Posts by Jonathan Master

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Doctrine of God and Church Discipline - Q&A Jonathan and James answer a few listener’s questions as a follow-up to a prior episode. Our hosts address the question of how one can know if Scripture is speaking of God metaphorically or literally. How should one understand Scripture when it talks...
The Newton Guy Keith Plummer is professor at Cairn University teaching a variety of classes related to pastoral ministry, apologetics, and biblical courses. He also happens to work next door to Jonathan and James, lending a comfortable familiarity to their conversation. Keith shares how he became...
One of the most notable aspects of Paul’s ministry was his commitment to hard work and sacrifice. Paul worked hard—harder than most of his peers. In 1 Corinthians 15, he writes, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they...
The First Five Jonathan and James welcome their friend Stephen Unthank. He’s pastor of Greenbelt Baptist Church in Maryland, and a contributing writer for PlaceForTruth.org . Stephen shares his experiences as a relatively new pastor…the joys and challenges of the calling…and, how it all lined up...
Our dynamic duo brings up a topic that is usually difficult, and—many times—hard to swallow in the local church. Church leaders and congregants alike can also often misunderstand its procedure and purposes. What is church discipline, and what does Scripture teach about it? What’s the purpose of...
God Without Passions What do we mean when we say that God is without passion…that He’s indifferent to His creation? Is God moved by anyone or anything? How should we handle the difficult Bible passages that seem to contradict the doctrine of impassibility? Sam Renihan is a pastor at Trinity...
Divine Knowledge Jonathan and James share an informal conversation about the knowledge of God. What are we really saying when we claim that God knows all things? What’s the scope of God’s knowledge? Is God continuously learning everything at the moment it happens? James affirms that God is “...
Who Shall Ascend the Mountain of the Lord? Michael Morales, professor of Biblical Studies at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, joins us on the podcast to discuss his latest work, Who Shall Ascend the Mountain of the Lord? Who is able to approach God’s presence? This investigative study...
Although I do not know Rachel Green Miller personally and I am not on social media, I have been able to follow some of the debate surrounding her writing for a number of years. In my work for ACE, I have published her articles in the past, and have defended her in various ways both publicly and...
Although I do not know Rachel Green Miller personally and I am not on social media, I have been able to follow some of the debate surrounding her writing for a number of years. In my work for ACE, I have published her articles in the past, and have defended her in various ways both publicly and...
Theoretical-Practical Theology Vol. II 17th-century Reformed theologian Petrus Van Mastricht wrote a comprehensive treatment of theoretical-practical theology. This extensive collection is gradually being made available in English by Todd Rester, lead translator of this massive work. The second...
All Things for Good James and Jonathan remove the dust from the cover of a classic book that’s played a big role in their lives. All Things for Good, formerly known as A Divine Cordial by Thomas Watson was originally published in 1663, and it reads as a series of sermons or expositions of Romans 8:...
Banner of Truth: A Conversation with Mark Johnston Mark Johnston is the pastor of Bethel Presbyterian Church in Cardiff, Wales. Mark also writes for the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals on the Place for Truth website, has authored several books, and serves on the board of Banner of Truth Trust...
From Shadow to Substance What is Federal Theology? Sam Renihan joins our hosts to address this very question. Sam is a pastor at Trinity Reformed Baptist Church in La Mirada, CA and author of From Shadow to Substance: the Federal Theology of the English Particular Baptists. Is it fair to say that...
No Place for Truth Jonathan and James are discussing a book that influenced both of them decades ago. Why would they be talking about it now, and what is the book’s relevance for today? 25 years ago, David Wells wrote No Place for Truth, a microscopic analysis of how the purpose of the church and...
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...
Simonetta Carr joins Jonathan and James today. She opens up about very difficult times in her life, during which she dealt with schizophrenia in her family, which would ultimately claim her son. In Broken Pieces and the God Who Mends Them, Simonetta recounts her experience as she learned much about...
Aquinas Among the Protestants Should Protestants read and engage with anything written by Thomas Aquinas? David VanDrunen sits in with Jonathan and James to talk about a book he co-edited with Manfred Svensson, titled Aquinas Among the Protestants . David is the Robert B. Strimple Professor of...
How Then Shall We Feel? In the house today is Dr. Keith Plummer. He’s a professor of a variety of topics related to pastoral ministry, apologetics, and spiritual formation at Cairn University. The topic of our conversation is the place that feelings or emotions have in the life of a Christian. How...
Grace Worth Fighting For To celebrate the 400th anniversary of the Canons of Dort, Daniel Hyde has written Grace Worth Fighting For: Recapturing the Vision of God’s Grace in the Canons of Dort. Hyde’s work is a reminder for us to protect and proclaim the Gospel of grace. Danny is the pastor of...
The Identity and Attributes of God Jonathan and James have the pleasure of speaking with Terry Johnson. Terry is the senior pastor of Independent Presbyterian Church in Savannah, GA, and the author of several books including his latest, The Identity and Attributes of God by Banner of Truth. What...
Paul, Paton, and Missions Paul Schlehlein joins in today all the way from South Africa to talk about the life of one of the great Scottish missionaries of the 19th century, John G. Paton. Paul has written a biography of Paton, published by Banner of Truth, which features practical applications for...
Christians Heresies 101 Today’s conversation might “trigger” you with some pretty big words…but there’s nothing to worry about. Jonathan and James are willing to break them down and carefully explain what they mean. What are “heresies?” The duo discusses the historical definition of the word, and...
Theoretical-Practical Theology One admirer has said that Petrus Van Mastricht’s works were the best thing ever written in any language, short of the Bible itself. That is indeed a high compliment! Jonathan and James have invited Dr. Joel Beeke to talk about the translation of Mastricht’s...
Some Influential Preachers Jonathan and James share today about the preachers who have the greatest influence on their personal lives and ministry, and the qualities that make these preachers so remarkable. Whether a Baptist, Presbyterian, or Anglican minister, there is much in common between...
Obedience and Submission The eternal submission of the Son to the Father in the Godhead has been a topic of discussion for quite some time now. After the internet debate of 2016 , Glenn Butner was motivated to conduct a thorough investigation into the topic. Glenn has summarized his findings on the...
Reformed Preaching: Biblical, Doctrinal, and Practical Joel Beeke is a prolific author, professor, and president of Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary. He’s also the pastor of Heritage Reformed Congregation of Grand Rapids, MI. Beeke recently published Reformed Preaching: Proclaiming God’s Word...
Join us in Pittsburgh, PA for a special evening with Jonathan Master The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals invites you to an evening gathering to hear Dr. Jonathan Master speak on "Wisdom: The Need of Our Contemporary Age." Dr. Master is the Alliance editorial director, co-host of the Alliance...
Union with Christ While James enjoys a vacation, Jonathan has the pleasure of speaking with Ian Hamilton about Union with Christ, one of the topics Ian will be addressing at the Philadelphia Conference on Reformed Theology in Grand Rapids, MI, March 15th - 17th. Speaking passionately, and quoting a...
Incomprehensible but Knowable Words are important, and some of them carry meanings that can be crucial for our understanding of God; words that will eventually affect the way we live the Christian life. Incomprehensibility is one of these words. But what exactly does it mean? Jonathan and James...
Commentary Connoisseur Do you know anyone who loves the book of Romans to the point of owning more than 120 commentaries on the epistle? Jonathan and James know one such fan! Rob Ventura is the pastor of Grace Community Baptist Church in North Providence, an author, and blogger for Reformation21 ...
Hell Podcast We managed to catch Jonathan and James in their offices having a conversation about hell. The topic might not be a very popular one, but—if Scripture addresses it—we should pay attention to it. The Bible uses a few different words referring to hell, describing it as a place of...
Word, Sacrament, and Discipline You’ve moved to a new area, and are looking for a church. What are the main things you should consider in your search? As a visitor, what are the visible signs that indicate you’re in a true church? Barry York is a pastor…president of Reformed Presbyterian...
For Instruction, Doctrine, and Morals James and Jonathan have a few questions about biblical interpretation, and Keith Stanglin is the right man to answer them. He’s the associate professor of historical theology at Austin Graduate School of Theology, and has written The Letter and Spirit of...
Sinclair Ferguson is associate minister at Saint Peter’s Church in Dundee, Scotland. He’s a long-time professor of theology, a former member of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals council, and author of numerous works, including Some Pastors and Teachers, which is the subject of today’s...
James and Jonathan welcome Pierce Taylor Hibbs. He’s the associate director of the Center for Theological Writing at Westminster Theological Seminary. Through the years, Pierce felt that writing was not only a profession--one, in which, he was trained—but also a vocation and calling, especially...
Dr. Carlton Wynne is the assistant professor of systematic theology and apologetics at Westminster Theological Seminary, and one of the speakers at the Quakertown Conference on Reformed Theology , entitled The Glory of the Cross. How does the historical Adam magnify the cross of Christ? Carlton...
What do we think when we think about heaven? Is heaven our eternal home? Derek Thomas joins us for conversation about the delightful topic of heaven and the new earth. He’s currently the senior pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Columbia, SC. In this encouraging conversation, Derek tells us...
Natural Revelation God has revealed himself in nature, as Romans 1 affirms, but should natural revelation be the starting point of conversation in an apologetic or evangelistic encounter? James and Jonathan consider the text of Acts 14, with Paul’s apologetic approach to Jews and Greeks. Is seeing...
There has been a steady stream of Protestants converting to Roman Catholicism in recent years, and many of these converts claim challenges with Protestantism itself. Darryl Hart is professor of history at Hillsdale College, and has recently written Still Protesting: Why the Reformation Still...
Theology on the Go reaches the big 1-0-0! To celebrate, we (with tongue in cheek) present this special edition of the podcast, as Jonathan and James search the Scriptures for the many and significant appearances of the number 100. You may be totally underwhelmed! Nonetheless, you’re invited to join...
The event of Israel’s exodus from Egypt is not just an historical Old Testament account, but a more complex theme that resonates throughout the Scriptures. Jonathan and James sit down with Bryan Estelle to explore Echoes of Exodus: Tracing a Biblical Motif. Bryan walks us through several passages--...
Christ and Covenant Theology Jonathan and James invite Dr. Cornelis Venema for a conversation about his collection of essays entitled Christ and Covenant Theology. But what is Covenant Theology? Dr. Venema offers a rich definition, making a distinction between the covenant of works and the covenant...
Pastor Herman Bavinck Many know Herman Bavinck as a reputable Dutch theologian, whose Reformed Dogmatics continues to shape the thoughts of theologians, pastors, and lay Christians alike. What is largely unknown is that Bavinck was also a devout and heartfelt preacher. To bridge the gap between...
When studying the history of the Church, we tend to jump from the apostolic era right to the third century and beyond, where theological controversies were taking shape and ecumenical councils were being called. What about the second century? Was anything significant happening then? Michael Kruger...
Interpreting Scripture with The Great Tradition Jonathan and James meet with Craig Carter to talk about his recent book, considered (by some) to be controversial--Interpreting Scriptures with the Great Tradition: Recovering the Genius of Premodern Exegesis. Craig talks about the growing gulf...
Insuppressible Truth Jonathan and James welcome Gabriel Fluhrer. He’s a pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Columbia, SC, and one of the main speakers at the Pensacola Theological Institute conference Insuppressible: Glory, Gospel, and the Design of Life , happening this summer in Pensacola, FL...
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...
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...
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...