Theology On The Go

How important are the first chapters of Genesis to our understanding of the whole of Scripture? What happens to our perspective if we isolate Genesis 1-3 from the rest of God’s Word? Richard Barcellos drops in. He’s written Getting the Garden Right: Adam’s Work and God’s Rest in Light of Christ. The book is a sharp analysis of both the covenant of works and the Sabbath.  Was Adam called to simply tend the Garden of Eden, or was there a greater goal given even before the fall? Richard paints the big picture, applying Scriptural proofs along the way. Show Notes Richard Barcellos New Covenant Theology (NCT) Romans 3:23 Genesis 1:28 2 Thessalonians 2:14 We are happy to be giving away copies of Getting the Garden Right by today’s guest. Sign up for the opportunity to win one. The copies are a generous gift from Founders Press.

Primary or Secondary Importance? Jonathan and James are enjoying a conversation about doctrines of primary and secondary importance. What are these doctrines, and how may we distinguish them? Can our clear understanding of certain doctrines help us determine their importance? Our hosts carefully consider the doctrines of first importance and make the case that doctrines of secondary importance can sometimes obscure those of the first, which can cause us to err.   Are you putting first things, first? Let’s find out together.

Music In Worship Jonathan and James are joined by Michael Card. Michael is a singer-song writer, author, and Bible teacher. He has recorded over 37 albums and has authored a number of books. Michael shares about being influenced by his former professor, the late William Lane. It was William’s passion for God’s Word that first led Michael to begin writing music. Michael’s Bible-centered view of music can be heard throughout his catalog of songs; it's easy to see that Michael considers himself foremost as a Bible teacher. What role does music play in Scriptures? Should Christian musicians be also trained as bible scholars? Listen in as Michael answers these questions and expresses his concern for the place music has taken in some churches. Show Notes Michael’s Biography William L. Lane We are pleased to give away some copies of Give Praise to God by Philip G. Ryken. Sign up for the opportunity to win a copy.  

The One Who Endures Can we claim the doctrine of perseverance is the distinct doctrine in the Reformed tradition? Jay Collier does. When thinking about the Reformed faith, we typically about think election and predestination. But in his recent book, Jay makes a strong case for the distinctiveness of the perseverance of the saints around and post Reformation time. How important is a proper reading of Augustine for getting this doctrine right? Jay's study uncovers competing readings of Augustine; a few men interpreted Augustine's writings as if he was making a distinction between God’s gift of conversion and God’s gift of perseverance. Listen to how historical theology - including the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints - had social and even political implications! Follow the link to sign up for an opportunity to win a free copy of What Is Perseverance of the Saints by Michael Milton. This book is a courtesy from our friends at P&R publishing Follow the link to sign up for an opportunity to win a fre

Today, Dr. Michael Allen is with us! He’s the professor of systematic theology at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, Florida. And he’s the author of Sanctification, part of the New Studies in Dogmatics series from Zondervan. His visit gives us the perfect sounding board to ask “Can our sanctification be simply the act of looking back and accepting our justification?”  Dr. Allen gives a Christ-centered view of sanctification; not only Christ's past, but present and future work in the lives of His people. In order to establish a biblical view on the topic, Michael offers three contexts: the Trinity, the covenant, and our double grace in Christ. What do these three have to do with our sanctification? Listen in as Dr. Allen distinguishes the biblical doctrine of sanctification from some popular contemporary doctrines. Show Notes Lev. 10:10 (ESV) Matthew 13:44-46 (ESV) Colossians 3:16 (ESV) Heidelberg Catechism Question 91 - Good Works Westminster Confession of Faith Chapter XVI - Good Works Augustine on Fa

Conrad Mbewe, pastor of Kabwata Baptist Church in Zambia is on the podcast today. He will also be with us at the Philadelphia Conference on Reformed Theology speaking on the topic of the Holy Spirit. Pastor Mbewe speaks today on the role of the Holy Spirit in evangelism. He gets right to the point by giving clear, simple, and yet powerful presentation of the Gospel. He anchors the work of the Spirit in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. Scripture shows the ministry of the Holy Spirit. It’s of regeneration, conviction, reconciliation, and all the fruit that is produced in the life of the believer. Pastor Mbewe is excited to share with all that hear the power of the Spirit. Particularly that work  that he’s witnessed in the life of many around him! Join in on this encouraging and joyful interview!   Get a FREE audio set out of PCRT on the work of the Spirit! Sign up and use the coupon code HS326 to download!     Show notes Check what the Lord is doing in Zambia - Pastor Conrad Mbewe’s blog Kabwata Bap

Today, Pastor Danny Hyde gives us an early glimpse of his messages at the upcoming Philadelphia Conference on Reformed Theology in April. The conference is on the Holy Spirit and Danny’s knowledge on the subject is primarily Scriptural but also very personal. He gives us a little bit of his background, including his conversion to Christ, his experience with Pentecostalism, and what led him to the Reformed Faith. You might have heard some say that Reformed Christians suppress the Spirit. Is this true? What do we believe about the third person of the Trinity and how do we relate to Him? Listen to what Pastor Danny, and John Owen, have to say! We’re giving away free audio messages to everyone who want it from the Philadelphia Conference on Reformed Theology The Promised Holy Spirit. Just use the coupon code HS312. And sign up today! Rev. Daniel Hyde is the pastor of Oceanside United Reformed Church in Southern CA. Pastor Danny, as he’s known, is a seminary professor, chief editor of the Alliance's Meet the Purit

Every pastor has encountered them.  Every member of the congregation has wondered after reading the title of the sermon and the accompanying text, "I wonder what he is going to say about this text?" Let's face it some texts are difficult and when a preacher preaches through a book, well, he has no choice but to face them head on - and members of the congregation have to hear them!  So, today Jonathan and James will visit with Liam Goligher on the topic of braving hard passages. What would you say about preaching through Song of Solomon? Should young pastors early in their ministry start teaching through difficult texts? Liam says, "Yes!", and he has some good reasons why! Jonathan and James found out that Liam does not shy away from preaching through difficult passages of Scripture. Liam is the senior pastor of Tenth Presbyterian Church and the voice of No Falling Word, a ministry of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. He’s also known for his teaching series on the Trinity. In fact, just for listening we

What is Eternal Generation? Dr. Fred Sanders, professor of theology in the Torrey Honors Institute at Biola University, CA, has written much about the topic. He recently co-edited Retrieving Eternal Generation, a set of essays focused on the Father-Son relationship and on the Son’s begottenness or "fromness", as Dr. Sanders puts it. Today, he meets with Jonathan and James to talk about the importance of Christ's eternal generation from the Father, in order to have a biblical doctrine of the Trinity. How do we get this doctrine from Scripture? Can we have a doctrine without having the exact words from the text? To answer these and other questions, Dr. Sanders gives us an overview of what is at the heart of the doctrine of the trinity and points us to the wealth of evidence found in Scripture. Listen to and be sharpened by this conversation! Just for listening we invite you to sign up for an opportunity to win a copy of Retrieving Eternal Generation edited by Fred Sanders.  Go to Reformedresources to sign up!

Last time our hosts discussed why one must study theology. Now Jonathan and James give practical tools to do just that in the form of book recommendations. These will encourage us to see the importance of the doctrine of God. They will also teach us something about contemplative theology and gazing at our Lord. James outlines the books he’s found most helpful throughout the years and why. He expands on the way the doctrine of God is addressed in each. And don’t fear, the books vary from entry-level to the scholastic, so you’re certain to find something. And as is said - from the Patristic era, to the Middle Ages, all the way to contemporary writers, there is a book for everyone. We invite you to listen, take note, and grow in grace and knowledge. Just for listening we invite you to sign up for an opportunity to win Arthur Pink's book The Attributes of God.  Go to Reformedresources to sign up!  

Theology on the Go starts the new year with an exciting announcement. Jonathan Master is pleased to introduce his new regular co-host Dr. James Dolezal. James is not only Jonathan’s friend but also a colleague at Cairn University where he teaches trinitarian theology, church history, and philosophy.   Sometimes, new beginnings call for a reflection on why we do the things we do, so James and Jonathan go back to basics and want to discuss why we should study theology. James uses Psalm 46 to help us think through how theology is a mixed discipline of theory and practice, and taking God at His word requires us to know who He is and our relation to Him. So, if you think that the study of theology is a leisure activity for people with a lot of time on their hands, our hosts want to dismiss such idea. Theology is for every child of God in whatever capacity they may find themselves, in times of peace, or times of trouble!   Enjoy this great episode!   We have a several copies of What is Reformed Theology? by R

This week on Theology on the Go, Dr. Jonathan Master is joined by Simonetta Carr.  Simonetta is an award-winning author.  She was born in Italy and has lived and worked in different cultures. She worked first as elementary school teacher and then as home-schooling mother for many years. Besides writing books, she has contributed to newspapers and magazines around the world and has translated the works of several authors from English into Italian and vice versa. Presently, she lives in San Diego with her husband Thomas and the youngest of her eight children. She is a member and Sunday School teacher at Christ United Reformed Church. Today Jonathan will talk to Simonetta about her love for history and especially about her new book on Irenaeus. Just for listening, the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals would like to give you a free resource. Register to win a free copy of Simonetta’s book on Irenaeus by going to ReformedResources.org!       Now, grab that cup of coffee and meet us at the table!

This week on Theology on the Go, Dr. Jonathan Master is joined by Dr. Gary Millar. Gary has been the Principal of Queensland Theological College (QTC) since the start of 2012. After studying chemistry in his home city of Belfast, Gary moved to Aberdeen in Scotland to study theology, before completing a D.Phil at Oxford on Deuteronomy. Gary worked as a pastor for the next 17 years in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland and was involved in both church revitalization and church planting, before moving to Brisbane to lead the team at QTC. Gary teaches Old Testament, Biblical Theology and Preaching, and preaches every Tuesday morning in college chapel. Gary has written on Deuteronomy (Now Choose Life in the NSBT series, Time and Place in Deuteronomy JSOTS 174), Prayer (Calling On the Name of the Lord: A Biblical Theology of Prayer also in the NSBT series) and Preaching (Saving Eutychus, written with Phil Campbell), and contributed to several other works. Gary is married to Fiona, and they have three

This week on Theology on the Go, Dr. Jonathan Master is joined by Emily Van Dixhoorn (M.A.R., Westminster Theological Seminary; B.A., Brown University).  Emily is a mother of five children and loves theology, mathematics, tennis, and time with her family. She has been leading Bible studies and teaching women for many years. Wife of Chad Van Dixhoorn, the author of Confessing the Faith, Emily appreciates on-going conversations about the Westminster Assembly and its theology.  Emily has done a great service to the church by helping us to study the Westminster Assembly.  Today Jonathan and Emily have a conversation about her new book. Just for listening, the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals would like to give you a free resource. Register to win a free copy of Confessing the Faith and the Study Guide by going to ReformedResources.org!     Now, grab that cup of coffee and meet us at the table!

This week on Theology on the Go our host, Dr. Jonathan Master will be on the receiving end of the questions.  So, Dr. Jeffrey Stivason joins the program to interview Dr. Master on the important topic of the assurance of salvation.  Dr. Master is dean of the school of divinity and professor of theology at Cairn University. In addition, he is the Alliance Editorial Director and the Executive Editor of the online magazine Place for Truth.  Jonathan is the host of this podcast, Theology on the Go.  He is also a sought after conference speaker and author.  Having been a pastor and author of a book on the topic of assurance of salvation (A Question of Consensus: The Doctrine of Assurance After the Westminster Confession) Jonathan is well qualified to be in the hot seat today!   Some books Jonathan mentions on Assurance: 1.  Joel Beeke, The Assurance of Faith 2.  Joel Beeke, The Quest for Full Assurance (a modified version of his The Assurance of Faith) 3.  Sinclair Ferguson, The Whole Christ 4.  Geoff Thomas, "Assu

This week on Theology on the Go, Dr. Jonathan Master is joined by Dr. Chad Van Dixhoorn.   Dr. VanDixhoorn is Associate Professor of Church History at Reformed Theological Seminary in Washington D.C..  He is a graduate of Westminster Theological Seminary (MDiv, ThM) and the University of Cambridge (PhD). He has taught theology at the University of Nottingham, and has held three fellowships at the University of Cambridge, where he has researched the history and theology of the Westminster assembly and taught on the subject of Puritanism. A former British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow, in 2013 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society in recognition of his five-volume work on the Westminster assembly, published by Oxford University Press. Van Dixhoorn also serves as an honorary research fellow in the School of History at the University of East Anglia, UK. Van Dixhoorn has lectured at RTS Washington since 2008 where he teaches church history and practical theology. He has served as Associate Profes

This week on Theology on the Go, Dr. Jonathan Master is joined by Dr. Chad Van Dixhoorn.   Dr. VanDixhoorn is Associate Professor of Church History at Reformed Theological Seminary in Washington D.C..  He is a graduate of Westminster Theological Seminary (MDiv, ThM) and the University of Cambridge (PhD). He has taught theology at the University of Nottingham, and has held three fellowships at the University of Cambridge, where he has researched the history and theology of the Westminster assembly and taught on the subject of Puritanism. A former British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow, in 2013 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society in recognition of his five-volume work on the Westminster assembly, published by Oxford University Press. Van Dixhoorn also serves as an honorary research fellow in the School of History at the University of East Anglia, UK. Van Dixhoorn has lectured at RTS Washington since 2008 where he teaches church history and practical theology. He has served as Associate Profes

This week on Theology on the Go, our host, Dr. Jonathan Master is joined by Dr. Barry York. Since 2013, Dr. York has been professor of pastoral theology and Dean of Faculty at the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Pittsburgh. However, before serving the seminary, Dr. York was sent to Kokomo, Indiana, as a church planter in 1991.  Through an evangelistic and disciple-making ministry the congregation of Sycamore Reformed Presbyterian Church was organized in 1994, where Barry served as pastor until June of 2013.  From 2002-2013 he also served as the administrator and a teacher for Sycamore Covenant Academy, an educational and service program devoted to preparing covenant youth for college and life.  He also is the general editor of the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Journal and co-hosts a podcast called 3GT. Today Dr. Master will talk with Dr. York about a topic that has occupied his thinking and been near to his heart for some time, the health of the church.    So, grab that cup of coffee and mee

This week on Theology on the Go, our host, Dr. Jonathan Master is once again joined by Dr. Bruce Gordon. Dr. Gordon taught at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, where he was professor of modern history and deputy director of the St. Andrews Reformation Studies Institute, before joining the faculty of Yale Divinity School in 2008. Dr. Gordon’s research and teaching focus on European religious cultures of the late-medieval and early modern periods, with a particular interest in the Reformation and its reception. His most recent book is John Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion (Princeton 2016), which looks at the reception from the sixteenth century to the age of YouTube of one of the defining works of the Reformation. He is the author of Calvin (Yale, 2009), a biography of the Genevan reformer, and the Swiss Reformation (Manchester, 2002), a Choice Magazine “Outstanding Publication” (2003). Dr. Gordon teaches and supervises graduate students in a broad range of medieval and early modern subjec

This week on Theology on the Go, our host, Dr. Jonathan Master is joined by Dr. Bruce Gordon. Dr. Gordon taught at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, where he was professor of modern history and deputy director of the St. Andrews Reformation Studies Institute, before joining the faculty of Yale Divinity School in 2008. Dr. Gordon’s research and teaching focus on European religious cultures of the late-medieval and early modern periods, with a particular interest in the Reformation and its reception. His most recent book is John Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion (Princeton 2016), which looks at the reception from the sixteenth century to the age of YouTube of one of the defining works of the Reformation. He is the author of Calvin (Yale, 2009), a biography of the Genevan reformer, and the Swiss Reformation (Manchester, 2002), a Choice Magazine “Outstanding Publication” (2003). Dr. Gordon teaches and supervises graduate students in a broad range of medieval and early modern subjects and thei