lack genuine saving faith. It's almost, to me, kind of like an intra ecclesial warning. It's, it's not merely a missional observation. I think that is for all of us. It's why Paul elsewhere says. Check test, confirm to see whether you yourselves are in this faith because it is by faith that we put on these wedding garments which are appropriate and suitable for this great eschatological Messianic wedding feast with the lamb. [00:42:48] Speechless Before Judgment [00:42:48] Jesse Schwamb: So in verse 12, the king says to him, friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment? And notice the man's response. I, I almost find this kind of funny because he just says, and he was speechless. Like there was, there was nothing for him, uh, to, to say it all. And of course, like this question that's posed here, this, how did you get in here without the winning government? It's not a real question, right? It's not a question of genuine puzzlement. It's the same way in which when we find God walking in the cool of the day, in the garden after the sin of Adam and E, where he says, Adam, where are you? It's not a genuine question of a quizzical nature. It's instead, this rhetorical structure is God questions through judgments. And when he says to Cain, where is Abel your brother, where is Abel, your brother? He's exposing and he's condemning. He's not merely inquiring. And so this man in response, sensing this condemnation, discerning this condemnation, this judgment that's been brought against him, I think this is why the Greek says he was muzzled. He was silenced, his mouth was shut up. He had no answer. Uh, it's not because the question was unfair. But because there was just no legitimate words that he could bring there, there was no argumentation. In other words, there's no poll mic. There was no great debate that he could have. In this moment. Every mouth will be stopped before God. I mean, that's like Romans three. The silence of the ungodly before the Divine Tribunal is a consistent biblical theme, and we find it here. Again, this is the eschatological end to those who are condemned. No one loved ones is gonna stand before God on the last day and successfully argue their case on the ground of personal merit. I love William Perkins on this topic. He was apparently really moved. I learned by this verse and by what he saw in the silence as a profound warning against false assurance. So he actually wrote many a man in this world. Silence is his own conscience. With many fair excuse. Do you hear that? I, I love that turn of phrase. So we're talking about silence. It's about being silence, but I love how he says it's very easy to, to silence, not yourself, not like somebody coming against you with debate, but your own conscience. So he writes, again, many a man in this world will silence his own conscience with many a fair excuse. But in that day, there will be no excuse, no plea, no delay. So that time of plea is now, it's in this life. It's by faith and repentance, which is why there's an urgency to this gospel message. And so the king.  [00:45:17] Outer Darkness Warning [00:45:17] Jesse Schwamb: In hearing this and knowing that this man has no excuse for his outer attire, he says to him, listen to the servants. Bind him hand and foot, cast him into outer darkness. In that place, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. The sentence is severe. It's total. Of the command is given to the servants and attendance maybe in this parable and parabolic form, likely the angelic executors of divine judgment and it is binding. It renders the condemned utterly helpless. It's a picture of total divine control over the destiny of the ate. He has cast into this outer darkness, outside the light and warmth of the banquet hall entirely. And I think it's incumbent upon us to take a second and to grieve the repercussions of what is being said here. That the death and destruction of the ATE should make us grieve. It should compel us to go out into the highways, the byways, and to share this message. Unreservedly. One of the ways we know really the full anguish of what this entails is this phrase, weeping and gnashing of teeth, actually occurs seven times in Matthew, and it functions as this refrain, this chorus, this common language of this eschatological condemnation, it combines interestingly in this wordplay here, both the anguish of grief with the rage of frustrated pride. It's a portrait, not of this just like regret, but continuing imp penitent, hostility against God and eternal punishment. And I think if Tony were here, he would agree with me that we have consistently affirmed the doctrine of eternal conscience punishment. You know, the Westminster Confession says, the wicked who know not God and obey not the gospel of Jesus Christ shall be cast into eternal torments. In other words, this outer darkness is not annihilation. The weeping and the gnashing continues. It implies an ongoing conscious existence. It's the image of a binding stands against the notion of this kind of postmortem repentance or universalism. The severity of that verse, I think, really must be allowed to stand in its canonical context without mitigation. The, the severity of this judgment ought to fill us with fear, not theological domestication. We, we shouldn't set this aside and be saying, well, this implies that there is nothing after that time. No, there continues to be only time with God in his presence, in eternal, consummate joy and harmony and peacefulness and celebration. Or there is literally. A weeping and a gnashing of teeth, an unresolved rage and anger where that is punished by God because he's absent where there's unmitigated pain and suffering because it is absent the presence and the mediation of God himself, who even now in this world, holds us back so that while we are sinful and we are not as bad as we could or ought to be because of his great kindness, all of us, even those. Who are not believers.  [00:48:37] Called Yet Chosen [00:48:37] Jesse Schwamb: And so because of that, it ends with these very famous in stock words in in verse 14, for many are called, but few are chosen. And that concluding aphorism is, I think, the theological linchpin of this entire thing. The contrast between this idea of called and chosen, you know, this is the vocabulary that is deliberately covenantal and elective, and we shouldn't shy away from that. Of course, it's referring to this external call, the universal proclamation of the gospel to all the hearers. The call is genuine, it's earnest, it's gentile, it's sufficient as an offer. It is the call that goes to all the highways, all who hear the gospel are truly called to repentance and faith. And for me, in my own journey of understanding what this means as God has allowed me to, that has been critical. This idea that this universal call means that it is sufficient as a call to repentance and faith for all those who hear it. And then it does become the responsibility of all those who hear it to respond to it. And so this idea then of this pairing then with the chosen and the elect is referring of course to those whom God has chosen from before the foundation of the world. The elect are those who not only receive the external call, but are effectually drawn by the eternal efficacious call of the Holy Spirit. We can look to Romans eight 30, those whom he predestined, he also called, and those whom he called, he also justified. And I say, because this is a Reformed Theological podcast, and this is what you came here for, I presume, brothers and sisters. Then it behooves us to at least mention again that the reformed tradition has classically distinguished between that external or general call, the sincere well meant proclamation of the gospel to all without distinction, inviting everybody to faith and repentance. That call is genuine on God's part and God's doing the verbs in that as well. And then again, we, we set that over in next two, the internal, what we call like effectual efficacious call. It's sovereign. It's irresistible work of the Holy Spirit by which the elect regenerated, have their will renewed and are infallibly brought to saving faith. All those whom God has predestined unto life and those only he's pleased in his appointed and accepted time to affectionately call by His word and his spirit out of the state of sin and death to grace and salvation by Jesus Christ. I was thinking recently of this idea of the narrow path and somewhere between like the scriptures there and pilgrim's progress, and paths and journeys. I had this image in my mind of the road on which we walk. And in this life, the natural man on that road encounters all these like intractable boulders, these things that cannot be traversed. These just great mountainous pieces of rock, which block the path. And so prevent us from at least accomplishing the thing that we would like. Like to live forever, to have peace with God, to be at peace with ourselves, to love our brothers and our sisters as much as we love ourselves to honor something that is greater than us. And those boulders are things like sin, death in the devil, which constantly invade us, which constantly thwart us, which constantly block us. And in Christ, what he has accomplished in salvation is not just, I think to remove those boulders, though that would've been good enough of course to just get them outta the way. Instead, it's as if he's taken them and he's crushed them, and now to the softest sand between our toes and we walk over them in victory by the power of his name through the Holy Spirit into eternal life. Into that grand wedding feast spoil, which we have been invited because he has done this because he loves us. And so verse 14 places these two realities side by side without resolving the tension. Philosophically, this is one of the great mysteries of theology. Uh, reformed theology does not collapse the distinction by limiting the external call to the elect alone as like maybe kind of a hyper Calvinist model, but it doesn't make the internal call dependent on a human decision. As like Armenian theology would instead, you know, the tension is, is biblical. This is here for us. It's here for us, because I believe that God wishes for us to submit our knowledge and our reasoning to him knowing that he is far and above us. And because this tension is biblical, it has to be maintained. The invitation is genuinely universal. The effectual drawing is sovereignly particular. How great is our God loved ones? There is no one like him. And so there's so much in this that I think we could spend all of the rest of our life thinking about, and that would be a noble, I was just thinking today that, um, you know, unless the Lord Terrys like, maybe this will be the last series me and Tony ever do, because there's so much that's rich and deep in these parables and there's so many of them, and the teaching of Christ is, is so complete of course, for us because it gives us everything that we need for life and salvation and godliness that. We find that the more that we look into them, the more that we ask the Holy Spirit to bathe us in a realization that comes from the spirit of God, the more that we will find. They challenge us. They encourage us. They equip us. So I'm thinking and praying for you all as I hope that you are for Tony and I as we continue to wrestle with these things as we continue to talk them out, because I'm asking God that he would equip us as we look at the teaching of his son in these parables with a firm understanding of the truth and equip us with his promises and with his encouragement so that. As he grows us in our faith, our faith for us would be like a thousand eyes and a thousand wings that we would find ourselves moving from glory to glory. Because we see in these parables the great work of God for us. What he has accomplished through his son and how he continues to be for us and the son who is given for us is with us. That we have his Holy Spirit within us and who discerns the mind of God, accept the spirits of God. So love us. Let's continue to get after what's being said in these parables here because there's so much for us here.  [00:55:14] Living The Commission [00:55:14] Jesse Schwamb: And might I add, just to tack onto the end, there's also so much for the world. I know that we're quick to say, or like colloquially Christians have said in the past like, Jesus is the answer, but you I think cannot necessarily fault the world for sometimes asking, well, what is the question? And unless we go forward with this proper understanding that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. That all are in need of this savior and that this gospel message is for, in fact, for all people without reservation. Full stop. I guess I ask for you and I and Tony who's editing this episode, are we going out into the highways and byways? What is the proof of the pudding in the eating look like when we examine our lives, but with specifically our finances and our time and our prayer closet and our service? Aren't we in fact concerned with the great commission that is reflected here? Are we concerned with the emergence and urgent need of this gospel message, which is for all people because God so loved the world that he gave his only forgotten son. That whosoever shall believe in him will not per but have everlasting life.  [00:56:27] Community And Support [00:56:27] Jesse Schwamb: So come hang out with us. Come talk about this parable. You know where to go. But I'm gonna tell you anyway because that's what we do. If you go to your browser, type in T Me Back slash Reform Brotherhood, t Me Back slash Reform Brotherhood, that link will take you to an app called Telegram. Telegram is just a messaging app. It's like, I dunno, iMessages for Apple or whatever you Android people are using these days. And there's just a little community that we've sectioned off there. And it's a community of listeners to the Reform Brotherhood who are talking about all kinds of things. You, you wanna be in that group? It is. It is a great group. Don't, don't reject the invitation. Don't reject it. Just, just come. I know you're thinking, listen, I got land. I got commerce I gotta deal with. That's fine. Come, come and join us. So go to t.me/reform brotherhood. One last thing. I would be remiss if I didn't thank all of those who make sure that this podcast still goes out to all the highways and the byways of the internet. That there is no Jericho paywall around it because it does cost money to put out there all the subscriptions, all the distribution. It's surprising, but there are. Intense fees with a lot of that stuff, and so I wanna say thank you, thank you, thank you to those who have listened and said, you know what? I would like to make sure. That this continues to go on. I've been blessed just by the conversation. God has done something here because again, he does all the verbs. Tony and I do zero verbs, and so because of that, they've gone to patreon.com Reform Brotherhood, and they've just decided to give a little bit of the kindness of their heart and generosity to the Lord. So if you're thinking, you know what? I've been listening for a while, and I do appreciate that this just magically, as it were, pops up in my feed and I continue to listen to it. Would you please consider helping us? Uh, Tony and I and so many other listeners who give a little bit just to make sure that together we can keep this thing going strong. And again, you can just go to patreon.com/reform brotherhood. There's also a website, uh, reform brother.com and all kinds of other fun stuff. But I will leave that to you. I, I didn't even bring it up. See, I'm just so glad that you mentioned it yourself 'cause it would've been awkward otherwise.  [00:58:31] Final Blessing [00:58:31] Jesse Schwamb: So loved ones. There are still so many more parables to go. They're all so good. So I hope that you all come back and join us next time as we continue to move through these parables. But until then, there's something that you should definitely do honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. 

Episode Synopsis:Season Five of the Blessed Hope Podcast is underway.  I know that for many of you, the Book of Romans is your favorite letter in all the New Testament.  When we wrapped up our time in 2 Corinthians a couple of months ago, the clock started on launching Season Five.  I love Romans, I've preached through it twice using the lectio continua style of exposition, and I have lectured on parts of Romans on a number of other occasions.  So I am very excited about season five, and I've worked very hard to get this verse by verse deep dive Bible study ready to go.There can be little doubt that Paul's letter to the church in Rome is one of the most important letters ever written.  As we will discuss in this episode, the Epistle to the Romans has had a tremendous impact upon the course and history of Western Civilization, as well as a huge impact upon the people of God ever since it was written.  For reasons we will address momentarily, the Book of Romans has a clarity and power about it which brings Reformation and renewal to Christ's church whenever it is proclaimed from the pulpit and studied by the people of God. We open Season Five with two episodes devoted to the importance and historical background of the epistle.  In this first episode we'll take a look at the ways in which this letter has impacted the world in which we live, and we'll consider some of the key figures in church history and their testimonies about the influence which Romans has had upon them and their ministries.  The influence of Paul's letter to the church in Rome is truly remarkable.That done, we'll briefly look at some of the main themes of the letter.  What ground does Paul seek to cover in this letter to a church in the very capital of a pagan empire?  Why did the renewed interest in Romans some 500 years ago generate many of the controversies which led to the Protestant Reformation and the split from the Roman Catholic church?  Why does Romans still generate controversies, such as those associated with the New Perspective on Paul?  What about those doctrines long associated with confessional Reformed theology?  Can we find them in Romans?  So, in addition to the themes laid out by Paul in this letter, I'll identify some of the main controversies we will address when we get into the meat of the letter.  I'll also explain my operating assumptions as we open a new season–why am I approaching this letter from an exegetical, theological, historical, and confessional perspective?For show notes and other recommended materials located at the Riddleblog as mentioned during the Blessed Hope Podcast, click here:  https://www.kimriddlebarger.com/

Are you building with conviction and clarity or are you running on pride, impatience, and ego?   In this episode, we break down one of the most important distinctions in business and leadership: the difference between a Reformer and a Rebel. The side you're operating from will determine whether you build something lasting or blow it up.   3 Key Takeaways Meekness is not weakness. Reformers are submitted, coachable, and spirit-led. Rebels resist correction the moment it challenges their ego. Your fuel source is revealed under pressure, not in the highlight reel. Check what's actually driving your conviction and calling, or pride and proving people wrong. If you can't be examined, you can't be trusted with what you're trying to build. Reformers invite scrutiny. Rebels deflect it. Make sure your notepad is ready. This one hits differently. Keep taking action, pursuing personal excellence, and impacting lives!   In This Episode, We Discuss: The Reformer vs. The Rebel Two types of leaders. Two very different outcomes. Nehemiah was called to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem; he faced opposition, ridicule, and threats, and never reacted in anger. He kept building. King Saul was given a kingdom and lost it through pride, impatience, and self-will. Same pressure. Completely different response. Which one are you? The Reformer: Meek, spirit-led, purposeful, and submitted. The Rebel: Arrogant, self-willed, flesh-driven, prideful, stubborn, and impatient. Reformation is not about tearing down it's about restoration, repentance, renewal, and alignment. In business, it means aligning your work with your calling, your values, and a vision bigger than yourself.   5 Keys To Becoming a Reformer In Business Key #1  Know Your Sphere (Don't Fight Outside Your Lane) Nehemiah didn't try to reform everything he was called to one wall, one city. Rebels scatter their energy fighting battles they were never assigned to. When you work on your actual assignment, you become unstoppable.   Key #2  Meekness Is Not Weakness (Submit Before You Lead) Meekness is strength under control. Reformers are submitted to God, to mentors, to a process. Rebels are coachable until the coach challenges their ego. In business, are you building under authority or building around it?   Key #3  Check Your Fuel Source (What's Driving You?) Both reformers and rebels work hard. The difference is why. Rebel fuel is anger at the system, pride in proving people wrong, and impatience with the pace. Reformer fuel is conviction, calling, and the people they're serving.   Key #4  Patience Is a Strategy (The Long Game Wins) King Saul couldn't wait; he moved before he was supposed to and it cost him everything. Nehemiah faced 52 days of opposition and ridicule. He didn't quit. He didn't retaliate. He built. Rebels mistake urgency for anointing. Just because you feel it strongly doesn't mean it's time.   Key #5  Reformers Invite Scrutiny, Rebels Deflect It Nehemiah was transparent to the king, to the people, to God. Rebels hide from accountability, feedback, and the full picture. Do you have real financial accountability? A coach, a mastermind, a mentor who sees your actual numbers and decisions?   Follow Us: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrisandericmartinez/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Dynamicduotraining Website: https://www.liveadynamiclifestyle.com/     Attention Nutrition & Fitness Coaches: "Join our Free Dynamic Fit Pros Community Skool Group Where we help you Discover, Develop, & Deploy your skills, gifts, and greatness to help others."  See HERE   Attention Nutrition & Fitness Coaches: "Enrollment is Open for our Accelerator Mentorship to build a 6-Figure Online Fitness Coaching Business"  See HERE     See the full Show Notes to this episode here: https://www.liveadynamiclifestyle.com/podcast/the-reformer-vs-the-rebel-the-nehemiah-standard-for-business/  

Abraham is Paul's test case. Was he justified by works? No. Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness. Paul makes sure you notice the timeline: the faith came before circumcision, not after. Circumcision was a seal of a righteousness Abraham already had by faith. That matters because it means the promise belongs to everyone who shares Abraham's faith, Jew and Gentile alike. God justifies the ungodly.   The Rev. Joshua Heimbuck, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Ashland, OR, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Romans 4:1–25.  To learn more about Grace Lutheran, visit gracelutheranashland.org. Why does doing the right thing sometimes feel impossible? Why do feelings of guilt follow us even when we've been forgiven? These aren't new questions. St. Paul wrote his letter to the Romans for a church he had never visited, and yet he addressed the struggles every Christian knows firsthand: the weight of the law, the persistence of sin, the sufficiency of what God has done in Christ. Romans covers enormous ground. Paul moves from the universal problem of sin through justification by faith, the role of baptism, the war between flesh and spirit, God's faithfulness to Israel, and the shape of life together in the body of Christ. There's a reason the Reformation was born in this letter. Join us on Thy Strong Word as we open up Romans, weekdays at 11am or on-demand anytime, at KFUO.org.  Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God's Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: thystrongword@kfuo.org.

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 Ministries' vision is to inspire and invigorate Christians with imaginative and intellectual content.Saybrook Ministries' mission is to provide didactic and devotional content from the Christian faith delivered to the saints; recovered and refined by the Protestant Reformation.Saybrook Ministries' prayer is that our 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.Saybrook Ministries' four foundational scriptures are: The words of the LORD are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times (Psalm 12:6). The people who know their God shall stand firm and take action. And the wise among the people shall make many understand (Daniel 11:32b-33a). And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD have not forsaken those who seek you (Psalm 9:10). Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth (Hosea 6:3).

Every human being wants a framework for a good life, often reducing faith to simply being a moral person, holding the right beliefs, or belonging to a community. But when our willpower fails or our doubts creep in, these superficial definitions leave us exhausted. The gospel subverts our striving by inviting us into a deeply personal union with Christ, where our old, corrupted self is crucified so that the living God can take up residence within us. In this sermon, we explore Galatians 2:20 and what it means for Christianity to be personal.

Welcome to our final episode in our Reformation Symphony series, of course with the grand movement IV. Be sure to like and share with a friend! Music: https://imslp.org/wiki/Symphony_No.5%2C_Op.107_(Mendelssohn%2C_Felix) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/legalcode

Protestants affirm that we're justified by faith alone. But where does our faith come from? Do we muster it up, or does God give it to us? Today, R.C. Sproul shows that these questions go back much earlier than the Reformation. Get an exclusive Renewing Your Mind journal and R.C. Sproul's video teaching series God Alone with your donation. You'll receive the DVD, digital access to all 10 messages, and the digital study guide: https://gift.renewingyourmind.org/   Live outside the U.S. and Canada? Receive the digital teaching series and study guide with your donation: https://www.renewingyourmind.org/global   Meet Today's Teacher:   R.C. Sproul (1939–2017) was founder of Ligonier Ministries, first minister of preaching and teaching at Saint Andrew's Chapel, first president of Reformation Bible College, and executive editor of Tabletalk magazine. Renewing Your Mind is a donor-supported outreach of Ligonier Ministries. Explore all of our podcasts: https://www.ligonier.org/podcasts

Weekend Edition for May 23-24, 2026 Show Notes: Germany / Switzerland - Study Tour  Support 1517 Podcast Network 1517 Podcasts 1517 on YouTube 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts 1517 Events Schedule 1517 Academy - Free Theological Education What's New from 1517: By Water and the Word by Brian Thomas: https://shop.1517.org/products/9781967920013-by-water-and-the-word?srsltid=AfmBOopBUXbtbkYK0o6UHbWQm8_6UA7hG6B4RXYSeMxos6wbtbxX3Hnk Being Family by Dr. Scott Keith https://shop.1517.org/products/9781964419961-being-family?srsltid=AfmBOooZqqK-X8KqD64jZn1qUUrqiRwO-l3S4Z_WtIcfayMLAlTyHgoN A Reasoned Defense of the Faith by Adam Francisco https://shop.1517.org/collections/coming-soon/products/9781964419879-a-reasoned-defense-of-the-faith Stretched: A Study for Lent and the Entire Christian Life by Dr. Christopher Richmann https://shop.1517.org/products/9781964419381-stretched The Essential Nestingen: Essays on Preaching, Catechism, and the Reformation https://shop.1517.org/products/9781964419121-the-essential-nestingen More from the hosts: Dan van Voorhis SHOW TRANSCRIPTS are available: https://www.1517.org/podcasts/the-christian-history-almanac CONTACT: CHA@1517.org SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts Spotify Stitcher Overcast Google Play FOLLOW US: Facebook Twitter Audio production by Christopher Gillespie (outerrimterritories.com).

The One where Dave is grumpy and Dc does Batman Year One and One and One! Please support the show on Patreon! Every dollar helps the show! https://www.patreon.com/SignalofDoom Follow us on Twitter: @signalofdoom Dredd or Dead: @OrDredd Legion Outpost: @legionoutpost

The Mosaic Word. In this episode, we sit with Michael Heiser's book, The Unseen Realm, on reading the Bible. What are the rules of engagement when one reads Scripture? What filters do we apply to the biblical texts, and are they helpful or do they blind us? What, then, are the obstacles that prevent us from enjoying the biblical narratives? What do we assume about the Bible that is true, and what is not? Have moderns been desensitized to the vitality and theological importance of the unseen world? Does modern Christianity suffer from two serious shortcomings when it comes to the supernatural world? Do we assume that a lot of things in the Bible are too odd or peripheral to matter? What if the weird parts of the Bible are the most important? SHOW NOTES:  Dr. Michael S. Heiser - The Unseen Realm https://amzn.to/4uuHVw4  Bio: https://drmsh.com Banned Books Wiki: https://bannedbooks1517.org   More from 1517: Support 1517 Podcast Network: https://www.1517.org/donate-podcasts 1517 Podcasts: http://www.1517.org/podcasts 1517 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@1517org 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/channel/1517-podcast-network/id6442751370 1517 Events Schedule: https://www.1517.org/events 1517 Academy - Free Theological Education: https://academy.1517.org/   What's New from 1517: 1517 Youtube: How God Still Speaks Today https://youtu.be/oqTGOUe7YG0?si=ZAdFLVhZYmSNgzsp  Being Family by Dr. Scott Keith https://shop.1517.org/products/9781964419961-being-family  A Reasoned Defense of the Faith by Adam Francisco https://shop.1517.org/collections/coming-soon/products/9781964419879-a-reasoned-defense-of-the-faith Stretched: A Study for Lent and the Entire Christian Life by Dr. Christopher Richmann https://shop.1517.org/products/9781964419381-stretched  The Essential Nestingen: Essays on Preaching, Catechism, and the Reformation https://shop.1517.org/products/9781964419121-the-essential-nestingen  Philip Melanchthon's Commentary on Ecclesiastes, Translated by Dr. Derek Cooper https://shop.1517.org/products/9781964419299-philip-melanchthons-commentary-on-ecclesiastes    More from the hosts: Donovan Riley https://www.1517.org/contributors/donavon-riley  Christopher Gillespie https://www.1517.org/contributors/christopher-gillespie   CONTACT and FOLLOW: Email mailto:BannedBooks@1517.org  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BannedBooksPod/  Twitter https://twitter.com/bannedbooks1517   SUBSCRIBE: YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@BannedBooks Rumble https://rumble.com/c/c-1223313  Odysee https://odysee.com/@bannedbooks:5 Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/banned-books/id1370993639  Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/2ahA20sZMpBxg9vgiRVQba  Overcast https://overcast.fm/itunes1370993639/banned-books    MORE LINKS: Tin Foil Haloes https://t.me/bannedpastors St John's Lutheran Church (Webster, MN) - FB Live Bible Study Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/356667039608511  Donavon's Substack https://donavonlriley.substack.com Gillespie's Sermons and Catechesis https://outerrimterritories.com/recent-sermons Gillespie Coffee https://gillespie.coffee   Gillespie Media https://gillespie.media  

Paul has spent two and a half chapters proving that every mouth is stopped and the whole world is guilty before God. Then he writes two words: but now. The righteousness of God has been revealed apart from the law, through faith in Jesus Christ, for all who believe. There is no distinction. All have sinned. All are justified freely by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. This is the heart of Romans and the article on which the Church stands or falls.  The Rev. Matthew Kusch, pastor of King of Glory Lutheran Church in Elgin, IL, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Romans 3:21–31.  To learn more about King of Glory, visit kogelgin.org. Why does doing the right thing sometimes feel impossible? Why do feelings of guilt follow us even when we've been forgiven? These aren't new questions. St. Paul wrote his letter to the Romans for a church he had never visited, and yet he addressed the struggles every Christian knows firsthand: the weight of the law, the persistence of sin, the sufficiency of what God has done in Christ. Romans covers enormous ground. Paul moves from the universal problem of sin through justification by faith, the role of baptism, the war between flesh and spirit, God's faithfulness to Israel, and the shape of life together in the body of Christ. There's a reason the Reformation was born in this letter. Join us on Thy Strong Word as we open up Romans, weekdays at 11am or on-demand anytime, at KFUO.org.  Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God's Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: thystrongword@kfuo.org.

What if the medieval world did not end with a bang, but with a messy argument over who gets to define history itself? Professor Suzannah Lipscomb spars with Gone Medieval's host Matt Lewis over Gutenberg, the Reformation, witchcraft, plague, the Renaissance, and the Wars of the Roses to ask where medieval ends and early modern begins. The result is a lively, surprising fight over power, change, and the making of the modern world.More:Mother of All Tudors: Margaret BeaufortListen on AppleListen on SpotifyHenry VIIListen on AppleListen on SpotifyPresented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Max Wintle, audio editor is Amy Haddow and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcastSign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thomas Cromwell might have pulled off the most meteoric social climb of the 16th century. From the rough shores of Putney to the illustrious court of Henry VIII, his journey to power reveals so much about the opportunities and dangers of the Tudor period.   In this final episode of our series on Henry VIII's ministers, Tracy Borman explores the real story of a man often seen as a villain. Joined by Chief Curator Eleri Lynn, she discusses the Reformation, Anne Boleyn, and Cromwell's all-important relationship with Henry VIII.  Turn on video on Spotify, or watch this episode on YouTube to see Tracy and Eleri in the amazing Tudor Great Hall at Hampton Court Palace. 

Paul is building a courtroom and nobody gets acquitted because no one has obeyed the law. The Jews have the law and break it. The Gentiles have conscience and ignore it. By works of the law no human being will be justified in God's sight, because the law's job is to show you what sin is. It does not fix it. Paul needs you to hear how total the diagnosis is before he gives you the cure in the next passage. The cure only makes sense when you know how sick you are. The Rev. Neil Wehmas, pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Ida Grove, IA, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Romans 3:1-20. To learn more about St. Paul Lutheran, visit stpaulig.org. Why does doing the right thing sometimes feel impossible? Why do feelings of guilt follow us even when we've been forgiven? These aren't new questions. St. Paul wrote his letter to the Romans for a church he had never visited, and yet he addressed the struggles every Christian knows firsthand: the weight of the law, the persistence of sin, the sufficiency of what God has done in Christ. Romans covers enormous ground. Paul moves from the universal problem of sin through justification by faith, the role of baptism, the war between flesh and spirit, God's faithfulness to Israel, and the shape of life together in the body of Christ. There's a reason the Reformation was born in this letter. Join us on Thy Strong Word as we open up Romans, weekdays at 11am or on-demand anytime, at KFUO.org.  Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God's Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: thystrongword@kfuo.org.

Today on the podcast, we welcome Dr. John Aloisi to talk about the Protestant Reformation. Learn more about DBTS at https://dbts.edu

“I walked in and started to cry.” What happens when an Orthodox Divine Liturgy feels more real than anything you've known?One visit to an Orthodox Divine Liturgy can expose a hunger you did not know you had. Hannah describes walking into the church, catching the smell of incense, hearing the choir, seeing the priest with the censer, and suddenly fighting tears. It is not just emotion for its own sake. Something feels ancient, steady, and real enough to set off a relentless chain of questions about the Eastern Orthodox Church, worship, and what it means to actually be formed by faith.Always reforming sounds noble until you ask: reform into what? We talk Reformation fatigue, denominational confusion, and why Orthodoxy feels like “home” for many.Jeremy Jeremiah and Mario Andrew talk with Hannah and Brian about what it feels like to walk into an Orthodox church for the first time and realize something deeper is happening than a new “style” of worship. We follow their move from Protestant assumptions to Orthodox practices that feel like home, and we ask what happens when the Church is meant to hold on to us.• Hannah's first Divine Liturgy experience, from incense to tears to nonstop questions• Curiosity turning into daily research, conversations, and a fast moving sense of conviction• Brian's slower pace, his prayer for truth, and the desire to avoid false teaching• First Holy Week and Pascha, including the beauty and the reality of the marathon• Intentional prayer, written prayers, veiling, icons, saints, and learning to die to self• Denominations, ongoing reform, and why Protestant apologetics can feel like mental gymnasticsWe talk through what happens after that first encounter: the research spiral, the awkward first-timer moments, and the different speeds two people can move at while still walking the same direction. Hannah dives in headfirst, hunting for the “why” behind icons, long services, and Holy Tradition. Brian shares a more cautious posture shaped by prayer, asking God to “lead me in all truth,” and naming the fear many seekers feel about being misled by bad information or falling into false doctrine.Holy Week and Pascha become a turning point, not because everything gets easier, but because the Church's rhythm starts to make sense. We explore the intentionality behind Orthodox practices like written prayers, a prayer rule, fasting, confession, reverence for icons, and learning to “die to self” so prayer becomes real instead of rushed. Along the way, we wrestle with Reformation after Reformation, denominational confusion, and why defending every disagreement can feel like mental gymnastics.If you're exploring converting from Protestant to Orthodox, or you're simply trying to understand why Orthodoxy emphasizes embodied worship, mystery, and continuity, this conversation gives you language for the pull you may already feel. Subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review to help more people find Cloud of Witnesses.Questions about Orthodoxy? Please check out our friends at Ghost of Byzantium Discord server: https://discord.gg/JDJDQw6tdhPlease prayerfully consider supporting Cloud of Witnesses: https://www.patreon.com/c/CloudofWitnessesFind Cloud of Witnesses on Instagram, X.com, Facebook, and TikTok.Audio: https://cloudofwitnessesradio.buzzsprout.comPlease leave a comment with your thoughts!

In this episode of The Podcast for Cultural Reformation, Dr. Joe Boot and Dr. Michael Thiessen think Christianly about Marxism — not as a political or economic theory, but as a religious worldview offering a counterfeit vision of salvation, history, and liberation. Joe traces Marx's roots in Hegel and Rousseau, unpacks dialectical materialism and conflict theory, and shows why Marxism is a fundamentally destructive project. Drawing on Marx's own writings and Saul Alinsky's Rules for Radicals, Joe and Michael expose how Marxism parodies the Christian story — borrowing categories like alienation, reformation, justice, and freedom while emptying them of objective content. The result is a messianic vision driven by envy and resentment, with ordinary people serving as the cannon fodder of an undefined utopia. Against this counterfeit, Joe sets the true paradigm of liberation: the Exodus. From Passover blood to Sinai law, the biblical story is recapitulated in Christ — the greater Moses, the greater Joshua, the true Passover Lamb — who delivers his people not into lawless utopia but into a kingdom of righteousness, holiness, and dominion. Marxism offers a savior who covets your stuff. Christianity proclaims the Good Shepherd who laid down his life for the sheep.

If you read Romans 1 and felt good about yourself because Paul was talking about other people's sins, chapter 2 is for you. You who pass judgment have no excuse, because you do the same things. Paul strips the moral high ground out from under the religious person who assumes the rules only apply to everyone else. God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance. It is not confirmation that you are better than your neighbor.  The Rev. Keith Lingsch, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Naples, FL, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Romans 2.  To learn more about Grace Lutheran, visit graceofnaples.com. Why does doing the right thing sometimes feel impossible? Why do feelings of guilt follow us even when we've been forgiven? These aren't new questions. St. Paul wrote his letter to the Romans for a church he had never visited, and yet he addressed the struggles every Christian knows firsthand: the weight of the law, the persistence of sin, the sufficiency of what God has done in Christ. Romans covers enormous ground. Paul moves from the universal problem of sin through justification by faith, the role of baptism, the war between flesh and spirit, God's faithfulness to Israel, and the shape of life together in the body of Christ. There's a reason the Reformation was born in this letter. Join us on Thy Strong Word as we open up Romans, weekdays at 11am or on-demand anytime, at KFUO.org.  Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God's Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: thystrongword@kfuo.org.

2435-26 - From Tel Megiddo, the Bearded Bible Brothers uncover Josiah's greatest mistake which lead to his own demise. How easy is it for Believers to rise up in pride and legalism today? Although God held back the coming of antichrist Nebuchadnezzar and the Neo-Babylonian Empire, will He restrain the coming of Babylon the Great and the Beast in our day? Joshua and Caleb give a final call for Israel and America to repent, as they stand before the Knesset in Jerusalem.

The complex and convoluted tale of Henry VIII's break with Rome continues as the myriad passions of the King run headlong into his own doubt, a sudden need for international travel, the issues caused by him consummating his relationship with Anne Boleyn and more.Meanwhile Westminster was being completely rebuilt, lepers were being cast out onto the streets, and murderous cooks are being boiled alive- welcome to London at the start of the Reformation!Cover features detail from ‘Portrait of Henry VIII', c 1520' by unknown artist.

More from Dr. George Grant https://georgegrant.net/ Adoring God Foundation https://adoringgod.org/

Three times Paul writes "God gave them up." The wrath of God is revealed against all ungodliness, and it looks like God stepping back and letting humanity have what it wanted. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped the creature instead of the Creator, and God gave them over to the consequences. Paul describes a world that looks uncomfortably like the one outside your window.  The Rev. John Shank, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Edwardsville, IL, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Romans 1:18–32.  To learn more about Trinity in Edwardsville, visit trinitylutheranministries.org. Why does doing the right thing sometimes feel impossible? Why do feelings of guilt follow us even when we've been forgiven? These aren't new questions. St. Paul wrote his letter to the Romans for a church he had never visited, and yet he addressed the struggles every Christian knows firsthand: the weight of the law, the persistence of sin, the sufficiency of what God has done in Christ. Romans covers enormous ground. Paul moves from the universal problem of sin through justification by faith, the role of baptism, the war between flesh and spirit, God's faithfulness to Israel, and the shape of life together in the body of Christ. There's a reason the Reformation was born in this letter. Join us on Thy Strong Word as we open up Romans, weekdays at 11am or on-demand anytime, at KFUO.org.  Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God's Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: thystrongword@kfuo.org.

If you know God's Voice, the Lord will use you for assignments when no one else knows what to do. Hearing God is not magic. It's not rigid. It's something that must be searched out to be truly found. Other people's methods will not work for you. There is something unique God wants to birth in you. There are different methods and ways the Lord wants to speak to you. Many times, He is teaching us how to look at things before speaking clearly or God is wanting reveal Himself to us more so we can take in what He is trying to say. Hearing God's Voice is meant to be personal and intimate. We cannot demand or manufacture an answer from God. His voice is both familiar and unique every time we hear Him speak.

Why does doing the right thing sometimes feel impossible? Why do feelings of guilt follow us even when we've been forgiven? These aren't new questions. St. Paul wrote his letter to the Romans for a church he had never visited, and yet he addressed the struggles every Christian knows firsthand: the weight of the law, the persistence of sin, the sufficiency of what God has done in Christ. Romans covers enormous ground. Paul moves from the universal problem of sin through justification by faith, the role of baptism, the war between flesh and spirit, God's faithfulness to Israel, and the shape of life together in the body of Christ. There's a reason the Reformation was born in this letter. Join us on Thy Strong Word as we open up Romans, weekdays at 11am or on-demand anytime, at KFUO.org.  Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God's Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: thystrongword@kfuo.org.

When Paul says "gospel," his Roman readers would have heard a political word. For them, "gospels" were the emperor's birth, his military victories, and his decrees. Paul takes that word and gives it back to God. The Gospel he preaches is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, Jew and Greek alike, and it reveals a righteousness that comes by faith. "The righteous shall live by faith," Paul writes, quoting Habakkuk. If you want to understand what the Reformation was about, this is where it starts. The Rev. William Cwirla, pastor emeritus and President Emeritus of Higher Things, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Romans 1:1-17. Why does doing the right thing sometimes feel impossible? Why do feelings of guilt follow us even when we've been forgiven? These aren't new questions. St. Paul wrote his letter to the Romans for a church he had never visited, and yet he addressed the struggles every Christian knows firsthand: the weight of the law, the persistence of sin, the sufficiency of what God has done in Christ. Romans covers enormous ground. Paul moves from the universal problem of sin through justification by faith, the role of baptism, the war between flesh and spirit, God's faithfulness to Israel, and the shape of life together in the body of Christ. There's a reason the Reformation was born in this letter. Join us on Thy Strong Word as we open up Romans, weekdays at 11am or on-demand anytime, at KFUO.org.  Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God's Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: thystrongword@kfuo.org.

In this week’s episode of the Podcast for Cultural Reformation, Pastor Nate Wright and Dr. Joe Boot respond to the fall of Sam Allberry and examine what it reveals about Side B Christianity, evangelical accommodation, and the church’s loss of confidence in biblical categories. Rather than focusing on scandal, they address the deeper theological issues: sexual identity, sinful desire, sanctification, marriage, singleness, and the gospel’s power to truly transform sinners in Christ.