Reformed Forum

Latest Episodes:

[Introduction to the Westminster Shorter Catechism] Q/A 13 Aug 21, 2023

Show notes

This is an audio podcast of "Introduction to the Westminster Shorter Catechism," taught by Dr. James J. Cassidy. Videos of each lesson including Spanish and Chinese subtitles are available for free online at reformedforum.org.

Dr. Cassidy is the pastor of South Austin Presbyterian Church. He graduated in 2014 from Westminster Theological Seminary with the Ph.D in systematic theology writing on the theology of Karl Barth. He is the author of God's Time For Us: Barth on the Reconciliation of Eternity and Time in Jesus Christ (Lexham Press).

If you're excited about this theology and want to enable people around the world to watch and listen to these free resources, please visit https://reformedforum.org/donate to provide your support.

Q. 13. Did our first parents continue in the estate wherein they were created? A. Our first parents, being left to the freedom of their own will, fell from the estate wherein they were created, by sinning against God.

Mentioned in this episode:

Christ the Center 1000

Christianity and Liberalism: Salvation Aug 18, 2023

Show notes

Danny Olinger and Camden Bucey discuss the sixth chapter of Machen’s classic book, Christianity and Liberalism. In this chapter, J. Gresham Machen explores the differences between the liberal and Christian views of salvation. He argues that liberalism finds salvation in man, while Christianity finds it in an act of God. Machen critiques the moral influence theory of the atonement, which denies the substitutionary character of Christ’s death and the wrath of God. In contrast, he emphasizes the need for a propitiation for sin and the centrality of the cross of Christ in the Christian view of salvation.

Machen concludes that the doctrine of salvation is essential to the Christian faith and that liberalism and Christianity are fundamentally incompatible on this question. The chapter provides a clear and detailed analysis of the theological and biblical foundations of the Christian view of salvation, and highlights the importance of this doctrine for the Christian life.

Chapters

00:00:07 Introduction
00:05:40 Review of Christianity and Liberalism
00:09:28 The Liberal View of Salvation
00:16:14 Liberalism, Roman Catholicism, and the Atonement
00:26:24 The Significance of What Christ Did
00:31:47 Fundamentalism and Social Progress
00:34:30 Theological Categories
00:40:08 The Goal and Fruit of Liberalism
00:44:45 Machen and Hymns
00:54:09 Heavenly-Mindedness
01:02:11 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Danny Olinger

Mentioned in this episode:

Christ the Center 1000

Christ the Center 1000 Summit

Christ the Center 1000 Live in Austin, TX

Christ the Center 1000 Summit

Feeding on Heaven’s Bread and Words (Chapter 6) Aug 16, 2023

Show notes

This lesson is part of the course, The Gospel of John: A Study in the Truth (Chapters 1–10), taught by James J. Cassidy.

This course is an overview of the Gospel of John. It is geared toward adults and could be used in a Sunday school class or in a Bible study. As an overview, the course will leave most details uncovered. However, its purpose is to give students key themes in John’s Gospel (e.g., truth) which will help them in their interpretation of the book as a whole. In addition, the material is intended to be edifying, showing the centrality of Christ in all of Scripture. With this course, students will—by God’s grace—be made to grow in the knowledge of who Jesus is and what he came to do. This, in turn, will equip students to share Christ more clearly and effectively with others.

Jim Cassidy is the pastor of South Austin Presbyterian Church. He graduated in 2014 from Westminster Theological Seminary with the Ph.D in systematic theology writing on the theology of Karl Barth. He is the author of God’s Time For Us: Barth on the Reconciliation of Eternity and Time in Jesus Christ (Lexham Press).

View the course and its accompanying materials at https://reformedforum.org/courses/the-gospel-of-john-a-study-in-the-truth-chapters-1-10/

Mentioned in this episode:

Christ the Center 1000

[Introduction to the Westminster Shorter Catechism] Q/A 12 Aug 14, 2023

Show notes

If you're excited about this theology and want to enable people around the world to watch and listen to these free resources, please visit https://reformedforum.org/donate to provide your support.

Q. 12. What special act of providence did God exercise toward man in the estate wherein he was created? A. When God had created man, he entered into a covenant of life with him, upon condition of perfect obedience; forbidding him to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, upon pain of death.

Mentioned in this episode:

Christ the Center 1000

The Upside-Down Kingdom Aug 11, 2023

Show notes

We welcome Chris Castaldo to the program to explore the Beatitudes. In his book, The Upside-Down Kingdom, Castaldo offers a fresh perspective on these familiar teachings of Jesus, showing how they reveal God’s heart for the poor, the meek, and the persecuted. He also provides practical guidance for how we can live out these values in our daily lives, both as individuals and as a community of believers. The book is recommended for anyone seeking to deepen their understanding of the gospel and its implications for our lives today.

Castaldo argues that the Beatitudes challenge our cultural assumptions about power, success, and happiness, and call us to embrace a different way of living that is grounded in humility, compassion, and justice. Castaldo also draws on his own experiences as a pastor and theologian to provide practical guidance for how we can live out these values in our daily lives. Overall, The Upside Down Kingdom offers a fresh perspective on the Beatitudes that is both challenging and inspiring.

Chris Castaldo (PhD, London School of Theology) is the lead pastor at New Covenant Church in Naperville, Illinois. Follow him on Twitter at @chriscastaldo.

Books by Chris Castaldo

Chapters

00:07 Introduction
03:12 Introducing The Upside-Down Kingdom
04:11 Catholicism and Evangelicalism
08:03 Studying the Reformation in Italy
11:11 Chris’ Family History and the Beatitudes
12:49 Worldly vs. Biblical Measures of Success
17:58 The Beginnings of The Upside-Down Kingdom
19:14 Inaugurated Eschatology and the Kingdom
23:23 Addressing Cultural Assumptions
30:38 Meekness
36:32 Societal and Political Implications of Jesus’ Teaching
39:51 Liberal Christian Ethics
42:26 The Beatitudes and Catholicism
48:57 Hopes and Aspirations for Readers of the Book
52:40 Upcoming Projects
54:34 Integrating Our Studies
56:10 Lessons from Italian Christians
58:35 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Chris Castaldo

Mentioned in this episode:

Christ the Center 1000

Christ the Center 1000 Summit

Christ the Center 1000 Live in Austin, TX

Christ the Center 1000 Summit

True Rest: The Works and Witnesses of the Messiah (Chapter 5) Aug 09, 2023

Show notes

This lesson is part of the course, The Gospel of John: A Study in the Truth (Chapters 1–10), taught by James J. Cassidy.

View the course and its accompanying materials at https://reformedforum.org/courses/the-gospel-of-john-a-study-in-the-truth-chapters-1-10/

Mentioned in this episode:

Christ the Center 1000

[Introduction to the Westminster Shorter Catechism] Q/A 11 Aug 07, 2023

Show notes

If you're excited about this theology and want to enable people around the world to watch and listen to these free resources, please visit https://reformedforum.org/donate to provide your support.

Q. 11. What are God's works of providence? A. God's works of providence are his most holy, wise and powerful preserving and governing all his creatures, and all their actions.

Mentioned in this episode:

Christ the Center 1000

Vos Group #82 — More on John the Baptist Aug 04, 2023

Show notes

We turn to pp. 315–318 of Geerhardus Vos’s book, Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments to discuss revelation connected with John the Baptist. Our discussion examines the complexities of John’s role in the grand scheme of Biblical theology, unearthing profound insights about revelation and prophecy. We explore John’s unique connection with Elijah, and the significance of his testimony to Jesus and baptism.

Join us as we ponder Vos’s interpretation of Biblical revelation, shedding light on how it relates to the shadowy figure of John the Baptist. We navigate the delicate interplay between Old Testament prophecy and New Testament fulfillment, guided by the astute scholarship of Vos.

Chapters

00:00:00 Introduction
00:02:49 Thoughts on Studying Vos
00:14:10 John the Baptist and Elijah
00:21:50 Dispensational Interpretations of OT Prophecy
00:30:11 Repent in Preparation of the Coming of Christ
00:34:37 John’s Baptism
00:43:47 The OT Background to the Baptism of John
00:51:27 Considering John’s Baptism Redemptive-Historically
01:01:50 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Lane G. Tipton

Mount Zion Breaks In (Chapter 4) Aug 02, 2023

Show notes

This lesson is part of the course, The Gospel of John: A Study in the Truth (Chapters 1–10), taught by James J. Cassidy.

View the course and its accompanying materials at https://reformedforum.org/courses/the-gospel-of-john-a-study-in-the-truth-chapters-1-10/

Mentioned in this episode:

Christ the Center 1000

Summary of Christian Doctrine: The Atonement Through Christ, Part 1 Aug 01, 2023

Show notes

This week on Theology Simply Profound, Rob and Bob discuss Louis Berkhof’s little book, Summary of Christian Doctrine. In chapter 17, “The Atonement Through Christ,” we begin to discuss what the atonement means, the need for the atonement, and how satisfaction of God is made through the atonement.

Participants: Rob McKenzie, Robert Tarullo

Mentioned in this episode:

Christ the Center 1000