Posts by Jonathan Master

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How do you envision a triune God carrying out the divine missions? Do you picture the Son and Spirit departing the throne room—lunchboxes in hand—only to return to Heaven in the evening and report to the Father? If so, how might we understand our communion with God or the presence of Jesus in the...
The title of the most recent Blue Ridge Bible Conference seems an appropriate descriptor for today's episode of Theology on the Go. Jonathan and James discuss the biblical, familial, and social implications of the latest manifestation of gender dysphoria: transgenderism. Why is a decision to reject...
What Hath Athens to Do With Jerusalem? What does philosophy have to do with theology, the Church, and Christian doctrine? Should Christians be interested in philosophy, and—if so—why? To address these questions, Jonathan and James invited a good friend and former colleague. Bob LaRocca is an...
Gary Schnittjer returns this week to continue the fascinating and vital conversation about his book Old Testament Use of Old Testament . Released just a few weeks ago, it has already proven to be an essential tool in the hands of Bible scholars, pastors, and students of theology. One tragic issue...
Things have shifted a bit, as James is now thriving on the West Coast while Jonathan remains in the Southeast. Regardless of the distance and time difference, both are delighted to welcome a friend and former colleague Gary E. Schnittjer. Gary joins them to discuss one of the most anticipated books...
This week, Jonathan and James chat with Ken Golden. Ken’s a writer and contributor for reformation21.org, pastor of Sovereign Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Illinois, and the author of Presbytopia and Entering God’s Rest . Today, Ken is joining us to talk about his most recent book, Eating...
Faithfulness of Christ or Faith in Christ? Jonathan and James are joined by good friend and former colleague Kevin McFadden, associate professor of New Testament at Cairn University. He is on the podcast to talk about his new book, Faith in the Son of God: The Place of Christ-Oriented Faith within...
Jonathan and James go guestless, discussing one-on-one the answer to Westminster Shorter Catechism Question 38 concerning the benefits believers will enjoy from Christ at the resurrection. Though we are already thoroughly blessed by our relationship with Christ, there are three distinct benefits...
Evangelism Around the World Jonathan and James have the privilege of speaking with Anthony Curto, professor of Missions and Apologetics at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Anthony also has extensive experience serving as a pastor, church planter, and missionary worldwide, all of which...
Confessional Subscription and the Minister’s Integrity Today’s topic couldn’t be timelier. Jonathan and James are joined by David Strain, senior minister at First Presbyterian Church in Jackson, MI, to talk about David’s recent address at the Gospel Reformation Network conference on the topic of...
Vital Churches Wendell McBurney is our special guest. He’s been dean of research at Indiana University and has done a lot of writing in academic circles. Dr. McBurney has also been a valuable member of the RPCNA—the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America for many decades. Today’s topic is...
R.C. Sproul, A Life Reformation Bible College President Stephen Nichols joins Jonathan and James. Their old friend stops by to discuss the biography he’s written about pastor, teacher, and theologian R.C. Sproul. Nichols talks about his working and personal relationship with Sproul, and the...
Why Should You Be Acquainted with John Owen? Jonathan and James are pleased to be talking with Crawford Gribben today. He’s the professor of Early Modern British History at Queen’s University in Belfast. Gribben has written An Introduction to John Owen: A Christian Vision for Every Stage of Life ,...
“I Have Learned to be Content…” The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals sponsors the Quakertown Women’s Conference in Quakertown, Pennsylvania. This year’s conference will be livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube May 14th and 15th, and the theme is “Contentment in Christ.” Among some very special...
PCRT and Praying to the Triune God The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals is renowned for its long-standing yearly conference: PCRT, the Philadelphia Conference on Reformed Theology. Once again, the event has been compelled to move online due to COVID restrictions. This year’s PCRT theme is...
No Creed But the Bible? Jonathan and James welcome a very special guest today. J. V. Fesko is the Harriet Barbour Professor of Systematic and Historical Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, MS. The Need for Creeds Today is one of Fesko’s most recent works and the topic of today’s...
Pastoral Visitation Chad Vegas, founding pastor of Sovereign Grace Church in Bakersfield, CA, visits with Jonathan and James to talk about his journey from pragmatism to conviction. Chad gives us his background, and tells us who the Lord has used to change his ministry, and how God did so! Chad...
The Word Became Fresh Dale Ralph Davis has been a minister at a few traditional Reformed churches in the US. For some time, he was Old Testament professor at Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, MS. Dale lives a much quieter life now, and is happy to chat with Jonathan and James about one of...
Hypo What? Our hosts Jonathan and James sit down together to discuss what to some may be a daunting topic—nevertheless, one that is important to get right. Hypostatic union refers to the union of the two natures of Christ in His person. The questions then are raised: How do these two natures...
Avoiding Chronological Snobbery Nick Needham joins us from across the Atlantic. He’s the minister of Inverness Reformed Baptist Church and a lecturer at Highland Theological College. Nick’s also the writer of an outstanding four volume set entitled 2000 Years of Christ’s Power: The Age of the Early...
Original Sin: Born This Way James and Jonathan tackle a foundational theological topic this week. The doctrine of original sin is integral to our grasp of many other biblical doctrines. How should we define original sin, and how is it different from the sins we commit daily? Guilt, corruption,...
“It is the duty of people to pray for magistrates, to honor their persons, to pay them tribute or other dues, to obey their lawful commands, and to be subject to their authority, for conscience' sake.” — Westminster Confession of Faith XXIII.4 This past year will likely be remembered by many for...
No Creed but the Bible? James Renihan joins us. He’s president and professor of Historic Theology at IRBS Theological Seminary in Mansfield, TX. At issue: Is it accurate to say that Baptists have no confessions, and “no creed but the Bible”? Our guest quickly and politely debunks these myths! What...
By Good and Necessary Consequence James and Jonathan welcome special guest Ryan McGraw. Ryan is academic dean and professor of Systematic Theology at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. His book, By Good and Necessary Consequence, is the topic of today’s conversation. It is part of the...
The Case for Biblical Archaeology Jonathan and James meet to share a conversation with John Currid. He’s the Chancellor’s Professor of Old Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, a trained archaeologist, and an ordained minister in the PCA. Dr. Currid is in to chat about his...
The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self - Part 1 Jonathan and James receive the visit of a close friend who has written one of the most significant books of 2020. Carl Trueman is the co-host of Mortification of Spin —another podcast from the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals—and professor of...
The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self - Part 1 Jonathan and James receive the visit of a close friend who has written one of the most significant books of 2020. Carl Trueman is the co-host of Mortification of Spin —another podcast from the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals—and professor of...
Exodus Old and New Michael Morales is professor of Biblical Studies at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, and his most recent book is getting some well-deserved attention. It’s titled Exodus Old and New , and Michael tells us how the book—which is not a commentary—traces the Exodus motif...
The Exclusivity of the Gospel Jonathan and James have a one-on-one conversation to sort through three views surrounding the way of salvation. Is Jesus Christ really the only way? If so, what is required? Can one be saved without any knowledge of Christ’s person and work? Romans chapter one offers...
Green Pastures Ryan Davidson is the pastor of Grace Baptist Chapel in Hampton, VA, and the author of Green Pastures, A Primer on the Ordinary Means of Grace. Ryan starts the discussion by defining means of grace, then drills down to explain the ordinary means of grace. What does the word ordinary...
The Cure for Unjust Anger Jonathan and James welcome Brian Hedges to the podcast. Brian is the lead pastor at Redeemer Church in Niles, MI and is responsible for breathing new life into one of the works of John Downame, a 16th century Puritan who was known as a “physician of souls.” In The Cure for...
Puritan: All of Life to the Glory of God Jonathan and James invite Joel Beeke to the podcast to discuss the outstanding documentary Puritan: All of Life to the Glory of God , tracing Puritanism from its birth to its modern influence. Dr. Beeke—president of Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary,...
COVID Repentance Peter VanDoodewaard is the pastor of Covenant Community Church in Taylors, SC. He’s in-house today to chat about an article he’s written for Reformation21.org titled Covid-19 Repentance. Peter's piece combines a reflection on the Old Testament minor prophets with the unprecedented...
The Story Retold Benjamin Gladd is the associate professor of New Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, MS. He joins James and Jonathan to discuss The Story Retold: A Biblical-Theological Introduction to the New Testament, his recently published book co-written with G.K. Beale. No...
Pastors and Polemics Jonathan and James bring up a timeless topic facing pastors of every generation—most especially, today. Polemical debates and arguments rage in the streets, online, even from the pulpit. But, should pastors be involved, and—if so—to what extent? Could engaging in polemics...
Every Day Matters Brandon Crowe is the associate professor of New Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary, and the author of several books—most of them on the theology of the Old Testament. This time, he’s written a book on productivity, which piqued our curiosity. In the past decade or so,...
The Doctrine of Angels Jonathan and James tackle a topic somewhat underemphasized in Reformed circles, and—perhaps—overemphasized elsewhere. Should we give more attention to angels? What are the benefits of studying the few verses in Scriptures that address these holy and glorious creatures? Angels...
With All Your Heart Dr. Craig Troxel is professor of Practical Theology at Westminster Seminary California and James’ former pastor. Craig visits the podcast to discuss his recently written book, With All Your Heart: Orienting Your Mind, Desires, and Will toward Christ. When Scripture mentions the...
Historical Collections of the Past A socially-distanced Caleb Cangelosi joins Jonathan and James via Zoom. Caleb is the senior pastor at Pear Orchard Presbyterian Church in Ridgeland, MS, and the founder of Log College Press—the topic of our conversation today. Log College Press is a publishing...
Walking with God Jonathan and James have the pleasure of speaking with Rhett Dodson today. He’s the pastor of Grace Presbyterian Church in Hudson, OH. Pastor Dodson was scheduled to speak at the Banner of Truth East Coast Ministers’ Conference this month, had the event not been cancelled due to the...
The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals has always been an alliance . In other words, we have always united, but we have had our differences – often on serious matters. We have also always insisted on being confessional . Every regular ACE contributor has been required to adhere to one of the...
Fear Podcast Jonathan and James lead a timely conversation about fear. As we all grapple with a viral pandemic—and the social isolation, anxiety, and economic uncertainty it can bring--fear can creep in, bringing with it hopelessness and even despair. How must Christians respond when the world is...
Hugh Martin was a 19th century Scotsman and distinguished mathematician who became a minister of the gospel. As he battled mental health issues, Martin’s last 20 years of life were marked by writing--sermons, essays, and letters--as well as some occasional preaching. Sinclair Ferguson joins...
Doctrinal Introduction: Perseverance of the Saints Jonathan and James have a chat about the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints. The Christian race isn’t always easy, which sometimes may cause us to wonder whether we’ll finish well. What assurance do we have that our running is not in vain...
Imputation of the Active Obedience of Christ Jonathan and James are joined by Alan Strange. Alan is professor of church history at Mid-America Reformed Seminary, and a minister in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. The question is posed: How important is the doctrine of the active obedience of...
Theological Retrieval for Evangelicals What do evangelicals need to retrieve, and why? Gavin Ortlund is pastor of First Baptist Church of Ojai, California. He joins James and Jonathan to talk about his book--Theological Retrieval for Evangelicals--and to answer these questions, and others. Some...
Many readers of Reformation21 will be familiar with the Revoice Conference. The first of its meetings was in the summer of 2018, and next will be this coming July. The stated purpose of the conference was, "Supporting, encouraging, and empowering gay, lesbian, same-sex attracted, and other gender...
Ministering With a Clear Conscience Why does Paul emphasize clearness of conscience in regard to one’s ministry? James defines “conscience”, expands on its dual function, and talks about how it often speaks against our will. The hosts discuss the fallibility of the conscience, and how it can—at...
Jonathan and James are happy to introduce our listeners to another great book written by Benjamin Shaw, who—for many years—was professor of Hebrew and Old Testament at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary…but recently took a position as Professor of Old Testament at Reformation Bible...
Foundations of Covenant Theology Jonathan and James are very excited to introduce Lane Tipton. He’s fellow of Biblical and Systematic Theology at Reformed Forum, and pastor of Trinity OPC church in Easton, PA. Lane has assembled an outstanding video series for the Forum titled Foundations of...